Tag: care guide
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Poppy: The Elixir of Life is Poison
How the flower of death factored into the Eleusinian mysteries and the Persephone myth. Scientific Name: Poppy Somniferum (Sleep-bringing swell) Opium/Bread-seed poppy In all the steamy drama, romance, and speculation that comes from re-tellings of the myth of Persephone and Hades, people often hide and ignore key elements of the story in favor of sweeter…
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Mimosa Pudica: It’s the Shy Ones You Should Look Out For
Deep in the forests of Madagascar, there lives a legendary tree called the “tepe.” Perhaps you’ve heard of it before. With a thick textured trunk and leaves of an agave plant, it has voracious tendrils sprouting and thrashing from the crown like a nest of angry vipers. If you draw too close to the intoxicating…
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Plant Zones
Plant zones, often referred to as “hardiness zones,” are a classification system used to guide the selection of plants based on the climate conditions in which they are most likely to thrive. Developed by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), this system is most commonly seen on plant tags and in gardening resources within…
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Mint: Dr. Frankenstein’s monster smells of love and shaving cream
Menthe (mint), from the family Lamiaeacea (jaws) Mint is a lovely, versatile garden plant that has rooted itself deeply into gardens worldwide— a distinct, vibrant personality setting it apart from its neighbors both subjectively and physically (being an isolated plant in garden beds). Its personality is so distinct that ancient Greeks had personified it in…
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Pomegranates: Planting infused with vitamins, minerals, and the meaning of life
Expensive, messy, and highly acclaimed for its health benefits, the pomegranate is stereotypically associated with rich wellness enthusiasts who care too much about questionable scientific research on chemical compounds no one can pronounce. And surely the pomegranate must not have changed its branding much since the beginning of time, with its association with rich pharaohs…