Floral Diversity: Transplant Flowers to Cure Homesickness

Florida was discovered by an explorer named Ponce de Leon. He named the state “Florida” which is the Spanish word for “flowers”, because, upon his arrival in this new land, he saw nothing but gorgeous flowers everywhere. I imagine one of the flowers must have been the hibiscus, a flower that grew in the front yard of my childhood home. In fact, as a kid, it seemed like this flower was everywhere!  We had hibiscus that grew in the front yard of my childhood home. Many hardy hibiscus are native to Florida; but for obvious reasons, the orange blossom was chosen as the state flower. But that's OK because ... the hibiscus is the state flower of Hawaii. There are seven species of hibiscus native to this state. Also known as pua aloalo in Hawaiian, this flower represents royalty and communicated power and respect.

Image credit: glitter-graphics.com

When I moved from Florida to Texas, shortly after my arrival, I was in a store shopping for items for my new home. I overheard a lady talking to another lady. She said she had just returned to her home in Texas. She had been vacationing in Florida and she was so excited because she had found this wonderful flower! She said she just had to bring this gorgeous flower back home to Texas and plant it her garden.  Being from Florida, my curiosity was peaked. I wondered what Florida flower had impressed her so much. Turns out that it was the hibiscus.  Not surprised.

Links of Interest:

• Hibiscus Transplant Info - When And How To Transplant A Hibiscus
• Hibiscus Dying or Struggling? 7 Ways to Revive Your Plant
• Hibiscus Wilting After Transplant: What to Do - GFL Outdoors

The medicinal benefits of hibiscus tea are numerous; it can reduce the risk of cancer, help with weight loss and more.  However ... 

• CAUTION!  According to Medical News Today, hibiscus can interact with certain medications. For example, people who take chloroquine, a medication used to treat malaria, should not consume hibiscus because it may decrease how well the medicine works in the body.

I’ll never take the hibiscus flower from my childhood for granted ever again. In fact, if you ever relocate and feel a little homesick, try transplanting a flower that reminds you of the home you left behind.

If you have relocated to a new home, what are flowers that remind you of your childhood home?

♦

Original source

A Memorial Garden – In Memory Of

How do you work through grief and keep a memory of someone you love ever present? By planting a memorial garden:  “In Memory Of”.

Image credits: Sheila Fitzgerald via Flickr
 
Have seen many a beautiful memorial garden, but never thought to plant one of my own. What a perfect way to work through one’s grief when you lose a loved one. Read an article written by a friend who says that when her mother died, one of the first things she did was plant a garden with transplants from her mother’s garden. 

How beautiful!! Just the thought of it is beautiful, but the manifestation of your love for the dearly departed in the form of a lovely garden created from their garden must bring indescribable comfort and help to heal the broken heart of a grieving person. 

My late mother loved to garden. She was especially particular about tending the rose bush in the center of our front yard. Alas! The home of my youth is no longer there. It was torn down and turned into a parking lot. Wish I had thought of it, at the time.

(NOTE: Sylvia Mayfield aka boutiqueshops – article is now unpublished) 

MEMORY GARDEN IDEAS

Spoontiques 21201 Garden Stake, Multicolor https://t.co/0hWRKRW9jC via @amazon #home #garden #memories #MothersDay #mothersdaygiftideas #homedecor #gardendecor pic.twitter.com/MbqQ3WZugK

— My Shopping Channel (@goshoppingbees) April 22, 2024

High School Memories and Porcupine Quills

Years ago when I attended Catholic high school they sponsored what's called a “Retreat”. It's an event where you just … get away! It lasted for about a week. You don't have to go to class, you have no access to telephones or television or radio. Back then we didn't have cell phones or the Internet or video games. The Retreat was for spiritual growth and spending quiet moments in meditation and praying to God. We had group sessions where we candidly discussed our thoughts and read scriptures.

And since it was a bunch of silly immature high schools girls stuck in one place with not much to do you could visit each other's rooms, have pajama parties and pillow fights, style each other's hair, paint each other's nails, and stay up most of the night laughing and talking about insignificant things. We could do that until the nuns came and told is we had to turn off the lights and go to sleep. LOL.

The place where the retreat was held was absolutely mind-blowing. I wish I had taken a photograph. But cameras were also not allowed. One thing I remember was a particular flower that grew in the garden. I had never seen it before and nobody seemed to know the name. When asked to describe it, I said “It's looks like pretty pink porcupine quills with white and gold tips.”

Well! Thanks to the Internet, I found a photo of that lovely flower and it brought back some nice memories. The flower is called Crimson Bottlebrush. OK. Yeah. It sort of looks like a bottlebrush. LOL.

Image credit: KeiraSoleore on Twitter

Hope your day is as lovely as this flower.

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How to Grow Bottlebrush | Gardener’s Path 

Original source

Reading List : "Jody's Garden" by Leah Oviedo

Some can not cope with grief because they don't know how to cope with loss and sorrow.  Look at it this way.

“Grief is a changing of seasons in our own garden.”

"Jody's Garden" by Leah Oviedo is about using nature to heal grief.

  

Related Articles:

• No Coffins – Organic Burial Pods = Recycling's Finest Hou
• Book Review: Annie and the Old One (Teaching children to cope with the loss of a loved one.)

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