Winter in Pakistan brings along with it many gorgeous and fragrant flowers that are in full bloom in the winter months, lasting from November to February. Flowers such as roses, tulips, narcissus, sunflowers, daisies and various others are a sight to behold during the chilly weather. Let’s appreciate the beauty of these winter flowers in a little more detail.
Roses are big and bright, in colours ranging between white to yellow to red, with over a 100 species. Their stems are often marked with sharp thorns. Roses are popular for their unique and exquisite fragrance, are often used as a symbol for expressing different emotions, with each colour representing a unique emotion.
Red, being the most popular, often symbolises love, white represents innocence, pink depicts appreciation and yellow signifies friendship.
They are popularly given as bouquets and used as weddings ornaments. They are also used in accessories like necklaces, bracelets and earrings.
Tulips are generally cup- or star-shaped, having three petals and are available in a wide variety of colours. They originally grew in the wild in Turkey, Persia and Afghanistan. The Mughal emperor Babar, being an expert on tulips, had counted 33 different varieties of the flower. According to a Persian tale, the first tulips sprang up from the blood shed by a lover and for a long time the tulip was the symbol of love.
Tulips are widely given as presents and made into bouquets, as a symbol of perfect love. White tulips represent purity, pink tulips symbolise affection while orange tulips denote enthusiasm.
The derivation of the name comes from the Greek legend of a youth, named Narcissus, who became so infatuated with his own reflection that he starved to death by sitting on the edge of the pool, just staring at his reflection in the water. The narcissus plant is said to have first sprang from where he died.
Narcissus grows in bulbs, with the most popular varieties being daffodils and paper whites. The flowers are usually white or yellow, and represent appreciation for another person’s beauty when given as a gift.
Sunflowers are recognised as one of the most joyous flowers. They are named so because sunflowers turn their heads towards the sun and also due to the brightly coloured petals that depict the rays of the sun. They are becoming popular as cut flowers for bouquets as well as garden flowers. Sunflowers are symbolic of adoration and warmth.
The word daisy is derived from “daes eage” which literally mean “day’s eye”. It was called this because daisies open at dawn, just as the day begins. A daisy represents purity and new beginnings.
The flower consists of white petals and a yellow centre, although sometimes it has a pink or rose colour. There are many different variations of daisies.
Marigolds belong to the sunflower family. They are available in many colours, yellow and orange being the most popular. Marigolds have a strong odour and have many uses in cosmetic treatment. There are many varieties of marigolds available today. Marigold flowers are used as decoration at funerals, weddings and other ceremonies.
Flowers are the perfect way to express emotions without using words. Flower exhibitions take place all over Pakistan and flowers are used as wedding ornaments and threaded into stunning accessories like necklaces, bracelets and earrings. They are also popularly given as gifts in the form of bouquets, aiming to brighten up the day of someone.