October Birth Flower

mar·i·gold

/ˈmerəˌɡōld/

noun

:a plant of the daisy family, typically with yellow, orange, or copper-brown flowers, that is widely cultivated as an ornamental.

:any of several chiefly golden-flowered composite plants, especially of the genus Tagetes, as T. erecta, having strong-scented foliage and yielding an oil that repels root parasites.

Wow where did O C T O B E R go?! I haven't forgotten about the one and only most important month of the year... most important because October is MY birth month! I absolutely LOVE that my birthday is in October. I love fall; the cool nights, changing trees, Christmas is around the corner! All hands for an excuse to get warm and cozy!? Finally we get to turn on our stoves and fireplaces, consume the essential comfort foods (pumpkin spice, squash, soup of any kind, caramel apple sangria's ) and decorate for fall!  

For those of you joining me in October, our birth flower represents some pretty spectacular things: winning grace; protection; comfort; healing; lovable; passionate and creative. 

Side note 👉🏻So I thought winning grace? I had an idea of what it meant but I got curious by what exactly what it meant by winning grace. I know what grace is and winning but why the two together? So I looked up the definition (word freak) and found the following:

win·ning grace

/ˈwiniNG ɡrās/

adjective/ noun

: gaining, resulting in, or relating to a victory.

: the freely given, unmerited favor and love of God - the influence or spirit of God operating in humans to regenerate or strengthen them. 

: a virtue or excellence of divine origin: the Christian graces. Also called state of grace. 

Good news for us born in October 🙌🏻

Only kidding 😉 But in all seriousness I thought this was pretty cool- the victory of the unmerited favor and love of God. The cross was truly the greatest victory of all time on earth! #winning 

So not gonna lie- when I found out my birth flower was the Marigold ... well kinda disappointed. They are nothing special really, old fashioned and smell weird. 😐 The most exciting thing about them is popping the heads off when they’re done blooming. But after reading more about their meaning, I really grew to love that my birth flower is the Marigold! Not all flowers used as a symbol feature have showy blossoms or stately vegetation. Sometimes the biggest message comes from the smallest and most common garden flower. It is definitely the case with marigolds, which mean a lot more than you might think from the first impression these flowers make. Some examples of Marigold meanings:

• Despair and grief over the loss of love
• The beauty and warmth of the rising sun
• Winning the affections of someone through hard work
• Creativity and the drive to succeed 

• Remembering and celebrating those no longer with us
• Promoting cheer and good relations in a relationship

Marigolds make a great natural insect repellent. It’s strong scent helps keep mosquitoes and aphids away from vegetable gardens, and placing a potted plant near a window will keep flies and mosquitoes out of your home. My Grandma always planted marigolds around the perimeter of her garden to keep away deer and other ground dwellers... I’m not sure if it was most effective but the old trick has stuck with me!

Botanical drawing of Marigold  

Now that you know about their meaning, here are some fun reasons to grab a pot or vase of Marigolds:

• Summer birthdays
• Memorials for lost loved ones
• Religious ceremonies
• Expressing your jealousy when trapped in a love triangle
• Encouraging someone else to reach their potential

 👉🏻This year I turned a quarter century! Getting old, I know. So I kinda freaked out a little. I really realized that I should be intentional with all I do...

I grew up my whole childhood life living next to my Grandma. My Grandma. She was my biggest advocate- she taught me how to ride a horse, care for people and how to have the biggest passion for the things I truly loved. She told me to always be intentional with the things I held near and dear to me. Do it with intention or don’t do it at all! My grandma died 6 years ago on my birthday. It’s been awhile since I contemplated her advice.

6 year’s is a lot to miss out on. In those 6 years I changed my major to Horticulture and Landscape Design 🌿🌻🌸, I graduated with a Bachelor of Science from the University of Wisconsin River Falls👩🏼‍🎓, I was offered a full time position at a landscaping company before graduation 👩🏼‍🌾, got married💍, started a blog 😉 and I am now expirencing a job that I desire to go to everyday. 🙌🏻

Oh how I wish I could tell her all that had happened. She will always remain my true advocate because of how she shared her life expirences with me. She was a strong Godly women who loved her family and worked hard everyday. She was the most intentional person I’ve ever known. I miss her everyday. 

I hope you live your life with intention and have many goals, dreams and experiences that make you who you are! If you are lucky enough to have the above and if you find the time to share it with someone in your life you really should! You never know who you might inspire.💕

Cheers to all the October birthdays out there! 

Till next time, 

Amy