The Dictionary of flowers

Scabious:
This rare plant is a close relative of the teasel and the only known place in the UK where it may be found is Islay. During August, these turquoise flowers will dot the dry rough grasslands and attract the equally rare butterfly – the Marsh Fritillary.

Unlike their cousin the teasel, the scabious plant has gentle, pastel-coloured daisy-like flowers that you might see in cottage gardens and cornfield fringes.

Snapdragon:
This is a garden plant of the genus Antirrhinum family that has yellow or crimson, two-lipped flowers resembling the face of a dragon. Ideal for flower arrangements with differing shapes.

Snowdrop:
This nodding white flower (sometimes with a pink tinge) blooms in early spring and is often the source of poetic inspiration. Its botanical name is Galanthus nivalis. The flower reminds one of the translucent whiteness of flecks of snow which is how it got its common name.

Sorrel:
Generally no one likes weeds but Sorrel could be considered an exception. That’s because it is a rather pretty plant: slender stem with clover-shaped leaves and delicate yellow flowers. Its also has herbal uses and its seedpods are quite edible with a pleasant sour taste, somewhat like lemon.

It’s a relative of the Rhubarb and in England they use it in soups, sauces, custards and salads. Tart sauce made from this plant is particularly delicious when eaten with fish, chicken or root vegetables. It is also used as a flavouring puree.

If you still consider it a weed in your well organised and pretty garden, you can easily pull out this plant (it’s easy to identify: it has soft green leaves bunched together that taste a bit like lemon) and it will no longer bother you.

Strawberry Tree:
Throughout autumn and early winter, you will hardly find a single plant that can bloom with such a brilliant flourish as the strawberry tree. It’s a dense mass of greenery that blooms with a profusion of flower clusters and orange-scarlet fruit that resembles small strawberries. Just for this autumnal splendor, the strawberry tree a.k.a. ‘Arbutus unede’ must occupy pride of place in every garden.

Although this plant is a native of the Mediterranean region, it grows in abundance in the woods at Kilarney and Bantry. The plant thrives in warm coastal regions, growing to a height of 20 feet, although its average height is 8 – 10 feet.

The flower is creamy-white, bell-shaped and often tinged with pink. The fruit takes some time to ripen so it remains on the tree for a full twelve months from the time it appeared on the tree. The fruit when eaten in quantities is said to have a narcotic effect. In Corsica, they make wine from the fruit’s extracts.

Sunflower:
From the body language of this flower, one can easily see how the concept of adoration came to be associated with it. As is commonly believed the ‘sun-flower’ always faces towards the sun because it is photosensitive.

The plant belongs to the genus Helianthus of the family Asteraceae. The flower is grown in many countries for its many uses. Its seeds yield oil which is a common cooking medium. The seeds are also commonly used as poultry food and for making soap. In Russia, sunflower seeds are still used to make bread.

In ancient times, Aztecs revered this flower and it featured often in their Sun temples. Priestesses wore crowns adorned with sunflowers.

Sunflowers belong to the genus division Magnoliophyta of the class Magnoliopsida and order Asterales.

Sweet Williams:
This flower belongs to family of carnations, genus Dianthus barbatus and is found growing wild in the Mediterranean region. Unlike carnations and pinks these are not as fragrant and their petals are much smaller.

Tulip:
If you are fascinated by the eyes of a woman whom you happen to be courting, then there can be no better way to propose to her than offering a bunch of freshly picked tulips, especially the variegated type.

Tulips stand second only to roses when it comes to romantic sentiment. These large and showy flowers represent perfect love. Each of its many shades expresses some emotion. A yellow tulip suggests almost hopeless love. Red tulip represents undying love. A violet tulip suggests modesty. Ask a florist and, if he is a romantic, he will tell you that a tulip says things like “your smile is my sunshine”, “you are the sunshine in my life”, “your eyes are magical”, etc.

The plant is believed to have been first cultivated in Turkey from where the seeds were shipped to many countries around the world.

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