July Birth Flower : Water Lily

If you are a July baby your birth flowers are the water lily and the larkspur. One emerges from deep beneath the water’s surface; the other grows as a single tall stalk from the ground. Both provide a pop of colour during the early to midsummer months!

Larkspurs are a symbol of positivity and dedication. They make a great addition to any garden, given their height and beautiful purple-blue blooms, but beware: these plants are poisonous!

The water lily represents purity and innocence while boosting aquatic ecosystems and serving as an inspiration for one of the world’s great painters.

This post is about the water lily, if you haven't already seen my earlier post about the Larkspur, you can read it here

image from google

The water lily represents purity and innocence while boosting aquatic ecosystems and serving as an inspiration for one of the world’s great painters.

There are approximately 70 water lily species, and all of them offer outstanding beauty. These aquatic flowers are rooted in the rich, dense soil of shallow ponds, while the stems grow vertically and the large, flat round leaves and beautiful blooms float on the surface or extend just above it.

Water Lily Meanings and Symbolism

• Water lilies, most notably the white variety, traditionally symbolize purity, innocence, and chastity.
• Pink water lilies signify joy and friendship; red means passion and romance; blue represents calm and wisdom; and yellow symbolizes energy and new beginnings.
• In Buddhism and Hinduism, water lilies represent resurrection and rebirth because the flowers open and close daily. Buddhists also believe water lilies symbolize enlightenment because the beautiful flowers emerge from the dark and dirty floor beneath the water’s surface.

Water Lily in History

• In Greek legends, nymphs are water protectors, so it’s fitting that the water lily’s botanical family name—Nymphaeaceae—is derived from these female divinities.
• According to one Egyptian legend, the creation of the gods began from a blue water lily.
• Some nuns and monks were known to crush the root of water lilies and use it as an anaphrodisiac. It has also been used as a painkiller, anti-inflammatory, and sedative, as well as a treatment for insomnia and anxiety.
• French painter Claude Monet was quite captivated by the water lilies in his home garden. He spent years painting the flowers on his Giverny, France, property and created more than 200 paintings with water lilies as his subject.
• In 1984, the International Waterlily and Water Gardening Society was formed.
• The water lily is the national flower of Bangladesh.

Photo credit Dean Schoeppner

xxx oooo xxx

I hope you enjoyed reading this post. You may now like to read this one about 'Some Foods In Season During July' which also has some recipe suggestions - see here

All the best Jan