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Wednesday, September 8, 2010

ROSES ARE RED VIOLETS ARE BLUE

 Welcome to rainbow Summer School and the color violet. Please thank Mrs. Matlock here. I thought of several different ways to showcase the color violet but I decided to go with an old favorite and then give you a brief history of "violet",


Roses are red
Violets are blue
Sugar is sweet
And so are you!

The words in this poem can be traced as far back as 1590. I have always loved a sweet poem and I always liked this one as a kid. Of course we made up naughty ryhmes as kids too:

Roses are red
Violets are blue
Your mother smells
And you do too!

That was about as wild as my friends and I got when we were growing up.

Now here is a bio about violet and I think you will enjoy this little history I found on the internet.

Other names

Violet
Violet Ordorato
Other names Common Violet, Ordinary Violet, Garden Violet, Sweet Violet

Habitat

Violets are European perennials. They are now naturalized thorughtout North America., and can be found growing in most any soil or situation.

Cultivation

Violets are easily cultivated through root cuttings or seeds. With over 900 species, plant identification to the exact is an expertise in itself.  However all have practically the same medicinal and edible herb values.

Description

The heart shaped leaves often with scalloped or slightly serrated edges are the dark green , smooth and sometimes downy underneath, and grow in a rosette at the base of the plant.  Roots are creeping and send out runners. Depending on soil and light the flowers may be from deep purple to or blue to pinkish  or even yellow whitish.  All have five petals, which may have a yellow (fur) or beard on the inside of two of the petals. blooming from March to June. Gather flowers in full bloom, leaves anytime, and rootstock in the fall. Dry root for later use.


Properties

Medicinal and edible, the flowers and leaves of viola are made into a syrup used in alternative medicine mainly for respiratory ailments associated with congestion, coughing, and sore throat. Flowers are also edible and used as food additives for instance in salad, made into jelly, and candied for decoration. Large does of the root contain an alkoloid called violine which is emetic (causing vomiting) . A decoction made from the root (dry herb) is used as a laxative. Tea made from the entire plant is used to treat digestive disorders and new research has detected the presence of a glycoside of salicylic acid (natural aspirin) which substantiates its use for centuries as a medicinal remedy for headache, body pains and as a sedative. The plants constituents are being studied and show these uses to be valid. Eugenol, Ferulic-acid, Kaempferol, Quercetin, Scopoletin, also show promise in the treatment of many kinds of cancer, arthritis, AIDS, gum disease and more. Used externally the fresh crushed leaves reduce swelling and soothe irritations. As a bath additive the fresh crushed flowers are soothing to the skin and the aroma is very relaxing.

Folklore

 The Ancient Greeks considered the Violet a symbol of fertility and love, they used it in love potions. Pliny recommends that a garland of them be worn around the head to ward off   headaches and dizzy spells.

Recipes

Syrup: Pour one pint of boiling water over 1 cup packed , of fresh flowers and leaves cover and let stand for 12 hours. Strain and squeeze through cloth, add 2 lb. sugar and boil for 1 hour until syrupy. Store in a glass jar. Give 1 tsp. for children 2-3 times a day.

Tea: Steep 1/ 4  dried or fresh herb in 1 cup water for 10 min. stain, flavor to taste. Take in 1/2 cup doses twice a day.

This article was found on the internet by Deb Jackson and Karen Bergeron .

I was a bit long today but I really enjoyed this little research I did! Enjoy!

26 comments:

GardenOfDaisies said...

We have wild violets growing in our grass in the back yard too. I just LOVE it!!
I have never had violet tea before... maybe I will try that!

Cheryl said...

Who knew a garland of violets could ward off a headache! Good news for me.

Great post Anne.

I think your link over at Jenny's is broken. I kept getting directed to some spammy site. You might want to check it yourself. ^_^

Linda @ A La Carte said...

Great post and lots of wonderful information!!

Sarah said...

Clever post using that age old rhyme. Very nice! ~ Sarah

Pat @ Mille Fiori Favoriti said...

I learned a lot about violets from your post, Anne. Nice research! I think violets are such sweet flowers.

Heather's Blog-o-rama said...

I've always thought violets were a really beautiful little flower. A friend of mine has an African violet at her home. That one is interesting because it looks almost velvety...Love and hugs from Oregon, Heather :)

Shiju Sugunan said...

Very enlightening post. You did quite a research. Great post.

Jane said...

I love violets but have a difficult time getting them to thrive in the downtown condo!

Jane

Terra said...

ah yes the smelly twist on the classic, I remember it well. now I need to go see your owls...

RNSANE said...

It's nice to have so much information on violets!

At 65, I've done it! My poetry book - Life's Journey by Carmen Henesy - is out on Amazon!
( Poems about the things that have been important to me in my journey through life, some humorous, some sad, some that may have meaning to you as well )
http://www.amazon.com/Lifes-Journey-1-Carmen-Henesy/dp/1451547366/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1274652997&sr=1-1
( Check out my Amazon site to read reviews of my book by others! ).

Anonymous said...

What a fun post. There is an awful about flowers I have to learn. This was very interesting, thank you for sharing. Tammy

Intense Guy said...

My grandmother used to grow african violets - she had two pingpong tables covered with 'em.

I hope you and yours are staying safe from that nasty bunch of wildfires going on out there...

Susan Anderson said...

Remember that old song?

Roses are red
Violets are purple
Sugar is sweet
like maple syrple?

Anyone remember who sang it?

=)

Nikki (Sarah) said...

smiled at the poems...flowers...they are a gift that make me feel so good. He knew we needed them. Just like He knew...we needed each other. Hugs to you.

Jo said...

i love violets! i didn't know that they had so many medicinal properties ... totally interesting post!

Lois Christensen said...

Great info regarding violets! Such a pretty flower. I remember learning those poems when I was in grade school and using them forever in cards we would make for my parents. Enjoy!

Splendid Little Stars said...

great information. I have put violet blossoms into salads in the past. I have also candied them.

Pondside said...

I love the little violets that pop up in the flower bed - who knew they had such an illustrious provenance.

Cindy (Applestone Cottage) said...

Very neat post and the flowers are so pretty I could stare at them for hours!
HAGD,
Cindy

Jillian's Bella Rosa Antiques said...

Neat post! I didn't know a lot of the things you discovered about violets. Thanks for sharing!

And thank you for visiting my blog.

:0)

Jillian
Bella Rosa Antiques

Viki said...

Interesting things about violet. I never realized the poem was that old, wow.

Nezzy (Cow Patty Surprise) said...

What a great post about one of my passions. Loved it!!! All the info about the Violet was quite amusing. Thanks girl!

Ya'll have a terrific weekend heaped full of wonderful blessings!!!

Betty said...

I've always loved violets and used to pick them by the edge of the woods for my mother. A friend had them growing all over her yard and offered me some. I brought them home and planted them in my yard. They've spread pretty far, but I only get a few flowers each year. I'm thinking they need to be well established before they bloom, but I love having them. Enjoyed your informative post. I couldn't help but notice that your blog background is a shade of violet.

Brenda said...

Stopped by to thank you for your sweet comment today. So I am here listening to Alan Jackson and looking at the violets. My mother loves violets and I also have a windowsill filled with them. Added a start of my hubs grandmothers violet after she passed a couple of years ago. Pretty blog!

Denise said...

Such a nice post.

Jenny said...

What a beautiful post on our little journey through Rainbow Summer School.

Violets and pansies are two of my favorite flowers!

Your post made me smile and say "oooohhhhh".

Thank you for that.

A+