Flowers grace the hours of summer

I’m taking a watercolor painting course, and the homework assignment from the last class is to observe the flowers growing in our world. As we’ll be painting flowers next lesson, we are to notice the different colors, what colors look well together and what draws our attention to certain flowers. 

While driving around Lovell doing my homework, I was delighted by the flowers on display – in the hanging pots and planters lining our Main Street to the lovely rose gardens maintained by the community to the diverse variety of flowers in private gardens. 

Here’s a shout out to the Lovell residents who take the time, and put in the effort, to grow the flowers that bring beauty and joy into our summertime days. 

What flowers attracted me the most? The hollyhocks. These splendid flowers seem to be in full bloom right now. And they grace a lot of gardens in Lovell. Some houses have hollyhocks growing along a fence line. Some have them along one side of the house. But the displays that are truly fantastic are when they surround the whole house. You know what I mean; you’ve seen them, too, and they’re startling. Huge blossoms. Vibrant colors. From white to shades of pink to red, to purple. If you don’t get a burst of happiness when you see hollyhocks, you’re having a bad day.

I did some research to find out more about these showcase flowers. Hollyhocks are among the world’s oldest cultivated flowers. They’re so adaptable and forgiving to gardeners, it’s said that if you have soil, any soil, you can grow hollyhocks. 

Their origins date back about 2000 years to East Asia, specifically China and Japan, where they symbolized fertility and ambition. The plant spread west along trade routes to the Middle East, where they were discovered by English travelers. By the 10th century, hollyhocks became a staple of English cottage gardens. Their popularity spread all over Europe and, eventually, our ancestors brought hollyhocks to America. 

Historical lore suggests that the name derives from the Holy Land, during the Holy Wars at the time of the Crusades. Hollyhocks have medicinal qualities and were used to make a salve to heal the hind legs, or hocks, of the Crusaders’ horses. Hence, holy hocks. As a side note, hollyhocks are non-toxic to horses, dogs and cats – in case you are inspired to plant some.

If hollyhocks hold special memories for you of gardens past or present, you will enjoy reading the poem “Hollyhocks-Hollyhocks” by English poet Edgar Albert Guest.

Flowers are here to enchant us with their fragrance and their beauty. As you travel around Lovell, around Wyoming, around America, or around the world this summer, be aware of them, and succumb to their magic.

Now ponder this: “People from a planet without flowers would think we must be mad with joy the whole time to have such things about us.” – Iris Murdoch; “If we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly, our whole life would change.” – Buddha