Flowers that last

At the beginning of every spring, a magnificent spectacle begins in Japan: the Sakura festival – the cherry blossom – an event of breathtaking beauty that is expected all year long and lasts only a few days.

Many Japanese follow the forecasts of its brief bloom, which a light rain or a gentle breeze makes it suddenly disappear. It is a particular time when families gather to enjoy and picnic amidst this wonder of nature.

This haiku by Matsuo Basho (1644- 1694), Japanese samurai and poet of the Edo period, describes it:

How many, many things
They call to mind
These cherry blossoms!
Very brief
Glow of blossoms in the treetops
On a moonlit night.
A lovely spring night
suddenly vanished while we
viewed cherry blossoms

Few things are as ephemeral as flowers, and therefore, poets and singers of all times speak of their fleeting nature with a mixture of admiration and melancholy. It is the beauty that fades away over time, comparable to the brevity of youth in the human being’s life. They have always been a source of inspiration for art because all feelings can be expressed through them: passion, joy of living, death, innocence. Curiously, in Victorian times, with highly regulated social norms, the language of flowers was the ideal communication. Today we would smile at the secret love messages illustrated in the books that ladies consulted to know  that  bouquet of peonies that just arrived at their door meant “Your pride exceeds the limits of what is bearable,” the one of red carnations “Burning desires grow in my breast,” or “I am jealous” with yellow roses.

In his eagerness to make things last, man has searched for durable materials to capture what vanishes and disappears. Flowers do not escape this desire: artists and artisans have tried to imitate their essence. Silk, paper, feathers, velvet, wax, gold, or silver have served this purpose throughout history. The ancient civilizations of China and Egypt, as always, were the first to reproduce them for the use of their nobles, and in Europe, they were introduced by the Italians, experts in silk production. Under the reign of Louis XVI, Paris became the world capital of artificial flowers. It is said that an artisan florist named Beaulard became famous when he presented Queen Marie Antoinette with a rosebud that opened up in her presence. It is estimated that at the beginning of the 20th century, 30,000 people worked in the Parisian industry, compared to New York where 150 factories were set up. Today China and Holland are the largest manufacturers, and thanks to latex, they achieve a level of perfection that only by touch can you tell if they are real.

We do not want to compare the artificial flower with the fascinating miracle of the fresh and natural one. However, it is a valid ornamental alternative for people with sensitivity to flower pollen or for practical -or lazy- people who do not want to renounce to the beauty and colorfulness they give us without worrying about their maintenance.