Asters are a member of the family Asteraceae or aster family of the genus Aster L. or Aster P having nineteen species. The plant grows primarily in North America but depending on the species can be found in South America, Europe, and Asia. They have been cultivated into many varieties like the China Aster, the Bushy Aster, and the New England Aster.
Cockscomb is a member of the family Amaranthaceae, also known as the Amaranth family of the genus Celosia L., commonly known as cock's comb P.
Love-lies-bleeding flowers belong to the family Amaranthaceae, commonly known as the Amaranth family of the genus Amaranthus L. or pigweed P. There are forty-nine species in the genus that includes the Amaranthus caudatus L., also known as foxtail amaranth P. The plant is native to the tropical regions throughout the world and there is well documented use of it as a staple food for the native peoples for millennia.
The lily is a member of the family Liliaceae, which contains about 359 genuses with up to 100 species, according to the United States Department of Agriculture. The plant is native to the northern hemisphere that includes North America, Europe, and Asia. Approximately 5000 years ago a tablet found in Sumeria depicted a Persian city surrounded by a field of lilies.
For many, spring doesn’t come until the first flowers have bloomed—crocuses that line sidewalks, daffodils that spring up in patches next to highways, and hyacinth that bloom in delicately planted containers—but my favorite way to bring spring inside is with a fresh bouquet.
It’s hard to deny, as lilacs bust out, that stuffing a handful of fragrant flowers in a vase is super-springtime-satisfying. I’m a sucker for a fistful of lily of the valley, myself. But, as spring blossoms into summer and flowers flash unique colors and shapes, why not consider a more simplistic and intentional arrangement? Why not try your hand at ikebana, the ancient Japanese art of flower arrangement?
Tiny threads of orangish-gold, staining clothes for monks and sanyasa, dying milk to support digestion, sprinkled for spells of love, costing upwards of $1000/pound -- the status of Saffron is that of royalty, and has been for thousands of years.
Our concept of food runs the gamut from roots to genetically engineered food. While some may consider one more appetizing than the other, there is a clear boundary between edible and poisonous. So when a friend of mine loved his meal so much while dining out that he decided to finish off the plate by eating the decorative flowers, it got me thinking about our concept of edible. Yes, flowers are edible. But how often do we make a stop at the grocery store for some marigolds or pick up pansies for dinner?