BROWALLIA JAMISONII “Could You Bear Want?” This shrub is now officially Steptosolen jamisonii. BRYONY “Prosperity” BRYONY, BLACK “Be My Support” This is a climbing plant without tendrils, so it cannot climb without some kind of support. And why did Nature provide us with a climbing plant that can’t climb? BUCKBEAN “Calm repose”* Continue reading “Ranunculus to You, Browallia to Carnation”
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Ranunculus to You, Bilberry to Broom
BILBERRY “Treachery” This is also the whortleberry, and was originally a chap named Myrtillus. Pelops was racing his chariot against that of Myrtillus’s master, and bribed Myrtillus to sabotage the man’s chariot. Pelops, on winning the race, killed Myrtillus for betraying his master. Pelops was a man of principle, see. Myrtillus, as a sonContinue reading “Ranunculus to You, Bilberry to Broom”
Ranunculus to You, Baby’s Breath to Betony
B *BABY’S BREATH “Reserved” BACHELOR’S BUTTON “Celibacy” Celibacy, strictly speaking, means the state of being unmarried, if you were giggling. All bachelors are by definition celibate, no matter how many of them go along with the popular alternate meaning for this flower, “I With the Morning’s Love Have Oft Made Sport”. I don’tContinue reading “Ranunculus to You, Baby’s Breath to Betony”
Ranunculus to You, Angelica to Azalea
ANGELICA “Inspiration” This struck me as an easy one: angels carried inspiration to humans, right? Claire Powell, a floriographer who has no truck with easy answers, says it derives from the custom of poets in Lapland to sniff it before reciting their latest work. Really great Laplander poets were awarded a crown of angelica. Continue reading “Ranunculus to You, Angelica to Azalea”
Ranunculus to You, Almond to Angel’s Trumpet
ALMOND “Indiscretion, Heedlessness”* ALMOND, FLOWERING “Hope” The problem, see, is that the almond blossoms way too early in spring. If there’s a late frost, the blossoms are killed, and there will be no almonds. Optimists, therefore, see the almond as a symbol of constant hope, while the pessimists make it represent indiscretion, stupidity, andContinue reading “Ranunculus to You, Almond to Angel’s Trumpet”
Ranunculus To You: A to Allspice
A ABATINA “Fickleness” Despite its appearance in eight of the flower language books consulted, abatina is still a mystery to me. The best io can tell you is that once upon a time, the conifers, or trees with cones, were referred to as “abietinae”. But see the next entry. ABECEDARY “Volubility” AlmostContinue reading “Ranunculus To You: A to Allspice”
Ranunculus To You, Pt. 1
This is information for which there is NO PRACTICAL USE. None/ None whatsoever. Stop looking for it. From the outset, flower language experts—floriographers—had no illusions. Elizabeth W. Wirt, author of the second flower language book published in the United States, wrote, “The lady who has given her leisure hours to this little playContinue reading “Ranunculus To You, Pt. 1”
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