If you know me well, it’s not too surprising that my favorite flower is the forget-me-not. It’s kind of old-fashioned, more of a wildflower than a cultivated one, and it’s also petite. Plus it’s closely associated with Alaska. Please allow me to explain.
The forget-me-not has a sentimental name that goes back a long time. The definition in Dictionary.com states, “the flowering plant Myosotis palustris, 1530s, from Old French ne m'oubliez mye; in 15c. the flower was supposed to ensure that those wearing it should never be forgotten by their lovers. Similar loan-translations took the name into other languages.” That romantic name is one of its attractions for me.
Plus, I feel the flower physically resembles me a bit in that it is petite and it grows well without a fuss. I am a bit under 5 feet tall, and forget-me-nots grow in tiny clusters. I have forget-me-nots in several places around my house, but the locations it really likes is in gravel between a garden bed and a brick path, and between stone steps. It doesn’t need to be coddled, and neither do I. Neither one of us is hothouse material.
And, of course, it is the Alaska state flower, and I am a diehard Alaskan. You can find forget-me-nots growing wild throughout the state, and forget-me-not designs on t-shirts, postcards, Alaska Native art, you name it, all over Alaska.
I always smile when I see a forget-me-not. I hope this post’s photos make your day, too!
Lynn Lovegreen grew up in Alaska, and still lives there. Her young adult historical romances are set in the Alaska Gold Rush, a great time for drama, romance, and independent characters. See her website at www.lynnlovegreen.com.
7 comments:
Flowers in general bring a smile to my face, Lynn, but I have fond memories of for-get-me-nots because my mom used them in a border around the flower beds that were her and my dad's pride and joy. Of course seeing one in unexpected and hard to grow places would certainly brighten my day.
That's lovely, Judith! Thanks for sharing.
Forget-me-nots, bleeding hearts, Dutchmen's breeches, lady's slipper - I love flowers with old-fashioned names, They sound so romantic! Forget-me-nots hold a special place in my heart, as we had the pleasure of living in Alaska for five years during my husband's career in the Coasst Guard.
Thanks, Sarah. Glad you got to live in Alaska, too! :-)
Enjoyed your blog! You sound like my husband and I in that if a sunflower decides to sprout in the gravel area, we let grow. I hate pulling out and flower that is striving to live. We have Snapdragons growning under our utility trailer!
Yep, Diana. It has to be a pesky weed to make me pull it! :-)
I love forget-me-nots. My parents' garden was full of them, and not just the blue ones but white and pinks ones too. It's a flower that takes me back to my childhood, long, bright summer days watching fish in our pond, climbing the trees and making mudpies!
Post a Comment