With less than a month before the official start of spring, Canada Post has issued a pair of flower stamps, these featuring the gardenia, to meet the demands of the upcoming wedding season. The two stamp designs feature the cape jasmine gardenia (Gardenia jasminoides), one of nearly 150 species of flowering plants belonging to the gardenia genus. Originating in Asia, the cape jasmine was most commonly found growing wild in Vietnam, Southern China, Korea, Taiwan, Japan, Myanmar, India and Bangladesh before being introduced to English gardens in the mid-18th century. “This issue is a harbinger of spring and a very, very strong seller for consumer mail and weddings,” said Canada Post Director of Stamp Services Jim Phillips, who added this stamp has “a very big print run that’s always among the biggest next to our definitives and Christmas stamps.” Continue reading →