Sunday, September 30, 2012

Paper Cutting, Butterflies, and Babies

One of my nieces recently had a baby girl and she had the good sense to decorate the baby's nursery with a butterfly theme. Obviously my niece is not only a wonderful person but she has excellent taste as well. A fine young lady. Anyway, I knew immediately what I wanted to do for her and the baby.







The blurred part has the baby's name cut out as well. I have made it a general policy not to use the real names of my family, friends, or loved ones here in the Jungle (and it's kind of fun making up nicknames for them- we'll call this baby Happy, because she's full of smiles). Even though only minor detective work will lead to my real name there are reasons that the in-laws (as well as Zippy and some others) might not be so easy to track down. I want it that way. I'm not calling out my butterfly visitors as untrustworthy, but the Internet is the cyber wild west and I want to keep my loved ones safe, especially the kids, because one just never knows. Any way.....



I used a shadow box that I got at Michaels, the one with the adjustable depth, and cut two layers of butterflies (three if you count the very back). It was great huge fun! Want to see?






I drew out and cut the original design first and then transferred it, upside down, to the back of the colored scrapbook paper.






Then it was simply a matter of layering the butterflies in the frame, using the different depth options. I used little 3D buttons on the white butterfly to raise it up from the background. The green butterfly is placed on top of the highest layer and is against the glass.







I used a tiny little hole punch that I found at the Dollar Tree to punch little butterflies out of a monochromatically colored pience of scrapbook paper and sprinkled them here and there.







And that's all there was to it! But oh so much fun. I'm guessing there are more kinds of this project in my future. I would love to do one for my Zippy-Gal but she's not a sweet little butterfly sort of kid. Maybe Minecraft, Doctor Who, or her dog. Hmmm...







To wrap up today, we'll do a bit of butterfly archeology. Fossils of butterflies are rare with the earliest butterfly fossils from the early Cretaceous period, about 130 million years ago. The extinct prodryas Persephone butterfly is the oldest known butterfly, discovered at Lake Florissant, Colorado. It is the first fossilized butterfly found in North America. Though about 40 million years old and known from only a single specimen, it is one of a dozen species of butterfly found at the Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument in Colorado, run by the National Park Service, and is certainly the finest fossilized specimen in the park. In additon to the colors and patterns, the wing venation is beautifully preserved. It is even possible to see individual scales on areas of the forewing. Its name, Persephone, is that of the daughter of Zeus.



Source



So there you go, my precious butterfly visitors. Thanks for checking in today.








Thursday, September 27, 2012

Aster- September's Bloom

Photo by Tiwago via Flickr



Photo via Missouri Plants



Photo via TS Flowers


Ah, the Aster, a wildflower native through-out the US, Europe, and Asia. September. Autumn. Chill in the air. The first whiffs of that crunchy dry leaf smell as you weed and work around in your late season garden, corralling the wild aster back with the borders of the bed. She's sweet, our September gal.



Asters get their name from an old Greek word meaning "star", referring to the shape of the flower. Also called Starworts, Michaelmas Daisies or Frost Flowers, this star-like flower can be found in a variety of colors – white, red, pink, purple, lavender and blue, with mostly yellow centers. Aster flowers are popular in many gardens for their attractive and colorful blossoms and ability to grow in all hardiness zones. Interestingly while an Aster blossom may appear to be a single flower it is not so; an Aster’s bloom is actually a combination of approximately 300 small (usually yellow) flowerets surrounded by colorful petals. They possess a Daisy-like appearance which is often deceptive as they are actually a member of the Sunflower family. If you need a blast of late season color, Aster is the gal for you.



Aster Border, Waterperry Gardens


Aster are a rich source of nectar for bees and butterflies. As they bloom during the peak of the monarch migration, they are an important waystation for our lepidopterian travellers. Because they also attract so many bees, plant them away from areas where you walk or play, especially if you have significant bee allergies. The shrubs can grow up to 3 feet tall, depending on the variety, so if you plant them away from the house you will still be able to enjoy their beauty.






Asters have long been considered an enchanted flower. Legend says that the goddess Asterea cried when she looked at the earth and saw no stars. Where her tears fell to the ground, Aster bloomed. Others believed that Asters were stardust scattered on the earth by the goddess.



Aster and Goldentrod. Source


And then there is the Cherokee Indian legend from the southern part of the US. Two warring tribes, fighting over a choice hunting ground, waged war over a hill, down a valley, across a creek, and into a village. All the villagers were killed except for two sisters who hid in the woods. Both wore doeskin dresses, one dyed lavender-blue with fringe, the other one bright yellow. The sisters sought out the Herb Woman who lived over the mountain in another valley. This woman gathered herbs by day and brewed magic potions by night, a gift given to her by the gods. As the sisters slept that night under the stars, the Herb Woman looked into the future and saw that these little girls would be hunted down by the enemy. So she sprinkled them with a magic brew and covered them with leaves. In the morning there were two flowers where the sisters had been. One was the lavender-blue aster, the fringe from the dress having been turned into the outer flower petals (ray flowers) of the aster. The other flower was the yellow goldenrod.


By the way, after years of suffering allergies, especially in the fall, I learned that if you are allergic to Goldenrod you should not take Echinacea (used to boost immunity) as they are related, both belonging to the Compositae family. So now I'm still snottin' and sneezin' but things are noticably better this summer. But I digress...



Source



Aster have been traditionally used by Native American tribes by burning the flowers and leaves, the smoke being used in Inipi (sweat lodge) Ceremonies, to revive the unconscious, to treat mental illness, nosebleeds, headaches, congestion. The dried blossoms were also snuffed for similar purposes, or the vapor inhaled as a steam. Aster tea was used to treat earache, relieve gas pains, stomach aches, and fevers.



Earthnotes has an extensive page listing the medicinal uses of a wide number of aster species. Please keep in mind that many plants are not recommended for medicinal or food uses, some even being poisonous. I am not recommending or supporting their uses for either purpose, just sharing the lore and history of the Aster.



It was once believed that the fragrance of their burning leaves would drive away evil spirits and it was believed during Medieval times that it would drive away serpents. The "star-flower" was believed to be sacred to the gods and so wreaths of asters were placed on their altars. The roots of Aster were crushed and fed to bee colonies that were in poor health. The flavor of homey is said to be improved if you boil asters in wine and place it near the hives.



China Aster, an annual. Source



The meaning of the September Birth Flower, the Aster is Love, Faith, Wisdom and symbolizes Valor. The hidden message of the the aster, so favored during the Victorian era, was "Take care of yourself for me". During Victorian times, people were strongly restricted by the rules of etiquette and it was considered totally inappropriate to express feelings of love or affection. Aster is also considered appropriate, due to its meaning and symbolism, to give on Grandparent's Day (September 1), Teacher's Day (September 4th) and Patriot Day (September 11). And of course birth month flowers are beautiful for special celebrations of the month such as birthdays (duh) and weddings.



Munstead Wood, Surrey Source



So let's get some Aster into our gardens. You will often see native Aster varieties growing wild in almost any environment from the tropics to the coldest regions of the north in habitats ranging from extremely arid deserts to bogs. This variability and hardiness means that Aster will grow in almost anyone's garden, even if your thumb isn't as green as maybe you would like. Some areas consider Aster a weed or a problem flower because they do grow so easily. Hardy in USDA zones 4 through 9, Asters should be planted in moist well-drained soil in full sun, but they will tolerate light shading. The plants form broad bushy clumps, so plant them at least 18 inches apart. Mature clumps will need to be divided every 3-4 years, in the early spring, or late fall after the flowering has finished. Pinch back the tops by 6-8 inches at least once during the summer, to create a bushier plant and to prolong the fall bloom. This pinching MUST be done prior to mid-July or it will have an opposite effect and blooming will be reduced. Annual varieties of Asters require the same basic care, but should not be planted in the same spot the following year, to prevent plant diseases such as Aster wilt. Sow seeds directly into the garden in early spring, when all frost danger has passed. Perennial Aster can be propagated by dividing existing clumps or grown from seed sown indoors at about 70° F. Seeds can also be sown directly into the garden after all frost danger has passed.



Source



Aster Seed, Source



Before we go, let's take an upclose look at the Aster. The two images below are from Microscopy-UK. The first link will take you to the Aster page, photographed by Brian Johnston from Canada and is full of his amazing and gorgeous Aster photos. The second link takes you to Microscopy-IK where you can find anything and everything you never knew you wanted to know about microscopy.






Sticky glandular protuberances on the bracts shown in the photo above.



Monarch juicing up for the trip to Mexico. Source



 
Thank you so much for visiting today. And Happy Birthday to all of you Aster Babies- you're each a star! (See what I did there?)




 

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Outing My Whovian Self

Well, guess I'm going to come out of the closet, err, Tardis, with this post but we are really stupid huge goofy Doctor Who geeks at my house. The Fandom runs deep around here. Even Big 'Un is nerdy- mainly because he thinks that Daleks are one of the Greatest. Things. Ever. He thinks we should "Exterminate" everything: Exterminate the lady bugs, exterminate the heat, exterminate the lawn mowing, exterminate the ice cream (which means eat it all). Honestly, it gets kind of old with him yelling "Exterminate" in his best (and very good) Dalek voice all the time. It is, of course, only a matter of time before we have some sort of Tardis replica at our house, sort of a Yard Tardis, if you will.




A life sized Dalek would score me some huge "honey points".


Plans to build my own Tardis? No problem. There's a PDF to be had for this from Relative Dimensions or any one of "a few" that will turn up with an Internet search.



[image]
Tardis Builders
 


Even my Zippy is a FanGirl. We've not decided which incarnation is our favorite Doctor Who since they all sort of grow on you but she did spend some time with her drawing pad the other day.






Not bad for a kid who has only recently decided that she loves to draw. OK, yes, I sort of gave her no choice but to take Art as an elective last year, but the kicking and screaming soon subsided and she has really begun to get in the flow. She carries her drawing stuff with her everywhere. She's just too creative a kid in so many ways not to take an art class in order to enhance other types of creativity.We've "done art" around here all of her life but she didn't think she was creative- this from the kid who has modified her swingset to the point where it is now a landmark when giving directions. "If you go past the house with the monstrous technicolor swingset sporting a wind vane and a mothra flag, you've gone too far." Seriously.


Anyhoo...



Doctor Eleven (above) is just plain ol' goofy fun. He's like the goofy kid we were embarrased to be friends with in high school until you realized that he's just a great guy. Nine (below) was dark and intense and sexy in an edgy, dangerous way...


Source


But Ten? He's cute and hysterical and menacing and goofy and sincere, just like all the others really, but then you hear David Tennant's natural Scottish accent (for those of us who don't hear it most days) and suddenly  you find yourself obsessed with men in kilts.




Slim and a little bit foxy .....
Source
 

It is the following video that has caused me to out myself as a goofball Doctor Who fan. Truthfully, Zippy-Gal and I have been having a blast with our new found freedom to roll around in the uninhibited expression of our geekiness. We were hesitant at first, back when geeks were, you know- geeky, and then we were shy about appearing to be jumping on the Geek Bandwagon. It's not such a bad thing after all, to fly the Geek Flag out front of the house.



What are you a geek about? I would love for you to share and we'll jump up and down together, clapping our hands and squealing like teenagers.





... sigh ...





Sunday, September 9, 2012

Playing In The Water




This past summer, I took a Sketchbook Journaling class, held at one of the local libraries. The class was a four week introduction to sketchbook journaling and was taught by Leslie Fehling. Go immediately to her website, Everyday Artist, and check out her great work. I was continually amazed by the endless stream of ideas that seemed to come so easily to her and by her pure love of painting. I'm not sure what I thought the class was when I signed up but the main thought I had was that it could a fun chance to learn some journaling techniques to share with patients. I have been working on a journaling booklet to have available for the patients I see in the hospital- nothing fancy at all, mind you, but thought this class would be a way of picking up some ideas.

Turns out the main focus was on watercoloring, and while that surprised me it was a very pleasant surprise though I must admit to being a bit intimidated at first. I've done a lot of crafting, drawing, painting, sewing, goofing-around-creatively in my life (just playin' around, havin' a goodtime) but other than a six week module in high school art, I've never really done any watercoloring. It seemed so much more difficult than even oils, which scare the pants off of me.




 


Guess what? It was way super fun! There were about six or seven other ladies and a young seventh grader boy (he was great) in the class. We packed our supplies to the library every Saturday and started each class with show and tell of our "homework assignments" for the week. So today I'm going to share some of my waterplaying with you, not because any of them are great but because it was just so dang fun!



First, after playing with the brushes and all that, we did the standard color palette activity. Let my apologize here for the quality of the photos in this post. My scanner is about 15 years old and while it generally serves my purposes, it is still old techology. It was really high-end when I bought it but now even the cheapy ones have more bells and whistles, and obviously resolution. I would love a new one but just can't justify it because there isn't actually anything "wrong" with mine.




        

My eyes respond so much better to a brighter palette so I did another one with my personal color favorites and a little jazz to make it different.







Another exercise was to do a couple of pages of color wash in our sketch books, then go back later and add to it. I think we were supposed to write a favorite saying, poem, verse, etc because we were supposed to be thinking about doing lettering but I didn't do that. Intro class rebel, that's me.















We also did some landscape kinds of things. Here's my garage. I can see now that I needed to do something different with the composition like place the garage a bit lower and a taddy-bit to the left. Oh well, it was my first landscape.





One of our prompts was to paint something from the past. I fell in love with the Cambodian countryside and always thought it would be nice to try to paint it. Watercolor seems the perfect medium for a Cambodian countryside.


No, really, Cambodia is much more beautiful than I am able to capture.

 
(Sorry, guess it was a bit askew on the scanner. Operator error.)



I love macro photography. Some of the gladiolus in the August birth month flower post are macros of my glads. Thought I would get all fancy and try some macro painting. The stamen and pistle placement are a "fail". This one is "over painted", meaning too much pigment for the look I was wanting but oh well, it was my first macro painting.







Zinnias, though the shape of the cup of water is totally wrong. Oh well, it was my first zinnias in a cup of water.






Another prompt was to illustrate a recipe. This one came out just so-so but I can promise you that Trifecta Cobbler is a fabulous dessert.








There it is, some of my playing around. In no way do I want to seem like I'm passing myself off as a watercolorist. I have just enough artistic talent to know how much I don't have but still, if you have constructive comments or suggestions, it won't offend me at all if you share with us.


 

Watercolor butterfly? Of course I'm going to try some in the future but for now let me show you my favorite of Amy Kirkpatrick's butterflies, a Blue Rajah.





Ms. Kirkpatrick did a series of 100 butterflies in 100 days and they are striking, each and every one of them. I am seriously considering a purchase from her site. Click here to check them out, or go to her Home page to start your exploration of her beautiful work. And don't forget to visit Leslie's page to see her wonderful watercolors. She can be commissioned to paint a portrait of your home. Cool.


OK then-- thanks for flittering along with me today. I love it when you visit.


Have a great one!


Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Screech Owls- Fond Memories

Photo by nebirdsplus via Flickr



I've been hearing them again.



Source



Eastern Screech Owls. My little night-time friends aren't very big- just 6 to 10 inches tall. They are red (rufus) or gray in coloring but either way they're just about impossible to see in the wild, even when perched at the opening of the tree cavity where they live.




Photo by nebirdsplus via Flickr



I've seen them a couple of times, flying at dusk, out for the evening's hunt. These little guys are wide-spread east of the Rockies and  live year-round in my part of the world and while I do hear them at other times of the year, I hear them the most in late summer. The windows are open and I stay up later this time of year. So I hear them, their soft whinny trill or steady tremolo, calling to their families.








The Cornell Lab of Ornithology has great information about the Screech Owl and some excellent recordings.


Photo by Jennifer via Flickr



So why do I get sentimental about these tiny little owls? Well, when my Zippy was a newborn, I used to snuggle with her in the un-named hours of night. Big 'Un and I had decided before The Zipster was even born that she was not going to sleep in bed with us, and she never did, not one night. But her room had the extra full-sized bed. We would put her to bed in her crib and I would get up to nurse her when she roused during the night. Then she and I would snuggle in the spare bed until dawn.



Photo via Wikipedia Commons


That's when I first heard them, those gentle shrill calls that are the owl's defense call, or the steady tremolo of the mommy talking to her babies. I was still on maternity leave and half delirius with fatigue and uncertainty at finding myself responsible for this mysterious little person. I would curl up there with my little Zippy and listen to her breathing into the quiet darkness, crickets chirping, horses stomping their feet in the field, a distant dog barking. Those were special quiet moments with my girl and I usually didn't go back to sleep. I never knew what time it was, just that it was "our" night time. And then I would hear them start to call. Sometimes they were close, maybe just out in the field, once in the peach tree right outside the window. Sometimes they were barely audible, way down in the woods below our house, but they were there with us every night. We had never heard them around before that late summer and in my mind I think that she brought them, though that would be ridiculous to believe as true. But they've been here ever since. When I hear them calling I am transported back to those quiet calm nights that seemed, even then, like special moments from God- a time of wordless bonding and rest with this little girl who was such a puzzle to me at times. Listening to those owls in the dark was a special thing we did together though she of course has no memory of it. 



Source


My Zippy has grown to be her own kind of girl. She is a quirky, funny, creative, and amazing teenager now.






And I love her with all my heart.


Saturday, September 1, 2012

A Flower For August- Gladiolus




I'm sorry, what did you say? August is over? Oh good gracious! The winding down of summer, the starting up of school, hot days and cool swimming pool, dog mayhem, house chores, appointments, new job, Chemistry class.....  they have all conspired to steal away my time. I have fallen victim to that old misbelief of "When things settle down...." We all know things never do settle down and now it's September, so I'll just leave the dishes on the counter for awhile and wander in the world of the birthday flower for August, the ruffly gladiolus. Better late than never ...



Photo by theboybg via flickr



Photo by Russ Morris via Flickr




Photo by Mahmood Al-Yousif via Flickr



The name for August's grand flower, Gladiolus, is the diminutive form of the Latin word "gladius", meaning little sword, a reference to the flower's tall sword-like leaves. The gladiolus is a perennial member of the iris family (Iridaceae) and is in fact sometimes called a Sword lily. The same word is the root for the word gladiator, a soldier who “lived or died by the sword.”  Gladiolus is thought to be the 'lilies of the field' that Jesus referred to in the Sermon on the Mount as they grew wild and abundantly in the Holy Land and along the Mediterranean coast of Africa.


Spread through out Mediterranean Europe, Asia, Tropical Africa and South Africa, most species were discovered in the Cape Floristic Region on the tip of South Africa. Click the link for more information about this incredible region. Of the 260 species of gladiolus, 250 are native to sub-Saharan Africa, mostly South Africa.
Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund



 
Gladiolus were recognized over 2000 years ago in Asia Minor, where they grew wild in the fields and were called corn-flag or corn iris, a name that refers to the fact that they are unwelcome pests. Wild, natural gladiolus range in size from 1 to 8 inches. The luscious ruffly blooms we know today are the result of hundreds of years of hybridization and breeding programs. It was not until the 1800's that they were used as cut flowers. Prior to that, the gladiolus had a variety of myths and uses. Roman warriors believed that if you hung the corms around your neck like an amulet, the magical properties of gladiolus would bring you luck by helping you to win a duel and you would be protected from death.


A Greek legend tells of two brothers who fell in love with the same young woman. Neither would concede to the other. Their brotherly love gave way to intense hatred until it reached a point where they vowed to fight each other to the death. Both were fatally wounded in the battle. In the final moments, they plunged their swords into the ground. According to the legend, from that very spot grew the first two gladiolus plants, with leaves like little swords and blood red flowers marked in their hearts with white splashes from the girl's tears.



Source



The Mayfield Florist tells the following tale:

There once was a prince named Iolus. He was a kind and just ruler of his kingdom and was beloved by all. Unfortunately he could not find true love in his kingdom. He heard of a beautiful girl named Glad who was being held captive in the neighboring kingdom by an evil wizard who was forcing her to marry him. Iolus went in search of the beautiful maiden. He came upon the castle of the evil wizard and asked him to teach his magic. The wizard accepted. When the wizard was away Iolus found the maiden and they fell in love at first sight. Holding hands they ran away from the castle. Glad and Iolus were far away when the wizard caught up with them They were turned into a long slender flower with beautiful, delicate, buds. Later people called the flower Gladiolus in honor of the strong love of two hearts who will never be apart.
 


Source


Gladiolus have a long history of medicinal use, particularly in Africa where it was first grown. Mashed roots were used to draw out splinters and thorns and the dried pods were ground to a powder and added to goat's milk as a treatment for colic. The plant was used in southern Africa to treat a variety of ailments, including diarrhoea and colds. Many African herbalists consider the Gladiolus to be a magical medicinal plant as it is capable of treating dysentery, constipation and diarrhea simultaneously. Some use the plant for treatment of lumbago, painful menstruation, impotency, and headaches, while other herbalists use it to facilitate the birth of the placenta. Gladiolus dalenii is one of the plants used by local communities in the Kenyan Lake Victoria Basin to treat various infections such as meningitis, malaria, diarrhea, and ulcers. A 2009 study showed that extract of this gladiolus has anti-fungal properties, especially for certain lung infections that are common among immunosuppressed patients, such as HIV patients.



Gladiolus are fairly easy to grow: plant the corm in the spring and wait for your luscious blooms. Knowing a bit about them, however, will help you give them proper TLC. First of all, glads do not grow from bulbs, they grow from corms. Oh boy, here we go...  I'm going to let Healthy Home Gardening explain the difference:


Bulbs (which are referred to as "true bulbs") grow in layers, much like an onion. At the very center of the bulb is a miniature version of the flower itself. Helping the bulb to stay together is something called a basil plate, which is that round and flat hairy thing (those are the beginnings of roots) on the bottom of the bulb. Bulbs reproduce by creating offsets. These little bulbs are attached to the larger bulb.



Image via University of Illinois Extension Service


Corms look a lot like bulbs on the outside but they are quite different. They have the same type of protective covering and a basal plate like the bulb does, but do not grow in layers. Instead the corm is the actual base for the flower stem and has a solid texture. As the flower grows, the corm actually shrivels as the nutrients are used up. Essentially the corm dies, but it does produce new corms right next to or above the dead corm, which is why the flowers come back year after year. Depending on the type of flower, it may take a couple years to reach blooming size.



Image via University of Illinois Extension Services


So a corm is a swollen stem base that is solid stem tissue rather than layers (the modified leaves).



Photos via HGTV
 


So, let's get that corm into the ground. Gladiolus are not very fussy though they do prefer a well-drained site with light soil. If your spot is soggy you may want to consider a raised bed as my experience has been that soggy corms will rot and when they do, they're gross and slimy. Though you can plant in an area with some shade, your glads will bloom better, bigger, and longer in a full sun location and the corm will be able to store more nutrients for next year's blooms. Glads are generally hardy in Zones 6-10. My mom is still amazed that I don't dig up my glads for the winter here in my Zone 6 garden but she hails from Wisconsin (good Norwegian that she is) and Zones 5 and north are just too cold to winter over. Regardless, a nice layer of mulch is good to add for the winter. Plant your corms 4 to 8 inches deep, pointy end up, and about 5 inches apart. You can plant them maybe two weeks before your last frost date and stagger so you will have a longer show in your garden. Bloom time is generally July and August. If you are not in a cold hardy area, dig them up in September. Farmer's Almanac says to "cut the stalks to within an inch of the corms, then leave them in a warm, airy location for 1 to 2 weeks. Remove and throw away the oldest bottom corms and store the new corms in plastic, mesh bags in a well–ventilated room. The temperature of the room should be between 35º and 45ºF. Replant these corms in the spring."

 

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I remove the dead flowers from my stalks to encourage the blooms further down the stalk to open up. Once all of the flowers on a given stalk have bloomed I cut the stalk back, but not the leaves, which I keep in place to encourage growth and strength of the corms. If you site them well, water when needed, fertile, talk to them and tell them how beautiful they are, your gladiolus may grow up to 6 feet talk. Be prepared with a staking plan.
 
 


My Zippy gal when she was a toddler, sitting under
an umbrella happily ripping up my glads.


 A word of caution- some parts of gladiolus are poisonous if eaten (including by dogs, cats, or horses) and some people experience skin irritations or an allergic reaction after handling glads. Most of the bad-juju chemicals are in the corms. I've seen them rated as a 1 on a scale to 1 to 10, with 10 being deadly, and I suppose if you eat enough of anything it can make you ill. The effects are generally gastro-intestinal in nature. I personally have never had skin reactions to handling the corms, plants, or juicy stuff and neither did my Zippy from the day I took the photo above. But still, it's best to be aware that some folks get skin irritations.




 
But if you send someone gladiolus, just what is it that you're trying to say? Glads symbolize strength, sincerity, moral integrity, generosity, and remembrance. Gladioli also represent infatuation, with a bouquet conveying to a recipient that they pierce the giver’s heart with passion.
 
 

 


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Do I have any butterfly gladiolus with which I can finish up today? Oh, you betcha.... sort of.


Dwarf Butterfly Gladiolus, source
 

Gladiolus papilio ("Butterfly gladiolus") Source



And today I even have a song for you- Scott Joplin's Gladiolus Rag.






 

Hope you enjoyed today's stroll through the birthday garden. My most sincere apologies for being late and a belated Happy Birthday to all of my August butterflies.