Flowers, Canada

Hello guys

Since few days ago, we have entered some summer heat, even though it is just like middle of May, but temperatures have gone above 35 ℃ ☀ which is too much for this time of the year.
In general, I seriously detest the summer in this city and am certainly not willing to have to deal with it this early 😖

Well at least warm weather is compatible with today's Sunday Stamps theme of flowers... and since I couldnt decide between these two Canadian covers, I decided to post them both and spare myself the trouble of choosing :) (Thanks to Bryon for the trouble 😈)

Just let me tell you in advance that I am terrible when it comes to knowledge about flowers as well as taking care of them... if you have left some flowers under my responsibility, they certainly will end up suffering (you can ask my current boss about this.. boy was he angry 😄😄)

Btw, 2020  is also the International year of Plant Health, so here is one commemorative post to it!
 🌷🌸🌺🌻🌼

This first one is actually a Valentine Day's issue from 2019, on February 14th,  showing some beautiful fragrant Cape jasmine gardenia (Gardenia jasminoides).

It is said that giving gardenias was known as a way of saying ‘I think you’re lovely’ during shy Victorian times while these days, the white petals are considered a symbol of purity, making gardenias a popular choice for weddings. 

It is native to the tropical and subtropical regions of Africa, Asia, Madagascar and Pacific Islands and just now I learned that these belong to the coffee family.

The other cover comes with some lovely Lotus flowers issued on 1st of March 2018.

It is an aquatic perennial and it grows from root-like rhizomes that form in the bottom of shallow ponds and marshes, producing leaves and flowers that rise above the water. The species featured on these stamps are the pink and white sacred lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) and the creamy yellow American lotus (Nelumbo lutea).
It is the national flower of India and Vietnam, and is a symbol of divine beauty that carries deep religious significance for Buddhists and Hindus. It is native to tropical and temperate regions of Asia and Australia.
 Rare and threatened, the American lotus needs warmth and sunshine to survive. Its northern grow limits are the shores of Lake Erie and Lake St. Clair in southern Ontario, with other populations found in wetlands across the eastern United States and as far south as Honduras.



Lotus flowers always remind me of one fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen called Thumbelina, and when she drifts along the water, full of lotus flowers...

Check out some more beautiful floral items over at Sunday Stamps!

And enjoy your Sunday!

St. Valentine's Day

Since the day kinda calls for it, let's post something related to St. Valentine's today...not because I am actually fond of it...on the whole contrary I hate it how commercialized this holiday has become and the whole fuss created around it (in general I absolutely dislike such days)..and then on the other hand, it is a Catholic holiday but people over here are like celebrating it too cos it makes them feel important (and Christmas is still celebrated on January 7th.....)
But despite my overall despise related to this day, the stamps issued to commemorate it are nice and I think they are worth posting....there is another Christian saint related to this day, St. Trifun, the protector of the viticulture and the horticulture and today is the day when the first vines are being pruned...but of course, no stamps related to it, so I have to stick to St. Valentines for that, despite my feelings towards it (Maybe I am being hypocritical here, I don't know =))

Anyways, I wanted to present you two different issues here...one coming from Finland (the FDC above), issued for St. Valentines on February 3rd 1998 (the sheet was designed by Marleena Ansio). To me it is just adorable! I love it!! And there are some words/phrases in Finnish, that I absolutely don't understand =)

The other issue comes from France, and it comes on a cover, sent by Eric. It was issued on January 23, 2015 and designed by  Jean-Charles de Castelbajac (and therefore here we have the Castelbajac heart). It should be noted that Castelbajac is actually a fashion designer, designer, author and costume designer  and from what I have read, a very famous one, but me has never heard of him until now :)

The set consists of two different stamps (on this FDC you can see one of them), where you can see two stylized faces in profile, touching their respective nose, reminding an Eskimo kiss, hence the French pun "exquis mots".

On the necks of the two characters, the sketched hands recall the wings of the "dove of peace" by Picasso.
Castelbajac has created these stamps using the flagship colors that symbolize his work and universe : blue, yellow and red.

If you take a look at the bottom left corner, you will see Castelbajac's signature, his initials JCC with a crown on top...pretty neat :)

I don't know how eligible my post is for today's Sunday Stamps since it is all about the colour red, but I'll give it a try...I hope I won't be kicked out =)

For more red stuff, click on the link below!

Sunday Stamps