
Day 151 - A
mark of purity and grace throughout the ages, the regal white lily is a fitting
symbol of the greater meaning of Easter. Gracing millions of homes and
churches, the flowers embody joy, hope and life. Whether given as a gift or
enjoyed in your own home, the Easter Lily, along with other Easter blooms,
serves as a beautiful reminder that Easter is a time for rejoicing and
celebrating.
Day 152 -
Today begins the month long Cherry Blossom Festival in Philadelphia, a
celebration of the beautiful blooms and Japanese culture. Our cherry blossoms
are just beginning to open, but will soon bear a bevy of beautiful pink petals.
Sakura, the Japanese name for cherry blossoms, serve as a metaphor for the
ephemeral nature of life.

Day 154 -
Roses have colorful names such as Be My Baby, Tooth Fairy and Deja Blue. The
ones pictured here are called Mount Everest. They have even been named honoring
famous people from John F. Kennedy to Queen Victoria, and Ronald Reagan to
Dolly Parton. To make the name of a rose official, it must go pass stringent
testing by the American Rose Society, the governing organization in the United
States for authenticating and registering the names of new rose cultivars. A
new hybrid rose breed is a cultivar. In order to have the cultivar officially
sanctioned and the name registered with the ARS, the cultivar goes through
lengthy examinations conducted by the ARS testing how the rose performs in a
variety of garden settings and conditions. The cultivar breeder applies to a
governing body, such as the ARS, the Royal Horticulture Society of London or
the International Rose Cultivar Registration Authority. The registering
organization requires detailed information about the rose's lineage and
characteristics. There are extensive guidelines regarding the name. The IRCA
requires the cultivar name have no more than 10 syllables and no more than 30
letters or characters. The trial and name registration process with any
accredited organization can take 2 years or longer for an application to be
approved or denied.

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