Dear Helen: Why are roses, in particular red roses, considered to be the prime vehicle for conveying thoughts of love on Valentine鈥檚 Day?
A.L.
The practice of giving roses to a beloved is an old tradition, long linked to the 鈥渕essaging鈥� power of flowers.
In Victorian times, courtships were often pursued discreetly with gifts of small floral 鈥渘osegays鈥� that expressed the feelings of the sender.
Roses, in general, spoke of love and respect. Red roses conveyed deep, passionate love, as in the Robert Burns poem: O my Love鈥檚 like a Red, Red Rose.
Roses can send other messages. White roses say: 鈥淚 am worthy of you.鈥� Yellow roses speak of jealousy. Red and white roses together signify unity.
In Persia (now Iran), native home to wild tulips, to give a red tulip was to declare your love.
Almost every familiar flower has a meaning 鈥� violets for faithfulness, pansies for thoughts, daisies for innocence, jasmine for good luck, amaryllis for pride, sweet pea for lasting pleasure.
Dear Helen: I have in my garden a clump of bulbs that produce pink flowers every autumn on about 45-centimetre-tall stems. I鈥檝e always known them as 鈥淣aked Ladies.鈥�
Now the bulbs seem to be pushing themselves out of the ground. Should I just cover them or dig them up and replant them?
H.A.
The bulb (actually, a corm) commonly known as 鈥淣aked ladies鈥� is Colchicum.
The common name refers to the September or October flowers blooming without foliage.
The leaves appear in the spring. Colchicum flowers are low-growing at about 15 centimetres with large, goblet-shaped or double flowers, some in pink or pale mauve shades.
The clump of bulbs in your photo looks more like Nerines, specifically Nerine bowdenii, which grows taller at about 40 centimetres with pink, recurved, crinkly petals in mid to late autumn.
Nerines tend to form broad clumps and edge their way up through the soil surface as the bulbs in your photo have.
Your clump looks ready to dig up and replant 鈥� about 10 centimetres deep, in a warm, sunny site that drains well. I see there are many.
You might choose to replant only the large ones, perhaps three or five together, about five centimetres apart.
Dear Helen: My two chestnut trees, planted in 2005 as a home-grown source of protein, have produced only empty shells. Why? When I bought the trees, I was assured that they were compatible.
M.L.
Two different varieties are needed, placed within about 60 metres of each other, to produce nuts. This can take up to 10 years in a warm, sunny site.
Dry soil can inhibit the formation of a crop. During the growing season, the trees require 2.5 centimetres (one inch) of water a week, either from rain or from irrigation.
On the other hand, a very wet soil can make the trees vulnerable to fungus infections.
Though chestnuts are a source of vitamins and minerals, they are not considered a significant source of protein.
For protein sources that are easily grown, consider plants such as peas, beans, buckwheat, quinoa, amaranth and lentils.
Of interest might be two books by Dan Jason of Salt Spring Seeds: The Power of Pulses, and the newly published Awesome Ancient Grains and Seeds. In them, you鈥檒l find information on growing and using these protein-rich foods.
Dan will be at Victoria鈥檚 Seedy Saturday this weekend with his racks of seeds and his books.
Garden Events
Seedy in Victoria. The James Bay Market Society is hosting Victoria鈥檚 Seedy Saturday on Feb. 17, 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Victoria Conference Centre, 720 Douglas St. Featured will be sales by local growers of seeds, bulbs and plants, a seed exchange, book exchange, advice from master gardeners, local garden-club booths and a choice of 18 speakers, including Dan Jason and Linda Gilkeson. Information at jamesbaymarket.com/SeedySaturday. Admission is $7, free for those under 16.
Chrysanthemum meeting. The Victoria Chrysanthemum Society will meet on Sat., Feb. 17, 2 p.m. at 1647 Chandler Ave. The meeting will include hands-on practice in taking cuttings.
Nanaimo meeting. The Nanaimo Horticultural Society will meet this evening at 7 in First Unitarian Fellowship Hall, 595 Townsite Rd. Rose McCulley will discuss the use of mason bees in the garden. Information at 250-758-6783.
