No matter where you live, I hope something is blooming in your garden. By August, gardens in Houston are struggling in the heat, but I am happy to report that my roses and lavender are alive and well! I buy big heads of white hydrangea because I love the way they look in dining room arrangements. And sunflowers, found at the farmers’ markets, look summery and fun in a pitcher out by the pool.

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I thought it might be fun to look at the meaning and symbolism of a few of my favorites!! Flowers say so much; but here’s a bit about what they are really saying!!

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 Roses / you were born in June / it’s your 15^th wedding anniversary flower

Deep love, concentration, intelligence, balance, and passion. Honor, devotion and intense commitment, so give roses only when you are serious about your intentions! Each color rose offers a distinct meaning.

Yellow roses: joy, protection against envious lovers, mature love. Pink roses: first love, innocence, healing. White roses: purity, sanctity, secret admirer, mysticism. Red roses: sacrifice, immortal love, health, memorial, passion.

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Lilies / you were born in May / it’s your 30^th wedding anniversary flower

White lilies symbolize chastity and virtue. Lilies of the valley are the second wedding anniversary flower. These are a favorite because of those irresistible, bell-shaped blooms!!

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Peonies / it’s your 12^th wedding anniversary flower

Peonies are known as the flower of riches and honor. With their lush, full, rounded bloom, peonies embody romance and prosperity and are regarded as an omen of good fortune and a happy marriage!

Tulips / it’s your 11th wedding anniversary flower

It is said that the tulip’s velvety black center represents a lover’s heart, darkened by the heat of passion. Because tulips seek out the best angle for light, they are a symbol of opportunity, adjustment, advancement, and aspiration.

They are commonly thought to represent attainment of spiritual awareness. Tulips are symbolic of resurrection and determination. They are probably gone from your garden this Spring, so here’s another look at tulips in abundance!

 Found on etsy.com

Lavender

Lavender flowers are really tiny purple florets on a slender, elegant stem. They are valued for their soothing, herbaceous fragrance, their healing properties, their multitude of uses and their physical beauty.

There are at least 28 species of lavender plants that produce flowers having slightly different appearances and fragrances. In the language of flowers, lavender flowers denote purity, silence, devotion and caution.

Sunflowers / it’s your 3^rd wedding anniversary flower

The way they move to meet the sun makes them a flower of spiritual attainment, flexibility, and opportunity. They are also symbolic of good luck, wealth and ambition. The Inca Empire worshiped the giant sunflower; priestesses wore large sunflower disks made of gold on their garments.

Speaking of wearing sunflowers: This is my sweet Mom age four in a ballet costume at one of her recitals. She wears the sunflower well!

Sure hope the sun shines on you and your gardens today!