At the moment, and like much of North America, here in Kingsville we’re in the grip of a polar vortex and under an extreme cold weather warning. Our gardens are fair buried under a mountain of snow. Flowers are but a memory.
earth laughs in flowers†
To my beloved “Flower Flock”, this might seem a very strange and poor photo to exhibit, and you’d not be wrong. But it is special — this shot was taken on 5th January 2026. Spying it as we drove along our laneway was pure jubilation. A flower in January!!! In Ontario!!! Fantastic! Earth laughs.
In the Victorian language of flowers, Periwinkles symbolize everlasting love, tender recollections, and fond memories. In this case, fond memories of summer and flowers galore. My favourite Periwinkle superstition is based upon Celtic folklore. The Celts believed its blossoms would protect them from witches, sorcerers and evil spirits, hence its fanciful name, “Witch’s Violet”. The ancient Celts often hung sprigs of its blossoms over their doors, or wore them in their lapels to protect them from those evil practitioners.
Thank you very much to the oh-so-artistic Terri Webster Schrandt for these challenges. Please take a moment to read her blog post, you’ll enjoy it, promise: The Flower Hour #15: Desert Daisy
’Til next time, y’all…
†Ralph Waldo Emerson from his poem “Hamatreya” — page 60, “The Complete Poems” from his anthology “Complete Works of Ralph Waldo Emerson”.
Enchanting Essex 
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