The great classics are:

1. The Rose

We all recognise the rose.  Look carefully at the flower and you will see a fivefold symetry in the petals. There are over 100 species of rose and thousands of varieties. A breakthrough in rose growing took palce in the early 1800s when perpetual blooming roses were brought back from China.  Until that date the rose could only produce one, or perhaps two blooms per season.  Most modern varieties contain some of the Chinese stock, allowing perpetual blooms.

Source: Wikipedia

The rose is associated with a great deal of symbolism. The ancient Greeks associated the rose with Aphoridite, the goddess of love.  The early Christians identified the five petals as the five wounds of Christ. 

Today, a bouquet of roses is the traditional Valentine’s Day gift.  It is an expression of love.

2. The Tulip

This plant is sold for its natural beauty rather than its symbolism. Bell shaped flowers rise unfold from upright stems.  Three petals form each flower. The traditional tulip is a brilliant red, though other colours, such as yellow, pink and purple are possible.  Variegated forms, often with swirling patterns of red and yellow, are the product of careful breeding programs. Plants suffering from the Tulip Virus can produce the most fantastic mosaic of motled colour. The tulip is one of the most highly prized of flowers, to the extent that there was a tulip mania in Holland. In February 1637 tulip contracts were selling for ten times the salary of a skilled craftsman.  The ultimate goal is to devleop the black tulip.  This is possible using stock suffering from the Virus.

Source: Wikipedia

Although there are over 150 species within this genus most cultivars are dervied from Tulipa gesneriana. The beautiful tulip originates in Central Asia, in the highlands of the Pamir, in the Hindu Kush and on the steppes of Kazakhstan. No one is clear how it came to Europe. The Spanish Ambassador to the Court of Suleyman the Magnificant commented upon the abundance of tulips in Turkey in 1554.  His report may have popularied the flower within Europe. Certainly by 1637 and the time of the Tulip mania Holland was firmly established as the leading distributor in Europe.

Purchase the tulip if you are looking for beauty.  The tulip can be bought as a cut flower or as a pot plant.

3. The Iris

There are over 300 species within the Iris genus. The flowers cluster on long, erect stems. There are six lobes to each flower. Three are sepals, three are petals.  The entire flower is designed to help a pollinating insect land and polinate the plant.

Source: Wikipedia

The name Iris reflects the wide range of colours that can found within the genus.  In Greek mythology, Iris was the messanger of the gods and the personification of the rainbow. An even myth from three to four thousand BC is depicted in a mural at Knossos. It shows the priet king, a rainbow and a background of irises. One of the task of Iris was to lead the souls of dead women to their final resting place. For this reason the ancient Greeks placed purple irises on the graves of their womenfolk. Much later, the Iris became associated through the Fleur de Lis with the Kings of France. When the French monarchy fell in the French Revolution revolutionaries systematically removed the Fleur de Lis from public buildings.

Purchase the iris for its colour.

4. The Orchid

Orchids can be found in a wide variety of shapes and forms. In fact, the Orchid family is the largest grouping of plants on the planet.  Over 22,000 species of orchid have been identified.  On top of that there are now at least 100,000 hybrids and cultivars. 

The Phalaenopsis is a commonly cultivated orchid. The Phalaenopsis linednii which is commonly seen for sale originates on the island of Luzon in the Philippines. 

Phalaenopsis lindenii.  Source; Wikipedia

The orchid family produces an extra ordinary range of flowers. However, the family can be readily recognised through a few general points.  The orchid flower will have a mirror symetry. One petal is always highly modified. For the layman, if it seems like an odd flower, it is probably an orchid.

Purchase an orchid if you are looking for a special gift.  Orchids have only recently been grown on a commercial scale. This means that the orchid still retains a reputation as something special and elite. 

5. The Lily

Plants in the lily family have large flowers which are often fragrant.  Flowers come in a range of clours from whites, to yellow and orange, pink, red and purple. The petals are often marked with spots, specks and mottled edges.

Source: Wikipedia

The story is that the lily is dedicated to the goddess Hera. Hera was the wife of Zeus. Now Hercules was the son of Zeus and Alceme, a mortal.  Zeus wanted his son to become one of the gods, so he arranged for Hercules to suckle from the breast of Hera. When Hera woke she was horrified. Her milk fell across the heavens to form the milky way and some fell to earth where the first lilies grew.

In Christian circles the lily is a symbol of chastity and virtue. It is associated with the Virgin Mary and varous saints. But there is a darkside. The lily is also a symbol of death.  Lilies used to be placed on the graves of infants as a symbol of innocence.

There are over 110 species in the lily family.  One of the most commonly cultivated is the Lilium longiflorum. This is a popular choice for Easter week.

The great five are always popular down at the florists.