'शयपत्री' The Hundred Leaf Flower (aka. Marigold)



Marigold hair clip

Naturally golden in color, marigolds can be found all over the world in different varieties. I remember my mom always harvesting the flower heads for seeds the next season. She has advised me to grow them in my garden to keep the insects away from my veggies. Though I didn't have much problem with insects this year, I'll have to remember this next year. We were just so busy with getting the boxes together and mulch down, that I forgot to plant a row or two. (Never got around to planting my dill either, until I just bought a small pot from Sunflower Market this week. Lets hope it grows in enough to survive before the frost comes.)

Marigolds are used as a culinary herb to make an anise-flavored tea and as a substitute for tarragon. The marigold used in the Ukraine is said to have a flavor that's a mixture of basil, tarragon, mint, and citrus. Maybe I'll get creative next year and try it with our zucchini blossoms - something else we haven't tried yet.



Marigold hair clip

Attached to a partially lined alligator clip (full size clip) this marigold can be used as a barette or to adorn ponytails, braids, tutus....just about anything you can clip to. It is smaller than most of my flower clips, with a diameter of approximately 2.5 inches. A wonderful summer-autumn flower for those of us embracing the fall.

Don't forget to enter my TUTU & FLOWER GIVEAWAY by commenting what color tutu you would love to have! (If you're having trouble commenting on Blogspot - which I know has happened - you can also comment on the Ellie Grace Facebook Page.)

Hubby-proof Chrysanthemums

Hubby has nearly finished our new deck (just need to stain & seal it still and I hear that's the not-so-fun part). One of these days we will have time, hands, and a dry day to get it done. I was so excited when he was finishing the planter boxes (instead of a railing on the low side) that I went out and bought some yellow and red mums. Well, back to the staining & sealing bit.... Guess my shopping was a little too early and they've been sitting in their pots in the garden until I can plant them in their boxes. Long story short, left Hubby home for a week while I took the kids to see grandparents.... and now I don't have to worry about planting the mums. It will be Hubby's job once he has the planters ready and buys some new ones.

An autumn flower, mums have many meanings and uses. Some people say that the Chrysanthemum symbolizes honesty and they are a traditional gift for Mother's Day in Australia. In Japan a Chrysanthemum sweet tea is made and used for many uses, including the flu. Other medicinal uses that have been found include being antibacterial and possibly an anti-HIV drug. On a gardening related note, pulverized flowers are used as insecticides. Will have to look into if it's safe to use in vegetable gardens - the earwigs haven't been too bad this year, but they still creep me out.

HUBBY-PROOF CHRYSANTHEMUM

Golden yellow and orange mum hair clips, 4" in diameter. Are you ready for fall?

On the Sunny Side of Helianthus Annuus (the Sunflower).

I planted sunflowers for the first time this year, a dozen of them made it from seedlings inside to transplanting outside in a corner of the yard. Now I have 3 sad looking sunflowers. In Colorado lavender and sunflower seem to be the easy-to-grow outdoor plants, much like the hosta is to Minnesota. Maybe next year I should just throw some seed out and cross my fingers - may have better luck.

So the home-roasted sunflower seeds won't be happening this year, but there are sunflowers for your hair! My MIL brought some of her NIP Home Interiors sunflowers for me to use in my creations - part of her major decluttering project. (Am going home to visit next week and can't wait to see the progress she's made on her house!) These SUNFLOWER HAIR CLIPS measure approximately 4" in diameter and will surely brighten your day. I've sewn all the petal layers together and replaced the fuzzy (and somewhat messy) brown center with a big crystal rhinestone. The entire sunflower is attached to a partially lines alligator clip. Just let me know if you'd like it on a headband instead. I'm thinking I'll make Baby Girl one on a chocolate brown headband.

On our roadtrip to North Dakota this summer, I enjoyed fields and fields of sunflowers. It's always good to be on the sunny side of a sunflower field, with all their golden heads turned up in sun worship. Did you know that it's native to North America, but was first commercialized in Russia? Researchers believe that Native Americans were growing sunflowers back in 3000 B.C. Today it's cultivated for sunflower oil (a healthy cooking oil) and the seeds. Other uses include a purple dye, decoration, and treating snakebites.