The Cornucopia “Horn of Plenty” – A Must Have Addition to Your Thanksgiving Table

Posted on November 18, 2015 by gordonboswell

Thanksgiving typically conjures up mental images of harvests, feasting, abundance, and sharing that bounty with loved ones. When it comes to Thanksgiving celebrations in Texas, you can bet your cowboy hat that the meal and everything that goes with it will be Texas-sized because that’s just how things are done around here. One of the most familiar symbols of Thanksgiving and the harvest is the cornucopia basket which is also known as the “horn of plenty.”

How the Cornucopia Became a Thanksgiving Symbol

The term comes from two Latin words: cornu, meaning horn, and copiae, which translates as abundance, plenty, or copious.

The object itself dates back to the 5th century B.C. According to the Greek mythological legend, Zeus’ father, Cronus, was convinced that his baby son would grow up to overthrow him. Cronus was determined to hatch a plan to get rid of Zeus.

Rhea, Zeus’ loving mother who was aware of this, was determined to protect her son. She sent him away to live in a cave on Mount Ida where he’d be cared for by Almathea. As is typical of Greek mythology, there are multiple versions of traditional myths. Almathea was a goat who nursed Zeus while he was separated from his mother. While Almathea and Zeus were playing, he accidentally broke her horn. She was transformed into a unicorn. At some point, Zeus remorsefully returned the horn to Almathea, but the horn had acquired magical powers. The horn was continuously filled with newly harvested fruits and flowers.

How the Cornucopia is Used Today

The cornucopia that is an important fixture on many Thanksgiving dinner tables is a wicker basket that is shaped like a horn. It is filled with fruits of the harvest.

As a symbol of prosperity, it is commonly called the “horn of plenty. Other names include the horn of Almathea, the harvest cone, and the food of worship. In the context of food, it symbolizes abundance, prosperity, feasting, and harvest time.

Our Fall Harvest Cornucopia is a gorgeous symbol of the harvest and the season. We fill it with giant sunflowers, velvety red roses, butterscotch-colored chrysanthemums, burgundy carnations, orange mini carnations, and vibrant orange Asiatic lilies. We add accents of preserved oak leaves.

Add a beautiful cornucopia arrangement to your Texas size Thanksgiving table. Don’t wait to order yours from Gordon Boswell Flowers today!

Adorn Your Thanksgiving Dinner Table With Floral Centerpieces

Posted on November 16, 2015 by gordonboswell

Thanksgiving falls on Thursday, November 26. This all-American holiday is steeped in history and tradition. It all began in Plymouth, England in 1620. A group of 102 religious separatists boarded the Mayflower and set sail for the New World. If these people thought their lives in England were difficult, they were in for a rude awakening once they landed on the eastern tip of Cape Cod.

After spending a month on Cape Cod, the settlers boarded the ship and sailed across Massachusetts Bay, dropping their anchor for the last time at Plymouth Rock. With winter on the horizon, most of the would-be Colonists stayed on the ship out of sheer necessity. They didn’t have enough food, and in their malnourished state, they were more likely to develop nutritional deficiencies such as scurvy. They were also plagued by contagious diseases.

When spring arrived, the original 102 voyagers were reduced to half that number. Thanks to a chance meeting with an Abenaki Indian, the colonists were introduced to Squanto, an English-speaking member of the Pawtuxet tribe. He taught them how to fish, how to grow corn and other crops, and how to hunt and forage for edible plants in the wild.

By the fall of 1621, the newly established settlers were harvesting a bountiful harvest. The success of their planting prompted the colony Governor, William Bradford, to decide to organize a celebratory feast. He invited Squanto as an honored guest, along with members of the Wampanoag Indian tribe and their chief. Historical relics at the Plimoth Plantation site, suggest that this was the country’s very first Thanksgiving dinner celebration.

Seasonal Splendor

Before you gather in Fort Worth with your beloved family and closest friends, take the time to infuse your home with the colors and smells of Autumn. We may not have a traditional New England type of fall, but we can certainly do the best we can to recreate that in our Texas homes.

Our Country Harvest Centerpiece will bring the warmth of a fall harvest to your Thanksgiving dinner table. We use lilies, Gerbera daisies, mums and preserved oak leaves. We tie the whole arrangement together with a fall-colored plaid bow.

For something more unusual, grace your table with our Seasonal Splendor arrangement. This non-traditional assortment includes orchids, roses, daisies, mums, hydrangeas and succulents.

Don’t wait to order your Thanksgiving flowers. Gordon Boswell will help you choose or customize table centerpieces or any other floral decor for the rest of your home.

Dahlias: The Flower of Hidden Messages

Posted on November 3, 2015 by gordonboswell

The Latin influence is huge in Texas. We see it everywhere in the delicious Tex-Mex food that everyone around here loves. It shouldn’t surprise anyone that Dahlias are just as big here. We think it’s fitting that we talk about a flower whose ideal is “bigger is better,” an adage that every Texan understands. Our team of Gordon Boswell floral designers love to come up with flower arrangements.

Early Dahlia History

The Dahlia is the national flower of Mexico. These flowers are indigenous to areas in the Guatemalan and Mexican mountains. The Aztecs handled introducing Dahlias to the world. When the Spanish conquistadors came to the New World, they spent most of their time fighting, as they tried to conquer the Aztec Indians. When they weren’t attempting to overpower Indians, they devoted their time to learning about and discovering native plants.

That didn’t help the conquistadors introduce these spectacular flowers to Europe any earlier. Dahlias didn’t appear in Europe for 200 years. They did bring seeds, some roots, and a few plants back to Spain. The Royal Botanic Garden in Madrid propagated plants that the conquistadors brought back.

By 1789, Dahlias arrived in Europe. The earliest mention of Dahlias in America come from the writings of American garden writers who described these beauties and the range of varieties that are available. In the 1870s, a new type of Dahlia, the cactus dahlia was introduced. According to F.F. Rockwell, in 1927, Dahlias ranked #1 as the most popular bulb planted anywhere in the United States.

Symbolism and Meaning of Dahlias

Dahlias are considered spicy flowers. They come in pink, yellow, orange, red, purple and white. If you send someone dahlias, you could be sending them a warning message, or telling them you have a premonition of betrayal. If you know someone who is going away – either for business or pleasure, a gift of dahlias suggests travel. When you want a situation to change, send dahlias, because they’ll convey that message.

During the Victorian Era, the language of flowers provided men and women with a way to share secret messages. That language is still apt today. The messages may no longer be secret, but the idea of delivering a message to someone with flowers is always appropriate, romantic and sentimental.

According to the all-important Language of Flowers, dahlias suggest elegance. They are also seen as a sign of eternal commitment, so they are very appropriate as a gift for someone in honor of their love for one another, and their marriage.

We can’t think of a more romantic flower arrangement than Sweet Thoughts. We envision this bouquet with a unique twist. We’d add dahlias to the roses and wax flowers. The accents of bear grass make this display look as sophisticated as it is elegant.

Breast Cancer Awareness This October

Posted on October 6, 2015 by gordonboswell

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Our staff here at Gordon Boswell is thrilled to show our support for this all-important cause. The event began in 1985 as a joint effort between AstraZeneca and the American Cancer Society. The goal was to promote mammograms as the best method of early detection.

The pink ribbon first appeared in 1991. They were handed out to participants who participated in the New York City Susan G. Komen Race. The race was to support survivors of breast cancer.

Two years later, Evelyn Lauder, Senior Corporate Vice President of the Estée Lauder Corporation, a breast cancer survivor herself, and Alexandra Perry, the Editor-in-Chief of Self Magazine, co-founded the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. They appropriated the pink ribbon as their symbol. The two women decided to distrubute pin ribbons throughout New York City stores. They took advantage of the recognition and popularity of the Estée Lauder brand. That solidified the pink ribbon as the symbol for support for breast cancer awareness.

I Dream of Pink

I Dream of Pink is an arrangement from or breast cancer awareness collection. We combine lilies, roses, miniature carnations and spray roses with daisies and was flowers to bring this delightful arrangement to life. We add a bright pink ribbon to solidify our support for breast cancer awareness. This is the perfect gift for a friend or stranger who is suffering from breast cancer. Help a survivor celebrate by giving her flowers.

Our Dressed to Impress arrangement delivers pink and more pink. This delightful arrangement includes Asiatic lilies, pink roses, pink miniature carnations, pink spray roses, green button spray chrysanthemums, bupleurum, lemon leaf and huckleberry. This lush bouquet is artfully arranged in a clear glass vase. The elegance of this arrangement is guaranteed to make anyone smile.

Sweet Pink

In our Sweet Pink arrangement, we let pink carnations and pink roses take center stage. We add a delightful accent of purple snapdragons. A lovely pink ribbon brings everything together, assuring the recipient that you’re giving them a gift to support breast cancer awareness.

We’re proud to be able to show our support for breast cancer awareness. That’s why we created a line of arrangements that honor the connection between the color pink and breast cancer. Take advantage of this national month of observance to spread awareness in your workplace by putting pink floral arrangements in prominent places. Or show your support by giving pink flowers to breast cancer patients in the hospital.

Decorating with Flowers for Fall

Posted on September 17, 2015 by gordonboswell

Aside from a watercolor sunset, nothing compares to the beautiful hues of fall: crimson, orange, yellow, and gold. When the leaves begin to turn after a summer of activity and fun, our professional florists at Gordon Boswell look forward to helping our clients settle their families and homes into the autumn season by decorating with festive fall flowers and more. The following are a few tips from our florists on bringing the beauty of the season into your home.

Though it goes without saying, the fiery colors of autumn are a must when it comes to decorating for the season. You can incorporate seasonal hues like red, orange, yellow, gold, and purple into your decor by switching out small decorative elements like napkins, tablecloths, throw rugs, pillows, blankets, and towels. Add a centerpiece of fall flowers to your mantel or dining room table like our Fall Extravagance bouquet which bursts with white hydrangea, yellow and orange roses, lilies, fall berries, and more.

Fall Extravagance

Properly decorating for a festive autumn season requires more than a special color scheme. Incorporating objects associated with autumn and harvest also adds a nice, home-spun touch to your decor. Line pumpkins along your walkway and place ceramic pumpkins around the interior of your home. You might even consider adding a scarecrow to your yard or garden. Another decorative element of harvest is the cornucopia. Filling a wicker cornucopia with fall flowers makes a nice statement in an entryway or on a dining table. They also provide wonderful displays for produce.

A well-decorated home should appeal to more than just the eyes; a home should have a signature scent to complement the physical atmosphere. To add to the lovely scent of fall flower arrangements, you can give your home a nice, autumn aroma by boiling cinnamon sticks, clove, and orange peel in water on the stove. This will fill your home with an inviting, pleasant aroma fitting for the relaxing days of autumn you plan to spend curled up on the sofa with a good book and a hot cup of cider.

However you choose to decorate your home for fall, our expert florists look forward to helping you select the best fall flowers this autumn.