100 Flowers and How They Got Their Names-book by Diana Wells

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I was going to blog about some flowers and how they got their names, but turning the book over and looking at the back of the book cover changed my mind. I have had this book for several years and really never looked at the back book cover. Here is some of the information it has on it provided by Diana Wells.

Rose-It was introduced to England by the Normans. The spelling was Roese and Rohese. Fun fact: Napoleon's wife Empress Josephine, carried one to hide her teeth when she laughed. It is said that she had very bad teeth.

Forsythia-Scotsman William Forsyth (for whom it's named) conned the British Navy out of $1500.00 with a mysterious concoction.

Water Lily- No one dared to tell Queen Victoria that the variety named after her was also named after the legendary Amazons.

Datura-Since this plant is poisonous, Thomas Jefferson was afraid to plant it in the garden at Monticello because he had grandchildren.

Nasturtium-Monet's famous garden at Giverny relied on it. http://fondation-monet.com/en/practical-informations/giverny-flowers/nasturtiums/

Chrysanthemum-Introduced to Japan by Zen Buddhist monks. Kiku (Chrysanthemum in Japanese) represents longevity and rejuvenation.

Acanthus-Its leaves inspired ornamentation in Ancient Greek Architecture. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acanthus_(ornament)

Some of you might know this information or can look it up on the Internet for more information. I did know some of it, but other information was new to me. It was interesting and fun to learn some new things about flowers.