[John J]

Oron is, of course, one of the Moderators of this Forum and the author of an excellent book, 'Bulbs of the Eastern Mediterranean', ISBN No. 978-0-90004-897-5.

[Hilary]

Cyclamen persicum

This stamp was issued by Lebanon in 1964

I don’t seem to have a photo of this flower but you can read about it here
https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/101163/i-Cyclamen-persicum-i/Details

In 2011 the MGS organised a tour of Israel lead by Oron Peri, you can read about this trip in THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN issue 65 July 2011
COLOURS AND CONTRASTS IN ISRAEL by David Wheeler

Cyclamen persicum is mentioned many times in the article. Members taking part in this trip have until tomorrow morning to post one of their photos taken during the trip
You have been warned

[Hilary]

Lilium candidum

A stamp issued by Lebanon in 1964

I am afraid the photo I have of Lilium candidum, Madonna lily, shows a very tired specimen seen growing in a garden in Thessaloniki in May

As John says Oron Peri is one of the moderators of this Forum. You can read about Oron’s ‘new' venture in THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN issue number 78, October 2014, on pages 2 and 3.

Also on this Forum under Plants for mediterranean gardens/ plant suppliers there are several posts by Oron Peri
In the issue of THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN. number 79, January 2015 on pages 67-69 Oron writes about  the MGS Forum  and bulbous plants

[Hilary]

Anemone sp.

A stamp issued by Lebanon in 1964

The photo shows some Anemones in the spring blowing in the wind.

To see a drawing of Anemone coronaria by Manoj Malde go to
 THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN issue number 84, April 2016.

In the same TMG in the BOOK section there is a review of Oron Peri’s book
BULBS OF THE EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN 

Those wishing to read the article in the Guardian of about  Oron and his ‘new’ venture posted in April 2015 can do so here‘

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/apr/04/gardens-oron-peri-eastern-mediterranean-plants

[Hilary]

Narcissus poeticus

Issued by Switzerland in 1946 in its PRO JUVENTUTE series
this stamp was for the 100th Anniversary of the Death of Rodolphe Topffer

I don’t have a photo of this flower but have now discovered that the photos on facebook can be copied.
This  was the  cover photo for THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN SOCIETY’S facebook page on 6th July 2017

This is the last piece featuring Oron Peri
In a short history of THE MEDITERRANENAN GARDEN SOCIETY which you can find here
http://www.mediterraneangardensociety.org/about-history.html
Oron is mentioned as one of the moderators of this Forum. What it doesn’t say is that he is especially active in the plant identification section to which I have resorted many times

[Hilary]

Protea.

Yet another stamp issued by South Africa depicting Protea

This stamp was issued in 1964-68 but there is no information as to which Protea it shows.

The photograph is copied from the MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN SOCIETY’S  facebook page of May25th 2016

As luck would have it, the very latest MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN, number 90 October 2017, mentions Protea cynaroides in
CONQUERING TABLE MOUNTAIN
By Kirsten Honeyman

I think this is one of the articles I am going to remember. I felt as if I huffed and puffed my way up the mountain with her

For photographs, see the MGS website
http://www.mediterraneangardensociety.org/90-table.html

[John J]

I'm a little late with this, Hilary, but the photo shows just one of a whole host of Narcissus poeticus that we saw on the MGS trip to Epirus in May 2015.

[Hilary]

Martes martes, Pine Marten

One more stamp from the series issued by the Royal Mail in 2004
WOODLAND ANIMALS

A cautious Pine Marten is mentioned by Leonard Pearcey in his article
THE SUMMER OF THE SPIKE
 in THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN number 33,  July 2003

[Hilary]

Buthus europaeus, Scorpion, Escorpion

A stamp issued by Spain in 1979

My star sign

Scorpions are mentioned in THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN   as being unwanted visitors in hot weather
Read GARDENING IN SOUTH-WEST FRANCE
by C.R.Illingworth in
 TMG number 7, Winter 1996-7

There will be a break with these postage stamp posts while I catch up with other projects, letter writing, knitting, sorting out the balconies for winter and  tidying up my computer files.
There are more stamps in the offing

[Charithea]

Hilary, thank you for informing us and also encouraging us to read past magazines. I have re read some of them and I am glad to be reacquainted  with forgotten things. Good luck with your other ventures.

[Hilary]

Papaver rhoeas, Field Poppy

This stamp was issued by New Zealand 1965 to commemorate
 the 50th Anniversary of the Gallipoli Landing.
To read about ANZAC DAY and the role New Zealand played in WW1 go here
https://nzhistory.govt.nz/war/anzac-day/introduction

Although ANZAC DAY is on 25th April I have posted this stamp today,
 Armistice Day

The photo is from THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN SOCIETY
 Facebook page of May 15th,

As you can imagine poppies are mentioned many times in
THE  MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN
I have chosen number 54, October 2008
A VISIT TO EPIRUS, NORTHERN GREECE by Jorun Tharaldsen

[Hilary]

Alectoris chukar, Chukar Partridge

This stamp was issued by the USA in 1971 and depicts the first line of the carol
 The Twelve Days of Christmas
“On the First day of Christmas my true love sent to me
a Partridge in a Pear Tree.”
The first day of Christmas being Christmas Day
Today is not the 25th December but I am starting a short session of plants, and garden visitors, featured on postage stamps issued for Christmas and will end the effort before all my family arrive.

I don’t have a photo of a Partridge to share with you and don’t even seem to have a photo of a Pear tree. A great omission as we pass many on our way between Corinth and Sparta

A reference to Partridges can be found in THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN  number 58, October 2009
GROWING VEGETABLES FOR SELF- SUFFICIENCY AND HEALTH
 By Clodagh & Dick Handscombe

[Hilary]

Christmas tree, Canada 1781
Canada issued a series of three postage stamps in 1981 to celebrate
“The 200th Anniversary of the First Illuminated Christmas Tree in Canada”
The candle lit tree from 1781 is decorated with apples, pears and pine cones.

The photos I am posting, although not from Canada but Bulgaria, are of Pinus
peuce, Macedonian pine, please correct me if I identified the tree incorrectly.
I picked up the cones, which look very suitable for including in Christmas decorations. on mount Vitosha,  Sofia.
This tree grows from the extreme north of Greece to the extreme south west of Serbia.

Not a tree to be found in Mediterranean gardens and no mention in
THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN , however, nearly every issue mentions pine trees

[Hilary]

This Christmas stamp was issued in 1985 by Finland
There is a row of Hyacinths along the bottom and what looks like some star shaped handicraft at the top.
Maybe some Scandinavian person can explain what it is
The photo is of my miserable effort to grow Hyacinths in glass jars
As you see they are neither straight nor at the same stage of development

[Hilary]

Christmas tree, Canada 1881
 The second stamp in the series issued by Canada in 1981 to celebrate
“The 200th Anniversary of the First Illuminated Christmas Tree in Canada”
The tree by 1881 is  decorated with toys, an angel, small musical instruments and biscuits, there is even a green and white sock.
Over the years I have knitted dozens of small Christmas tree decorations, one being striped socks, here is one posing on our Hoya.
For a photo of a tree I chose one showing a beautiful, tall, straight Fir growing in Elati, Epirus