Gardening Superstitions

Flowers , Gardening The superstitions and folklore you need to make life magnificent... or miserable. A bridal wreath bush blooming out of season is the sign of bad luck. A tuberose is an unlucky flower. Always transplant flowering plants in the light of the moon. Always water your ferns from the bottom upwards and never from the top downwards. Blow a dandelion seed-ball with one strong breath and the number of seeds left will tell you the time of day. Blow three times against a dandelion seed-ball and the number of seeds remaining will be the time of day. Blow tobacco smoke on your flowers and this will keep the bugs away from them. Carrying May flowers into the house will cause bad luck. Dig small holes near the places you have planted carnation seed and put in these holes the dye of any color that you want in your flowers. Do not keep "depression flowers" in the room with a sick person, for they will sap the vitality of the patient. Flowers are always removed from hospital rooms at night, because they throw off a poisonous odor. Flowers planted in the sign of the "bowels" will not open up. Flowers planted in the light of the moon will be filled with blossoms. Flowers which grow under the ground (tuberous flowers) will do well, if planted during the sign of the "lady with the jug in her hand" (Aquarius).

Flowers will do well, if planted in the sign of the "bowels." Having yellow flowers in your room will bring you bad luck. Hold a dandelion below someone's chin, and if you can see a yellow reflection upon the skin, he is fond of butter. If a buttercup held beneath your chin casts a reflection against the flesh, you are fond of butter. If a woman plants flowers while she is menstruating, they will die. If flowers are planted on "Green Thursday" (Maundy Thursday), you will get all kinds of colors. If rows of sweet peas run north and south, the plants will blossom profusely. If spring flowers bloom again in the fall, you may look for a sorrowful winter. If sweet peas are planted on St.Patrick's Day (March 17th) they will grow well. If vining flowers are planted in the sign of the "fingers" they will have long vines. If you give a fern to anyone, you are giving sorrow. If you close yourself up in a room with tuberoses, their perfume will kill you. If you plant dahlias in early morning during the light of the moon, they will not bloom but grow to stalk. If you plant flowers in the sign of the Twins, they will grow well.

If you want pansies to be beautiful and to grow tall, plant them in the morning at six o'clock and always water them them at six o'clock in the morning. In planting a fern always put some oats in the bottom of the pot and the plant will thrive. It is a sign of jealousy to wear a yellow flower. It is said that flowers will bloom better, if planted in the sign of the "flower girl" (Virgo). It is thought that tuberoses emit an odor of death. Mash egg shells and let them stand in a jar of water, then pour this liquid over your flowers and the blossoms will be beautiful. Never let myrtle grow around your house or you will have sickness and trouble in your house as long as it is growing in the yard. Never water your flowers while the sun is shining, or they will die. Pansies must be planted on the north side of the house or they will not flourish. Peony plants must not be moved except during the months of October and November. Plant dahlias on the last week of May in late afternoon during the dark of the moon and they will do well.

Plant flowers in the sign of the Twins and all of them will bloom and be more beautiful. Plant flowers in the full moon and they will be beautiful.

Plant petunia seed in the early morning and always water them early in the morning and they will flower abundantly.

Plant sweet peas on St.Patrick's Day before sunup and you will have the best of luck. Pour a teaspoonful of castor oil around the roots of a fern, if it is dying or drying up, this will revive the plant. Pour water over egg shells in a jar and let them stand for three days, then sprinkle this liquid on and around your flowers and it will kill the insects.

Put wood ashes on the soil where you plant asters and the flowers will not have lice. Rows of sweet peas must be planted pointing north and south or they will not bloom. Rub a dandelion against the bottom of your chin, and if yellow Reflects on the flesh, you like butter. Soak sweet peas overnight in milk before planting them and the blossoms will be twice as large. Some patients object to flowers in the sick room, because flowers remind them of a funeral. Some think that a tuberose has the waxy appearance of death. Sweet peas planted on St.Patrick's Day will have more fragrance. Sweet peas should be planted on Good Friday, if you want to be successful with them. Thank the person who has given flower plants to you and they will not grow. The person who accepts the gift of a fern will never settle down in life.

The sign of the Waterman is a bad time to plant flowers. Tickle a person's chin with a dandelion and if he laugh's, he likes butter but if he does not laugh, he has no taste for butter. To have plenty of flowers, plant them in the sign of the "flower girl." To have sunflowers growing in your back yard will cause you good luck. To raise beautiful ferns, sprinkle them with the water in which you have washed your clothes after your monthly sickness. To secure fine roses, set them out on the 25th of May. Touch the end (frond) of a fern and the plant will die. Tuberoses bloom only once in seven years. Unless pansies are planted exactly two inches below the surface of the ground they will not grow. Unless you set out two tuberoses near together, they will not bloom because one plant is supposed to be male, the other female; but marks distinguishing the sexes seem to be unknown. When watering your flowers, use the water in which you have washed your meat and they will grow well.

When you blow against a dandelion seed-ball, the direction in which the seeds fly will show you where to seek your fortune. Write your troubles on a piece of paper and conceal it in a bouquet, attend a funeral and throw the bouquet containing the note into the open grave and your troubles will pass away.

You can have large and beautiful flowers by planting them in the light of the moon. You must remove the little excrescences from a tuberose bulb before planting or it will not produce blossoms. Your flowers will bloom all the time, if planted during the increase of the new moon.