Floriography, by Gina Margolies

I brought the August Birthday Blossoms tote shopping in Chelsea yesterday. It was the perfect size to carry all my goodies. I love the beautiful pinks of the gladiolus with my favorite white summer skirt.

August’s Birthday Blossom is the majestic Gladiolus. This Birthday Blossom is faithful, honorable, and strong. Did you know that at the first National Spelling Bee in 1925 the winning word was gladiolus? Isn’t that a funny bit of trivia! It is just one of the many interesting things about gladiolus. The scientific and common name are the same. The name gladiolus comes from the Latin word for sword, due to the spike or blade shape the flowers take. It is even sometimes called the sword lily. The artist Vincent Van Gogh loved painting flowers and one of his still life...

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...

July’s Birthday Blossom is the playful Larkspur. This Birthday Blossom is light, colorful and complex. Larkspur flowers come in a variety of colors including spikes of red, pink, violet and white which symbolize carefree summer days, feeling lighthearted, and having fun. The scientific name is delphinium, a form of the Latin word for dolphin, possibly due to the shape of the larkspur. Larkspurs were a popular gift in Victorian times when they were associated with a strong feeling of romance. In modern times, white blossoms signify a happy-go-lucky nature while purple represents first love. Even butterflies love larkspur and the...

Today is my last chance to squeeze in one more paean to June’s lovely Birthday Blossom before I turn to my own Birthday Blossom in July.  On a recent Birthday Blossoms field trip to France, I had the privilege of visiting Musee Rodin in Paris.  Opened in 1919 the museum is dedicated to French sculptor Auguste Rodin.  It is housed in the building that served as Rodin’s workshop and was donated to the French State at his death, along with his entire collection.  The museum exhibits many of Rodin’s most significant sculptures, including The Thinker and The Kiss. The museum...