Twists & Turns: Why Do We Love Flowers?

It is certainly time to lay the angry and frightening weather of March behind us and enjoy April in spring! I always look forward to the flowers putting on a special show because flowers uplift not only our gardens, towns and states but our hearts, minds and Spirits as well.

I've been grateful for every single warm, sunny day and the blooms and blossoms everywhere are making my heart soar.

Flowers are certainly beautiful. They highlight important times and are often the centerpieces of events like Mother's Day, Valentine's Day and, of course, weddings. And they can also relieve stress and anxiety when one is ill or hospitalized.

Flowers attract pollinators like bees, butterflies and birds, all creatures that help the planet.

If you want to discourage deer from visiting your garden, you might plant Verbena, Snapdragon or Lamb's Ear. If it's rabbits you want to discourage then plant Lavender, Marigolds and Daffodils.

Rose petals, Nasturtiums, Violets and many other flowers, are safe to use as edible garnishes. Needless to say, one of the most useful and amazing flowers is the Sunflower! Their seeds are edible and they provide cooking oil. Native Americans even cultivated Sunflowers for medicinal purposes. They grow very tall and when they bloom their heads follow the sun, so in the morning they can face East, and in the evening, they can face West. They are an older flower as well, having been around for some 3,000 years.

Recently, my husband Teddy mowed the yard and then, in frustration, stated that he was going to let it all grow up in Dandelions. This is not a totally bad idea because Dandelions, often seen as pesky weeds, are actually highly nutritious. They are rich in vitamins A, C, and K, as well as iron and calcium. The entire plant is edible from the stem to the leaves to the flowers and some people use them in teas and salads.

We don't need to turn to Sunflowers or Dandelions just yet as a food source but, we have a friend who plants about half an acre of Sunflowers each year just for his enjoyment in watching them.

Did you know that the national flower of Japan is the Cherry Blossom? A lot of you probably already knew that, especially if you've been to Washington, DC where, in 1912 Japan gifted America with its wonderful trees as a symbol of friendship between the two countries. Surprisingly, the Japanese have gifted the US again by sending over 250 more cherry trees in 2026 to celebrate America's 250th birthday!

The Jasmine is known as "The Flower of Love" and boy do they smell wonderful. I have some in my yard, and they grow on a vine which has to be trimmed occasionally to keep it manageable. If you don't have Jasmine in your yard you might look into planting some because they are a small white bloom with a very big, sweet odor.

The Lily is a favorite of many. And they come in so many colors and types. From the vicious sounding Tiger Lily to the continual blooming Day Lilies, this is another flower that will always make you smile. And let us not forget the Easter Lily which symbolizes resurrection, purity and hope as Jesus showed us with His own sacrifice.

Do you know where the Tulip came from? Nope, not Holland as you may think. I know this might seem weird, but they were actually first cultivated around the 10th century in what is now Turkey. Later (much later) they made their way to Europe then found their way to the Netherlands.

No one is surprised that the national flower of the United States is the Rose and they date back about 35 million years! Everyone in the world has had plenty of time to come to love them for their beauty and wonderful aroma. People also love to grow them as there are some 300 different species of garden roses and many, many more hybrids for gardeners to enjoy.

My personal favorite flower is the Daffodil. In particular, the Yellow Trumpet. Daffodils come in many different types and colors, and because they grow from a bulb, they are considered perennial and will come back year after year, even multiplying. They were my mom's favorite as well, and she had a lot; particularly planted around every tree. After she passed away, the Magnolia Garden Club asked me if they could dig the bulbs up and replant them in order to have more for Magnolia to enjoy. Of course, I said yes and I believe they are still growing somewhere in Magnolia today.

There is one flower that most people think of as a vegetable. The part of the plant we commonly eat is the head, harvested before it fully blooms. It is comprised of densely packed flower buds. Have you guessed it? Right, its broccoli, the green delight that looks like miniature trees. Perhaps it is the most interesting way for Nature to show us that flowers of all kinds, shapes and colors can provide us with beauty as well as nutritional food.