Floriography, by Gina Margolies — winter

February can be a tough month. The glow of the holidays has faded into memory, the mercury is hovering at its lowest point of the year, and the balm of spring seems far, far away. Who wouldn’t long for a sunny island get away? If you are one of the lucky ones jetting off to a long weekend in the sun sometime soon, I wish you safe travels and a wonderful time. For those who don’t have a tropical vacation in their calendar, perhaps there is a simpler (less expensive!) way to bring some cheer to this February. I have...

The twenty-first of December is the official onset of winter, but chilly temperatures have already descended on Birthday Blossoms Headquarters in New York City. This dip in the mercury magically inspires thoughts of snowflakes, hot cocoa, gingerbread, ice skating, and fluffy blankets. What it does not bring to mind is flowers. Except here at Birthday Blossoms, of course, where flowers are always foremost in our minds, even on the coldest, darkest day of the year. Blossoms popular in wintertime are poinsettia, paper whites, and other flowers typically grown in greenhouses. A perfect example is December’s birth month flower, the lovely...