Field Notes for February 2015

by Tami Field, floral manager

Did you know: The history of giving your loved one Valentine’s Day flowers comes from the old-fashioned custom of sending floral bouquets to pass on non-verbal messages. Introduced in the 18th century by Charles II of Sweden, each flower had a specific meaning attached to it, making it possible to have an entire conversation using only flowers. Today, people continue to send flowers on special occasions or to express sentiments of love and admiration.

The history of Valentine’s Day, legend says, originated during the third century in Rome. During this time, Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers, so he outlawed marriage for young men. A young priest named Valentine was furious with this injustice and defied Claudius by continuing to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. Claudius eventually discovered Valentine’s actions and sentenced him to death (not quite the fate of those who fail to buy their significant others flowers on Valentine’s Day, but clearly a lesson to be learned from history!).

During his time in jail, Valentine fell in love with his jailer’s daughter, who visited him in prison. Before he was put to death, Valentine sent a letter to the girl and signed it, “From Your Valentine” — an expression we still use today. Valentine was executed on February 14, 270 AD. Later, around 496 AD, Pope Gelasius declared Feb. 14 a day to honor Valentine, who by that time had become a saint.

Today, we continue to honor St. Valentine and recall the history of Valentine’s Day each year on February 14 by celebrating our love for significant others, friends, and family.

What could make your gift of flowers even more special? Sending flowers to that special someone at work. Valentine’s Day is Saturday this year, so with this in mind, consider sending your floral gift on Friday instead.

Binley Florist knows how important Valentine’s Day is and our “cupids” are getting ready to create that special gift for you. We will have a full array of arrangements to choose from to make your someone feel very special and to make it a little better, if you place your order by February 9th, we will be offering free delivery for Friday February 13th to businesses. Just mention this to your customer service person when ordering.

If you have dinner reservations, why not have beautiful flowers on the table when you get there. Binleys will deliver to area restaurants on Friday and Saturday to make their dining experience that much more special.

Remember, you can give our professional staff a call for any help you need or visit us at binleyflorist.com for a variety of ideas to make Valentines Day a memorable one.