From “The Honourable and Imperial Flower” in Chrysanthemum (Botanical) by Twigs Way:
“Asia forms the heartland of the wild chrysanthemum, with China the centre of diversity…. In addition to being prized for its beauty, the chrysanthemum was incorporated into the very heart of Chinese culture, in literature, religion and the very rhythm of the seasons, with festivals and traditions linked to their flowering….
“Unlike the relatively simple and largely romanticized ‘language of flowers’ of the West, in China the meaning of individual plants is overlaid not only with historical and cultural association and religious symbolism, but with philosophical attributes associated with flower shape, colour, flowering time and growth habit. In Chinese culture plants may also be combined to make favourable or auspicious groupings; for example the pine, bamboo and plum combine to make the ‘Three Friends of Winter’, or suihan sanyou, and represent longevity and perseverance, which in turn are virtues attached to the ‘gentleman scholar’….
“When the chrysanthemum, bamboo, plum blossom and orchid are combined they are collectively referred to as the ‘Four Gentlemen’ or ‘Four Noblemen’. In this guise they represent the four seasons and the unfolding nature of the year from autumn to winter through spring and summer. This in turn represents the passage through life and its cyclical return.”
From “At the Moment” in The Cranes are Flying by Joan P. Hudson:
At the moment a wind
snow is biting the skin.
A dim sun with a ring
around it is slightly shining.
A patch of snow is melting
and growing smaller and
smaller every few days.
Tiny brown sparrows
being flushed from the trees.
No wish from you on this day.
Only a red chrysanthemum
staying ablaze in a cup of water
carefully refilled time after time….
Hello!
This is the second of four posts featuring photographs of mums and daisies from Oakland Cemetery’s gardens, that I took in late November and early December. The first post is Red Mums and Daisies (1 of 4).
Big Weather is threatening us with another snowstorm, “storm” being a bit relative here since a southeastern snowstorm is any amount of snow over a dusting from flurries. I think this one’s less likely than the last one (which I also thought was unlikely — surprise!), and I’m right at the predicted dividing line between snow and not-snow, so I may or may not see any. Even so, it’s much colder than a typical late January — with temps barely creeping up to freezing — so I’m glad to have some warm and fiery red flowers to work on and share.
Thanks for taking a look!
