My mom made a sweet book of wildflower specimens (and some tree leaves) when she was a girl growing up in New Jersey. She lovingly placed a different flower or leaf under cellophane on each page of the book and included the common and classification name, the date and where she found it. Most were collected in the woods of Roosevelt where I also grew up and a few were from Hightstown and Etra, nearby towns. My mom recently found the handmade book and thought to give it to me because of my love of flowers and my Flower Friday blog. And I am so grateful that she did! The book provides me wonderful inspiration for this and future blogs. As I flipped through the collection, I knew immediately which flower I would begin with: Bachelor Button.
The Bachelor Button is a flower that has many other names including Cornflower, Basketflower, Bluecap, Blueblow, Bluebonnet, Bluebottle, Hurtsickle, or Boutonniere flower. The story associated with it is that bachelors wore the flower when they had feelings for a certain person that they were trying to date. They would wear the flower and the longer the flower lasted, the more it showed that it was true love. If the flower faded away, it wasn’t meant to be. Bachelor Button is also said to signify delicacy.
I love the vibrant blue of Bachelor Button. As a girl, one of my favorite colors was blue (I do still love blue) and I chose cornflowers for my 8th grade graduation. Graduation was a big day in my town as I have written about before (Flower Fridays: Peonies). I have such fond memories of my graduation day, the lovely antique lace dress I wore, the pretty strappy flat sandals I wore and most of all the Bachelor Button wreath set upon my head of long flowing hair. I dried the wreath in powdered Borax—something you don’t find in laundry areas much these days—and saved it for many years. Unfortunately the wreath is gone now, unlike the pressed flowers that my mom saved for so many more years. I will cherish her book and especially the Bachelor Button sample.
The Bachelor’s Song
By Edward Smyth Jones
While I keep my lonely hall,
You are welcome one and all,
As I sing my little song;
Stay, I’ll cheer you all day long–
And sow my bachelor-buttons,
And sow my bachelor-buttons.
While this world is wild with glee,
Chime I now my song to thee;
In my bosom lurks no care,
I can loiter everywhere–
And sow my bachelor-buttons,
And sow my bachelor-buttons.
Oh dear, what a happy life
For the man who has no wife,
To bind with sore distresses,
And silk and satin dresses–
While he sows his bachelor-buttons,
While he sows his bachelor-buttons.
His heart is ever merry,
His way is bright and cheery;
No peevish baby crying,
No jealous wife a-sighing–
While he sows his bachelor-buttons,
While he sows his bachelor-buttons.
Ah! praise the God who hath given
A life so much like heaven;
Quit it? Oh no, I’ll never,
But live happy forever–
And sow my bachelor-buttons,
And sow my bachelor-buttons.
XOXO Rachel
Wondrance 