Enjoying the Petunia, and its wonderful history, with kids

Enjoying the Petunia, and its wonderful history, with kids…

The Petunia ~ the lovely, colorful, trumpet-shaped Petunia has a rather interesting origin, being botanically related to the family Solanaceae of tobacco, tomato and potato fame.  Solanaceae derives from the Latin solari, meaning to soothe, so it is not surprising that the most lovely symbol of the Petunia is its soothing-ness…

~ A pot of Petunias in my garden, rescued from a $5.00 clearance shelf at Lowe's! ~
~ A pot of Petunias in my garden, rescued from a $5.00 clearance shelf at Lowe’s! ~

(On the contrary side, the Petunia has also gained the rather unpleasant symbols of anger, haughtiness and resentment, making it important to wisely choose the recipients of your Petunia!  Personally, I’m going with the soothing symbol.)

Native to South America, the first species of the Petunia arrived in Paris, France in 1823.  The word Petunia was developed from the word petun, meaning tobacco.

The Petunia is hardy and sometimes develops a weedy habit in a garden, but its glorious colors (pinks, whites, reds, yellows, purples), sizes and ability to produce lovely color combinations gives it great popularity.  The center of the Petunia is thought to resemble a star…

Screen Shot 2016-05-11 at 12.18.14 PM

One interesting tidbit regarding the Petunia is its dream quality.  If you dream about the Petunia, you will be successful at both work and in society.  It’s certainly worth a try to work a Petunia or two into your zzzzzzzzz’s!

And what could be more dreamy than the 52nd Annual Dixon Petunia Festival in Dixon, Illinois!?  The town of Dixon is both nationally and state honored as the State of Illinois official Petunia City.  Follow the festivities on Facebook at Dixon Petunia Festival!

Get outside with your kids today and discover the beauty, the colors, the secrets and the dreams of the lovely Petunia.  Marvel at its trumpet-shape.  Tell of its symbols, most especially the soothing one.  Tell of Petunia City and follow the Petunia Festival festivities on-line.  Bring words and flowers and into your lives, enriching your kids with great fun and learning and literacy.

And don’t forget to dream of the Petunia tonight!

About Audrey

Audrey McClelland has been a digital influencer since 2005. She’s a mom of 5 and shares tips on her three favorite things: parenting, fashion and beauty. She’s also a Contemporary Romance Author.

Sign Up To The Ultimate Style Newsletter for Moms

Categories

ShopStyle “List” Of all Things I Like and Blog About

Pinterest