Friday, September 16, 2011

Friday Loose Bloggers Consortium: Breath

I've been out of breath today, and so that is my first thought about this topic for our consortium today, but my mind has gone back to another breath as well. The breath I'm thinking of is a flower called "Baby's breath". It is used quite commonly in flower arrangements, and has clusters of tiny white flowers. I have vivid memories of this flower in my childhood.

When I was growing up, our family always went in the summer to visit my grandparents in small town in southern Utah. A good majority of the citizens of that town are related to me. I had a great aunt that lived down the street from my grandparents, who grew baby's breath next to the steps going up to her yard. I think that plant grew there for most of my life. Last time I was there, it was still growing. Can it be possible that the same plant has lasted for possibly 40 + years? I suppose it is possible that it re-seeded itself, but even in the winter, I could see the brown stems of the plant that had bloomed. This particular town gets very cold, below zero farenheit. How did that "baby's breath" plant survive those harsh winters?

I think that any passerby would, at first glance, think that this plant was a weed. But those of us who know, love it and I have always enjoyed seeing it throughout the years. I can't get some things to grow in my warm, California yard, but that baby's breath flower has flourished in the harshest of climates for many decades. I hope that when I return, it will still be there.

Now go and see what the other Consortium members have to say about this issue!

Rummuser, Anu, Ashkok, Gaelikka, Grannymar, Conrad, Padmum, Magpie11, and Akanksha,Will Knot, Maria the Silver Fox, Anki, Nema Noor Paul Plain Joe, and Rohit

6 comments:

Rummuser said...

I had to do some research to find pictures of the flower and find that they are very common wild flowers in India. They are used widely in bouquets and make for very nice backdrops.

Inklings said...

I love Baby's breath, too. :0)

Anonymous said...

A weed? What's a weed? Just a plant you don't want. If I like it automatically becomes not a weed.

Inklings said...

The definition of weed is "A plant out of place" :0)

Nene said...

Did you know that the florist shop in the next town would often come ask her if they could cut some of her baby's breath? I don't know if they paid her for it, but I know they did cut it often.

Grannymar said...

I had to think for a minute about baby's breath. We know it as Gypsophila or "Gyp", very common in bouquets and arrangements of flowers.