A nosegay to say….

A nosegay to say….

I love this time of year when so many favourite flowers are in bloom and the air is filled with their heady scents. Although I love all plants I have always been drawn to those that have a particular function. The first thing I did once I got my own tiny patch of garden was to plant herbs, and I have kept that up ever since. From cooking, to scenting to health and wellbeing, herbs have it all.

Another function I enjoy in plants is their symbolism and meaning. A few years ago this led me to do some research on nosegays.

A nosegay is a posy of aromatic herbs and flowers that dates back to the sixteenth century. Originally these were a necessity for ladies, carrying them through the streets to disguise all unpleasant smells and protecting  from plague and disease. Although they were created for aromatic and disinfectant purpose they soon became fashionable for a very different reason… the symbolic meaning of each plant contained within the nosegay. Suddenly a functional bouquet can become a personal and charming gift.

I have made many nosegays for friends and family over the years, often picking a theme and including the appropriate plants… maybe a gift for a friend who has been ill, containing herbs symbolising protection, health and a speedy recovery; or an array for the arrival of a new baby… containing wishes and virtues to bestow upon the infant.

This is what I found in my garden and nearby hedgerow
This is what I found in my garden and nearby hedgerow

 

 

Today I was drawn into the garden once more, the scents of herbs and flowers were just bursting into the Summer air.

 

So I gathered so many favourites, like a child in a sweet shop, unable to show restraint… I chose every plant I could think of, and I have compiled them into a very big bouquet as a virtual gift for all you lovely readers.

 

 

 

This one is for you…

 

A nosegay to say...
A nosegay to say…

 

I wish I could send all the lovely scents with this virtual bouquet but instead I will wish you all the virtues it bestows. As a thank you for reading, sharing, commenting and letting me know that you really do like what I write…

This nosegay brings you...
This nosegay brings you…
Just a thought – "a fistful of love!"

Just a thought – "a fistful of love!"

A rose can say ‘I love you’, orchids can enthrall, but a weed bouquet in a small chubby fist, – that says it all.” -Author Unknown

I heard this saying recently and it came to mind again today as I strolled home in the beautiful sunshine with my little three year old. We were admiring some flowers in the hedgerow and my little companion decided he would like to bring some flowers home for his convalescing daddy. After the delay of Summer in this Country it is uplifting to see all these little bursts of colour emerging in the hedgerow. It is amazing how many different flowers we came across on our slow half mile walk home from playschool!

 

This little fistful includes dandelion, buttercup, daisy, herb roberts, forget-me-not, speed well, scarlet pimpernel, vetch and horsetails. Anyone who has been following my blogs will be aware of my loose definition of a weed and my delight in all these little hedgerow friends.

We often look to the exotic and rare in the pursuit of beauty but if we take a moment to bend our heads and look into our local hedgerows and grassy verges we can find an abundance of beauty in the common, local and tiny plants that grow there.

Many of these plants held symbolic and medicinal value to our ancestors, perhaps I will explore these lores and legends a little further in individual blogs about some of these little delights, what do you think? If you have an opinion, a suggestion or some information to share on the topic please drop me a note in the comments below!

Just a thought…