The universal symbols of St. Valentine’s are the heart and the colors red and pink.Forgotten is the story of St. Valentine, imprisoned, tortured and killed under the Roman emperor Claudius for secretly marring couples in the Christian Church. despite the bloody Claudius, Valentine survived revisiting at this time of year when a little love and colour is to be welcomed as the Saint of Valentine’s day

The color red is the warmest color. Red, symbolizing spontaneity, courage, good luck, prosperity, fire, passion and appetite glow almost florescent in the gold light of Provence. Pink, the color of unconditional love, tenderness, hope, and passion is the power of red softened with the purity of white.

I used clippings of the beautiful winter blossoming laurier rose shrub that produces tiny red, pink and white together with flowering rosemary and olive branches to make my, “unfinished” heart wreath.

These bushes are prolific and are pruned into topiaries and hedges in almost every garden.

Pink and red and rosemary mauve are everywhere in Provence in February and tonight, while Lovers everywhere open their Champagnes Rosé, the sky outside our cozy house in the Luboron is turning fiery red, pink, mauve and gold.

Happy Valentine