Lotus flower is the common term used for the flower belonging to the genus Nelumbo in its subspecies native to Asia and Australia. At Marchesa wine estate it has colonized the entire edge of our lake.
When the lotus flower is blooming
The lotus flower blooming is from June to October with spectacular blooms in lakes, to grow and flower its rhizomes need to be covered by deep water from a minimum of 10 cm to a maximum of 3 meters, this characteristic makes it made the main protagonist of the water gardens.
The water gardens
Water has always been present in the history of gardens starting from the Garden of Eden from whose center flows a river that divides into 4 branches, 2 mythical and 2 easily identifiable in the Tigris and Euphrates, the rivers of Mesopotamia, a desert land where water is the most precious asset.
The tradition of water gardens continues with the Egyptians, then with the Romans and triumphs with the Islamic gardens of which a splendid example remains in Granada in the Alhambra garden.
The water gardens continue in Versailles and in the 18th century English Romantic Garden.
The meaning of the lotus flower
In the Buddhist tradition the lotus flower is a symbol of purity of mind and soul because it sinks its roots in the mud that does not contaminate it, it is also a symbol of rebirth from the world contaminated by impurities due to its ability to rise from putrid water; when it is closed to form a bud (bud photo), it symbolizes the greeting exchanged with joined hands among Buddhists, when it opens (photo), high on its stem, it represents the soul that rises towards God from the mud of the pond.
The color of the lotus flower
The lotus flower is deep pink, there are also yellow or white varieties but they are much more delicate than the common pink species.
The leaves of the lotus flower
The leaves of the lotus flower are always very clean because the dirt particles are collected by drops of water, for this reason they are used, in Asia, to serve food or to contain rice, suitably rolled up. The extreme cleanliness of the leaves and the flower make it a symbol of purity and inner beauty.
The lotus flower as food
In Asia the lotus flower is also used as food, the seeds are eaten raw or cooked while the petals are fully edible, even the roots of the lotus flower, the so-called rhizomes are a delicious condiment for soups or are simply fried.
The lotus flower and yoga
The lotus flower is born from the muddy ground and then rises on the water and opens up to the sun, this image represents the metaphor of the benefit that yoga brings to the human body. Among the yoga positions one of the best known is the position of the lotus flower.
The water garden and lotus flowers at the Marchesa
The Marchesa lake, almost three acres in size, is a water garden surrounded by vineyards.
Flowering begins around Easter with the Japanese cherry trees, continues in May with the flowering of the yellow water irises and then from June to October with the spectacular flowering of the lotus flowers, the Nelumba Lucifera, which have colonized the entire edge of the lake.
If this article helped you understand the lotus flower and its meaning, book one of our experiences and don’t forget to take a walk down to the lake.