The Royal Mail has revealed the first set of special stamps featuring King Charles III's silhouette ā and they celebrate the green-fingered monarch's love of horticulture.
Working closely with gardening writer Naomi Slade, the 10 stamps feature striking photographs of flowers grown in UK gardens. Each bloom ā including the Sweet Pea, Iris, Lily, Sunflower, Tulip, Peony, Rose and Dahlia ā is set against a white background alongside their common names. The new stamps have been described by The Royal Mail as a "significant milestone in British philatelic history" because they are the first change of silhouette since 1968.
Here is an associated 'Flower Power Picture Quiz', just for fun. The aim is to identify each flower and answer each associated question. After every few questions, there is a song link to YouTube, to give the opportunity for a singalong. To make the session even more multi-sensory, have some flowers from the garden on hand to smell, arrange or draw.
Have fun! Some feedback would be great.
Idioms
Complete these well known phrases about flowers ...
Oops-a-DAISY
To sow the SEEDS of something
To take ROOT
Nip it in the BUD
A late BLOOMER
A shrinking VIOLET
A thorn in your SIDE
As fresh as a DAISY
To come out smelling of ROSES
To gild the LILY
Cut down the tall POPPIES
Common or garden VARIETY
Grasp the NETTLE
Lead someone up the garden PATH
Let the grass grow under your FEET
April showers bring May FLOWERS
In the flower of YOUTH
Rose-tinted SPECTACLES
Flower POWER
Green FINGERED
Flowers Of The Four Nations
Name these flowers of the four nations of the British Isles?
Read out this poem ...
Flowers which signify things
What do these flowers signify?
Are there any others?
Occasions on which you might need flowers
Name these occasions or uses for flowers.
Are there any others?
Time for a singalong - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-eclUz-RYI
Complete this saying ...
"Roses are ***, Violets are ****, Honey is ***** and so are ***."
Edible flowers
Name these edible flowers, flower parts & seeds?
Other things flowers give us
Name these other things flowers give us?
Other edible herbs
The first is a herb used in salads
Next is a herb used in Italian cookery
The next is a wild pungent flower and leaf which can be used instead of bulbs in cooking
Then we have a herb commonly used in stuffing
The next herb is used to make many varieties of sweets (and a sauce to go with roast lamb)
Finally, this herb tastes of aniseed and is used to make the French liquor Pastis
Time for a singalong - YouTube link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BakWVXHSug
What are their full Christian names?
TV & movies associated with flowers
Name these flower related TV shows & movies?
Famous gardeners
Name these famous gardeners?
Spring, Summer, Autumn Or Winter
Name these flowers & say which season they flower in?
Time for another singalong - YouTube link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wm31Lni60LU
In which country is Amsterdam?
Name the artists
Name the artists?
Which of these was valued on 'The Antiques Roadshow' as being worth Ā£1m?
'The Floral Dance', Terry Wogan - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlH1af4siKQ
Which Cornwall town is this song associated with ('Flora Day' is 8th May there)?
Unusual flowers
ā  | āThis flower is named after a bird? |
ā  | āThis flower colours differently according to soil acidity? |
ā  | āA musical instrument is named after this flower? |
ā  | āKitchen gloves are named after this flower? |
ā  | āA milk based product is named after this flower? |
ā  | āA common or garden paint is named after this flower? |
ā  | āChildren tell the time with this flower? & A soft drink is made from it and another flower? |
ā  | āHold this under your chin and it can tell you if you like to eat something? |
ā  | āThis flower is often called 'The Butterfly Bush'? |
ā  | āThis flower flavours a chocolate bar? |
ā  | āThis flower provides us with a fabric? |
ā  | āChildren make chains with this flower? |
Time for another singalong - YouTube link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rl0ldpTlQkY
What do you call a bicycle built for two?
Extra bits & bobs
What are flowers which come back every year called?
What are flowers that last one year called?
What do the letters RHS, which come before the 'Chelsea Flower Show', stand for?
What is this green sponge, used for flower arranging, called?
What is a flower shop & worker called?
What group of people are associated with the 'Flower Power' movement?
And our final song - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7I0vkKy504U
What colour is the 'Golden Gate Bridge'?
What is the name of the nearby island prison?
Final songs
Time for another singalong - YouTube link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCED4g1dMTQ
Which animal is commonly called Buttercup?
Time for another singalong - YouTube link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfLU3Mv_O9w
Which Dickens novel had a character called Tiny Tim?
Time for another singalong - YouTube link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GuP1JvOhNlA
What was their other hit song, which was used to advertise 'Cadbury's Roses'?
And another - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PK-p8l8fdNE
Try and remember the flowers mentioned in the first line of the song?
What year did she win the 'Eurovision Song Contest'?
Final song - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxSTzSEiZ2c
Which William Shakespeare play does the line "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet" come from?
FINAL SINGALONG
'Eidelweiss', from 'The Sound Of Music' - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dc9dZfnbUMQ (Lyric video)
Which 'Sound Of Music' song has the lyrics "raindrops on roses"?
REFRESHMENTS
Here are some suggestions for refreshments ...
ANSWERS
Rose - England, Daffodil - Wales, Thistle - Scotland & Shamrock - Ireland
Forget-Me-Not - Memories
White Lily - Purity
Poppy - Remembrance Sunday
Rosemary - Remembrance
Red Rose - Love
Lotus Blossom - Sacred flower of Buddhism
Wedding, Birthday or other occasion e.g. Mother's Day
Christmas wreath, Funeral floral tribute
Pot pourri, Flower arranging
Christmas (Poinsettia), Wedding anniversary
Artichoke, Courgette (Americans call it Zucchini), Cauliflower
Broccoli, Vanilla (Orchid), Saffron (Crocus)
Sunflower (Seeds & Oil), Runner Beans
Honey, All of our fruit, Lavender Oil (aids sleep)
Chamomile tea, Butterflies (without flowers we wouldn't have any), Medicines (Digitalis from the Foxglove)
Chives, Basil, Wild Garlic
Thyme, Mint, Fennel
Paul Simon & Art (Arthur) Garfunkel
Parsley The Lion (from 'The Herbs)
'Bill & Ben' (and Little Weed)
'Day Of The Triffids', 1962
Hyacinth Bouquet (Bucket) ('Keeping Up Appearances')
Dame Edna Everage (Barry Humphries) (She always hands out Gladioli)
'The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel', 2011
Percy Thrower
Alan Titchmarsh
Charlie Dimmock
Monty Don
Diarmaid Gavin
King Charles 111
Bluebells - Spring
Snowdrops - Winter/Spring
Tulips - Spring
Winter flowering Pansies
Primrose - Spring
Geranium - Summer
Fuchsia - Summer
Agapanthus - Autumn
Cherry Blossom (Sakura) - Spring/Summer
Netherlands
'Sunflowers', Vincent Van Goch, 1888
'Water Lilies', Claude Monet, 1919
'Flowers', Andy Warhol, 1970
'Geometric Flowers', Clarice Cliff 1929
'Flower', Peter Carl Faberge, Lived 30th May 1846-24th September 1920
Heslton
Bird Of Paradise
Hydrangea (acid soil for blue flowers, alkaline for pink)
Viola
Marigold (Rubber gloves)
Carnation (Evaporated milk)
Magnolia (Paint)
Dandelion (the seed ball is called the 'clock')
Buttercup (If you hold it under your chin you like butter if it glows yellow)
Buddleia
Rosewater flavours 'Turkish Delight'
Cotton Flower
Daisy (Ask members to describe how to make a Daisy Chain)
Tandem
Perennial / Annual
Royal Horticulture Society
Oasis
Florist
Hippies
International Orange (originally it was an undercoat, but they realised it was highly visible in the fog) / Alcatraz
Cow
'A Christmas Carol'
'Thank You Very Much'
Snowdrops and daffodils / 1970
'Romeo And Juliet'
'My Favourite Things'
It would be lovely to have some comments? Please don't forget to use this new feature. Either to say how well the activity worked, or didn't. Or to suggest additions or ideas. Also don't forget, you can also publish your own 'Guest Blog', about a CST activity that you have prepared, or to recommend an alternative resource.