Dusk In The Meadow

Busy, busy day for me today and my walk started way later than I had planned. Daylight seems to be disappearing earlier and earlier these days and today's cloudy skies hastened the process even more. As I was counting down the minutes before full darkness overtook me, I spotted these wildflowers dotting the edge of the meadow beside me. Jackpot!
Chicory , also known as blue daisy, wild bachelor's buttons, or cornflower as I have always referred to it, is my favorite Summer wildflower. I mean, could there even be a more perfect shade of blue? It's very interesting as well. The chicory plant is one of the earliest cited in recorded literature. Wild chicory leaves, while bitter tasting, are sometimes sauteed and cultivated chicory leaves are eaten raw as a salad leaf. Root chicory is cultivated as a coffee substitute and some beer brewers use roasted chicory to add flavor to stouts. Chicory has several medicinal uses and is well known for its toxicity to internal parasites.

"There is a flower, I like
So, I sent one today
To someone so very special

A rustic blue summer flower 
And, I just painted one today
A lovely lone blue cornflower 

An old friendship's symbol
A sign of fortune too, my wish
Today, one, just for you from me

Over and over my wishes are blue
And, all I miss is blue or you 
This blue flower is only for you."


~ Marilyn Jean