According to Greek mythology, the Larkspur grew from the blood of Ajax during the Battle of Troy. He was upset that he did not receive the armour of the fallen warrior Achilles, so he threw himself on his sword, causing his blood to spill onto the ground and the flowers to bloom. In ancient Greece, larkspur compounds helped treat open wounds.

In England, people once sprinkled Larkspur in baths for protection against ghosts and magic. The Victorians belied that the Larkspur could ward off evil. Theories surrounding its initial appearance involve a slayed dragon and the mixture of its blue blood with venom, as well as crumbs from the blue sky falling to the ground.

In Transylvania, people planted Larkspur near stables to keep witches away, while Native Americans used a more practical approach, making dye and insects repellant from the flowers.

Larkspur makes an excellent cut flower. As with most cut flowers, remove foliage below water level; cut each stem at an angle with a sharp knife and immediately place the flowers in water. Place your vase in a location that is out of direct sunlight and away from fruits, vegetables, or other drying flowers, which release ethylene gas and cause the Larkspur to drop its petals. Avoid extreme hot and cold areas and change the water daily. Its vase life is typically around 5–7 days. For dried flowers, harvest when most flowers on the stem are open but before the petals drop. Dry for 2–4 weeks at 20–26°C.

Water lilies are beautiful and an essential part of the ecosystem. The plants grow from rhizomes planted in muddy areas below the water surface, but their lily pad foliage provides shade to reduce algae growth, is a food source for fish and wildlife, and acts as a water filter in which they grow. The water lily flowers come in a rainbow of colour options, including the classic white. Showy and fragrant, the water lily’s interlocking petals fan out for a depth of beauty.

Water lilies, most notably the white variety, have traditionally symbolised purity, innocence, and virtue.Pink water lilies signify joy and friendship; red means passion and romance; blue represents calm and wisdom; and yellow symbolises energy and new beginnings.
 In Buddhism and Hinduism, water lilies represent resurrection and rebirth because the flowers open and close daily. Buddhists also believe water lilies symbolise enlightenment because the beautiful flowers emerge from the dark and dirty floor beneath the water’s surface.

In Greek legends, nymphs are water protectors, so it’s fitting that the water lily’s botanical family name, Nymphaeaceae is derived from these female divinities. According to one Egyptian legend, the creation of the gods began from a blue water lily. Nuns and monks have been known to crush the root of water lilies and use it as an anaphrodisiac, a painkiller, and as an anti-inflammatory, sometimes for soothing and treating insomnia and anxiety. The French painter Claude Monet was quite captivated by the water lilies in his home garden. He spent years painting the flowers on his Giverny, France, property and created more than 200 paintings with water lilies as his subject.