Tag Archives: first dates

I was talking with a group of friends a few days ago and the subject turned to the break up of relationships. One of them had just split from her partner and was in need of comforting words. After a while, Celia, the oldest of us, broke in with a tale that left us open mouthed.

Fifteen years ago she met a man who she thought was going to be the love of her life. They had four blissful years together before things seemed to be going wrong. They seemed to lose their connection with each other and before long she felt that they had drifted so far apart that there was no way back. During a tense meal together in the restaurant where they’d had their first date (I wasn’t sure that it was the best location!!) she told him that it was over between them. He was upset naturally but seemed to accept that it was as much his fault as hers. They divided uo the belongings, she stayed in the apartment and he moved away and she thought that it was all over and she could get on with her life.

That was eleven years ago but every year since, on the anniversary of their first date and the anniversary of the day they split she receives a single flower through the post. Each time the flower is different and strangely each one is posted from a different part of the world. Because of this she has received some very unusual flowers. Now in those eleven years she has had a few new relationships but each one has failed, usually after only a couple of months and she is currently single.

We expected her to say that she had thrown away all the floral gifts she received but it turns out she has had each one preserved and has a plastic crate with a book of pressed flowers and boxes of preserved ones that wouldn’t press. With them she keeps the simple notes that accompany each flower. ‘True love never dies, it finds new ways to bloom’ As we are all very good friends I plucked up the courage to ask whether she is tempted to reply. And this is the saddest part of the story, there’s never an address so even if she wanted to, she couldn’t.

If you send flowers from Cosmea Gardens make sure the recipient knows where you are….otherwise you may never find out what effect they had!

It’s springtime across the northern hemisphere, maybe sooner for some than others, but there’s a great stirring in nature that tells us better days are here.

Alfred Lord Tennyson once said in his poem ‘Locksley Hall’

In the Spring a livelier iris changes on the burnish’d dove

In the Spring a young man’s fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love.

Then her cheek was pale and thinner than should be for one so young,

And her eyes on all my motions with a mute observance hung.

And I said, “My cousin Amy, speak, and speak the truth to me

Trust me, cousin, all the current of my being sets to thee.”
Now I think that flowers and poetry go together like bread and butter. At this time of year you may be thinking of how good it would be to spend the summer, and hopefully the rest of your life, with someone you love While a beautiful bouquet of flowers will wow your heart’s desire, the clincher will be the poem that accompanies it. It doesn’t matter if you’re not poetically minded, it’s OK to pinch someone else’s idea – it’s the thought that counts! How could a heart not melt reading Juliet’s speech to Romeo…

‘Tis but thy name that is my enemy;
Thou art thyself, though not a Montague.
What’s Montague? It is nor hand, nor foot,
Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part
Belonging to a man. O, be some other name!
What’s in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet;
So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call’d,
Retain that dear perfection which he owes
Without that title. Romeo, doff thy name,
And for that name which is no part of thee
Take all myself.

Poetry speaks of thoughtfulness, sensitivity and romance – it’s no wonder that a recent survey of women who received poems from admirers showed they were 42% more likely to agree to a date than those who didn’t! So if you’re plucking up the courage to ask that special person for a date, order a beautiful bouquet of flowers from Cosmea Gardens to be delivered to her (it has more effect if it’s delivered and in the remote chance the idea fails, you won’t be there to suffer the embarrassment!!) and before placing your order, sit down with some romantic music playing in the background and pen some special words that will melt her heart!