April birth flower: daisy and sweet pea

The story behind the April birth flowers

April's birth flowers are the daisy and the sweet pea. Like the rest of the birth-flower lists, they're English and American, and they were chosen for a northern April, when lawns and meadows are full of daisies. Nobody knows exactly who first matched flowers to months, and older English and American lists do not always agree on the details.

In Kate Greenaway's Language of Flowers (1884) the daisy stands for innocence and the sweet pea for delicate pleasures. Sweet peas later picked up the sense of saying thank you, or goodbye after a lovely time, which is why they're sometimes given at farewells. The word daisy comes from the Old English for day's eye, because the flower opens in the morning and closes at night.

Neither fits an Australian April neatly. Gardeners here traditionally sow sweet peas around St Patrick's Day in March, and the flowers come from about August to November. True daisies are rarely sold here as a cut flower in their own right. Spray chrysanthemums with single, daisy-shaped flowers are the easiest stand-in, and they're available all year.

For the rest of the bouquet, autumn gives you plenty. Dahlias are still going strong. Lisianthus has the ruffled, pastel look of sweet peas and lasts longer in the vase. Proteas are coming into season and suit someone who likes something bolder. Autumn is also when chrysanthemums start their natural season.

Gift tip: Easter often falls in April and many florists close over the long weekend, so order before Good Friday if the birthday is close to it.