Category Archives: Flower of the Month

He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not…

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The simplicity and delicacy of daisies is undeniable.  We imagine that if they had a personality, it would be pure, sweet, and gentle hearted.  And if daisies could talk, they would be courteously saying hello to each and every passerby.  Daisies are the lacy detail of nature’s intricate design.  Like little snow flakes speckling the countryside, daisies have a rather nostalgic demeanor.  By “demeanor”, we absolutely do mean to imply that flowers have a sort of visage, much like all living things.  When you hold a single daisy in your hand, it’s beauty is not so much in it’s fragrance, but rather it’s lightness and symmetry.  At peak bloom during the summer, if ever there was a “cute” flower, daisies surely are it.

Daisies come with a whole legacy.  The name “Daisy” in Ango-Saxon translates to “day’s eye”, which refers to the opening and closing of the flower throughout the cycle of night and day.  A game began with daisies among young women back in the Victorian Era.  When an unwed woman was heartbroken by someone, she would pluck the petals of a daisy one at a time and say “He loves me, he loves me not…” to determine the outcome of the relationship.  Thus daisies were believed to have a sort of prophetic ability.  Commonly used in Chamomile tea, in England daisies are also known as “bruiseworts” because their mashed leaves may be used to sooth chapped skin and bruises.  A daisy is usually found in white, but with today’s modern hybrids and botanical breeders, they come in various colors.

“Daisy, Daisy,
Give me your answer do!
I’m half crazy,
All for the love of you!
It won’t be a stylish marriage,
I can’t afford a carriage
But you’ll look sweet upon the seat
Of a bicycle built for two.”

-Harry Dacre, 1892

 

 

by Bernadette Lords

All About Yves

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Among all of the roses in existence, be it an heirloom or a hybrid, the Yves Piaget possesses true star quality.  Like a beautiful new girl at school you are afraid to approach, the Yves Piaget rose is striking and (most likely), intimidating to all of the other roses.  In 1984, a French rose breeder by the name of Jacques Mouchotte was wildly at work on the research team of the House of Meilland in Le Luc En Provence.  This is a man whose life work has been devoted to the breeding of all kinds of roses.  Mr. Mouchotte bred the rose which was soon classified as a Hybrid Tea Rose, and introduced it as “Yves Piaget”.

Charmed by it’s beauty and extraordinarily strong fragrance, he could not get the Yves Piaget out of his head.  He believed this particular rose to be unlike any he had ever created.  With ruffly petals, a large bulbous shape, and rich violet-pink hue, the Yves Piaget is an absolute rare beauty.  It also had one distinct quality that could not be ignored; a rich, sweet aroma which filled the room.  This inspired Mr. Mouchette to create an entire collection later identified as the “Romantica Series”.  Following the Yves Piaget in the Romantica series, came the Abbaye de Cluny, the Auguste Renoir, the Colette, the Eden, the Frederic Mistral, the Johann Strauss, the Leonardo da Vinci, the Toulouse-Lautrec, and the Traviata.  Still the first in the series, Yves Piaget remains the most adored.  Despite world wide acclaim, they are not so easy to find and weren’t even available in the United States until 2000.

You will see the Yves Piaget rose often in very exquisite designs.  For example, Japanese botanical artist Azuma Makoto designed a massive sculpture of 6,000 Yves Piaget roses for the luxury Swiss watch and jewelry company “Piaget SA”.  We at L’Atelier Rouge often uses them in romantic arrangements and bridal bouquets alike.  With an antique appeal, the glamour of this breed is just magnificent.  As a matter of fact, our recent “Not Another Manic Monday” trivia winner Allison Twyford of Brooklyn, received this bouquet of Yves Piagets, Juliets and white Paeonias from us as first prize!

 

 

Few can deny a flower so magical in every way.  As if roses weren’t sweet enough!

 

Creator of the Yves Piaget, French rose breeder Jacques Mouchotte

Japanese floral artist Azuma Makoto’s sculpture for Swiss label “Piaget”, containing 6,000 Yves Piaget roses


We think that everyone needs to experience the Yves Piaget rose in person, because words can hardly do it justice.  You know who to call… we’ll be waiting.

 

by Bernadette Lords