Honesty

lunaria

Lunaria annua - annual honesty is a favourite plant of mine. When the honesty leaves begins to appear in my garden it makes me hopeful that the winter is over and that spring is really springing into action. The leaves grow tall very quickly, followed by the delicate looking flower clusters- though it is actually quite a hardy plant.

Lunaria means 'moon shaped' in Latin. This is normally attributed to it because of the shape and fragility of the seed pods.

A versatile plant, lunaria is easy to grow and gives pleasure when in flower and also afterwards when the seed pods are drying out.   

It is thought the name 'honesty' was started in the 16th century, perhaps when the transluscent seed pods were likened to the moon.

Found worldwide the plant is known by many different names. In the United States it is commonly known as 'silver dollars' or sometimes 'Chinese money/ Chinese coins'. In South East Asia is it referred to as 'the money plant'. In parts of Europe (Denmark) it is called 'judaspenge' named after the 'thirty pieces of silver' that Judas Iscariot was paid for betraying Jesus Christ in the biblical story.

When I look at the honesty in my garden it reminds me to think about my writing and to decide just how honest I am having protrayed myself as a self- styled full-time author. Sadly, that is not quite true. I spend some of my time gardening- looking after my lunaria and a multitude of other plants; I look after my 20 month old granddaughter two days a week; and do varius necessary domestic duties.

What's left is my writing time!

Enjoy my honesty? 

Slainthe!