My theme this year is wild flowers. Most of us will be aware of the flowers that grow in our gardens but what surprises me is how few wild flowers that I know.
I pass them every day but rarely look at them. Well this year will be different - even if many of them may fall under the letter 'X' for unknown.
'D'- Daisy, Dandelion, Dog Rose
Who remembers days when you got frustrated because you were unable to make -
Perhaps Emily Dickinson was right when she wrote
The Daisy follows soft the Sun --
The daisy is a flower that occurs in grassland everywhere.
No, not -
I pass them every day but rarely look at them. Well this year will be different - even if many of them may fall under the letter 'X' for unknown.
'D'- Daisy, Dandelion, Dog Rose
Who remembers days when you got frustrated because you were unable to make -
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| A daisy chain |
The Daisy follows soft the Sun --
And when his golden walk is done --
Sits shyly at his feet
The daisy is a flower that occurs in grassland everywhere.
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| Daisies at the roadside |
There would be plenty with long stalks to make a chain here even if the setting is not as exotic as that where this mother and child were seated.
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| The daisy chain (oil on canvas; Maude Goodman, 1844-1936) |
Childhood memories will include, for many, telling the time by -
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| A dandelion clock |
Dear common flower, that grow'st beside the way,
Fringing the dusty road with harmless gold,
No, not -
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| The daisy |
But -
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| The dandelion |
Famous as an ingredient in wine (made from the flower heads) the dandelion was once used medicinally for constipation and eczema, The tangy leaves may also be used in salads. However I remember picking the leaves to feed a rabbit.
Dandelions and daisies are not always welcomed on pristine lawns, however you should remember that if you can stand on seven daisies at once, 'summer is come'.
A summer sight that is always good to see in June and July is a rose that grows in hedgerows and woods.
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| Dog rose |
As you can see the flowers may be white or pink. In the autumn there is no risk of missing their fruit.
If you wonder why it's called a dog rose this may be because it was once said to have been used by the Romans to treat rabies, or that its thorns look like canine teeth. I can vouch for the fact that they are sharp!
Attributions:
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| Hips |
Hips may be used to make wine and liqueurs and are the main ingredient in rose-hip syrup, a rich source of vitamin C.
If you wonder why it's called a dog rose this may be because it was once said to have been used by the Romans to treat rabies, or that its thorns look like canine teeth. I can vouch for the fact that they are sharp!
Attributions:
- Poem - Emily Dickinson, The Daisy follows soft the sun
- Poem - James Russell Lowell (1819-1891), To the Dandelion
- A daisy chain - Escrip en wikipedia - public domain
- The daisy chain (Maude Goodman) - public domain
- The Dandelion Clock - Marco27 - CC BY-SA 2.0 generic
