The Mystique of Love Lies Bleeding: Amaranthus

It is not for everyone! Certainly not. Some look away with a tinge of revolt. Some cannot look away ever again, entranced and bewitched by this red-haired gypsy creature.

For some it is a spectacle in the garden. For some a peculiar beauty from another dimension! I must admit I am smitten with Amaranthus and even the gothic, poeticly-charged name "Love lies bleeding", captures my soul. Something dark and mysterious stirs deep inside me when I see this strange flower-thing. If I knew any Vampires, Amaranthus definately would be the bouquet of choice I'd offer as a housewarming.

I love the long crimson ropes dangling in the garden..especially thier monstrous tassel-shadows they cast on a bright summery day. I believe every single thing holds some element of beauty. Of course, it is in the eye of the beholder they say and clearly, I am beholden to its rare and unique nature. To me she is a Divine Creatrix waving her universal mystery across the gardenscape.

Amaranthus brings me back in time, a time I never was..but it sure feels real to me. Apparently it was popular with the Victorians and it is popular with me! I love watching it grow from start to finish. As a tiny new plant, it's small pale green leaves are not very impressive or unusual, but then as it grows, the change is startling! It has huge "Transformation Factor",  another Must-Have Feature that I love in plants. And as you wait for this "Becoming" to arrive, you are never disappointed by the wild yet serene creature that she becomes. No one could ever tell at first glance, that this small unassuming plant woud EVER transform into such a Magnifcent Thing! I like stories like that.

I think every flower has a story, but the ones with unexpected, powerful endings are ones I live for. Amaranthus truly makes for a good story ..one you never expect to turn out in such a thrilling way!

Amaranthus will always be in my garden. Perhaps it is the child spirit within me that brings me into some sort of Magical World.Whenever I dare touch the red coiled tassels, a sensory feeling comes over me and I smile. Something tells me Love Lies Bleeding is like a Floral Doorway to a magical place, a world  I would find quite alive and divine.

The children who visit my garden run straight for that plant first."What is THIS ?" they ask . (They touch the long dangling ribbons with amazement!) A bit of flower-magic I say! "How does it DO that ?" they say. ( referring to the long winding ropes draping over) No one knows I say!

Love Lies Bleeding..you either love it..lust after it or despise it. Yet one thing it does, is intrigue ALL who see it for the first time. Whether it casts it's crimson spell on you or not, it lays in wait looking for those who will be it's Guardians and Earth Keepers. And you know you are One at an instant, when you feel the heart and spirit of a child spark within you again.

Tell-Tale Signs you are A Guardian of Amaranthus  ~Victoria Pettella

1. You Love "Transformation Factor" in a plant
2. You are Wild at Heart, even Exotic in some way
3. You secretly write poetry
4. You know Vampires or are One yourself
5. You fancy the Victorian Era
6. You admire unobvious beauty, you appreciate the rare and even odd aspects of things.
7. You Love good stories and appreciate plants that have good storylines.
8. You are mysterious, you have a powerful sense of imagination
9. You have a Romantic and Creative nature
10. You yourself are a rare, unique soul and have a strong unstoppable inner spirit
11.  You feel protective of unwanted things and make a special home for them to belong in always.
12. You are a child at heart and love the enchantment in all things
13. Most important: Even if you hate the color red , you somehow cannot help but be mesmerized by this gorgeous red dazzling creature and you must have it at all costs.

So now that you know...tell me the truth..do you love it or hate it? Are you one of the Guardians and Keepers of the rare and unwanted, the beautiful and exotic? I'd love to know either way. Don't worry, I won't be offended, for I am part-Amaranthus-Soul after all and nothing can break our kind. Nothing at all.

All Photos of Amaranthus taken from Victoria's Gothic Garden( me!)

Awake with Charm and Spirit

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To Visit MORE Amarathus Magic in my garden

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Spells of Amaranthus