Identifying Flowers for History’s Sake
If you didn’t enjoy history class when you were in school it could be because you’re more of a “hands on” learner. If you’re a gardener, that’s almost certainly the case! So why not use your love of digging and growing to help someone else find a way to be interested in history by introducing heirloom flowers into your garden this spring. Use markers for identifying flowers and make a stroll through your garden akin to a stroll through history.
Why Heirloom Flowers?
Heirloom flowers provide a way to gain a connection with the gardeners who came before you. Some heirloom flowers go back to ancient civilizations. How incredible is it that you can plant a flower seed or bulb that is directly connected to those put in the ground by an Aztec gardener, for instance? Or the same tulips that graced the White House Rose Garden or tuberoses that adorned the famed walks of Versailles?
Planting heirlooms also helps keep these wonderful flowers alive and vital. Sadly, many heirloom flowers have faded from the scene over the years. These heritage plants are not re-created by synthetic means. They need to be planted in the earth by human hands in order to survive. Planting and identifying flowers from bygone years is a way to preserve history.
What are Some Good Choices?
If you are a spring gardener you could try some heritage gladiolus, dahlia, daylilies or iris flowers. These flowers are all hardy and fairly easy to grow. They also provide some fun background stories.
Dahlias: Dahlias come in fabulous colors and continue putting on a show even after other summer flowers start to fade. They look great in cut flower arrangements and the good news is that the more you cut, the more you’ll grow. These dazzlers were grown by the Aztecs and first introduced to Europe in 1789. They became popular in American around 1840.
Gladiolus: These tall, striking flowers were favorites of Victorian gardeners. Impressionist painter Claude Monet found them enchanting. The blooms are long-lived even after cutting and are true drama queens wherever they’re found.
Tuberoses: The tuberose hails from sunny Mexico and this flower likes it hot! You may have to start this one indoors if you live up North, but the heady fragrance you’ll be breathing by late summer will be well worth the added effort. These flowers are favorites with perfumers.
You can also find heirloom seeds for beauties like the tall larkspur, China aster, prickly poppy and tickseed sunflower just to name a few. Choose flowers loved by famous poets (think Emily Dickinson) or famous presidents (think Thomas Jefferson). You can choose your heirloom flowers for their color, country of origin or the people in history who enjoyed them. It’s all up to you.
At Kincaid Plant Markers we enjoy helping gardeners make history year after year. We make the markers used for identifying flowers in professional gardens and in home gardens just like yours. We hope you’ll enjoy combining history past and present this year by planting at least one heirloom bloom. Then enjoy sharing history with someone else in your garden.
