Tag: flowers

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Pretty in Pink

ellenparkerwrites

Also in white, orange, and any flower color except blue.

When I found this bed of lilies one June at the Missouri Botanical Garden, I couldn’t resist. I wonder how many other visitors snapped their photo that day. Or in the years since?

When I was a child, we called the orange ones “tiger lily”. It was pretty much the only color we saw. According to my recent search, they are Asiatic lilies. Of course, that’s rather misleading. Since the plant is native to North America and Europe as well as large portions of Asia.

Regardless of name and place of origin — they are a credit to any garden.

In the mid-19th century, many American gardens included a few flowers among the vegetables. They added a splash of color. Sometimes they also furnished medicine or a little pest control. In the sweet historical romance, New Dreams, one of Louisa’s first tasks at the bakery was to tend the garden. Fenced to keep out the animals which tended to wander, the garden contained raised beds of vegetables, herbs, and (I like to think) a few flowers. Check out this summer read at the link: https://amzn.to/3vWydWE

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Day of Love & Roses

ellenparkerwrites

Valentine’s Day, February 14, is traditionally a day to show affection toward another person. Remember your spouse. Be kind and generous to the person you want to be your spouse. Surprise a friend or neighbor. Encourage children to party and exchange funny, cards filled with hearts.

Do you want to give a special person a special flower. Take care of the color if you give a rose. Roses, as well as other flowers, carry a greeting in a language of their own. Is friendship your goal? Give a yellow rose. Perhaps you want to express happiness — pink’s the right color for you. Do you want to display innocence? Pick a white rose. And the most popular on this day — red, for romantic love.

Something for everyone in this bouquet of artificial roses.

Do roses make her sneeze? Then try gifting her a book. A sweet, small-town romance would be perfect for the day. Starr Tree Farm is set on a Wisconsin Christmas tree farm during the month of January. So grab a hot drink and snuggle into a cozy chair for romance with a touch of suspense. Follow the link for more information: https://amzn.to/2zqIQEw

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Spring Buffet

ellenparkerwrites

Calling all neighborhood bees and butterflies!

Did you sample our early offering of creeping phlox? We have more sweet nectar plants at the same convenient location. Open around the clock. Most popular dining times are early morning and sunny afternoons.

Don’t be shy. Humans with cameras have been known to frequent the area.

This simple raised bed garden, planted during the first Covid summer, continues to please.

For a May patio read, I’d like to suggest Hiding Places. This sweet, small-town romance features an apple orchard and a marriage of convenience–or is it fate?

Kindle link: https://amzn.to/2Jm26GQ

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Think Spring

ellenparkerwrites

For the date of November 22, we focus on the letter “V”. The blessing is violets.

Violet

Delicate. Beautiful. A sign of spring and warmer days to come. We can either look back to the violets that bloomed in spring past — or look forward to the fragile petals to come.

Either way — keep them in mind — I have a fine china tea cup decorated with violets in a place of honor. (It may need to yield to Christmas decorations). Do you have display items or clothing with violets?

HIDING PLACES, a sweet romance, is set in Wisconsin during the month of June. Violets are past, but recent enough to have a secure place in a person’s mind. For a peek at apple orchard activities, check it out. Kindle: https://amzn.to/2Jm26GQ

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Welcome May

ellenparkerwrites

Did you celebrate May Day?

When I was a child, the tradition was to make a paper cone basket, add some early flowers, take the gift to a neighbor, and run away before they answered the door.

Or did you have a party? Special food? Dancing? Is a May Pole part of your tradition?

The month of May includes lots of good things. Warmer weather to plant gardens. Grass, nurtured by spring rain, races toward the sun. Mother’s Day is celebrated in the United States. My high school and college graduations had May dates — as did those for my children. Memorial Day — to remember those fallen in war — ends the month. (And begins the summer weekend traditions.)

The delicate blossoms of lily-of-the-valley greet people from shady spots in flower beds. This official flower of the month is one of my favorites. Breath deep — can you imagine the scent?

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Forget the Date…

ellenparkerwrites

The calendar claimed spring arrived on March 20.

I’m not sure about where you live, but this year, signs of spring were sparse on that date in my neighborhood. For one thing — my azalea showed only a hint of bud on that date. No fool — my plants waited for warmer days to open blossoms.

A better sign of spring that a date on a calendar?

The photo is from several years ago — but when the forsythia blooms on the berm — spring is in the air!

The cheerful, yellow flowers of early spring lift a person’s spirts and give promise of life after the gloom and gray of winter.

Do you have favorite early spring flower?

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Cheerful Color

ellenparkerwrites

Yellow, in light and medium shades, was a common color for kitchen walls when I was a child. Cheerful and bright were the comments from the adults in my life.

Years later, while discussing colors prior to painting my office, a friend described yellow as a creative color. Evidently people have done studies on colors. Yes, red stimulates appetite. (You’ll find lots of red accents in restaurants.) Yellow, even in small amounts – in a piece of art, a pillow, or curtains – stimulates creativity.

A person can also think of yellow as a spring color — full of hope and promise. Winter is gone. Early spring flowers open yellow petals to warming air.

Snowbanks are melting as I write this blog and enjoy this photo from four years ago. Yes, it’s possible to have color in St. Louis before February ends. Rejoice! Smile! The days are filled with more light and signs of a new season.

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Caution Zone

ellenparkerwrites

One of the popular memes on social media which I enjoy is simple:

When you can be anything — be kind.

Good advice for multiple situations.

Does a neighbor give a grumpy response to your greeting? Be kind — smile anyway.

Does another driver on the road block your lane change? Be kind — draw a deep breath and keep your hands in a polite position.

Does a child ask 100 questions in a row? Be kind — you were young once.

Kindness is good when dealing with plants also. Remember they are living. You’ve not need to break leaves or stems in fun or anger. (Well, if it prevents doing bodily harm to a human it would be an good alternate.)

However, do not consider all plants defenseless.

Mix caution with kindness when dealing with Crown of Thorns. The delicate, tiny blossoms cling to a strong defense system.