December 5, 2013 Photo of the day: "Mum's the Word"

Flowers often hold diverse meanings across cultures. In France, mums are reserved for memorials, so I was warned never to offer them to friends or to bring them to dinner parties. In the Chinese culture, chrysanthemum represent a life of ease. Symbolic of powerful Yang energy, mums are thought to bring good luck into the home. In the Victorian language of flowers, white chrysanthemum represented honest and truth. Here in America, mums are often featured in holiday flower arrangements. My "mum" even carried mums in her wedding bouquet! Vive la différence!