What Is Yours?

  When I was younger, I never gave flowers much thought.  To me, they were something there that my mother grew.  I preferred vegetables you could grow but as the older members of the family have passed on, I've discovered a reason to like them.

I've begun planting flowers because they help me remember people.  For instance, one grandmother loved snap dragons so I started planting them.  When I see them, I think of her.  I discovered they got their name from the idea that these flowers look like the head of a dragon.  I try to plant the dark ones because they seem more striking.

I have pansies, the dark purple ones, because another grandmother loved them.  Did you know the name pansy is thought to have come from the french word pensee?  Pansies mean remembrance.  I don't mind the ones that have a deep red center with yellow outer edge.

Along the way, I found out that some flowers are edible such as nasturtiums, carnations, and certain types of roses.  The roses produce a fruit we know as rose hips.  Rose hips can be made into jam, juice, or tea and its full of vitamin C. In addition, you can make beads out of roses.  This dates from a very long time ago.

I was lucky enough to wander through a garden with old fashioned sweet peas.  The aroma is indescribable and I had to go out and find the seeds for them.  I wanted something that would tease me in the spring.

When I grew up in Hawaii, I loved smelling Plumerias but the sap is poisonous and my sister developed an allergy to it.  One day, I want to set up a greenhouse for tropical plants including these.

I also love hibiscus too.  I think I want some of these because of the sentimental feelings from when I was a child.  We had them along the front of the yard facing the street.  When I visited Longs Gardens in Philadelphia, I saw some breathtaking Hibiscus in colors I'd never seen before.  So of course I want the blue one for my collection but they are hard to come by.

So what is your favorite flower?  Which ones would you plant if you could?  I'd love to hear from you.