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From my set entitled “Peonies”
www.flickr.com/photos/21861018@N00/sets/72157607186459134/
In my collection entitled “The Garden”
www.flickr.com/photos/21861018@N00/collections/7215760718...
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The peony or paeony (Paeonia) is the only genus in the flowering plant family Paeoniaceae. They are native to Asia, southern Europe and western North America.
Most are herbaceous perennial plants 0.5–1.5 metres tall, but some are woody shrubs up to 1.5–3 metres tall. They have compound, deeply lobed leaves, and large, often fragrant flowers, ranging from red to white or yellow, in late spring and early summer. In the past, the peonies were often classified in the family Ranunculaceae, alongside Hellebores and Anemones.
The peony is named after Paeon or Paean, a student of Asclepius, the Greek god of medicine and healing. Asclepius became jealous of his pupil; Zeus saved Paeon from the wrath of Asclepius by turning him into the peony flower
The peony is among the longest-used flowers in ornamental culture and is one of the smallest living creature national emblems in China. Along with the plum blossom, it is a traditional floral symbol of China, where it is called 牡丹 (mǔ dān). It is also known as 富贵花 (fuguihua) "flower of riches and honour", and is used symbolically in Chinese art.[2] In 1903, the Qing Dynasty declared the peony as the national flower. Currently, the Republic of China on Taiwan designates the plum blossom as the national flower, while the People's Republic of China has no legally designated national flower. In 1994, the peony was proposed as the national flower after a nationwide poll, but the National People's Congress failed to ratify the selection. In 2003, another selection process has begun, but to date, no choice has been made.
The famous ancient Chinese city Luoyang has a reputation as a cultivation centre for the peonies. Throughout Chinese history, peonies in Luoyang are often said to be the finest in the country. Dozens of peony exhibitions and shows are still held there annually.
In Japan, Paeonia lactiflora used to be called ebisugusuri ("foreign medicine"). In kampo (the Japanese adaptation of Chinese medicine), its root was used as a treatment for convulsions. It is also cultivated as a garden plant. In Japan Paeonia suffruticosa is called the "The King of flowers" and Paeonia lactiflora is called the "prime minister of flowers".
Pronunciation of 牡丹 (peony) in Japan is "botan". Before the Meiji period, meat taken from quadrupeds was seldom consumed in Japan due to Buddhism. Thus in cases where such meat was handled, it was paraphrased using the names of flowers. The term botan was used (and is still used) to paraphrase wild boar meat. This comes from the flowery resemblance of the sliced meat when spread over a dish. Another example is sakura (cherry blossoms) which stands for horsemeat.
In 1957, the Indiana General Assembly passed a law to make the peony the state flower of Indiana, a title which it holds to this day. It replaced the zinnia, which had been the state flower since 1931.
Mischievous nymphs were said to hide in the petals of the Peony thus causing this magnificent flower to be given the meaning of Shame or Bashfulness in the Language of Flowers. It was named after Pæon, a physician to the gods, who obtained the plant on Mount Olympus from the mother of Apollo. Once planted the Peony likes to be left alone and punishes those who try to move it by not flowering again for several years. Once established, however, it produces splendid blooms each year for decades (Taken from The Language of Flowers, edited by Sheila Pickles, 1990).
Peonies are also extensively grown as ornamental plants for their very large, often scented flowers.
Peonies tend to attract ants to the flower buds. This is due to the nectar that forms on the outside of the flower buds.
Peonies are a common subject in tattoos, often used along with koi-fish.
This is my photography project entitled "Visions". Above, is a collage of my most recent photographs of females from different parts of the world. I was inspired by "The Atlas of Beauty" by Mihaela Noroc, which portrays the cultural difference of people but also celebrates the paradox that at the end of the day, we are all similar and connected to one another.
This photographic portfolio entitled “ANCESTRAL LANDSCAPES” is the result of an incredible journey in Scotland through breathtaking natural landscapes. Scotland landscape is a permanent theater, a mysterious drama in which the initial plot seems to come from ancient feuds or the echo of legends. Contrasting like its climate, Scotland offers a range of light and shadow carried by the impetuousness of the elements. Weather reports are more like predicting the future than science. As frustrating as it may sound, it forces you to make your day unexpected. The turbulence of time exacerbates the green of the hills, the darkness of the mountains and the density of the ocean. The caledonian bad weather offers atmospheres that seem to come out of the most fantastic tales and legends. In this interplay of shades and contrasts, Scotland is a perpetual painting that offers aesthetes the violence of its brushstrokes. Consistently tackling the elements in Scotland grabs you literally and figuratively. The wind blows across the plains, the rain draws a curtain over the landscape and the proud mountains impress. Scotland is home to some of the most stunning landscapes I have ever seen. Shaped by landslides and tectonic movements that have completely sculpted their surroundings, these landscapes instantly immerse you in an almost supernatural fantasy world. One does not expect to discover such an exciting landscape. Vastness constantly echoes within us through our eyes.
entitled "the birds", released 7/30
A design dedicated to the 1963 Alfred Hitchcock classic movie, The Birds. Includes the Potter Schoolhouse.
Buy it here:
www.orangemoonapparel.com/store/oma.cgi/oma.orangemoonapp...
My first book, entitled Shorebirds of Ireland will be in your shops soon!!!
The Slavonian Grebe, Podiceps auritus, is a member of the grebe family of water birds. It is known in North America as the Horned Grebe.
Slavonian Grebes breed in vegetated areas of freshwater lakes across Europe and Asia. It also breeds in remote inland parts of the United States and much of Canada. Most birds migrate in winter to the coast. During this time, this small grebe is mainly white with a sharply defined black cap.
This was taken near Lake Myvatan in north-east Iceland, with it's young chick close by.
Stine Goya presented her AW13/14 collection entitled "Le Voyage Dans La Lune" at the Den Frie Centre of Contemporary Art. Corresponding to the location (the exhibition space) the models were giving a particular position inside the three rooms of the art museum: showcased like the objects of art (that you would usually expect to see at the art museum) models were holding their static poses just like the sculptures and only from time to time they would turn around giving the visitors possibility to see the garments from the different point of view. The models looked like mechanical dolls. It was whimsical and uncanny at the same time.
The title of the collection reveals that the presentation and the collection as well were clearly inspired by Georges Méliès' movie "Le Voyage Dans La Lune" from 1902.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JDaOOw0MEE
Especially the jewellery, the prints and the appliqué work indicate the connection to the fantasy world of Méliès. Also the color palette (a lot of gold and glitter, saturated red and purple, and candy colors such as soft pink, peach and cream) invites you to delve into the dreamy fantasy world. Childhood memories and fantasies (candies, fairy tales), night sky, golden moon - a shiny happy world as if you would once again see the reality through rose-colored glasses, believe in dreams and magic.
I liked that idea of the designer to offer the garments to the public that would or could create/wake a magic atmosphere of the childhood dreams and memories or just stress once again how much fantasy and creativity human beings possess.
Author : @Kiri Karma
Travel to NOLA - February 2024 - Krewe Of Zulu
Early in 1909, a group of laborers in a club named ?The Tramps? went to the Pythian Theater to see a musical comedy that included a skit entitled, 'There Never Was and Never Will Be a King Like Me' about the Zulu Tribe. According to legend, after seeing the skit, they retired to their meeting place (a room in the rear of a restaurant/bar in the 1100 block of Perdido Street), and emerged as Zulus. The rest, as they say, is history. Years of extensive research by Zulu's staff of historians, however, seem to indicate that Zulu's beginning was much more complicated than that.
Conversations and interviews with older members indicate that, back in the day, the city was divided into wards, and each ward had its own group or ?Club.? The Tramps were one such group. The group that founded Zulu was probably made up of both members from the Tramps and other ward-based groups and members of a Benevolent Aid Society. Benevolent Societies were the first forms of insurance in the Black community. For a small amount of dues, members received financial help when they got sick or there was a funeral to pay for.
While the men marched in Mardi Gras as early as 1901, their first appearance as Zulus came in 1909, with William Story as King. The group wore raggedy pants, and had a Jubilee-singing quartet in front of and behind King Story. His costume of 'lard can' crown and 'banana stalk' scepter has been well-documented. The Kings following William Story in the early days were similarly attired.
The year 1915 heralded the first use of floats, constructed on a spring wagon, using dry good boxes. The float was decorated with palmetto leaves and moss and carried four Dukes along with the King. That humble beginning gave rise to the lavish floats we see in the Zulu parade today.
Today Zulu is famous for their coconut throw ? quite possibly the most coveted throw in all of Mardi Gras. Zulu?s honor guard is called the Soulful Warriors; and they have characters including Big Shot, Witch Doctor, Ambassador, Mayor, Province Prince, Governor and Mr. Big Stuff.
The most famous Krewe of Zulu king was Louis Armstrong who reigned in 1949.
Year founded: 1909
Membership: 1500 male riders
Signature throw: hand decorated coconuts
Jake Tapper after speaking about his book entitled The Outpost - Untold Stories of American Valor. His talk was great food for thought although I have a differing perspective on how the media and blogosphere reported this story.
Photo credit: RGC1946 - www.flickr.com/photos/29790038@N03/
Blog post - midnightbluesays.com/2013/01/jake-tapper-the-outpost-the-...
An exhibition entitled "The Imprint of Civilization: The Amazing Journey of Books" was opened in National Széchényi Library on October 15, 2016. The grandiose exhibition presents books known as part of the high culture of Taiwan. In addition to looking at the exhibited specialties, visitors could also listen to a scientific lecture delivered in English by Professor Max K.W. Huan. Those interested were offered tea, various interactive activities, music played by music academy students who arrived from Taiwan, and some other small surprises. The afternoon was closed by a culinary tour of authentic Taiwanese cuisine.
An exhibition entitled “PolandIn.” was held on the sidelines of the Assemblies of WIPO Member States, which met from September 24 to October 2, 2018.
It showcased the most important, most modern, and – in many cases – also iconic achievements of Polish technical know-how and design. WIPO co-organized the event with the Patent Office of the Republic of Poland and the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland.
Copyright: WIPO. Photo: Violaine Martin. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 IGO License.
An article entitled "Sea lions at Victoria's Race Rocks injured by debris, boats" just ran in Victoria's Times Colonist that quoted me. See it here: www.timescolonist.com/technology/lions+Victoria+Race+Rock...
Anna Hall, a marine zoologist also quoted in the article suggests showing graphic images to children to warn them of the dangers posed to sea lions. This series is a response to that suggestion and not biased propaganda as I have been accused of.
An update from a NOAA research biologist and a veterinarian who specializes in marine mammals: Both experts agree the wound has been present for so long that the original source of the trauma is impossible to say with scientific certainty. Possible causes include orca bite, entanglement, and boat strike.
The current project entitled “The Support Resilience in Time of Crisis: Increase Availability of Energy at the Local Level” is funded by the Government of Netherlands and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
The Lebanon Crisis Response Plan – LCRP identified energy as one of the target sectors. More specifically the plan states, that “Government authorities in charge of the Energy and Water Sector, in collaboration with international and local partners, will continue their strong support to the most affected local communities, particularly through infrastructure projects in electricity, water, wastewater and solid waste. This has a vital benefit in mitigating the risks of social conflict between the local host communities and the displaced persons from Syria, and will be realized through the implementation of several activities.
The project’s objective is to increase the implementation of solar photovoltaic and/or other renewable energy projects within institutions (having a social impact or serving a social cause, located within the 251 most vulnerable communities in Lebanon), as a medium-term approach to reducing the impact of the Syrian crisis on the most vulnerable portion of the population. This objective is in line with the Lebanon Crisis Response Plan for 2017 - 2020.
Some ideas for a serie entitled Les Choses de la Vie, as a reference to a French movie with Romy Schneider and Michel Piccoli, in which a man who is dying after a car accident sees fleeting moments of his life, the little things one does not pay attention to when alive, and the people he loves or thought he did not love anymore.
The film used here is thanks to my friend (and master photographer) in Russia who so kindly sent me some rolls of expired Tasma film for me to try. The camera is Exakta Varex IIa with Biotar 58mm lens at f2.8. I will also shoot in color, please feel free to comment and say what you think.
Several people in my neighborhood (including me) put out deer corn for the deer that flock into my neighborhood every night. We usually put it out right at sunset to keep from bringing in the hoards of crapping birds. This deer has been coming up in mine and my neighbors yard in the middle of the day, laying up under the shade tree, making himself at home waiting for his nightly handout. They're also hell on most everything you plant. Still it's cool to see 30-40 deer within 5 houses sometimes. There's a 12 point buck that comes around in the fall and hangs out.
From my set entitled
www.flickr.com/photos/21861018@N00/sets/72157607213815438/
In my collection entitled “Goldenrod”
www.flickr.com/photos/21861018@N00/collections/7215760718...
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goldenrod
The goldenrod is a yellow flowering plant in the Family Asteraceae.
About 100[1] perennial species make up the genus Solidago, most being found in the meadows and pastures, along roads, ditches and waste areas in North America. There are a handful of species from each of Mexico, South America, and Eurasia.[1] Some American species have also been introduced into Europe some 250 years ago.
Many species are difficult to distinguish. Probably due to their bright, golden yellow flower heads blooming in late summer, the goldenrod is often unfairly blamed for causing hay fever in humans. The pollen causing these allergy problems is mainly produced by Ragweed (Ambrosia sp.), blooming at the same time as the goldenrod, but is wind-pollinated. Goldenrod pollen is too heavy and sticky to be blown far from the flowers, and is thus mainly pollinated by insects.
Goldenrods are easily recognized by their golden inflorescence with hundreds of small capitula, but some are spike-like and other have auxiliary racemes.
They have slender stems, usually hairless but S. canadensis shows hairs on the upper stem. They can grow to a length between 60 cm and 1.5 m.
Their alternate leaves are linear to lanceolate. Their margins are usually finely to sharply serrated.
Propagation is by wind-disseminated seed or by underground rhizomes. They form patches that are actually vegetative clones of a single plant.
Goldenrod is used as a food plant by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species - see list of Lepidoptera that feed on goldenrods. The Goldenrod then forms a leathery bulb (called a gall) around the invading insect as a quarantine to keep it confined to a small part of the plant. Parasitoid wasps have learned to find these galls, and lay eggs in the insect after penetrating the bulb. Woodpeckers have learned to blast open the gall and eat the wasp-infested insect holed up in the center.[2]
Goldenrods can be used for decoration and making tea. Goldenrods are, in some places, held as a sign of good luck or good fortune; but they are considered weeds by some.
Goldenrods are mostly short-day plants and bloom in late summer and early fall and some species produce abundant nectar when moisture is plentiful before bloom, and the bloom period is relatively warm and sunny. Honey from goldenrods often is dark and strong due to admixtures of other nectars. However when there is a strong honey flow, a light (often water white), spicy-tasting honey is produced. While the bees are ripening the honey there is a rank odor and taste, but finished honey is much milder.
British gardeners adopted goldenrod long before Americans. Goldenrod only began to gain some acceptance in American gardening (other than wildflower gardening) during the 1980s. A hybrid with aster, known as x Solidaster is less unruly, with pale yellow flowers, equally suitable for dried arrangements.
Solidago canadensis was introduced as a garden plant in Central Europe, and is now common in the wild. In Germany, it is considered an invasive species that displaces native vegetation from its natural habitat.
Goldenrod is a companion plant, playing host to some beneficial insects, repelling some pests
Inventor Thomas Edison experimented with goldenrod to produce rubber, which it contains naturally.[3] Edison created a fertilization and cultivation process to maximize the rubber content in each plant. His experiments produced a 12 foot tall plant that yielded as much as 12 percent rubber. The rubber produced through Edison's process was resilient and long lasting. The tires on the Model T given to him by his friend Henry Ford were made from goldenrod. Examples of the rubber can still be found in his laboratory, elastic and rot free after more than 50 years. However, even though Edison turned his research over to the U.S. government a year before his death, goldenrod rubber never went beyond the experimental stage.
The variety Solidago virgaurea is a traditional kidney tonic. It has aquaretic, anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic and antiseptic action and seems to increase kidney output.[citation needed] This makes it useful as an agent to counter inflammation and irritation of the kidneys when bacterial infection or stones are present.[4] Such use is in combination with other herbs that create a synergistic therapeutic effect on the urinary system. As in other areas of herbalism, blending creates a therapy greater than the effect of a single herb alone. The aquaretic action is also useful in helping to dissolve kidney stones by diluting their components and preventing them from recurring. See herbal medicine. Goldenrod has also been used as part of a tincture to aid in cleansing of the kidney/bladder during a healing fast, in conjunction with Potassium broth and specific juices.[4] 'Solidago odora' is also sold as a medicinal, for these issues: mucus, kidney/bladder cleansing and stones, colds, digestion.
The goldenrod is the state flower of the U.S. states of Kentucky (adopted March 16, 1926) and Nebraska (adopted April 4, 1895). It used to be the state flower of Alabama, being adopted as such on September 6, 1927, but was later rejected in favour of the camellia. Goldenrod was recently named the state wildflower for South Carolina.
In Midwestern states in the mid-twentieth century it was said that when the goldenrod bloomed, it would soon be time to go back to school--the blossoms appeared in mid- to late August, shortly before the traditional start of school on the day after Labor Day.[5]
In Sufjan Stevens' song, Casimir Pulaski Day, the narrator brings goldenrod to his girlfriend upon finding out that she has been diagnosed with bone cancer. Carrie Hamby's song, Solidago, tells the story of Thomas Edison's experiments with making goldenrod a domestic source of rubber during the 2nd world war.
The Sweet Goldenrod (Solidago odora) is also the state herb of Delaware as of June 24, 1996. [6]
From my set entitled “Aster”
www.flickr.com/photos/organize/?start_tab=one_set72157607...
In my collection entitled “The Garden”
www.flickr.com/photos/21861018@N00/collections/7215760718...
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aster_(genus)
Aster (syn. Diplopappus Cass.) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae. The genus once contained nearly 600 species in Eurasia and North America, but after morphologic and molecular research on the genus during the 1990s, it was decided that the North American species are better treated in a series of other genera. After this split there are roughly 180 species within the genus, all but one being confined to Eurasia.[1] The name Aster comes from the Ancient Greek word astron, meaning "star", arriving through the Latin word astrum with the same meaning, referring to the shape of the flower head. Many species and a variety of hybrids and varieties are popular as garden plants because of their attractive and colourful flowers. Aster species are used as food plants by the larvae of a number of Lepidoptera species - see list of Lepidoptera that feed on Aster. Asters can grow in all hardiness zones.
The genus Aster is now generally restricted to the Old World species, with Aster amellus being the type species of the genus, as well as of the family Asteraceae. The New World species have now been reclassified in the genera Almutaster, Canadanthus, Doellingeria, Eucephalus, Eurybia, Ionactis, Oligoneuron, Oreostemma, Sericocarpus and Symphyotrichum, though all are treated within the tribe Astereae. Regardless of the taxonomic change, all are still widely referred to as "asters" in the horticultural trades. See the List of Aster synonyms for more information.
In the UK there are only two native members of the genus of which one, Goldilocks is very rare, the other being Aster tripolium, the Sea aster. Aster alpinus spp. vierhapperi is the only species native to North America.[1]
The education kit entitled “Riskland: the fun way to learn how to prevent disasters” is the outcome of a joint initiative between the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). This product was developed at the end of 2002 by the ISDR Regional Unit for Latin America and the Caribbean, in cooperation with UNICEF Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean (UNICEF-TACRO). Initially, it was addressed for countries in the LAC region and was originally produced in Spanish, English and Portuguese.
Riesgolandia, aprendamos jugando cómo prevenir desastres tiene la intención de poner a disposición de la comunidad educativa y a los niños y las niñas de América Latina y el Caribe una herramienta innovadora e interactiva para la reducción del riesgo de desastres.
The current project entitled “The Support Resilience in Time of Crisis: Increase Availability of Energy at the Local Level” is funded by the Government of Netherlands and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
The Lebanon Crisis Response Plan – LCRP identified energy as one of the target sectors. More specifically the plan states, that “Government authorities in charge of the Energy and Water Sector, in collaboration with international and local partners, will continue their strong support to the most affected local communities, particularly through infrastructure projects in electricity, water, wastewater and solid waste. This has a vital benefit in mitigating the risks of social conflict between the local host communities and the displaced persons from Syria, and will be realized through the implementation of several activities.
The project’s objective is to increase the implementation of solar photovoltaic and/or other renewable energy projects within institutions (having a social impact or serving a social cause, located within the 251 most vulnerable communities in Lebanon), as a medium-term approach to reducing the impact of the Syrian crisis on the most vulnerable portion of the population. This objective is in line with the Lebanon Crisis Response Plan for 2017 - 2020.
This magnificent tapestry, entitled The Arrival of Penthesilea or The Arming of Pyrrhus, was woven in Tournai (modern-day Belgium) in the late 15th century. It originally formed part of an incredibly elaborate set of 11 pictorial hangings, each measuring about 4.75 metres in height and 9.5 metres in length, and depicting, in exquisite detail, scenes from the mythical story of the war waged and won by the Greeks against the city of Troy. Several of these sets, known today as The War of Troy or The Story of the Trojan War tapestries, were made. Their design and production was funded by the entrepreneur and merchant Pasquier Grenier and his son Jean from Tournai. They invested huge amounts of money into the project. It is possible that Francis II, Duke of Brittany commissioned the first set from Grenier in the 1460s.
The set was an immediate success and became an object of desire for the some of the most powerful men in Europe. In 1472, the city of Bruges presented a set to Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy. Duke of Urbino, Federico da Montefeltro, acquired one for himself in 1476, and Henry VII, King of England, followed suit in 1488. Two further sets were woven for Ferdinand I of Aragon, King of Naples, and Matthias Corvinus, King of Hungary and Croatia.
Of the 66 tapestries that are believed to have existed, 17 surviving pieces remain, many as mere fragments. The most important group are the four tapestries, almost all complete, in the Cathedral of Zamora in Spain. These are probably from the series that belonged to Ferdinand I of Aragon. Apart from one fragment in private ownership in France, all other pieces are kept in public collections in New York, Boston, Worcester (Massachusetts), Montreal, Glasgow and London.
The tapestry in the V&A collection was intended to occupy the 9th position within the original sequence of 11. The tapestry represents three episodes in the story of the Trojan War.
The 1st scene: the arrival of Queen Penthesilea and the Amazons
After Achilles killed Hector in the 10th battle of the Trojan War, which is shown in the 7th tapestry of the set, Penthesilea, the fearless and ferocious queen of the Amazons, decides to avenge his death and join the Trojan forces against the Greeks. This scene depicts the moment of the arrival of the queen and her army to Troy. Penthesilea kneels before Priam, the king of Trojans, in front of the city walls.
Peter Lynch installation at ROM entitled, 'Buffalo Days" at TIFF © Linda Dawn Hammond / IndyFoto.com '11. Royal Ontario Museum , Toronto, Sept.13, 2011.
Sound- Daniel Pellerin
Entitled "Bokeh de Melody~" which means Bokeh of Melody, used this as an entry into a small photography competition with the theme "Music".
Want to know more about Bokeh? go Google it.. :)
From my set entitled “Peonies”
www.flickr.com/photos/21861018@N00/sets/72157607186459134/
In my collection entitled “The Garden”
www.flickr.com/photos/21861018@N00/collections/7215760718...
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The peony or paeony (Paeonia) is the only genus in the flowering plant family Paeoniaceae. They are native to Asia, southern Europe and western North America.
Most are herbaceous perennial plants 0.5–1.5 metres tall, but some are woody shrubs up to 1.5–3 metres tall. They have compound, deeply lobed leaves, and large, often fragrant flowers, ranging from red to white or yellow, in late spring and early summer. In the past, the peonies were often classified in the family Ranunculaceae, alongside Hellebores and Anemones.
The peony is named after Paeon or Paean, a student of Asclepius, the Greek god of medicine and healing. Asclepius became jealous of his pupil; Zeus saved Paeon from the wrath of Asclepius by turning him into the peony flower
The peony is among the longest-used flowers in ornamental culture and is one of the smallest living creature national emblems in China. Along with the plum blossom, it is a traditional floral symbol of China, where it is called 牡丹 (mǔ dān). It is also known as 富贵花 (fuguihua) "flower of riches and honour", and is used symbolically in Chinese art.[2] In 1903, the Qing Dynasty declared the peony as the national flower. Currently, the Republic of China on Taiwan designates the plum blossom as the national flower, while the People's Republic of China has no legally designated national flower. In 1994, the peony was proposed as the national flower after a nationwide poll, but the National People's Congress failed to ratify the selection. In 2003, another selection process has begun, but to date, no choice has been made.
The famous ancient Chinese city Luoyang has a reputation as a cultivation centre for the peonies. Throughout Chinese history, peonies in Luoyang are often said to be the finest in the country. Dozens of peony exhibitions and shows are still held there annually.
In Japan, Paeonia lactiflora used to be called ebisugusuri ("foreign medicine"). In kampo (the Japanese adaptation of Chinese medicine), its root was used as a treatment for convulsions. It is also cultivated as a garden plant. In Japan Paeonia suffruticosa is called the "The King of flowers" and Paeonia lactiflora is called the "prime minister of flowers".
Pronunciation of 牡丹 (peony) in Japan is "botan". Before the Meiji period, meat taken from quadrupeds was seldom consumed in Japan due to Buddhism. Thus in cases where such meat was handled, it was paraphrased using the names of flowers. The term botan was used (and is still used) to paraphrase wild boar meat. This comes from the flowery resemblance of the sliced meat when spread over a dish. Another example is sakura (cherry blossoms) which stands for horsemeat.
In 1957, the Indiana General Assembly passed a law to make the peony the state flower of Indiana, a title which it holds to this day. It replaced the zinnia, which had been the state flower since 1931.
Mischievous nymphs were said to hide in the petals of the Peony thus causing this magnificent flower to be given the meaning of Shame or Bashfulness in the Language of Flowers. It was named after Pæon, a physician to the gods, who obtained the plant on Mount Olympus from the mother of Apollo. Once planted the Peony likes to be left alone and punishes those who try to move it by not flowering again for several years. Once established, however, it produces splendid blooms each year for decades (Taken from The Language of Flowers, edited by Sheila Pickles, 1990).
Peonies are also extensively grown as ornamental plants for their very large, often scented flowers.
Peonies tend to attract ants to the flower buds. This is due to the nectar that forms on the outside of the flower buds.
Peonies are a common subject in tattoos, often used along with koi-fish.
From my set entitled “Spirea”
www.flickr.com/photos/21861018@N00/sets/72157607217659415/
In my collection entitled “The Garden”
www.flickr.com/photos/21861018@N00/collections/7215760718...
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Spiraea (Meadowsweet) is a genus of about 80-100 species of shrubs in the Rosaceae, subfamily Spiraeoideae. They are native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere, with the greatest diversity in eastern Asia.
Spiraea species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Brown-tail, Emperor Moth, Grey Dagger, Hypercompe indecisa and Setaceous Hebrew Character.
The genus was formerly treated as also containing the herbaceous species now segregated into the genera Filipendula and Aruncus; recent genetic evidence has shown that Filipendula is only distantly related to Spiraea, belonging in the subfamily Rosoideae.
Spiraea (also known as Meadowsweet) is too woody to be used as an edible plant, but has a long history of medicinal use by Native Americans as an herbal tea. The entire plant contains Methyl Salicylate and other salicylates, compounds with similar medicinal properties of aspirin. Unlike other salicylate-bearing plants such as Willow or Poplar, Meadowsweet's content of these analgesic compounds remain consistent from plant to plant. Unlike aspirin, Meadowsweet is effective in treating stomach disorders in minute amounts. The salicylates in this plant are a highly effective analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and fever reducer, without the side affects attributed to aspirin. Compounds in this plant also contain bacteriostatic properties, and the tea of this plant was used by the Blackfeet Indians as an enema and vagina douche to treat infections of the bowels and vaginal area. [1]
In pure form, methyl salicylate is toxic, especially when taken internally. The lowest published lethal dose is 101 mg/kg body weight in adult humans.[2] It has proven fatal to small children in doses as small as 4 mL.[3] A 17 year-old cross-country runner at Notre Dame Academy on Staten Island, died April 3, 2007, after her body absorbed high levels of methyl salicylate through excessive use of topical muscle-pain relief products.[4] Methyl Salicylate is used as a rubefacient in deep heating liniments, and in small amounts as a flavoring agent in chewing gums and other products at no more than 0.04%.[5]
These are the pieces from my first solo show, entitled “The Ghost of the You Haunted Me..." held at Rotofugi Gallery in Chicago, IL on Sept 7, 2012.
This body of work is the culmination of many of the elements found in my custom toy work within my Forest of Sorrows narrative and I have strived to create a cohesive storyline that ties together many of the concepts and themes seen over the past couple of years.
In this story, when people pass onto the next life, those with unfinished business are taken to the Silva Dolorosa (The Forest of Sorrows) to begin a life anew, where the choices and decisions they make will determine how their lives turn out.
At the end of days as one’s life ebbs away, the Flederkanichen creatures arrive to shepherd these souls, manifested as a seed, and carry them to the Silva Dolorosa. Upon arriving, they drop the soul seeds down into the depths of the forest where the Saplings catch them, plant them in their heads waiting for them to bloom again, at which point they will plant them on the forest floor in the perfect place, so that the souls can begin their new lives.
On one particular day, with one particular soul seed dropped by the Flederkanichen, a big gust of wind blew the seed out of the hand of the Sapling assigned to it and it hit the ground, breaking the cardinal rule of the forest. It was at this moment that Locket, the geist girl was reborn in this limbo, confused and bewildered as to where she was. Frightened, she runs deep into the forest to discover who she was in her previous life, and what she was to become in the next.
Concurrently, at the moment at which Locket was born, the last guardian of the forest, the Hollow Knight, was awakened from deep slumber, tasked with ensuring the sanctity of the Silva and all of its denizens. He sets off on a quest to find Locket, only to encounter yet another new visitor to the forest - the ferocious and monstrous Blackwülf, who seems to be racing the Hollow Knight in a quest to reach Locket first.
This is the story of death, understanding, rebirth and redemption. I hope that the pieces I have created for this show will help to give an insight into this story that I have been telling.
Photos taken by Kirby Kerr.
Please contact rotofugi.com for availability.
From my set entitled “Peonies”
www.flickr.com/photos/21861018@N00/sets/72157607186459134/
In my collection entitled “The Garden”
www.flickr.com/photos/21861018@N00/collections/7215760718...
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The peony or paeony (Paeonia) is the only genus in the flowering plant family Paeoniaceae. They are native to Asia, southern Europe and western North America.
Most are herbaceous perennial plants 0.5–1.5 metres tall, but some are woody shrubs up to 1.5–3 metres tall. They have compound, deeply lobed leaves, and large, often fragrant flowers, ranging from red to white or yellow, in late spring and early summer. In the past, the peonies were often classified in the family Ranunculaceae, alongside Hellebores and Anemones.
The peony is named after Paeon or Paean, a student of Asclepius, the Greek god of medicine and healing. Asclepius became jealous of his pupil; Zeus saved Paeon from the wrath of Asclepius by turning him into the peony flower
The peony is among the longest-used flowers in ornamental culture and is one of the smallest living creature national emblems in China. Along with the plum blossom, it is a traditional floral symbol of China, where it is called 牡丹 (mǔ dān). It is also known as 富贵花 (fuguihua) "flower of riches and honour", and is used symbolically in Chinese art.[2] In 1903, the Qing Dynasty declared the peony as the national flower. Currently, the Republic of China on Taiwan designates the plum blossom as the national flower, while the People's Republic of China has no legally designated national flower. In 1994, the peony was proposed as the national flower after a nationwide poll, but the National People's Congress failed to ratify the selection. In 2003, another selection process has begun, but to date, no choice has been made.
The famous ancient Chinese city Luoyang has a reputation as a cultivation centre for the peonies. Throughout Chinese history, peonies in Luoyang are often said to be the finest in the country. Dozens of peony exhibitions and shows are still held there annually.
In Japan, Paeonia lactiflora used to be called ebisugusuri ("foreign medicine"). In kampo (the Japanese adaptation of Chinese medicine), its root was used as a treatment for convulsions. It is also cultivated as a garden plant. In Japan Paeonia suffruticosa is called the "The King of flowers" and Paeonia lactiflora is called the "prime minister of flowers".
Pronunciation of 牡丹 (peony) in Japan is "botan". Before the Meiji period, meat taken from quadrupeds was seldom consumed in Japan due to Buddhism. Thus in cases where such meat was handled, it was paraphrased using the names of flowers. The term botan was used (and is still used) to paraphrase wild boar meat. This comes from the flowery resemblance of the sliced meat when spread over a dish. Another example is sakura (cherry blossoms) which stands for horsemeat.
In 1957, the Indiana General Assembly passed a law to make the peony the state flower of Indiana, a title which it holds to this day. It replaced the zinnia, which had been the state flower since 1931.
Mischievous nymphs were said to hide in the petals of the Peony thus causing this magnificent flower to be given the meaning of Shame or Bashfulness in the Language of Flowers. It was named after Pæon, a physician to the gods, who obtained the plant on Mount Olympus from the mother of Apollo. Once planted the Peony likes to be left alone and punishes those who try to move it by not flowering again for several years. Once established, however, it produces splendid blooms each year for decades (Taken from The Language of Flowers, edited by Sheila Pickles, 1990).
Peonies are also extensively grown as ornamental plants for their very large, often scented flowers.
Peonies tend to attract ants to the flower buds. This is due to the nectar that forms on the outside of the flower buds.
Peonies are a common subject in tattoos, often used along with koi-fish.
This yarn art car, entitled "Elements," was created by Tim Klein, who envisioned it in a dream and set about making his dream a reality. He took a 1967 Chysler Imperial Crown and started working evenings and weekends, and after a year, this is what he had. It's a stunning piece of artwork, indeed!
For more information about the Yarn Car:
If you're interested in Art Cars, Houston hosts a huge art car parade every year in May. Here's more information about that:
Fonte Official FB page :
Gehenna was formed in January, 1993 by original members Sanrabb, Dolgar, and Sir Vereda. Their first demo, entitled Black Seared Heart, was recorded between the 3rd and 7 June 1993 in Soundsuite Studios, and was released as a cassette. Around this same time, a 7" titled Ancestors of The Darkly Sky was released by Necromantic Gallery Productions.
Shortly after the release of these two recordings, Sir Verada left the band due to legal problems, and was replaced by Dirge Rep. The band also enlisted Svartalv as bass player during this time.
Up until this time, the band had yet to play any live shows. It was not until February, 1994 that the band made their live debut.
In 1994 Sarcana joined the band and added keyboards to the mix.
In March, 1994, the band entered Soundsuite Studios to record their debut album, First Spell. It was released as an MCD on Head Not Found Records. First Spell generated a larger fan-base for the band, and led to them signing 2-album record deal with Cacophonous Records.
In 1995, Gehenna released their second full-length, Seen Through The Veils of Darkness. This record featured a guest appearance by Garm of Arcturus and Ulver doing vocals on the track Vinterriket. This release cemented Gehenna as a strong band in the black metal scene.
Shortly before the release of Gehenna's next record, Svartalv left the band. Noctifier, who had joined the band as Svartalv's replacement, was unable to meet the demands of being a member of Gehenna. After 6 months, during the recording sessions of Gehenna's third release, Noctifier left the band.
E.N. Death, a friend of the band, was asked to sit in as a session bassist to finish the recording. After also joining the band on tour, he was asked to join the band full-time.
In 1996, Gehenna's third release, Malice, was released on Cacophonous Records.
Sarcana and Dirge Rep both left the band shortly after a touring in support of Malice. Damien was added as Sarcana's replacement on keyboards and Blod took up drumming duties.
With the new members, Gehenna's sound changed a bit. Blod brought a death metal background with him, and it influenced Gehenna in a much heavier way.
In 1998, Gehenna signed to Moonfog Productions and immediately released an EP Deadlights, which was a sample to their fans of what to expect from the newer Gehenna material. This EP was later followed by their Moonfog debut LP, Adimiron Black.
During their tenure with Moonfog Productions, Gehenna would also release Murder 2000 and WW 2005.
In late 2005 Gehenna signed with ANP Records.
In December, 2007, Gehenna announced that the previous contract signed with ANP Records was cancelled and that Gehenna signed with Norwegian based "Indie Recordings". Dirge Rep was also announced as a full-time member.
According to a message posted by the band on their official MySpace page in June 2009, "Gehenna is currently writing new material for a yet untitled album. We hope to have it recorded by the end of 2009. Some work / track titles are : The Blooding, Melek, Stillborn, Claws of Obedience, Death's Emblem, Liber Torquere (Leviathan Rising)". This was obviously a false alarm, but in august 2013 Indie records announced this: "GEHENNA TO RELEASE "UNRAVEL" OCTOBER 14TH! Having kept us waiting since their 2005 release of “WW”, “Unravel” is Gehenna’s latest addition to the Norwegian black metal experience. It carries the spirit from WW, and twists it to confront a more post-apocalyptic era – rather than the ragnarok of the bourgeoise, the individual, and the failings of western society – Gehenna faces 21st century existence head on. There is no remorse, no compromise – there is only perfect hate." This was the first Gehenna-album to feature Sanrabb as the only vocalist and also their first album with guitarist Skinndød and new drummer Slaktaren who took over for Dirge Rep. who again left Gehenna in 2012. Shortly afer the album was finished Dolgar also announced his departure and was swiftly replaced by new bass player Byting for subsequent live-shows.
An exhibition entitled “PolandIn.” was held on the sidelines of the Assemblies of WIPO Member States, which met from September 24 to October 2, 2018.
It showcased the most important, most modern, and – in many cases – also iconic achievements of Polish technical know-how and design. WIPO co-organized the event with the Patent Office of the Republic of Poland and the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland.
Copyright: WIPO. Photo: Violaine Martin. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 IGO License.
From my set entitled “Roses”
www.flickr.com/photos/21861018@N00/sets/72157607214064416/
In my collection entitled “The Garden”
www.flickr.com/photos/21861018@N00/collections/7215760718...
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A rose is a perennial flowering shrub or vine of the genus Rosa, within the family Rosaceae, that contains over 100 species. The species form a group of erect shrubs, and climbing or trailing plants, with stems that are often armed with sharp thorns. Most are native to Asia, with smaller numbers of species native to Europe, North America, and northwest Africa. Natives, cultivars and hybrids are all widely grown for their beauty and fragrance. [1]
The leaves are alternate and pinnately compound, with sharply toothed oval-shaped leaflets. The plants fleshy edible fruit is called a rose hip. Rose plants range in size from tiny, miniature roses, to climbers that can reach 20 metres in height. Species from different parts of the world easily hybridize, which has given rise to the many types of garden roses.
The name originates from Latin rosa, borrowed through Oscan from colonial Greek in southern Italy: rhodon (Aeolic form: wrodon), from Aramaic wurrdā, from Assyrian wurtinnu, from Old Iranian *warda (cf. Armenian vard, Avestan warda, Sogdian ward, Parthian wâr).[2][3]
Attar of rose is the steam-extracted essential oil from rose flowers that has been used in perfumes for centuries. Rose water, made from the rose oil, is widely used in Asian and Middle Eastern cuisine. Rose hips are occasionally made into jam, jelly, and marmalade, or are brewed for tea, primarily for their high Vitamin C content. They are also pressed and filtered to make rose hip syrup. Rose hips are also used to produce Rose hip seed oil, which is used in skin products.
The leaves of most species are 5–15 centimetres long, pinnate, with (3–) 5–9 (–13) leaflets and basal stipules; the leaflets usually have a serrated margin, and often a few small prickles on the underside of the stem. The vast majority of roses are deciduous, but a few (particularly in Southeast Asia) are evergreen or nearly so.
The flowers of most species roses have five petals, with the exception of Rosa sericea, which usually has only four. Each petal is divided into two distinct lobes and is usually white or pink, though in a few species yellow or red. Beneath the petals are five sepals (or in the case of some Rosa sericea, four). These may be long enough to be visible when viewed from above and appear as green points alternating with the rounded petals. The ovary is inferior, developing below the petals and sepals.
The aggregate fruit of the rose is a berry-like structure called a rose hip. Rose species that produce open-faced flowers are attractive to pollinating bees and other insects, thus more apt to produce hips. Many of the domestic cultivars are so tightly petalled that they do not provide access for pollination. The hips of most species are red, but a few (e.g. Rosa pimpinellifolia) have dark purple to black hips. Each hip comprises an outer fleshy layer, the hypanthium, which contains 5–160 "seeds" (technically dry single-seeded fruits called achenes) embedded in a matrix of fine, but stiff, hairs. Rose hips of some species, especially the Dog Rose (Rosa canina) and Rugosa Rose (Rosa rugosa), are very rich in vitamin C, among the richest sources of any plant. The hips are eaten by fruit-eating birds such as thrushes and waxwings, which then disperse the seeds in their droppings. Some birds, particularly finches, also eat the seeds.
While the sharp objects along a rose stem are commonly called "thorns", they are actually prickles — outgrowths of the epidermis (the outer layer of tissue of the stem). True thorns, as produced by e.g. Citrus or Pyracantha, are modified stems, which always originate at a node and which have nodes and internodes along the length of the thorn itself. Rose prickles are typically sickle-shaped hooks, which aid the rose in hanging onto other vegetation when growing over it. Some species such as Rosa rugosa and R. pimpinellifolia have densely packed straight spines, probably an adaptation to reduce browsing by animals, but also possibly an adaptation to trap wind-blown sand and so reduce erosion and protect their roots (both of these species grow naturally on coastal sand dunes). Despite the presence of prickles, roses are frequently browsed by deer. A few species of roses only have vestigial prickles that have no points.
Roses are popular garden shrubs, as well as the most popular and commonly sold florists' flowers. In addition to their great economic importance as a florists crop, roses are also of great value to the perfume industry.
Many thousands of rose hybrids and cultivars have been bred and selected for garden use; most are double-flowered with many or all of the stamens having mutated into additional petals. As long ago as 1840 a collection numbering over one thousand different cultivars, varieties and species was possible when a rosarium was planted by Loddiges nursery for Abney Park Cemetery, an early Victorian garden cemetery and arboretum in England.
Twentieth-century rose breeders generally emphasized size and colour, producing large, attractive blooms with little or no scent. Many wild and "old-fashioned" roses, by contrast, have a strong sweet scent.
Roses thrive in temperate climates, though certain species and cultivars can flourish in sub-tropical and even tropical climates, especially when grafted onto appropriate rootstock.
Rose pruning, sometimes regarded as a horticultural art form, is largely dependent on the type of rose to be pruned, the reason for pruning, and the time of year it is at the time of the desired pruning.
Most Old Garden Roses of strict European heritage (albas, damasks, gallicas, etc.) are shrubs that bloom once yearly, in late spring or early summer, on two-year-old (or older) canes. As such, their pruning requirements are quite minimal, and are overall similar to any other analogous shrub, such as lilac or forsythia. Generally, only old, spindly canes should be pruned away, to make room for new canes. One-year-old canes should never be pruned because doing so will remove next year's flower buds. The shrubs can also be pruned back lightly, immediately after the blooms fade, to reduce the overall height or width of the plant. In general, pruning requirements for OGRs are much less laborious and regimented than for Modern hybrids.
Modern hybrids, including the hybrid teas, floribundas, grandifloras, modern miniatures, and English roses, have a complex genetic background that almost always includes China roses (R. chinensis). China roses were evergrowing, everblooming roses from humid subtropical regions that bloomed constantly on any new vegetative growth produced during the growing season. Their modern hybrid descendants exhibit similar habits: Unlike Old Garden Roses, modern hybrids bloom continuously (until stopped by frost) on any new canes produced during the growing season. They therefore require pruning away of any spent flowering stem, in order to divert the plant's energy into producing new growth and thence new flowers.
Additionally, Modern Hybrids planted in cold-winter climates will almost universally require a "hard" annual pruning (reducing all canes to 8"–12" in height) in early spring. Again, because of their complex China rose background, Modern Hybrids are typically not as cold-hardy as European OGRs, and low winter temperatures often desiccate or kill exposed canes. In spring, if left unpruned, these damanged canes will often die back all the way to the shrub's root zone, resulting in a weakened, disfigured plant. The annual "hard" pruning of hybrid teas, floribundas, etc. should generally be done in early spring; most gardeners coincide this pruning with the blooming of forsythia shrubs. Canes should be cut about 1/2" above a vegetative bud (identifiable as a point on a cane where a leaf once grew).
For both Old Garden Roses and Modern Hybrids, any weak, damaged or diseased growth should be pruned away completely, regardless of the time of year. Any pruning of any rose should also be done so that the cut is made at a forty five degree angle above a vegetative bud. This helps the pruned stem callus over more quickly, and also mitigates moisture buildup over the cut, which can lead to disease problems.
For all general rose pruning (including cutting flowers for arrangements), sharp secateurs (hand-held, sickle-bladed pruners) should be used to cut any growth 1/2" or less in diameter. For canes of a thickness greater than 1/2", pole loppers or a small handsaw are generally more effective; secateurs may be damaged or broken in such instances.
Deadheading is the simple practice of manually removing any spent, faded, withered, or discoloured flowers from rose shrubs over the course of the blooming season. The purpose of deadheading is to encourage the plant to focus its energy and resources on forming new offshoots and blooms, rather than in fruit production. Deadheading may also be perfomed, if spent flowers are unsightly, for aethestic purposes. Roses are particularly responsive to deadheading.
Deadheading causes different effects on different varieties of roses. For continual blooming varieties, whether Old Garden roses or more modern hybrid varieties, deadheading allows the rose plant to continue forming new shoots, leaves, and blooms. For "once-blooming" varieties (that bloom only once each season), deadheading has the effect of causing the plant to form new green growth, even though new blooms will not form until the next blooming season.
For most rose gardeners, deadheading is used to refresh the growth of the rose plants to keep the rose plants strong, vibrant, and productive.
The rose has always been valued for its beauty and has a long history of symbolism. The ancient Greeks and Romans identified the rose with their goddesses of love referred to as Aphrodite and Venus. In Rome a wild rose would be placed on the door of a room where secret or confidential matters were discussed. The phrase sub rosa, or "under the rose", means to keep a secret — derived from this ancient Roman practice.
Early Christians identified the five petals of the rose with the five wounds of Christ. Despite this interpretation, their leaders were hesitant to adopt it because of its association with Roman excesses and pagan ritual. The red rose was eventually adopted as a symbol of the blood of the Christian martyrs. Roses also later came to be associated with the Virgin Mary.
Rose culture came into its own in Europe in the 1800s with the introduction of perpetual blooming roses from China. There are currently thousands of varieties of roses developed for bloom shape, size, fragrance and even for lack of prickles.
Roses are ancient symbols of love and beauty. The rose was sacred to a number of goddesses (including Isis and Aphrodite), and is often used as a symbol of the Virgin Mary. 'Rose' means pink or red in a variety of languages (such as Romance languages, Greek, and Polish).
The rose is the national flower of England and the United States[4], as well as being the symbol of England Rugby, and of the Rugby Football Union. It is also the provincial flower of Yorkshire and Lancashire in England (the white rose and red rose respectively) and of Alberta (the wild rose), and the state flower of four US states: Iowa and North Dakota (R. arkansana), Georgia (R. laevigata), and New York[5] (Rosa generally). Portland, Oregon counts "City of Roses" among its nicknames, and holds an annual Rose Festival.
Roses are occasionally the basis of design for rose windows, such windows comprising five or ten segments (the five petals and five sepals of a rose) or multiples thereof; however most Gothic rose windows are much more elaborate and were probably based originally on the wheel and other symbolism.
A red rose (often held in a hand) is a symbol of socialism or social democracy; it is also used as a symbol by the British and Irish Labour Parties, as well as by the French, Spanish (Spanish Socialist Workers' Party), Portuguese, Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, Finnish, Brazilian, Dutch (Partij van de Arbeid) and European socialist parties. This originated when the red rose was used as a badge by the marchers in the May 1968 street protests in Paris. White Rose was a World War II non violent resistance group in Germany.
Roses are often portrayed by artists. The French artist Pierre-Joseph Redouté produced some of the most detailed paintings of roses.
Henri Fantin-Latour was also a prolific painter of still life, particularly flowers including roses. The Rose 'Fantin-Latour' was named after the artist.
Other impressionists including Claude Monet and Paul Cézanne have paintings of roses among their works.
Rose perfumes are made from attar of roses or rose oil, which is a mixture of volatile essential oils obtained by steam distilling the crushed petals of roses. The technique originated in Persia (the word Rose itself is from Persian) then spread through Arabia and India, but nowadays about 70% to 80% of production is in the Rose Valley near Kazanluk in Bulgaria, with some production in Qamsar in Iran and Germany.[citation needed]
The Kaaba in Mecca is annually washed by the Iranian rose water from Qamsar. In Bulgaria, Iran and Germany, damask roses (Rosa damascena 'Trigintipetala') are used. In the French rose oil industry Rosa centifolia is used. The oil, pale yellow or yellow-grey in color, is sometimes called 'Rose Absolute' oil to distinguish it from diluted versions. The weight of oil extracted is about one three-thousandth to one six-thousandth of the weight of the flowers; for example, about two thousand flowers are required to produce one gram of oil.
The main constituents of attar of roses are the fragrant alcohols geraniol and l-citronellol; and rose camphor, an odourless paraffin. β-Damascenone is also a significant contributor to the scent.
Quotes
What's in a name? That which we call a rose/By any other name would smell as sweet. — William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet act II, sc. ii
O, my love's like a red, red rose/That's newly sprung in June — Robert Burns, A Red, Red Rose
Information appears to stew out of me naturally, like the precious ottar of roses out of the otter. Mark Twain, Roughing It
Hearts starve as well as bodies; give us bread, but give us roses. — James Oppenheim, "Bread and Roses"
Rose is a rose is a rose is a rose — Gertrude Stein, Sacred Emily (1913), a poem included in Geography and Plays.
This photograph was published online in an article in HOMES & GARDENS on 27th December 2024 by Tenielle Jordison entitled:
'' How to stop foxes digging up bulbs – 5 methods to protect your blooms for spring - Keep your plants safe from the curious creatures that could ruin your display ''.
It had previously also been published in THE GUARDIAN in an online article by Rachel Dixon on June 26th 2024
It was selected for sale in the GETTY IMAGES COLLECTION on June 20th 2021
CREATIVE RF gty.im/1324337152 MOMENT ROYALTY FREE COLLECTION and became my 5,092nd frame to be represented by Getty, my sole worldwide agents. I now have 7,000+ images represented by them.
I'm standing in my kitchen on a cold, wet summer afternoon making a Tassimo Costa L'or double shot Latte whilst taking a quick break from watching Sweden versus Slovakia (I've seen more action in a chess match!), on TV in the Euros football tournament when a rain soaked fox enters my garden!
My camera is upstairs still with the Lee SW150 filter holder and circular polarizer attached, and round here, foxes normally do not surface much in daylight nor spend long before scampering away, so I rush up and grab it, hastily tampering with the settings, forgetting to set the vibration control to the on position....
I'm skulking in the corner of the kitchen, shooting through closed, rain splattered windows and the fox can sense my presence and every movement. Far from ideal, but such a joy to have a few brief moments in the presence of such a magnificent animal.
And they say any shot is better than NO shot, don't they......
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©All photographs on this site are copyright: ©DESPITE STRAIGHT LINES (Paul Williams) 2011 – 2021 & GETTY IMAGES ®
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Photograph taken at an altitude of Fifty one metres at 15:36pm on a cold morning on Friday 18th June 2021, off Chessington Avenue in Bexleyheath, Kent.
Here we see a young Red fox (Vulpes vulpes), the largest of the true foxes (a genus of the sub-family Caninae which form a proper clade or monophyletic or natural group). Red foxes are the largest of the worldwide foxes, and also the most commonly widespread across the Northern hemisphere, Europe and North Africa.
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Nikon D850 Focal length 420mm Shutter speed: 1/400s Aperture f/6.3 iso1000 Hand held with no VC Image area FX (36 x 24) NEF RAW L (14 bit uncompressed) Size L (8256 x 5504) Focus mode: AF-C AF-Area mode: 3D-tracking Priority Selection: Release. Nikon Back button focusing enabled. 3D Tracking watch area: Normal 55 Tracking points Exposure mode: Manual mode Metering mode: Matrix metering White balance on: Auto1 (5190k) Colour space: Adobe RGB Picture control: Neutral (Sharpening +2)
Tamron SP 150-600mm F/5-6.3 Di VC USD G2. Nikon GP-1 GPS module. Lee SW150 MKII filter holder. Lee SW150 95mm screw in adapter ring. Lee SW150 circular polariser glass filter.Lee SW150 Filters field pouch. Hoodman HEYENRG round eyepiece oversized eyecup.My Memory 128GB Class 10 SDXC 80MB/s card. Lowepro Flipside 400 AW camera bag.
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RAW (TIFF) FILE: 130.00MB NEF FILE: 90.9MB
PROCESSED (JPeg) FILE: 45.60MB
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PROCESSING POWER:
Nikon D850 Firmware versions C 1.10 (9/05/2019) LD Distortion Data 2.018 (18/02/20) LF 1.00
HP 110-352na Desktop PC with AMD Quad-Core A6-5200 APU 64Bit processor. Radeon HD8400 graphics. 8 GB DDR3 Memory with 1TB Data storage. 64-bit Windows 10. Verbatim USB 2.0 1TB desktop hard drive. WD My Passport Ultra 1tb USB3 Portable hard drive. Nikon ViewNX-1 64bit Version 1.4.1 (18/02/2020). Nikon Capture NX-D 64bit Version 1.6.2 (18/02/2020). Nikon Picture Control Utility 2 (Version 2.4.5 (18/02/2020). Nikon Transfer 2 Version 2.13.5. Adobe photoshop Elements 8 Version 8.0 64bit.
From my set entitled “Peonies”
www.flickr.com/photos/21861018@N00/sets/72157607186459134/
In my collection entitled “The Garden”
www.flickr.com/photos/21861018@N00/collections/7215760718...
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The peony or paeony (Paeonia) is the only genus in the flowering plant family Paeoniaceae. They are native to Asia, southern Europe and western North America.
Most are herbaceous perennial plants 0.5–1.5 metres tall, but some are woody shrubs up to 1.5–3 metres tall. They have compound, deeply lobed leaves, and large, often fragrant flowers, ranging from red to white or yellow, in late spring and early summer. In the past, the peonies were often classified in the family Ranunculaceae, alongside Hellebores and Anemones.
The peony is named after Paeon or Paean, a student of Asclepius, the Greek god of medicine and healing. Asclepius became jealous of his pupil; Zeus saved Paeon from the wrath of Asclepius by turning him into the peony flower
The peony is among the longest-used flowers in ornamental culture and is one of the smallest living creature national emblems in China. Along with the plum blossom, it is a traditional floral symbol of China, where it is called 牡丹 (mǔ dān). It is also known as 富贵花 (fuguihua) "flower of riches and honour", and is used symbolically in Chinese art.[2] In 1903, the Qing Dynasty declared the peony as the national flower. Currently, the Republic of China on Taiwan designates the plum blossom as the national flower, while the People's Republic of China has no legally designated national flower. In 1994, the peony was proposed as the national flower after a nationwide poll, but the National People's Congress failed to ratify the selection. In 2003, another selection process has begun, but to date, no choice has been made.
The famous ancient Chinese city Luoyang has a reputation as a cultivation centre for the peonies. Throughout Chinese history, peonies in Luoyang are often said to be the finest in the country. Dozens of peony exhibitions and shows are still held there annually.
In Japan, Paeonia lactiflora used to be called ebisugusuri ("foreign medicine"). In kampo (the Japanese adaptation of Chinese medicine), its root was used as a treatment for convulsions. It is also cultivated as a garden plant. In Japan Paeonia suffruticosa is called the "The King of flowers" and Paeonia lactiflora is called the "prime minister of flowers".
Pronunciation of 牡丹 (peony) in Japan is "botan". Before the Meiji period, meat taken from quadrupeds was seldom consumed in Japan due to Buddhism. Thus in cases where such meat was handled, it was paraphrased using the names of flowers. The term botan was used (and is still used) to paraphrase wild boar meat. This comes from the flowery resemblance of the sliced meat when spread over a dish. Another example is sakura (cherry blossoms) which stands for horsemeat.
In 1957, the Indiana General Assembly passed a law to make the peony the state flower of Indiana, a title which it holds to this day. It replaced the zinnia, which had been the state flower since 1931.
Mischievous nymphs were said to hide in the petals of the Peony thus causing this magnificent flower to be given the meaning of Shame or Bashfulness in the Language of Flowers. It was named after Pæon, a physician to the gods, who obtained the plant on Mount Olympus from the mother of Apollo. Once planted the Peony likes to be left alone and punishes those who try to move it by not flowering again for several years. Once established, however, it produces splendid blooms each year for decades (Taken from The Language of Flowers, edited by Sheila Pickles, 1990).
Peonies are also extensively grown as ornamental plants for their very large, often scented flowers.
Peonies tend to attract ants to the flower buds. This is due to the nectar that forms on the outside of the flower buds.
Peonies are a common subject in tattoos, often used along with koi-fish.
From my set entitled “Monarda”
www.flickr.com/photos/21861018@N00/sets/72157607217954847/
In my collection entitled “The Garden”
www.flickr.com/photos/21861018@N00/collections/7215760718...
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bee_balm
Monarda (bee balm, horsemint, oswego tea, or bergamot) is a genus consisting of roughly 16 species of erect, herbaceous annual or perennial plants in the Lamiaceae, indigenous to North America. Ranging in height from 1 to 3 feet (0.2 to 0.9 m), the plants have an equal spread, with slender and long-tapering (lanceolate) leaves; the leaves are opposite on stem, smooth to nearly hairy, lightly serrated margins, and range from 3 to 6 inches (7 to 14 cm) long. In all species, the leaves, when crushed, exude a spicy, highly fragrant oil. Of the species listed, M. didyma (Oswego Tea) contains the highest concentration of this oil.[1]
The genus was named for Nicolás Monardes who wrote a book in 1574 describing plants found in the New World.
Several Bee Balm species (Monarda fistulosa and Monarda didyma) have a long history of use as a medicinal plants by many Native Americans including the Blackfeet, Menominee, Objibwe, Winnebago and others. The Blackfeet Indians recognized the strong antiseptic action of these plants, and used poultices of the plant for skin infections and minor wounds. A tea made from the plant was also used to treat mouth and throat infections caused by dental caries and gingivitis. Bee Balm is the natural source of the antiseptic Thymol, the primary active ingredient in modern commercial mouthwash formulas. The Winnebago used a tea made from bee Balm as a general stimulant. Bee Balm was also used as a carminative herb by Native Americans to treat excessive flatulence. [2][3]
Although somewhat bitter due to the thymol content in the plants leaves and buds, the plant has a very similar flavor to oregano, to which it is closely related. Bee Balm was traditionally used by Native Americans as a seasoning for wild game, particularly birds. The plants are widespread across North America and can be found in moist meadows, hillsides, and forest clearings up to 5,000 feet in elevation. [2]
Monarda species include annual and perennial upright growing herbaceous plants with lanceolate to ovate shaped leaves. The flowers are tubular with bilateral symmetry and bilabiate; with upper lips narrow and the lower ones broader and spreading or deflexed. The flowers are single or in some cultivated forms double, generally hermaphroditic with 2 stamens. Plant bloom in mid to late-summer and the flowers are produced in dense profusion at the ends of the stem and/or in the stem axils, the flowers typically are in crowded into head-like clusters with leafy bracts. Flower colors vary, with wild forms of the plant having crimson-red to red, pink and light purple. M. didyma has bright, carmine red blossoms; M. fistulosa -- the "true" wild bergamot -- has smokey pink flowers. M. citriodora and M. pectinata have light lavender to lilac-colored blooms and have slightly decreased flower quantities. Both species are commonly referred to as "Lemon Mint." There are over 50 commercial cultivars and hybrids, ranging in color from candy-apple red to pure white to deep blue, but these plants tend to be smaller than wild species, and often developed to combat climatic or pest conditions. "M.didyma" species can grow up to 6 feet tall. Seed collected from hybrids — as with most hybridized plants — does not produce identical plants to the parent.
The Monarda plants prefer full sun and moist yet well-drained soil. Plants established in partial shade or filtered sun have higher incidences of rapid horizontal spread and flower less. An aggressive plant in the South-eastern United States, Bergamots can grow in a wide variety of soil conditions. Powdery mildew, rust, and (rarely) tobacco mosaic viruses disrupt established plants on occasion, but the plants are in general highly resistant to most wilts and viruses and are not easily damaged. Used most frequently in areas in need of naturalization, Monarda is often used in beds and borders to encourage and increase the appearance of hummingbirds, pollinating insects, and because of oils present in its roots is sometimes used to companion plant around small vegetable crops susceptible to subterranean pests. While seed should be stratified briefly before starting, seed may be cast directly or started in coldframes or greenhouses at soil temperatures approaching 70° Fahrenheit. Generally, propagation occurs by hardwood and softwood cuttings, root cuttings, layering, and division; the latter, quite frequently, is the most popular method out of necessity: the plant should be divided every 3 to 5 years to reduce spread, keep the central core of the plant healthy, preclude root rot, and improve air circulation about the foliage.
Bee balm is considered a good plant to grow with tomatoes, ostensibly improving both health and flavor. It also is a good companion plant in general, attracting pollinators and some predatory/parasitic insects that hunt garden pests.
Monarda species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including case-bearers of the genus Coleophora including C. heinrichella (feeds exclusively on M. fistulosa), C. monardae (feeds exclusively on Monarda spp) and C. monardella (feeds exclusively on M. fistulosa).
The Bergamot of the Monarda species should not be confused with the popular flavoring used in Earl Grey tea. Dried leaves may be used for teas or aromatherapies, but the odor is subtly different from Citrus bergamia, the Earl Grey flavoring. For medicinal usage, Monarda has been known to treat headaches and fevers by infusing crushed leaves in boiling water.
From my set entitled “Peonies”
www.flickr.com/photos/21861018@N00/sets/72157607186459134/
In my collection entitled “The Garden”
www.flickr.com/photos/21861018@N00/collections/7215760718...
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The peony or paeony (Paeonia) is the only genus in the flowering plant family Paeoniaceae. They are native to Asia, southern Europe and western North America.
Most are herbaceous perennial plants 0.5–1.5 metres tall, but some are woody shrubs up to 1.5–3 metres tall. They have compound, deeply lobed leaves, and large, often fragrant flowers, ranging from red to white or yellow, in late spring and early summer. In the past, the peonies were often classified in the family Ranunculaceae, alongside Hellebores and Anemones.
The peony is named after Paeon or Paean, a student of Asclepius, the Greek god of medicine and healing. Asclepius became jealous of his pupil; Zeus saved Paeon from the wrath of Asclepius by turning him into the peony flower
The peony is among the longest-used flowers in ornamental culture and is one of the smallest living creature national emblems in China. Along with the plum blossom, it is a traditional floral symbol of China, where it is called 牡丹 (mǔ dān). It is also known as 富贵花 (fuguihua) "flower of riches and honour", and is used symbolically in Chinese art.[2] In 1903, the Qing Dynasty declared the peony as the national flower. Currently, the Republic of China on Taiwan designates the plum blossom as the national flower, while the People's Republic of China has no legally designated national flower. In 1994, the peony was proposed as the national flower after a nationwide poll, but the National People's Congress failed to ratify the selection. In 2003, another selection process has begun, but to date, no choice has been made.
The famous ancient Chinese city Luoyang has a reputation as a cultivation centre for the peonies. Throughout Chinese history, peonies in Luoyang are often said to be the finest in the country. Dozens of peony exhibitions and shows are still held there annually.
In Japan, Paeonia lactiflora used to be called ebisugusuri ("foreign medicine"). In kampo (the Japanese adaptation of Chinese medicine), its root was used as a treatment for convulsions. It is also cultivated as a garden plant. In Japan Paeonia suffruticosa is called the "The King of flowers" and Paeonia lactiflora is called the "prime minister of flowers".
Pronunciation of 牡丹 (peony) in Japan is "botan". Before the Meiji period, meat taken from quadrupeds was seldom consumed in Japan due to Buddhism. Thus in cases where such meat was handled, it was paraphrased using the names of flowers. The term botan was used (and is still used) to paraphrase wild boar meat. This comes from the flowery resemblance of the sliced meat when spread over a dish. Another example is sakura (cherry blossoms) which stands for horsemeat.
In 1957, the Indiana General Assembly passed a law to make the peony the state flower of Indiana, a title which it holds to this day. It replaced the zinnia, which had been the state flower since 1931.
Mischievous nymphs were said to hide in the petals of the Peony thus causing this magnificent flower to be given the meaning of Shame or Bashfulness in the Language of Flowers. It was named after Pæon, a physician to the gods, who obtained the plant on Mount Olympus from the mother of Apollo. Once planted the Peony likes to be left alone and punishes those who try to move it by not flowering again for several years. Once established, however, it produces splendid blooms each year for decades (Taken from The Language of Flowers, edited by Sheila Pickles, 1990).
Peonies are also extensively grown as ornamental plants for their very large, often scented flowers.
Peonies tend to attract ants to the flower buds. This is due to the nectar that forms on the outside of the flower buds.
Peonies are a common subject in tattoos, often used along with koi-fish.
From my set entitled “Clematis”
www.flickr.com/photos/21861018@N00/sets/72157607213973154/
In my collection entitled “The Garden”
www.flickr.com/photos/21861018@N00/collections/7215760718...
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clematis
Clematis (from Ancient Greek klematis, a climbing plant, probably periwinkle) is a genus of mostly vigorous climbing lianas, with attractive flowers. Some species are shrubby, and some others are herbaceous perennial plants. They are found throughout the temperate regions of both hemispheres, and also in mountains in the tropics. The cool temperate species are deciduous, but many of the warmer climate species are evergreen.
Most species are known as Clematis in English, while some are also known as traveller's joy, leather flower, vase vine and virgin's bower, the last three being names used for North American species.
One recent classification recognised 297 species of clematis. Unsurprisingly, therefore, modern taxonomists subdivide the genus. Magnus Johnson divided Clematis into 19 sections, several with subsections [1]; Christopher Grey-Wilson divided the genus into 9 subgenera, several with sections and subsections within them [2]. Several of the subdivisions are fairly consistent between different classifications, for example all Grey-Wilson's subgenera are used as sections by Johnson.
Although the genus Clematis is extremely diverse many of the most popular forms grown in gardens are cultivars belonging to the Viticella section of the subgenus Flammula as defined by Grey-Wilson. These larger flowered cultivars are often used within garden designs to climb archways, pergolas, wall-mounted trellis or to grow through companion plants. Raymond Evison chronicles the history and development of these forms which normally have large 12-15cm diameter upward facing flowers and believes they largely involve crosses of c. patens, c. lanuginosa and c. viticella.
Early season large flowering forms (e.g "Nelly Moser") tend towards the natural flowering habit of c. patens or c. lanuginosa while later flowering forms (eg. x jackmanii) are nearer in habit to c. viticella.
Clematis leaves are food for the caterpillars of some Lepidoptera species, including the Willow Beauty (Peribatodes rhomboidaria).
Clematis ligusticifolia is widespread across the western United States and grows in streamside thickets, wooded hillsides, and coniferous forests up to 4,000 feet. A related species, Clematis columbiana, is widespread from British Columbia south into Oregon, with a range that extends east into Montana and Wyoming. Clematis was referred to as "pepper vine" by early travelers and pioneers of the American West and used as a pepper substitute to spice up food during the period of western colonization, since during this period, Black pepper (Piper nigrum), was a costly and rarely obtainable spice.
The entire genus contains essential oils and compounds which are extremely irritating to the skin and mucous membrames. Unlike Black Pepper or Capsicum, however, the compounds in clematis cause internal bleeding of the digestive tract if ingested internally in large amounts. The plants are essentially toxic. Despite its toxicity, Native Americans used very small amounts of clematis as an effective treatment for migraine headaches and nervous disorders. It was also used as an effective treatment of skin infections.[1]
The current project entitled “The Support Resilience in Time of Crisis: Increase Availability of Energy at the Local Level” is funded by the Government of Netherlands and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
The Lebanon Crisis Response Plan – LCRP identified energy as one of the target sectors. More specifically the plan states, that “Government authorities in charge of the Energy and Water Sector, in collaboration with international and local partners, will continue their strong support to the most affected local communities, particularly through infrastructure projects in electricity, water, wastewater and solid waste. This has a vital benefit in mitigating the risks of social conflict between the local host communities and the displaced persons from Syria, and will be realized through the implementation of several activities.
The project’s objective is to increase the implementation of solar photovoltaic and/or other renewable energy projects within institutions (having a social impact or serving a social cause, located within the 251 most vulnerable communities in Lebanon), as a medium-term approach to reducing the impact of the Syrian crisis on the most vulnerable portion of the population. This objective is in line with the Lebanon Crisis Response Plan for 2017 - 2020.
Third communication brief entitled "Create, Duplicate".
Above: Pages from handmade development sketchbook showing research, testing with photography and future development ideas.
Duration: One Week.
Rationale:
duplicate
(adj). 1 exactly like something else, especially through having been copied
2 having two corresponding or identical parts
(n) 1 one of two or more identical things
(v) 2 make or be an exact copy of
A defining aspect of communicators is that the work will need to be reproduced in some form so that the audience can interact with it. We were asked to explore duplication as a concept and question its effect on value through producing our own.
I chose to look at the flaws of duplication, trying to contradict the idea that "two heads are better than one" by looking at how having a duplicate object could decrease the functionality of the item.
November 2013
New Deal mural entitled "A Skirmish between Bristish and Colonists" painted in 1939 by Ross. E. Moffett.
From my set entitled “Peonies”
www.flickr.com/photos/21861018@N00/sets/72157607186459134/
In my collection entitled “The Garden”
www.flickr.com/photos/21861018@N00/collections/7215760718...
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The peony or paeony (Paeonia) is the only genus in the flowering plant family Paeoniaceae. They are native to Asia, southern Europe and western North America.
Most are herbaceous perennial plants 0.5–1.5 metres tall, but some are woody shrubs up to 1.5–3 metres tall. They have compound, deeply lobed leaves, and large, often fragrant flowers, ranging from red to white or yellow, in late spring and early summer. In the past, the peonies were often classified in the family Ranunculaceae, alongside Hellebores and Anemones.
The peony is named after Paeon or Paean, a student of Asclepius, the Greek god of medicine and healing. Asclepius became jealous of his pupil; Zeus saved Paeon from the wrath of Asclepius by turning him into the peony flower
The peony is among the longest-used flowers in ornamental culture and is one of the smallest living creature national emblems in China. Along with the plum blossom, it is a traditional floral symbol of China, where it is called 牡丹 (mǔ dān). It is also known as 富贵花 (fuguihua) "flower of riches and honour", and is used symbolically in Chinese art.[2] In 1903, the Qing Dynasty declared the peony as the national flower. Currently, the Republic of China on Taiwan designates the plum blossom as the national flower, while the People's Republic of China has no legally designated national flower. In 1994, the peony was proposed as the national flower after a nationwide poll, but the National People's Congress failed to ratify the selection. In 2003, another selection process has begun, but to date, no choice has been made.
The famous ancient Chinese city Luoyang has a reputation as a cultivation centre for the peonies. Throughout Chinese history, peonies in Luoyang are often said to be the finest in the country. Dozens of peony exhibitions and shows are still held there annually.
In Japan, Paeonia lactiflora used to be called ebisugusuri ("foreign medicine"). In kampo (the Japanese adaptation of Chinese medicine), its root was used as a treatment for convulsions. It is also cultivated as a garden plant. In Japan Paeonia suffruticosa is called the "The King of flowers" and Paeonia lactiflora is called the "prime minister of flowers".
Pronunciation of 牡丹 (peony) in Japan is "botan". Before the Meiji period, meat taken from quadrupeds was seldom consumed in Japan due to Buddhism. Thus in cases where such meat was handled, it was paraphrased using the names of flowers. The term botan was used (and is still used) to paraphrase wild boar meat. This comes from the flowery resemblance of the sliced meat when spread over a dish. Another example is sakura (cherry blossoms) which stands for horsemeat.
In 1957, the Indiana General Assembly passed a law to make the peony the state flower of Indiana, a title which it holds to this day. It replaced the zinnia, which had been the state flower since 1931.
Mischievous nymphs were said to hide in the petals of the Peony thus causing this magnificent flower to be given the meaning of Shame or Bashfulness in the Language of Flowers. It was named after Pæon, a physician to the gods, who obtained the plant on Mount Olympus from the mother of Apollo. Once planted the Peony likes to be left alone and punishes those who try to move it by not flowering again for several years. Once established, however, it produces splendid blooms each year for decades (Taken from The Language of Flowers, edited by Sheila Pickles, 1990).
Peonies are also extensively grown as ornamental plants for their very large, often scented flowers.
Peonies tend to attract ants to the flower buds. This is due to the nectar that forms on the outside of the flower buds.
Peonies are a common subject in tattoos, often used along with koi-fish.
As a part of a lecture series entitled, The Mediated Image*, De Geuzen hosted a three course dinner devoted to the work of Michel de Certeau. During the meal, there were related presentations and visual interventions by De Certeau admirers Rob van Kranenburg and Mike Tyler.
Michel de Certeau has been an important figure in shifting modes of analysis away from the study of media as object or textual surface towards the research of how people use, interpret and reinvent media for their own purposes. As an ethnologist and historian, de Certeau refused to remain faithful to any singular specialised discipline. The theoretical framework from which he operated was impressively broad, traversing the lines between anthropology, sociology, philosophy, history, mysticism and literature. He radically questioned his own position within discursive practices by problematising the inevitable power relation that arises in studying a subject while simultaneously laying bare the numerous limitations of representation. Beyond the more self-reflexive aspects of his project, he examined how the weak attain power through subtle tactics of manipulation and play. According to de Certeau, suppressed voices emerge through the employment of guises, appropriation of media and creation of interruptions. As he points out with acuity in his book, The Practice of Everyday Life (1974) "Everyday life invents itself by poaching in countless ways on the property of others".
Rob van Kranenburg (1964) Worked and taught at Tilburg University as a research assistant after his studies in Language and Literature. Currently, he is working in Ghent developing and designing idiosyncratic and explorative online learning environments in the culture curriculum. As a writer he is part of the artscollective Alarrb.
Mike Tyler (Ventura, California, 1964) Artist / garden designer / film maker currently based in Amsterdam. His work has appeared in numerous exhibitions and festivals including: Kunsthalle Bern, Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, and Kunstlerhaus Bethanien, Berlin.
*The Mediated Image was a series of lectures and presentations programmed by De Geuzen looking at how images are constructed, interpreted, manipulated and received. Besides examining how images are made and displayed, the series explored key figures who have shaped contemporary media discourse, such as Guy Debord, Jean Baudrillard, Marshall McLuhan and Michel de Certeau.
From my set entitled “Fuchsia”
www.flickr.com/photos/21861018@N00/sets/72157607217665417/
In my collection entitled “The Garden”
www.flickr.com/photos/21861018@N00/collections/7215760718...
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Fuchsia is a genus of flowering plants, mostly shrubs and can grow long shoots, which were identified by Charles Plumier in the late-17th century, and named by Plumier in 1703 after the German botanist Leonhart Fuchs (1501–1566).[1] The English vernacular name Fuchsia is the same as the scientific name.
There are about 100–110 species of Fuchsia. The great majority are native to South America, but with a few occurring north through Central America to Mexico, and also several from New Zealand, and Tahiti. One species, Fuchsia magellanica, extends as far as the southern tip of South America occurring on Tierra del Fuego in the cool temperate zone, but the majority are tropical or subtropical. Most fuchsias are shrubs from 0.2–4 m (8 in-13 ft) tall, but one New Zealand species, Kotukutuku (Fuchsia excorticata), is unusual in the genus in being a tree, growing up to 12–15 m (39-49 ft) tall.
Fuchsia leaves are opposite or in whorls of 3–5, simple lanceolate and usually have serrated margins (entire in some species), 1–25 cm long, and can be either deciduous or evergreen depending on the species. The flowers are very decorative pendulous "eardrop" shape, borne in profusion throughout the summer and autumn, and all year in tropical species. They have four long, slender, sepals and four shorter, broader, petals; in many species the sepals are bright red and the petals purple (colours that attract the hummingbirds that pollinate them), but the colours can vary from white to dark red, purple-blue, and orange. A few have yellowish tones, and recent hybrids have added the color white in various combinations. The ovary is inferior and the fruit is a small (5–25 mm) dark reddish green, deep red, or deep purple, edible epigynous berry containing numerous very small seeds. Many people describe the fruit as having a subtle grape flavor spiced with black pepper.
Fuchsias are popular garden shrubs, and once planted will give years of pleasure for minimal amount of care. The British Fuchsia Society maintain a list of "hardy" fuchsias that have been proven to survive a number of winters throughout Britain and to be back in flower each year by July. Enthusiasts report that hundreds and even thousands of hybrids survive and prosper throughout the British Isles.
Fuchsias from sections Quelusia (F. magellanica and variants, F. regia, etc), encliandra (some encliandra hybrids flower continuously), Skinnera (F. excorticata, F. perscandens) and Procumbentes (F. procumbens is suitable as a groundcover) are proven to be hardy in widespread areas of Britain. Some temperate species will survive outdoors in the temperate areas, though may not always flower in the average British summer.
While the original pronunciation from the word's German origin is "fook-sya" /ˈfʊksja/, most English speakers tend to say "fyew'sha" /ˈfjuːʃə/. As a result, the word is often subjected to misspellings such as "fushcia" or "fuschia". In English, the other accepted pronunciation is "fyewk'see-ah", which is somewhat truer to the word's origin.
Among horticultural writers the fuchsia is jocularly referred to as "the world's most carefully spelled flower," a label which was apparently first given to it by Jimmy Barnes
Leonhart Fuchs was born in 1501. He occupied the chair of Medicine at the Tübingen University from the age of 34 until his death, on the 10th May 1566. Besides his medical knowledge, according to his record of activities which was extensive for the time, he studied plants. This was natural, for most of the remedies of the time were herbal and the two subjects were often inseparable.
In the course of his career Fuchs wrote De Historia Stirpium, which was published in 1542. In honour of Fuchs' work the fuchsia received its name shortly before 1703 by Charles Plumier. It was Plumier who compiled his Nova Plantarum Americanum, which was published in Paris in 1703, based on the results of his plant-finding trip to America in search of new genera.
The fuchsia was in England in the 18th century when Plumier took some seeds there after his expedition. The species he took was Fuchsia triphylla flore coccinea where specimens appeared in France. This may account for its reference under the name of "Thiles" in the Journal des Observations Botaniquesin 1725. Thiles was the name by which the plant was known in southern Chile where Plumier discovered it.
Professor Philip Munz, in his A Revision of the Genus Fuchsia, 1793 says, however, that the fuchsia was first introduced into England by a sailor who grew it in a window where it was observed by a nurseryman from Hammersmith, a Mr. Lee, who succeeded in buying it and propagating it for the trade. This was one of the short tubed species such as magellanica or coccinea.
This report is further embellished in various publications where Captain Firth, a sailor, brought the plant back to England from one of his trips to his home in Hammersmith where he gave it to his wife. Later on James Lee of St. Johns Wood, nurseryman and an astute businessman, heard of the plant and purchased it for £80. He then propagated as many as possible and sold them to the trade for prices ranging from £10 to £20 each.
In the Floricultural Cabinet, 1855, there is a report which varies slightly from the above. Here it says that F. coccinea was given to Kew Garden in 1788 by Captain Firth and that Lee acquired it from Kew.
By this time plant-collecting fever had spread and many species of numerous genera were introduced to England, some living plants, others as seed. The following plants were recorded at Kew: F. lycioides, 1796; F. arborescens, 1824; F. microphylla, 1827; F. fulgens, 1830; F. corymbiflora, 1840; and F. apetala, F. decussata, F. dependens and F. serratifolia in 1843 and 1844, the last four species attributable to Messrs. Veitch of Exeter.
With the increasing numbers of differing species in England plant breeders began to immediately develop hybrids to develop more desirable garden plants. The first recorded experiments date to 1825 as F. arborescens Χ F. macrostemma and F. arborescens X F. coccinea where the quality of the resultant plants was unrecorded.
Between 1835 and 1850 there was a tremendous influx to England of both hybrids and varieties, the majority of which have been lost.
In 1848 Monsieur Felix Porcher published the second edition of his book Le Fuchsia son Histoire et sa Culture. This described 520 species. In 1871 in later editions of M. Porchers book reference is made to James Lye who was to become famous as a breeder of fuchsias in England. In 1883 the first book of English fuchsias was published.
Between 1900 and 1914 many of the famous varieties were produced which were grown extensively for Covent Garden market by many growers just outside London. During the period between the world wars, fuchsia-growing slowed down as efforts were made toward crop production until after 1949, where plant and hybrid production resumed on a large scale.[3]
An exhibition entitled “PolandIn.” was held on the sidelines of the Assemblies of WIPO Member States, which met from September 24 to October 2, 2018.
It showcased the most important, most modern, and – in many cases – also iconic achievements of Polish technical know-how and design. WIPO co-organized the event with the Patent Office of the Republic of Poland and the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland.
Copyright: WIPO. Photo: Violaine Martin. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 IGO License.
From my set entitled “Clematis”
www.flickr.com/photos/21861018@N00/sets/72157607213973154/
In my collection entitled “The Garden”
www.flickr.com/photos/21861018@N00/collections/7215760718...
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clematis
Clematis (from Ancient Greek klematis, a climbing plant, probably periwinkle) is a genus of mostly vigorous climbing lianas, with attractive flowers. Some species are shrubby, and some others are herbaceous perennial plants. They are found throughout the temperate regions of both hemispheres, and also in mountains in the tropics. The cool temperate species are deciduous, but many of the warmer climate species are evergreen.
Most species are known as Clematis in English, while some are also known as traveller's joy, leather flower, vase vine and virgin's bower, the last three being names used for North American species.
One recent classification recognised 297 species of clematis. Unsurprisingly, therefore, modern taxonomists subdivide the genus. Magnus Johnson divided Clematis into 19 sections, several with subsections [1]; Christopher Grey-Wilson divided the genus into 9 subgenera, several with sections and subsections within them [2]. Several of the subdivisions are fairly consistent between different classifications, for example all Grey-Wilson's subgenera are used as sections by Johnson.
Although the genus Clematis is extremely diverse many of the most popular forms grown in gardens are cultivars belonging to the Viticella section of the subgenus Flammula as defined by Grey-Wilson. These larger flowered cultivars are often used within garden designs to climb archways, pergolas, wall-mounted trellis or to grow through companion plants. Raymond Evison chronicles the history and development of these forms which normally have large 12-15cm diameter upward facing flowers and believes they largely involve crosses of c. patens, c. lanuginosa and c. viticella.
Early season large flowering forms (e.g "Nelly Moser") tend towards the natural flowering habit of c. patens or c. lanuginosa while later flowering forms (eg. x jackmanii) are nearer in habit to c. viticella.
Clematis leaves are food for the caterpillars of some Lepidoptera species, including the Willow Beauty (Peribatodes rhomboidaria).
Clematis ligusticifolia is widespread across the western United States and grows in streamside thickets, wooded hillsides, and coniferous forests up to 4,000 feet. A related species, Clematis columbiana, is widespread from British Columbia south into Oregon, with a range that extends east into Montana and Wyoming. Clematis was referred to as "pepper vine" by early travelers and pioneers of the American West and used as a pepper substitute to spice up food during the period of western colonization, since during this period, Black pepper (Piper nigrum), was a costly and rarely obtainable spice.
The entire genus contains essential oils and compounds which are extremely irritating to the skin and mucous membrames. Unlike Black Pepper or Capsicum, however, the compounds in clematis cause internal bleeding of the digestive tract if ingested internally in large amounts. The plants are essentially toxic. Despite its toxicity, Native Americans used very small amounts of clematis as an effective treatment for migraine headaches and nervous disorders. It was also used as an effective treatment of skin infections.[1]
Entitled I Don’t Know . The Weave of Textile Language, this newly commissioned sculpture combines vast sways of fabrics designed by the artist from both man-made and natural fibres in three bold and brilliant colours.
From my set entitled “Clematis”
www.flickr.com/photos/21861018@N00/sets/72157607213973154/
In my collection entitled “The Garden”
www.flickr.com/photos/21861018@N00/collections/7215760718...
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clematis
Clematis (from Ancient Greek klematis, a climbing plant, probably periwinkle) is a genus of mostly vigorous climbing lianas, with attractive flowers. Some species are shrubby, and some others are herbaceous perennial plants. They are found throughout the temperate regions of both hemispheres, and also in mountains in the tropics. The cool temperate species are deciduous, but many of the warmer climate species are evergreen.
Most species are known as Clematis in English, while some are also known as traveller's joy, leather flower, vase vine and virgin's bower, the last three being names used for North American species.
One recent classification recognised 297 species of clematis. Unsurprisingly, therefore, modern taxonomists subdivide the genus. Magnus Johnson divided Clematis into 19 sections, several with subsections [1]; Christopher Grey-Wilson divided the genus into 9 subgenera, several with sections and subsections within them [2]. Several of the subdivisions are fairly consistent between different classifications, for example all Grey-Wilson's subgenera are used as sections by Johnson.
Although the genus Clematis is extremely diverse many of the most popular forms grown in gardens are cultivars belonging to the Viticella section of the subgenus Flammula as defined by Grey-Wilson. These larger flowered cultivars are often used within garden designs to climb archways, pergolas, wall-mounted trellis or to grow through companion plants. Raymond Evison chronicles the history and development of these forms which normally have large 12-15cm diameter upward facing flowers and believes they largely involve crosses of c. patens, c. lanuginosa and c. viticella.
Early season large flowering forms (e.g "Nelly Moser") tend towards the natural flowering habit of c. patens or c. lanuginosa while later flowering forms (eg. x jackmanii) are nearer in habit to c. viticella.
Clematis leaves are food for the caterpillars of some Lepidoptera species, including the Willow Beauty (Peribatodes rhomboidaria).
Clematis ligusticifolia is widespread across the western United States and grows in streamside thickets, wooded hillsides, and coniferous forests up to 4,000 feet. A related species, Clematis columbiana, is widespread from British Columbia south into Oregon, with a range that extends east into Montana and Wyoming. Clematis was referred to as "pepper vine" by early travelers and pioneers of the American West and used as a pepper substitute to spice up food during the period of western colonization, since during this period, Black pepper (Piper nigrum), was a costly and rarely obtainable spice.
The entire genus contains essential oils and compounds which are extremely irritating to the skin and mucous membrames. Unlike Black Pepper or Capsicum, however, the compounds in clematis cause internal bleeding of the digestive tract if ingested internally in large amounts. The plants are essentially toxic. Despite its toxicity, Native Americans used very small amounts of clematis as an effective treatment for migraine headaches and nervous disorders. It was also used as an effective treatment of skin infections.[1]
Entitled ‘Above and Below the Waves’, this is a charity knitting project created by Alison and Ann Murry of www.all2knit.co.uk/. Funds raised will go to the RNLI’s ‘Train one save many’ campaign. Created with submissions from around 2000 knitters of all abilities, including children Ann and Alison have produced the most amazing walk-in, natuical installation. This installation will be showcased around Britain and in a few venues over seas, so do check out their website and go see it for yourself.
I couldn’t fit the whole structure in my camera’s view finder… it’s so big and so, so detailed. It really must be seen in real life! Here are a few ‘oww’ and ‘arr’ piccies… (remember when you coo over these pictures it must be done in a pirate tongue… me ‘arty!)
Entitled: WIND IN THE FOREST
(Wind instruments from all over)
This is Peter Natterer of HOTEL PALINDRONE,playing the saxophone
Entitled "Rain/Life," this painting features an elephant walking up a hill during a storm. The earth flows with rich, wet soil, from which life springs.
The United States hosted a side event entitled “Facilitating National Implementation through Assistance and Cooperation: U.S., U.K., and Canadian Programs” December 14, 2012 during the Meeting of States Parties of the Biological and Toxins Weapons Convention at the United Nations in Geneva. Ambassador Laura Kennedy, U.S. Representatives to the Conference on Disarmament and U.S. Special Representative for Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention Issues, opened the event and moderated the panel. Following her opening remarks Ambassador Jo Adamson spoke on U.K. assistance programs, Ms. Kelly Anderson reviewed Canadian assistance programs, and Tom Countryman, Assistant Secretary of State for International Security and Nonproliferation, and Any Weber, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Nuclear, Chemical, and Biological Defense Programs, described U.S. assistance programs. Please go to the following link to see the presentations by the U.S. panelists geneva.usmission.gov/2012/12/13/agenda/
U.S. Mission Photo Eric Bridiers
This photographic portfolio entitled “ANCESTRAL LANDSCAPES” is the result of an incredible journey in Scotland through breathtaking natural landscapes. Scotland landscape is a permanent theater, a mysterious drama in which the initial plot seems to come from ancient feuds or the echo of legends. Contrasting like its climate, Scotland offers a range of light and shadow carried by the impetuousness of the elements. Weather reports are more like predicting the future than science. As frustrating as it may sound, it forces you to make your day unexpected. The turbulence of time exacerbates the green of the hills, the darkness of the mountains and the density of the ocean. The caledonian bad weather offers atmospheres that seem to come out of the most fantastic tales and legends. In this interplay of shades and contrasts, Scotland is a perpetual painting that offers aesthetes the violence of its brushstrokes. Consistently tackling the elements in Scotland grabs you literally and figuratively. The wind blows across the plains, the rain draws a curtain over the landscape and the proud mountains impress. Scotland is home to some of the most stunning landscapes I have ever seen. Shaped by landslides and tectonic movements that have completely sculpted their surroundings, these landscapes instantly immerse you in an almost supernatural fantasy world. One does not expect to discover such an exciting landscape. Vastness constantly echoes within us through our eyes.