Mistletoe…the Kiss of Death?

Myth has it that mistletoe - a toxic parasite - underwent a PR promotion of epic proportions to turn it into the symbol of love and stolen kisses it has become today. Most of us have heard of Thor from Norse mythology; that hammer wielding god of thunder, storms, trees and other things. Fewer have…

Five Fast Daffodil Facts and Folklore

Daffodils have become synonymous with April and Cancer awareness month, but they are actually the official birth flower of March.  Given optimum growing conditions, a field of daffodils can rebloom for 50 years before needing rejuvenation.  Daffodils are the official national flower of Wales. Spotting the first daffodil of the season while in Wales is…

Yarrow in the Herb Garden

Achilleas millefolium's flat white blossoms with their multitude of tiny, perfect flowers and silver-green feathery foliage are a familiar sight in the ditches and fields of Canada. Sadly, as familiarity breeds contempt, the lowly white yarrow is too often denied its rightful place in the herb garden. Yarrow gets its Latin name from Achilles, the…

Herb Strewer an Ancient Occupation

If you’ve never heard of Herb Strewers as an occupation, it is likely because the job has been obsolete for almost two hundred years. And that’s a shame. Well, sort of. While the image of making a living strewing herbs is alluring, especially for us garden types, the necessity of the occupation was a little…

A Parable On Acceptance

A loosely translated parable attributed to the Sufi tradition.

Distrust Lavender

In The Language of Flowers lavender means distrust. Find out why.