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macharya :: Sep.27.2008 :: Hibiscus :: Comments Off

Bougainvillea was discovered by French botanist Philibert Commers on the coasts of Brazil, in the 1760′s. Commerson was was an avid collector of botanical specimens and sometimes called a lunatic and a magpie of exotic plants. Despite being a poor sailor he voyaged around the world in his botanical quest. In 1766 Louis-Antoine de Bougainville (1729-1811), lawyer, mathematician, and explorer, joined the French army to serve with Montcalm in Canada so that he would not have to follow his father’s profession of notary. See more »

macharya :: Sep.27.2008 :: Bougainvilla glabra :: Comments Off

Kniphofia uvaria (Red Hot Poker, Torch Lily, Tritoma)

The plant’s original name Tritoma comes from the Greek for thrice-cut, a reference to their long leaves with very clearly defined three surfaces. Uva is Latin for bunch of grapes, describing the inflorescent arrangement of the blooms.

In 1794 the plant was renamed by Conrad Moench (1744–1805)  Professor of Botany at the Marburg University to honor his friend, Johannes Hieronymus Kniphof (1704-1763). Moench founded the Marburg Botanic Garden and wrote Methodus Plantas horti botanici et agri Marburgensis in 1794, an arranged account of plants in and around Marburg. He was responsible for renaming other plants as well, honoring fellow botanists of some renown. See more »

macharya :: Sep.26.2008 :: Kniphofia uvaria :: Comments Off

Wild grapes are found all over the world but viniculture probably originated in Mesopotamia, spreading to temperate zones in the west and north with well-drained soil. Ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans all treasured the grapevine, experimenting with and developing skills for wine-making. Ancient burial sites, most famously the tomb of Tutankhamun, housed several amphorae labeled with vintage, variety and the vintner’s name — testimony to the high esteem of both product and the skill of the artisan. See more »

macharya :: Sep.26.2008 :: Vitis vinifera :: Comments Off

Oddly enough the Calla is not a member of the lily family. It belongs to the Araceae, and its common relatives are philodendron, aglaonema, caldium, anthurium, jack-in-the-pulpit.

This plant is known by several names — arum lily, crowborough, green goddess lily, green spathe, varkblom, and most commonly as Calla lily. The genus was named for Francesco Zantedeschi (1773-1846), an Italian botanist and physician. See more »

macharya :: Sep.26.2008 :: Zantedeschia aethiopica :: Comments Off

On a mid-May morning in my unkempt garden a brilliant burst of red struggled free from fuzzy green confines, like a crumpled chiffon dress out of a tightly packed valise. The creased item flared its skirts flamenco-style, forcing my paints and brushes to pay it homage.

Poppies have a long history—Mesopotamians, ancient Greeks and Egyptians were familiar with its soothing, restorative or euphoric effects. Demeter, goddess of the harvest and seasons, distraught at her daughter Persephone’s abduction, used the poppy to forget her sorrow in sleep. See more »

macharya :: Sep.26.2008 :: Papaver orientale :: Comments Off