The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1881-08-02
THE FLOWERS OF LEON COUN.
TN, FLORIDA.
BY MRS. JOSEPHINE E. DONALD

BY MRS. JOSEPA1NE b. DONALDSON.
Prepared for the forthcoming County Pamphlet
''The Harvests Gods bounty the flowers His SMILE
How suggestive to a contemplative
mind is this beautiful sentiment of Ger
man poet I" The flowers, His smile /"
Not the work OF His hands, wrought by
effort, as we are accustomed to gard all
visible objects of Creation, but simply
called forth from the bosom of the dark,
cold earth, fitting symbols of peace and
blessing.
Among all civilized nations of every
age, flowers h ave ever been highly priced.
Of such Importance were they deemed in
classic Greece, that Flora, the Goddess
of Flowers, W as one of the principal del
ties. In ancient Egypt, that cradle of
much learning as well as of great super
stition, flowers were objects of worship.
Who has not heard of the Lotus-fower,
the far-famed Lily of the Nile % Is it
that some trace of its ancient sacredness
still fingers around it, that modern Chris
tians know it as the Easter lily? Even
among our antipodes, the " celestials p" of
China, those queer adherents to ancient
customs, the highest praise that can be
bestowed on their beloved country, is to
call it the "Fl Flowery Kingdom"
In our ow n language we find many
beautiful sentiments suggested by, or re-
ferring to flow wers. Our prince of poets y
makes unstinted use of them to beautify
his creations. Who can recall the heroine
of his master piece, the fair Ophelia, with
her mind "li ke sweet bells tangled out
of tune," without recalling too her "Rose-
mary, that's for Remembrance, and Pansy,
that's for Thought" Flowers have ever
been regarded the sweetest emblems of
innocence and peace. We gather the
pure white blossoms to crown the blush
ing young bride; we bring the fairest
and most fra grant to strew over the silent,
pallid forms of our loved as they lie be-
fore us, wrapped in the mystery of that
dreamless slumber which men call Death.
In our Southern country, Nature has
scattered with lavish hand, flowers of
every kind. In the early Spring-time, a
walk in the woods of Leon would drive a
Wick, or Henderson, or other profes-
sional florist, wild with envy. High
above our heads, the Magnolia lifts its
splendid proportions, adorned with silvery
bark and dark, rich, green leaves, bright
ened by its magnificent blooms, waxen-
white, nearly foot in diameter, and emit
ting spicy fragrance delicious and in
vigorating. Near it, we find the Bay, a
splendid specimen belonging to the same
order, but it's flowers are only diminu-
tive reflection of the beauty and glory Of
the Magnolia. Scattered here and there
we find q Snowdrop-tree with its grace
full, dropping, pure-white blossoms; the
fragrant Clove-tree; the Sparkle-berry,
with its we alth of beautiful blooms; the
quaint Gray y-beard; the Dogwood, coarse
but showy, with its white flowers and
scarlet berries; the wild Honeysuckies
the Pink-bud the tall Poplars, with their
silyery-green leaves and large, salmon
colored flowers, and that sweetest OF al
woodland blossoms, the wild Crab-apple
And the vines Only in this Land Of
| Flowers' GOULD vines 50 climb and bloom
The golden bells Of the Yellow Jesssmine
the crimson clusters of the Woodbine the
snow-white trusses Of an unnamed vine
the flaming trumpets Of the Virgins
Trumpet cteeper, with many Others. min
ola and blend in harmony Of disorder
which only the hand OF Mature coua nasf
designed.
In low, damp places, or ~ spe ~.ss.
What beauty Of leaf and flower We fnd
First and tairsst, the bsautifnl white W.,
ter-lily, with ita udaEk'grssn leaves =