What’s in the Flower Bed This Year?

From Vexilloid Tabloid #53

Every year, Michael Orelove plants his “flower bed” to represent a flag.  Since 2010 he has grown the U.S., Oregon, U.K., Canada, and Alaska flags.  This year he honors his native city, Chicago.

The flag has a white field with two horizontal light-blue stripes and four red stars arranged horizontally in the center.  The blue stripes  symbolize Lake Michigan and the Chicago River.  The stars represent Fort Dearborn, the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, the World’s Columbian Exposition of 1893, and the Century of Progress Exposition of 1933.  The stars are six-pointed (sharper points than the six-pointed Star of David on Israel’s flag).  The number of stars has increased from two over the years.  The white flowers are alyssum and petunias.