The Dictionary of flowers

Narcissus:
A.k.a. the ‘daffodil’, this flower has an interesting story in mythology. There was once a youth named Narcissus who was so vain that he was in love with his own beauty. He upset the gods who turned him into a flower – the daffodil. Even today, self-love is referred to as ‘narcissism’.

The spring flower blooms mostly in yellow, but white, pink and multi-colour varieties are also popular where available. Some varieties are also available from November to April.

Nasturtium:
This variety is a favourite among non-gardeners and can be easily grown in containers and hanging baskets. You will find these in many homes. Both the flower and its leaves are very edible and have a slightly peppery flavour. They are believed to have more Vitamin C than lettuce.

The plant has bright rounded leaves.

The flowers and leaves are used in decoration as they add a festive look to a whole lot of things: iced cakes, cakes with chocolate, salads, etc.

They are also a kind of pest repellent – they deter aphids and beetles, which makes them ideal for planting alongside vegetables.

Orange Flowers:
This very fragrant white flower blooms in spring and is followed by a blossoming of the fruit in autumn. The bitter variety smells even sweeter than the sweet orange flowers.

At blossoming time, places like central and south Florida, U.S. are full of the flowers’ fragrance. It is Florida state’s official flower.

An exceedingly pleasant fragrance makes these flowers nice to have around the house, which is why having one or two of these trees will perfume up your garden.

Gifting an orange tree (while small) reflects generosity on the part of the giver.

Osmunda:
This is a leaf-losing fern that is grown for its foliage. Sometimes a bouquet of flowers seems incomplete without ferns adding some green backdrop to the bright flourish of flowers. Florists use ferns such as this one.

The plant grows in any kind of garden requiring partial to full shade. It can even withstand direct sunlight for 8 to 10 hours so long as the soil is kept moist.

It is a rather large plant needing room to develop. This flower belongs to the genus sporangia (reproductive organs) in branched messes at the tips of the huge fronds. If you choose to plant ferns in your garden make sure it planted where it will not shadow other smaller plants. The plant may grow to a height of 2 metres/6 feet.

In summer, the spore-bearing fronds develop tightly furled lips and push up through the leaves, creating an impression of faded flower-heads

By autumn, the leaves turn golden yellow.

It is known also as the flowering fern because the spore-bearing fronds look more like flowers than leaves.

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