Floriography, by Gina Margolies — Birth Month Flower Meaning

October’s birth month flower is the festive Marigold. This Birthday Blossom is bright, cheerful and talented. Scientifically referred to as tagetes, the common name marigold is derived from the words “Mary’s Gold,” as the marigold was called by early Christians who placed the flowers around statues of Mary, offering the blossoms in place of coins. Today, the marigold is a festival flower in many cultures. It is significant in Nepal, where marigold garlands are used almost in every household, especially during the Tihar festival. The marigold is also widely cultivated in India and Thailand, where large quantities of marigolds are...

What’s in a name? In Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Juliet famously asks, “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet. . .” She seems to be arguing that it doesn’t matter to her that Romeo is a Montague, the rivals of her family the Capulets. She loves him regardless of his name.   Family feuds aside, Juliet does raise an intriguing point. What is in a name? As I have become immersed in the world of flowers, I am often puzzled by the names of the various blossoms. All the...

December’s Birthday Blossom is the beautiful Narcissus. This Birthday Blossom is promising, youthful and joyful. The narcissus flower, whose scientific and common names are the same, is frequently linked to the Greek myth of Narcissus who became so obsessed with his own reflection in the water that he leaned over too far and drowned. Legend says that the narcissus plant sprang up where he died. No one really knows if this is where the name came from, but we do know that the narcissus represents youth and joy. On a cold, gray winter day, what better way to give the...