It is iris season. The iris is my favorite flower. My favorite color is purple but the iris comes in many colors and shades. So far the color red has not been successfully developed in this genus. It has been attempted; beginning in the middle ages with the Medici family. But the iris has a much longer history than that.
The word iris is Greek. The Greek goddess Iris was a messenger from heaven to earth. In her time a purple iris was placed on the graves of women to assist them on their journey. The original meaning of iris was rainbow. Today deeper meanings are ascribed to it; Faith, Hope and Wisdom.
The iris is an emblem for the city of New Orleans. It is the national symbol of France. It appears on the Quebec flag and on the Brussels-Capital Region flag. The sorority Kappa Kappa Gamma uses the iris as it's symbol. It is the state flower of Tennessee.
Partsof the iris are used to make perfume. It's essential oil is used in aroma therapy as a sedative.
Vincent Van Gogh has painted many pictures of the iris. The stately beauty of the iris is what holds our attention. I wish I could capture the flower's beauty in a haiku,but I cannot write a worthy haiku for such a worthy flower. I like this one by Margarita Engle.
iris season
each plant has its own
shade of purple.
Getting physical
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Training sessions have been going really well these past few weeks. I
swim, lift, and run on my own (or with the masters swim team) during the
week, and o...
12 years ago
1 comment:
Thanks for these delightful facts about irises, Honor. They're blooming like crazy here ... now, I have some background info to help me appreciate the flower even more. :)
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