A picture book by Kevin Henkes about a little girl mouse named Chrysanthemum, after the flower, who loves having an unusual name until she starts school and she has the longest name in the class. Jo, Rita and Victoria tease her mercilessly, but they get their comeuppance.

As I spent my childhood correcting people's spelling and pronunciation of my name, I really like this book.

These are the plants they sell in supermarkets with lobed leaves, coated with flowers which may be white, yellow, purple, or just about any other color. They smell good and are rather pretty, so people buy them for their girlfriends, mothers, etc. The problem is, they were 'forced' to flower in a greenhouse, and don't naturally flower except in the fall, and sometimes a little bit in the spring. If it isn't fall or spring and you buy these plants, they will immediately cease flowering once you bring them home. They are pretty for a few days though. And if you plant them outside they will have nice flower displays in the fall. They may be perennials or annuals, and are very cold-tolerant but require regular watering.

Chrys*an"the*mum (?), n. [L., fr. Gr. ; gold + flower.] Bot.

A genus of composite plants, mostly perennial, and of many species including the many varieties of garden chrysanthemums (annual and perennial), and also the feverfew and the oxeye daisy.

 

© Webster 1913.

Log in or register to write something here or to contact authors.