#rosa great maiden's blush

[floreale-clm-cir]

Cuisse de Nymphe

By Clémentine Circaetis (flora&fauna blog)  / (surreal blog)

[ijustdragon]

A Flower a Day

Today we will be looking at, Rose

Rose (Rosa) (Wiccan)

“There are many varieties of roses. The wild forms have five petals and are usually white to pink. They grow in a bushy habit and have thorns and oval-shaped serrated leaves. Cultivated varieties usually have double blooms, may be bushy, sprawling or climbing. Roses have been cultivated for over 5,000 years. There are 150 natural named species worldwide and thousands more cultivars. The Chinese were the first to cultivate roses and begin hybridizing them. In the Iliad, Homer mentions that Hector’s body was anointed with rose oil after he was killed by Achilles. The Greek poet Anacreon says that the foam that dripped from the body of Aphrodite when she emerged from the sea turned into white roses, later, when she is mourning over the body of her lover Adonis, her tears turn a white rose red. Roses are also associated with Eros, another Greek love God. Sappho called the rose the Queen of the Flowers. Roses were also important to the Romans. Large public rose gardens were established by the nobility. Both Horace and Pliny wrote advice on the proper growing of roses. They were used as for medicine, fragrance and as confetti at celebrations. In Roman mythology, roses are associated with Flora, Bacchus, Vertumnus, Hymen, Venus and Cupid. Roman brides and grooms were crowned with roses and they were scattered at the feet of the victorious. In Christian folklore, the red rose has symbolized the blood and suffering of Christ, the five petals representing his five wounds. Roses have also been used to represent Mary and the purity and motherhood associated with her. In Muslim folklore, one of Muhammed’s wives was accused of adultery. He gave her a bouquet of red roses and told her to throw them into a pool. They turned yellow, indicating her guilt. Another story says that the first rose came a drop of sweat from Muhammed’s brow. In Jewish folklore, a man once accused a woman of a crime in retribution for refusing his advances. She was to be burned at the stake. Miraculously, the fire does not kill her but killed him. From his ashes red roses grow, symbolizing his treachery. From the ashes at her feet grow white roses, symbolizing her innocence. In England, if a petal falls as a rose is being cut, bad luck is sure to follow! In Italy, only rosebuds, or partially closed roses may be given as gifts. To give a fully open rose to another marks them for death!”  -The Witchipedia

“ Roses are associated with Aphrodite, Adonis and Eros. Rosewater is a protective agent worn on clothes. Rose petals can be added to charms against the evil eye. White roses worn at weddings will bring happiness and security to the couple. Roses are used traditionally in love spells. It is great in incense and potpourri. Thorns can be used to mark wax figures. Rosehips can be carried for general good luck or strung like beads for luck in love. Rose hips can also be used as offerings to encourage friendly spirits to take up residence.” -The Witchipedia

“ Zodiac Sign: Taurus Planet: Venus Element: Water Gender: feminine” - The Witchipedia

“ Rose petals can be eaten on salads, in sandwiches or made into tea or jam. Rose hips also make wonderful jellies and a delicious tea and are high in vitamin C. The leaves can also be made into tea. Roses look great in dried or fresh arrangements and they smell great. Excellent for potpourri. Dab a drop of rose oil on all your light bulbs to keep your house smelling sweet. Rose hips can be strung on a string and used as garland.” -The Witchipedia

 “Essential Oils- Relieves pain, uplifts mood, anti-inflammatory, aids in healing skin.” -The Good Witches Guide by Shawn Robbins and Charity Bedell

“Medical Uses- The best roses for medicinal use are fragrant and deep red or cabbage roses. A tincture is used for a weak stomach and for haemorrhaging. 1 pint boiling water to 1 ounce of rose petals. Add 15 drops of oil of vitriol and 1/2 cup sugar. Stir till sugar is dissolved and the mixture is nice and red. Strain. Take three or four spoonful's daily. Rose flavoured honey is good for coughs and sore throats. Rose honey can be made by pounding the fresh petals and boiling them with honey. Rose vinegar is good for headaches caused by being out in the sun too long. Steep the petals in the vinegar for several days, do not boil. Apply a cloth wetted with the vinegar to the forehead. Rosewater ointment is good for chapped skin and abrasions. Rosehips, the fruit of the rose, are rich in vitamin C and can be added to healing teas and make a delicious syrup to help the body fight infection.” -The Witchipedia

Rose (florist)

White, A Heart Unacquainted with Love - Pink, Grace - Pale Peach, Modesty - Burgundy, Unconscious Beauty - Moss, Confession of Love - Red, Love - Purple, Enchantment - Orange, Fascination - Yellow, Infidelity

“The rose is the fairest and sweetest of the flowers. Nature seems to have exhausted all her skill in the freshness, the fragrance, the delicate colour and the gracefulness that she has bestowed upon feelings and mingles with our joys and festivities. No wonder it is an emblem for love, the most important and universal of our passions. For centuries, only a handful of varieties were cultivated - the ‘gallica’, the ‘alba’, the musk, damask and the moss or cabbage rose - in delicate pinks, whites and reds. But in the nineteenth century there was an explosion of newcomers, including yellow tea roses from China with their musky scent, and the prolific and highly fragrant Bourbon roses from France via Madagascar. As the century progressed, shades of orange, peach and scarlet were added to the spectrum. The rose has been the emblem for love since the earliest times - the birth of Venus was accompanied by white roses; the medieval poem ‘The Roman of the Rose’ guided the courtly lover to the garden of the rose, where he found paradise - but the Victorians indulged in its symbolism and sentiment like no other, with a repertoire broad enough to express love in all its many guises. The floral language of the rose needed to be carefully studied before any move could be made. The stronger the affection, the deeper the colour to match: a white rose for a young maiden (a pink flush at its heart is her girlish blush) through to crimson for a message of passionate love. Yellow was rarely considered a good colour in the language of flowers, and was used therefor to denote infidelity. In the rose’s budding and blooming is a parallel with the transitory state of a young womanhood and the ephemerality of love itself; so, the tender rosebud for a girl but the full-blown bloom for a woman whose beauty is at its zenith. The path of love from its first stirrings to its mature, sensual pleasures and the end of the affair - all permutations could be covered. From the old moss rose to the newest and best, the rose was never out of place anywhere in Victorian society, whether in the shopkeeper’s back parlour or the smartest country house. It featured in summer bouquets and lavish displays, ballroom posies and Valentine messages. Pale pink moss roses (with their abundance of petals, they were styled ‘the ambassador of love’ and declared one’s passion) and a fringe of forget-me-nots could not fail to touch the heart. But if love needed a gentle nudge, then a stroll in a rose garden in June might inflame the passions. The advice of the July 1835 ‘Literary Treasury of Science and Art’ was to wait until Midsummer’s Eve and walk backwards into the rose garden and pick a rose; store it in a clean sheet of paper until Christmas Day, which would keep it as fresh as in June; then place it in the bosom; whoever removed it was certain to propose. In Thomas Hardy’s ‘Tess of the D’Urbervilles, the maidenly Tess decorates herself with roses, unaware that she has caused a stir. ‘She became aware of the spectacle she presented to their surprised vision: roses at her breast; roses in her hat; roses and strawberries in her basket to the brim.’ She quietly removes them and, in doing so, a stray thorn pricks her chin, a classic ill omen.” -The Language of Flowers by Mandy Kirkby

(Note: This being said, if you are suffering from a condition or are in pain please consult a doctor or mental health professional.)

[starkatana]

Sexy Shoulders

Summary:

In high school, Lynn is wearing a dress, but the shoulders are cut out, and the teacher calls her out for it.

Lynn x Castiel

Inspiration:

My boyfriend is VERY into TikToks recently and he sent me this one by Daniel Spenccer (@dandanbam) where it’s a “Jane Austen Novels in 2019” lost my mind thought it was hilarious. So, during a conversation in the story, it was sort of based off how “dramatic” Daniel Spencer was acting in the video.

Check out the TikTok below:

https://www.tiktok.com/@danbanbam/video/6736296607324589317?region=JP&enter_from=h5_m&langCountry=en

Enjoy my midnight drabble!

Lynn is sitting in her desk talking with Iris and her friends while waiting for class to start. While Castiel was sitting in the back working on some song lyrics that Lysander had given him before class started.

“That dress is super cute.” Iris said.

“Thanks! I found it on clearance!” Lynn cheered happy with her bargain find.

When the bell rings, and everyone settles down, taking their seats. 

“Ahem,” the teacher didn’t move from their desk as they cleared their throat, “Lynn.”

“Yes?” she turned her head towards the teacher.

“What are you wearing?”

“A dress?”

The teacher makes a gesture to her shoulder's referring to Lynn's bare shoulders.

“It has sleeves? And it’s a turtle neck? And,” Lynn stood up from her desk, “It’s literally a hand above my knee? I’m wearing stockings underneath, and we’re still concerned with my shoulders?”

“It’s the dress code.”

Lynn rolled her eyes. “I’m aware of what the dress code is. I rewrote the student handbook.”

“And as Vice President of the Student Council, I expect you to follow the rules.”

Lynn sighed, took her hair down to cover her shoulders.

“OH, NO! NOT HER SHOULDERS!”

Everyone looked over to the back of the classroom where Castiel was standing with his arms spread out. Everyone thinking that it is very unlike Castiel to make a scene.

“Castiel.” The teacher said.

“Her shoulders! So distracting!” He yelled, sarcastically.

“Young man.”

“How can I contain myself around the shoulders of a young maiden?!”

People chuckle in class.

“I would never be able to control myself around her revealing shoulders.”

“Please take-“ the teacher tried to say.

“Her shoulders are so distracting from my education!”

“Take your seat.”

“How could I?! LYNN! Showing off your body like that! How could you?” He dramatically throws his head back “you know shoulders are every mans weakness!~”

Lynn rolled her eyes and gave him a fed up with you smirk. Cas made his way over to her desk and gave her his jacket “Cover yourself up.” he said sarcastically while looking away appalled and going back to his seat.

Lynn puts the jacket on and puts her hair back up.

Everyone looked at the teacher expectingly. “Well. I guess we can start class now.”

“But wait!” Cas stood back up. “Lynn!” he looks over at her. “How could you do this to me?!”

She gets up. “I’m sorry Castiel I just couldn’t help myself could you ever forgive me!?”

“How could I? If you choose to be so loose with yourself! Showing off your shoulders! For all, I know your next choice is showing off your ankles!”

The class laughs.

“Oh, please, Castiel!” Lynn was dramatic, matching her energy with his. “Please forgive my lack of judgment! For I am but a silly woman.”

“Will you two please sit down before I give you both detention.”

Cas chuckles and takes a seat as Lynn does the same and the rest of the day she wears his black leather jacket as he walks around in his band tee.

Later at lunch:

“I heard about your acting in class today.” Rosa teased elbowing Cas in the arm.

Iris laughed, “It was great! And no one got detention!”

“What happened?” Lysander asked.

“The teacher called out my shoulders as a distraction.” Lynn rolled her eyes.

“Yeah, so she decided to waste everyone’s class time to call you out.” Castiel shook his head.

“In the teacher’s defense, they are very nice shoulders.” Rosa joked.

“Ah.” Lysander nodded, “I was wondering why Lynn was wearing Castiel’s jacket. It’s not like him to cover you up like that.”

“I am just a loose woman.” Lynn teased giving Castiel a nudge.

“Looks cute.” Rosa leans over the table winking at you and Castiel, “Now everyone knows that your Castiel’s babe.”

Lynn looks up at Cas, who shakes his head with a sly smile and blush on his cheeks, “Shut up.”

---

Author’s note!

So, the shoulder cut in clothes trend happened after I graduated from high school, can someone please tell me what happened if you wore something like this? Like did people make you cover-up? Because to me, this looks very modest, so please inform me of the consequences if you wore something like this to school!

[hortascountrysidenotes]

Monarda Fireball

Rosas Sweet Juliet, Irene Watts (grows well in pots) and Great Maidens Blush

Lilium regale with Lupin the Governor 

Stipa tenuissima

Scouts little charge for the weekend peeping over the tail gate

[reddirtramblings]

Before settlers crossed the Mississippi River and literally ran for 160-acre plots in one of several Oklahoma land runs in the late 1800s, much of the territory’s western half was covered in mixed prairie grasses.  In what became Oklahoma Territory, the Osage, Cheyenne, Arapaho, Kiowa, Comanche and Apache tribes hunted bison and other animals. Oklahoma’s diverse landscape, including its glorious grasses, made such hunting possible because prairie and forest plants provided cover and forage for animals like bison, elk, bear, rabbits, squirrels, turkeys, and white-tailed deer. On the eastern side of Indian Territory, the land was wooded with blackjack oaks, eastern cottonwoods, post and pin oaks, and many other tree species. Being rocky and hard to develop, much of it is still very wooded today.

1892 Map of Oklahoma and Indian Territories courtesy of the Library of Congress.

I live at the junction between the prairie and the forest in what is now Logan County, a green section at the center of the map above. Each day, I wake up grateful that I own 7.5 acres of land where I continue to work in a garden that’s become a pollinator and bird habitat. Lizards, snakes and frogs like it too. It’s always a work in progress, and that’s what makes gardening such a fascinating hobby. You never run out of things to learn.

And, one thing I’ve learned over the last ten years is that glorious grasses help me build my own little corner of the prairie.

[Click on photos in the galleries to make them larger.]

Grasses and other plants in my garden midsummer of 2013. It looks similar now, but the chairs are painted purple. I could no longer find French blue paint.

Pennisetum purpureum ‘Fireworks’ with Phlox paniculata ‘Bright Eyes’ behind. See how great they go with my purple chairs?

Tallgrass prairie once covered 14 states throughout the central part of the United States.  On November 12, 1996, the Nature Conservancy purchased the Chapman-Barnard Ranch covering 29,000 acres near Pawhuska, Oklahoma. This purchase helped form what is now the 39,650 acres of the Joseph H. Williams Tallgrass Prairie Preserve near Pawhuska, Oklahoma, once part of the Cherokee Outlet and the Osage lands in the above map and stretching into southern Kansas.

Bill and I have visited the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve numerous times in various seasons. It is a source of respite and inspiration to me in my own garden. I especially notice this In late summer and early fall. Grasses that have been providing background support for the rest of our landscape now take center stage. Ornamental grasses are at their full height and sport fully-formed seedheads. The prairie is a thing of true beauty in any season, but in fall, it is magical. Ornamental grasses breathe life into a garden. Let them breathe life into yours.

Good old Miscanthus sinensis, maiden grass in my garden. It is next to Blush Knockout rose. Although M. sinensis is invasive in some parts of the U.S., it has never moved from this spot in my garden. I also use ‘Adagio’ in another spot.

How can you replicate some of the tallgrass prairie for your home? One way is by strategically planting grasses. Although the Great American Prairie is composed of a multitude of plants, grasses are its living backbone providing structure for three seasons out of the year. The only time ornamental grasses don’t look good is in late winter/early spring when just cut back. However, the plants surrounding them will shelter grasses until they begin to grow. Grasses are relatively unobtrusive unless you have an entire row of a particular grass as I do with my pink muhly grass.

Muhlenbergia capillaris ‘Lenca’ Regal Mist, pink muhly grass, with Salvia leucantha, Mexican bush sage peeking through.

Even then, the grasses don’t look bad. They just don’t look like anything.

Bouteloua gracilis ‘Blonde Ambition’ blue grama grass. I grow it in pure gravel, and only water it occasionally in summer.

Many varieties of grass are simple to grow. In fact, in some climates, they can be invasive, but we haven’t seen that in Oklahoma. You can grow many by seed, or by purchasing container grown plants in the spring or fall. Although I have grown some by seed, I prefer to buy plants to get things more quickly established. Some of the ones I grow are native. Others are not. I tend to choose grasses based upon what I need in a particular space. I then surround them with other prairie plants attractive to pollinators and birds. Although I still love roses and grow them, Rose Rosette Disease wiped out many of my rose shrubs. I will never plant a rose in the same spot for a variety of reasons, and I’ve found grasses are wonderful for rose replacement although I’ve also planted numerous fruiting shrubs for the birds too.

Grasses require some garden work, but it isn’t onerous.

Pennisetum alopecuroides ‘Ginger Love’ is a dwarf fountain grass that I love more than ‘Hameln,’ although I grow ‘Hameln’ too.

Grasses come is many different heights. Among the shortest are Pennisetum alopecuroides ‘Hameln’ and ‘Ginger Love’ dwarf fountain grasses. I love these small grasses for the front of the garden bed. In fact, I bought two more one-gallon containers of ‘Hameln,’ and I’ve planted them in the front of the garage border. Schizachyrium scoparium ‘Standing Ovation’ is a shorter little bluestem grass. I have trouble growing bluestem grasses, tall or small, in my garden probably because I water more than they like. I use drip irrigation, but I also have years like this one where Oklahoma received tons of rain. Bluestem grasses do not like too much rain or enriched soils. I have both at various times. I also can’t grow Festuca glauca ‘Elijah Blue’ fescue.

No one can grow everything, and that’s okay.

Panicum virgatum ‘Northwind’ up close. See all those shades of yellow?

P. virgatum ‘Northwind’ turning bright yellow.

P. virgatum ‘Heavy Metal’ with a crapemyrtle behind.

I have tremendous success with the native switchgrasses, and I grow several from tall ‘Northwind’ to the shorter ‘Heavy Metal’ and ‘Cheyenne Skies.’ At eight or nine feet, ‘Cloud Nine’ is one of the tallest switchgrasses available. At the present time, panicums are probably my favorite grasses. They’ve performed so well in the garden that I’ve been able to split them several times. All of the switchgrasses turn beautiful colors in the fall with some being more yellow and others more purple. They are perennial.

Rosa ‘September Song’ with P. virgatum ‘Cheyenne Skies’ behind it.

Speaking of purple grasses, for pure theater, I don’t think you can beat Pennisetum purpureum ‘Fireworks.’ I’ve grown this grass in pots on the deck and in the borders for years. I especially love it with coleus and Phlox paniculata ‘Bright Eyes.’ Such a beautiful combination. Purple fountain grass is not perennial in Zone 7, but also check out ‘Princess Caroline’ for a large focal point.

Pennisetum purpureum ‘Fireworks’ with Phlox paniculata ‘Bright Eyes’ behind. See how great they go with my purple chairs?

Pennisetum purpureum with purple heart and coleus at Bustani Plant Farm.

Another view of ‘Campfire’ coleus and purple fountain grass in the terraces. The trees are still small, but they will get bigger each year eventually providing windbreaks and shade.

The very gorgeous Pennisetum ‘Princess Caroline’ is a showstopper next to Hibiscus ‘Maple Sugar’ and Senorita Blanca® cleome.

Dramatic dark grass at OSU Botanical Gardens. Might be ‘Princess Caroline’ or Vertigo.

If you want a nice tall grass with large plumes, consider Calamagrostis x acutiflora ‘Overdam,’ a variegated selection. If you can’t find ‘Overdam,’ try ‘Karl Foerster.’ I’m growing it along a fenced border in the back garden as a kind of screen. It’s going to take a while to fill in. I like larger grass clumps at the edge of my gardens because they dissuade deer from entering the space. They don’t like the swishing noise or that they cannot see.

Calamagrostis x acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’ with the very late-blooming and tall  Hemerocallis ‘Autumn Minaret’ daylilies.

  Calamagrostis x acutiflora ‘Overdam.’ In front of the grass is Penstemon smallii ‘Violet Dusk.’ 

I mustn’t forget Mexican feather grass either. Although it is invasive in some climates, it is well-behaved here. I do have to replant it periodically because it tries to die out. I love how the plumes swish with the wind. Is there anything better?

Mexican feather grass and other plants, native and non-native make up a the palette used by Piet Oudolf.

Phlox divaricata, woodland phlox with Mexican feather grass planted in a shallow border. I lined the border with Nassella tenuissima, Mexican feather grass because it softens the concrete.

Nassella tenuissima, Mexican feather grass, planted along the edge of a border softens the concrete blocks.

Side border next to the deck has Tightwad Wad crapemyrtles, Little Lime® and Quick Fire® hydrangeas. There are also daylilies and Mexican feather grass in this border.

Try some glorious grasses in your garden, and you’ll see what I mean.

  Glorious grasses Before settlers crossed the Mississippi River and literally ran for 160-acre plots in one of several Oklahoma land r…