Botany, Travel, and Art, Oh My!
What is foxglove? Why is it important? What does it do or not do? And why is it called “foxglove” of all things?
It should be a surprise to none that humans have a tendency to concoct often fantastical narratives about their surroundings, some of which have connections to the foxglove, as we’ll explore in a few moments.
A Seed is Sleepy by Dianna Hutts Aston, Illustrated by Silvia Long and geared toward children aged 5-8, or Kindergarten reading level. This book is designated as children’s non-fiction. This book goes through different types of seeds and gives examples of each. Unlike some children’s books the illustrations are photo-realistic botanical watercolor paintings.
We Are the Gardeners by Joanna Gaines and kids, Illustrated by Julianna Swaney is written for children aged 4-8, or first to second grade reading level and designated as children’s non-fiction.
The story details the beginnings of a garden from the perspective of the author’s children, starting with a humble fern and growing from there.
The Bad Seed by Jory John, Illustrated by Pete Oswald and is written for children aged 4-8, or Preschool reading level. It’s designated as children’s fiction. The story explores the themes of isolation, pain, and how it can fester and cause additional damage, far and above what the initial pain was, both to the individual themselves and those around them.
The book is described as a mix of The Hunger Games and The Handmaid's Tale, but with bees and while I've not read either, from what I have heard and seen that would be accurate. The story itself was engaging and well written. However, while it is well written and engaging, describing insect society in a manner that you would a human society gets rather grim, incredibly fast.
If you are at all like me, you’ve wondered a time or two why bats, pumpkins, and the like have become associated with Halloween, Samhain, All Hallows Eve, or otherwise associated with the season. This is not going to be an exhaustive description, so feel free to share further lore in the comments, but it will cover a wide range, but today we will be discussing our beflighted mammal friends.
Even with everything occurring and abundant uncertainty, take a moment to drink some water, take a breath, and perhaps even hum a few bars like the bees do. It won’t create a vaccine, nor feed someone in need, nor even get your shopping done. However, it might just help you relieve the tension and other stresses you’re holding, at least for a time.
I used one of Modern Sprout’s self-watering gardening jar kits (not sponsored, but there are affiliate links in this post for that and other components if you’d like to get your own). However, you could use a regular hydroponics basket, some nylon belting (think bag straps or seat belt material) and a jar you have at home.
“In a bid to “save the economy,” the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has stopped enforcing environmental laws. According to these newly relaxed regulations, businesses failing to meet previous standards of public health and environmental security will not be fined, penalized, or subject to any civil penalties, wrote Knickmeyer, of the Associated Press. Many of these businesses are from the oil and gas industry and are often routinely cited for dumping hazardous materials already.”
Welcome to the experiments in voice editing and mic use that has been my life for the past week and a half.
In today's episode, we dive into the weird and wonderful world of the morning glory, specifically the Mexican morning glory (tlitliltzin, Ipomoea. tricolor), a vibrant blue and featured in the episode artwork, and the Beach moonflower (Ipomoea. violacea). Join me in discovering the... altered states and effects of this plant.
Today, we’re talking about the only plant to currently have “rainbow” in its scientific designation: The Arctostaphylos rainbowensis, or Rainbow Manzanita. This dicot shrub is native and endemic to California (4,5), existing exclusively in the far southern portion of the state, specifically between northern San Diego to southern Riverside counties.
Hail and well met, everyone!
So, I’ve been posting here and uploading largely separate content on my YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/Ethnobotanicam). I’m experimenting with still posting on the various platforms I currently use (Youtube, Instagram and the like), but cross-posting here as a method of aggregating all my botanical content into one place. Let me know what you think. Have a fab day, everyone, and happy LGBTQ+ Pride Month.
Kate
