Enjoy these colorful blooms captured by the photographer who brought us this gorgeous essay on the language of flowers, and get some inspiration for your current or future garden!
BIDENS – Bidens is a member of the aster family and closely related to coreopsis. A semi-trailing plant looking its best cascading over the side of a pot, their seeds stick to clothing, feathers and fur, giving them the nickname burr marigold. Bidens is very popular with bees and is a food source for owlet moths and brush-footed butterflies in their caterpillar stage.
BISTORT – Native to Europe and parts of Asia, bistort has become a popular woodland plant in North America. Traditionally used for medicinal purposes, it’s also used in dock pudding, a savory dish made locally in northern Yorkshire, England. Its leaves are combined with oatmeal, nettles, eggs and herbs, then baked. There’s even an annual dock pudding championship.
BRIDAL WREATH – Bridal wreath spirea is native to Asia and is popular as a flowering shrub in North America and Europe. With its arching branches covered in seemingly millions of delicate white flowers, this breathtaking plant has been beloved by American gardeners for over a century.
CLEMATIS – With over 300 species, the Clematis, a member of the buttercup family has been a perennial favorite among gardeners since the 1860s. Translated from Greek, clematis literally means “a climbing plant” and is ideal for arbors, walls, fences or anywhere you want a dazzling show of flowers and foliage.
CREEPING PHLOX – Also known as moss phlox, these low-growing plants are native to eastern parts of the United States and Canada. Easy to grow and fast spreading, they quickly provide a carpet of vibrant spring color in garden beds or cascading over walls.
ENKIANTHUS – Beloved by bees and butterflies, enkianthus is an eyecatching flowering shrub with its masses of drooping flowers in the spring and its stunning foliage in the fall. Extremely adaptable, tolerant of part shade and able to grow in most areas in the contiguous US, it’s an ideal plant for almost any garden.
EUPHORBIA – This variety, known as cushion spurge, doesn’t have a true flower head, but instead has vibrant yellow leaves that mimic a flower, much like a poinsettia has its red bracts. Popular, easy to grow and with a striking appearance, they must be handled with caution, as all members of the spurge family contain a toxic sap that can cause severe skin and eye irritation.
GRAPE HYACINTH – Muscari, first officially named in 1601, are not true hyacinths, but are actually a member of the lily family. Not terribly fussy about soil or sunlight, these cheery spring flowering bulbs will grow almost anywhere and are excellent for naturalizing.
HENS AND CHICKS – An ideal plant for dry, sandy soils in full sun, these succulents are winter hardy in almost every area of the contiguous US. The main plant (hen) is surrounded by offsets (chicks) which root themselves close to the mother plant. They’re easy to propagate from cuttings,
LILAC – Always stunning, this member of the olive family is a showstopper in the spring when it flowers profusely, scenting the air with its unmistakable perfume. Native to the Balkan peninsula, lilacs were first added to formal European gardens in the 1500s. Relatively carefree and happy in most sunny garden settings, lilacs come in a wide range of colors and sizes.
LILY OF THE VALLEY – Beloved by gardeners for its sweet scent and ability to grow and naturalize in shady, damp areas, lily of the valley is a popular flower for May weddings and celebrations.
POPPY – A striking addition to a garden, the poppy is one of the most easily recognized flowers. From poppy seeds for cooking to opium for medicinal uses, it’s grown and utilized all over the world. Red poppies became a symbol of remembrance after World War I and the publication of the poem “In Flanders Fields”. A field of them also famously appeared in the Wizard of Oz, putting Dorothy and her friends into a deep slumber.
RED ELDERBERRY – Part of the honeysuckle family, red elderberry produces masses of flowers on arching stems on plants as much as 20 feet high and are a favorite of hummingbirds and butterflies. Giant clusters of red berries appear in late summer and are a valuable food source for birds, but the entire plant is poisonous to humans. The berries are toxic if eaten raw, but were commonly used in cooking by various Native American tribes.
YARROW – This perennial herb is not only beautiful and easy to grow, but its leaves have been used for centuries for medicinal purposes to treat everything from toothache to hay fever to dysentery, and even as a bitter addition to green salads. Use with caution as it can cause severe skin reactions and sensitivity to light in humans and is toxic to pets and livestock.
ZINNIA – Native to North America, zinnias come in a dazzling array of colors, shapes and sizes, love heat and sun, and are easily grown annually from seed. They make an excellent companion plant in the vegetable garden by attracting pollinators and keeping away insect pests. Zinnias have even made it to outer space, used in experiments on plant growth in zero gravity.
At her home in rural Maine, Faith Pineo can often be found puttering outside amongst the flowers and wildlife. She tends to talk with chipmunks and birds far more often than is likely good for her, but nevertheless finds them to be excellent conversationalists.
