HERBAL FLOWERS

Monday, December 19, 2011

Flowers are the show stoppers of botany; the enchanting, delicate, yet sensuous, pinnacle of a plant’s beauty. The flowers of herb plants have a special appeal. They are generally soft colors and sharps flowering in abundance with a blousy innocence that evokes images of old fashioned cottage gardens. Yet there are a few stunners among them like the Madonna lily whose flowers were once used to treat bruises and epilepsy. There are flowers for eating in salads, soothing our nerves, cleansing our skin and making fragrant gifts. Among these, the world’s favorite flower, the rose, offers all these possibilities and is probably unsurpassed in its ranger of herbal applications. While the leaves of herbs provide the permanent structure, color and continuous pleasure of a herb garden, it is the flowers which, for a brief moment, can make our spirits soar. As the large flower bud of a tall graceful Madonna lily slowly swells, our anticipation grows until the pure – white, elegant petals unfold to assure us that this world is not mundane. The flower with its sweet, penetrating fragrance has been used as a pain killer and a cosmetic. The lily thrives on a sunny slope with good drainage. Unlike other lilies, the Madonna lily only roots from the base of the bulb so it requires just 2 in (5 cm) of soil above the bulb when planting and it shouldn’t be allowed to dry out. Start with healthy stock and it will flourish undisturbed for many years. If you get the rich, yellow pollen of the lily on your clothes, you will also discover it is a strong dye.