THE HEART OF THE MATTER

When you get right down to it flowers are the most appropriate metaphor for love as well as being an incredibly wonderful gift from one human being to an other. For thousands of years, and long before homo sapiens had evolved, flowers were an integral part in the sex life of trees, shrubs and plants. So old are the magnolia trees of North America, for instance, that they pre-date winged insects, and thus the wondeful white flowers evolved with stiff waxy petals that would support the heavy prehistoric beetles that would trundle across the flowers attracted by their sweet nectar. Thus the blooms would be pollinated, leading to sexual reproduction in the form of seed bearing fruit and the continuing survival of the species. It seems that it was not so much the fact that Darwin proposed the evolution of the species as a viable theory that the prudish Victorians could not abide, but that it was that the very survival of the species he articulated, revolved around sex in form or another!

Not surprisingly then, that the Victorians would come up with greeting cards for the holiday of the beatified St. Valentine. But that did not last too long, as even they succumbed to the charms of almost all flowers, and within their puritanical society a floral semiology was created that allowed them to send secret expressions of ardor and love to intimate friends.

These days we give flowers to loved ones, to friends, to bereaved family members, indeed for a wide variety of reasons, yet we ought, as well, to buy them just because they are.

Flowers.

Beautiful.

Divine creations.

The supply of roses is till tight in Ecuador, especially reds, as shipments to Europe are being sent to the airport today through Wednesday.The Portugal-Corfu Rose Indicator shows less roses available today, although they did have two buckets of some rather sad mystery red.

My work In Ecuador is almost done for this year's Valentine's season and now the baton of these labors of love passes on to the wholesalers and florists in North America. I do hope that I have demystified many aspects of the rose harvest in Ecuador, and that you have enjoyed the posts from Quito.

Then finally, next Monday, February 14th, many lovers will buy their partners flowers as a tribute to love and, of course, the survival of the species. I do hope everyone enjoys them, but I also hope that we continue to purchase flowers throughout the year, not only for friends but just as importantly, for ourselves. Because really, in order to love other people we must first love ourselves, and as John Lennon said; "Love is all there is".