GG Martin

Growing up in Western Pennsylvania, I was introduced to long walks in the forest and even longer Sunday drives through rolling hills and densely wooded roadsides, similar to Smith County.

On our frequent hikes, we would forage for sassafras roots for my favorite tea and used as a mixture of something my father called “Dad’s” root beer, although when I tasted the real Dad’s, I realized he needed to tweak his recipe. Wildflowers, nuts and berries were easily harvested and one of my favorite weekend activities.

One of my special hikes was through the Girl Scout camp with my dog Shep. On each side of this trail were masses of Oxeye Daisies, Tiger Lilies and Foxglove growing wild and ripe for picking. I would gather up all the daisies I could hold in one hand and delighted at a “big idea” I had on one of my adventures.

In the 1970s, “flower power” was an expression you could find on about every sign, street corner, t-shirt or bumper sticker — and I wanted it! I set out to prove I had flower power and started thinking of ways I might achieve this notable title.

Open a flower shop? Too young and no money. Paint all the flowers I saw? Too trite, how many artists paint flowers? Or make flower headbands for the cheerleaders at school. “I wouldn’t wear that to a funeral,” one told me! So, determined to achieve my goal, I had a long conversation with Shep and it came to me.

Daisies last a long time when cut, put in water, and you just need to replenish the water since they are big drinkers. Why not add food coloring to the water and see what happens? I couldn’t wait to get home and try my new experiment. I lined up mason jars with blue, red, yellow, and green food colorings then added a bundle of my parcels to each jar then waited with bated breath to see what would happen.

The very next morning, to my delight, all the daisies were in color! I had “invented” a new line of daisy and my “flower power” was at long last satisfied. I ran to my older and much wiser cousin’s house next door to show her my super blooms and get her sought out approval when she just laughed at me and said, you are a “crazy daisy!” “What! These are going to be all the rage,” I harkened back. She informed me that people had been dying daisies for a very long time and that I needed a new “flower power” idea.

I went home disillusioned but determined to find a way to bring flowers to the world. Just then my little brother came running out of the house yelling that the Easter Bunny had been by and turned all our daisies just like Easter eggs. I smiled to myself and felt very powerful after that!

Here is one of many links for how to dye your flowers. https://frogs-and-fairies.com/color-changing-oxeye-daisies/