This week sees the return of RHS Chelsea Flower Show so in honour of the event Trulawn decided to find out the five most popular flowers in Britain. Flowers are a good way of injecting colour into your garden, and have been known to increase the value of your house when used sparingly. They are a versatile gift for all occasions and can brighten up any room.
- Orchids
Orchids are a relatively late discovery in the floral world with the first recorded flower brought back to England in the early 1880s from Brazil. Naturalist Charles Darwin was particularly fond of orchids because of the way the flowers had evolved to allow very specific pollinators. But to most people they are attractive because of their unusual, exotic shape unlike anything native to Britain. They are modern favourites because that make easy house plants, and have a delicate appearance.
- Lavender
Everyone can recognise the scent of lavender and it is because of this that it was in oils and liquids in as early as Roman times. It has anti-inflammatory and antiseptic qualities and was used in World War 1 hospitals to treat burns and bites. Aside from that it has a unique colour and grows easily almost anywhere in the UK. Large swathes of it can be overpowering but just enough can create a welcome walkway to your door.
- Lilies
Lilies are thought to originate in China where they are a popular gift to women on their wedding day. In the UK, white lilies are often chosen as funeral flowers because of the pure, innocent connotations of the colour. In truth lilies come in a variety of colours and have attractive large petals and strong scent. The Lily is so popular it was the number three baby name in the UK in 2014 and has consistently been in the top 100 for many years according to the Baby Centre.
- Tulips
Tulip bulbs were once as desirable as gold or jewellery with bulbs selling for ten times the yearly wage of a skilled craftsman in the seventeenth century. After the economic bubble of ‘tulip fever’ burst in 1638 prices dropped dramatically but they still remain fashionable today. Known for their unusual shape, and intense saturated colour Tulips remain a favourite in florists and gardens alike.
- Roses
Roses have significant historical symbolism in England due to their association with civil war and monarchy. The ‘War of the Roses’, between rival successors to the throne House Lancaster and House York, was resolved with the merging of the families and the flower to create the now recognisable Tudor rose. Roses are also synonymous with romance, likely due to the Greek association with goddess of love Aphrodite. The English love Roses so much they made them the national flower, but truthfully they’re popular worldwide.
