Tuesday, May 1, 2012

What’s in a flower?



Plants. Vegetation. Foliage. Florae. What’s a good story without a background setting containing plant life? Whether it’s a southern belle sashaying through a rose garden, or an F.B.I. agent pursuing a criminal through a field full of thistles, an important foundation of our story can be the vegetation in the scene.
Hydrangea
Many times we fall back on the familiar. You need flowers for the wedding bouquet. Roses. Carnations. Lilies. No, your character is unique, so she needs unusual flowers. Oh my. We’re stuck.
This month we’re providing flowers, flowering vines, parasitic plants, and trees. Pluck the ones you like, leave the rest for other writers. Let me give you an example.
A hydrangea rests in the flower bed near my front door, barely awake from its winter nap. Memories stir as I regard this plant that will one day blossom with bluish-purple foliage. An enormous bush also graced the front flower bed of the dark brick home where my husband’s mother and grandmother lived. They’re no longer with us here on earth, but when I see my hydrangea, I smile. All my senses fill with impressions I have from being with them, in their home, at holidays, and even caretaking. From these impressions—stories, ideas, thoughts, and prompts abound in my imagination. All from my hydrangea bush.
So don’t forget to drop by every Tuesday and Friday for a visit. We’re looking forward to seeing you…
Tuesday’s sentence prompt: The blue hydrangea blossoms stirred as the scrawny juvenile sprinted away from…


This week’s flowers, vines, and parasitic plants reside in the region of the United States known as the southeast.  Trees will be classed differently, this week’s group being conifers. For a visual of each plant, check out wikipedia at http://www.wikipedia.org/

Flowers
Rosebay rhododendron
Hooded blue violet
Yellow trillium
Wild geranium
Bloodroot
Black-eyed Susan
Water lily, cattails
White clover
Queen Anne’s lace
Sunflowers
Sweet William
Rose

Vines & Parasitic Plants
Kudzu
Honeysuckle
Morning glory
Mistletoe
Sweet potato vine
Moonflower
Trumpet vine
Ivy
Passion flowers
Gourds


Conifers
Spanish fir
Lawson cypress
Eastern red cedar
European larch
Ponderosa pine
Sequoia
Swamp cypress

2 comments:

  1. Great post, Jennifer. When I have time I need to come back and check out the sweet potato vine. For some reason it caught my eye.

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    1. The sweet potato vine has dark purple and green leaves with bright purple flowers. Nice cover plant. Make sure you don't get the common garden variety however...hope your day went well...

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