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Sharing Secret Plans for Spring: It’s All About The Seeds

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Tuesday March 24, 2009

By Cookie Steponaitis

    Now be honest, like the rest of us, you have been secretly planning for weeks. As the temperatures plummeted and the snow came falling down, you were planning a siege. Armed with graph paper, a pencil and a seed catalog, you were planning attack of spring blooms and summer gardens, full of color. While you are ready, hoe cleaned starter seeds and cups waiting, do you really know the meanings behind the blooms you plan to create? One fun part of gardening is learning the Victorian meanings assigned to the different blooms. Whether you grow them or send them as gifts, flowers speak to everyone, crossing borders and language barriers.

    Amaryllis mean splendid beauty, asters mean patience, carnations are for pride and beauty, daffodils are for chivalry, freesia for innocence, gladiolas for strength of character, heather is for admiration , hydrangeas mean heartfelt, lilacs for youthful innocence and lilies for majesty. Orchids are for belles, peonies for bashful, roses for love, snapdragons for passion, sun flowers for pure thought, and tulips as a declaration of love. Want to know more? Look on the Internet or at your local library for the meanings associated with annuals and perennials found all over the Champlain Valley each spring and summer.

    Now before you get worried or too serious, relax and know there is something out there for everyone. At present there are over 260,000 flowers on the planet. Some start from seeds and others from bulbs, but all bring joy to the gardener and the passer by. We all know the benefits of being outdoors and working the soil. Blood pressure goes down, anxieties fade away and people focus on the simple beauty of nature. Even a small piece of land, a corner or a patch of ground can be converted to a patch of color, beauty and personal expression. While planning your garden spot, find out which plants are best suited to your climate and amount of rain, sun or shade. As gardener H. Fred Ale commented, “My green thumb came only as a result of the mistakes I made while learning to see things from the plant's point of view.” And remember, “No two gardens are the same.  No two days are the same in one garden.”

    Battle lines are drawn, and the snow is receding. Soon the troops will go forth and the secret plans will be secrets no more. See you in the garden!

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