Dandelion – Eutrapelia and Mary & Martha
The first flower a child will give to his mother is often a dandelion and the mother accepts it for what it is: a gift of love. She doesn’t care that the flower is technically a weed, she’s happy to receive any gift from her child. Eutrapelia is the same way; it means accepting and enjoying the good things in your life without criticism or judgment.
.
.
Morning Glory – Friendliness and Ruth & Naomi
The Morning Glory is the first flower to greet you in the morning and one of the best ways to be friendly is to greet your neighbors with a happy “Good Morning,” such a thoughtful act can be the best way for you, and your neighbors, to start a day with a cheerful attitude.
.
.
.
Black Eyed Susan – Initiative and St. Margaret of Scotland
The Black Eyed Susan is a pioneer plant, if an area is wasted by a fire or another type of disaster, the Black Eyed Susan is one of the first plants to grow in the barren area. Similarly initiative asks that we provide for the needs we see in our communities. Rachel Watkins has a special devotion to St. Margaret of Scotland and the Black Eyed Susan is the state flower of Maryland where she lives.
.
.
Cranberry – Orderliness and St. Zita
The process of growing and harvesting cranberries has many steps that must be followed in exact order at the proper time of year. Cranberry growers must be very attentive to their crops and demonstrate order if they want to have a good harvest.
.
.
.
Amaryllis – Self-Control and St. Felicity & her 7 sons
Like Self-Control, which asks that we keep to ourselves in certain times and places, amaryllises keep to themselves. They are very dense flowers, one stalk can have several blossoms and they grow very closely around each other.
.
.
Mum – Responsibility and St. Anne
Mums are a very hardy flower, their blossoms last for weeks and so are used in many types of bouquets and decorative arrangements, especially in the autumn. You can rely on mums to appear just about anywhere and responsibility and reliability go hand-in-hand.
.
.
.
Lily of the Valley – Patience and St. Bathildis
The lily of the valley is a tiny, often unnoticed flower with a very sweet scent; being patient isn’t something that’s very noticeable but it fills a room with a sweet attitude of peace and joy. Legend also tells us that when Mary cried at Calvary lilies of the valley bloomed where her tears fell and we know that Our Lady is so patient with us in our sinfulness.
.
.
.
Blue Phlox – Cheerfulness and Our Lady
Blue phlox is a flower traditionally included in Mary Gardens; they attract hummingbirds and hummingbird moths and add a cheerful beauty wherever they grow.
.
.
Hyacinth – Fortitude and St. Julie Billiart
There is a wedding tradition that the Bride should receive four gifts: something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue. Blue hyacinths are often used as the “something blue” because they represent fidelity and constancy. Fortitude asks that we are faithful and loyal to God in the face of difficulty.