18^th Century poet William Cowper aptly summed up the difficult decision of choosing between two of the most popular flowers in our collection with his Poem “The Lily and the Rose”.Both the rose and the lily are often associated with love. However the rose in all its colors (especially red) is usually thought of as the flower of romantic love.

The Lily conveys the idea of purity. It is often associated with “Ideal Love” or a purely innocent and true love.

Roses and Lilies are often mixed together to represent a union of the two ideas and make for beautiful mixed flower arrangements.

As a symbol of love both the Lilies and Roses are ideal for most occasions, including memorial services, and sympathy arrangements as well as more joyous occasions like Anniversaries and Weddings.

Funeral Arrangements and Flowers for Memorial Services.

Our most popular arrangements for funerals and memorial services are the Traditional Standing Sprays and Basket Arrangements. Vases of mixed flowers are also very popular and are frequently more cost effective for those on a budget.

Anniversary Flowers

There are specific flowers that are used to mark wedding anniversaries. Each flower holds its own meaning and both the Lily and the Rose are used for more than one milestone:

• 2^ndAnniversary – The 2nd anniversary is the year of the Lily of the Valley. As is true with most varieties of Lily, the Lilly of the Valley signifies the purity of your relationship with it modesty and devotion.
• 6th Anniversary– The 6^th Wedding Anniversary is celebrated with the Calla Lily. Calla lilies are used to celebrate the growth and beauty of your relationship and represents love and wisdom.
• 15^thAnniversary – The flower of romantic love, the Rose is the flower of choice for your 15^th .
• 30^thanniversary – Modesty, beauty and devotion  are symbolized on your 30^th anniversary with the Lily 
• 50^thAnniversary – The 50anniversary is usually celebrated with two flowers yellow roses and violets. The combination of these two elegant flowers represents faith in the union as well as virtue and humility.

Birth Month Flowers

Both the Lily and the rose are used to mark the month of a loved one’s birth and are appropriate to be used as remembrances. Often the persons favorite color is used

• May – Lily and Lily of the Valley.
• June – Rose

The Lily And The Rose

By William Cowper

The nymph must lose her female friend,
If more admired than she—
But where will fierce contention end,
If flowers can disagree?

Within the garden’s peaceful scene
Appear’d two lovely foes,
Aspiring to the rank of queen,
The Lily and the Rose.

The Rose soon redden’d into rage,
And, swelling with disdain,
Appeal’d to many a poet’s page
To prove her right to reign.

The Lily’s height bespoke command,
A fair imperial flower;
She seem’d design’d for Flora’s hand,
The sceptre of her power.

This civil bickering and debate
The goddess chanced to hear,
And flew to save, ere yet too late,
The pride of the parterre.

Yours is, she said, the nobler hue,
And yours the statelier mien;
And, till a third surpasses you,
Let each be deem’d a queen.

Thus soothed and reconciled, each seeks
The fairest British fair;
The seat of empire is her cheeks,
They reign united there.