Blown Inside Out

After my Get Active class this morning, where we got to use the Hula Hoop, I went to my cousins for lunch. It was great to catch up as we haven't seen each other for a while. My plan was to get away by 3pm at the latest but that didn't happen. I should have taken my photos of her wonderful garden when I first arrived because the wind had really picked up by the time I was leaving. This was the only shot that had some sort of focus! She does have some really beautiful breaded Irises.

Irises were profuse in Syria, 1479, when King Thutmose III of Egypt conquered the land. Thutmose was more than a king, he was a gardener and as such he was responsible for immortalizing the irises in sculptures and in the gardens of Egypt. Irises became the symbol of renewal of life. The Egyptians came to believed that the three petals stood for faith, wisdom and valour.

Irises are native to nearly every continent and have a history through-out the globe.
In Greek, Iris means "rainbow" which is fitting for the wide array of colours of the iris flower.
In Italy dried iris rhizomes were used to produce fragrances.
In Germany the roots were hung in barrels of beer to keep the beer fresh. The same practice was used in France.
In the US, bearded irises date back to 1600s Virginia. It appears the irises journeyed from Europe with the early settlers.
For more information on the Iris.