You don’t usually think of flowers when you think of dolphins, but the Greek root “delphis” means exactly that. The closed flower buds on the delphinium is said to look just like the nose of the dolphin.
I just do NOT see this, but there are plenty of things that I see that others can’t, so …
The delphinium is another of our Mother’s Day bouquet flowers to have a Greek story attached to them.
As the story goes, the Greek god Aias (or Ajax) was a war hero from Troy when he died, and his blood droplets gave birth to the flower we know of as the delphinium. According to the legend, the petals were inscribed with the letters “Ai”, which is also Greek for “alas”.
As luck would have it, I went to get a gallon of these lovely long-stemmed blue beauties to add to my garden, but someone else had the same idea, and the last bucket was in her cart.
These flowers are closely related to the larkspur; although, they are not the same flower. The larkspur was used to cross pollinate into some of the delphinium we see in today’s bouquets.
While hiking in the Rockies, I came across this field of larkspur rising tall above the other wildflowers. ©jcleveland 2015
These flowers are poisonous, but that didn’t stop “doctors” from using them to help people sleep and relax. Other than the fact that they slowed the heart rate, induced difficulty in breathing and lowered the blood pressure to the point of death, they were a smashing success as a sleep aid.
The North Americans and Europeans used their colorful petals to make blue dye. They are said to cure scorpion stings and repel parasites like lice. Yay!
The delphinium is included in bouquets to signify the openness to new experiences and a positive outlook. Something a new mother definitely needs.
The tiny blue flowers are joyful, fill you with warmth and inspire fun. They signify the desire to expand your horizon and experience new life adventures.
Blue is a symbol of dignity, and the other colors like pink, white and light blue offer youth and renewal.
Let’s see what other blues we can find to offer youth and renewal to the woman on your Mother’s Day gift list.
Blue Gray Tweed Ribbed Knit Hat
RSS Designs in Fiber
Tribal Earrings Blue African Sand Glass Black Obsidian Betel Seeds Sterling Handmade
Pretty Gonzo
Women's Silver Beaded Fan Earrings
Lady Green Eyes Jewelry
Schnauzer Wauzer Dog Snap Tab Key Fob
Sew Amazin
Ford Mustang 8 x 10 Wood Wall Art
Kevs Krafts
Yachting on The Pacific in Blue Gray tones Sailboat
Colleen Cornelius
Blue Grey and Orange Striped Tube Beads
Blue Morning Expressions
Turquoise Amber Earrings
Shadow Dog Designs
Charcoal Grey Bulls Eye Jasper Tourmaline Quartz Riverstone Necklace
Kats All That
Grey Pearl Earrings w Silk Swarovski Crystals
Magdalene Jewels
Stained Glass Quilt Square 6" Log Cabin Appalachian Traditional Quilt Pattern in Blues and Purples
2 Glass Thumbs
Natural Sunset Dumortierite Round Gemstone Beaded Necklace Blue 20 inch
Diane’s Dangles
Rustic Turquoise Handmade Lampwork Beads Shiny Gunmetal Glass 236g
Covergirl Beads
Dangle Earrings for Women
Blonde Peach Jewelry
Hammered Pewter Earrings Long Dangling Blue Crystals Lever Backs
The Singing Beader
Hope that you enjoyed these gorgeous creations. If you do not see what you are looking for, contact any of the above friendly and creative artists, and I am sure that they will be more than happy to make something just for your “mom”.
If you want to see more of their outstanding works, then here are some more links from which to shop:
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6
Week 7
Week 8
And even more!
Tulips
What’s in a Name?
The Flowers of the Gods
Kiss the Sun
Consider the Lilies
Keeping Regular Hours
Beautimous Borderlands Botanicals
Enjoy, and share this blog post and all of these handmade items with your friends and family! We handmade artists always appreciate a good share.
Julie
www.bluemorningexpressions.com
Technorati Tags: bluemorningexpressions,handmade gifts for mom,mother's day gifts,bracelets,earrings,dog collars,jewelry,necklaces,gemstone jewelry
Another fascinating post, Julie. Sorry someone beat you to the last of the delphiniums. Yeah, I don't get the reference to dolphins either. You have rounded up and shared a whole host of handmade beauties and vintage beauties. Many thanks fir including my earrings. Will share the post all around, along with the items. Seamus sends sweet doggie kisses and looks forward to me reading him your blog about porpoises in the river at some future time. Thanks, again, Julie.
ReplyDeleteI always enjoy your posts so much. They are always filled with such interesting facts. Thank you for the history of the delphiniums. I agree...don't see the dolphin at all. Thank you for including my bulls eye jasper necklace. Will be promoting!
ReplyDeleteThank you Julie for including my Earrings in another one of your inspiring Mother's Day Blogs! I look forward each week to another one of your very interesting Botanical Blogs.
ReplyDeleteAnd I thought this post was going to be about dolphins! Ha-ha. Another great read Julie. Thank you for helping promote all of these lovely items. Off to share.
ReplyDeleteWhat beautiful shades of blue gray! I loved all of the gorgeous things! Items were shared but some of the ArtFire items had trouble pinning.
ReplyDeleteWhat a gorgeous field of flowers with the Delphinium. Enjoyed learning about them. Thanks for including my lampwork beads.
ReplyDeleteFascinating about the flowers being used by Doctors to induce sleep. Sounds better than some drugs I'm taking right now. lol A beautiful selection of blue and gray handmade and vintage goods. Thank you for including my earrings!
ReplyDeleteGreat blog post, Julie! Of course, I had to go checking out pix of delphiniums to find the dolphin connection. I couldn't see a dolphin likeness either. So I googled the topic, and the pic in this article DOES look dophin-like. Check it out: https://delphinium.co.nz/pages/history-of-delphiniums
ReplyDelete:)
In any case, thank you for taking the time to do this blog, and for including my earrings. Will be sharing at the usual places. Hope Bill is doing well - xoxo to you both from moi et Le Gonze!