Anemone: Forsaken
(From the Greek word Anemos: Wind)
Confession: when I first started noticing anemones in bridal bouquets and arrangements I thought they were small poppies. They are similar in shape and have a similar center, and if you don't look close enough, you think the petals are similar in quantity.
Silly me. They're actually very different-- right down to their historical roots.
Despite its wide variety of available colors at the market, red anemones are the most famous worldwide. First known as the delicate, red blooms that blanketed the Grecian hillsides and olive groves, these little beauties are tied to the story of Aphrodite, Greek goddess of love, and her mortal lover Adonis. Adonis was attacked by a wild boar and died in Aphrodite's arms. She sprinkled nectar on his blood from which grew the red anemone. Perhaps it is this story that inspired its Victorian symbolism: forsaken.
But moving past its somber relations, and in a more contemporary context, the Anemone was elected in 2013 to be the national flower of Israel. So a special congratulations to the anemone is due. Well done Anemone!
Anemones are becoming ever more popular in wedding flowers, and with good reason; their striking colors and delicate beauty can bring a unique, understated or overstated flair to any bouquet. They say, "look at me", then bashfully bat their eyelashes and say, "Aren't I just so delicate and lovely?"
And lets be honest, they really are.
(First image photo credit: eskipaper.com)