Saturday 30 March 2013

The Language of Flowerrs


I discovered a forgotten poetry book entitled 'A Present to the One I love' in a bedroom drawer. The poems are all anonymous and, despite being somewhat mawkish, I found the one below which seemed relevant to a garden blog.

Flowers Have Tongues


What flowers shall I select, love,
  To declare my heart to thee?
First, I will name the Moss Rose,
  An emblem of love in me.

Geranium Pink I prefer you
  To all the world so wide;
Mezereon, I wish to please you,
  The Violet, my love will abide.

Peach-Blossom, I am your captive:
  The Pink tells my love is pure;
Heart’s-Ease, you occupy my thoughts;
  Vervain, your conquest is sure.

Witch-Hazel, by love I’m spell-bound,
  Red Tulip, I declare it;
Valerian, do you accept my love,
  And live with me to share it.

The Honeysuckle and Heliotrope
  Avow my true affection;-
O point me to the Christmas Rose,
  To calm my sad reflection.

The Moving Plant I hope will touch
  Your breast with agitation,
And the green Palm a vict’ry speak,
  The Myrtle, love’s creation.

The Thornless Rose, I live for thee,
  The White Pink, thou art ever fair,
The Hawthorne tells me still to hope;
  Trefoil, we shall a Union share.

Friendship, like Ivy, will be the knot,
  Canterbury-Bell, shall constant be;
Then be it so, says Forget-Me-Not,
  Amen! Says the Everlasting Pea.
                                  Anon



Still not gardening weather although the sun has shone today.
We did visit the wonderful Egglestone Hall Gardens yesterday and enjoyed the delicious coffee and scones in the newly-decorated tea room but the plants in the nursery gardens were hidden under a covering of snow so I wasn't tempted!





1 comment:

  1. A very sweet poem - such a variety of colours and shapes come to mind and the feelings we may associate with them. Sentimental it may be but there is truth there.
    And roll on the Real Spring. And more sunshine. Wxx

    ReplyDelete