Tag Archives: #forevergifts

A Garden of Love

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While it’s always a treat to receive a bouquet of flowers for Valentine’s Day celebrations, a plant would be even better.

The longer lifespan means you won’t be forgotten any time soon.

Especially with peonies – you’ll be thought of for decades!

Here’s some ideas on what plants to bring into your or someone you love’s garden or home to send the message of love:

Amaranth

Symbolism:

  • Unending love/immortality
  • Said to cure a broken heart

Facts:

  • Annual or perennial depending on the variety
  • A long history of medicinal use

 

Aster

Symbolism:

  • Grow it to wish for love
  • Carry it to win love
  • Love, patience, elegance, good luck and gained wisdom

Facts:

  • Majority are perrenials, while some are annuals and biennials
  • They bloom from late summer to first frost so are popular in autumn and winter flower arrangements
  • Also referred to as ‘Starworts’ or ‘Michaelmas’

 

Chrysanthemum

Symbolism:

  • Red ones say ‘I love you’
  • Rose-coloured ones say ‘in love’

Facts:

  • They are perennials but if you buy them from a nursery, treat them as annuals
  • For centuries the oil extracted from the flowers of certain species has been used in insecticides
  • The plant’s petals are actually florets with both sexual parts

 

Crocus

Symbolism:

  • Their fragrance is thought to inspire love
  • Apparently you can attract love into your life by growing crocus

Facts:

  • An early-blooming spring bulb-like structure called a corm
  • Their leaves and petals are insulated by a waxy layer helping them weather occasional frost and even a bit of snow
  • Saffron is the product of Crocus

 

Carnation

Symbolism:

  • Pink carnations symbolize a mother’s love
  • Red symbolizes a deeply romantic love or pure love

Facts:

  • Also known as ‘pink clover’
  • There are 3 main types of carnations: large flowered, spray, and dwarf
  • They are edible and delicious as part of a dessert or on their own

 

Dahlia

Symbolism:

  • Love, inner strength, beauty, kindness
  • A way to say ‘I’m forever yours’

Facts:

  • All dahlia are edible
  • In Mexico, Dahlia tubers are roasted and made into a drink (in place of coffee)
  • The ‘Little Dorit’ variety was named after the Charles Dickens novel

 

English Lavender

Symbolism:

  • purity and devotion
  • a lavender scented note or clothes scented with lavender are thought to attract love

Facts:

  • an evergreen perennial shrub
  • lavender comes in other colours other than lavender – white, yellow and pink

 

Peonies

Symbolism:

  • Red peonies symbolise love, romance and passion
  • Pink peonies communicate lasting love, good fortune and prosperity

Facts:

  • They come in every colour except blue
  • Bees prefer the ‘single’ form
  • Their petals are on the dessert menu in China
  • They can live on for more than a century!

 

Yarrow

Symbolism:

  • Having yarrow in your home will bring you love for 7 years!
  • They’ve been said to find your one true love

Facts:

  • A hardy perennial
  • Make good companion plants
  • Birds love them - apparently used by Starlings in their nests as they stop the growth of parasites
  • Attract bees and other beneficial insects

 

If you already have a few of these in your garden or home then you’re well on your way to love.

Christmas – A Time to Give Back

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Is it just me or is this year speeding to a halt?

Another year! Another December! And we’re all still around to enjoy it.

Now that’s something to be grateful for.

Another thing to be thankful for is our gardens. They are just the best little pieces of peace we could ever have. Sanctuaries. Places to experiment and learn more about life and ourselves.

This time of year is a good opportunity to think about how we can show our gratitude.

Here are some ideas:

Give to the Earth

One way you can do this is by thinking of ways we can look after the environment.

For instance, cutting down on unnecessary waste at this time by reusing old Christmas decorations. Or making your own out of natural/recycled materials.

Give to Your Peonies

While your peonies are not flowering they’re having a long, rejuvenating slumber underground.

So here are some ways you can show your peonies some gratitude for all the hard work they’ve done and are still doing:

Herbaceous and Itoh

  • With the stems and leaves having died back, trim the stems without cutting any exposed peony ‘eyes’
  • Make sure to clear the ground around each peony plant and dispose of the stems and leaves in the bin. It can be tempting to compost them but this may attract botrytis, especially if it is a wet winter.
  • If your peony is mature (5+years) it’s likely that the crown will push through the soil in winter and show some ‘eyes’. You won’t need to worry about protecting them as peonies love the cold of winter and will be just fine.

 

Tree peonies

  • While the leaves are also dead and require removing, there is no need to trim back the branches. They’ll be fine out there in the cold. If you’ve trimmed them already, that’s ok. As long as the roots are well established the branches will grow back.
  • Unlike Herbaceous peonies, Tree peonies like to be buried more deeply. So if it looks like it needs a bit of a boost, experiment with adding a few inches of soil around the base of the trunk.

 

Give a Peony

As mentioned, peonies aren’t flowering now. But they will be next year and the year after that and the year after that!

Peonies are the most wonderful, long lasting gift to give as they really do just keep on giving. They grow on for decades.

And although the receiver may find it a bit strange getting a pot of soil with some dormant roots in it, they will not be disappointed.

You can think of it like gifting a savings account to a relative for future gifts. Such as being able to go to university or buying a piece of property. They may not be able to enjoy it right now but when they do, it will be the best gift ever!

And that’s peonies – the best forever gift.