ANP's Vegetation

Photo of the Roosevelt Arch at the north entrance to America's first national park, Yellowstone, courtesy 123rf.com

Today's topic was requested by Peter Hitt from Oak Grove, Kentucky, @pahitt on Twitter:  vegetation.  Since tomorrow is the Fourth of July or Independence Day celebrations here in the U.S., we'll consider the vegetation in America's National Parks.

To find out about ANP's vegetation, many people go to one of the Frommer's Guides, which are some of the most popular guides in the U.S.  Started by Arthur Frommer in 1957, who, as a corporal serving in the U.S. Army in Germany, wrote a travel guide to Europe for G.I.s.  Click here for Frommer's information about the vegetation in Yellowstone National Park.

The National Park Service is involved in taking inventories of the vegetation in all the national parks.  For more information about the Vegetation Inventory Program click here.

Click here for more information about ANPs.  Click here for more information about Frommer's.  Thanks to Peter Hitt, @pahitt on Twitter, for today's topic.  What did you learn today?

Mothering Day and Mother's Day

Photo courtesy 123rf.com

Mothering Day has been celebrated in England since the early 18th century.  Mother's Day has been celebrated in the United States since the early 20th century.  In England and Scotland special cakes called furmety, carlings, and simnel cake have been made on Mothering Day.  Carnation is the flower most commonly associated with Mother's Day in the U.S.  For more information click here.  What did you learn today?

Muscle-Head!

Photo courtesy 123rf.com

Soon it will be caterpillar and butterfly time in the garden.  In arming myself with knowledge-tools to make sure I can have both flowers and butterflies, but not let my flower-garden be decimated by caterpillars, I learned that caterpillars have about 248 muscles in their heads!  For more information click here.  What did you learn today?

"Grapes" For Every Garden

Photo of The Blue River courtesy 123rf.com

The Muscari blossomed in my garden this morning.  It's beautiful and fragrant, and one of my favorite garden bulbs.  I have the common Grape Hyacinth, species name Muscari armeniacum.  They can be planted just about anywhere except for swampy areas, especially swampy areas that can freeze.

There are 30 species of Muscari.  In the Keukenhof Gardens in Holland there is a very famous planting of Muscari called The Blue River.  This dense and wide planting of Muscari winds throughout the gardens, and is the most photographed area of the gardens every year.  For more information click here.

What did you learn today?

Frozen Seed Now a Thriving Plant

Photo courtesy 123rf.com

The seed of a plant frozen in Siberia for possibly 30,000 years has been discovered, thawed, planted, and now grows in Russia.  For more information click here.

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.