Damsel

I do so enjoy it when a damselfly comes to say hello. Damselflies are of the same family as dragonflies however they tend to be smaller and more delicate than Dragonflies. They arent as strong a flier as their counterparts, and tend to fold their wings behind them when resting. I personally find them alot more bolder than dragonflies, as they will almost always pose for photos if youre gentle enough.

Tropical Touch

Ok, first thing I will say about bromiliads is that they are fantastic at attracting mosquitoes. The general funnel and cup shape of the plant allows it to store a reservoir of water in its center, and mozzies love stagnant pools of water to lay their eggs in. Just make sure you have a healthy garden before you plant them and the frogs and other predatory critters should help keep them in check. After all, bromiliads are stunning plants that are great at adding a tropical touch to your garden, especially when they can have such fascinating and unusual flowers. They dont require a heap of water once theyre established. Ive had one growing in a pot for years and am quite proficient at killing pot plants. It even flowers! Im impressed by its sheer audacity to live through my absent minded home pot plant care.

Red

The modern red roses that we know today were hybridized from red roses that were introduced to Europe from China in the 1800's. Symbolising deep love, passion, affection, beauty and desire, they are the most traditional of Valentine's Day flowers and are a time honoured way of telling someone "I love you". Red was associated with Aphrodite and Venus, the Greek and Roman Goddesses of Love. It has long since been used to decorate weddings and similar ceremonies, so when the giving of flowers and gifts became popular gestures of love, red roses were a natural choice. The deeper the shade of red, the deeper the feelings of the giver.  I was surprised to learn that even the number of red roses you receive conveys additional meanings to the "I Love You" message:
1 Red Rose - I love you deeply
2 Red Roses tied together - Engagement "Will you marry me?"
Dozen Red Roses - Gratitude
25 Red Roses - Congratulations
50 Red Roses - I love you unconditionally

Red is also a colour that symbolises power and strenght, so outside of Valentines Day, it is good as a congratulations gift, or for the birth of a child.

One thing to remember though, like all relationships, the giving of gifts and such conveys a personal meaning more so then a traditional meaning. If your sweetheart doesnt like the colour red, then for goodness sake dont get them red. If you can only afford one rose, dont break the bank to get him/her 50 roses when you know that they would appreciate just one. Hell, I would even appreciate just a hand drawn picture of a rose. Valentines Day is and always should be about celebrating the person you love and finding a way to tell them so. Not big grand displays of over the top frou frou. The simple "I love you", a small token (even if its just cooking breakfast in bed) and a kiss should always be more than enough for Valentine's, everything else is a bonus.

Pink

Pink roses were the first colour of rose to be cultivated, ranging from faint blushing pinks to a deep pink. They are quite possibly the oldest colour of rose and have been depicted in some of the earliest known artworks. They were depicted as symbols of gentility, admiration, grace and elegance.  More subdued than their red counterparts, pink roses are a gift of beauty and are perfect for the secret admirer. After all who doesnt have butterflies in their tummy and blush pink after a first kiss ...

Pink is typically associated with little girls, which is where they can acquire and innocence about them, so they are great for the obvious gift to a little girl. If you look beyond their feminine overtones they can be used for many different occasions. For couples who are apart, they are good for an "I miss you" gift, the admiration of beauty from afar. With their grace and admiration qualities they are good for congratulations, promotions or even just something to make someone smile.

White

There are many fables on the origins of the white rose. Most revolve around the petals blushing from a kiss or being stained by blood, which in the story turns the rose red. White is a stunning rose, representing purity, innocence, honour and beauty. It is a colour that catches your eye in any arrangement it is put it and will enhance any other colours around it. Because of its pure and virtuous meaning, it has long been associated with weddings and is commonly used in the bouquet for the bride. As with all flowers, there is always a deeper meaning from tales gone by. Long ago, girls would use small white rose buds to show that they were too young to court. White is a colour representing hope, so it is also fitting as a funeral tribute for a departed loved one or comrade.

White roses on Valentines Day represent more then just passion. They represent a love that is untarnished and pure, a love that endures, the kind of love that transcends this life and the next.

If you cant tell, these are one of my favourites.

Orange

Orange roses havent been around for all that long really. They were created towards the end of the 1800s in Europe, when there were new advancements in hybridization, and the red roses could be crossed with the recently discovered wild yellow roses found growing in the Middle East.

Orange is a colour that sparks the imagination and reminding us of the glow of sunrise. It is the perfect colour for new beginings and great for when you wish to transition out of the friend zone into relationship territory (though be careful, not everyone will get the subcontext). They hint at passion and fire with their warming tones.

They are a colour for new beginnings and when not given in a romantic context like Valentines Day, they are great for situations of pride and fresh starts, such as a new home or job. They are also a great choice for the birth of a baby.

Yellow

In the lead up to the biggest Hallmark Holiday of the year, florists are going nuts in preparation for having enough stock to supply for lovers, potential lovers, romantics, sweet hearts and every kind of best friend. Im talking soft toys, chocolates, bottles of wine, balloons, flowers and more red roses than you can poke a stick at. So I thought I would give you some food for thought in the lead up to Friday the 14th of February. Some of the beautiful roses growing in the gardens, and the meaning behind giving that colour of rose as a gift.

First up, YELLOW. Yellow symbolizes joy, happiness and wisdom. It is actually a common colour used as a get well gift, or a congratulations gift. Its warm tones are associated with friendship and if given for events such a Valentines Day its meaning is focused more on platonic relationships, without the romantic subtext. It honestly is the best rose to send to a true friend who needs a smile on Valentines Day.

Something to be wary of, when yellow roses were first introduced into Europe back in the 1800's, yellow had more negative connotations behind it (for example "Yellow Bellied"). So yellow roses back then were symbols of jealousy and dying love. The friendship and happiness meanings have pretty much taken over in the 200 years since they were introduced, however you can still occasionally find people who still hold true to the very old European meaning. My boyfriend, for example, is one of those people. When we began dating, I sent him a card with a yellow rose and wrote inside the card the friendship meaning of yellow roses and a whole heap of romantic stuff that I wont bore you with right now. When he opened the envelope and saw the picture he panicked and thought that it was a fancy way of me breaking up with him. When he read the inside he calmed down, but I still had to explain that we werent breaking up when I saw him next. So yeah, just be wary of sending yellow roses on romantic occasions, just in case.

Gran's Garden

I remember when I was a little girl, my great gran used to have a massive garden. It was your typical "grandma's garden", a mish-mash of what ever will grow that looks pretty. There was no rhyme or reason to it all. It was by no means an exceptional garden, except for the fact that is crystallized in my memory that I used to love it. Im sure its where my love of gardens came from. I would spend hours playing amongst it all and I used to love picking the assorted flowers that grew there. These are a flower that I know my gran grew, African Daisys. They are terrible for cut flowers as they curl up and wilt very quickly, but to a 5 year old girl they were quite the novelty. They are incredibly hardy plants and grow quite happily on very little water when they are established. They get a bit manky after a year or 2, so best to pull them out when they get too big and they usually self seed so you just start the process over again. There are a multitude of cultivars of them now. Some have played with the colour, so you get various shades of white, pink and purpley pink. Others have played with the flower shape, so you get the double blooms (petals in the center) like you see above, or you can have a pin wheel look with the petals curled inwards onto themselves (looking kind of like a wagon wheel), or you can have just the plain old fashioned variety which is just a plain daisy flower. These plants are very rewarding for very little effort, they are great at attracting butterflies an will brighten up most corners of your garden. I hope you will love them too, give them a burl, I dare you.

marathon

This little guy refused to stop running up my arm today. We were under-pruning the ficus in Minnawarra when I felt a tickling on my arm. I tried to set him down gently on a bush but he persisted in climbing up my arm. He managed to run the full length of both my arms twice before I managed to wrangle him off. God speed little mantis.

Subtle Scents and Fashion Trends

Frangipanis have become immensely popular in the last 10 years or so. I dont think I can recall as a kid seeing so many frangipani ornaments or hair clips. They are very popular as wedding boquets, however they are a bugger of a thing to wire up as they are very delicate flowers and bruise easily. The white frangipani flowers have a lovely delicate perfume to them, which is rare among cut flowers so I can see why they would be popular as a bouquet. The flowers come in shades of white, pink, yellow and any mix of the three. They are notoriously hardy plants and are easy to grow from cuttings. Simply cut off a branch, leave it to dry for at least a day, then plant and water as normal. The reason you have to wait is so that the wound heals over. If you plant a limb while the cut is still dripping white sap then you increase the risk of the stem rotting and not forming roots.