{"id":15569,"date":"2023-03-19T14:21:21","date_gmt":"2023-03-19T18:21:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/virtualstampclub.com\/lloydblog\/?p=15569"},"modified":"2023-03-20T15:35:24","modified_gmt":"2023-03-20T19:35:24","slug":"flowers-uk-2023","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/virtualstampclub.com\/lloydblog\/?p=15569","title":{"rendered":"Flowers (UK 2023)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-size: 8pt;\"><em>[from press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions]<\/em><\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-size: 14pt; color: #d10a4c;\"><strong>Royal Mail Reveals Flowers Special Stamps<a href=\"http:\/\/virtualstampclub.com\/lloydblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/uk_23flowers_.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-15564\" src=\"http:\/\/virtualstampclub.com\/lloydblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/uk_23flowers_.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"417\" srcset=\"http:\/\/virtualstampclub.com\/lloydblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/uk_23flowers_.png 1024w, http:\/\/virtualstampclub.com\/lloydblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/uk_23flowers_-300x122.png 300w, http:\/\/virtualstampclub.com\/lloydblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/uk_23flowers_-150x61.png 150w, http:\/\/virtualstampclub.com\/lloydblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/uk_23flowers_-500x204.png 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/virtualstampclub.com\/lloydblog\/?p=15567\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The new silhouette<\/a> marks a significant milestone in British philatelic history<\/li>\n<li>The 10-stamp set showcases some of the most popular types of flowers grown in gardens across the UK:<a href=\"http:\/\/virtualstampclub.com\/lloydblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/uk_23flowers__peony.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-15563\" src=\"http:\/\/virtualstampclub.com\/lloydblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/uk_23flowers__peony-300x300.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" data-wp-editing=\"1\" srcset=\"http:\/\/virtualstampclub.com\/lloydblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/uk_23flowers__peony-300x300.png 300w, http:\/\/virtualstampclub.com\/lloydblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/uk_23flowers__peony-150x150.png 150w, http:\/\/virtualstampclub.com\/lloydblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/uk_23flowers__peony.png 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>\n<ul>\n<li>Sweet pea<\/li>\n<li>Iris<\/li>\n<li>Lily<\/li>\n<li>Sunflower<\/li>\n<li>Fuchsia<\/li>\n<li>Tulip<\/li>\n<li>Peony<\/li>\n<li>Nasturtium<\/li>\n<li>Rose<\/li>\n<li>Dahlia<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Royal Mail worked closely with gardening writer Naomi Slade on the stamp issue<\/li>\n<li>The stamps are available to pre-order now at <a href=\"http:\/\/www.royalmail.com\/flowers\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">www.royalmail.com\/flowers<\/a> and by telephone on 03457 641 641<\/li>\n<li>All 10 stamps in a Presentation Pack go on general sale from 23 March and are priced at \u00a310.40<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/virtualstampclub.com\/lloydblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/uk_23flowers_Nasturtium.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-15558\" src=\"http:\/\/virtualstampclub.com\/lloydblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/uk_23flowers_Nasturtium-150x150.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" srcset=\"http:\/\/virtualstampclub.com\/lloydblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/uk_23flowers_Nasturtium-150x150.png 150w, http:\/\/virtualstampclub.com\/lloydblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/uk_23flowers_Nasturtium-300x300.png 300w, http:\/\/virtualstampclub.com\/lloydblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/uk_23flowers_Nasturtium.png 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>Royal Mail is releasing a set of 10 stamps celebrating some of the most popular flowers which are grown in gardens across the UK.<\/p>\n<p>These Special Stamps mark a significant milestone in British philatelic history as they are the first to feature the silhouette of HM King Charles III. This is the first change of silhouette since 1968. <a href=\"http:\/\/virtualstampclub.com\/lloydblog\/?p=15567\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>[more on the silhouette]<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<p>The stamps feature striking photographs of flowers against a white background alongside their common names and show:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/virtualstampclub.com\/lloydblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/uk_23flowers_Sunflower.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-15561\" src=\"http:\/\/virtualstampclub.com\/lloydblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/uk_23flowers_Sunflower-300x300.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"http:\/\/virtualstampclub.com\/lloydblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/uk_23flowers_Sunflower-300x300.png 300w, http:\/\/virtualstampclub.com\/lloydblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/uk_23flowers_Sunflower-150x150.png 150w, http:\/\/virtualstampclub.com\/lloydblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/uk_23flowers_Sunflower.png 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>Sweet pea<\/li>\n<li>Iris<\/li>\n<li>Lily<\/li>\n<li>Sunflower<\/li>\n<li>Fuchsia<\/li>\n<li>Tulip<\/li>\n<li>Peony<\/li>\n<li>Nasturtium<\/li>\n<li>Rose<\/li>\n<li>Dahlia<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Royal Mail worked closely with gardening writer Naomi Slade on the stamp issue.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #d10a4c;\"><strong>The UK\u2019s Favourite Blooms:<\/strong><\/span><br \/>\nAlthough they are steeped in the familiarity of long association, many of the UK\u2019s most <a href=\"http:\/\/virtualstampclub.com\/lloydblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/uk_23flowers_Rose.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-15562\" src=\"http:\/\/virtualstampclub.com\/lloydblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/uk_23flowers_Rose-150x150.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" srcset=\"http:\/\/virtualstampclub.com\/lloydblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/uk_23flowers_Rose-150x150.png 150w, http:\/\/virtualstampclub.com\/lloydblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/uk_23flowers_Rose-300x300.png 300w, http:\/\/virtualstampclub.com\/lloydblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/uk_23flowers_Rose.png 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>identifiable flowers have arrived here from all over the world.<\/p>\n<p>In addition to our native dog <strong><span style=\"color: #d10a4c;\">roses<\/span><\/strong>, a key ancestor of the garden favourite is the fragrant, multi-petalled French rose, Rosa gallica. It was prized by the Greeks and the Romans, and legend has it that new varieties arose when a cultivated form, Rosa gallica var. of ficinalis, was carried from Syria to France after the Crusades, where it became the Rose of Provins.<\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #d10a4c;\">Peonies<\/span><\/strong>, too, are a footloose breed. The tree peony is esteemed in China as Hua Wang, the King of Flowers, and although 8th-century Buddhist monks originally valued peonies <a href=\"http:\/\/virtualstampclub.com\/lloydblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/uk_23flowers_Lily.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-15555\" src=\"http:\/\/virtualstampclub.com\/lloydblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/uk_23flowers_Lily-150x150.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" srcset=\"http:\/\/virtualstampclub.com\/lloydblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/uk_23flowers_Lily-150x150.png 150w, http:\/\/virtualstampclub.com\/lloydblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/uk_23flowers_Lily-300x300.png 300w, http:\/\/virtualstampclub.com\/lloydblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/uk_23flowers_Lily.png 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>for their medicinal properties, this has been overshadowed by the sheer magnificence of their blossoms. Frequently held up as paragons of simplicity, <strong><span style=\"color: #d10a4c;\">lilies<\/span><\/strong> are more complex and culturally significant than most of us imagine. Cherished for millennia, the various species can be found in rocky Chinese gorges, flourishing in American meadows, or baking in Mediterranean heat. Yet throughout history, they have represented gods and purity, death and seduction, and have appeared in art for thousands of years.<\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"color: #d10a4c;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/virtualstampclub.com\/lloydblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/uk_23flowers_Dahlia.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-15556\" src=\"http:\/\/virtualstampclub.com\/lloydblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/uk_23flowers_Dahlia-150x150.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" srcset=\"http:\/\/virtualstampclub.com\/lloydblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/uk_23flowers_Dahlia-150x150.png 150w, http:\/\/virtualstampclub.com\/lloydblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/uk_23flowers_Dahlia-300x300.png 300w, http:\/\/virtualstampclub.com\/lloydblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/uk_23flowers_Dahlia.png 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>Dahlias<\/span><\/strong> arrived in Spain from Central America, and inspired Europeans with their flamboyance and in finite variety. Like 17th-century \u2018tulip mania\u2019, dahlia-fancying soon became an expensive hobby. By the 19th century, dahlia tubers could fetch as much as \u00a3100 \u2013 then several years\u2019 wages for many people.<\/p>\n<p>It seems that even the UK\u2019s best-loved traditional blooms are wanderers. <strong><span style=\"color: #d10a4c;\">Sweet peas<\/span><\/strong> hail from Sicily, while fuchsias, nasturtiums and sunflowers \u2013 often <a href=\"http:\/\/virtualstampclub.com\/lloydblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/uk_23flowers_Sweet-Pea.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-15560\" src=\"http:\/\/virtualstampclub.com\/lloydblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/uk_23flowers_Sweet-Pea-150x150.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" srcset=\"http:\/\/virtualstampclub.com\/lloydblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/uk_23flowers_Sweet-Pea-150x150.png 150w, http:\/\/virtualstampclub.com\/lloydblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/uk_23flowers_Sweet-Pea-300x300.png 300w, http:\/\/virtualstampclub.com\/lloydblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/uk_23flowers_Sweet-Pea.png 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>the first seeds we sow as children \u2013 are from the Americas.<\/p>\n<p>In many ways, however, geography and provenance are irrelevant to the glorious melting pot that is a garden. Flowers mark our celebrations, our joys and our sorrows and, above all, they unify us through a pleasure that we can all understand.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/virtualstampclub.com\/lloydblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/uk_23flowers_Tulip.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-15559\" src=\"http:\/\/virtualstampclub.com\/lloydblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/uk_23flowers_Tulip-150x150.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" srcset=\"http:\/\/virtualstampclub.com\/lloydblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/uk_23flowers_Tulip-150x150.png 150w, http:\/\/virtualstampclub.com\/lloydblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/uk_23flowers_Tulip-300x300.png 300w, http:\/\/virtualstampclub.com\/lloydblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/uk_23flowers_Tulip.png 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a>David Gold, Director of External Affairs &amp; Policy, Royal Mail, said: \u201cBritain is a nation of gardeners, and a love of flowers runs deep in our collective consciousness. His Majesty is known to be a passionate gardener and we are delighted that the first Special Stamps to feature his silhouette should be a celebration of some of the most popular flowers in British gardens\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>The stamps are available to pre-order now at <a href=\"http:\/\/virtualstampclub.com\/lloydblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/uk_23flowers_Iris.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-15557\" src=\"http:\/\/virtualstampclub.com\/lloydblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/uk_23flowers_Iris-150x150.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"150\" srcset=\"http:\/\/virtualstampclub.com\/lloydblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/uk_23flowers_Iris-150x150.png 150w, http:\/\/virtualstampclub.com\/lloydblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/uk_23flowers_Iris-300x300.png 300w, http:\/\/virtualstampclub.com\/lloydblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/uk_23flowers_Iris.png 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/a><a href=\"http:\/\/www.royalmail.com\/flowers\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">www.royalmail.com\/flowers<\/a> and by telephone on 03457 641 641. A Presentation Pack including all 10 stamps in the set is available on general sale from 23 March and priced at \u00a310.40.<\/p>\n<p><em>[VSC: Philatelic products include first day covers (two postmarks, the Tipton alternate shown below], unserviced cacheted envelope, picture postcards and s<a href=\"http:\/\/virtualstampclub.com\/lloydblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/uk_23flowers_Fuchsia.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-15554\" src=\"http:\/\/virtualstampclub.com\/lloydblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/uk_23flowers_Fuchsia-300x300.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"http:\/\/virtualstampclub.com\/lloydblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/uk_23flowers_Fuchsia-300x300.png 300w, http:\/\/virtualstampclub.com\/lloydblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/uk_23flowers_Fuchsia-150x150.png 150w, http:\/\/virtualstampclub.com\/lloydblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/uk_23flowers_Fuchsia.png 800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>heets and half-sheets with just five of the 10 designs.]<\/em><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #d10a4c;\"><strong>Technical Specifications:<\/strong><\/span><br \/>\nNumber of stamps: Ten<br \/>\nValue of stamps: First Class<br \/>\nDesign: Charlie Smith Design<br \/>\nStamp format: Square<br \/>\nStamp size: 35mm x 35mm<br \/>\nNumber per sheet: 25\/50<br \/>\nPrinter: Cartor Security Printers<br \/>\nPrint process: Lithography<br \/>\nPerforations: 14.5 x 14.5<br \/>\nPhosphor Bars: as appropriate<br \/>\nGum: PVA<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/virtualstampclub.com\/lloydblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/uk_23flowers_tiptonFDC.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-15573\" src=\"http:\/\/virtualstampclub.com\/lloydblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/uk_23flowers_tiptonFDC.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"584\" srcset=\"http:\/\/virtualstampclub.com\/lloydblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/uk_23flowers_tiptonFDC.png 1024w, http:\/\/virtualstampclub.com\/lloydblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/uk_23flowers_tiptonFDC-300x171.png 300w, http:\/\/virtualstampclub.com\/lloydblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/uk_23flowers_tiptonFDC-150x86.png 150w, http:\/\/virtualstampclub.com\/lloydblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/uk_23flowers_tiptonFDC-500x285.png 500w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[from press release] [click on any of the pictures for larger versions] Royal Mail Reveals Flowers Special Stamps The new silhouette marks a significant milestone in British philatelic history The 10-stamp set showcases some of the most popular types of &hellip; <a href=\"http:\/\/virtualstampclub.com\/lloydblog\/?p=15569\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[94],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15569","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uk-2023"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/virtualstampclub.com\/lloydblog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15569","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/virtualstampclub.com\/lloydblog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/virtualstampclub.com\/lloydblog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/virtualstampclub.com\/lloydblog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/virtualstampclub.com\/lloydblog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=15569"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"http:\/\/virtualstampclub.com\/lloydblog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15569\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15575,"href":"http:\/\/virtualstampclub.com\/lloydblog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15569\/revisions\/15575"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/virtualstampclub.com\/lloydblog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=15569"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/virtualstampclub.com\/lloydblog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=15569"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/virtualstampclub.com\/lloydblog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=15569"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}