© 2025. The Trustees of Indiana University
Copyright Complaints
1229 East Seventh Street, Bloomington, Indiana 47405
News, Arts and Culture from WFIU Public Radio and WTIU Public Television
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Cicely Mary Barker: A Leaf Umbrella

Nasturtiums, as well as being exceptionally cheery flowering plants, have such unusual rounded leaves.

Cicely Mary Barker wrote a poem for children called "The Song of the Nasturtium Fairy." Like all of her poetry, it is old fashioned and whimsical. She visualizes a nasturtium fairy using a leaf as an umbrella, or as she says, a brolly.

The poem was written many years ago, but the image of a flower fairy, carrying a leaf as a brolly is quite charming, even or maybe especially, to our adult ears.

The poem can be found in various publications of Cicely Mary Barker's Flower Fairy creations, including the titles below.  If purchased through one of the links below, a portion of the sale benefits WFIU Public Radio.

  • The Complete Book of the Flower Fairies (Hardcover)
  • Flower Fairies Alphabet (Hardcover)
  • A Flower Fairy Alphabet (CD Audio)
  • Stay Connected