A flower is the bloom or blossom of a plant.
The flower is the part of a plant that produces
seeds, which in time become
other flowers. This is thanks to a process
called pollination that is carried out either
by insects or the wind. Every
type of flower is different, in colour, smell,
shape and size.
Flowers need food and sunlight
to survive, as they make
their own food/energy through photosynthesis.
Find some more information on the
Wikipedia
History
History shows that flowers have
been used by humans for thousands of years,
to serve a variety of purposes. An early
example of this is from about 4,500 years ago
in Ancient Egypt, where flowers would be used to
decorate women's hair.
Flowers have also inspired art time and time again, such as in Monet's Water Lilies or William Wordsworth's poem about
daffodils entitled: "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud"
Now all around the world, people use flowers to mark important events in their lives:
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For new births or christenings
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As a corsage or boutonniere worn at social functions or for holidays
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As tokens of love or esteem
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For wedding flowers for the bridal party, and for decorations for the hall
Ikebana
Ikebana (生け花, 活け花, "arranging flowers" or "making
flowers alive") is the Japanese art of flower
arrangement.
The tradition dates back to Heian period, when floral offerings were made at altars. Later, flower arrangements were
instead used to adorn the tokonoma (alcove) of a traditional Japanese home.
Ikebana reached its first zenith in the 16th century under the influence of Buddhist tea masters and has grown over the
centuries, with numerous distinct schools extant today.
Ikebana is counted as one of the three classical Japanese arts of refinement, along with kōdō for incense appreciation
and chadō for tea and the tea ceremony.