In Search of the "Fleur de lis"

In honour of St. Jean Baptiste Day, I decided to sally forth to the Montreal Botanical Garden in search of the true fleur de lis. This iconic symbol of France and its former colonies is particularly beloved in Quebec, where four blue fleur de lis decorate its flag. In French, fleur de lis literally means "lily flower," however, it is widely thought that the image is a stylized version not of the lily, but the iris. More specifically, it is believed to be inspired by the iris pseudocorus, a variety of yellow flag iris.

On my way to the garden, I passed the Olympic stadium, which is located on the south side of Sherbrooke Street opposite the front gates of the garden. The Quebec flags looked beautiful against the blue morning sky.

I have always found St. Jean Baptiste Day to be a fascinating holiday in that people seem unusually open and friendly, as was the case today as I walked up Pie IX Boulevard to the garden

St. Jean Baptiste Day--
I exchange greetings
with a Tibetan monk

Here is a photo of a yellow iris, but of the bearded rather than the flag variety.

Below is a photo of a bed of white flag iris.

Here is a photo of pale blue iris.

In the last photo is a beautiful specimen of a blue flag iris and it seems to indeed show the outlines of a real fleur de lis.



Mission accomplished, I headed out of the garden and off to a St. Jean Baptiste Day brunch with friends.

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St. Jean Baptiste Day
I celebrate with a Finn
a Welshwoman
two Greeks
and a Scot

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Bonne fete de la St. Jean!