| June 21, 2004 Things have been too hectic to garden much. :( The nasturtiums are in full throttle, and everything that was blooming still is (except for the iris). The two roses I moved this spring and thought I might have killed are even blooming. I've even eaten three strawberries. The snapdragons are barely blooming�kinda spent-looking after our hard rain. The rain brought a good surprise though. Some of my primroses started blooming again (mostly white ones). Aphids have attacked again; the two moved roses were infected last weekend, so hubby sprayed everything.. I started a compost bin out of an old garbage can that hubby drilled holes in. On Friday, I purchased a larger pot of multi-color snapdragons ($1.99 at Rodger's), as well as a "Frosty Fire" Dianthus ($4.99 at Rodgers), and a Blue Crown Passion Plant ($9.99 at Rodgers). I planted everything but the Passion plant, in the front bed. I also planted some violets mom gave me from her yard. I'm debating three places for the passion plant: on the same trellis as my evergreen clematis, on a new trellis in the side bed, next to a tree, or in the back, on the garden shed. The trouble with the last choice is that the garden shed isn't up yet. The possible problem with the first choice is that both plants are evergreen, and I'm worried they'll take over too strongly. I had never seen or heard of a Passion Plant before, but when mom and I were at Roger's, she saw one and told me they used to have one at the convent. She explained that each portion of the flower had a symbol related to the gospels�although she couldn't remember exactly how it went. Since then, I've discovered several website that explain the symbolism; it's kinda neat: Apparently, when the plant was seen by Christian missionaries in the 17th century, they used it to help teach the gospels. The spiraled tendrils were said to symbolize the whips used in Christ's scourging. The central flower column, the pillar used in the scourging. The 72 radial filaments, Jesus' Crown of Thorns. The stigma, the nails. The lower anthers, wounds. The style, the Sponge used to moisten Jesus' lips. The round fruit, the world, which Jesus came to save. |
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| Above: Nasturtiums, June 20, 2004. Below: Passion Plant |