Day 87B-Flowers From Siam

Because I have no garden and

No pence to buy,

Before the flower shop I stand

And sigh.

The beauty of the Springtide spills

In glowing posies

Of violets and daffodils

And roses...

The Flower Shop by Robert William Service

The flower shop where I bought my posies was the 1st mini stall I chanced upon when I was looking for the much talked about mini heaven in JJ. I was prudent, thinking that there would be many others, so I didn't go nuts and buy everything.

Now I am making these pictures of the stall very small so as not to alarm darling Jayne. Don't despair, my Tallulah Belle, for although there appear to be millions of flowers, the varieties were lacking and the craftsmanship nowhere like yours.

These flowers however are good for big scenes. Like when you need to build a bazaar or have them strewn in a wild desert. And nobody is really looking at the details. I also like them way more than the clay ones for these are made of paper in every colour imaginable.

But when I say there are not many varieties, I am not kidding. They just make the same specie in many hues. So you will not find cherry blossoms or birds of paradise. Nor lotuses or even water hyacinths, the latter of which are grown abundantly in the rivers of Bangkok. In fact, hyacinths procreate so rapidly that they have become a menace to Bangkok waters. And our friend SuWan is a national hero because he pioneered a way of making beautiful furniture out of them and consequently, bagged a string of awards and accolades for his achievements.

And thus my "make-shift" stall may look busy; Alas, it sells only

گلاب or Roses

which were probably 1st cultivated in Northern Persia; considered by many as the most beautiful of all flowers; available in every colour except blue and true black and in the 19th century, old scented versions were used to make jelly.

گل داوٴدی٬ سدابہار٬ ستارہ نما پھول or Chrysanthmumswhich had been cultivated in Chinese gardens for more than 2,500 years; were considered one of the four Chinese noble plants along with bamboo, the plum, and the orchid, therefore peasants were not permitted to grow them in their gardens although they make great Chinese tea; and REMEMBER, no bringing Rosanna bouquet of chrysanthemums because in Italy they are associated with death!

بنفشہ or Violets

with colours varying in the genus, ranging from violet (which the stall has none), through various shades of blue, yellow, white, and cream, whilst some types are bicolored; and you eat them with salads or to ease urinary complaints ; and through centuries have inspired common sayings including:

Dream of violets and advance in life.

Wear a garland of violets to prevent dizziness.

Violets are considered a good luck gift, but when violets bloom in autumn, epidemics will follow within the year.

گلابی پھول or Carnations also available in a huge range of colours, almost all except blue, are edible (yums!) and where folklores are concerned, have the following meaning

Carnation (pink) - I'll never forget you

Carnation (purple) - Capriciousness; whimsical; changeable

Carnation (red) - My heart aches for you; admiration

Carnation (solid color) - Yes

Carnation (striped)- No; refusal; sorry I can't be with you; wish I could be with you

Carnation (white) -Sweet and lovely; innocence; pure love; woman's good luck gift

Carnation (yellow) - Rejection; disdain

Leaves
which weirdly enough, was the one that got me the most excited, so I bought 300 of them.

I can see it already,

my little flower stall in the bazaar...

and there She is, setting up and getting ready, way before the break of dawn

the owner of the stall and the nicest of the nice,

and whom I shall named Tallulah, our flower girl..

and as we watch her swaying in,

with her uncompromising choices (for the rest she has trashed),

a small group is already gathering;

even before she puts down her last basket

hoping to quickly make their pick.

And just as we speak,

( bless Rosanna who is always right, the stall is indeed the most sought after)

the best of Rajasthan is already here

so much so you can see how our poor flower girl

is already suffering a head ache,

wondering how she is going to cope

or maybe

she is still just bothered,

about the last pair of eyes she tried to sculpt

and how the blue of those eyes

just refused to match the Palace Gardenias...