At the moment after a brief foray into Susan Cooper's children book the 'Dark is Rising'', I may complete the sequence yet, I am listening to Christopher Lloyd book called 'A Lifetime of Seasons'. Lloyd is one of those famous gardeners, a bit like Gertrude Jeykll, one of the old class of gardeners with the fortuitous luck having been born into the moneyed class. So after inheriting his mother's beautiful house and garden he was able to devote himself to growing and observing plants.
Well listening to the chapter yesterday the Crown Imperial (Fritillaria Imperalis) a wildly extravagant gorgeous sort of upside down flower was mentioned. I have only seen one and that happened to be in Sybil's garden, of which a photo appeared the other day. The book also mentioned a field full of that other fritillaria (Fritillaria Meleagris) or Snakeshead Fritillaria. The field mentioned in the book from a distance looked like it had been ploughed it was so dark with this particular flower.
I wondered could it be that famous field of the Snakeshead fritillary in Cricklade, Wiltshire. We can now grow the Snakeshead plant in our gardens, their chequered mauve, mournful patterning being unusual amongst the gay garden flowers of summer. I suddenly realised I needed my gardening books again to read up the history of this strange wild plant. The Crown Imperialis comes from the Anatolian Plain in Turkey and they can also be found in Iraq and Iran. Like our own native plants the plant comes with its own local histories.
Perhaps I should take to education again and do a course on plant life, photosynthesis and stomata on leaves still come to mind when I think about them but taxonomy evades me. As in these two plants, so different but belonging to the same 'kingdom' the Latin identifying them, the local name giving their meaning historically.
Tomorrow is my birthday, so yesterday a large box stood by the back door, it contained two African Violet plants, carefully packed in hessian bags and the information that they had UK passports ;). From my son who had heeded my need for this particular plant.
Nature fills up much of our lives, and just by typing in 'violets' I see how I welcome each plant each year. So just one blog picked.
Such a thoughtful gift from your son and "many happy returns" for tomorrow Thelma. Any idea what that actually means - "Many happy returns"? By the way, the Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page was also born on January 9th - back in 1944.
ReplyDeleteWell according to Wiki, it means what it says. Many happy returns, have a lovely day but does have some historic background. 18th Century introduction, though the Romans used to say to men friends "Multos & foelices", you can see where the word felicitations came from as well.
DeleteNature follows the rules until we change them.
ReplyDeleteOur changing them causes problems though Tabor. The symbiotic relationship between trees and fungi is interesting. Now they are beginning to find out that trees have a much greater position in care for each other and health.
DeleteThere seems to be a trend in house plants. A few years ago you could hardly go into someone's home without seeing African Violets, yet now it's rare to encounter one. They really are quite lovely and well suited to indoor care, it seems to me.
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear that, they are strange little plants with their furry leaves which I believe you can propagate from them and as you say they used to be quite common. My next thing is to get the little viola and a double petalled primroses.
ReplyDeleteHappy Birthday in advance of tomorrow. Those African Violets must give you a boost on a cold miserable January day like the one we've had today.
ReplyDeleteHaving cats, Lilies are banned from the garden. I am even emptying two tubs of them and replanting with something else. That said, those Crown Imperials are so beautiful.
I read your other post again - so beautifully written and evocative. Daphne du Maurier would HATE Cornwall the way it is now.
She called Cornwall 'bungaloid' and I must admit what with high priced cottages that was the only thing else on offer.
DeleteHappy Birthday for tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteAfrican violets are one of those plants like Hebe that make me feel odd just to see them!
They are strange Sue but in the depths of winter I like their colour, also of course Christmas cactus ae a good plant at this time of year.
DeleteAfrican violets crowded our east window seat, and my mother did not stop we four children from the excitement of easy propagation.
ReplyDeleteWe had a crocus very like that purple one. It was called a purple checkered crocus. It moved from place to place in the garden and lawn, probably due to squirrel and chipmunk activity. It never multiplied. It may still be here.
Nice image Joanne that is the trouble of propagation you end up with too many plants and not enough room to keep them.
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