Chrysanthemum

Chrysanthemum

Chrysanthemum

Scorpio

Collaboration, Completeness

Also known as Mums, Chrysanthemums are fall blooming flowers. Chrysanthemums wait until the height of summer in many locations, until there are about 10 hours of sunlight per day, to produce buds and then flower 6 to 10 weeks afterwards.  A hard frost stops bloom time. The behavior of this fall blooming flower bring to us the energies of collaboration, cooperation and completeness. Completeness means projects are wrapping up so you can look forward to the next, as well as transitions from the present to completion. The idea of completeness brings the concept of new beginnings. The fall bloom time signifies a time of maturity in the cycle of life.

The plants grow in a range from under 1 foot to up to 6 feet, and are perennials but are often grown as annuals. The flowers are in white and many shades of red, pink, orange, yellow and purple. Some varieties are bi- and tricolor. Blooms are from 1 inch in diameter to 3 inches. 

The lengthy sunlit days needed to begin flowers blooming is symbolic of the time spent learning a trade or honing skills to proficiency or performing a job to the point where one has achieved a number of life goals, such as a stable job, a stable home, a stable family or circle of friends. It represents the jumping off point to levels of higher satisfaction reached through collaboration and cooperation, with work associates, with family and with one's spirituality or spirit.  It very much carries the satisfaction of reaching a plateau, of perceiving that one doesn't have to work so hard to achieve goals, and of the ability to have a more balanced perspective that things really do work out well.

Mums like well drained soil and bloom more profusely if planted in full sun. The wide variety of plant heights and flower sizes and colors are indicative of the wide variety of interests and traits of all of us. 

Chrysanthemums originated in Asia and are now grown worldwide. The flowers are edible. Flowers and leaves are used in Chinese medicine for reducing fever and other uses. The flower has also been studied and is sometimes used for anti-inflammatory purposes. Dried flowers have been used to make tea.

Chrysanthemums can be propagated from seed. New plants are fairly easy to start from cuttings, suggesting that even as the plant represents maturity in the cycle of life, so also does it show us new  beginnings.

Zinnia

Zinnia

Zinnia elegans

Aries

Comfort, Diversity

Grown in a variety of colors and shapes, Zinnias are annual plants native to dry grasslands and can withstand hot temperatures and drought.  Zinnias do well in fertile soil in full sun. Flowers are in shades of white, yellow, orange, red, purple and multicolor.  Some varieties grow up to 4 feet tall.  Zinnias are easy to grow from seed, and progress to flowering plants within weeks.  Flowers continue to bloom throughout summer. At the end of the summer, gather flower heads and allow to dry for seeds for the next year.

The simplicity of growing zinnias and the wide variety of colors imply comfort - a version of life that comes easily and is colorful enough to add some variety to the every day normal.  Zinnia is a great plant for those who want life on an even plane with enough simplicity to even out those highs and lows and enough variety to hold off complete boredom.  Use zinnia if you feel like your lows need to be brought up or if your levels of excitement are so intense you get tired from them.

Zinnia plants and flowers also bring us diversity within the comfort of everyday life.  For those who are willing to take a deeper dive with their experience, to go beyond the every day and to consciously create their desires, Zinnia is a great example for contemplation.  This simple flower that grows easily has levels of complexity: varieties grow from 6 inches to 4 feet tall; have a single row of petals with a visible center or multiple rows of petals; and are in many colors, including multicolor.

Zinnia is unique in that it represents simplicity - the comforts of every day - as well as complexity - the diversity and advancement of your consciously created life.

The flowers attract butterflies and hummingbirds.

The flowers are native to Southwestern United States, Mexico, Central America and South America.

Lobelia

Gemini

Love, Grounded

Lobelia is a primarily low-growing plant primarily grown as an annual but some varieties are biennial and can grow up to 4 feet.The low-growing blue variety that is used as garden edging has tiny flowers with five petals. It blooms continuously in the summer up to the first frost. The continuous bloom cycle, given somewhat moderate weather, is symbolic of the steadfastness that is required for the attribute of love. The vibrant purple color is also symbolic of the heart area, or heart chakra, which is associated with a person's ability to receive and give love. 

The concept of love has as many interpretations as there are people. The concept of love referenced here is one that means giving and receiving in appreciation, without conditions and attachments. It speaks of the continuous appreciation one has for self, and the continuous love given to others. It brings to us all of the reminders in life that we are loved by our ancestors and by the creator. Lobelia stops blooming when the weather is too hot; the energy this flower brings is not the kind of love that burns hot or cold but is the type of love that is a constant foundation for life. For example, Lobelia brings the emotion of love one feels when holding a sleeping baby. If you chose to border your garden with Lobelia, you are creating an area of love and appreciation. If you have a strong affinity to these plants and flowers along with the color purple, you are one who finds it easy to love others.You may be someone who was born with an unlimited well of love and was encouraged to or was able to keep that love flowing into adulthood. And as with most who find it easy to love others, you have self love and know your own value.

Lobelia flowers have five petals, resonating with the energies of the number 5.  The number brings in the concepts of positive live changes and making healthy lifestyle choices. You may chose to consider those topics, in combination with the concepts of love and being grounded, to accelerate any positive life changes and choices underway. 

Lobelia blooms in blue, purple, pink and white. Only 10% of the plant kingdom blooms in blue, emphasizing the uniqueness of Lobelia.

Most varieties of Lobelia grow up to 4 inches with some reaching up to 12 inches. As with most ground covers and plants that provide a carpet of color low to the ground, the plants bring in the energy of being grounded. You are able to deal in the here and now without much effort.  As with knowing your own value, you are also highly in tune with your mind, emotions and physicality and the connections among them.

Lobelia are deer resistant. The flowers attract butterflies, which are also symbolic of reaching beyond ordinary reality to the realms beyond. 

• Lobelia Erinus - also known as trailing Lobelia, this plant is an annual or perennial if the climate is perfect. These bloom in blue, purple, pink and white; some have white eyes. Lobelia are also known as Dwarf Annual Lobelia and Edging Lobelia.  
• Lobelia Siphilitica - also known as great blue Lobelia is a perennial herb with vivid blue flowers.  It has upright stems and can grow up to 3 feet.  This plant also grows as a wildflower and blooms in late summer.  
• Lobelia Inflata - also known as Indian Tobacco or puke weed, this variety is considered a poisonous plant.  Native to eastern North America, it has spread across the continent.  The plant was used by Native Americans to treat skin ailments and body aches. 
• Lobelia Cardinalis - also known as the cardinal flower, is native to the eastern North America.  This perennial grown up to 4 feet and has bright scarlet-red flowers with two upper petals and three lower petals that resemble birds in flight.  Hybrids are also available in white and pink.  The plant grows as a wildflower in wet areas such as marshes and stream beds.

This summertime bloomer will continue to produce flowers on up through the first frost

Read more at Gardening Know How: Annual Lobelia Plant: How To Grow Lobelia https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/lobelia/lobelia.htm

enjoys cool weather. This summertime bloomer will continue to produce flowers on up through the first frost.

Read more at Gardening Know How: Annual Lobelia Plant: How To Grow Lobelia https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/lobelia/lobelia.htm

enjoys cool weather. This summertime bloomer will continue to produce flowers on up through the first frost.

Read more at Gardening Know How: Annual Lobelia Plant: How To Grow Lobelia https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/lobelia/lobelia.htm

Lilac

Syringa vulgaris

Lilac

Gemini

Far Sight, Clarity

Lilac, also called Common Lilac, is a flowering shrub that produces strong-scented purple flowers and  grows 12 to 15 feet tall and 10 to 12 feet wide. Lilacs are easy to grow and are hardy.  The flowers are very fragrant and attract butterflies.  Lilac shrubs do not like to be in standing water, and will not bloom when consistently wet. Most lilacs have purple blooms; some varieties bloom in many shades of purple and in pink and white.

Lilacs height is symbolic of reaching for the sky or reaching for other realms. This lends those who enjoy the sight and smell of Lilac clear vision.Those who use Lilac energy can often understand the meaning of what someone is saying, and at the same time, use far sight and clarity to understand the meaning behind the meaning, or the truth at the core of a matter. Far sight and clarity are both attributes that can be developed with intention and practice.  Those with a true affinity to lilac are usually those who had those abilities at birth and who have learned to use them in their relationships and in the business world.

Lilacs attract butterflies and hummingbirds. People who are attracted to Lilac and have clarity in their lives attract others who either have the same or who like that trait and want to develop it. These people make good teachers in all areas.

Although lilacs grow profusely in Europe and North America, they originated in Eastern Europe and Asia.

Mature lilacs, those that grow to about 8 feet, can be pruned after they flower. At this time, dead branches can be removed and the plant pruned for shape and size.This is a good approach to our lives also - to remove that which is no longer useful or serving us, such as an old habit, and setting intentions to bring a new "shape and size" into our lives, whether physically (our bodies, homes or  surroundings), mentally, emotionally or spiritually. Lilac provides the clarity to determine what new aspects will serve us best at this time.

Phlox

Phlox

Creeping Phlox

Sagittarius

Simplicity, Intensity

Phlox is the name for many types of primarily perennial plants with showy flowers native to eastern and central North America. Phlox has star shaped flowers in white, blue, purple, pink and red. Some varieties are low growing ground cover with other varieties growing up to 8 feet. Full sun is best for growing and flowering but Phlox also does well in part sun and shade. It likes well drained soil. Once established, Phlox is drought tolerant.

Phlox bring to us the energy of simplicity. It grows as ground cover and as a taller plant, it likes sun yet grows in part shade, it is easy to propagate using a variety of methods and it is very hardy. Know that simplicity is a very desirable energy - it means that an approach or solution can be uncluttered and move directly to a goal.

Phlox star shaped flowers are five fused petals, bringing in the energy of the number five.  In numerology, five brings in the energy of positive life choices and positive life changes. Combine this energy with the aspect of simplicity Phlox brings in to know that your desires have been heard and understood and your role is to relax and allow positive changes to evolve into your life.  

Phlox, in Latin, is derived from "flame," describing the density of color when blooming in spring.  From this flame, or intensity of color, comes the attribute of intensity. The meaning of the word used here refers to focus, where one can use the attribute as a positive aspect to solve a problem, think around or through an issue or to plan out the steps involved in accomplishing a complex goal. It involves focus on one area and excluding focus on others until one's goal is accomplished. 

The flowers attract birds and butterflies. In areas with year round warm climates, Phlox will continue to grow.  In cold climates, Phlox will become dormant. In good growing conditions, Phlox will grow for decades, bring us the additional energy of longevity.


Once established, usually after two years, Phlox can be divided.  It can also be propagated with seeds and stem cuttings taken in early summer. The many methods of propagation, and the ease with which Phlox can be grown by being divided, as well as the ability of Phlox to grow in many kinds of soil also bring through the energy of simplicity.

• Creeping Phlox, Moss Phlox, Mountain Phlox, Moss Pink (Phlox subulata) is commonly used as a ground cover growing up to 6 inches tall and spreading up to 2 feet wide.  It blooms in spring with tiny pink flowers that are often very fragrant.  Low growing Phlox will grow in poor and rocky soil.
• Drummond's Phlox (Phlox drummondii) is an annual that grows to a medium height - up to two feet tall.  
• Summer Phlox, Garden Phlox, Fall Phlox, Perennial Phlox (Phlox paniculata) grows in clumps up to 5 feet tall and blooms in mid- to late summer.  Flowers are primarily pink, purple or white. Leaves are ovals, from 4 to 7 inches long. The plant has been widely used as a medicinal herb.  The whole plant can be made into a tea to treat stomach issues. It has also been used to treat skin conditions.

Milkweed

Asclepias

Butterfly Milkweed

Scorpio

Creation, Power

Milkweed is a perennial plant that has small, star shaped flowers that grow in clusters. Bloom time for most varieties is from late spring through summer and flowers can be pink, purple or orange. The plants grow from two to five feet and most varieties of this plant produce seed pods in the fall that split open to spread many seeds. Bees, butterflies and hummingbirds love Milkweed. The plant and flowers bring the vibrations of creation and sustainability. 

Milkweed is not a weed, showing us that everything is not always as it seems. The milky sap that the Milkweed produces is toxic to people, pets and livestock if eaten in large quantities, although most animals do not like the taste of the sap or plant.

Monarch butterflies lay their eggs only on the Milkweed plant and Monarch caterpillars only eat the Milkweed plant.  The eggs are laid on the underside of the leaves. If they lay their eggs on any other type of plant they will not have a food source and will die. Milkweed, along with Monarch butterflies, bring to us the energies found along a direct path of creation from plant to egg to caterpillar to butterfly. It shows us the beauty that can be created by a simple yet dependent process in nature. These energies can also be called upon to assist us with transformations of all kinds, for example with taking a concept and creating a product or service.  It can also be called upon by those who are undergoing metamorphosis by making large changes in their lives, such as major career changes, moving from one location to another or changing family status through marriage, divorce, children, grown children becoming independent, becoming grandparents or retirement.

The dependency of the Monarch butterfly on Milkweed is symbolic of the relationship of soul to person - humans are born from the soul or creator or God and remain intertwined and dependent on this relationship throughout their lives.  Being aware of this connection allows people not only to live but to thrive. If you resonate with Milkweed plant or flowers, you were likely born with a level of intuition or knowing that is more developed than others. While some may seek out psychics to see into the unknown or seek to learn to connect with spirit, you walked into this lifetime with these abilities.  Know and trust your own inclinations and know and trust the signs you receive and other synchronicities in your life are there to support you and move you forward on your path.

The relationship with the Monarch butterfly is also symbolic of the ability to take flight or to journey from one realm to another. It can help us see from the physical to the spiritual, or through the physical to the truth of a matter. The image of a butterfly emerging from a cocoon to butterfly to flight can be used as a jumping off point in your imagination to journey into other realms.

The different types of Milkweed common in the United States require different soil and growing conditions.

• Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) likes average soil.
• Tropical Milkweed (Asclepias curassavica) likes hot conditions and will only grow as a perennial with warm weather.
• Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa) likes dry conditions.
• Whorled Milkweed or White Milkweed (Asclepias verticillata) grow best in dry conditions, in sun to part shade, and tolerates poor soil.  It produces clusters of up to 20 white flowers near the top of each plant, has skinny leaves and grows from 1 to 3 feet tall. This variety reproduces by sprouting from underground stems called rhizomes.
• Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) prefers wet conditions, grows up to 5 feet and blooms in July and August.

Native cultures in the United States and Canada have used Milkweed for rope fiber, food and as a natural remedy.

Lily of the Valley

Convallaria majalis

Gemini

Celebration, Connection with Spirit

Lily of the Valley plants and flowers bring to us the celebration of life.  The small fragrant white flowers are bell shaped, symbolic of bells that ring in honor of festivals and celebrations. The flowers are also symbolic of church bells, and when lily of the valley is incorporated in weddings or other church-related celebrations, can bring additional fun to the events.

Lily of the Valley likes shade and moist soil and is a perennial plant in temperate zones in North America, Europe and Asia.  The plant likes cool winters when it becomes dormant.  In comparison to the small groups of white flowers, the green leaves are from 3 to 5 inches wide and up to 8 inches high. When the flowers are pollinated, they produce a red berry containing up to six seeds.

Lily of the Valley blooms in spring for three to four weeks and is the birth flower for the month of May. The flowers are fragrant and have been used to make perfume and skin care products. showing us the sweetness in life.  As an essential oil, it is used to uplift emotions. The scent of the flower can be used to enhance and uplift your vibration and to help you connect more securely and fully with your higher self, angels and the world of spirit.

The plants spread to fill any available land. It reproduces by sprouting from underground stems called rhizomes.  Once established, it may be very difficult to remove from landscaping.  This aspect of the plant is worth consideration: how are you at setting boundaries?  Setting your personal boundaries is very healthy, both so that you can live and act according to your ethics and beliefs and so that you don't allow others to either overrun your beliefs or fall short of them.    

Lily of the Valley leaves and flowers have been used as an herbal remedy for hundreds of years to help regulate the heart and to help with high blood pressure. This should be done by an experienced herbalist; all parts of the plant are also poisonous if eaten.

Lily of the Valley is also called Mary's Tears, from the concept that the plant grew from where Mary cried at the death of Jesus, May Bells, Jacob's Ladder, and Ladder to Heaven.