What do you think of when you see that it is Flower Day?
I may look at it a bit differently than you. I judge flowers on whether they would be a good food source for my animals! The day lilies that bloom in the morning are served for breakfast. Krinkle Spiny-tail iguana always opened his gaping maw to crush the whole daylily flower. The yellow ones were preferred. Rose petals (no pesticides) are sprinkled like croutons. Homegrown carnations and pansies are also enjoyed.
One particular favorite is dandelion flowers. I can throw them to the iguanas and they will leap up and snag them! My neighbors are always willing to allow me to pick their dandelions. “Take as many as you like,” they say. I plant squash that never produce fruit because I harvest the flowers. No need to find good homes for all those extra zucchini.
As you enjoy flowers, remember to ask yourself: “Can I eat this?”
Elaine A. Powers was a biologist before she retired to write children’s books. A magical combination of storytelling and science is the wonderfully illustrated, Grow Home, Little Seeds. A bundle of seeds have grown up together and want to remain close as they head out into the world. But Nature carries them to their own perfect environments to establish roots and grow into the magnificent trees they are each meant to be. They are not far from each other, however, and remain fast forest friends.
Learn about the following trees while sharing their seed-adventures with your favorite little one: the Black Mangrove, the Bromeliad, the Christmas Orchid, the Gumbo Limbo tree, the Lignum Vitae, the Mahogany, the Poisonwood, the Red Mangrove, the Sea Grape, the Shell Orchid, and the Silver Thatch Palm.