August's Gladiolus Flower and Meanings of Flowers

hoi

(Dutch, for a very informal 'hello')

Time to Sing

original ooak Collage Art Doll by inkspired

www.inkspired.etsy.com

Today I will cautiously try to publish a new blog.

I'm feeling a little 'gun-shy'.

I haven't heard from anyone yet on whether they have experienced

the same problems with blogspot,

or if I am just a favored blogspot "let's-pick-on-someone" person.

That feels too much like Junior High and High School

where you know everyone is staring at you!

Ah, what a horrible time period.

I do not understand people that say high school was the best time of their life.

What?

They seriously need to move on and create a new life for now!

Do I ever wish I could go back and do things over?

Not really.

I like the maturity and wisdom and mellowness that age offers.

If I hadn't gone through all that angst & experiences both good and bad

I would not be the person I am today.

I kinda' like the person I have evolved into.

Not the body,

wouldn't mind a new one of those!

:0)

duck billed platypus rubber stamp

http://www.vivalasvegastamps.com/

Let's have a little fun with gladiolus' today!

I will not write a book.

I will not write a book.

I will not write a book.

Perhaps we will just have a little fun with gladioulus'!

Leonid Afremov painting

Gladiolus is one of the flowers for the month of August.

Poppy is the other one, which I will save for another day.

The Gladioli flower is commonly referred to by the name of its' genus -

Gladiolus,

the plural form of which can be

Gladiole,

Gladioluses

or

Gladioli.

http://www.wellpromo.com/

 

Gladiolus spikes are available in a wide variety of colors including

white, yellow, orange, pink, purple and red.

Quite the flower rainbow!

 

The genus gladiolus has 260 species,

250 of them are native to sub-Saharan Africa,

mostly South Africa.

About 10 species are native to Eurasia.

Most of the more than 10,000 named Gladioli cultivars were probably derived

from just seven species native to South Africa!

These were first brought to European gardens in the late 17th century.

So what did a Gladiolus in a bouquet mean

to that Victorian Lady who received them?

Well, there were several!

Hopefully the other flowers in the bouquet helped express the correct meaning.

The gladiolus flower signifies remembrance.

It also expresses infatuation,

telling the receiver that she (or he) pierces the heart.

It also stands for strength of character,

faithfulness,

and honor!

but wait.....there's more!

The Gladiolus means Love at first sight.

Oh dear, there are even more....

The Gladiolus symbolizes sincerity and loyalty.

glads n cake by http://www.mamamin.com/

For those of you who are into 'elements',

the Gladiolus flower is Fire.

"I know that if odour were visible, as colour is,

I'd see the summer garden in

rainbow clouds."

- Robert Bridges

'Alaska Glads' by http://www.edenbrothers.com/

There are several interesting stories about how the flower got it's name,

legend and lore about the flower

and some more meanings!

I am saving these for another day, as

I will not write a book.

I will not write a book.

I will not write a book.

Really!

Feelin' kinda punky today, so that's it for now.

:0)

Drop me a comment, let me know what you think,

what you would like me to cover,

what kinds of subjects you would like in the future.

I have not recently done a craft,

or art tutorial,

or focused on a project.

I plan on adding those in again.

Have suggestions?

I won't know them unless you comment!

I do love to blog....

:0)

inkspired

http://www.inkspired.etsy.com/

dominoes@myinkspired.com

http://www.inkspiredmusings.blogspot.com/

http://www.proflowers.com/

Paradise in a Flower

Bula Uro

(Fijian for an informal 'Hello')

Let's step into 'paradise' for a moment,

and check out

the Bird of Paradise flower

www.worldofstock.com

I fell in love with the Bird of Paradise flower

at my Grandpa Troup's funeral.

I was 8 years old.

I know, odd connection.

But that was the first time I had ever seen a flower like that.

It was stunning!

It was so bright!

The stem was thick, and the flower petals...

just so sci-fi amazing to me!

My parents let me take one home.

It lived in the back window of our car from Michigan to Kentucky.

I was very sad when it 'died'.

courtesy of TeleFlora

The history of the Bird of Paradise flower I find interesting.

Chuck Burgess

 is an HGIC Information Specialist at Clemson University.

He has a very informative page on the Bird of Paradise.

I also found some good info from Teleflora.

A photo I took at DisneyWorld

 The Bird of Paradise is native to South Africa.

It's botanical name is "Strelitzia reginae".

At first, botanists didn't know what to do with this odd flower!

It was once classified in the banana family because of it's leaves.

It didn't really fit.

They finally gave up, and gave it its' own botanical place!

a vintage hand colored engraving, 1840

Because the flower looks like a brightly colored bird in flight,

they gave it it's common name:

Bird of Paradise

Works for me!

painting by Johnny Karwan

Birds of Paradise Flower Meaning:

Birds of Paradise represent joyfulness and

[no surprise here]

paradise!

They are also the 9th wedding anniversary flower!

Well, I agree. I think the Bird Of Paradise is a joyful flower.

http://www.photoandpics.org/

Some Amazing Facts:

The plant will grow to a height and width of about five feet.

It has a trunkless, clump-forming pattern of growth.

The thick, stiff leaves grow to be

 about 6 inches wide

and 18 inches long.

The leaves are attached to a long stalk that sometimes reaches

5 feet high. 

Are you getting a picture in your mind, here?

found at landscapingtechs.com   no photo cred

I just never thought of Birds of Paradise growing in

clumps!

Okay, there's more!

On the same up to 5 feet high stalks, the flower is blossoming.

And what a blossom it is!

Modified leaves at the end of the stalk

form canoe-like structures,

4 - 8 inches long.

Out of the 'canoe' leaves the blossom is formed.

courtesy of http://www.free-stainedglasspatterns.com/

{Check them out, they have fantastic patterns!!}

As the flowers open, pointed petals of brilliant orange are contrasted with the arrow shaped 'tongue' of vivid blue.

Wow.

Beginning in late winter/early spring the flowers will open

one right after another.

Unless you live in Disneyland,

where you can find Birds of Paradise almost year 'round.

It is a magical place you know...

There normally are 1 - 3 flowers on each stalk.

There was a very pretty photo of a Bird of Paradise here,

but the photographer became extremely upset when she saw

that I had used it in my blog.

So I have removed it.

What do you think?

Her copyright info and address of where to find it were on the photo,

and I put a note underneath "see photo for info".

Should I have done more?

Should I have not used her photo?

Let me know your opinion!!!

There are actually 4 different kinds of Bird of Paradise.

They are identified by their color.

The most common,

Orange Bird of Paradise

is the one we all think of.

The second one is the

White Bird of Paradise.

The thing that impresses me about this one is

It is even Huge-er!!!

[gotta' love those made-up words...]

So it grows 5 - 6 feet wide

and about 18 feet tall.

The leaves look about the same, only much larger.

18 - 24 inches wide

and 3 - 4 feet long.

Big.

The flowers are larger (10 - 12)

and white, with a light blue tongue in a purplish bract.

en.wikipedia.org

I didn't find very many pictures that looked very attractive!

The 3rd kind is called

Juncea Bird of Paradise.

It is a variation of the Orange Bird of Paradise,

but produces a smaller flower.

It also has leaf blades that do not develop!

The leaves rise up from the base, at the soil line

(instead of the 5 foot high variety!).

The flowers do grow on a stalk, just like the one we're familiar with, but again, smaller flowers.

courtesy http://www.firebirdlanding.blogspot.com/

Okay, last but certainly not least,

The Giant Bird of Paradise

Just when I was trying to get my head around how big the flowers are, the 5 foot tall stalks, the clumping...

now we have GIANT.

Probably not a good backyard garden type.

It can grow 30 feet high.

The trunk (think clump) can be 20 feet.

The leaves are identical to the White Bird of Paradise,

except they are attached to the trunk in a fan pattern

on opposite sides of the trunk.

The flowers are white with blue tongues and reddish-brown bracts

only about 18 inches long.

They can be difficult to see as they are so high up.

Ya' think??!!!

www.britannica.com photo cred Scott Bauer

Birds of Paradise are so striking.

They have inspired a lot of creative thinking in the arts.

Here is just one example:

Colleen Quen, the Queen

birdofparadisegown, califashionista

No photo cred - do you know? Let me know.

Birds of Paradise, not blooming yet

God's creations are so stunning!

Think about all the unique characteristics,

coloring, sizes and shape -

All that effort into just ONE flowering plant.

He made a whole lot more,

all unique and special in their own way.

Big Wow.

I hope you have enjoyed today's step into paradise.

Maybe you need to add a little

joyfulness

into your life today.

I bet the town florist just might have a bloom for you....

You can even go get that hula skirt from

my past blog on Hula!

:0)

inkspired

http://www.inkspired.etsy.com/

dominoes@myinkspired.com

I Love New York! with traditional Red Roses

Salud!

Today's Flower of the Month - the Rose,

will be featuring the state flower of New York -

you guessed it - the Rose!

pinupdresses.etsy.com

The state flower of New York state

is rosa rose.

It's nickname, as a state, is "The Empire State".

A full bouquet of roses in full bloom means "Gratitude".

That means, pretty much any rose variation will do.

Traditionally it is portrayed as a red rose,

but you will see many other colors associated with New York State.

turkeyfeathers.typepad.com

This is from a fan blade, vintage 1890 poupeemodele

New York state is the birthplace of

four former presidents;

Martin Van Buren, 8th president (1782)

Millard Fillmore, 13th president (1800)

Theodore Roosevelt, 26th president (1858)

Franklin Delano Roosevelt, 32nd president (1882)

1854 Teddy Roosevelt's birthplace

Ellis Island, outside New York City

The Statue of Liberty is in New York Harbor.

She was presented to the American people

by France.

state bird and flower

New York is the 3rd most populous in the US,

California is first

and Texas is the second.

Here is another coloring page of the Statue of Liberty:

vintage clip - 'In Sweet Remembrance'

Here is a lovely bead design for a rose amulet/purse,

from designer Marcie Fitzwater.

New York state has a long list

of famous American people

 that were born there.

Most of these were born in New York City.

Here are just a few:

Lucille Ball

Jackie Gleason

Maria Callas

Marion Davies

Aaliyah

George Gershwin

Al Capone

Carl Sagan

Vince Lombardi

Madeleine L'Engle

Colin Powell

Norman Rockwell

Eleanor Roosevelt

Mel Brooks

Hank Azaria

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Duke Ellington

Patty Duke

Alan Alda

James J. Braddock

Gregory Hines

Carol Heiss,

Cuba Gooding, Jr.

Jacqueline Kennedy

Tommy Lee Jones

Christina Aguilera

Jennie Jerome Churchill

Lou Gehrig

Norah Jones

Art Garfunkel

Moe, Curly and Shemp Howard

Jerry Orbach

Danny Aiello

Ira Gershwin

C. Everett Koop

Lucky Luciano

Edith Wharton

Mae West

Groucho, Harpo, Chico, Zeppo, Gummo Marx

Bugsy Siegel

Fats Waller

Elizabeth Ann Seton

A spot the difference puzzle:

by Pissarro

Well, this is a long blog today!

Of course, there are tons more interesting things about New York State, including New York City and all its' history, but I think our brains are about full now!

Here is a fun little trivia game.

Some are hard, some are easy, some have already been answered in my blog today.

Here we go......

Famous People born in New York trivia quiz.

Find the name that goes with the 'job'.

All the names have been listed

somewhere in this blog!

1.   Who was the mother of Winston Churchill?

2.   Who was a famous opera singer?

3.   Who is the "Cinderella Man"?

4.   Who sang Broadway show tunes constantly behind the scenes?

5.   Who is a comedic film director?

6.   Who won Olympic medals in silver and gold?

7.   Who is a jazz pianist?

8.   Who is a basketball player?

9.   Who is known as the tap dance revivalist?

10.  Who was a First lady of the USA, and an editor?

11.  Who is a blonde singer popular today?

12.  Who was a brunette singer that was also a dancer and model?

13.  Who are the Three Stooges?

14.  What brothers were a composer and a lyricist?

15.  What baseball player has a disease named after himself?

16.  Who is a talented songwriter, singer and performer with Simon?

17.  Who is considered to be the painter of American Life?

18.  Who is the first native-born US citizen to be canonized?

19.  Who was an actress, director and writer famous for her one-

             liners, double meanings and curvy figure?

20.  Who was a gangster that started Las Vegas to be what it is

              today?

21.  Who has been an army general, and the Secretary of State?

22.  Who was a First Lady and a human rights activist?

23.  Who is an instrumentalist and singer/songwriter and one my

               favorite vocal artists?

24.  Who was the Surgeon General and a physician, with the same

               name as my grandfather, and middle name of my father?

25.  Who is a favorite children's author, with one book made into a

                movie?

26.  Who was an infamous gangster that turned out to be not so

                 lucky?

27.   Who is an American Football coach?

28.   Who is a well-known actress since a child, and is

                  an activist for mental health issues today?

29.   Who was a blonde actress in the 30's?

30.   Who played the fiancee of Cher in 'Moonstruck'?

31.   Who won fame in M*A*S*H, and is an author, activist, director

                   and screenwriter?

32.   Who is Hank Azaria?

33.   Who is the supporting actor in 'Lightening Jack', and has

                    perhaps one of the funniest scenes of all time in it?

34.   What 3 brothers are famous, but not so their other 2 brothers?

35.   What actor and film director is known for his tough guy roles,

                    but also does terrific comedy roles?

36.   Who is a female author?

37.   Who is a physicist and astronomer?

Whewwww!

That was fun!!

I look forward to seeing you tomorrow

 in my blog.

Drop me a note and say howdy-doo:

dominoes@myinkspired.com

inkspired

http://www.inkspiredmusings.blogspot.com/

http://www.inkspired.etsy.com/

dominoes@myinkspired.com

http://www.etsy.com/people/inkspired/treasury



  

The Meanings of Flowers Intro and May flower of the month

hello!

Today I am starting a series of blogs about the Meanings of Flowers.

The Victorians were probably the very best

at using flowers as symbols.

A little nosegay sent to a lady was actually a letter!

WaltDisneyWorld, Epcot, Great Britain country around the lake.

When researching the Language of Flowers,

I discovered that one flower

may have several different meanings!

Sometimes they are opposite of each other!!

I will be compiling together from different sources,

but if in doubt, I will lean heavily on

Kate Greenaway's Meaning of Flowers book.

She has delightful drawings,

if you are not acquainted with her work.
She was the most popular illustrator
of Victorian time.

I am also a complete crazy fan for

Cicely Mary Barker's work.

She painted adorable fairies,

with clothes to match the flower,

tree or plant she was illustrating.

Here is an official web site

for all things Cicely Mary Barker:

http://www.flowerfairies.com/html_uk/fairygallery_uk.html

from efairies.com

Now, I ask myself, where to begin?

some of the flowers sent to me when I was in the hospital last year

If I start with "A", it could be a loooong time.

Start with Flowers of the Month?

Start with Birthday flowers?

Well, let's just jump in!

The Victorian Language of Flowers

Although the legendary associations and religious meanings of flower symbolism have existed for centuries, the use of the symbolic meaning of flowers to represent emotions was developed to a high degree during Victorian times. Due to the strict protocol of the times, emotions, wishes and thoughts were not openly expressed between men and women. Instead, an elaborate language based on flower symbolism was developed. Gifts of either single flowers or bouquets conveyed clear messages to the recipient.

During the Victorian era, flowers adorned nearly everything--hair, clothing, jewelry, home decor, china plates, stationary, wallpaper, furniture and more. Even the scents of flowers had their own meanings in the language of flowers. For example, a scented handkerchief might be given in place of actual flowers.

With the increasing complexity of flower symbolism, handbooks were written to guide the understanding of the symbolic meaning of flowers. The first book written on flower symbolism in modern times was Le Language des Fleurs by Madame Charlotte de la Tour in 1819. The most popular book on flower symbolism, which remains a prominent resource today, is Kate Greenaway's Language of Flowers (1884).

from the Society of American Florists

Kate Greenaway "Let's go a may-poling"

MAY - Lily - according to TeleFlora :

Lilies were so revered by the ancient Greeks that they believed they sprouted from the milk of Hera, the queen of the gods. Long tied to the Virgin Mary, the white Madonna lily represents virtue, while the lily of the valley conveys sweetness and humility. In the language of flowers, this May birth flower expresses purity of heart, majesty and honor.

vintage song sheet, unknown date

by Pacon, not sure where on the internet.If you know, please update me.

                            

teleflora bouquet of lilies and roses

Let's have some crochet fun:



Can't get blogspot to put the directions in the right place.
They remain, stubbornly, at the end of this blog!

Cicely Mary Barker

Sweetest of the flower Lily of the Valley

"Sweetest of the flowers a-blooming
In the fragrant vernal days
Is the Lily of the Valley
With its soft, retiring ways.Well, you chose this humble blossom
As the nurse’s emblem flower,
Who grows more like her ideal
Every day and every hour.

Like the Lily of the Valley
In her honesty and worth,
Ah, she blooms in truth and virtue
In the quiet nooks of earth."
There is more to this poem, comparing a nurse to the Lily of the Valley.

You can find it here:

http://www.libraries.wright.edu/special/dunbar/poetryindex/the_lily_of_the_valley.html

I was unable to find the author.

Can anyone help me?

Here is a dress by Liana:

This one will fit her Paper Boutique doll:

a sweet baby fairy with lilies:

Little baby fairy, what did you find?

painting and calligraphy

by Susan Loy

http://www.literarycalligraphy.com/biblical/lily_valley.html

The lily of the valley symbolizes the return of happiness:
"This is the day which the Lord hath made;
we will rejoice and be glad in it.." Psalms 118:
This verse from Psalms expresses each day's promise of a return of happiness and a reason to rejoice. Psalms are songs and are among the most poetic verses in the Bible.
The lily of the valley means return of happiness in the Victorian language of flowers. In North American and British flower of the month traditions, it is the flower of May and has been called May lily. Its botanical name is Convallaria majalis, from convallis, valley, and majalis, May. Native to Europe, Asia, and parts of North America, it is prized for its fragrance as well as its beauty.

found at Activityvillage.co.uk

found at supercoloring.com

by Anna Miller

courtesy of Indygo Junction

I hope you have enjoyed today's flower:

Lily of the valley,

flower for the month of May.

inkspired

dominoes@myinkspired.com

http://www.inkspired.etsy.com/

http://www.inkspiredmusings.blogspot.com/

39. Lily of the Valley Afghan

Materials: Worsted Weight Yarn; Black (B) 36 oz and Grass Green (G) 3 oz.  Sport Weight Yarn; White (W) 2 oz.  Yarn Needle.   Maggie used Black Crochet Cotton and a Large sewing needle to applique leaves and stems.

Crochet Hook: J-10 (6 mm) or size needed to obtain gauge.  I-9 (5.5 mm) for Border, and Leaves.  F-5 (3.75 mm) for Bells

Gauge: J Hook:  7 rows = 4”; 3dc = 1”

Special Stitches: V-st:  Dc, ch 2, dc.

Picot V-st:  Dc, ch 4, sl st in 3rd ch from hook, ch 1, dc.

Side Panels:  (Make 2)

With B and J hook, ch 43.

Row 1: Dc in 4^th ch from Hook and in ea ch across.  CH 3, TURN EACH ROW.  (41 dc)

Rows 2-33: Dc in each st across. 

Row 34: Skip 1 st, * V-st in next st, skip 2 sts, rep from * across, skip 1 st, dc in end st.  (13 V-sts)

Rows 35-66: V-st in each V-st across, dc in last st.

Row 67: Dc in each ch-2 sp and dc across.  (41 dc)

Rows 68-99: Dc in each st across.  At end of Row 99, finish off.

Center Panel: ( Make 1)

With B and J hook, ch 43.

Row 1: V-st in 5^th ch from hook, * skip 2 ch, V-st in next ch, rep from * across, skip 1 ch, dc in end ch.  CH 3, TURN EACH ROW.

Rows 2-33: Rep Rows 35-66 of Side Panel.

Rows 34: Rep Row 67.

Rows 35-66: Dc in each st across.

Row 67: Rep Row 34 of Side Panel.

Rows 68-99: Rep Rows 35-66 of Side Panel.  At end of Row 99, finish off.

Finishing:  With right sides together, with yarn needle and black yarn, sew sides of panels together making sure V-sts face up.

Border:

Rnd 1: Using I hook, join B, in any st, ch 3, being careful to keep work flat dc around outside of afghan working (2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc) in each corner; join with sl st in 3^rd ch of beg ch-3.  DO NOT TURN EACH RND.

Rnd 2: Ch 3, dc in each st around working (2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc) in each corner; join with sl st in 3^rd ch of beg ch-3.

Rnd 3: Ch 5, dc in same st as joining, * skip 2 sts, V-st in next st, rep from * around working (V-st, ch 2, V-st) in each corner; join with sl st in 3^rd ch of beg ch-5.

Rnd 4: Sl st in ch-2 sp (center of V-st), ch 7, sl st in 3^rd ch from hook, ch 1, dc in same sp, * picot V-st in each V-st to corner, work (Picot V-st, ch 2, Picot V-st) in corner ch-2 sp, rep from * around; join with sl st in 3^rd ch of beg ch-7.  Finish off.

Leaves: ( Make 10)

With G, using I hook, ch 30.

Rnd 1: Dc in 4^th ch from hook and in each ch to within last 6 ch, sc in each of next 5 ch, (sc, ch 2, sc) in end ch (this is tip of leaf), around other side; sc in each of next 5 ch, dc in each ch to end, sc across base of leaf to 3^rd ch of beg ch-3.  Ch 3, DO NOT TURN.

Rnd 2: Dc in each st across to within 3 sts before tip, hdc in next st, sc in each of next 2 sts, (2 sc, ch 3, sl st in first ch, 2 sc) in 

ch-2 sp, around other side; sc in each of next 2 sts, hdc in next st, dc in each st to end.  Finish off. Weave in ends.

Stems:  (Make 10)

With G, using J hook, ch 40.  Finish off.  Weave in ends.

Bells:  (Make 30)

With F hook and W, leaving an 8" long end on starting ch, ch 2.

Rnd 1 (right side): 6 Sc in 2^nd ch from hook.  Do not join.  Mark ends of each rnd. 

Rnd 2: Work 2 sc in each st around.

Rnd 3-5: Sc in each st around.

Rnd 6: Sl st in next st, * ch 4, sl st in first ch, skip 1 st, sl st in next st, rep from * around.  (6 points)  Finish off. Weave in end.

Pull long end through to right side, center top of bell.  Tighten starting ch.

Finishing: Center and sew leaves and stems in place using large sewing needle and black thread.

Using long end, sew bells onto stem leaving a 1” length of yarn on the right side for bells to hang.

MaggiesCrochet.com - Order Toll Free 1-888-454-2101

from 40 Free Crochet Patterns

vintage line drawing