Gardenias and Secret Love

Photo courtesy 123rf.com

My favorite flower and bush is gardenia.  Billie Holiday often wore a gardenia in her hair, and she's also one of my favorite jazz singers.  I'm considering planting a new gardenia this year, and I discovered that I didn't know the following.  This plant was named after the very interesting character Alexander Garden; and the flower is the symbol for purity, sweetness, joy, and secret love.  For more information click here and click here.

Ancient Bug Repellent

Flowering Quince Photo courtesy 123rf.com

The earliest bug repellent bedding was possibly the river-wild quince.  For more information click here.

Science, Latin, and Technology 2012

Photo of Solanum sanchez-vegae, first plant to be documented in new system, courtesy sciencenews.org

As of this year, scientists may write new discoveries of plant, algae, and fungus species online in English.  Prior to January 1, 2012 all scientific discoveries had to be published in papers, and descriptions written in Latin.  Now only the names must be in Latin.  Since only about half of all plants and a tiny amount of all fungus and algae having been classified, scientists hope these changes will speed up the classifying of all this planet's species.  For more information click here.

My favorite plant is Gardenia augusta, also known as Gardenia jasminoides, the common gardenia shrub.  Gardenia is my favorite scent, and the shrub is beautiful all year (evergreen) even when it isn't flowering.  What is your favorite plant and why?

Folklore and Nandina

Photo courtesy FreeImageFinder.com

I've always liked nandina bushes and have always had them in my yard, however not because I planted them there but because they were already there when I moved into the house.  What I didn't know was the folklore about nandinas.  In the Japanese language nandina is homonymic for "difficulties" and "changing", so the nandina is believed to have the power to make bad fortune disappear.  In the western world nandina branches are used in New Year's arrangements, coats of arms, art, and textile design where it symbolizes longevity,

For more information, see the websites NandinaBushes.com and CherryBlossom.co.nz.