It’s Chrysanthemum time here. Now is the time to display these ancient symbols of joy and happiness that love colder days and evenings.
The flowers originated in China, but their name derives from the Greek words gold and flower. In China, their leaves are steamed as vegetables and their buds are boiled into a reportedly very healthy tea that has a high content of vitamins A and C.
In Japan, a stylized Chrysanthemum flower is the royal crest of the Emperor; it appears on Japanese passports. In darker times, that crest appeared prominently on the prows of Japanese battleships and other naval vessels.
(Images taken in Brooklin and Blue Hill, Maine, on September 22 (vase) and 23, 2021.)