This week I am confused! I have looked up to find the flower for everyone that has a birthday in September and have come up with three different ones.
Forget-me-not, morning glory and asters are all listed as your flower for this month and the only thing I can see that they have in common is their basic colour … blue!
While this is the basic colour, all three do come in a wide palate from white to pink through blue to purple.
Blue flowers in general symbolise trust and support and a bouquet of blue flowers provide a calming presence in a room.
Other related meanings are intimacy and openness.
I once had a trellis covered in morning glory that really caused some problems and was extremely hard to eradicate. It is a very invasive climber and in some areas is an environmental disaster and classed as a noxious weed, so be careful where you grow it. They are native to South America but are now grown all over the world.
The particular meaning associated with the morning glory seems to be love in vain, unrequited love and death of love.
Morning glory seeds have many uses in Chinese medicine and among native Americans for treating disorders of the lungs, kidneys and large intestines. The flowers, leaves, stems and seeds are all used but should all be treated with great care and caution. It is best to leave it to the professionals.
Most forget-me-nots like cool moist positions and so are ideal around ponds and water gardens. Once they are established they will self-seed and reappear in coming years in unexpected places where the seeds have drifted. They will flower in spring and early summer and always add a distinct “cottage” feeling to the garden. One of the origins attributed to the name is the legend of the German knight who was gathering the flowers, fell into the river in full armour, cried “forget me not!” as he threw the flowers to his sweetheart on to the bank and drowned!
Myosotis is the genus of these lovely flowers and this unusual Greek name means “mouse’s ears” and desribes the shape of the leaves.
In Newfoundland, Canada, forget-me-nots are worn on 1 July in memory of those lost in World War 1 in much the same way we wear red poppies on 11 November.
The meaning for forget-me-nots is fairly self-explanatory and does symbolise everlasting love, just the opposite of the morning glory. Lastly, asters symbolise love, devotion, patience and daintiness.
So all three of this month’s flowers have something to do with love.
The name aster is derived from the Greek word for star and relates to the lovely shape of the flower.
As well as being one of the September birth flowers, asters are also the flower to give on your 20th wedding anniversary. In ancient times it was believed that burning the leaves could drive away evil spirits and snakes. Butterflies love asters so they are worthy of inclusion in your garden for this reason.
I hope you have all been able to see something of the Carnival of Flowers during this week or maybe you are planning on going up for a look over the weekend.
Don’t forget our own Garden Competition next month. Entry forms are available from Bryson’s place at the new address, 66 Palmerin Street. With 19 classes there is a category for most gardens.
Entries close on Friday 6 October with judging commencing the following Monday.
The Spring Flower show will be held in St Mary’s Hall in Wood Street on Wednesday 18 and Thursday 19 October. While the season has not been kind this year we still encourage the great gardeners of the Southern Downs Region to support us with entries.
Businesses have not been forgotten with the Floral Window Display Competition. Some shops are happy for their windows to be decorated if not doing so themselves. Ask around, find a window, think of a theme if you like and promote your club, school or organisation to the public over Rodeo weekend.
****(SIDEBAR)****
With the dry weather continuing – be water-wise!
With water restrictions in place we all need to b e very careful how we use water in our gardens.
Here as just a few tips to help keep things going:
– Mulching is most important as it will help retain moisture for the plants to use.
– Recycle. A grey water system is helpful and fairly easy to implement even if it only is a hose connected to your washing machine overflow and put onto the lawn or a flower bed.
– A rain water tank for garden use is a great idea and is on my wish list.
– Check all your hose fittings and taps and washers and replace any that may be leaking. Even a small leak can waste as much as 2,000 litres a month.
– Timing is essential. Watering early morning and late evening minimises the amount of water lost to evaporation.
– Choose your plants with water needs in mind. Natives generally require less water than exotics.
– Only water your lawn as it needs it. While a nice green lawn is certainly a pleasing back drop to a colourful garden, it generally requires quite a lot of water to keep it that way. A deep watering is preferable to frequent light waterings as it encourages deeper roots and produces a more heat-resistant lawn.
– Lastly, put your mower blades up a notch, don’t cut too short. I have found using a mulching mower is a good idea and saves having to dispose of lawn clippings. The fine clippings it produces protects the lawn and conserves moisture, just as mulching your garden does.
