Lest We Forget

It is the 150th anniversary of the shots on Fort Sumter which opened the American Civil War. In other words, a kind of wedding anniversary for battle reenactors.

Which presents to give? I turned to the relevant Wikipedia article for inspiration.

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In terms of flowers, yellow roses and violets are traditional gifts for a fiftieth. So I would suggest either three bouquets of yellow roses and violets, mixed, or a rose bush with a violet bouquet.

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To mix things up, here are other possible mathematical combinations:

5 bouquets of lilies, 6 bouquets of irises, 10 bouquets of roses, 15 bouquets of daffodils (seasonal! you can pick them from your garden), 30 bouquets of daisies (these can also come fresh and perhaps be culled from an old field of battle), or 150 single carnations.

For the carnations, red carnations for Dixie, white carnations for the north, or pink carnations for both are a lovely thought.

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Decorate!

* Ribbons in the colours of the Federal or Southern uniforms, or red with blue crossed stripes and stars for the Dixie flag, make a bright, patriotic statement.
* Cover the flowerpot or vase in a burlap bag or wind a tiny metal chain around it to represent slavery!
* Use a white vase or a linen wrapping in honour of battlefield doctors and nurses.
* Little grey crosses on a green background subtly recall the death toll.
* Paint the flowerpot two colours, with a jagged fissure running along the middle to represent the split between North and South.