Spring Fling; if you had to choose...

[sshenry]

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Spring is here - and I must admit that it is a welcome relief to live in a part of the country where spring actually comes when it is supposed to. In fact, it sort of roared its way in yesterday; curtains of rain billowing in gusts of softly scented wind...and my baby apple tree shook itself off, took a deep breath, and burst into bloom. Quite amazing actually, to leave for work and see it standing there looking rather forlorn in the pre-dawn light, all gray and bare - and come home to find it covered in green nubbins with the beginnings of its pinkish-white blossoms just beginning to show.

Of course my crocuses defied all logic and came up back in February; silly things. I told them that they were being silly, but they just nodded pleasantly at me and refused to be deterred. They may look delicate, but I have a suspicion that they are much sturdier than they look.

Tulips now - tulips don't last long, but oh the vibrancy of their colors while they last! I love looking at Tulips, but they always make me just a little bit sad, because they are gone so soon.

And Dandelions. They are considered weeds, but their tenacity is to be commended, and once you get beyond their persistent and spreading root system, they are quite lovely in their own right - bright and cheerful - becoming gossamer delicate things in attempt to spread themselves as wide as possible.

But if I had to choose a flower to be, I'd have to pick my rambling rose. Every Winter I cut it down to knee height - and every spring it picks itself up, dusts itself off, and proceeds to grow wildly up the side of my house, dripping rose petals on anyone who walks beneath it and bursting into bloom randomly (and almost continually) from mid-April until November. It doesn't matter how many roses I cut - new buds are always ready to take their place. It doesn't matter how many times I trim it down, it always grows back again, sweeter and fuller than it was before.

So you can keep your crocuses, and your lilies, your tulips and your geraniums - even your Dandelions. I'll be the rosebush, and not let any setback or season keep me down.

~~~~~~~~~~

Anway, enough about me - what about you? If you had to choose an identity as a flower, which would you be....and why?

[yusuff]

as flower i want to be like....umm i dont know....but i like to be an orange...nice smell nice taste,yummy

[Zen]

I love daffodils! And the ones with the orange or white petals. They appear everywhere this time of year!

I love spring!

[sshenry]

I love daffodils! And the ones with the orange or white petals. They appear everywhere this time of year!

I love spring!

Interesting, because I've always associated daffodils with purpose and confidence..."here I am, I know what I am and where I'm going and what I plan to do when I get there." So Zen, where are you going?

[sshenry]

as flower i want to be like....umm i dont know....but i like to be an orange...nice smell nice taste,yummy

Orange blossoms are so sweet - when I was very small we went on vacation in Florida, and the hotel we stayed at was right near an Orange grove - for some weird reason I've ever since associated the smell of oranges with Holiday Inn

[Dove]

Thanks for the wonderful post, sshenry!! Lately, I've been fascinated with California poppies. Love the bright orange color. I'm planning on doing a painting with them in it.
HAPPY SPRING!!!
Dove

[sshenry]

Poppies! Poppies...freedom...hunger! Yes, they make me hungry. Also, for some strange reason, the thought of poppies makes me want to go watch the Wizard of Oz for some reason

[Zen]

Interesting, because I've always associated daffodils with purpose and confidence..."here I am, I know what I am and where I'm going and what I plan to do when I get there." So Zen, where are you going?

Don't know where i'm going??? That's half the fun I guess!

*picks all the daffs in sight*

[FreeSpeak]

Anybody need chickweed? about 1/3 acre.. come get it.. Supposed to be good for skin and digestion...


Properties
Chickweeds are Medicinal and edible, they are very nutritious, high in vitamins and minerals, can be added to salads or cooked as a pot herb, tasting somewhat like spinach. The major plant constituents in Chickweed are Ascorbic-acid, Beta-carotene, Calcium, Coumarins, Genistein, Gamma-linolenic-acid, Flavonoids, Hentriacontanol, Magnesium, Niacin, Oleic-acid, Potassium, Riboflavin, Rutin, Selenium, Triterpenoid saponins, Thiamin, and Zinc. The whole plant is used in alternative medicine as an astringent, carminative, demulcent, diuretic, expectorant, laxative, refrigerant, vulnerary. A decoction of the whole plant is taken internally as a post-partum depurative, emmenagogue, galactogogue and circulatory tonic. It is also used to relieve constipation, an infusion of the dried herb is used in coughs and hoarseness, and is beneficial in the treatment of kidney complaints. as an astringent, carminative, demulcent, diuretic, expectorant, laxative, refrigerant, vulnerary. A decoction of the whole plant is taken internally as a post-partum depurative, emmenagogue, galactogogue and circulatory tonic. It is also used to relieve constipation, an infusion of the dried herb is used in coughs and hoarseness, and is beneficial in the treatment of kidney complaints. New research indicates it's use as an effective antihistamine. The decoction is also used externally to treat rheumatic pains, wounds and ulcers. It can be applied as a medicinal poultice and will relieve any kind of roseola and is effective wherever there are fragile superficial veins or itching skin conditions.

Folklore
Chickweed water is an old wives' remedy for obesity.

Recipes
Medicinal tea: To 1 tbls. dried herb, 2 if fresh, add 1 cup boiling water steep for 10 min. Take in ½ cup doses 2 to 4 times daily, during a cold or flu.

♥

[Zen O]

Lets see, if I had to be a reproductive organ, I would be a ... hmmm...I have a thing for orchids, But which one... Hmmm

When a girlfriend told me I wasn't romantic enough for her, I asked if I should "be so filled with lust for her, that I ripped the reproductive organs off of a plant in a spontanious fit of passion." Actually, I would prefer to give her the whole plant, still living.

Sorry, Off topic I know...

[lillies1978]

i'm in love with lilies, anytime anywhere ...however crocuses touch a certain part of my heart a well

love to all
Sue

[Ian]

Trilliums get my vote. :-)

[Annette]

The desert is in bloom now. I love everything about it. I go and sit out just to smell the dusty, woody, sagey smells of the desert. The Jimson weed, mariposa lily, ghost flower, chicory, brittlebush, sagebrush, prickly poppy. lupine, are all lighting up the desert. I have to say though that lilac and honeysuckle are my favorite flowers. I smell those and it reminds me of my beautiful grandmother. She lived on Long Island and had huge lilac and honeysuckel bushes. She always smelled like lilacs. Those smells bring back wonderful childhood memories for me.

[roseyaire]

I think I'd be a daisy. Probably the white ones, but maybe the purple one, too, who knows?

[TheRavenMother]

I'd be kalanchole or sunflowers

[FreeSpeak]

I sent this to Delicate Flower but I figure she would wajnt to share........





It's caled a Parrot Flower - an endangered and protected species in Tailand.

Enjoy.


♥

[FreeSpeak]

The desert is in bloom now. I love everything about it. I go and sit out just to smell the dusty, woody, sagey smells of the desert. The Jimson weed, mariposa lily, ghost flower, chicory, brittlebush, sagebrush, prickly poppy. lupine, are all lighting up the desert. I have to say though that lilac and honeysuckle are my favorite flowers. I smell those and it reminds me of my beautiful grandmother. She lived on Long Island and had huge lilac and honeysuckel bushes. She always smelled like lilacs. Those smells bring back wonderful childhood memories for me.

JIMSON WEED is another name for Dactura (sp) or Belladonna, an ancient shamanistic herb. I understand it will kill ya if you smoke enough of it. I didn't know that in 1978 when I smoked enough of it to kill me.

Save me some.. I wanna mix it with some salvia.

♥

[MiamiSound]

Id be a field of Opium Poppies

[BMoody]

DOGWOOD ! Definitely, DOGWOOD! And, CHERRY BLOSSOMS, too. And, I can't forget the first herald of spring; LILAC. I miss them all out here where I live, now. But, when I think about them I can smell them again. Ummmmmmmmmmmmmm. Lovely.


Barb

[roseyaire]

Selected Flower Meanings

Here are some selected flowers and their meanings, a short dictionary.

Almond flowers -- Hope
Anemone -- Forsaken
Aster -- Symbol of love
Balm -- Sympathy
Basil -- Best wishes
Bay leaf -- "I change but in death"
Bell flower, white -- Gratitude
Bergamot -- Irresistible
Bluebell -- Constancy
Borage -- Courage
Broom -- Humility
Campanula -- Gratitude
Carnation, pink -- I'll never forget you
Carnation, red -- My poor heart aches for you
Carnation, striped -- Refusal
China rose -- Beauty always new
Chrysanthemum -- Love
Clover, four leaved -- "Be mine"
Coreopsis -- Love at first sight
Cuckoo pint -- Ardor
Daffodil -- Regard
Daisy -- Innocence, new-born, "I share your sentiment"
Fennel -- Flattery
Fern -- Sincerity
Forget-Me-Not -- True love
Furze or Gorse -- Enduring affection
French Marigold -- Jealousy
Gardenia -- Ecstasy
Gentian -- Loveliness
Geranium -- "You are childish"
Hare bell -- Grief
Heartsease -- "I am always thinking of you"
Honeysuckle -- Bonds of love
Heather -- Admiration
Hyacinth -- I am sorry, Please forgive me
Ice Plant -- "Your appearance freezes me"
Ivy -- Fidelity, friendship, marriage
Jasmine -- Grace
Jonquil -- "I hope for return of affection"
Lavender -- Luck, devotion
Lemon Balm -- Sympathy
Lilac -- First love
Lily -- Purity, modesty
Lily of the Valley -- Purity, the return of happiness
Lily, Calla -- Beauty
Marigold -- Health, grief or despair
Marjoram -- Kindness, courtesy
Myrtle -- Fidelity
Oregano -- Joy
Orchid -- Love, beauty, refinement
Pansy -- Loving thoughts
Periwinkle -- Happy memory
Phlox -- Agreement
Poppy, red -- Consolation
Primrose -- I can't live without you
Rose, cabbage -- Ambassador of love
Rose, red -- Love
Rose, pink -- Grace, beauty
Rose, yellow -- Friendship
Rosemary -- Remembrance, constancy
Rue -- Contrition
Sage -- Gratitude, domestic virtue
Snowdrop -- Hope
Star of Bethlehem -- Purity
Sweet Pea -- Departure, tender memory
Sweet William -- Gallantry
Tuberose -- Voluptuousness
Tulip, red -- My perfect lover, Reclamation of love
Violet -- Loyalty, modesty, humility
Violet, blue -- Faithfulness
Wormwood -- Grief
Wheat -- Riches of the continuation of life
Willow, weeping -- Mourning
Wallflower -- Fidelity
Yew -- Sorrow


The Rose

The Rose is the flower whose meaning we most understand, but here are some details of the meaning of the Rose that may be of further interest.

Rose, Black – You are my obsession
Rose, Champagne – You are tender and loving
Rose, Leonidas – Sweet love
Rose, Nicole – You are graceful and elegant, aristocratic
Rose, Orange – You are my secret love
Rose, Pink – Brilliant complexion; the glow of your smile; perfect happiness
Rose, Red – Passionate love; I love you
Rose, Single Stems – Simplicity
Rose, White – I am worthy of you; spiritual love; Innocence and Purity; Secrecy and Silence
Rose, White and Red – We are inseparable
Rose, White and Red Mixed – Unity; Flower emblem of England
Rose, White, Dried – Death is preferable to loss of virtue
Rose, Yellow – Friendship; Jealousy; I am not worthy
Rose, Bridal – Happy Love
Rose, Dark Crimson – Mourning
Rose, Hibiscus – Delicate beauty
Rose, Tea – I’ll remember always
Rose, Thornless – Love at first sight
Roses, Bouquet of Mature Blooms – Gratitude


Multiple Roses

Single bloom red Rose – Love at first sight or I still love you
Single Rose, any color – Gratitude or simplicity
2 Roses – Mutual feelings
3 Roses – I love you
7 Roses – I’m infatuated with you
9 Roses – We’ll be together forever
10 Roses – You are perfect
11 Roses – You are my treasured one
12 Roses – Be mine
13 Roses – Friends forever
15 Roses – I’m truly sorry
20 Roses – I’m truly sincere towards you
21 Roses – I’m dedicated to you
24 Roses – Forever yours
25 Roses – Congratulations
50 Roses – Unconditional love
99 Roses – I will love you all the days of my life
108 Roses – Will you marry me?
999 Roses – I love you till the end of time

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