Freedom and Flowers

Happy 4th of July!

Happy Birthday to our nation......... it is still one of the greatest countries on earth, even though we seem to be on a slippery downward slope. I don't think we truly appreciate the freedoms that we have in America.


To grace the day, I picked a bouquet of peonies and astranties from my garden.









I planted this peony several years ago, but this is my first year to have more than one or two blooms. I like them! I may need to plant other colors.




The identification tag for this plant reads astrantie rubra. Rubra means red. The picture on the tag shows flowers that are a dark maroon-red color. I think they mislabeled the pot. Most likely it should be called astrantie blanca. Then it would indeed be a primarily white flower. They do indeed have red in the centers, which makes for a very pretty contrast.






On closer inspection, one can even see red stripes on the white pedals. Perhaps is should be called astrantie blanca con rubra.












I think the astrantie is very appropriate for a 4th of July bouquet. Don't you think it looks like a firework exploding in the sky?


Freedom has its life in the hearts, the actions, the spirit of men and so it must be daily earned and refreshed - else like a flower cut from its life-giving roots, it will wither and die. ~Dwight D. Eisenhower