Flowers for Burns Night

• Each January 25th, small groups gather to celebrate the life works of Scottish poet Robert Burns. In addition to the traditional supper of haggis, potato soup and cheeses, Burns Night or Burns Supper features an itinerary that involves saying grace, reciting poems and closing the evening with a song. Flowers for Burns Night are not specifically designated by the tradition, but you can include floral arrangements in your Burns Night that come from Burns' poems or traditional Scottish arrangements.

Red Roses

• One of Burns' classic poems compares his love for his "bonnie lass" to a "red, red rose." The 1794 poem is one of his most recognizable, and including red roses into your Burns Night celebration is a subtle nod to one of Burns' timeless love poems. One option to include red roses into the celebration is to present each guest with a single rose prior to the dinner or upon leaving. Another option is to line the long banquet table with large vases filled with deep crimson rose bouquets. Surround the stems with additional ferns and foliage to incorporate additional Scottish greenery.

Daisies

• One of Burns' lesser known works is titled, "To A Mountain Daisy." The piece depicts Burns' reflection on a daisy he crushed while plowing a field, a reflection that leads him to consider his own mortality and the fate of humankind in later verses. Opt for white daisies with distinctive deep brown or maroon florets to represent what Burns described as the "snowy" flower with a "crimson-tipped" head. Daisies are more suitable for less formal Burns Night celebrations in which dinner is accompanied by playful speeches and songs rather than deeply meaningful reflections about Burns' life and works. For a natural look, wrap a bouquet of daisies with a piece of twine and simply lay the bunches on the table rather than placing the arrangements in vases.

Thistle

• If you are looking to add a more rustic element to your Burns Night, consider arranging bunches of wild flowers from the thistle family. Thistle is held as a national emblem of Scotland; thistle was printed on Scottish coins during the reign of James III in the 1470s. Burns even mentions the symbol in his piece "Gudewife of Wauchope-House." Though there are many species that make up the thistle family of flowers, Scottish thistles traditionally feature a bulbous purple crown atop a round of prickly, thorny foliage. The small flowers are playful additions to a wildflower bouquet. Invite guests to wear purple thistle boutonnieres, or to bring a sprig of thistle to contribute to a bouquet placed in the center of the table in honor of Burns.