June Roses

June started in style in Montreal this year: last weekend the International Beer Festival took place, and this weekend Formula 1 fans from all over the globe gathered in Montreal to watch the legendary race. But did you know that June is also the month of roses?

Our friends south of the border have been celebrating June as the month of roses since President Ronald Reagan signed legislation that made roses United States' National Floral Emblem. Now The Flower Pot has decided to celebrate with them.

In honour of the official rose month, The Flower Pot will be giving roses pride of place. Stay tuned for our great rose specials, that will kick in right after Father's Day.

If you are too impatient to wait for after Father's Day to get roses for your lover, here are some things about love in the month of June that you should know:

In ancient Rome, the period from mid-May through mid-June was considered inauspicious for marriage. Ovid, the ancient philosopher, says that he consulted the Flaminica Dialis, or the high priestess of Jupiter, about setting a date for his daughter's wedding, and was advised to wait till after June 15!

If you've already spent months planning your wedding, and the date is set for before June 15, never fear. While the end of June is best, according to Plutarch, another ancient philosopher, weddings at any time in June are much better than weddings in May.

While the month of June means different things to different people, roses almost always represent beauty and love. They are also used to commemorate historic events and festivals.

Check out our website for other great deals while you wait for our June Rose sales. If you have questions or comments, or are simply in need of a friendly chat, don't hesitate to call us, 514-938-1234, or drop by. We'd love to show you around our cosy Griffintown shop!

Father's Day Up Ahead!

Here it is once again, that horrible yearly dilemma of knowing what to get your father for his special day. But we all know he's well worth the effort.

Although we here at The Flower Pot agree that all dads are unique, there are a few traits that all good fathers have in common and make them successful at raising their children into healthy balanced adults:

• Disciplinarian
• Allows room for error
• Open-minded
• Teaches appreciation
• Accepts his children for who they are
• Spends quality time with his kids
• Sets a good example
• Supportive and loyal
• Challenges his kids
• Loves unconditionally

Thankfully The Flower Pot has many products in store to ensure that you are able to find the perfect give for your amazing and unique father.

Perhaps your dad appreciates good craftsmanship. In that case the Proud Father, a locally-carved wooden bird would make an ideal gift.

Perhaps your dad is more of a sports man and needs a personalized mug to enjoy his favourite game-time beverage.

Men appreciate flowers more than your think (and probably more than they know), so why not try for a flower arrangement this year? Perhaps our rose-filled Sports Vase will be a good match for your father, or even Pa's Paradise, a wonderfully modern arrangement filled with exotic architectural flowers.

Maybe you should play it safe and cover all the bases with our Flowery Message, which includes a vase of flowers and a personalized and framed image.

Come by and visit your friendly Downtown Montreal florist located in Griffintown to browse through all our gift options. If you're looking for a more personalized gift, visit our website, call us at 514-938-1234, or stop by our Griffintown shop for more recommendations and to place your order.

Upgrade to Graduate

The next big event to hit a flower shop after mother's day is graduation. Here at The Flower Pot, we thought we'd enlighten our readers with a story about the successful mix of the meanings behind both occasions: the importance of education and women.

In history you don't hear much about women, especially in the Middle Ages. So if the names Hildegard von Bingen and Eleanor of Aquitaine have survived until now, it means that those women were pretty spectacular and left their mark on the society of their time. 

In her lifetime, from 1122 or 1124 to 1204, Eleanor of Aquitaine was the duchess of Aquitaine in her own right, the queen of France, the queen of England, and the queen dowager of England. She was an important patron of the arts and music, encouraging musical output and poetry from the likes of Bernart de Ventadorn, an extremely popular troubador of the era. She was also a great politician who managed to get an annulment from the King of France, and ruled England as regent for her son Richard the Lionheart who was away during the Third Crusade. To this day she appears regularly in popular fiction, most notably in films and books about Robin Hood.

Hildegard von Bingen (1098 –1179) wasn't so politically involved, but left an important mark on arts, science, and religion. She was a Benedictine abbess with feminist tendencies who wrote music, philosophy, and much more. She was even named Doctor of the Church by Pope Benedict XVI in 2012. While she had much influence in the church, her interests extended far beyond that sphere. She wrote Physica, which discusses the natural sciences, as well as Causae et Curae, in which she put down her knowledge regarding medicinal herbs and remedies. In fact, Hildegard von Bingen's delicious "Cookies of joy" recipe survives to this day. Check out the recipe here and try them yourself!

Keeping these two amazing women in mind, we at The Flower Pot tip our hats to all this year's graduates, male and female, and hope that they too will use their knowledge and skills to leave their mark on our society and be remembered in history. You can honor them as well with gifts and flowers from our Graduation section.

For help, suggestions, or a friendly chat, call us at 514-938-1234 or drop by for a visit!