8 • May 2016 • UPBEAT TIMES, INC.


Upbeat Times 17th Annual Spring Guide 2016 Flower Names: Latin & Common


SANTA ROSA, CA. ~ Wheth- er you are drooling over Dahl- ias or lining up rows for vegeta- ble gardens May is full of things to do like designing your first garden, creating an herb collec- tion, or planting in your newly built raised beds. Tere are lots of incredible garden events, workshops and tours to check out this month. Lately I’ve been explor-


ing common as well as Latin names of flowers and other plants, finding them to be quite interesting, oſten totally un- pronounceable! Ha!


attention to the names of each new plant I bring into the gar- den and the old names they’ve


been given for one reason or another. Many nicknames hint of faerie lore and some simply describe the shape of the flow-


er such as Coral Bells, beardtongue and snap- dragon. Campsis radicans


Paying


twines up a stone wall and shows off red- orange tu- bular flow- ers, indeed Trumpet Vine is an appropriate sobriquet. Oſten these names aid in identification of particu- lar plants as well. Check used book stores for dictionaries of


by Kimberly Childers • kimberlychilders@att.net plant


names, pronunciation,


meaning and origin. Tere are several excellent choices on the web. A must have for any gar- dener! Over fiſty common


names have been given to the dot- ted flowers of Digitalis. Definitely


having a place in fa- erie lore and magic, the common


name Fox-


glove is thought to have come from the words ‘folk’s glove’, re- ferring to the faerie folks. Fa- eries gave naughty foxes ‘gloves’ of the bell shaped blossoms


to wear so they wouldn’t get caught raiding chicken coops! Other names include Druid’s hat from ancient Druid lore, fa- erie’s petticoats, faeries cap and from the French, gants de Notre Dame or our lady’s gloves. What about names like Lily


of the Valley? Actually the Latin name for this beloved flower comes from its habitat, the valleys, even though it can be found growing naturally in many other locations. Tis flower, also called ‘glovewort’ was used for treating chapped hands.


In the garden, Lily of


the Valley should be planted in well-drained soil, rich in organic matter in light shade sheltered from hot aſternoon sun. Cultivated for over 400 years this fragrant flower is sur- rounded with lore and symbol- ism and thought to have power to help humankind visualize a better world! A Chinese legend tells a tale


of blossoms that resemble tiny hearts trilling drops of blood, unmistakably Bleeding Heart! Other names for Bleeding Heart or the Latin, Dicentra, include Chinaman’s Breeches, Lady Locket and Lyre Flower, the Greek, meaning two spurs, all having to do with its shape. Tis shade loving perennial ... continued on page 20


Weird Facts & Fun Trivia - 3


It takes 400 pounds of nutmegs to produce one pound of mace.


Until the 18th Century, the world’s only source of Mace and Nutmeg was the area known as Indonesia. When the Dutch took control of this area, Mace and Nutmeg were among the richest prizes. Knowing these spices did not grow elsewhere, they proceeded to establish one of the tightest monopolies the world has ever known.


Mace is the lacy outer covering (aril) of the nutmeg seeds. When fresh, it has bright red color, which chang- es to a golden brown when it is dried. Its flavor has been described as a combination of: cinnamon and pepper or nutmeg and cinnamon.


The Punitentiary #2


A piece of string walks into a bar. Before he sits down the bartender yells “Hey! We don’t serve pieces of string like you!” The piece of string goes outside, ties himself in a bow, and rolls around on the ground for a bit. Then he gets up, goes back into the bar, and sits down. The bar- tender says “Aren’t you that piece of string?” The string replies “No. I’m a frayed knot.”


8 • May 2016 • UPBEAT TIMES, INC.


“Every true genius is bound to be naive.” ~ Friedrich Schiller


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