November's Chrysanthemums

Calling up the florist to order November's flower has it's challenges. A tongue-tier to pronounce, it is even more difficult to spell.  Chrisanthamums? Crysanthemums?  Crisanthamums?  If you can't remember how to spell Chrysanthemums, just call them Mums!  Everyone else does. The word is from the ancient Greek, Chrys, meaning golden and anethemion, meaning flower.  

The original Mums were golden, or yellow. Centuries later, they're found in deep purple, vibrant red, bright orange, pink, lilac, white and green.  I like the way this blossom (above) looks against the red and blue of my hand painted living room floor!  The zoom effect is courtesy of my computer.  

The misalignment of the typeset is also courtesy of my computer, or the blog programme.  I have already spent nearly an hour attempting to move these paragraphs flush left, and the blog insists on laying out this section in balanced style.  

I need to chill.  Mums are the perfect flower for meditation...

To yoga masters, the Chrysanthemum represents the heart Chakra.  Devotees concentrate on the radiating beauty of the flower, and radiating heart and love energy.  The Japanese consider the orderly unfurling of its petals to be absolute perfection, and the golden, sun-like flower is the symbol of Imperial Japan.  The lovely mauve-pink Mums (below) which grow at the entrance to our home, remind me of Mandala art, clearly the inspiration for the centuries old art form.  

Chrysanthemums are members of the Daisy family, however, they are so much more complex and interesting, ranging in shape from large pom-poms to starbursts to tiny buttons.  

While we in North America welcome Chrysanthemums in all bouquets, they are a symbol of death and grieving in other parts of the world.  In France, Belgium, Italy, Spain, Poland, Hungary, and Croatia (all Catholic countries in Europe), they are a symbol of death, and placed in funeral arrangements.

While Chrysanthemums are a symbol of life and rebirth in Asia, the white ones are not.  The white Chrysanthemum is a sombre flower for mourning.  In Japan, white clothing is worn at funerals, not black.

This bursting with life Chrysanthemum (below) was in a spectacular birthday bouquet for my own Mum's 90th birthday.  It radiates life!  Mums for Mums...

Depending on the size, shape and colour of the blossom, Chrysanthemums are either grand and regal, country and homey, or modern and sophisticated.  I love the green Spider Mum in this lovely birthday bouquet.

Photographs Copyright of:  Ruth Adams, Widow's Endorphins Photographic Images Inc.