Summer Delight : August Birth Flowers

We've had more grey skies and heavy rain showers today, so to counter-act this I thought I'd post about the lovely colourful August birth flowers, which you may have already seen mentioned in this post here

The month of August has two birth flowers, the gladiolus and the poppy, both are colourful and make excellent cut flowers. They also share a rich symbolism tied to remembrance.

The gladiolus symbolizes strength of character, sincerity, and generosity. As a garden flower it provides height and a splash colour in the final full month of the summer season.

The gladiolus is a member of the Iris family and is native to Africa, the Mediterranean, and southern Europe, with more than 300 species that come in a range of vibrant colours.

Also known as “sword lily,” the gladiolus got its name from the sword-like appearance of its leaves. “Gladiolus” itself comes from the Latin word gladius, meaning “sword.” Roman Gladiators would wear the flowers around their necks in competitive games.

Gladiolus Meanings and Symbolism

• The flower has long been a symbol of strength, victory, healing, and honour. It has also been associated with moral character, remembrance, and intelligence.
• In Victorian times, romantics believed that the beauty of the gladiolus could pierce another’s heart with love. In floral meanings, the flower also came to symbolize infatuation, love at first sight, and faithfulness.
• Each colour holds a different meaning: Red symbolizes love, romance, and passion; pink means compassion and a mother’s love; white represents innocence and purity; yellow symbolizes friendship and joy; and purple means fortune and beauty.
• In addition to being one of the August birth flowers, the gladiolus is traditionally given as a gift for 40th anniversaries.

The poppy symbolizes eternal sleep, oblivion, and also imagination. It is known best for its red colour and made famous by a poem written more than a century ago, by Canadian poet John McCrae. 

McCrae served as a military physician during World War I, and penned the famous poem, “In Flanders Field,” it begins with the line: In Flanders Field the poppies blow / Between the crosses row on row. It led to the association between the poppy and those lost in battle.

Poppies grow all over the world, including the temperate climates of Eurasia, Africa, and North America. The most recognizable poppy species are the Iceland poppy, the Oriental poppy and the California poppy.

Poppy Meanings and Symbolism

• In addition to being a long-time symbol of remembrance, poppies’ opiate qualities making them symbols of sleep, peace, and death but also resurrection.
• In Greco-Roman myths, the flowers were part of offerings to the dead and poppies are found on tombstones to represent eternal sleep.
• According to Greek mythology, the poppy was associated with Demeter, the goddess of agriculture. It was believed if poppies grew in your field, a bountiful crop would follow.
• In ancient Greece, poppies were associated with Hypnos, the god of sleep, Thanatos (death), and Morpheus (dreams).
• It is believed that poppy flowers will help you remember your loved ones who have passed.
• The poppy is the state flower of California.

More to read about August birth flowers here

You may also like to read this post about 'Some Foods In Season During August' which also has some recipe suggestions - please see here

You will find a variety of articles and recipe ideas within this blog, and not all may be suitable for you. If you may have any food allergies, or underlying health issues these must always be taken into account. If you are a diabetic and not sure how certain foods may affect your blood sugars, test is best, i.e. use your meter. If you have any concerns about your health, it is always advisable to consult your doctor or health care team.

All the best Jan