A gaudy splash of yellow by the compost heap drew my notice one midsummer morning. I was recovering from a cranial aneurysm which had impaired vision in my left eye so I mystified by that flamboyant color. Upon investigation it proved to be a valiant cucurbita pepo. Thriving undisturbed with its brilliant chrome blossoms, springy tendrils, voluptuous young fruit, massive leaves—all attached to sturdy stems—it commanded me in no uncertain terms: You’ve GOTTA paint us!  And dutifully I obeyed.

The Cucurbitaceae  family includes numerous species of melons, cucumbers, gourds, gherkins, pumpkins and squash. The genus name cucurbit describes a vessel with a wide mouth which is a container for liquids and a constituent part of the alembic, an apparatus used by distillers. The species name is from pepon, Greek for large or ripe melon.

My volunteer is a variety called “sweet dumpling”. With over a hundred genera and nearly a thousand species in the Cucurbitaceae family the genetic histories of the pumpkin, squash and gourd, are so intertwined that we often mistake one for another.

Worldwide, in warm climes, cucurbits with edible fruits were among the earliest cultivated plants. We have evidence (from Mexico, Pharaonic tombs in Egypt and the Atharva Veda) that our ancestors grew and used cucurbits as early as 9,000 years ago for food and medicine. Depending on the variety, virtually all parts of the plant are edible—leaves, shoots, roots, flowers, seeds, young and mature fruits. Cucurbits come in a host of colors, shapes, size and weight, texture and flavor, ranging from tender, juicy and perishable to  hearty and durable species that are stored for winter use.

While the sweet, nutty tasting cucurbits are clearly preferred, certain bitter gourds, an acquired taste, are also savored. I distinctly remember my father being served a small helping at the start of lunch, to control his diabetes. As children we dared each other to try a tiny morsel without wincing at the intensely unpalatable taste! A folk remedy for malaria, flatulence, prostatic hyperplasia. healthy blood vessels, nerves and tissues, freckle removal, both an aphrodisiac as well as abortifacient—Cucurbitaceae seem a virtual panaceum.

The hollowed dried fruit serve as water vessels, utensils, decorated storage containers, dippers and ladles, as ceremonial masks and as protective covering for male genitalia in some tribes. The resonant properties of pumpkins and gourds make them ideal musical instruments—stringed or wind or percussion. Rattles, drums, scrapers, marimbas, the tanpura, sitar and banjo—all owe their melodious existence to the hard exterior of a mere vegetable.

Despite these virtues it is no compliment in any culture to be compared to a pumpkin, and a dreaded fate to be turned into one, as frequently happens in folktales!

 
 
 
 

My source was Nancy Ridenour, of Lotus Studios, who is a keen gardener with an impressive lotus pond had generously given us access.  Armed with a pair of borrowed galoshes and a retractable pole to which I’d attached a hook, I approached the pond convinced I’d soon be sliding down the slippery, slimy embankment. The buds and blooms always seemed that one extra tantalizing inch out of reach!

Pristine, serene and elegant the flower atop its tall, tensile stem, seems afloat above the murky surface below. For Hindus and Buddhists this image is richly imbued with symbolism: purity of mind and body, detachment from corrupting desires and influences, unsullied by surrounding detritus, ideals of virtue and aesthetic perfection –the list is as long as the stretch of our imagination.

In more prosaic terms, where the plant is native –all parts of the lotus, from roots to stems, buds, blooms and seeds — are edible, and of great culinary delight. The flower provides a base for perfume and healing oils while the roots, stem and seeds have served medicinal purposes—reducing fevers, curing diarrhoea, staunching bleeding, calming troubled minds.  In poetry, song, art and sculpture the lotus has enduring evocative power. Since the plant simultaneously bears buds, flowers and seeds, it has come to represent both immortality as well as the concept of timelessness containing past, present and future.

One exceptional feature of N. nucifera is its capacity for thermoregulation — its flowers heat to 85 degrees plus, even when the surrounding air temperature is a cool 50 degrees. The heated air releases aromas that attract pollinators to continue the cycle of regeneration. A truly sacred plant, indeed!

Iris reticulata  (dwarf iris)
 

The genus name derives from the Greek word for rainbow; and the species name comes from the Latin “rete”, meaning net and referring to the netted or reticulated pattern on the dry bulbs of the dwarf iris. In Greek mythology Iris, the messenger of the gods, is represented by the rainbow, which forms a bridge between the heavens and earth.
 

The American Iris Society dates from January 29th, 1920 whose members are dedicated plant scientists, hybridizers, enthusiastic growers and gardeners from all across the world.
 

There are approximately 200–300 species of Iris in a rainbow of colors, yet the quest for newer varieties never ceases. The structure of the flower has a discernible rhythm of three divisions. The three outer sepals which drape downwards are called the “falls.” The three inner lobes or true petals which grow upright, are “standards”, with remarkably distinct characteristics, colors and markings. Then the third feature is the “beard,” a tuft of short vertical extensions growing in the midline, to a broader section or limb with captivating patterns. The dwarf iris is not “bearded” and it springs from bulbs, not rhizomes.
 

The ultra-stylized form of the iris is reflected in the fleur-de-lis (despite the literal translation = lily flower), which was emblematic of the French court for centuries. The iris has inspired not just painters but manuscript
illuminations and designers of textiles, tapestries, stationery and interiors. The perfume industry relies on rhizomes (called orris root in the trade) of certain irises, as a base note or fixative while sophisticated brands of gin use the root for the distinctive flavor it imparts.

I. reticulata, while native to Russia, the Caucasus and northern Iran, is now widely cultivated in temperate regions. It is a particular favorite in rock gardens notwithstanding its painfully short blooming period. Its leaves, or scapes, unlike the broad fan-shaped foliage of most other iris, are grass-like in appearance. The petite flowers are of an intense purple with the falls displaying a dazzling gold central crest amidst a scatter of tear-shaped white spots. Its arrival in early spring, along with crocuses and snowdrops, is a most welcome sight and a clear message (perhaps from Iris, the Olympian messenger?) that Persephone is on her way with the promise of light and warmth.