| A Greek Valentine's Quest | |
Every once in a while, a reader question takes on a life of its own. Bill Armstrong's quest to identify and find the 'paparounas' that are the favorite flowers of his Greek girlfriend is one question that turned into a quest. "Dear Guide, My "Omorphi koritsi" is Greek, she's very romantic, and she says her favorite flower is the paparuna? Here's the silly question: How can I order some for her? She says they bloom in the spring, all over Greece. I am Native American...American Indian, and I want to show her that we also are a very romantic people. Can you advise me?" -Bill Armstrong
Dear Bill, Paparouna are basically the same as Flanders poppies, the vivid red ones with the black centers.
Readers, here's the challenge - can we tell Bill where to get his sweetheart flowers? Or, failing that, something else paparouna-oriented?
Thanks to everyone who responded, and a special thanks to Olga Nohos, who generously provided the information below and granted her permission for me to include it here.
Olga wrote: "Hi! First of all, 'paparounes' grow in the wild in Greece, and don't last long when picked - I'd say about a day or two kept indoors before the petals wither and drop off. They are appear during or just before Easter and/or May Day, so it is a bit too early to find them for Valentine's Day. They have a deep crimson red hue, which is very 'fitting' for Valentine's, however!"
"In classical mythology, the poppy is associated with the goddess Demeter and the Elysian Mysteries, and in the Greek Orthodox church the deep red poppies represent the blood of Christ on the cross, on his journey to Golgotha."
"P.C. Lolas' "Common Weeds in Greece" states that there are about ten or so varieties growing in the wild in Greece, all belonging to the family Papaveraceae. The predominant type is Papaver rhoeas (common poppy)."
"If one really must have authentic Greek poppies, the way to propagate them is to gather the seeds when the plant matures (the petals fall off, leaving only a seed pod on the stem) and then scatter the seeds early the following spring in a pot or on the groundsoil. They are winter annuals. The green leaves of the common poppy plant are edible (if picked before the plant begins to flower), and can be eaten as a side plate of boiled greens, or 'horta', just like other wild greens found all over Greece."
"For Valentine's Day a good alternative would be to find cultivated (non-Greek) poppy plants in bloom, often sold potted in flower shops. These poppies are larger and the stem and leaves are quite fleshier, compared to the thin delicate wild poppies, but they are just as beautiful. I remember seeing orange and yellow varieties on sale in the U.S., and I am certain you can find deep red poppies as well."
--Olga Nohos
Thanks, Olga, for brightening Bill's Valentine's Day and ours.
According to the Greek Flower Portal's Flower Meanings page, the poppy is also said to represent imagination and dreaminess. Bill, may your imagination in tracking down the elusive 'paparouna' be richly repaid and may all your dreams come true.
Happy Valentine's Day to all --
deTraci Regula
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