“The Marigold that goes to bed wi' th' sun, And with him rises weeping…”

4.As far back as 15th century, Marigold was thought to be a remedy for a number of medical problems including headache, jaundice, red eyes, toothache, bee sting, sprains, wounds, and ague (chills and fever). However, it was noted by Stevens in Countrie Farm that, “It must be taken only when moon is in Sign of Virgin and not when Jupiter is in ascendant, for then herb loses its virtue.”

5.Early Anglo-Saxons called Marigold “Golds” or “Ruddes” and flowers were often boiled to extract their yellow color for food colorings, fabric, and even hair dyes. After extraction, a yellow powder remains. In 1819, Geiger chemically analyzed marigold and named this yellow powder “Calendulus”. Today marigold flower still is dried, petals ground and used as a substitute for herb saffron.

6.Marigold petals mixed with chicken feed add intensity to color of egg yolks.

Like its relative dayflower, spiderwort opens for part of a day only. In morning it is wide awake and pert; early in afternoon its petals have begun to retreat and wither away. New blooms appear each day throughout season though.

WILD HYACINTH, SCILLA or SQUILL. QUAMASH (Quamasia kyacinthina; Scilla Fraseri of Gray) - Lily family

The Wild Hyacinth tends to produce many pale violet blue flowers, though once in awhile they can be white. There tend to be equal groups of 6 flowers on long, oblong-shaped branches. The plant tends to grow 1-2 feet tall, and has grass-like, short leaves. These wild flowers prefer meadows, prairies and stream banks, and they bloom from April to May.

These wild flowers tend to be low maintenance, and they propogate on their own, without being invasive. In addition to attracting bees, Wild Hyacinth also tends to attract ants, wasps, flies, butterflies, and beetles.

Whether you prefer to start your flowers from seeds or potted starter plants, wild flowers are a wonderful addition to any type of garden. Creating a stand alone wild flower garden is also a fantastic way to make a great, naturalized impression in large or unused areas of your landscape.

Watch for future articles where I'll introduce you to many other wild flowers in a variety of other colors too!