Sending a gift basket has become one of the most widely accepted and delightful ways to express cheerful well wishes to relatives, friends, neighbors, business acquaintances, employers, and co-workers, just to name a few.
The variety and themes are endless, and the accessibility is vast. Whether purchasing from local storefront retailers or buying online flowers, gift baskets are a wonderful way to reach out and say, “I was thinking about you today.”
You can design a unique gift for someone special simply by catering to his or her individual interests and pastimes or circumstances. Nearly anything can be gathered together in a distinctive artfully arranged and cellophane bedazzle wrapped basket that speaks volumes. Let your imagination run wild, but when time just won’t allow for anything so consuming as shopping for bits and baubles, it is always perfectly suitable to send flowers or perhaps living plants.
Giving the gift of flowers is a tradition that has its roots in ancient history, some believing that the act of giving flowers dates back to prehistoric times. Historians assert that the symbolic use of flowers is mentioned in Egyptian inscriptions, Chinese writings, and in both Greek and Roman Mythology. Ancient mythology tells of flowers that were used as emblems of gods. The word floral actually comes from the name of the Roman Goddess Flora who was the Goddess of flowers, youth, and spring.
In Greek Mythology, the goddess Cybele created the rose out of envy. According to the story, Cybele was jealous of Aphrodite, the goddess of love’s beauty, and wanted to create something on Earth more beautiful then her rival. Each ancient culture had their own interpretation of the history, origin, meaning, and significance when there were flowers delivered; although, a Venus flytrap could give some rather mixed signals (cue the Adam’s Family theme song).
In 1819, the first dictionary of flower meanings and interpretations was written by Madam Charlotte de la Tour; possibly penned under a pseudonym. It was entitled Le Language des Fleurs and it was enormously popular, selling a large number of copies, mostly to women hoping to send flower messages to their lovers. The handbook included nearly one thousand different meanings for flowers and other plants and herbs. It became a popular reference on the subject of flower messages. Later, in 1879, Miss Corruthers of Inverness wrote an entire book on the subject of flower messages. It became a customary source for flower symbolism and interpretation in England and the United States during the Victorian era.
It is interesting to note that the first network of florists in the United State was a guild of floral service providers meant to allow individuals a local place with which to order flower deliveries, and then relay the order to someone else in the network that was closer to the delivery destination. Sending flowers via currier only dates back to the early 20th century when florists began to not only sell fresh flowers but additionally offered to dispatch a currier to deliver them to the recipient in boxes.
In the late 1960s, flower delivery became more prevalent for holidays, especially when it came to Valentines Day with Mother’s Day running a close second. Telephone flower networks made this even easier in the 1980s and increased the ability to have flowers delivered miles away on the same day. Today, you no longer have to go into the florist to place an order; you can conveniently pick up the phone and arrange a delivery or head to the convenience of the internet.
