June Flower of the Month: Rose & Honeysuckle

Shakespeare wrote, “that which we call a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet”. So, what’s in a name? Roses today can be grown or dyed to a myriad of colors and even patterns; but no matter how colorful the moniker, they all bear the distinct fragrance unique to this flower alone. The color and number of roses given as gifts are said to carry different meanings: a single rose amplifies the meaning of its color. Red, pink, or white, roses signify love, humility, and purity, while a yellow rose means jealousy!

For many who grew up before the tech age, honeysuckles are a favorite childhood pastime. If you haven’t yet experienced the sweet victory of successfully harvesting honeysuckle and tasting it’s tiny droplets of nectar, you’ve missed out! Honeysuckles possess unmatched sweetness in taste and smell. They are attractive to hummingbirds and other pollinators, as long as gardeners avoid the invasive Japanese honeysuckle variety, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac.

So in the month of June, stop and smell the roses, and be sure to taste the honeysuckles!

Happy Birthday to all our friends celebrating life this month!