Author
James Darton
Contributing Editor
At Floom, we’re generally of the opinion that the natural beauty and wonder of flowers are more than enough for us to enjoy. Every once in a while however, we like to indulge in a little of the superstitions that have clung resolutely to the flower world since the dawn of time (well, the Ancient Greeks at least).
Another world that is full of superstitions is of course the sporting world. With Wimbledon just around the corner, we thought we’d take a look at the ‘birth flowers’ for some of the biggest names taking to the grass this summer. Birth flowers can be traced back to Roman times and differ depending on what month you were born. Supposedly the flowers possess characteristics that are reflected in the characteristic of the person (think floral horoscopes).
Are the players’ birth flower qualities reflected in their personalities and playing styles? We’ll let you be the judges of that…
Serena Williams - September - Forget-Me-Nots
These adorably named, delicate flowers are said to represent the qualities of patience and daintiness. Not sure that the latter in particular bears much similarity to Serena’s powerhouse performances! Kudos to the Williams sister for shaking off a pretty outdated feminine ‘quality’.
Andy Murray and Djokovic - May - Lily of the Valley
We’re torn on whether the humility supposedly represented by Murray’s birth flower is indicative of our homegrown hero’s behaviour. On the one hand, he always comes across as grounded and refreshingly free of media training, as someone who possesses a birth flower symbolising humility. On the other, he can also be pretty dismissive of those ‘beneath’ him (I’m looking at you, annoying ball boys).
Its quite nice and very vaguely interesting that Murray and Djokovic, staunch rivals in recent times, share a birth flower. We used to love Djokovic until his ill-advised (to say the least) comments about female players recently. Lily of the Valley supposedly also imbues sweetness, which was certainly lacking from careless declarations that female players should be paid less than their male counterparts.
Rafael Nadal - June - Rose
In my mind at least, Nadal has always come across as the preening peacock of the tennis circuit (as a fairweather fan at most, I could be completely wrong about this and just be projecting insecurities based on his ridiculous physique). The rose therefore seems quite fitting - a symbol of perfection which Nadal no doubt strives for.
Maria Sharapova - April - Sweet Pea
The fragrant sweet pea is a symbol of youth - perfect for a player who became world number 1 at the age of just 18. Its other quality, purity, is more open for debate, given the very recent controversies surrounding her failed drug tests…
Roger Federer - August - Gladiolus
The Cristiano Ronaldo of his sport: slightly on the wain as he is, he’s still responsible for some of the most jaw-dropping, how-on-earth-did-he-do-that individual displays of all time. The gladiolus is a symbol of strength, something this Swiss icon possesses in abundance.
