Say it with flowers...

Nothing says “I love you” quite like flowers, and on the day that celebrates love, the exchange of flowers reaches an all time high, not just in Malta but all over the world.

A total of €124,553 was spent on importing 74,634 individual, fresh cut flowers to Malta last February, while €129,593 was spent on 90,070 flowers in 2009, according to the National Statistics office.

See figures in table below.

Chrysanthemums are the most common flower, with roses coming in second and carnations following. Other flowers that popular among the Maltese include orchids and gladioli.

Peak sales of flowers in both 2009 and 2010 occurred in February, with May and June also recording higher than average sales.

A vast majority of the flowers come from the Netherlands, while other countries exporting flowers to Malta include Italy, France, Ireland, Thailand and Malaysia.

The exchange of flowers can be traced back to prehistory with flowers being given for medicinal purposes. Egyptian hieroglyphics show flowers being given as gifts, along with ancient Chinese writings and Roman mythology abound with references to the lowly flower.

In the Middle Ages, when social taboos were abundant, giving flowers allowed a person to relay messages that were not communicated with words.

In the 1700s, flowers were used in Turkey as a means to relay messages and were even used in military campaigns to conceal secret information that only their own personnel could decode.

Even today, flowers dominate all important occasions, from birthdays to anniversaries, weddings and funerals.

Roses remain the favourite in Malta with imports in 2010 amounting to 213,025 flowers, 56,660 imported in February.

According to fossil remains, roses date back some 35 million years and have been known to be the symbol of love, beauty, war and politics at some time throughout history.

The 150 species of roses have been used as confetti during Roman celebrations, for medicinal purposes and as a source of perfume.

Today the rose is a symbol of love and beauty and is a favourite gift on Valentine’s Day. Different colours convey different messages. The red rose symbolises love and romance, with a bouquet symbolising deep feelings. Pink roses are a symbol of grace and elegance and are often given as an expression of admiration and appreciation. They impart a gentler meaning than their red counterparts.

Yellow roses are bright and cheerful, and are a symbol for joy and friendship. White roses represent innocence and purity and are associated with marriages and new beginnings. Orange roses represent blazing energy and are an embodiment of desire and enthusiasm, sent as an expression of fervent romance. Lavender roses are a symbol of enchantment ideal for expressing love at first sight.

Carnations are also popular flowers in Malta with 151,485 flowers imported in 2010, though only 1,175 flowers were imported last February. 

Carnations are believed to be native to the Mediterranean and make an ideal gift as they express love, fascination and distinction, though they are relatively cheap. Different colours can convey different messages.

While in general the carnation signifies fascination and love for women, a pink carnation gives the message that the woman is always on your mind. A red carnation signifies passion while a purple one signifies capriciousness and a white one, innocence. A carnation of a solid colour signifies acceptance, however a stripped carnation is a symbol of refusal. Even more serious, a yellow carnation signifies disdain and rejection.

Having originated in China, chrysanthemums have been used throughout history as ornamental flowers, boiled to make a sweet drink in Asia, as a natural insecticide to reduce indoor air pollution as well as for medicinal purposes.

Chrysanthemums, popular in Malta with 390,242 flowers imported in 2010, are a symbol of death in some European countries and are only used for funerals or on graves. In Korea, Japan and China the flower represents lamentation. However in the United States the flower is regarded as positive and cheerful. Sales of these flowers in February remained average.

The most highly coveted ornamental plant is the orchid. Delicate, exotic and graceful, the orchid represents love, luxury, beauty and strength. In ancient Greece, orchids were associated with virility, and it was believed that if the father ate large orchid tubers, his wife would give birth to a boy.

During the Victorian era, orchid symbolism shifted to luxury and today, this sense of magnificence and artful splendour continues. The 14th wedding anniversary flower, pink orchids convey pure affection and the popular cattelya orchid represents mature charm. Imports of orchids in 2010 stood at 17,882 orchids with 3,641 imported in February.

Gladioli are so named due to the shape of their leaves, from the Latin word for sword. They symbolise strength and moral integrity though they also represent infatuation and are the 40th wedding anniversary flower. Imports of Gladioli to Malta in 2010 reached 16,058 units.