Remember when you were a school girl (or boy as the case may be) and your teacher gave you a project of planting a seed in a paper cup? I do, I think the first time we did that was in 1^st grade and the nuns (did I mention I’m a recovering Catholic? *SMILE) gave each student a paper cup, and some seeds which I don’t even recall what they were. We marched outside to the school yard, hoes in hand and began digging up the earth so we could put the dirt in our humble paper cups, add seeds, a little water and then wait.  We waited for what seemed like eternity (probably only a few days in adult time) as the paper cups sprouted little green leaves.  I remember how proud I was of that little plant… that I (and God) could actually create a living thing!  In fact, it is probably the only good memory I have of Catholic School.  This is, I am sure what started my love, awe and respect for flowers.

According to the National Gardening Association, gardening is one of the nation’s most popular pastimes. One in four Americans says that gardening is a real hobby or interest of theirs. About one in four spends four or more hours per week tending lawns, flowers, and vegetables.  It wonder how it is around the world? In some parts the numbers are probably much higher!

It got me thinking about how flowers affect us in such profound ways.  In fact today reminded me of a story Gloria Mount shared on the WIN network here on RYZE (in 2006) which I’d like to share with you today:

THE FAMILY ROSE by Gloria Mount

Elizabeth is standing along side of what we are now calling, “The Family Rose”, at our home in California.

It was just a nice little red rose bush, to begin with and suddenly, it has taken on a life of its own.

It began with Liz’s wedding back in December 2004. The morning of her wedding, for various reasons, I was not able to attend her “original” ceremony. That morning, when I went to get the morning paper, I was heavy hearted.

Then I noticed this red rose, in full bloom….in the dead of winter, the only plant in the garden blooming. I was amazed, but knew the Lord was comforting me.

Come February 2005, the morning of my Mother-In-Law’s funeral….suddenly in our barren rose garden was this Red-Rose in full bloom!!! We cut it and took it with us to the services.

When Baby Luke was born, Oct. 2005 there was this Red-Rose!!

December 2005 when Christina was here for Christmas holidays, the day we took her to her Grandma’s grave site….here was this red-rose in full bloom!! We cut it and Chris put it on Grandma Mount’s lovely grave.

Now, May 2006, the morning of Liz’s Bday. I walked outside and saw 2 brilliant red buds….by the time we came back from her Bday breakfast…there was the Red Rose, in full bloom !!!!

Now, I’m wondering how Christina came to name her website….Cyerra Rose…I’m sure Chris wasn’t thinking of our roses here in Whittier….but “Some One” had guided her heart and mind.

As I’m writing this, the connection, now is amazing.

Cyerra Rose was always a beautiful name, but, now it all makes sense with our “Family Red Rose”.

God loves to delight us!!!!

If you’d like to stop by Gloria’s page and say HI and thank her for her story, it’s here: http://www.ryze.com/go/Italianmamma

In case you’d like to read about the other benefits, check out a post I wrote last month entitled “NATURES BENEFITS” at  http://tulipstalk.wordpress.com/2008/03/12/natures-benefits/

And if you like flower humor, here’s one for you:

What did the bee say to the flower?

“Hey bud, when do you open?

Time to get out the shovel … Happy Plant a Flower Day!

Heidi

Lily (lilium candidum) ~  Purity

” My beloved has gone to his garden, to the beds of spices, to feed in the gardens, 
and to gather lilies” - Song of Songs 6:2 -

The lily, regarded as the symbol of purity, is one of the oldest flowers in the world. It can be found painted on the walls of ancient Greek palaces where it was the personal flower of Hera, the moon goddess.  Legend has it that the first lily sprang from the tears dropped by Eve when she left the Garden of Eden. A garden is portrayed as the dwelling place of the gods in the religions and mythology of nearly every ancient nation in the world.  Indian literature states that the gods resided in the Garden of Indra, among fruits and flowers giving immortality to all who visited. Many sacred meanings – handed down from generation to generation - have been given to the plants that first grew in these incredible gardens, and since dedicated or symbolic to the gods and prominent figures of the world’s religions..

In biblical times all the way through the Middle Ages, the emphasis of flowers was for their fragrance, their healing powers, not for decorative purposes, and perhaps more so for their sweet smell since bathing was not a regular activity. Decorating with flowers is a relatively modern term. The bible only mentions picking of flowers once, as referred to in the above sited verse from Song of Songs.  And the Mishna speaks of the picking of lilies (Toh. 3:7). According to the Mishna, rose gardens existed for their fragrance and were used in preparation of perfumes.

Some of the flowers mentioned in the Talmud are the narcissus, jasmine and saffron, each widely used both for aromatic and medicinal purposes.

Abraham Ibn Ezra probably had the White lily in mind when he stated that the names Shoshan and Shoshanna are derived from the Hebrew word “Shesh,” which means six.  The white lily has six white petals, as well as a pistil and five staman – six in total.  This large, beautiful flower is often referred to today as the White Mountain Lily or Casa Blanca Lily and can still be found in forests in Galilee and Mount Carmel areas of Northern Israel.

“And the stately lilies stand
Fair in silvery light
Like saintly vestals, pale in prayer;
Their pure breath sanctifies the air,
As its fragrance fills the night.”

- Anonymous - 

Order a Lily bouquet from Eden Florist

To read more about the Language of Flowers visit Eden Florist’s Language of Flowers