my walk with food and beautiful plants and flowers: Flowers: Flanders Poppies

Friday, November 23, 2012

Flowers: Flanders Poppies

I walk past this garden everyday. I am awed by the manicure landscaping. Sometimes, I whack out my camera. And snap a photo or two. I feel awkward, Just in case the owner is around. Recently, as I walked past, The lady was tidying her garden. I said :Hi and beautiful garden." She said, it could do much more work. But, Alas she is too old. I told her, I walk pass everyday. I snap photos of her garden. "Feel free to take photos, even when I am not here. Then she too be a tour, to her beautiful garden. And giving me lessons of some of her plants. These are no ordinary poppies. They are called Flanders poppies. Flanders to remember the WW1, The poppies of Flanders. I am so happy I stopped to say hi. Today, I am owner of this precious knowledge. I share this with you. In Flanders fields The red or Flanders poppy has been linked with battlefield deaths since the time of the Great War (1914–18). The plant was one of the first to grow and bloom in the mud and soil of Flanders. The connection was made, most famously, by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae in his poem 'In Flanders fields'. In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below. We are the Dead. Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, Loved and were loved, and now we lie In Flanders fields. Take up our quarrel with the foe: To you from failing hands we throw The torch; be yours to hold it high. If ye break faith with us who die We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders fields. http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/war/anzac-day/poppies Veterans Day is an official United States holiday which honors people who have served in armed service also known as veterans. It is a federal holiday that is observed on November 11th. It coincides with other holidays such as Armistice Day and Remembrance Day, which are celebrated in other parts of the world and also mark the anniversary of the end of World War I. (Major hostilities of World War I were formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, with the German signing of the Armistice.) Veterans Day is not to be confused with Memorial Day; Veterans Day celebrates the service of all of veterans, while Memorial Day is a day of remembering the men and women who died while serving.[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veterans_Day