This one should be right up our cottage garden alley, I would think. Maybe not mine, but probably everyone else's.

TM

Something is tickling in the back of my brain, but I can't quite remember! I have a couple of ideas, but I will wait for more clues.
Cynthia

Good morning all, looks like it's going to be another dry day here so it's me for the garden and some more cleanup. Yesterday I cut the fronds off a huge sword fern, chopped them up and layered them around the base to compost down while hopefully smother some weeds. Then I tackled a huge overgrown Clematis (Montana Marjorie) it was all over the place and had reached out and grabbed on to what I call the yellow thingie on the fence (Moroccan Broom, Pineapple Broom) are a couple of the common names and Cytisus battandieri for those who like a botanical name although I think the powers that be may have changed it to something else.

Wedding bouquets, The ivy planted on the fence in my little court yard is from a daughter-in-law's wedding bouquet but I don't think that's what Nancy is looking for, I think I know what it is, tried to grow it once but it died, should try it again as it's said it can be grown in our zone, later.

Annette

In Greek mythology and ritual this was sacred to the goddesses Aphrodite and also Demeter: Artemidorus asserts that in interpreting dreams âÂÂa garland of this signifies the same as an olive garland, except that it is especially auspicious for farmers because of Demeter and for women because of Aphrodite. For the plant is sacred to both goddesses.âÂÂ

Because of its elegance of habit, appealing odour, and amenity to clipping by the topiarius, as much as for sacred associations, it was an indispensable feature of Roman gardens. As a reminder of home, it will have been introduced wherever Roman elites were settled, even in areas of the Mediterranean Basin where it was not already endemic: "the Romans... must surely have attempted to establish a shrub so closely associated with their mythology and tradition," observes Alice Coats. In Gaul and Britannia it will not have proved hardy. In England it was reintroduced in the 16th century, traditionally with the return from Spain in 1585 of Sir Walter Raleigh and Sir Francis Carey, who also brought with them the first orange trees seen in England. It will have needed similar protection from winter cold and wet.

Hmmmm....am I helping?

Nancy.

Aha, well that narrows it down! I may have it, but will wait for more clues to make sure I am picking the right one!

Cynthia

Interesting stuff about Victoria's choice of white. Long before Victoria, white was a popular choice for wedding dresses, at least among the wealthy nobility. Before the invention of effective bleaching techniques, white was a valued colour: it was both difficult to achieve, and hard to maintain. Wealthy brides, then, often wore white to demonstrate their money, not their purity. Historical records though, do back up the frequency of gowns of white and silver. Metallic fabric were also very common among the nobility, as nothing says wealth more than cloth woven with gold or silver. VictoriaâÂÂs tragic cousin Charlotte (who would have been queen had she not died in childbirth, and who was also her aunt because she married VictoriaâÂÂs motherâÂÂs brother ) was married in a metallic cloth, as were most brides in the English royal family for centuries before her. So, if royal brides in England and other European countries wore cloth of gold and silver, why did Victoria break with tradition and wear a white dress?
Well, because Victoria was not an ordinary bride. Unlike most royal brides, she did not enter the marriage as a princess, about to become the Queen Consort. She was the Queen, the head of state. She needed to make a statement as the leader of her country, not as an ornament to the throne and the future mother to the heir to the throne. So Victoria chose a dress that made a political statement. A dress that put her duty to her kingdom on display, rather than her wealth or beauty. One of the main concerns in late 1830s England was the effect the Industrial Revolution was having on traditional textile industries. In particular, the invention of machine laces was decimating handmade lace industries across England, and causing widespread poverty and unemployment among the skilled artisans. In order to stimulate and support the lace industry, Victoria chose for her wedding dress a large piece of handmade Honiton lace. The rest of the dress then became a vehicle to showcase the lace, and white was chosen as the most suitable colour to do this. In the case of VictoriaâÂÂs dress, white symbolised practicality and patriotism, rather than purity.

No clues, btw!!

Nancy.

Ivy was a very common addition to the bouquets of Brides, but not our Victoria's!!

The plant may grow more than 5 m (about 16.5 feet) high. The opposite leaves are thick and lustrous, with many small, translucent, oil-bearing glands. The solitary white flowers, about 1.8 cm (about 0.7 inch) long, are borne on short stalks. The fruit is a purplish black, many-seeded berry. A volatile oil found in most parts of the plant was formerly used as an antiseptic and tonic.

Variegated, yellow-fruited, and white-fruited varieties of the common plant are cultivated for ornament. Notable members of the family include the callistemons (bottlebrushes), the eucalyptuses, and the allspice. Many other plants and trees, not related to the genus bear the name.

Any help yet?? I should be packing more things, but I am as slow as a turtle today, doing some reading, and working on my little writing project. I like to imagine myself the famous author!! ;-)

Nancy.

Hmmmm, very interesting. I'm having a busy day here. All in my mind but busy non the less.
Was lorel mentioned yet? Or maybe boxwoods. I seem to have this picture of boxwoods and lorels (Darn spell check knows I'm spelling it wrong, but doesn't know how to spell either.)
I don't keep up with TV or royalty. Gosh what do I do? lol
It's a beautiful clear cold day here in NY. I smelled a skunk this morning, luckily it didn't get my pets. Yet another sign that spring is coming.
Oh wait it can't be lorels. They have much bigger flowers. Duh! ok my guess is boxwoods.
:) Laura

Yeah, I was thinking laurel, too, but now I think I am wrong.

I suspect turtle is a clue, but not sure how to work it in. Still thinking, but getting nowhere.

Skunks are so cute as long as you or the pets aren't on the wrong end of the spray! In PA once, when John was just a wee lad, we saw a momma and babies crossing the road in a row just like a duck and her ducklings.

Cynthia

Nancy, shall we say it rhymes with :).

Annette

Hints from Nancy - when you suspect you have a spelling error, just put your cursor on the word and right click - presto, chango!! Laura, would it help if I told you that boxwoods are hardy in England?
Now, Cynthia, I'm not sure if you are trying to give me a hint, but if you are, I think it's a dead skunk in the middle of the road!! lol.

Now I know I've mentioned that I watch TV online only. The downside is that you have to wait for the next night to see new programs; the upside is that many older shows have their back issues listed and I can relive many of my favs. I know that most of you loved Morse, but how many of you remember Flying Squad/The Sweeney - Thaw's earlier TV hit? He played a tough cop and was the guv'ner of George, played by Dennis Waterman, whom I had a crush on!! I'm trying to find back episodes of 'Minder', Waterman's TV show from the 70's. He played a cockney boxer, who was reduced to being a 'minder', a bodyguard. I just love cockney rhyming slang.

Nancy.

So it's related to something aromatic. Can you cook with it?
I was thinking it was sage, but the flowers are purple. But my brain keeps telling me it's a spice.

:) Laura

lol what ???? your last clues confused my pea brain.
I was thinking bayberry because of the leaves but now I'm totally lost. I can't relate to your clues :(
:) Laura

lol. Laura - we'll get you there, even if we do it turtle slow!! Now, bayberry is wrong, but one of it's common names matches our mystery shrub. I believe Annette has it, canny gardener that she is! Am I missing any good clues? Hmmmmm....the family names start with the same letter.....not sure if you can cook with it - the berries look appealing, but nothing on their edibility!! Is that word??!!

Nancy.

Ooo, here's something I just found: It is used in the islands of Sardinia and Corsica to produce an aromatic liqueur called mirto by macerating it in alcohol. Mirto is known as one of the most typical drinks of Sardinia and comes in two varieties: mirto rosso (red) produced by macerating the berries, and mirto bianco (white) produced from the less common yellow berries and sometimes the leaves. No word on what it tastes like....

Nancy.

So, I am guessing it is not Yertle the Turtle, but perhaps a female with a rhyming name. I do know now because I planted two Bayberries a year ago and was just complaining on the shrubs forum that they haven't grown much. Which reminds me that I promised to take a picture of them. Think I will do that now!

Laura, if you still don't have it, go through the alphabet plugging in letters to make a rhyming word for turtle!

Cynthia

I am way off as was thinking mock orange, philadelphus. I can think of a plant that rhymes with turtle but it is one I am not familiar with and have no idea if it has flowers.

Mmm, DH, has returned from shopping with a delicious smelling treat. Off I go to enjoy it.

In this neck of the woods vinca minor is known as ____________ (the word that rhymes with turtle). I don't why and I don't even know what the real thing looks like.

I got this only from the turtle clue, not because I know anything.

TM

Thanks everyone :)
I finally got it.
lol I love playing these weekend games, I'm just not very good at them...YET!
:) Laura

lol - and that is why we do clues!! Yes, vinca minor is one of the plants, not of the genus, that shares the name!!

Nancy.

lol. I do a lot of cut and paste, as I am sure you all know, and I just now noticed the typo in my 1st post. Where, as opposed to wear. I hate that!!!

Nancy.

Ha. Didn't notice the typo at all!

I had no idea about the vinca. Cool.

Yep, it was only the clues that gave it to me as well. If I hadn't planted those bayberries, I may not have been so sure.

Lots of fun!

Cynthia

Well, I think I got everyone there?? Perhaps I should wait for Bobbie to come back, though......

Nancy.

Well, I think I got everyone there?? Perhaps I should wait for Bobbie to come back, though......

Nancy.

Yes, I figured it out by rhyming with turtle. The mmm was a clue.
That is, if I am correct.

lol. You all have it, I believe!! Thanks Bobbie.

{{gwi:597425}}

Well, subtle, beautiful and fit for a Queen, with some orange blossom thrown in. VictoriaâÂÂs wedding was widely publicised, and widely copied, sparking a huge increase in the number of brides who wore white (and the brides who wore lace, and the popularity of honiton lace, just as she had hoped). However, it wasnâÂÂt enough to make white the mode for every bride. In the 1840s white was still a very expensive fabric and colour, and only fairly wealthy women could afford a white dress. Some with just enough money did manage it, and then re-dyed the dress successively darker colours to hide marks and make it last for further seasons, meaning that there are less extant white wedding dresses than we might expect.

In addition, in 1840 the US was still struggling to establish its national identity, and women in the US were less inclined to take up fashions started by a British queen. This would change in the 1860s when the American Civil War encouraged women in both the South and the North to look to Britain as a cultural and fashion leader.

Victoria and Albert enjoyed their wedding so much, they recreated it several times over their lives. They saved their wedding dress and updated it. Several photos and paintings recreated this - theirs was a true love story. They had 9 children, in addition to her royal duties.
I believe everyone gets stars today!!

Thanks for playing - see you next week.

Nancy.

Thanks for the stars, Nancy. Fun question! If my Myrica ever grows (and looking at the two of them , I am not hopeful) , maybe I will see the flowers.

So that is what myrtle looks like. Interesting info about Victoria's dress. Reminds me of the expectation that the The First Lady will chose fashion designers to help the fashion industry today.

Thanks for the stars and the turtle clue.