Flowers in winter

While those in the Northern Hemisphere are getting ready for the cold winter weather, those down south are enjoying some beautiful sunny days. Because seasons and weather conditions vary so much from north to south, it makes it that much more important to consider the season when sending flowers. This is particularly the case if you are planning on sending an international flower delivery to a loved one abroad. In the Northern Hemisphere, the winter officially begins in December and finishes at the end of February. In the south, June marks the beginning of winter and it doesn’t start to get warmer until the end of August.

In the north, when Christmas rolls around, it’s good to know that flowers like carnations and chrysanthemums are in season.  Holly berries are also available which is great since they add lovely colour and texture to any festive bouquet. Holly berries have a way of bringing out that Christmas theme. For those who enjoy going all out and decorating every inch of their home for the holidays, doing so in advance is essential.  Since it requires a fair amount of effort, many households choose to set up their decorations in the first week of December. This way, they get to really enjoy the festive atmosphere for at least one month.  It also means that they will have more time available for cooking and cleaning before Christmas Eve.

Proteas, gerbera daisies and certain varieties of lilies are quite popular as cut flowers in the winter months. For those who would prefer a potted plant to a fresh flower bouquet, poinsettias are popular and represent the season perfectly.  If you have poinsettias planted in your garden, you can pick some stems to add to your seasonal bouquet and give it even more festive colour. Apart from the usual foliage and flowers, you can also add some Christmas decorations to your flower bouquets. Examples of these decorations include small Christmas balls, mini Christmas presents and those tiny velvet Santas that have been around for ages. You can even decorate the vase if you like!  Wrap some tinsel around the vase or put the vase inside Santa’s hat.

Regardless of the type of flowers you choose for your winter arrangement, the most important thing to remember is colour.  The colour of a bouquet generally dictates the season it is best suited for. Pastel shades are associated with spring while orange, red and olive green are common in autumn bouquets.  Summer bouquets consist of bold, striking colours and winter bouquets often include red, white and green due to the Christmas season.

If you are planning on hosting an elegant dinner for Christmas, then you can use a simple yet mature Christmas flower arrangement. It should consist of dark green foliage as well as red and white flowers like carnations, roses and/or chrysanthemums. You can then complete the bouquet with some accessories like holly berries and some tiny white flowers. Depending on the style of the arrangement, you could place a red or white candle in the centre. The best part of all is that this kind of bouquet is not strictly limited to Christmas and, once the celebrations are done, you can still enjoy your flowers until they eventually perish. In the winter your flowers should last wonderfully long and the heat of summer won’t be a concern. Of course, if you want your flowers to last as long as possible, you need to care for them and keep them away from heaters, fireplaces, windy areas and cold glass windows.