Today is for the Calla Lily

 Today I picked a bouquet

Calla Lily, not really a lily, but a herbaceous plant that blooms May and June. I always identified these growing up with Confirmation Day at church. My mom had a 30ft bed of these and she always provided a bevy of bouquets for the church on that special day for the lot of 8th graders being confirmed as adult members of the Lutheran Church. I learned in later years that these were a lovely formal flower used in weddings too.

I never have had much luck growing them and have often got new starts from mom, never giving up trying to get them as pretty as she grew them. Well, finally this year, for reasons unknown, mine are quite spectacular. Maybe it was that thick layer of organic compost in the fall and again in the spring.

I did a little research on the meaning of Calla Lily. I found this interesting legend

Legend behind calla lily

Calla lily meaning has been related to Greek goddess Hera. The word calla means beautiful. The legend goes like this. Zeus, the roman god had fathered Hercules with earthly women. When Hercules was born, Zeus wanted Hercules to have divine powers. He drugged Hera and let the little Hercules nurse from her. As Hera came back to her senses, she was furious and pushed the baby aside. During this act, the milk way was formed and as the few drops of milk fell on the earth they became lilies. Seeing the beautiful lilies, Venus felt that her beauty is being challenged. She began cursing the flower and soon a heavy pistil came out of the centre of the beautiful cup shaped flower. Callas lilies are associated with Mother Mary, and it symbolises her purity and virginity. Again it is seen on Easter and it herald resurrection. It also is related to the holy cross and Christ’s passions while on it.  During the Victorian Era, puritans imposed restrictions on the use of impure words and since then flowers are used to transfer feelings of the heart. Different flowers have different meaning and the Calla lily meaning is both rebirth and union.

Usually Calla lily can be in a bouquet all by itself, but I like lots of color! My bouquets are gardener cut and stuff, I am not a florist by any means! I added a few Columbine flowers, they are almost done blooming, a pretty foxglove, and a bit of varigated ivy.

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