Ancient beliefs about flowers - symbols of spring. Plants of spring flower beds: types and names Legends about spring flowers

Ancient beliefs about spring flowers become relevant on the eve of the onset of spring, since they are a storehouse of information about the characteristics of plants, the nuances of growing and caring for them. Forms floral legends and opinions about which specimen will fit well into the design of a spring flower garden, which relatives the flowers will be comfortable with, and which ones should be discarded.

Miguel Ángel Blázquez from the Institute of Molecular and Cellular Plant Biology in Valencia, who analyzed this work for science, explains that a fundamental step has been taken in understanding a phenomenon intuitively understood but not yet confirmed: plants are able to process important amounts of information and make their own conclusions.

"The plant has a safety code that ensures it will not bloom out of time and will not produce flowers in locations other than the top." It's clear that plants somehow calculate the average temperature to know whether it's fall or spring, but we still don't know how.

The first flowers as a symbol of spring

Try to mentally imagine the image of spring: the silhouette of a young long-haired beauty with various flowers and herbs woven into her curls will appear in your mind. Perhaps you will see a beautiful forest landscape with a stream, thawed patches and the first snowdrops emerging from the bare soil.

Question. What is the importance of these three jobs? But then the question was how the information written on the leaves is transferred to where the flowers appear, the tip of the stem. It has always been assumed that it must be a mobile signal called florigen that moves from the leaf to the tip and activates the genetic program for producing flowers. This was known because if you took the leaves of a plant that was flowering and grafted it into another that did not, it immediately began producing flowers.

But what is the chemical nature of this signal? How does he travel? This is where these works bring together ideas of the type that have and provide a molecular explanation. What is an explanation? What the Japanese and German teams discovered is that at the moment of flowering, at the tip of the stem there are two proteins that physically interact, that is, the connection of these two proteins that promotes the flower. But what is the nature of this molecule?

For some, the associative series will lead to a vision of a bright festive event - loved by the fair half on March 8, and someone will even feel the breath of the breeze carrying the aromas of herbs reborn after winter.

Definitely, your virtual picture will not be complete without flowers. Can you remember the names of the flora representatives that bloom first? Check yourself and your loved ones!

The main contribution of the Swedish research team is to answer this question. It's similar to how a switch works. Yes, flowering occurs only when two proteins are together; separately they do nothing. This way, the plant ensures that it will not bloom out of time and will not generate flowers in places other than the top.

This is similar to a security key. Returning to the beginning, what is the information perceived by the plant in its environment? There may be several types, but at the moment we know mainly two: length of days and temperature. The difference between the length of day and night, which we call photoperiod, is something that plants can perceive through certain photoreceptors that are found in leaves. But also, temperatures give us information about the season of the year, because in fact in March and October the days are just as long.

The desire to understand the nature of the universe and get closer to the creator encourages humanity to move forward and shock the world with ever new scientific discoveries, including achievements in the artificial cultivation of wild plants without reference to the time of year.

However, no matter how far people go in their experiments, they always rejoice at the appearance of the first flowers that have emerged without their participation, and the legends invented about wild specimens fuel general interest in spring nature.

The plant also detects temperature if it decreases or increases, although in this case we have not yet identified the receptors. Average temperature? Are plants capable of calculating an average? We don't know the details, but it's clear that the plant can't be fooled by a day of insulated heat in the middle of winter. We believe that there must be an accumulation-based mechanism that, once it reaches a certain threshold, initiates a flowering program without turning back. All this remains to be seen, but it is clear that plants can take in input and process information of a completely different nature and complexity before deciding the right moment to flower and reproduce.

The beautiful legend about the appearance of the snowdrop is associated with the first couple in love - Adam and Eve. It says that when the unhappy lovers, expelled from paradise, wandered through the snowy desert in winter, Eve could not stand it and burst into tears of repentance. The Lord’s heart trembled, and to console his daughter, he turned her tears into living white flowers that grew in spite of the cold.

There is a fairy tale in which the snowdrop acted as an assistant for the snow. The goddess Flora organized a ball for flowers, and the snow wanted to get to it. Snowdrop took pity on uninvited guest and carried it, hiding it under the tunic. Now the silvery friend always warms the plant in frosty weather.

Tragic legends are not uncommon in folklore; there is a similar one about snowdrops. The sneaky Snake once stole the sun, not wanting spring to come. However, there was a daredevil, a young man who was not afraid to go down into the asp’s lair and managed to free the fiery star. The price of liberation was the life of the young man - he died from wounds received in a battle with the reptile. Droplets of his blood seeped through the snow into the soil and in their place white flowers grew, reminiscent of the guy’s pure soul.

Here it is simply known as Scots. It originates in Africa, from a vast area stretching from Zimbabwe and Mozambique to the Transval region of South Africa. It integrates dry savanna and riverbank ecosystems into semi-arid areas, losing leaves during the dry season. Likes to live with strong sun exposure, tolerates dryness and salt well, but requires fertile, potassium and well-drained soil. In the regions of origin, indigenous people use the black-brown wood to make sculptures and eat roasted seeds.

In January and February, it partially renews its leaves and begins to bloom. It looks beautiful in late winter and early spring with countless red flowers contrasting with green leaves. The five petals fall quickly, but the tubular bowl, about 2 cm long, remains. Ten stamens are exposed because they are larger than the sepals. The flowers produce nectar in abundance and attract insects and birds, which enjoy the fresh water stored in the bowl.

As soon as people call the yellow primrose: ram (due to the waviness and fluffiness of the leaves), the key to summer (due to the shape of the inflorescence, similar to a bunch of keys and its sunny color).

Mature seeds should be placed in water at room temperature during two days. After a month or a little earlier, they begin to germinate. The fruits are flat pods, 5 to 15 cm long, which are woody and open on the tree, releasing seeds with arillae. Enter the rhythm of the most beautiful season of the year and find out what perfect flowers for growing in residential areas. A cold farewell gives way to the flower season, one of the most pleasant of the year. The streets and wooded parks are filled with flowers again and make the days brighter and more joyful.

The origin of primrose is explained by medieval legend. Once, the Apostle Peter, the permanent guardian of the gates of heaven, dropped a bunch of golden keys that opened the magical entrance, having heard the news that some sinner was trying to enter the Kingdom of Heaven without permission. The imprint of the key set remained on the ground where it fell, and the first flowers sprouted there. They became living keys that unlock the doors to warmth and summer.

How about taking advantage of the season to bring spring into your home? It may seem like a daunting task, but with the right tips - and a little willpower! - you can grow certain types of flowers at home. Landscaper Gilberto Elquis explains that there are four main growing facilities, both indoor and outdoor, that serve multiple species. These are: lighting, irrigation, ideal soil and maintenance.

Lighting: The basic command is to adjust the plane to sunlight conditions. It depends on the need of the species, which can be: full sun, partial shade and shade. Irrigation: Irrigation of the ideal amount of water depends on the conditions of the place where the flowers are located. For example, indoor plants require less water because evaporation occurs more slowly due to shade and complete or partial lack of air circulation. On the other hand, outdoor plants require more irrigation in different seasons.

They also say that primrose is capable of revealing hidden treasures.

If you happen to see a woman in white robes holding a golden shining key in the field, hurry to pick the primroses growing in front of you before her image disappears. These flowers will help you find even a treasure buried deep in the ground. They can be used repeatedly.

For plants kept indoors, landscape designer Gigi Botelho explains that on very dry days, as in summer, they need to be watered every other day. Even during wetter times, watering every two to three days is sufficient. External plants, in turn, require daily attention in summer and other times in winter. An expert reveals a big trick to make sure irrigation is perfect: Since you can't determine the average for each plant since each one has its own needs and size, test your fingers if the soil is wet.

The British still believe that fairies, gnomes and fairy-tale elves hide under the petals of this amazing plant. If you hear singing coming from under the flower’s cap, you can.

The ancient Greeks believed that primrose had healing properties and helped paralyzed people recover. According to legend, this flower is the personification of the beautiful young man Paralysos, who died of love.

It should never become soaked, he advises. Ideal soil for planting: It is divided into substrate, general soil or mixed soil. This latter is usually divided into half and half, with half substrate, half common. According to Gigi, the use of substrate is ideal because it is richer and contains organic and mineral materials in the right proportion for plant growth, besides being free from pests and weeds.

The substrate also reduces the shock of a transplant of sorts. So if you're planting a new species or replanting and don't know the soil environment, it's ideal to use a substrate, he explains. You can use regular or mixed soil when you have more time to watch what you plant because these are soils that require more plant care and may need more fertilizing and pruning.

And in the Scandinavian sagas, “primus” are the keys of the fertility goddess Freya, falling from her rainbow necklace and ushering in spring.

Various legends associate the delicate lily of the valley flowers with many things:

• the tears of the sea princess Magi, rejected by the famous epic hero Sadko;
• drops of divine sweat from the ancient Roman warrior Diana that fell on the grass during her escape from a loving Faun;
• the scattered beads of the snow white beauty's necklace;
• home of the Wood Elves;
• the burning tears of Mother Theotokos, which she shed under the cross of her crucified son;
• pearls into which the happy laughter of the lover Mavka, a fairy-tale forest creature, turned.

Many legends associate the lily of the valley with love experiences, so for centuries it has been considered a symbol of love among different nations.

Maintenance: Should be done at least once a month at least. Landscaper Gilberto Elquis states that the choice of flowers or plants should be made according to the area of ​​the house where they will be protected. “This is mainly necessary because of the lighting,” he says.

"If you stay indoors, you'll get some sun, but if there's a balcony with sun on the day, you can change your options a bit," he says. The landscape index shows the best options for the home environment, which typically receive small plants.

Noteworthy is the legend of the ancient Celts, according to which rare plant is the treasure of the elves, scattered throughout the world.

One day, young hunters accidentally noticed a magical man in the forest with a precious burden and followed him. They saw a whole mountain of pearls lying under a spreading tree. When one hunter touched the pearl hill, it crumbled. Forgetting caution, the whole group rushed to collect the pearl balls, and with their noise attracted the elven king. Seeing the outrage, he turned all the pearls into fragrant silver flowers...

Inside the home The easiest species to grow indoors are woody and part of the Dracaena family, such as the green pleoma and zamioculca. They are very durable, require little maintenance and water, and provide contrast in environment thanks to its green and intense color.

Balcony For the location, it is necessary to select species that need to be grown in pots, support the winds very well and require more attention in irrigation and fertilization monthly and bimonthly. Choose types of fruit or spices such as basil, thyme and rosemary. “Dragon begonia is also good because it blooms all year round,” says the expert.

To this day, elves rub lilies of the valley with napkins woven from moonlight and take revenge on the greedy representatives of humanity.

Legends and are of interest to novice gardeners and breeders. After all, they help to better recognize the essence of a strange plant and understand how to properly care for it.

Iris is considered one of the first plants to appear on earth. The first “cockerel” attracted all the animals, insects, and birds with its beauty. The wind and water fell in love with it, thanks to which the seeds of the wonderful flower scattered around the world, sprouted, and the gift of nature won the love of all the inhabitants of the Earth.

Garden When a site receives at least four hours of sun per day, more traditional species can be chosen with pinks, azaleas and lavender, as well as pines and axillary trees that can be trimmed. Tropical Garden This is the perfect spot for a beach home with plants that work well in humid or coastal areas. Gilberto points to a selection of philodendrons, alpine, helicona and calibae, which bloom well in spring and summer.

Modern garden. The atmosphere is quite fashionable, in order to provide a modern and sophisticated air of residence with straight lines and simple architecture. To achieve this, colors, textures, shapes and flavors of different types should be used in combination with a smooth surface such as granite.

The iris adorns the coat of arms of blooming Florence, since these beautiful flowers have grown around it from time immemorial. And they got their name from Hippocrates, who compared the plant with a rainbow along which the goddess Iris descended to earth. Since then, people talk about irises only as the flowers of Iris.

Ancient Roman and Ancient Greek myths repeatedly mention the “kasatika” as a rainbow flower that gives people hope. The Egyptians considered the "crest" a symbol of eloquence. The Arabs called it the flower of sorrow and planted a variety with white inflorescences on the graves of deceased relatives.

Therefore, many hearts feel inspired by seeing the renewed life flowing from the cold, barren land after the winter that has just passed. Spring is the time when most plants bloom, and this act in nature symbolizes the rebirth of life.

In the spring months, the birth season of the eternal and quiet stage of life begins, the earth begins to warm up with increasing duration during the hours of natural light due to the tilt of the Earth's axis towards the sun. We can trust that nature will once again offer a “new spring” as it has done since the first days of creation, giving the season a wonderful name of its own.

According to the beliefs of the ancient Slavs, irises grew in places where lightning struck during the wrath of the Thunder God Perun; the popular name “perunik” has survived to this day.

The Japanese have built a cult around the perennial - the whole country is famous for its iris gardens. The words “iris” and “warrior spirit” are denoted by the same hieroglyph; a separate day is even dedicated to admiring the flower – March 5th. Magical iris talismans are made for boys; a healing decoction - May pearls - is prepared from a mixture of the plant's inflorescence and bitter orange. All household utensils are decorated with images of pointed petals of a rainbow flower.

There is an ancient Greek story associated with the name of the rain flower. Hyacinth was a god, but his glory faded in the rays of Apollo's beauty. Hyacinth and the god of beauty Apollo were friends and often competed in agility and athletic skills.

One day, Apollo unsuccessfully threw a disc and hit Hyacinth, inflicting a mortal wound on his opponent in the games. The young man’s blood splashed onto the grass and subsequently blood-red fragrant flowers sprouted from the soil.

The appearance of the flower of sorrow is also associated with the Trojan War. Allegedly, in those days, two strong warriors Ajax and Odysseus claimed ownership of the weapons of Achilles (Achilles) after his death. The elders gave the subject of the dispute to Odysseus, and the offended Ajax pierced himself with a sword, unable to bear the insult. The plant that emerged from the bloody drops of the suicide bomber is shaped like the first letters of his name - Α (alpha), Υ (Upsilon).

Eastern poets (Navoi, Firduosi) praised hyacinth as “curls of Gurias” because of the softness and fringe of its petals.

Introduce spring garden Without this flower it is impossible, because for a long time growing tulips was considered an activity worthy of noble, noble persons. Legends about it are dedicated to coloring.

For example, a red tulip is considered a symbol of the true love of the Tajik girl Shirin and the poor stonecutter Farhad.

When the time came for Shirin to get married, she set an ultimatum that she would give herself to the one who would dig a canal from the river to her house overnight. Farhad rushed to complete the task and almost finished the job, but the vile prince, vying for the girl’s hand, deceived the poor fellow, saying that he had already agreed on the wedding date with Shirin. In despair, Farhad killed himself by hitting his head on a pickaxe, and scarlet tulips grew from the soil, sprinkled with drops of his blood. Shirin remained a virgin, loving Farhad until his death.

Many people try to verify the superstition about the yellow tulip: “If you open its bud, you will get happiness.” They say that such an action was only once achieved by a child who was simply sincerely surprised by the beauty of an unprecedented flower. The tulip itself opened its petals to the baby - and he was happy!

The British believe that tulips were once given different shades by fairies who settled in an old woman’s garden. When she saw the little guests sleeping peacefully in the buds, she was not lazy and planted several more rows of plants.

AMARANTH (Whautli, or "devil's seeds")

Exotic culture came into fashion in the Middle Ages, it was imitated by artists, architects and poets, and new ideas transformed gardening landscapes.
At the end of the 15th - beginning of the 16th centuries. The Spanish conquistadors, rushing to conquer the American continent, encountered an amazing and original people who created a powerful, highly developed state on the territory of what is now Mexico. The culture, religion, worldview, and way of life of the Aztecs were so outlandish that they were neither accepted nor comprehended by the aliens. The strange civilization was destroyed fairly quickly, but the Spaniards' stories about what they saw to this day excite the imagination of the world community.
Overseas cities were buried in the luxurious blooms of many picturesque plants; temples, homes, and clothes were decorated with them. The mirror of the reservoirs reflected floating gardens, which Europeans were never able to recreate. The botanical collections included thousands of unprecedented species; on the plantations, among other plants, sweet potatoes, maize, and wautle were cultivated, which served as the main raw material for preparing exotic dishes. The cult of plants was felt in everything. Poets composed poems for them and sang them in songs; babies were named after their favorite flowers. Rulers constantly equipped expeditions in search of new species, and the right to own a single specimen was defended in battles. Tributes were collected from conquered peoples in flowers, seeds and plants.
But most of all, the Spaniards were shocked by the rituals of sacrifice to the main deity Huitzilopotis. Similar to the Christian custom of communion, which involved the consumption of “flesh” and “blood,” the American aborigines used whatley porridge flavored with dark honey and human blood for ritual worship. The ceremony included the obligatory eating of the mash, which was done with reverent pleasure, causing the Europeans to shudder and thereby sealing the fate of the plant in America. It was declared diabolical, its cultivation was banned on pain of death, mercilessly suppressing the slightest attempts to comply with religious canons. Thus, the huautli, the cartilaginous or white-seeded amaranth (Amaranthus hypochondriacus L., or, synonymously, A. leucocarpus S. Wats.) was undeservedly consigned to oblivion for a long time. Much time has passed since then, the plant has long been rehabilitated and to this day occupies the minds of scientists around the world, admiring the large number of unique beneficial substances contained in it.

CALVE (Divine Flower)

The name carnation comes from the Greek words "Di" and "anthos", which can be translated as "divine flower". There are many legends about the origin of this majestic plant. One of them says that the goddess of the hunt Artemis, returning after an unsuccessful hunt, could not cope with the rage that was strangling her and in a frenzy brought down her anger on a shepherd walking in a flowery meadow. The terrible goddess deprived him of his eyes. Realizing what had happened, she threw them to the ground in despair. Later, two red slender flowers sprouted in their place, symbolizing innocently shed blood. Cloves were revered not only on Olympus. The cultivation of carnations began first in Ancient Greece, then this tradition migrated to the territory of Great Rome. There it was revered for its wonderful subtle aroma and delicate double flowers. But cloves came to Europe from the East - from Tunisia, from where the crusading knights brought it. In France and England, it was the flower of the upper classes - kings decorated their clothes with it. In Belgium and Germany, where it was a symbol of loyalty and courage, the authorities allowed the common people to grow cloves. It was the Germans who gave the flower the name “carnation” - for the similarity of its aroma to the smell of spice. After the Germans, the Poles, and then the Russians, began to call him that.

MUSCHMULA

The origin of the medlar is China, from there it migrated to Japan, and then to Europe. Even in ancient times, the plant was domesticated in Azerbaijan. Currently, in many southern regions of the former USSR (in Ukraine, the Caucasian republics, Moldova, Central Asia), medlar is grown as an ornamental and fruit plant.

LEGEND
In one Azerbaijani village there lived a young man. He fell in love with a rich but sickly girl. He could not woo her, since he had neither sheep nor decent clothes, and he walked barefoot. The young man's mother could not look at his suffering. She decided to help him: she went to the garden and wanted to cut down a medlar tree to sell its valuable wood. But as soon as she touched the bark of the tree, she heard a groan: “Don’t kill me, I’ll be useful to you.” The woman did not cut down the tree. And in the spring, as soon as the fruits appeared, she collected unripe medlar berries and took them to a shoemaker so that he could make a composition from them for tanning leather, and then sew boots for her son. She made a delicious marshmallow from the ripe fruits. There was so much medlar in their garden that year that they began selling it at the market. And soon the son was able to buy himself new clothes.
Having dressed up, he went to his beloved girlfriend, but she was sick. The young man asked the servants to give the girl juice and loquat pastille. The girl tasted the goodies, she liked the taste of medlar, she asked that they bring her more of this delicacy. The young man began to come to his beloved every day and bring her medlar. Soon the girl felt a surge of strength; she no longer wanted to lie on the mat all day. She began to go out and meet the young man.
In his new clothes and high boots, he was so handsome that the girl also fell in love. She told her parents that she agreed to marry the young man. And soon they had a wedding, at which medlar wine flowed like a river.

LYUBKA TWO-LEAF OR NIGHT VIOLET (Platanthera bifolia)

The Russian name is Night Violet - because of the fragrant flowers that smell only at night.
According to legend, during the Zaporozhye Sich, Cossacks wore
dried tubers of Lyubka bifolia on the neck, and they more than once saved Cossack lives and restored strength.
The Tatars usually stopped pursuing the Cossacks when they fled from pursuit into the desert steppes, believing that they would die there.
However, the Cossacks were saved by the dried tubers of Lyubka, which they chewed. Tubers quenched hunger, thirst, and restored strength.
The Tatars interrogated rare captives, trying to find out what was saving them in the hungry steppe.
The Cossacks died, but did not give up their secrets.
After some time, the Tatars finally learned about the mysterious properties of Lyubka tubers and began to wear amulets themselves.
In the old days, healers gave two tubers of Lyubka bifolia to those eager to master the miraculous power. They said: “Draw a white cross across the sore spot and you’ll forget what hurt. Black is for the enemy. If you touch it with its root, everything you wish for it will come true.” Girls were given tubers so that boys would love them. This is where the Russian name Lyubka comes from.

VERBENA

How often does the name of this plant appear in ancient books? This very word exudes the subtle aroma of dried flowers, the aroma of times long past. What secrets are associated with this modest flower?
The Druids revered verbena because it resembled the oak tree, the sacred tree of the Druids. The Druid priests revered verbena and were sure that it healed all diseases. From it they prepared magical and secret drinks. They gathered in the spring on moonless nights, when Sirius rose in the constellation Canis Major, and collected verbena in iron bowls, trying not to touch it with their hands. Druids believed that verbena ignites the dark flame of love, reconciles enemies, and removes spirits. If you put it in a house, garden, field, orchard, there will only be profit. The Druids collected vervain at the moment of sunrise, in the first minutes of sunrise, when their feet were buried in dew. But if you pick it on the full moon, grind it into powder and sprinkle it in the spouses’ home, they will start to quarrel and may separate. A herb with diverse properties, it gives joy, but it can also bring pain and torment. It all depends on who, when, and why it was collected.
The belief that verbena is a sacred and magical herb is a very ancient belief. In ancient Norse mythology, it was the sacred herb of Thor, in ancient Persia - the sun.
The ancient Greeks and Romans also considered verbena a sacred plant. Verbena was dedicated to Mars and Venus, and the verbena wreath symbolized marriage and protected against conspiracies and spells, cleansing houses and temples. The priests of Ancient Rome cleaned the altars of the Temple of Jupiter with vervain. Brooms were made and covered with them. The Celts used this plant in magic for spells and incantations. Among the Iranians, verbena granted wishes. The first Christians called verbena "the herb of the cross" because it was watered with the blood of the crucified Christ. In the Italian witchcraft tradition, verbena is dedicated to DIANA, the patron goddess of witches. Neopagan witches use it as an ingredient in ritual cleansing baths.
Verbena is a traditional ingredient in love potions, as there is a belief that undiluted verbena juice helps to fulfill desires, and in addition, makes one immune to diseases, gives the gift of clairvoyance and protects against spells.
Its juice was able to harden iron when forging a weapon.
Ghosts and evil spirits ran away from her. The lucky one, who had magic vervain with him, was invulnerable during the battle; neither a dagger, nor a sword, nor a sword could hit him.
Once upon a time, Pliny the Elder wrote that the Gauls sprinkled an infusion of verbena herb into the room in which the feast took place, so that the meal would be cheerful. Crushed and cooked in wine, it allegedly provided a drink against snake bites.
Verbena was the herb of peace. Ambassadors carried it when setting off to negotiate peace with the enemy, held it in their hands while negotiations were going on, and lay between the negotiating parties. If peace was out of the question, then the vervain was thrown away. The magicians believed that if you rub it on your body, you will get everything you want. With its help, they drove out fever, made friendships, cured all diseases, cleared the house and estate with all buildings from evil spirit. But to do this, it had to be collected in the evening at dusk, so that no one would see, not even the Moon and the Sun, and it was necessary to pay the Earth, in the form of compensation, with honeycombs with honey or something tasty and sweet. Pull out the grass with your left hand so that your heart feels it faster and lift it high, high into the air so that the stars can see the verbena. Before digging its root out of the ground, it was necessary to draw a magic ring around it with a gold or silver object. Iron killed the magical power of vervain. The magicians advised drying the leaves, stem, and root separately; definitely in the dark.
According to Christian legend, it was first found on Calvary at the foot of the Cross and was used to stop the bleeding from the Savior’s wounds. And since vervain was applied to the wounds of Christ on Calvary, it cannot be torn without making the sign of the cross. For this reason, it was sometimes called the “holy herb” and was given the power to ward off all kinds of evil, stop bleeding and heal deep wounds.
However, it had to be collected with great care, only during certain phases of the moon, repeating secret words and spells. If this is not done, all its advantages will disappear.
Verbena is one of the 12 magical plants of the Rosicrucians. As a herb of love, verbena helps against anger, extinguishes emotions, and puts you in a cheerful mood. Verbena was actively used in alchemical practice as a sign of cosmic substance. Albertus Magnus believed that verbena brought profit to the house. True, there was another opinion that she was helping to spread lies.
The heads of singers and poets were crowned with verbena wreaths. And the future could be predicted from the thin stems. For example, the patient had to take a sprig of verbena with his left hand, if he felt better, he would die, if worse, he would recover. They believe that Verbena will help the soldier escape from captivity.

CLOVER

Legend has it that St. Patrick used three leaves on one stem to explain the concept of the Holy Trinity - the leaves depicted God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.
The first mention of the connection between the baptist and clover occurs at the beginning of the 18th century in the diary of the wandering Protestant Caleb Threlkeld. He wrote: “People wear this plant (white clover) in their hats every year on March 17th, the day they call St. Patrick's Day. They say that with the help of a shamrock he explained the mystery of the Holy Trinity.”
Therefore, the clover (Trifolium dubium), or shamrock, became a symbol of Ireland. On St. Patrick's Day, you are supposed to drink at least a glass of alcohol in some Irish bar. There is a so-called "Patrick's glass" - a unit of measurement of whiskey that was drunk on St. Patrick's Day. Tradition dictates that a trefoil leaf (Oxalis) should be placed in a glass before drinking a glass of whiskey. Since then, people have been saying “drowning the shamrock.”
But Trifolium dubium clover is not unique to Ireland, any more than stout, red hair or rain are. Dr Charles Nelson, a leading Irish botanist, said: “Irish clover only exists on St. Patrick's Day. On all other days it is just young clover. There are two myths associated with this variety of clover: they say that it grows only in Ireland and never blooms. But it is found in a variety of places, from Tasmania to North America and South Africa. It’s likely that it’s growing under my door.”
Indeed, there is some ambiguity regarding clover in a country that claims it to be its own. The national flower is painted on the jerseys of the Irish football and rugby teams, on the tails of Aer Lingus airliners, and on the stationery of the Irish Tourist Board. But the official symbol of Ireland is the 12-string harp.
The only country where clover is a national symbol is the Caribbean island of Montserrat, originally founded as an Irish Catholic colony, where they stamp their passports in the shape of a shamrock.

RHODIOLA ROSE (Golden root)

The smell of freshly dug rhizomes is reminiscent of the aroma of a rose, hence the scientific name that Carl Linnaeus gave this plant - Rhodiola rosea.

For many centuries, this plant was considered the highest value and was used in folk medicine to improve health and maintain active longevity. Healing properties Rhodiola was highly valued in ancient Tibet. It was prohibited to export the plant outside the country. Chinese emperors equipped special expeditions to search for the golden root. It was smuggled across the border by smugglers as the greatest value. The indigenous population of Altai carefully hid the places where Rhodiola grows. The methods of using this plant were surrounded by mystery, which was passed from father to son, and sometimes went to the grave with the owner.
Chinese emperors and Altai hunters, Scandinavian Vikings and shepherds in the Pamirs drank special tea from Rhodiola rosea.
But here’s a paradox: In the East, Rhodiola was smuggled (if anyone was found with a root, they were executed without delay), and in the West, it was used as a dye for fabric.
In the old days, there was a belief that whoever found Rhodiola root would be healthy and happy for two centuries. Together with the deer horn, the root was presented to the young spouse to multiply the family.

BLUEBERRY

They say that in ancient times, hard-working gnomes lived in the fields, lived and helped the peasants. But they helped secretly, so the peasants, knowing nothing about them, kept frightening them with a sickle or hoe. And the gnomes went into the forest, built their new houses under the blueberries, hoping that the blueberries would protect them from any evil and no one would bother them again.

CHINESE TALE ABOUT GINSENG

In China there lived ginseng, a root that had the powerful power of transforming animals and humans. People at that time did not yet know about its existence. But the great prophet and philosopher Lao Tzu discovered its healing power and gave people its signs. Fleeing from anxiety, ginseng fled to the north, but could not hide here either: another scientist, Lao-Han-Wang, with the help of his medicinal herbs, again discovered its location. “A long time ago, no one remembers when, two ancient Chinese families, Xi Liangji and Liang Xe’er, lived in the neighborhood. The family of Xi Liangji was famous for a fearless warrior named Ginseng. He was brave and kind, defended the weak, helped the poor. These qualities passed on to him from ancestors who descended from the king of forest animals - the tiger. Warrior Song Shiho - a representative of the Liang Se'er family - unlike Ginseng, was treacherous, evil, cruel and rude, but very beautiful and stately. One day a terrible monster attacked the country. - the yellow dragon. All the men rose up to fight the monster, and only Song Shiho moved into the enemy’s camp and became the yellow dragon’s faithful assistant, on the contrary, he volunteered to fight the dragon one on one. The monster vomited. the flames scratched him with his claws, but Ginseng survived. And not only did he survive, but he also threw the enemy to the ground. And Song Shi-ho Ginseng took the traitor prisoner and tied him to a rock, so that later he could be judged by the people. But Song Shiho saw the prisoner. Ginseng's sister, the beautiful Liu La, fell in love at first sight. At night, she crept up to the rock, cut the rope that tied the prisoner, helped deceive the vigilant guards, and rode away with Song Shiho. Ginseng rushed in pursuit of the fugitives and overtook them. The clatter of his horse's hooves was heard closer and closer. And now Liu La hid behind a rock in fear, and the warriors dismounted and began the duel. They fought for a long time, but Ginseng was a more experienced and courageous warrior: he began to win. Here he raised his sword for the final fatal blow. Liu La screamed in horror. Ginseng flinched (after all, his sister was screaming), looked around and then received a treacherous blow in the back. Song Shiho was ready to celebrate the victory, but, mortally wounded, Ginseng straightened up and plunged his sword into the chest of the traitor up to the hilt. And then life left him. Liu La bitterly mourned the death of her brother and beloved. Then she gathered her strength and buried them, but did not leave this terrible place, but spent the night nearby. And the next morning, at the burial site of Ginseng, she saw a previously unseen plant that grew there overnight (the plant grew only on the grave of the hero Ginseng, the grave of the traitor Song Shiho was overgrown with grass). So people called this amazing plant ginseng, in memory of the hero from the Xi Liangji clan.

LOTUS

The Thai folk name for this plant is Bua Luang. In ancient India, this amazing plant had about a hundred different names, but they are very little known. The lotus that grows in the Volga delta (Caspian lotus) is also called the Caspian rose, Astrakhan rose or Chulpan rose. Fun fact: lotus is one of the popular names for its relative, the common water lily.
A great many myths and legends are associated with the lotus. He was a symbol of many phenomena. In general, in the east this is perhaps the most famous and sacred plant. But the vast majority of these beliefs are united by the basic concept indicated by the lotus: pristine purity, light, etc. This is explained as follows: the rhizomes of the lotus are immersed in silt, in mud; but its flowers and leaves are pure and unsullied. Flowers are raised high above the water, above the earth, above everything negative. They follow the sun and maintain eternal purity.
One of the Indian proverbs says: “Lotus flowers are a ship on which a drowning person in the ocean of life can find salvation.”
The ancient Egyptians even found a place for the lotus in numbering. The number 1000 was denoted by a hieroglyph in the form of a schematically depicted lotus.
The nymph Lotis was turned into a lotus (ancient Greek myths).
In Ancient Greece, there were widespread stories about people eating lotus - "lotophagi" ("lotus eaters"). According to legend, anyone who tastes lotus flowers will never want to part with the homeland of this flower:
"For nine days an irritated storm carried us through the dark
Fishy waters; on the tenth to the land of lot eaters,
Satisfying ourselves with flower food, the wind rushed us,
Having gone out onto solid ground and stocked up on fresh water,
We quickly set up a light lunch at the fast ships.
Having satisfied my hunger with drink and food, I chose
Two of our most efficient comrades (there was a third
A herald is with them) and he sent them to find out what we have reached
To people who eat bread in a land abounding in gifts.
They found peaceful lot eaters there; and sent by our
The lotophages did no harm; them with friendly affection
Having met them, they gave them a lotus to taste; but only only
Everyone tasted the sweet honey lotus, instantly
I forgot everything and, having lost the desire to return,
Suddenly I wanted to stay away from the lotophages so that it would be delicious
Gather the lotus, forever renouncing your homeland.
By force, dragging them, crying, to our ships, I commanded
Tie them tightly there to the ship's benches, while the rest
He gave orders to his faithful comrades, without hesitation at all,
Everyone board the nimble ships, so that none of them
Having been seduced by the sweet lotus, I did not refuse to return home."

These events, described by Homer, took place more than 30 centuries ago on the island of Djerba, which lies in the Mediterranean Sea near the coast of southern Tunisia.
There is even an opinion that if people had not cultivated the lotus, now this plant would be on the verge of extinction, if it were still present in the modern flora at all. Therefore, almost all species are listed in the Red Book.

CRANBERRY

From time immemorial, cranberries were considered a Russian berry. There is a legend that even Alexander Dumas, traveling around Russia and never seeing cranberry thickets (and it is unlikely that he had a chance to make his way through our peat bogs), did not want to admit it and wrote in his notes that “he once rested in the shade of a spreading cranberries".
Americans have a different opinion, claiming that the birthplace of the berry is North America. The Delaware Indians called her "Ibimi" and believed that she came from land soaked in the blood of people who died in battle with giants. And now, you see, it is considered a symbol of the United States. And in our student years we enthusiastically sang: “And still, in terms of the number of cranberries / America will not catch up with us!” Alas, it catches up and overtakes. Americans manage to consume 340 million pounds of cranberries per year, putting production on an industrial basis. Special plantations began to be created there in 1816. Cranberries are processed not only into fruit drinks and jam. They make an unusual product called “crazins” - a hybrid of the words “cranberry” (cranberry) and “raisin” (raisins): the berries are sweetened and dried. The result is a typically American snack in bags, however, unlike other snacks, craisins are very healthy. Part of the American cranberries is used to make the sauce, which no roasted turkey can do on Thanksgiving. In our country, cranberries are harvested in three days. They are firm, but when stored, they ripen and soften. If you put it in jars and fill it with cold water, it will be stored all winter. In late autumn, when frost sets in, the berries are most juicy and sour. They are stored frozen, but after thawing it is better to use them immediately - otherwise they will spoil. Or they are pureed with sugar. In the spring, snow cranberries are harvested. They are sweeter, but they contain less vitamins and do not last long. Still, it’s a shame that America has surpassed us in harvesting cranberries. However, soon we will begin to produce them on a large scale. In any case, a project is already being developed to grow varietal berries in the Sakhalin region.

SABELNIK SWAMP (Swamp Knight)

ABOUT MEDICINAL plant There is a legend about the marsh cinquefoil, which is called “cutting off diseases” for its healing power. In ancient times, peaceful people lived in the Russian North. But powerful enemies drove him from his native lands into dense forests and swamps. Severe, fatal illnesses came to people from the rotten swamp fogs. And then they prayed: “Lord, send us help and salvation!” And then a bright horseman appeared in the night. His saber flashed like red lightning, cutting through the thick swamp fog. And the next morning the damp, cold earth was strewn with purple flowers. The roots, leaves and stems of this wonderful plant healed all diseases. The people were saved, and the plant, in memory of its miraculous appearance, received the name SABELNIK and since then has been cutting off diseases, returning people to health.

COMMON CALMARUS (marsh calamus, calamus, Tatar potion, flatbread, yavr)

Acorus calamus L. Fam. Araceae - Araceae
The generic Latin name is related to the Greek word "asogon"; “koge” - eyeball, since in ancient times calamus was used to treat eye diseases. The appearance of the specific Latin name is associated with the history of its penetration into Western Europe. In the East - India, China - calamus is widespread and known as a medicinal and spicy plant. From the East it came in dried form to Ancient Greece and Rome. Hippocrates also wrote about wonderful medicines made from calamus root. In the Middle Ages, the aromatic root was brought through Istanbul and to Europe, but only in candied form as an exact sweetness, and the Turks carefully guarded the secret of this “incense cane.” Nevertheless, in 1574, the Austrian ambassador to Turkey managed to send the botanist Clausius, director of the Vienna Botanical Garden, a parcel with fragrant calamus rhizomes suitable for planting. Clausius accepted the gift with great gratitude, fully confident that he was the only owner in Europe of an exotic and, undoubtedly, beautifully flowering plant. He himself chose the landing site in a corner of the pond. The plant turned out to be unpretentious and grew quickly, and in the third year it bloomed. But what was the disappointment of botanists when they saw not beautiful flowers on the plant, but an inconspicuous ear with many yellowish-green flowers. On top of that, the plant did not set fruit and reproduced exclusively from pieces of rhizome. The disappointment of botanists was reflected in the Latin name of the plant, which literally means “ugly cane.” Almost simultaneously with the Vienna calamus, it was acquired by the Prague Botanical Garden, from where the plant soon spread to the ponds and quiet reservoirs of Western Europe.
But the surprises for botanists did not end there. It turned out that for Eastern Europe this is not an exotic plant at all, but a common plant known as “Tatar grass”, or Tatar potion. According to legend, calamus was brought to our country during the Tatar-Mongol invasion. The Tatars considered calamus a plant that purifies water, and were convinced that where it grows, you can drink it without risk to health. Therefore, the Tatar horsemen carried with them pieces of living rhizomes in saddlebags and threw them into all the bodies of water they encountered. The rhizomes quickly took root, and soon the banks of reservoirs were overgrown with a continuous belt of fragrant plants. Apparently, because of this, in our country there are two areas of calamus completely isolated from each other - European and Far Eastern. Due to its unpretentiousness, calamus spread widely throughout Western and Eastern Europe, but isolation from its homeland did not pass without a trace. Deprived of specific pollinating insects living in India and China, and not capable of self-pollination, the plant does not set fruit and reproduces exclusively by vegetative means.
Calamus is the oldest spice, rivaling bay leaf. Its dried rhizomes have been traded in the Middle East for 4,000 years. It gives dishes a unique taste and smell. Candied calamus replaces ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
Dioscorides said that the best calamus is white, dense, not corroded, not porous, full, with a pleasant smell. Avicenna recommended it as a cleanser, for diseases of the stomach, liver, and as a diuretic. In his opinion, calamus “thins the thickening of the cornea and helps with cataracts, but its squeezed juice is especially suitable in both cases.”
In the Middle Ages, calamus was considered an excellent disinfectant. It was chewed for prevention during epidemics of typhus, cholera, and influenza; calamus powder was sprinkled on festering ulcers and wounds. The fragrant plant was used in rituals; on the holiday of the Trinity, floors and even courtyards were covered with its leaves.
Russian herbalist of the 18th century. reports: “Ir, or watery paradise grass... Its root is reddish on the outside, white on the inside, as thick as a finger, light, made up of many knees, covered with fibers and has a piercing and deliberately pleasant smell. It contains a lot of oil and volatile salt.”
Currently, the use of calamus in medicine is limited. It is used mainly in appetite stimulants and digestive aids, sometimes as a tonic for depression of the central nervous system. In folk medicine, it is used as a stomachic remedy, the decoction is used to wash the hair for hair loss, and drink for toothache. Calamus rhizome powder is taken orally (at the tip of a knife) for heartburn, inflammation of the kidneys and bladder. To strengthen the gums, root powder is mixed with tooth powder. Calamus is also included in preparations for diathesis in children and preparations used for stomach ulcers with low acidity. A decoction of rhizomes is prepared from the ratio of 15.0 g of crushed rhizomes per 200 ml of potassium. Infuse in cold water for 8 hours in a warm place, shaking frequently. Take one tablespoon 3 times a day before meals.
Calamus marsh is a perennial plant from the aroid family, has a horizontal branched rhizome, at the raised end of which a bunch of sword-shaped leaves are formed, covering each other with pinkish bases. Its leaves are similar to iris leaves, but only longer and thinner.
Avicenna gives the following description of it: “These are the roots of a plant similar to papyrus. For the most part, it grows in standing and flowing waters. There are whitish nodes on its roots with a nasty smell, mixed with a slight fragrance.” Obviously, a subjective perception of the smell of the plant was manifested here, since ancient and modern authors emphasize its pleasant, but slightly intrusive smell. Moreover, all organs of the plant are fragrant, with the exception of thin roots. By mid-summer, a triangular stem with a cone-shaped inflorescence - a spadix - appears from a bunch of leaves. The spadix is ​​covered with a bract leaf. In a non-flowering state, it differs from similar plants only in smell.
The rhizome contains up to 4% essential oil, tannins, resins, ascorbic acid, and acorin glycoside.
In Western Europe it is used to make vodka and liqueurs. Essential oil is used in perfumery to flavor soaps and creams.
Based on the book by Kuznetsov M.A., Reznikov A.S. "Tales of Medicinal Plants"

KALINA

There is a short legend about viburnum: Once upon a time, viburnum berries were sweeter than raspberries. A beautiful girl fell in love with a proud blacksmith, who did not notice her and often wandered through the forest. Nothing helped and then she decided to burn that forest. The blacksmith came to his favorite place, and everything there burned down. Only one viburnum bush remained, watered with burning tears. And under the bush the blacksmith saw a tear-stained beauty. His heart grew attached to the girl, he fell in love, but it was too late. Along with the forest, the girl’s beauty quickly burned away. And viburnum restored the guy’s ability to respond to love, and in his old age he saw the image of a young beauty in his bent old woman. But since then, the viburnum berries began to taste bitter, like tears of unrequited love. And there was a belief that a bouquet of viburnum, applied to an aching heart in love, soothes the pain.
The Hutsul legend sternly explains the birth of viburnum. About the times when Bukovina was drenched in human blood, when enemies burned homes. About a fearless girl who led a group of enemies into an impenetrable thicket. And a viburnum bush grew at the site of the death of the Hutsulka. And the ruby ​​berries of the viburnum glow, like drops of the blood of a hacked girl. Apparently, since then, according to popular belief, all girls who die before marriage turn into thin, fragile viburnum bushes.
And how many sincere and tender songs have we composed about viburnum, how many wise tales created? From distant childhood, we carefully preserve in our memory the magical viburnum bridge, on which the Russian hero, Ivan, a peasant son, defeated the 12-headed serpent.
For the Slavic peoples, viburnum has always been a symbol of a bright holiday, goodness, beauty, love and family happiness, personifying modesty and innocence. According to ancient customs, viburnum was considered an indispensable participant in the wedding ceremony; it was used to decorate the wedding loaf. The girls wove wreaths from flowers and embroidered them on towels.
Viburnum blooms wildly at the end of May with fragrant white blooms. And, like a bride in a white veil, you involuntarily admire her; from afar you can catch the exciting aroma of her flowers. And the bees tirelessly circle over it; the viburnum flowers contain no less nectar than the linden honey tree.

COMPOSITION AND APPLICATION:
Viburnum fruits contain up to 32% invert sugar, tannins, pectin, glycosides amygdalin and viburnin, microelements: phosphorus, calcium, iron, manganese, zinc. A wide range of vitamins: C, B9, K, E, A, as well as a number of organic acids. The bark contains the glycoside viburnin, resin, starch, phlobafen, phytosterol, acids: (valeric / ascorbic / palmitic / caprylic), many tannins, triterpene saponins, carotene, flavonoids. Viburnum roots contain astragalin, peonoside, sterols, essential oil.
In folk medicine, the bark, flowers and berries of viburnum are used as a disinfectant, hemostatic, astringent, diaphoretic, diuretic and choleretic agent.
“From 99 diseases”: Viburnum is useful for inflammatory and skin diseases, peptic ulcers, edema, gastritis, colitis, neuroses, epilepsy, vascular spasms, scrofula, convulsions, insomnia, treats sore throat, hypertension, liver diseases. Used for bronchial asthma, dyspepsia, catarrhal gingivitis, periodontitis, cholecystitis, hemorrhoids, stomach cancer. Completely resolves the goiter.
Increases the power of heart contractions, improves intestinal function, stimulates metabolism, activates liver activity, and has a vitamin and general strengthening effect. The juice of the berries is used to treat eczema and boils, and addiction to alcohol. The juice is taken for pulmonary tuberculosis and shortness of breath. The high iron content in viburnum fruits increases hemoglobin, reactive compounds normalize the condition of blood vessels, cleanse them of cholesterol.
Viburnum may be contraindicated for gout and kidney disease.

9.03-12.03.2015

Registration number 0279668 issued for the work:
When people were still free, like the wind, in their feelings, thoughts, dreams, they were children of the wild - there was no bondage in the world. But one day an insidious bird of evil and greed pecked into the head of one of the people the terrible thought of the enslavement of man by man. That man began to scatter fragments of his opinion among his tribe. A wild fire smoldered and flared up. The world's first war has begun - a war between good and evil. Evil won, firmly entrenched in the hearts and heads of the wild tribe. And they went looking for someone to enslave, to make slaves for themselves.
And somewhere far away, behind the wild mountains in the forest, there lived a tribe of free and independent people who had Goodness and a sense of Beauty in their hearts. They loved their land, their fellow tribesmen. There was a girl among them - her name was Vesna. Her beauty bloomed like a flower. Everyone loved and cherished her as the most precious treasure of their tribe. Many good and kind young men sought her love. To the surprise of everyone, she chose a young man whose name was Svetozar. The modest young man knew how to create melodies from an ordinary willow branch and carve amazing flowers from wood, which were in no way different in beauty from living ones.
On long evenings, Spring listened enchanted to the melodies of her fiancé, in which she felt like the imperishable rustle of the forest, the roll call of birds, the call of wild animals, and what she could talk about in words. Everyone rejoiced at their happiness and waited for them to unite into a single family so that everyone could celebrate this day.
One fine morning, their tribe was attacked by people with the hellfire of evil in their hearts. The battle was fierce. Freedom-loving people did not want to become slaves; they preferred to die than to be captured. They defended their freedom as best they could, and the dead fell... The leader of the distraught tribe saw the beautiful Spring. His eyes lit up with thirst and said: “Mine!” A whole gang rushed at the girl. Svetozar stepped in front of them. Always quiet and calm, he immediately attacked the strangers like an angry boar. As if he was mowing down their ranks with a scythe, but the forces were unequal, the young man was languishing, and the enemies were pressing. They overcame him, twisted his arms, and began to furiously kick him. Spring rushed to him, but he begged her to run away. She could not leave her beloved. She rushed to the leader of the strangers, knelt down, begging to be left alive. The leader approached her, grabbed her by the hair, turned her towards him, examined her from all sides: “Good bird”... - he clicked his tongue. “We will not touch him if you agree to become my slave.” Spring began to cry and lament, looking at the wounded Svetozar and said: “Take me!” The young man shuddered, his heart sank painfully. After all, his beloved sacrifices herself! "No! - he said, “I don’t want to live without you, to buy my life at the cost of yours...” Spring came up to him, looked into his very soul with eyes full of torment: “Darling, I want your song, your melodies to live... I and our love will live in them - it will be immortal in song...” The young man rushed with his last strength, scattered the enemies and rushed to the bride. Two hearts merged in a hot impulse. And then the alien leader, enraged by the insolence of the prisoner, pierced both of them with a sword. The lovers' hearts were so close that both stopped beating at the same time. Nature could not withstand such a criminal act: the wind whistled: the forest rustled dully and threateningly, the lake clapped with menacing waves, and large flakes fell from the sky, covering everything around with a white blanket. Frightened strangers began to run in all directions... And after a while, people who managed to run away and save themselves began to converge from everywhere. The dead were buried in the ground. And no matter how much they looked for Spring and Svetozar, they could not find it.
Winter has passed, the snow has melted, the earth has become warm and fragrant, green sprouts have sprouted from the ground, the branches of the trees have become covered with delicate greenery. Beauty shone all around! And everyone said in one voice: “Spring!” Everything reminded them of young Spring. It echoed somewhere between the trees, as if she really had responded. It seemed to everyone that Spring flashed like a shadow in the distance... And then they heard the sounds of a song without words. And everyone said in one voice: “Svetozar!” And under the trees amazing flowers bloomed, white and blue, just as Svetozar had once carved out of wood.
Since then, Spring has blossomed every year, as this time of the year has been called. It's time for love. Because the undying feeling of the beauty of Spring and Light still lives.
9.03-12.03.2015

Legends about spring, fairy tales about spring, oral folk art about spring, poems about spring, educational stories about spring for children.

Folklore

Stonefly

(Ukrainian folk song)

The sun is already clear

It's hot, it's hot

And there's gold everywhere

Spilled, spilled.

Streams on the street

Everything is murmuring, everything is murmuring.

The cranes are crowing

And they fly, and they fly...

Snowdrops bloomed

Yes in the line, yes in the line.

Soon to the whole country

To be in a wreath, to be in a wreath.

Quail

(Belarusian folk song)

Hey quail

colorful feather,

Where did you spend the winter?

At the spring.

Where did you fly this summer?

At the wheat.

Wintered -

I drank water.

Flew -

She pecked the grains.

Sunny and mother

(Latvian folk song)

Sunny and mother

With different names,

With different names,

And deeds are equal:

The red sun is warming,

Mother is sorry.

Larks

(Russian folk songs)

Larks, larks,

Come and visit us

Bring it to us

Summer is warm,

Take it away from us

The winter is cold;

Our winter is cold

Bored;

My arms and legs were frozen.

Oh, you larks,

Larks,

Fly into the field

Bring health:

The first is cow,

The second is sheep,

The third is human.

Call for spring

Spring, red spring!

Come, spring, with joy,

With great joy,

With rich mercy.

With tall flax,

With deep roots,

With deep roots,

With plenty of bread.

Summer, summer, come here!

And you, winter, go beyond the seas!

We're tired of it, we're tired of it,

Eh, I froze my little hands,

All the joints were chilled,

The snowstorm whipped my eyes.

Demeter and Persephone

(Ancient Greek myth)

The great goddess Demeter had a beautiful young daughter, Persephone. Persephone's father was the great son of Cronus himself, the thunderer Zeus. One day, the beautiful Persephone, together with her friends, the Oceanids, frolicked carefree in the blooming Nisei Valley. Like a light-winged butterfly, the young daughter of Demeter ran from flower to flower. She picked lush roses, fragrant violets, snow-white lilies and red hyacinths. Persephone frolicked carelessly, not knowing the fate that her father Zeus had assigned to her.

Persephone did not think that she would not soon see the clear light of the sun again, nor would she soon admire the flowers and inhale their sweet aroma. Zeus gave her as a wife to his gloomy brother Hades, the ruler of the kingdom of shadows of the dead, and Persephone was supposed to live with him in the darkness of the underworld, deprived of light and the hot southern sun.

Hades saw Persephone frolicking in the Nisei Valley and decided to immediately kidnap her. He begged the earth goddess Gaia to grow a flower of unusual beauty. The goddess Gaia agreed, and a wondrous flower grew in the Nisei Valley; its heady aroma spread far in all directions. Persephone saw a flower; So she reached out and grabbed it by the stem, and now the flower was plucked.

Suddenly the earth opened up, and the lord of the kingdom of the shadows of the dead, the gloomy Hades, appeared from the ground on black horses in a golden chariot. He grabbed young Persephone, lifted her onto his chariot and in the blink of an eye disappeared on his fast horses into the bowels of the earth. Persephone only managed to scream. The cry of horror from the young daughter of Demeter was heard far away; it reached depths of the sea, and to the high, bright Olympus. No one saw how the gloomy Hades kidnapped Persephone, only the god Helios the Sun saw him.

The goddess Demeter heard Persephone's cry. She hurried to the Nisei Valley, looking everywhere for her daughter; I asked her friends, the Oceanids, but she was nowhere to be found. The oceanids did not see where Persephone had disappeared.

Heavy grief over the loss of her only beloved daughter took possession of Demeter’s heart. Dressed in dark clothes, for nine days, unaware of anything, without thinking about anything, the great goddess Demeter wandered around the earth, shedding bitter tears. She looked for Persephone everywhere, asked everyone for help, but no one could help her in her grief.

All growth on earth ceased. The leaves on the trees withered and fell off. The forests stood bare. The grass faded, the flowers dropped their colorful corollas and withered. There were no fruits in the gardens, the green vineyards dried up, and the heavy, juicy grapes in them did not ripen. Previously, the fertile fields were empty, not a blade of grass grew on them. Life on earth froze. Hunger reigned everywhere: crying and groans were heard everywhere. Death threatened the entire human race. But Demeter did not see or hear anything, grieving over her dearly beloved daughter.

Demeter did not forget her anger at Zeus. The land was still barren. The hunger became more and more severe, as not a single blade of grass grew in the farmers’ fields. It was in vain that the farmer's oxen dragged the heavy plow across the arable land - their work was fruitless. Entire tribes perished. The cries of the hungry rushed to the sky, but Demeter did not heed them. Finally, sacrifices to the immortal gods stopped smoking on earth. Death threatened all living things. The great cloud suppressor Zeus did not want mortals to die. He sent the messenger of the gods, Iris, to Demeter. She quickly rushed on her rainbow wings to Eleusis, to the temple of Demeter, calling her, begging her to return to the bright Olympus in the host of the gods. Demeter did not heed her pleas. The great Zeus also sent other gods to Demeter, but the goddess did not want to return to Olympus before Hades returned her daughter Persephone to her.

Then the great Zeus, quick as a thought, sent Hermes to his gloomy brother Hades. Hermes descended into the kingdom of Hades, full of horrors, appeared before the ruler of the souls of the dead sitting on the golden throne and told him the will of Zeus. Hades agreed to let Persephone go to her mother, but first gave her a pomegranate seed to swallow - a symbol of marriage. Persephone mounted her husband's golden chariot with Hermes; The immortal horses of Hades rushed, no obstacles were scary to them, and in the blink of an eye they reached Eleusis.

Forgetting everything with joy, Demeter rushed towards her daughter and embraced her. Her beloved daughter Persephone was with her again. Demeter returned with her to Olympus. Then the great Zeus decided that Persephone would live with her mother for two thirds of the year, and for one third she would return to her husband Hades.

The Great Demeter restored fertility to the earth, and everything bloomed and turned green again. The forests were covered with tender spring foliage; the flowers were colorful on the emerald grass of the meadows. Soon the grain fields began to sprout; the gardens bloomed and fragrant; the greenery of the vineyards sparkled in the sun. All nature has awakened. All living things rejoiced and praised the great goddess Demeter and her daughter Persephone.

But every year Persephone leaves her mother, and every time Demeter plunges into sadness and again dresses in dark clothes. And all nature grieves for the departed. The leaves on the trees turn yellow and are torn off by the autumn wind; The flowers fade, the fields become empty, and winter comes. Nature sleeps to wake up in the joyful splendor of spring when Persephone returns to her mother from the joyless kingdom of Hades. When her daughter returns to Demeter, then the great goddess of fertility with a generous hand showers her gifts on people and blesses the work of the farmer with a rich harvest.

How Spring overcame Winter

(Russian folktale)

Once upon a time, Mashenka lived in a village. She sat under the window with a birch spindle, spun white flax and said:

When Spring comes, when the snow hits and the snow rolls down the mountains, and water spills over the meadows, then I will bake waders and larks and with my friends I will go to greet Spring, call and invite people to the village for a visit.

Masha is waiting for a warm, kind Spring, but she is neither seen nor heard. Winter doesn’t go away, frosts forge everything; She bored everyone, she was cold, icy, her hands and feet were chilly, she let in a chill. What to do here? Trouble!

Masha decided to go look for Spring. I got ready and went. She came to the field, sat down on a hillock and called to the Sun:

Sunny, Sunny,

Red bucket,

Look out from behind the mountain

Look out before spring time!

The sun peeked out from behind the mountain, Masha asked:

Have you, Sun, seen the red Spring, have you met your sister?

The sun says:

I did not meet Spring, but saw old Winter. I saw how she, fierce, left Spring, fled from the red one, carried the cold in a bag, shook the cold to the ground. She stumbled and rolled downhill. Yes, it’s settled in your area and doesn’t want to leave. But Spring doesn’t even know about it. Follow me, red maiden, when you see the forest in front of you, all green, and look for Spring there. Call her to your lands.

Masha went to look for Spring. Where the Sun rolls across the blue sky, there she goes. It took a long time. Suddenly a forest appeared before her - all green. Masha walked and walked through the forest, completely lost. Forest mosquitoes bit her shoulders, hook-like branches pierced her sides, nightingales' ears sang, raindrops wet her head. As soon as Masha sat down on a stump to rest, she saw a white, alert swan flying, silver wings below, gilded on top. It flies and spreads fluff and feathers on the ground for all sorts of potions. That swan was Spring. Spring releases silk grass across the meadows, spreads pearl dew, and merges small streams into fast rivers. Masha began to call Vesna and tell her:

Oh, Spring-Spring, good mother! You go to our lands, drive away the fierce Winter. Old Winter does not go away, it forges frosts, and lets in the cold.

But Winter does not go away, Frosts forge and send them ahead of Spring to put together barriers and sweep snowdrifts. And Spring flies, where it flaps its silver wing, it sweeps away the barrier, flaps at others, and the snowdrifts melt. Frosts are fleeing from Spring. Winter got angry and sent Snowstorm and Blizzard to whip out Spring’s eyes. And Spring waved its golden wing, and then the Sun came out and warmed us. The blizzard and the Blizzard gave off watery powder from the heat and light. Old Winter was exhausted, ran far, far over the high mountains, and hid in icy holes. There Spring locked it with a key.

This is how Spring overcame Winter!

Masha returned to her native village. And the young Queen Spring had already been there. The year brought a warm, grain-bearing year.

All faces look cheerful.

Nightingale House

(Japanese folk tale)

In ancient times, long ago, there lived a poor lumberjack. Every day he went to the mountains to cut down trees.

One day an unfamiliar girl came to his forest hut. Her face is white and she covers herself from the sun with a large umbrella.

The lumberjack looked at her. “There are such beauties in the world! I wish I could have her as my wife!”

“Let me rest in your hut,” the girl asks.

Do yourself a favor and rest.

They began to talk among themselves. The girl asks the lumberjack:

Would you like to marry me? I liked you. My house is spacious. Let's come live with me.

Yes, that would be good... I’m the youngest son in the family, not my father’s heir, and we have land the size of a cat’s forehead.

So come with me. I will take care of you.

The lumberjack took with him all his belongings - a saw and an ax, and followed the girl. She led him into the very depths of the mountains.

The lumberjack walked and walked, and fatigue took over him.

Sister, sister, how far is it from your house?

Yes, not close. I live behind that mountain, beyond those mountains.

Nothing to do. The lumberjack followed the girl further. They crossed one mountain, another, a third and came out to the lake.

There is a beautiful house under a high roof on its shore.

Here we are. Come in, you will be the master here.

The lumberjack sees - the chambers in the house are spacious, richly decorated, but not a soul is visible. The kettle is boiling over the fire, the lid is clinking, hot water is waiting in the vat... The lumberjack was bathing, and the table with food was already ready. The lumberjack had never eaten such white rice or drank such delicious wine.

He married a girl and lived with her without any worries. Everything is at his service, just wish it. Soon they had a handsome son.

One day the woodcutter's wife says:

I want to visit my parents, let them admire their granddaughter. You stay to guard the house. Here are twelve keys to twelve storerooms. You can unlock eleven, but be careful not to enter twelve.

Many times, at parting, she punished the lumberjack not to unlock the twelfth door. Finally, she said goodbye to her husband, put the child on her back and went even further into the mountains.

The lumberjack became bored. He went out into the yard and began unlocking one storage room after another. The first one was filled to the brim with selected rice. In the second there were barrels of misoch.

Miso is a traditional Japanese soup made from fermented soybeans.

The third was stuffed with sugar. In the fourth there were mountains of white cotton wool, in the fifth salt was stored. In the sixth, there were waves at the very threshold, and many sea fish were splashing in the water.

“Just think, here, in the depths of the mountains, there are sea fish!” - the lumberjack was surprised. There was a lot more goodness in other storerooms.

So, marveling and admiring, he reached the twelfth storeroom. Then he remembered his wife’s words.

She strictly forbade opening the twelfth door.

“But there’s no one in the house. Who will see me? - thought the lumberjack and began to pick up the key to the lock. One is too big, the other is too small. Finally the lock clicked. The lumberjack cautiously opened the door, looked in with one eye, there was nothing in the pantry - it was empty.

Here you go! What would that mean? It was worth keeping the door locked then!

He took a closer look and saw that the pantry was blocked off. There is a wall in the middle of it, and, fortunately, it is not solid; there is a small window made in it. “Oh, come what may! Let me see,” the lumberjack thinks. He opened the window and looked in. And what did he see?

A plum garden is blooming in the depths of the pantry. It's late autumn outside, and early spring in the pantry. The trees are like pink clouds. Nightingales flutter from branch to branch, bursting into sonorous songs.

The lumberjack froze in place and listened.

But suddenly the nightingales stopped singing, fluttered up in a flock, as if something had frightened them, and flew away to an unknown destination. And the plum trees immediately crumbled. There was a breath of autumn cold in the pantry... The yellow grass rustled, the dry reeds rustled.

The lumberjack got scared, jumped out of the storeroom and quickly slammed the door. Suddenly he sees his wife coming towards him and crying bitterly.

What have you done! I asked you, I really asked you not to look into this pantry. Now it's all over! Know that I am not a man, but a nightingale. I sang in the spring on a tree branch near your hut and fell in love with you. If you had not opened this door, you would have lived with me forever, without knowing any work, old age, or illness... But you did not keep your word! Now we must part forever. The god of these mountains often comes to that twelfth storeroom to listen to the nightingale’s singing. You angered him, goodbye!

And suddenly the wife turned into a nightingale, put the child astride her tail and disappeared into the distance with a plaintive cry.

Here the lumberjack seemed to wake up from a dream. He sits in his hut, and in his hands he has an ax and a saw.

Easter ditties

Easter has come,

Who will rock us

Like these guys

There aren't enough ropes!

I'll pump myself up high

And I'll see far away

Where is my brother walking?

Does he roll a red egg?

There is a swing on the mountain,

I'll go swing.

Today I'll take the summer off,

I'll get married in winter!

On holy week

We hung swings.

First you'll sway

Then you'll get married!

Riddles about spring

Loose snow melts in the sun,

The breeze plays in the branches,

So, spring has come to us... (spring.)

Streams run faster

The sun is shining warmer.

The sparrow is happy about the weather -

A month came to visit us... (March.)

The bear crawled out of the den,

Dirt and puddles on the road,

A lark trills in the sky -

He came to visit us... (April.)

The garden tried on white,

The nightingale sings a sonnet,

Our land is dressed in greenery -

We are greeted warmly... (May.)

Housewarming party at the starling's

He rejoices endlessly.

So that a mockingbird lives with us,

We made... (birdhouse.)

Proverbs and sayings about spring

April with water, May with grass.

May, may, don’t take off your fur coat.

Whoever does not start sowing in March forgets about his wealth.

Spring is our father and mother; whoever does not sow will not reap.

Spring is red during the day.

Spring will show everything.

Martok - put on two trousers.

March sets in with frost.

No matter how angry the blizzard is, everything feels like spring.

Water flowed from the mountains and brought spring.

Prepare the sleigh in the spring and the wheels in the fall.

If you miss a day in the spring, you won’t get it back in a year.

A day earlier you sow, a week earlier you harvest.

If you sow in good weather, you will produce more offspring.

He who sows early does not lose seeds.

He who hopes for heaven sits without bread.

In the spring, if you fall behind for an hour, you won’t catch up during the day.

These oats will turn into dirt - there will be oats for a prince, and rye will turn into ashes, but at the right time.

It's spring time - I ate from the yard.

Spring day feeds you all year round.

He who sleeps in spring cries in winter.

Groves and forests - the whole region is beautiful!

More forest - more snow, more snow - more bread.

Plant a forest in a field - there will be more bread.

LEGEND OF SPRING When people were still free, like the wind, in their feelings, thoughts, dreams, they were children of the wild - there was no bondage in the world. But one day an insidious bird of evil and greed pecked into the head of one of the people the terrible thought of the enslavement of man by man. That man began to scatter fragments of his opinion among his tribe. A wild fire smoldered and flared up. The world's first war has begun - a war between good and evil. Evil won, firmly entrenched in the hearts and heads of the wild tribe. And they went looking for someone to enslave, to make slaves for themselves. And somewhere far away, behind the wild mountains in the forest, there lived a tribe of free and independent people who had Goodness and a sense of Beauty in their hearts. They loved their land, their fellow tribesmen. There was a girl among them - her name was Vesna. Her beauty bloomed like a flower. Everyone loved and cherished her as the most precious treasure of their tribe. Many good and kind young men sought her love. To the surprise of everyone, she chose a young man whose name was Svetozar. The modest young man knew how to create melodies from an ordinary willow branch and carve amazing flowers from wood, which were in no way different in beauty from living ones. On long evenings, Spring listened enchanted to the melodies of her fiancé, in which she felt like the imperishable rustle of the forest, the roll call of birds, the call of wild animals, and what she could talk about in words. Everyone rejoiced at their happiness and waited for them to unite into a single family so that everyone could celebrate this day. One fine morning, their tribe was attacked by people with the hellfire of evil in their hearts. The battle was fierce. Freedom-loving people did not want to become slaves; they preferred to die than to be captured. They defended their freedom as best they could, and the dead fell... The leader of the distraught tribe saw the beautiful Spring. His eyes lit up with thirst and said: “Mine!” A whole gang rushed at the girl. Svetozar stepped in front of them. Always quiet and calm, he immediately attacked the strangers like an angry boar. As if he was mowing down their ranks with a scythe, but the forces were unequal, the young man was languishing, and the enemies were pressing. They overcame him, twisted his arms, and began to furiously kick him. Spring rushed to him, but he begged her to run away. She could not leave her beloved. She rushed to the leader of the strangers, knelt down, begging to be left alive. The leader approached her, grabbed her by the hair, turned her towards him, examined her from all sides: “Good bird”... - he clicked his tongue. “We will not touch him if you agree to become my slave.” Spring began to cry and lament, looking at the wounded Svetozar and said: “Take me!” The young man shuddered, his heart sank painfully. After all, his beloved sacrifices herself! "No! - he said, “I don’t want to live without you, to buy my life at the cost of yours...” Spring came up to him, looked into his very soul with eyes full of torment: “Darling, I want your song, your melodies to live... I and our love will live in them - it will be immortal in song...” The young man rushed with his last strength, scattered the enemies and rushed to the bride. Two hearts merged in a hot impulse. And then the alien leader, enraged by the insolence of the prisoner, pierced both of them with a sword. The lovers' hearts were so close that both stopped beating at the same time. Nature could not withstand such a criminal act: the wind whistled: the forest rustled dully and threateningly, the lake clapped with menacing waves, and large flakes fell from the sky, covering everything around with a white blanket. Frightened strangers began to run in all directions... And after a while, people who managed to run away and save themselves began to converge from everywhere. The dead were buried in the ground. And no matter how much they looked for Spring and Svetozar, they could not find it. Winter has passed, the snow has melted, the earth has become warm and fragrant, green sprouts have sprouted from the ground, the branches of the trees have become covered with delicate greenery. Beauty shone all around! And everyone said in one voice: “Spring!” Everything reminded them of young Spring. It echoed somewhere between the trees, as if she really had responded. It seemed to everyone that Spring flashed like a shadow in the distance... And then they heard the sounds of a song without words. And everyone said in one voice: “Svetozar!” And under the trees amazing flowers bloomed, white and blue, just as Svetozar had once carved out of wood. Since then, Spring has blossomed every year, as this time of the year has been called. It's time for love. Because the undying feeling of the beauty of Spring and Light still lives.

Ancient beliefs about spring flowers become relevant on the eve of the onset of spring, since they are a storehouse of information about the characteristics of plants, the nuances of growing and caring for them. Forms flower legends and opinions about which specimen will fit well into the design of a spring flower garden, which relatives the flowers will be comfortable with, and which ones should be discarded.

The first flowers as a symbol of spring

Try to mentally imagine the image of spring: the silhouette of a young long-haired beauty with various flowers and herbs woven into her curls will appear in your mind. Perhaps you will see a beautiful forest landscape with a stream, thawed patches and the first snowdrops emerging from the bare soil.

For some, the associative series will lead to a vision of a bright festive event - loved by the fair half on March 8, and someone will even feel the breath of the breeze carrying the aromas of herbs reborn after winter.

Definitely, your virtual picture will not be complete without flowers. Can you remember the names of the flora representatives that bloom first? Check yourself and your loved ones!

The desire to understand the nature of the universe and get closer to the creator encourages humanity to move forward and shock the world with ever new scientific discoveries, including achievements in the artificial cultivation of wild plants without reference to the time of year.

However, no matter how far people go in their experiments, they always rejoice at the appearance of the first flowers that have emerged without their participation, and the legends invented about wild specimens fuel general interest in spring nature.

The beautiful legend about the appearance of the snowdrop is associated with the first couple in love - Adam and Eve. It says that when the unhappy lovers, expelled from paradise, wandered through the snowy desert in winter, Eve could not stand it and burst into tears of repentance. The Lord’s heart trembled, and to console his daughter, he turned her tears into living white flowers that grew in spite of the cold.

Eat fairy tale story, in which the snowdrop acted as an assistant for the snow. The goddess Flora organized a ball for flowers, and the snow wanted to get to it. The snowdrop took pity on the uninvited guest and carried him away, hiding him under a tunic. Now the silvery friend always warms the plant in frosty weather.

Tragic legends are not uncommon in folklore; there is a similar one about snowdrops. The sneaky Snake once stole the sun, not wanting spring to come. However, there was a daredevil, a young man who was not afraid to go down into the asp’s lair and managed to free the fiery star. The price of liberation was the life of the young man - he died from wounds received in a battle with the reptile. Droplets of his blood seeped through the snow into the soil and in their place white flowers grew, reminiscent of the guy’s pure soul.

As soon as people call the yellow primrose: ram (due to the waviness and fluffiness of the leaves), the key to summer (due to the shape of the inflorescence, similar to a bunch of keys and its sunny color).

The origin of primrose is explained by medieval legend. Once, the Apostle Peter, the permanent guardian of the gates of heaven, dropped a bunch of golden keys that opened the magical entrance, having heard the news that some sinner was trying to enter the Kingdom of Heaven without permission. The imprint of the key set remained on the ground where it fell, and the first flowers sprouted there. They became living keys that unlock the doors to warmth and summer.

They also say that primrose is capable of revealing hidden treasures.

If you happen to see a woman in white robes holding a golden shining key in the field, hurry to pick the primroses growing in front of you before her image disappears. These flowers will help you find even a treasure buried deep in the ground. They can be used repeatedly.

The British still believe that fairies, gnomes and fairy-tale elves hide under the petals of this amazing plant. If you hear singing coming from under the flower’s cap, you can.

The ancient Greeks believed that primrose had healing properties and helped paralyzed people recover. According to legend, this flower is the personification of the beautiful young man Paralysos, who died of love.

And in the Scandinavian sagas, “primus” are the keys of the fertility goddess Freya, falling from her rainbow necklace and ushering in spring.

Various legends associate the delicate lily of the valley flowers with many things:

• the tears of the sea princess Magi, rejected by the famous epic hero Sadko;
• drops of divine sweat from the ancient Roman warrior Diana that fell on the grass during her escape from a loving Faun;
• the scattered beads of the snow white beauty's necklace;
• home of the Wood Elves;
• the burning tears of Mother Theotokos, which she shed under the cross of her crucified son;
• pearls into which the happy laughter of the lover Mavka, a fairy-tale forest creature, turned.

Many legends associate the lily of the valley with love experiences, so for centuries it has been considered a symbol of love among different nations.

The legend of the ancient Celts deserves attention, according to which the rare plant is the treasure of the elves, scattered throughout the world.

One day, young hunters accidentally noticed a magical man in the forest with a precious burden and followed him. They saw a whole mountain of pearls lying under a spreading tree. When one hunter touched the pearl hill, it crumbled. Forgetting caution, the whole group rushed to collect the pearl balls, and with their noise attracted the elven king. Seeing the outrage, he turned all the pearls into fragrant silver flowers...

To this day, elves rub lilies of the valley with napkins woven from moonlight and take revenge on the greedy representatives of humanity.

Legends and are of interest to novice gardeners and breeders. After all, they help to better recognize the essence of a strange plant and understand how to properly care for it.

Iris is considered one of the first plants to appear on earth. The first “cockerel” attracted all the animals, insects, and birds with its beauty. The wind and water fell in love with it, thanks to which the seeds of the wonderful flower scattered around the world, sprouted, and the gift of nature won the love of all the inhabitants of the Earth.

The iris adorns the coat of arms of blooming Florence, since these beautiful flowers have grown around it from time immemorial. And they got their name from Hippocrates, who compared the plant with a rainbow along which the goddess Iris descended to earth. Since then, people talk about irises only as the flowers of Iris.

Ancient Roman and Ancient Greek myths repeatedly mention the “kasatika” as a rainbow flower that gives people hope. The Egyptians considered the "crest" a symbol of eloquence. The Arabs called it the flower of sorrow and planted a variety with white inflorescences on the graves of deceased relatives.

According to the beliefs of the ancient Slavs, irises grew in places where lightning struck during the wrath of the Thunder God Perun; the popular name “perunik” has survived to this day.

The Japanese have built a cult around the perennial - the whole country is famous for its iris gardens. The words “iris” and “warrior spirit” are denoted by the same hieroglyph; a separate day is even dedicated to admiring the flower – March 5th. Magical iris talismans are made for boys; a healing decoction - May pearls - is prepared from a mixture of the plant's inflorescence and bitter orange. All household utensils are decorated with images of pointed petals of a rainbow flower.

There is an ancient Greek story associated with the name of the rain flower. Hyacinth was a god, but his glory faded in the rays of Apollo's beauty. Hyacinth and the god of beauty Apollo were friends and often competed in agility and athletic skills.

One day, Apollo unsuccessfully threw a disc and hit Hyacinth, inflicting a mortal wound on his opponent in the games. The young man’s blood splashed onto the grass and subsequently blood-red fragrant flowers sprouted from the soil.

The appearance of the flower of sorrow is also associated with the Trojan War. Allegedly, in those days, two strong warriors Ajax and Odysseus claimed ownership of the weapons of Achilles (Achilles) after his death. The elders gave the subject of the dispute to Odysseus, and the offended Ajax pierced himself with a sword, unable to bear the insult. The plant that emerged from the bloody drops of the suicide bomber is shaped like the first letters of his name - Α (alpha), Υ (Upsilon).

Eastern poets (Navoi, Firduosi) praised hyacinth as “curls of Gurias” because of the softness and fringe of its petals.

It is impossible to imagine a spring garden without this flower, because for a long time growing tulips was considered an activity worthy of noble, noble persons. Legends about it are dedicated to coloring.

For example, a red tulip is considered a symbol of the true love of the Tajik girl Shirin and the poor stonecutter Farhad.

When the time came for Shirin to get married, she set an ultimatum that she would give herself to the one who would dig a canal from the river to her house overnight. Farhad rushed to complete the task and almost finished the job, but the vile prince, vying for the girl’s hand, deceived the poor fellow, saying that he had already agreed on the wedding date with Shirin. In despair, Farhad killed himself by hitting his head on a pickaxe, and scarlet tulips grew from the soil, sprinkled with drops of his blood. Shirin remained a virgin, loving Farhad until his death.

Many people try to verify the superstition about the yellow tulip: “If you open its bud, you will get happiness.” They say that such an action was only once achieved by a child who was simply sincerely surprised by the beauty of an unprecedented flower. The tulip itself opened its petals to the baby - and he was happy!

The British believe that tulips were once given different shades by fairies who settled in an old woman’s garden. When she saw the little guests sleeping peacefully in the buds, she was not lazy and planted several more rows of plants.

Seeing the care, they colored the tulips and gave them an unsurpassed aroma. After the death of the old woman, the garden was repeatedly destroyed by her greedy relatives. The fairies had to get out of the inhospitable place, and as soon as they flew away, the flowers stopped smelling.

There are many similar signs among all peoples of the world. For our ancestors, flowers were not just garden decorations, but also witnesses of ancient legends.

In the article:

Beliefs about the tulip

These beautiful and proud flowers have fascinated people for a long time. Their name means devoted love. A sad legend about Farhad and his beloved Shirin is connected with this.

Farhad loved Shirin since childhood, but, being a simple stonemason (in other sources - a shepherd), he did not dare to open his heart to her. When the time came for Shirin to marry, she set the condition that she would become the wife of only the one who would bring water from the river to their fortress in one night. Farhad almost succeeded in completing the task, but the vile prince Khisrov, with the help of cunning, convinced him that he had already accomplished this and would soon marry his beloved. Not wanting to live without his beloved, Farhad smashed his head with a pickaxe, and beautiful flowers grew from drops of his blood. The deception was discovered and Khisrov was expelled in disgrace. Shirin never married, continuing to love Farhad until the end of her days.

Many people do not like yellow flowers - they symbolize separation. However, this does not apply to tulips. On the contrary, there is a belief that there is a yellow tulip in the bud. Many tried to reveal it, but only a child succeeded. He had never seen such beautiful flowers before, and from his sincere admiration the tulip itself opened its petals and bestowed happiness on the child.

In England, in the north of Devonshire, there is such a legend. One fine evening, walking through the garden, an elderly woman saw little fairies sleeping peacefully in the buds. She was pleased to watch them and so she planted even more tulips so that the magical creatures would come again and again. At first the fairies were a little afraid of her, but, seeing her kind attitude, they fell in love, and the tulips acquired the most incredible colors and a wonderful aroma. When the old woman died, the house was inherited by a greedy relative who destroyed the flowers and planted vegetables. The fairies got angry and spoiled the plants, ruining the owner. The grave of the former owner was always buried in flowers that bloomed until late autumn. Soon the previous owner was replaced by another, even more cruel one, and he cut everything down. The fairies were forced to fly away from this region, and from that moment on, tulips have no scent.

Legends about irises

Iris is a symbol of purity, innocence, spiritual greatness and nobility. With the advent of Christianity, these flowers began to symbolize the grief and longing of the Mother of God for her son. There are many legends about the origin of this flower. They say that the first iris blossomed many thousands of years ago and was so beautiful that all animals and even the elements could not stop admiring it. A dispute soon arose over who would own the flower, but while it lasted, the wind and water grabbed its seeds and carried them to distant lands. Thus, iris is found in almost all countries.

The ancient Greeks have a legend according to which these flowers belong to the goddess Iris. As you know, she serves as a mediator between gods and people. Iris is also compared to a rainbow, which connects earth and sky. Irises were considered fragments of an arc that fell down so that people could admire it all year round.

IN Slavic mythology Irises are associated with the name of the thunder god Perun. According to legend, these beautiful flowers appear in the places where he was struck by lightning. It’s not for nothing that the popular name for iris is perunika.

Many beliefs associated with this beautiful flower talk about unhappy love. One day a girl from a noble family fell in love with a simple shepherd. They met in secret and were incredibly happy. But the evil people told her father about this, he became angry and ordered the shepherd to be killed. When the girl found out about this, she cried bitterly, and where her tears fell, beautiful flowers sprouted the next day.

Myths about pansies

Pansies are popular in many countries. That is why so many legends and beliefs are associated with them. The oldest of them belong to the ancient Greeks and Romans. They say that these flowers were grown by Zeus himself as a gift to his mortal beloved - Io, the daughter of the Argive king. Zeus's wife Hera was terribly jealous of his princess. To ward off suspicion, God turned the unfortunate woman into a cow, and only the unusual white color reminded her of her former beauty. Hera released a gadfly on her, which stung without stopping. Fleeing, beside herself with pain, Io was doomed to long torment and suffering before she managed to regain her human form. To encourage Io, Zeus created pansies, which symbolize the finality of Io's suffering and her subsequent reward.

The ancient Romans associated this flower with the goddess of love, Venus. One day, while swimming in the lake, she discovered that mortals were watching her. Angry, she turned them into pansies, since no one ordinary people dare not spy on the gods.

A Russian legend tells about a deceived girl Anyuta. She loved her fiancé very much, who, having played enough, abandoned the poor thing and left for distant countries. Unable to withstand the separation and betrayal, Anyuta died, and tricolor violets grew on her grave, which symbolized the girl’s feelings: a white petal - faith, a yellow petal - surprise and a purple petal - sadness.

There was also a belief that pansies were people who spied on others, for which they were punished. However, this legend has a double interpretation, since there is a myth that this is the embodiment of elves who love to watch everything that happens in the world.

Legends of daisies

The name of these magical flowers is translated from ancient Greek as pearl. And this is justified, since despite the external simplicity of daisies, they have been the favorite plants of both the nobility and commoners for many centuries. There are many beliefs and myths associated with them.

The most famous legend is about Admet and Alcestis.

Admetus, the king of Fer, was a friend of Apollo, who was able to protect him from death on the condition that when Fer's turn came, someone else would replace him on the way to the kingdom of Hades. But no one wanted to sacrifice themselves for Admetus, and only his wife Alcestis, who devotedly loved her husband, agreed to die in his place. At this time, Hercules was visiting Admetus. Touched to the depths of his soul by Alcestis's selflessness, the hero descended into Hades and took her. Despite this, she could not return to her previous form and turned into a never-before-seen flower. This is how daisies appeared.

They also tell about the beautiful nymph Belides, who played in the forest with her friends. One day, the god of fertility and shepherding, Pan, fell in love with her and began to pursue her. Not knowing where to go from his persistent love, the nymph asked for protection from Mother Earth. Hearing Balides' pleas, she turned her into beautiful plants.

Beliefs about spring flowers - snowdrops

Probably everyone knows what a snowdrop looks like and has admired it at least once in their life. It should be noted that this is the flower that blooms first in gardens after a long winter. Despite its apparent fragility, snowdrops are not afraid of snow and frost. His durability and strength delighted our ancestors, which is why so many beautiful legends are associated with him.

There is a story that the snowdrop is the first flower in the world. Adam and Eve, expelled from paradise, wandered through the Earth, where winter reigned. Eve cried bitterly, regretting her misdeed, and God, trying to console and encourage her, turned her tears into beautiful white flowers that continued to grow even in the cold.

Flowers, as a symbol of beauty, are loved all over the world. Since ancient times, legends, poems and songs have been written about them. With the help of flowers you can express your emotions and feelings. For example, a rose is considered a symbol of love, a carnation is a symbol of fidelity, and a forget-me-not is a memory of a loved one. Many other flowers are symbols of human feelings.

In this article we will talk about spring plants for making flower arrangements.

Kinds

Plants that bloom in spring are classified as herbaceous perennials by their structure and properties. According to their form, they are divided into rhizomatous, corm, bulbous and bush.

Rhizome and bush perennials form flower shoots back in the fall. On next year, in the spring, after a short period of growth, they bloom. They are propagated by seeds, cuttings, and dividing rhizomes.

Corm plants form new organs every year (both underground and aboveground). On the top of an old corm from thick lower parts leaves, a daughter corm grows. In the year of flowering mother plant the rudiments of flowers are laid.

Bulbous plants are usually ephemeroids. In a short spring period, they manage to form leaves and bloom. Then, by mid-summer, their above-ground part disappears, and the bulb remains in the ground and inflorescences are laid in it for the next year.

Perennial spring plants form new above-ground shoots every year, and flowers and leaves emerge from renewal buds. Only their underground organs remain to overwinter.

Spring flowers have good cold resistance. Some of the bulbous plants begin flowering as soon as the snow melts, at slightly above-zero temperatures.

What flowers are most common?

Here are the names and short descriptions of some spring plants.

Crown anemone- a plant native to southern Europe, Asia Minor and Africa. This is a perennial herbaceous corm plant. Her flowers are very beautiful, large, and can be either simple or double. Flower colors vary, flower size is 7 cm. Propagated by sowing seeds in the ground or dividing tubers. Loves loamy, fertile soils with good water permeability. The plant needs to be covered for the winter or the tubers must be dug up after the end of the growing season. Dug up tubers are stored at a temperature of about 4 degrees.

alpine aster- a plant from America, Eurasia and Africa. It is a perennial rhizomatous plant about 30 cm high. It forms a low, abundantly flowering dense bush. Flowers purple, pink, carmine, white. Flowering continues from late May to mid-June. Propagated by sowing seeds, cuttings or dividing rhizomes. It grows in sunny places, prefers fertile, loamy soils.

Periwinkle native to Western and Southwestern Europe. It is a perennial plant with shoots up to one meter long. It blooms in May with small pale blue flowers. Periwinkle grows in an even, green carpet that overwinters under the snow.

The plant reproduces by dividing shoots in spring. Periwinkle is frost-hardy, loves partial shade, grows in light, well-fertilized soils, and does not like waterlogging.

Spring whiteflower- a plant from Central Europe. It is a perennial bulbous plant about 30 cm high. Flowering occurs in April in the form of wide bell-shaped flowers, with white or yellow spots at the ends of their petals. The plant has a delicate aroma.

Propagated by seeds and young daughter bulbs. Grows on fertile, permeable soils. The white flower is moisture-loving, grows in lowlands near ponds, in partial shade.

Aquilegia native to Europe, Asia and America. The height of this perennial plant is up to 40 cm. It blooms in May, the flowers have different colors. Propagated by seeds, cuttings and dividing the bush. Aquilegias are frost-resistant, love moisture, and grow well in semi-shaded places on any soil.

Dianthus pinnata– originating from Europe, Asia and America. It is a turfy, grassy, ​​rhizomatous, low plant. It blooms with single fragrant flowers of white or red color. Has fringed petals. Flowering begins in mid-May. Propagated by seeds and cuttings. Loves bright and sunny places. Prefers loamy, fertile soils. The plant is cold-resistant.

Oriental hyacinth native to Iran, Asia and the Mediterranean. A perennial bulbous plant up to 30 cm high. The peduncle contains bell-shaped flowers of various colors, simple or double. The plant is very fragrant. Propagated by pups and bulb scales. Hyacinths prefer light sandy loam soils with the addition of humus. They are planted in sunny places protected from the wind. Relatively frost-resistant, but in very cold winters they can freeze.

Dicentra originating from North America. A herbaceous plant up to 30 cm high. Flowers can be pink or white, they are located in short inflorescences. Flowering begins in May. Propagated by spring division of bushes or green cuttings in summer. The plant is winter-hardy and grows in nutritious, loose soils. Does not tolerate dry soils, shade-tolerant.

Doronicum- a popular early flowering plant. Flowering occurs in May bright flowers glowing yellow color. The soil suitable for it is loose, clayey with the addition of organic fertilizers. Grows in light and semi-shaded places.

Iberis– an indispensable shrub for rocky gardens. Its white flowers are collected in a dense umbrella. It grows widely, forming a dense carpet, blooms in May-June. Grows in a sunny, warm place. The soil for it should be dry, permeable, with a small amount of humus. Propagated by cuttings, rooted shoots, and seeds.

Iris dwarf originally from southern Europe. A perennial rhizomatous plant with peduncles up to 15 cm high. It blooms in early May with yellow or blue single flowers. Propagated by sowing seeds or dividing rhizomes.

Crocus from Central Europe, Asia, Mediterranean, Crimea, Caucasus. An original corm perennial up to 17 cm high. The flower appears even before the leaves form from the corm. Usually one or two flowers of white, purple, orange or yellow, funnel-shaped and 2.5 cm long appear on one plant. It blooms in April. Propagated by corms or seeds. Prefers sunny places and light nutritious soils.

Swimsuit- an unusually beautiful plant. It has bright yellow spherical flowers on strong peduncles. The bathing suit has a delicate aroma. Blooms from late May to June. Grows in a semi-shaded, cool place. The soil needs to be moist and rich in nutrients.

May lily of the valley originally from Eurasia. It is a perennial rhizomatous plant. It blooms in May with drooping small white flowers. Lily of the valley is a very fragrant plant. Propagated by dividing rhizomes in late summer or early spring. Grows well in the shade of bushes on well-fertilized, light and moist soil.

Hellebore- delicate spring flowers that open their white, pink or red flowers immediately after the snow melts. Forms lush bush up to 40 cm tall and grows in one place for many years. It is grown in a semi-shaded and cool place. The soil needs to be fresh, rich in humus, clayey, neutral.

Narcissus native to Southern Europe and the Mediterranean. This is a perennial bulbous plant up to 50 cm high. The flowers are mainly white and yellow. Flowers can be either simple or double. Has a strong aroma. Propagated by dividing bulbs. Prefers places exposed to the sun and breathable soils with a neutral reaction.

Imperial hazel grouse originally from Asia. Perennial bulbous plant up to one meter high. The flowers are bell-shaped, drooping, forming an umbrella-shaped inflorescence. Above the inflorescence is a bunch of leaves. The perianth comes in yellow, orange and brick tones. Blooms in May. Propagated by sowing seeds in the ground and by bulbs. Grows on light, moist and fertile soils in partial shade in a place protected from cold winds.

Tulip– its wild forms are common in Central Asia. It is a bulbous plant with an erect stem, on which there are large beautiful flowers of bright colors, some white. According to their shapes, tulips are divided into lily, goblet, cup-shaped and others. They can be terry or simple.

Tulips are propagated by seeds or bulbs. Grow in well-lit, sunny places, protected from the wind. Prefers sandy or loamy light soils that are sufficiently moist.

Horned violet or viola origin from Europe. Is perennial herbaceous plant up to 30 cm high. Flowers are brightly colored or white, bloom in May. Propagated by seeds or cuttings. Grows in well-fertilized soils.

Types of flower beds

• Flower border in the form of a line 10-30 cm wide from one or several rows of flowers - a common option for decorating a flower bed. Low, compact flowering plants are suitable for such a flower garden. Used to give definition to borders, mixborders, groups, flower beds, etc.
• Rabatka- a strip 50-100 cm wide, completely planted with flowers. This flower garden is made in the form of a specific pattern with alternating colors in appearance and color. The ridges are located along paths, fences, and ponds.

• Tapeworm- free-standing plants. For soliter plantings, tall accent plants (peonies, hazel grouse, dicentra) are used. Spectacular tapeworms highlight other, lower plants and create volume. Single tapeworms look great on green lawns.
• Group– free picturesque plantings of flowers on an area from two to thirty square meters. Such plantings are placed inside a designated area. The contours of the group are made tortuous. Groups can be simple (from one type of plant) or complex (from several).

Groups are placed in the foreground near paths, ponds, in front of bushes, along walls. Plants that remain decorative for a long time are suitable for groups.

• Flowerbed- a regularly shaped area planted with ornamental plants. Most often, flower beds are made in parks, in front of administrative buildings, and in city squares. A flowerbed can consist of one type of plant or several.
• Mixborder– mixed discount. It is a picturesque strip 2-4 m wide, filled with decorative foliage and flowering plants, arranged in spots or in a geometric pattern. The mixborder may have an irregular oblique shape.

How to apply?

One of the design options for a flower garden can be a rockery. It is a small plot of approximately 5-6 square meters. m, where ornamental plants are planted among the stones. This is an interesting design option for country and summer cottage plots, gardens and parks.

Rockeries will look especially good with natural uneven terrain. Depending on the location, both sun-loving (sedum, subulate phlox, armeria, irises, primroses, aubrietas, dicentras) and shade-tolerant plants (kupena, aquilegia, etc.) are planted in such flower beds.

Vesnarius- a small cheerful garden with spring bulbous, corm and rhizomatous plants. Snowdrops are the first to grow on sun-exposed islands, followed by crocuses, scyllas, corydalis and chionodoxes. Then muscari, hyacinths, daffodils and tulips appear. Even later, phlox subulate, aubrieta, liverwort, viola, forget-me-not and daisy bloom.

Alpine slide– an area reserved for mountain plants. On such a site they arrange paths, make terraces and stairs. Elements of equipment can be stones, ponds with waterfalls, streams. Plants grown on alpine hills are considered unpretentious. The following spring plants are recommended for the rock garden: phlox subulate, periwinkle, aubrieta, gentian, etc.

Rules of care

Even the most unpretentious flowers require care. Its main elements are:

• Landing is different for each plant species, but there are general rules:
  1. Do not plant in too hot, sunny and windy weather;
  2. Do not plant plants in soil that is too wet;
  3. annual seedlings are planted after the threat of frost;
  4. biennials are planted in early autumn;
  5. Bulbs and tubers are usually planted at a depth of 3 times their size.
• Mulching– covering the soil with a layer of bulk organic material. This event allows you to retain moisture under a layer of mulch, reduce the growth of weeds, fertilize the soil and protect it in winter period from freezing.

• Watering Each plant requires it, but to varying degrees. It is preferable to water with rainwater from a watering can or using a hose with a sprayer. Do not water with cold water. The best time to water is early morning or evening. To deeply moisten the soil, it is better to water deeply once rather than a little at a time.
• Trimming performed individually for each type. If you want to prolong flowering, remove faded flowers.
• Winter protection– covering plants with covering material, spruce branches, dry leaves. Shelter should be carried out when the weather is stable with slightly negative temperatures.
• Top dressing– adding substances necessary for plant nutrition to the soil. To feed perennials, organic fertilizers (cow and horse dung, humus, compost) and mineral (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium) fertilizers. Mineral fertilizers should be applied in accordance with the instructions on the package. Excessive quantity mineral fertilizers can lead to weakening of plants. For each type of plant, fertilizing is carried out individually.

Flowers are wonderful. I have long been interested in legends and myths about flowers. Here I found a few of them. I think this is very interesting.

Jasmine

There is a very beautiful legend about jasmine... According to it, once all the flowers were white, but one day an artist appeared with a set of bright paints and offered to paint them in different colors that they wanted. Jasmine was closest to the artist; he wanted to be golden, the color of his beloved sun. But the artist did not like that jasmine was ahead of the rose, the queen of flowers, and as punishment he left him to wait until the very end, starting to paint all the other flowers. As a result, the yellow-gold paint favored by Jasmine almost all went to the dandelions. Jasmine did not again ask the artist to paint him yellow, and in response to the demand to bow, he answered the following: “I prefer to break, but not bend.” So it remained a white fragile jasmine.

Poppy

When the Lord created the earth, animals and plants, everyone was happy except Night. No matter how hard she tried to dispel her deep darkness with the help of stars and glowing bugs, she hid too many of the beauties of nature, thereby pushing everyone away from her. Then the Lord created Sleep, dreams and reveries, and together with the Night they became welcome guests. Over time, passions awoke in people, one of the people even planned to kill his brother. The dream wanted to stop him, but the man's sins prevented him from approaching. Then Sleep, in anger, stuck his magic rod into the ground, and Night breathed life into it. The rod took root, turned green and, retaining its sleep-inducing force, turned into a poppy.

Snowdrop

An ancient legend tells: when Adam and Eve were expelled from paradise, it snowed and Eve froze. Then several snowflakes, wanting to console her, turned into flowers. Seeing them, Eva became cheerful and had hope for better times. Hence the symbol of the snowdrop - hope.

And Russian legend claims that one day the old woman Winter with her companions Frost and Wind decided not to let Spring come to earth. But the brave Snowdrop straightened up, straightened its petals and asked for protection from the Sun. The sun noticed the Snowdrop, warmed the earth and opened the way for Spring.

Rose

The Greeks created their own amazing legend about the origin of the rose: one day, after the sea had calmed down from a storm, sea foam washed up on the shores of Cyprus, from which the beautiful goddess of love Aphrodite arose. The angry Earth decided to create something similar and a rose flower appeared, the beauty of which challenges even the beauty of the goddess. Another Greek epic claims that the rose flower was originally white, and appeared on earth as a result of drops of nectar falling from Olympus. And when Aphrodite admired, enchanted by the beauty of the flower, and stretched out her hand to pick it, she pierced her fingers with sharp thorns and stained the rose with blood. Since then, red roses have appeared. Another ancient Greek legend tells about the origin of a red rose from a white one through the fault of the god of love Eros. While performing a dance at a festival in honor of love, Eros accidentally knocked over an amphora with nectar. At that same moment, the white roses blooming around turned scarlet and were saturated with the extraordinary aroma of the divine drink.

The most touching is the legend of the ancient Romans, according to which the goddess of hunting Diana was jealous of Cupid for a young and beautiful nymph named Rosas. The warlike Diana once waylaid the nymph alone, grabbed her and threw her into the wild thickets of thorny rosehip bushes. Wounded to blood by sharp thorns, the nymph Rosas was never able to get out, and having lost blood, she remained forever a prisoner of the thorny thickets. Having learned about the terrible fate of his beloved, Cupid rushed to the crime scene. But realizing that he was late, he burst into tears with all his heart about his lost love. The inconsolable tears of the young man in love created a miracle: the thorny bushes were covered with fragrant and beautiful rose flowers, like his Rosas.

Narcissus

An ancient Greek myth tells the story of a beautiful young man named Narcissus. Narcissus was the son of the Boeotian river god CephissusNarcissus, a youth, a man, a sculpture of a youth and the nymph Liriope. The young man’s parents turned to the oracle Tireseus, they were interested in his future. The soothsayer said that Narcissus would live to old age if he did not see his face (or his reflection). Narcissus grew up to be a young man of extraordinary beauty, and many women sought his love, but he was indifferent to everyone. When the nymph Echo fell in love with him, the narcissistic handsome man rejected her feelings. The nymph withered out from hopeless passion and turned into an echo, but before her death she cursed the young man: “Let the one he loves not reciprocate Narcissus.” And the women rejected by Narcissus demanded that the Goddess of Justice Nemesis punish him.

When Narcissus, tired of the heat, bent down to drink from the stream, he saw his reflection in its streams. Narcissus had never seen such beauty before and therefore lost his peace. Every morning, a young man in love with his reflection came to the stream. Narcissus did not eat, did not sleep, he was unable to move away from the stream. So, day after day, the young man melted almost before our eyes until he disappeared without a trace. And on the ground where he was last seen, a white flower of cold beauty grew. Since then, the mythical goddesses of retribution, the Furies, began to decorate their heads with wreaths of daffodils.

According to another legend, Narcissus had a twin sister, and after her unexpected death he saw her features in his own reflection.

Pansies

According to the legend about the violet (about the pansies): the three-color petals of the pansies reflect three periods of the life of the girl Anyuta with a kind heart and trusting eyes. She lived in a village, believed every word, found an excuse for every action. Unfortunately, she met an insidious seducer and fell in love with him with all her heart. And the young man was afraid of her love and hurried on the road, assuring that he would return soon. Anyuta looked at the road for a long time, quietly fading away from melancholy. And when she died, flowers appeared at the place of her burial, the tricolor petals of which reflected hope, surprise and sadness. This is a Russian legend about a flower.

Peony

And the Chinese have many beautiful fairy tales and legends about peony. Here is a fairy tale about a gardener devoted to peonies who developed an absolutely incredible variety. Naturally, here too there was a man who wanted to ruin all this, and what was especially unfortunate was that he turned out to be a prince. So the gardener watched with tears as the vile scoundrel trampled and broke the flowers, but then he still could not stand it and beat the prince with a stick. Then, by the way, the peony fairy turned up and magically restored everything that was broken and added a lot more that was missing. Naturally, the prince ordered the execution of the gardener and the destruction of the garden, but then all the peonies turned into girls, waved their sleeves - there were so many of them that the unbalanced peony-hater was carried away by the wind, from which he fell to his death. The admiring public freed the gardener, and he lived for a long time and continued his peony business.

Chrysanthemum

The legend says that in the hoary old days, when a cruel emperor ruled China, there was a rumor that a chrysanthemum grew on a certain island, from the juice of which an elixir of life could be prepared. But only a person with a pure heart should pick a flower, otherwise the plant will lose its miraculous power. 300 boys and girls were sent to the island. It’s just unknown whether they found that plant or not. No one returned, the Mikado died, and the youth founded a new state on that island - Japan.

Lily of the valley

There is a belief that on bright moonlit nights, when the whole earth is in deep sleep, the Blessed Virgin, surrounded by a crown of silver lilies of the valley, sometimes appears to those lucky mortals for whom she is preparing unexpected joy. When the lily of the valley fades, a small round berry grows - combustible, fiery tears with which the lily of the valley mourns spring, a traveler around the world, scattering her caresses to everyone and not stopping anywhere. The lily of the valley in love also silently endured his grief, just as he carried the joy of love. In connection with this pagan legend, a Christian legend may have arisen about the origin of the lily of the valley from the burning tears of the Blessed Virgin Mary at the cross of her crucified son.

The ancient Romans believed that the lily of the valley was droplets of the fragrant sweat of the goddess of the hunt Diana, falling on the grass when she ran away from the Faun who was in love with her. In England they said that lilies of the valley grow in the forest in the places where the fairy-tale hero Leonard defeated the terrible dragon. Other legends say that lilies of the valley grew from beads from Snow White's scattered necklace. They serve as lanterns for gnomes. Little forest people - elves - live in them. Sunbeams hide in lilies of the valley at night. From another legend we learn that lilies of the valley are Mavka’s happy laughter, scattered like pearls throughout the forest when she first felt the joy of love.

The Celts believed that this was nothing more or less than the treasure of the elves. According to their legend, young hunters, having ambushed wild animals in the thicket of the forest, saw an elf flying with a heavy burden in his hands, and tracked his path. It turned out that he was carrying a pearl to a mountain of pearls that rose under an old spreading tree. Unable to resist the temptation, one of the hunters decided to take a tiny pearl ball for himself, but when he touched it, the mountain of treasures crumbled. People rushed to collect pearls, forgetting about precautions, and at the sound of their fuss, an elven king flew in, turning all the pearls into fragrant white flowers. And since then, elves have taken revenge on greedy people for the loss of their treasure, and they love lilies of the valley so much that every time they rub them with napkins woven from moonlight...

In order to see a flowering plant in your flower garden, you need to apply the subtleties of breeding. Gardeners love colorful plants. In this collection, the editors intended to collect several secrets to prevent diseases during cultivation exotic plant. Breeding conditions large species the colors are not similar. Every plant requires painstaking care. For further actions, you should determine which group your flower belongs to.

- about the earliest spring flowers, which include numerous types of corydalis, gooseberry, anemone, lungwort, comrade, mantle, as well as chistyak, crayfish, or serpentine... We traditionally call all the first flowers “snowdrops,” although the snowdrop is actually galanthus - just one species of many primroses. Since ancient times, primroses represented by the snowdrop have been considered an emblem of hope and, of course, the snowdrop has often become the hero of various legends and tales...

One by one ancient legend, snowdrops were the first flowers on earth. When God expelled Adam and Eve from paradise, it was winter and snowing on earth.

Once upon a time, there lived a brother and sister. Their parents died early, leaving a house on the edge of the forest, and the children were forced to fend for themselves. The brother was a hunter, and the sister was busy with housework. And then one day, when my brother was not at home, my sister decided to collect more snow to wash the floors in the room. Spring was just coming into its own, and therefore there was still a lot of snow in the forest. The sister took two buckets and went into the forest. She wandered quite far from home. But the girl knew the forest well, and therefore was not afraid of getting lost. But another misfortune awaited her here: the old goblin, riding around his possessions on a lame wolf, saw a girl and realized that such a neat housewife would not bother him. He grabbed her and took her to his den. But the girl was not at a loss - she pulled a string of beads from river pearls left from her mother and began to mark her path with beads. But they fell into the snow without a trace. The girl realized that her brother could not find her and began to cry bitterly. The clear sun took pity on the orphan's grief, melted the snow, and in the place where the pearls fell, the first spring flowers grew - snowdrops. It was through them that the brother found his way to the devil’s den. When the goblin saw that his hiding place had been discovered, he screamed and ran away. And the brother and sister returned to their home and lived happily. And here is another beautiful Polish one. It was a harsh winter outside. A family lived in a hut in the mountains. The father of the family went around the world in search of work, and his wife and two children remained waiting for him. At the end of January, the boy suddenly fell ill and the healer identified the illness, but fresh flowers and leaves were needed to treat it. Then his sister went in search of plants and saw that everything around was frozen and covered with snow. She threw herself on the ground and began to cry bitterly. These hot and heartfelt tears of the girl broke through the snow cover, reached the ground and woke up delicate flowers- snowdrops. They began to make their way through the thick layer of snow and finally crawled to the surface. And wherever the girl cried, white flowers rose from the ground. The young beauty picked them, brought them home, and the little brother was saved. There is also a German version. When the earth was first covered in snow, it really lacked green grass, flowers and beautiful plants. And then the white snowdrop fell to the cold winter and the stinging snow, as a harbinger of the passing frosts. The snow was so happy with the snowdrop that it allowed it to bloom right under its cold blanket.

In Romania and in some countries there is one wonderful spring custom. On the first of March, all people give their loved ones or family and friends a small gift - Marcisor. These are two silk laces with tassels at the ends, woven together (one should be white and the other red) and a flower (most often it is a snowdrop), a heart or something else. Thus, people celebrate the arrival of spring, considering the first of March as a kind of holiday of spring and love. And the legend itself goes like this.

One day the Sun descended in a village in the form of a young man to have a little fun. The Evil Snake guarded him for a long time, and then stole him from among the people and locked him in his palace. The world became sad, the birds stopped singing, the springs stopped flowing and ringing, and the children forgot what fun and laughter were. The world plunged into darkness, sadness and despondency. And none of the residents dared to fight the terrible Serpent. But there was one brave young man who volunteered to save the Sun. Many people equipped him on the road and gave him their strength so that he could overcome the Serpent and free the Sun. The journey continued all summer, all autumn and all winter.

The guy found the Serpent's palace, and a battle ensued. The young man defeated the Serpent and freed the Sun and it rose into the sky. Nature came to life, people rejoiced, but the brave young man did not have time to see spring, as he was mortally wounded. His warm blood flowed from the wound and flowed onto the snow. Where the snow melted, white flowers grew - snowdrops, the harbingers of spring. The last drop of blood fell on the white snow. A courageous young man has died.

Since then, in honor of the liberator of the world from darkness and sadness, young people have been weaving two thin cords with tassels: one white and one red. They give them to the girls they love, or to relatives and friends. The red color signifies love for everything beautiful, reminiscent of the color of the blood of a young man, and the white color symbolizes the health and purity of the snowdrop - the first spring flower.

Legends about flowers

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The Legend of the Snowdrop

Snowdrops are the first, the most defenseless, the dearest to the heart of a city dweller. Every year their delicate flowers and delicate aroma remind us that spring has come again. Again, a gentle, long-awaited warmth is pouring from the cloudless blue sky, and from the shrunken and gray spots of snow scattered everywhere, a pleasant frosty freshness is felt. And everywhere are traces of awakening life. Out of nowhere, suddenly the first ladybug appears on your hand, the first butterfly, unusually elegant after the dull winter colors, sits busily. And, of course, these amazing snowdrops.

Read the Polish Legend of Snowdrops:

The winter that year was so severe that the hut that stood in the mountains was completely drowned in snow. Looking from afar, it seemed that no one lived in it. However, three creatures lived in this hut: a woman and two children. The father went around the world to look for work and sadly left his family in the hut.

“The Lord will take care of you while I’m gone and keep you in good health,” he said at parting.

But his wish did not seem to come true. Towards the end of January the boy suddenly fell ill. Mom put him in his crib and noticed that his body was burning in the heat. At night he became worse, he moaned and cried in pain. At dawn the mother said to her daughter:

“Stay by your brother’s bed, and I’ll run to the healer and ask her to come.” She is well versed in diseases and has so many different medicines!

She ran out of the hut, and an hour later returned with a healer, who was famous for her knowledge of medicinal plants.

The healer looked at the boy and said:

“The disease is so severe only because there is a terrible winter in the world.” At other times of the year, I would have cured the boy in a few hours, but in order to make a healing decoction, I need fresh flowers and leaves. Where can you find them when everything around you is frozen and covered with snow? After all, even for a handful of gold you can’t get a stalk of grass now!

- But what should I do to make my son recover? - asked the poor mother in a trembling voice.

- Give him a few spoons of milk for now... And wrap him up warm... I'll be back in the evening...

And the old woman left, muttering under her breath:

- If only I knew where to find green grass. Each one would be useful! But this is impossible! The snow covered everything in a layer.

The girl heard the words of the healer and, without hesitation, ran out of the hut in search of plants.

Wandering through the snow, she looked left and right, to see if somewhere a flower was breaking through the monotonous cover of snow. But there was only white snow around, and icicles hung from dry trees. Then she threw herself on the ground and began to cry bitterly.

“I don’t want my brother to die!” What will I do in the world without him!

They never parted, played during the day, slept together at night. And when in the summer my mother went to mow hay, they stayed in the hut themselves, and then the girl fed her little brother, who grimaced more than once. And now this little brother must die and lie under the snow in the cemetery, and she will never see him again. Is it possible?

She buried her face even deeper in the snow, and tears flowed from her eyes. Until, finally, these hot and heartfelt tears broke through the snow cover, carved a path for themselves and, flowing down, reached the ground. And then the flowers sleeping under the snow woke up and raised their heads:

- Oh, Lord! Is it really spring already? Do you really need to get up? - they asked with fear.

“No, not yet,” answered the tears. — There is still snow around. But, up there, one girl is crying, who really needs green leaves to save her sick brother. Won't you go and console her?

The plants that had kind hearts finally woke up and began to straighten their legs.

It was hard work, because the snow lay on them like a thick blanket and was terribly cold. But thanks to their persistence, they managed to break through the exit and stick their heads to the surface. Two green leaves crawled out of the snow, and between them a long stem, on which hung a flower of three long white petals, resembling tears in appearance. All around, where the girl was crying, white flowers rose from the ground. When the girl noticed these flowers, she began to hastily pick them and carried them home in triumph.

- Little brother won’t die and will be healthy right away! - she shouted from afar.

A out of breath healer came running, immediately prepared a medicinal decoction... and the sick boy was saved.

Since then, merciful flowers always appear before everyone else. Every year they break through the snow in order to see the sun as soon as possible, and that is why people called them snowdrops.

Legends about the earliest spring flowers - snowdrops

Legends about snowdrops are about the earliest spring flowers, which include numerous types of corydalis, goose onion, anemone, lungwort, sochevich, mantle, as well as chistyak, crayfish, or serpentine. We traditionally call all the first flowers "snowdrops", although in fact the snowdrop is galanthus - only one species of many primroses. Since ancient times, primroses represented by the snowdrop have been considered an emblem of hope and, of course, the snowdrop has often become the hero of various legends and tales...

One day, the old woman Winter with her companions Cold and Wind decided not to let Spring come to earth. All the flowers were frightened by the threats of Winter, except for the snowdrop, which straightened its stem and pressed a hole in the thick blanket of snow. The Sun saw its petals and warmed the earth with warmth, opening the way for Spring.

According to one ancient legend, snowdrops were the first flowers on earth. When God expelled Adam and Eve from paradise, it was winter and snowing on earth. Eva froze and began to cry. The snowflakes took pity on her and several of them turned into flowers. Eva was very happy about this. She had hope for forgiveness, and flowers - snowdrops - have since become a symbol of hope.

There is an old story that resembles a fairy tale in its plot. Once upon a time, there lived a brother and sister. Their parents died early, leaving a house on the edge of the forest, and the children were forced to fend for themselves. The brother was a hunter, and the sister was busy with housework. And then one day, when my brother was not at home, my sister decided to collect more snow to wash the floors in the room. Spring was just coming into its own, and therefore there was still a lot of snow in the forest. The sister took two buckets and went into the forest. She wandered quite far from home. But the girl knew the forest well, and therefore was not afraid of getting lost. But another misfortune awaited her here: the old goblin, riding around his possessions on a lame wolf, saw a girl and realized that such a neat housewife would not bother him. He grabbed her and took her to his den. But the girl was not at a loss - she pulled a string of river pearl beads left from her mother and began to mark her path with beads. But they fell into the snow without a trace. The girl realized that her brother could not find her and began to cry bitterly. The clear sun took pity on the orphan's grief, melted the snow, and in the place where the pearls fell, the first spring flowers grew - snowdrops. It was through them that the brother found his way to the devil’s den. When the goblin saw that his hiding place had been discovered, he screamed and ran away. And the brother and sister returned to their home and lived happily.

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