Troy, said to have sprung from her tears as they fell to the earth. Later, in Victorian floriography, it became associated with grief, healing, and protection against sorrow. Historically, it was also used medicinally and carried into rituals meant to ward off illness and misfortune.

I designed this seal in honor of my daughter, Helen, who is part of the luckiest happiness of my life.

What I love about Helenium is that it is not a delicate flower in the traditional sense. It is vivid, slightly wild, sunlike in shape, and remarkably resilient. It blooms late into the season, when many other flowers begin fading.

It blooms around my daughter Helen's birthday in August, and includes a small lion head at the top of the cartouche to represent the sign of Leo.