September 21-25 is National Flower Week. What a perfect time to brighten a loved one’s day with a floral greeting.

Do you have a favorite flower? I love flowers and I have a list of favorites that I have been trying to narrow down to just one. However, that proved impossible, so here’s my short list…

Hydrangeas have always been an amazing flower to me. Some have blooms as big as a child's head and they come in a variety of colors. Have you ever seen pink, purple and blue blossoms all on the same bush? It’s all in the soil. Pink blossoms mean the soil contains larger amounts of lime. And a blue blossom, the soil is more acidic.

And then there are orchids. Who doesn’t love their exotic beauty? The diverse colors and shapes. The fragrances, ranging from delicate to noxious. Some blooms last only days. Orchids probably share an ancestor with the lily family, another of my favorites. That heritage is noticeable in some species.

Who can resist the lure of the lily? Two of my favorite varieties, the trumpet (or calla) lily and the canna. Neither are true lilies, but both are unique, ornamental and gorgeous.

Many of these flowers were around during the Regency period. The canna lily has been around for hundreds of years and flourished in popularity during the Victorian age. You can read more about these and your favorite flowers on the following links.