Cornus florida
Cornus florida (Dogwood)
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Archive for October, 2007
Malus pumilus 2
Malus pumilus (Apple)
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Raphanus sativus
Raphanus sativus (Radish)
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Clematis
‘Tis customary as we part
A trinket to confer—
It helps to stimulate the faith
When lovers be afar—‘Tis various—as the various taste—
Clematis—journeying far—
Presents me with a single Curl
Of her Electric Hair…Emily Dickinson (1830-86)
Galanthus nivalis
Galanthus nivalis (Snowdrop)
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Nigella damascena
Nigella damascena (Love-in-a-mist)
In Latin nigellus or niger, meaning black, refers to the color of the seeds; damascena denotes coming “from Damascus”. The plant’s feathery foliage guarding its dainty flowers has stirred the imagination to generate a host of popular names—Love-in-a-mist, Devil-in-the-Bush, Love-entangle, Hair-of-Venus, Jack-in-prison and Lady-in-Shade.
Legend tells a tale about the crusading Emperor Frederick I (1125-1190), who was enticed by a green-haired water sprite and drowned in pursuing her. The Lady-in-the-shade sprang up along the banks of the stream, its fine lacey foliage an enduring reminder of the femme fatale’s seductive tresses. Another folk name refers to the bright red seedpod, an inflated papery capsule composed of fused follicles which house numerous seeds. See more »
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Lathyrus odoratus
Lathyrus odoratus (Sweet pea)
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Lilium
Lilium (Stargazer)
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Ipomoea purpura & Convolvulus sepium
Ips is the Greek word for worms. Ipomoea, or worm-like, describes the twining growth bait of this genus. However, it has undergone many name changes in its history. Starting off as Pharbitis purpurea incarnate, then Convolvulus major, followed by Convolvulus pupurea, it was only in the 20th century that the Morning Glory earned its current name. Because the flowers open at night or in diffuse light and last only a single day, saluting the sun, the name is well-deserved — though quite a contrast to ‘worm-like’! See more »
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Zantedeschia aethiopica
Zantedeschia aethiopica (White calla lily)
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Yellow and purple crocusTropaeolum majus (Nasturtium)
As a botanical painter I have a wish list, many miles long, of numerous plants I’d like to document each season. After our interminable, monochromatic northeastern winters when spring finally arrives I’m bursting with impatience to select my specimens and get to work. Most of the early plants I encounter in my neighborhood are various shades of white, pale pinks, pastel mauves — snowdrops, lily-of-the-valley, hyacinths, magnolias. Since botanical illustration is so meticulously detailed, commanding scientifically accurate visual information, it is, alas, painstakingly slow. So my wish list stays as long as ever! See more »
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Allium sativum
Garlic, a member of the Amaryllidaceae family, thrives in full sunlight and is a good neighbor to most plants, except legumes and alfalfa, and is thought to repel rabbits, deer, moles and insects. Its flowers are hemaphrodite, having both female and male organs. It is a perennial that is not frost tender and is cultivated worldwide.
The garlic plant has a long folk history. Its use has been recorded in Vedic times, across cultures from ancient China to Egypt. It was believed to ward off diseases and infections and to confer strength, so the ancient Egyptians and Romans fed it to fortify the laborers who built their pyramids and other monuments. See more »
Malus pumilus 3
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