Primrose

I mistakenly thought my Oenothera were evening primrose.  But (duh) they bloom in the daytime.  I have plain old primroses, also known as sundrops.  But, you know, a primrose by any other name . . .  My primroses are so cheerful!  Here, take a look:

These plants are inside my garden fence, but I did not plant them there.  They are supposed to stay on the other side where they co-habitate with the black-eyed Susans, but just try to tell a primrose to stay in its place.  They go wherever they want!  My perennial gardens are being taken over by primrose, but I am unwilling to uproot them now when they are in almost-full bloom.  The intruders will be easy enough to yank out after their bloom is over.  And then they will still come back.  There could be worse things to deal with.  As my friend Matthew said, "We must forgive the primrose. The brilliant yellow is all smiles."

Whereas evening primrose denotes infidelity, primrose simply means "I can't live without you."  As I googled primrose today to discover this meaning, I could not help but recall a very vivid dream I had just before dawn.  In it, Pete was alive and with me, but at one point, I looked at him and cried and said, "You're going to leave me again, aren't you?"  His reply was "Forever."  And then he immediately corrected himself and said, "Not forever."  And while I was dreaming this, the primroses were opening up right outside my bedroom window. 

Primroses are also said to imply bashfulness, inconstancy, young love and neglected merit.  Do with that what you will.  And they are not without superstition!  If you bring them inside, you must gather them in groups of thirteen!  If you violate this rule, you will have bad luck!

Apparently, primroses have medicinal benefits, too.  Primrose oil can treat insomnia, headaches, PMS, migraine, congestion, cough, and promote weight loss.  I do hope all of this will occur during the night while emanations drift through my open window.

 

Here's to  the sunny promise the primrose brings!  Here's to bright yellow love!