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What is your favorite flower? (And, are you curious as to why we’re asking?)

Started by Daniel Gibbons · 8 months ago

"Flowers have an expression of countenance as much as men or animals. Some seem to smile; some have a sad expression; some are pensive and diffident; others again are plain, honest and upright, like the broad-faced sunflower and the hollyhock." - Henry Ward Beecher, Star Papers: A ... Continue reading »

119 comments

  • Old fashioned roses just before they go over. The scent and the sense of ripeness and a life lived to overflowing.
  • Yes, Carrie I agree with you about Peonies. The palest blush of some, makes me weep - I swear. I love to bury my face in the middle of a double peony and inhale its essence.
  • Me too!
  • The drama of bunch of a vivid red tulips - can't beat it ...

    Constructive Dramatic
  • I have two favorites the first has been in my consciousness for a long time the second since I began gardening on my own... snap dragons and impatients.
  • I love tiger lilies because of the unexpected colours and that one bloom can be all you need to make an arrangment. I also love white roses, they are simple, beautiful and always look good.

    Genuine Mystery
  • Double bloom Gardenias. They are absolutely lush; look and smell divine. There's something so earthy about them.

    The best part? They smell even more beautiful as they fade.
  • I would have to say gloxinia- strong deep colors, sturdy, and lush to the touch.
  • I love gerber daisies. They are simple, elegant , non-fussy and come in such a wide variety of colors that you can match them with anything. I am also excited about the reinvention of the carnation. It used to have an unfavorable reputation and has made quite the comeback. Carnations used to be 'attached to the hip' of Baby's Breath but once you ditch the Baby's Breath and arrange the carnations tightly in either a floral boule or low-rise geometric vase, they look like a dream!
  • Any flower in white is gorgeous to me.
  • Ditto, love the purity.
  • I think you have to be flexible flowers. I have lived in eight cities and on four continents in my adult life and have discovered a local favourite in every new city! I now live in Bangkok Thailand and every room in my house has a big pot of orchids. Usually white or spiky, earthy, red ones. They are fabulous but then again so were the tulips in spring time in Kingston Ontario.
  • Wow -- Bangkok!! I was so struck by the orchids when I visited. What is it like to live there??
  • I have lived in Bangkok in the mid 90's for four years and for the past 10 months. We will be here another 2+ years and I love it. I have long term friends here, I love the food, the smells (altho my five year old son would disagree) the texture and the controversy.
  • I love daffodills! They are the first sign of life after a very cold and snowy winter in the Northeast of PA. And I love daisies. They reflect my husbands devotion to our family, always here and pitching in where he can. "He loves me. He loves you not".
  • Pink tulips - although as to why, I'm not sure. But there must be self-flattering symbolism in there somewhere ;-)
  • Peonies are my favorite - so feminine - like sexy Flamenco skirts. And I think the water lily is so elegant, dramatic and serene. Flowers are so affecting!
  • Calla Lily – Means magnificent beauty. I love this flower because it is able to make a strong impression even if there is only one.
  • Nerissa,
    Calla lilies are my favourite too. They look like such a strong flower to me but are also delicate - I love that mix of opposites.
  • One of the most difficult questions to answer when one is a gardener. But I would like one single white Calla lily in the centre of a wild array of greens on my casket. White and green. Elegant, cool, calm.
  • I always do my garden in a green and white theme. It attracts a lot of attention. People stop to look - neighbours have asked if they can copy it. There's just something about the green/white that appeals to my senses. Here's what I combine in my garden: hosta, hydrangea, white peony, and mosses. I am NOT a gardener believe me, but I just go by instinct. In fact, I apologize to all the living things I'm responsible for. I do what I can and then tell them "The rest is up to you." LOL
  • Orange gerberas! Everyone notices them, but they have a calming kind of effect...one that inspires contentment and a smile you don't even know you're smiling.
    They fit well with my statement of Comfortable Bold.
  • and they die so beautifully as well
  • that should have read Tulips - simplicity and color and they die so beautifully as well--
  • Blue orchids for me. I love the colour (even though I know it's been added after picking) and I love that it's an immediate eye-catcher. People see roses and carnations all the time, but when you see a blue orchid, you immediately think, "wow."

    <img src="http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/aa83/eyeball65/orchids.jpg">

    (I hope the above picture tag works!)
  • I love peonies! So full, lush and beautiful. Just like me!
  • Wouldn't it be wonderland to have a peonies party? A room with full, lush beautiful people!
  • I worked for a florist for several years. I can't possibly have one favorite flower. Varieties are always changing and it is the variety I love. Some of my recent favorites include king protea, peony, cabbage rose, stephanotis, sweet peas, and phalaenopsis orchids.
  • Any rose that I grow myself...when I moved into my house 8 years ago it had 40 year-old rose plants. I've enjoyed learning how to care for them. I have fresh roses June-October and since they are the older ones they smell great!
  • My favorite: pink peonies in a blue and white ceramic vase I bought in Japan. Just gorgeous. And I love these lines from the Mary Oliver poem:

    This morning the green fists of the peonies are getting ready
    to break my heart
    as the sun rises,
    as the sun strokes them with his old, buttery fingers

    Do you also hurry, half-dressed and barefoot, into the garden,
    and softly,
    and exclaiming of their dearness,
    fill your arms with the white and pink flowers,

    with their honeyed heaviness, their lush trembling,
    their eagerness
    to be wild and perfect for a moment, before they are
    nothing, forever?

    from "Peonies" in New and Selected Poems by Mary Oliver
  • Kathleen that's beautiful and I've copied it for myself. Thanks
  • Thank you Kathleen, I adore both peonies and Mary Oliver!
  • Gardenias: soft, lush, crisp, clean, elegant, with a heady aroma
  • My favorite flower is the Edelweiss. It takes a lot of heart to sprout in the snow and ice, and it's longevity and ability to bring beauty to harsh conditions makes it a flower of strength and love.
  • Hydrangeas. I love the ethereal, poufy blooms and hearty, woody stems...and the color they decide to become is always a surprise.
  • i just saw the most beautiful hydrangeas at the market this weekend. each petal was massive, over an inch in diameter, unlike any i've seen before. it re-ignited in me my affection for this bloom... waif-like or on steroids!
  • I have to admit that was my second choice. I especially love what they look like as they dry in a big beautiful container...
  • I've definitely got a rose "jones." A rose is beautiful at every stage of its life, protective, versatile (oils, rose water), fragrant. I've even got 2 rose tattoos.

    Elemental Sacred
  • It's fall, so right now I love mums in all their incarnations. In the winter I love pansies and johnny-jump-ups, the darker the better. Spring means tulips to me - all colors, all shapes. Old roses in the summer, fully opened and smelling divine. One year my mother gave me flowers-of-the-month for Christmas; it was one of the best gifts ever!

    Sophisticated Harmony
  • Flowers of the month! That sounds like a great gift! Do you know from where she ordered that?
  • I know Calyx & Corrola offers such. I also think Smith & Hawken have it. Neiman-Marcus offered it the year my Mom gave it to me, but I haven't seen it there recently. You should be able to find it in most of the floral/gardening catalogues. It's a wonderful gift.
  • Gerbera Daisies and Zinnias Bright, colorful, lively with a touch of the unexpected! ;-)
  • I just got turned on to Gerbera Daisies this year and am really enjoying them in my outside pots!
  • hard for me to choose just one...I appreciate the color of flowers, their uniqueness and imperfections...how they look well on their own and also in bunches. My favorites are probably orchids and tulips but I lalso ove a mix of wildflowers.
  • Calla lilies - I have never seen such a beautiful example of organic architecture - I drop into a meditative place when I gaze at them. And white orchids - something so delicate, yet strong - love them...
  • I forgot - the white lotus! When I came back from Asia, so many of the photos I took were of these. They astound me - opening for the light and growing out of any muck. And, for some reason, they've always respresented the 3-D version of the golden ratio to me.
  • I'm with you, Carrie. I adore peonies.
  • Dogwood blossoms and desert succulent blossoms. Dogwoods are these beautiful white flowers in the piney mountain woods in the spring; succulent blossoms are pinks and reds and purples that make such a delicate and beautiful flower in the harsh conditions of the desert. Both seems so metaphorical to me.
  • I love tulips- they're simple, sculptural, and intensely colorful. They're like pop-art. I love gerber daisies too. Every time I see one, it makes me smile and want to open my arms wide to the sky and grin at the sun. They're so wide open. I also love periwinkles, because they surprise you by sprouting up out of the ground when you least expect it, and they spread like weeds- but the colorful, flowery, good kind. Lastly, I love bougainvilla- apparently not an actual flower, more of a vine. It becomes its most beautiful in harsh conditions- when it's dry- that's when the leaves get colorful. It's enticing and draws you in, but it's thorny and therefore a bit dangerous. Love it, admire it, but don't get too close, or else!
  • me three, carrie (or 4, 5, 6...?). peonies! i love love love. but i'm also a fan of "bells of ireland" and they are multi-seasonal / able to be enjoyed year-round.
  • I have two. Irises because I have a strong emotional connection to my father through them and they are so graceful. And day lilies, the yellow ones. Bright bursts of color that lift my spirits every time. And both flowers are resilient and reasons to look forward to spring.
  • Roses - they are so simple and elegant. I have silk roses and pictures of roses all over my apartment.
  • I am a peony person as well- what I LOVE- the ease in which they are grown (i.e. throw in ground, ignore and gorgeousness is produced for 50 years without division...) and the lush full abundance of them...tree peonies are also rather exotic and remind me of Japan.....Authentic Bohemian.
  • Lily of the valley - plain - almost unnoticeable - but the most beautiful frangrance!
  • Poppies. Red. Powerful. Potent. Beautiful and deadly.
  • Denfintely tulips - they develop a personality all their own curving different directions once they are placed in a vase. My favorite color are the purple ones, but I love all the colors and would never turn a tulip away.
  • white hydrangea with a lime green trim are my favourites to look at untouched in the garden

    Sweet peas with their fragile petals and incredible scent have been my favourite since my grandparents let me sniff theirs when I was just an ankle biter
  • I love peonies too, but I think my favourite is ranunculus. They give make my heart feel like bursting sometimes, a cluster of them with all those layers of delicate petals, in various tones and stages of bloom, clustered towards a subtle gradation of colour towards the middle, like little suns, they feel like tiny, precious, feminine fireworks.
  • I completely agree, and I would add that these gorgeous peony like blooms are sometimes supported by twisted stems that give them an otherworldliness and edge!
  • never heard of these, I am going to check them out!
  • That is the perfect description of ranunculus Elena! My favourite colour of them is yellow, with orange a close second. Such darlings. I almost want to pop them in my mouth.
  • My favorite flowers are first the daffodile, think it's because they look so happy and bright and then its the iris...a little color and drama and the combination of the two for me are gorgeous. Basicaly I'm attracted to simple ..... makes me feel peacefull.

    Lilly Page
    Flair Image Cons.
  • Dahlias! I simply adore dahlias!
  • Sunflowers- little pieces of sunshine sprinkled across the landscape. They brighten the room as well as my day.
  • I had over 75 sun flowers in my garden in Australia. When the flower faded the gorgeous parrots came and ate the seeds. Fantastic!
  • That is something I would love to see!
  • Daffodils and a bunch of wildflowers. The daffodils are the first sign of color after a long, wet winter. They were also in full bloom when my first child was born! And wildflowers because I love the unexpected combinations, their tenacity and, of course, the wild, unstructured nature of it all...
  • Violets, the kind that grow in the lawn, you can't really pick them because they wilt almost immediately but the smell is like sunshine and there is an almost endless variety in the shades of purple and white. As kids we would gently open the petals to see the man in the yellow robe inside.
  • Well you both picked two of my top choices...but the peony wins out for me every time. I love the showy quality but there is also something sweetly refined about them. Like a movie star that knows how to have a humble good time.
  • Pansies! As an outside plant, it is so enjoyable to have color throughout the winter months, in the south. Contrary to what their name my imply, they are very hearty and come in such a great variety of colors.
  • Daisies. Bright, happy, hardy, simple. The poster-flower for my Sustainable Playful style statement, come to think of it......
  • Daffodils - bright, simple, grown in packs, naturalize and propagate without effort from humans, odd and undefinable scent that I find very intoxicating. They say "spring" - smiling "I'm here' winter's over! It's it great!"
  • Peonies for their lushness and perfect smell--sweet but never sickly or overwhelming. And a small bunch of any single color of tulips--such clean lines and vivid colors.
  • Pink peonies - soft, feminine, fragrant, beautiful, lush, delicate.
  • Dandelions - Flowers to the people!
  • Dandelions smell like childhood. I love your answer.
  • Without a doubt, violets.
  • When I did my Style Statement interview, my favorite flower was anything exotic. As I live more into Cultivated Balance, I am enjoying Gerbera daisies. They are colorfully bright and happy. I love a variety of greens to add balance, such as palm leaves to do ikebana.
  • Pink lilies: exuberant, large, unafraid to be what they are. Not sure if that's me yet, but it's where I'd like to get to.
    I walked into an art installation once--it was a recreation of the artist's shack/studio in Florida (in a Soho loft) and on the table in the middle was a HUGE bunch of pink lillies. The smell filled the entire space and stopped me in my tracks. I can clearly call up the whole scene in my mind, even though it was about 10 years ago. Maybe I should pay attention to the art studio as well as the flowers! ;)

    Creative Joy
  • Tulips are my favorite flower. I never had a favorite flower until my husband brought me a little bunch of red & yellow tulips when he picked me up on our first date.

    My thoughts were: 1. How sweet of him to bring me flowers, and 2. How wonderful that he chose a flower other than your standard roses or daisies (not that there's anything wrong with those flowers!).
  • as a horticulturalist i have many favorite flowers, but the one that speaks to me personally is asarum caudatum our native wild ginger. it flowers in spring with a deep maroon orchid like flowers. it grows in ecology sensitive areas that are undisturbed. the flowers are hidden under the leaves so you really have to look to discover its beauty
  • While peonies are my favourite, followed by hydrangeas, pale roses and lilacs, I cannot leave bouquets of white daisies off of my list. To paraphrase a line that Meg Ryans character says from the movie, 'You've Got Mail" "Daisies are so friendly." I absolutely agree...:))
  • In my Style Statement, I said iris. They're colourful but not flashy, feminine but not frilly. I also like hydrangeas and violets. The former are big and full. Violets seem to be the opposite, small and modest but beautiful. I also like gerbera daisies
  • I love this question as my is head now filled with images of lovely colours and fragrances just thinking about favourite blooms. Thank you to C&D!

    A Challenge to pick just one flower, so I shall cast my vote for two. Gerber daisies for their cheerful, colour and hopeful faces. The second vote is for the fragrance...whatever fills the Maui air with it's sexy, warm, sweet scent...what is this mystery flower? Anyone?
  • Freesia - something so delicate in structure and has a beautiful scent. Reminds me of my grandmother.
  • oh wildflowers! The color, the variety, the sheer obstinance coming up wherever they want. I want to turn my lawn over to wildflowers, but my husband and dog would disagree. :)
  • I love white flowers: peonies, ranunculus, orchids, lilies, roses. Lately I love white gardenia flowers because just one can scent a room with such a lovely fragrance, but I love peonies because they remind me of my mother, and I love lotus flowers as well because they remind me of living in Asia. (And I love their symbolism.) It's so hard to pick just one favorite flower! Hmmm....gotta think and feel more on this one.
  • I love white flowers, except roses. I especially love pink tinged peonies, lovely little orchids and most of all for their fragrances: freesia and lily of the valley.
  • Casablanca lilies -- huge white blooms that smell so lovely

    and

    old-fashioned English tea (or spray) roses. There is (was?) a house in Seattle with a yard so completely overgrown with these that when in bloom, you can smell them from blocks away.
  • Not sure about the spelling but I adore Rannuculous flowers, they are quirky, colourful and unique. I despise red roses and grocery store mixed bouquets, I would much rather get a little pot of hyacinths,gerber daisies, daffodils or whatever else is going that season.
    www.snickerdoodles.typepad.com
  • DItto! I cannot STAND red roses, or those ugly flowers that are all made up (especially carnations - uggg)!
  • Tulips are my favorite. I love the variety of vivid colors.
  • The Magnolia.
  • Frangipani (Plumeria) It is a wonderfully fragrant tropical flower that blooms on what is in the winter months one of the ugliest trees.
  • If I only get to choose one, it's going to be hydrangea - any color. They are so adaptable and perfect all on their own. Fluffy, varied and easily available. They are lovely and simple and sometimes, that's just exactly what we need. If I want to make a room look put together, I just grab a fews stems, find a bottle or vase, add water and voila!
  • I recently saw a bunch of tulips, with the stems cut short, tightly bound in raffia and placed in a shallow, glass bowl. The flower was yellow and orange. Warm and inviting. A fascinating combo of the tuliips of spring and the colors of autumn.

    Least favorite (per the link on flower meditation): carnations. seem too ordinary to me.
  • Daisies. Simple, elegant design. Not showy, just divine.
  • Lilacs. They are so incredibly aromatic! Unfortuately they are dreadfully ephemeral. They remind of my childhood and, now, they are reminder that summer will be on the arrival. I also adore black-eyed Susans. I love their cheery simplicity and homespun look.
  • So many to choose from...right now it is anything tropical and fragrant. Translation: can be found growing wild in Hawaii and Mexico.
  • This is an impossible question for an herbalist. I have so many favorite, beloved flowers. I love yarrow flowers for their strength and cooling during the hottest months, violets for the promise of spring, peonies for their intoxicating scent, luscious ephemeral beauty, and the magical way they entice an ant to lick their blooms open by a little irresistible nectar, wild brambly sea roses for their unbridled passion and cheery hips in the fall... apple blossoms, lilac, peach blossoms, musky hawthorn, mugwort... I'm becoming intoxicated just thinking about all of them!

    This question
  • love the plumeria's in Hawaii. The scent is exquisite and the shape is soft, feminine, curvy. The pink or the white, heart or purity is what comes to mind. Wearing a plumeria in my hair somehow adds sexiness and elegance to my being.
  • Peonies!!

    They are soooo ripe and voluptuous ... totally decadent! If flowers danced, peonies would tango.

    Elvira
  • Blossoms and ballet.... I could float away, pure happiness!
  • Miniature bouquets of wildflowers, but especially forget-me-nots. Sunflowers also make me very happy, which isn't surprising since my style statement is Cultivated Light.
  • i have two - the Iris and the violet. i find the iris incredibly regal and mysterious, and the violet charms me with it's simplcity., plus they're both purple.:)
  • I found a page that mentions them both! Just for a bit of fun...

    http://www.care2.com/greenliving/favorite-flowe...

    Violet: Sensitive, private, and complex, this type may take a little time to get to know, but she is definitely worth it! Her style tends to be understated but tastefully and quietly elegant. Choose subtle colors and soft fabrics that feel good against your skin. Image: A secret garden at sunset; at the foot of the mossy brick wall, small flowers bloom.

    Iris: Meditative and with a deep sense of spirituality, this type often prefers simple, cool-colored clothes that move well, and that impart a sense of ease and serenity. Image: A still pool reflects the misty dawn light; a heron stands quietly nearby.
  • I love daisies for weddings and peonies in a vase next to my bed and sunflowers when they're growing in Italy and sweet peas 'cause they remind me of my great-grandmother.
  • I like roses (particularly in bunches), irises (the stems are so elegant, and the flower is lovely) and flowers on jewelery and in art (I have the prettiest crystal cherry blossom ring..). I love the use of flowers in Japanese culture, always in association with their own seasons. Blossoms are a favourite: the lovely dark branches, few leaves and glowing flower, like carved light..
  • I love snapdragons, because they remind me of my maternal grandmother, but...for me, it's water lilies and lotus blossoms. They're tranquil, unusual, inspiring. They can not only survive but thrive even in the blackwater swamp, in conditions most things can't deal with, and they do so beautifully, finding the perfect balance between water, earth, and sunlight.
  • I admire your taste, water lilies and lotus blossoms are just beautiful! And your description is really very strong and heartfelt.
  • Tulips! Simple, but beautiful. Fits my Style Statement to a tee!

    Simple Treasure.
  • I used to love peonies, and huge roses with lots of pointy petals and a strong scent and huge thorns - but I've changed over the years. Now I love things that have a wildness to them, that can withstand some rain and wind.

    I actually love snapdragons - they belong on a mountaintop or in a nice garden. Equal parts wild and civilized. And you can buy them at the grocery store - very practical.
  • My favorite flower is the Black-Eyed Susan. I love how they come back year after year and they spread more and more. I planted some in a field in my backyard once and within a few years my late summers will filled with a field of fun!
  • mine is a peony. nuff said.
  • where's Danette!?!? she's the queen bee of flowers!
  • here I am!

    One of my top top favourites is the charlie brown cymbdium orchid. Sexy, resilient, long lasting and fresh. The rich caramel colours and deep burgundy throats are so delicious. Generous blooms, they seem masculine and feminine at the same time.

    I'm also a huge sucker for peonies. I love the really dark wine coloured ones. And even though it's messy, they are spectacular when they shatter!
  • I love the look of giant magnolia flowers on a bare tree. Also wild chicory, it is the most gorgeous periwinkle colour.
  • Passion Vines. They are hearty, grow abundantly when planted in the right spot, bloom profusely, nourish other creatures, the blooms are intricate follies that are made up of lots of simple and straightforward components that make a thing of extreme beauty when combined.
  • Peonies because they are not the typical flower, but they are amazingly beautiful and full of life just like me!

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