[Hilary]

Myrtus communis, Common Myrtle
One of a three stamp series issued by Israel to celebrate the
13th Anniversary of Independence,1961
All three stamps depict typical Mediterranean flowers

I was spoiled for choice while looking through THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN  to find a suitable article containing references to Myrtle.
In the end I chose issue number 59, January 2010.
MISS GERTRUDE JEKYLL AND MEDITERRANEAN PLANTS  by Michael Tooley
Some of you might remember having seen this stamp before when I posted it in August 2017

The following article might interest you
A MEDITERRANEAN PLANT FINDER by Heidi Gildemeister
 THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN number 5 Summer 1996
This issue of the journal is available as a free download
https://www.mediterraneangardensociety.org/journal5.pdf

[Hilary]

Nelumbo nucifera, Nymphaea immutabilis, Water lily

This stamp was issued in 2002, jointly with Thailand,  in a series of two stamps

Water lilies are mentioned in
A YEAR IN MY AUSTRALIAN GARDEN
By Margot Tobin
THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN number 105, July 2021

[Hilary]

Microseris lanceolata, Murnong

In 2002 Australia issued a series of five stamps named BUSH TUCKER 

There doesn't appear to be a reference to this plant in THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN but there are plenty of articles written about Australian gardens and this is one of them
THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN IN AUSTRALIA by George Seddon
THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN number 17, Summer 1999

[Hilary]

Artemisia absinthium, ARRITY, Common wormwood

This stamp was issued by Ethiopia in 2012 in a series of four stamps named MEDICINAL PLANTS

Artemisia absinthium is mentioned in AN M.G.S. VISIT TO COSMOTE’S GREEN ROOF by Diana Farr Louis
THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN number 85, July 2016

[Hilary]

Rhododendron ‘Midnight’

In 2003 Australia issued a series of five stamps named
AUSTRALIAN CULTIVARS.

 I can only assume that the date on each stamp, refers to the year the cultivar was first available to gardeners 

There doesn't appear to be a reference to this plant in THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN but there are plenty of articles written about Australian gardens and this is one of them

GARDENING IN AUSTRALIA’S; CAPITAL CITY
By Tim North
THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN number 15, Winter 1998/99

I wonder what the garden is like now twenty years later

[Hilary]

Grevillea ‘Superb’

In 2003 Australia issued a series of five stamps named
AUSTRALIAN CULTIVARS. I can only assume that the date on each stamp refers to the year the cultivar was first available to gardeners 

Grevilleas are mentioned in
EAST GIPPSLAND
By Lindy Neylan
THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN number104, April 2021

[Hilary]

Convallaria majalis, Konvalinka, Lily of the Valley

The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, issued this stamp in 2018

Lily of the Valley is mentioned in
GARDENING IN THE SHADE OF THE PYRAMID
By Duncan Thomas
THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN number 49, July 2007

See THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN SOCIETY website for photographs of the cemetery

http://www.mediterraneangardensocietyarchive.org/49-pyramid.html

[David Dickinson]

Thanks for this. I tried clicking on the link for the full article but it doesn't work for me. A pity as I have a shady spot here in Rome where I have tried to grow convallaria a couple of times with zero success. The article is about a monument which is about 6 kilometers from my house so I was hoping to pick up some tips. That is, of course, if they were successful in growing it. Perhaps the article talks about their failure too?

[Hilary]

The article says, I quote

'The raised beds around the seat were planted with ….. Convallaria majalis ,,,and other plants associated with England'

You will have to visit Keats' grave to see if the Lily of the valley is still there

[David Dickinson]

Thanks for taking the time to look that up and write back. I will make a note to visit in spring and see if there are some plants.

[Hilary]

Cucurbita maxima, Pumpkin, Citrouilles

This stamp is in a series of four stamps issued by Algeria in 2017  named  FRUITS OF ALGERIA

Pumpkins are mentioned in
THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN number  58, October 2009
NOTES FROM A NOVICE VEGETABLE GROWER TREVOR NOTTLE

Here is a scan of  the drawing of pumpkins by John Jefferis which is entitled
Pumpkin ‘Galeux d’Eysines’

Also, a couple of photos of last year's and this year's autumn decorations on our mantlepiece.

[Charithea]

How very cool Hilary. I don't remember ever having a tradition of 'pumpkins ' in the country.  Of course now there are people who do decorate their houses as they brought their customs from their non Cypriot parents, grand parents etc.  Our grand daughter has a pumpkin on her wall adjecent their gate. She decorated it with her friend.

[Fermi]

In Australia pumpkin is used as a vegetable, especially as a creamy soup.
Americans only seem to eat it as a terribly sweetened pie (a bit like putting sugar on potatoes as far as I'm concerned!)
Halloween occurs here in spring so they bring in pumpkins from somewhere for decorations (eating pumpkins are available all year round, mostly grown up north in Queensland as their seasons are a reverse of ours in the south).
A local chef told the story of some friends on holiday somewhere in Europe who saw a farmer with a cartload of pumpkins. They bought one from him and when they said they wanted to make soup with it he said "What for you want to eat cattle food?"!
cheers
fermi

[Charithea]

Fermi thank you for making me laugh early in the morning. As I said, pumpkins and decorations are new here in Cyprus. We have for the first time grown 2 pumpkins accidentally as I believed I bought courgette plants. My niece makes amazing 'glyko' using pumpkin and I have at times made the American pumpkin dessert using our long reddish marrows.  It needed lots of mixed spices to improve the flavour.

[David Dickinson]

Pumpkins are used in Italy in myriads of ways - various pasta and rice dishes as well as gnocchi made with "zucca" too. The Halloween tradition of carving them into a lantern doesn't seem to have caught on, but you can find decorations based on carved pumpkins. Luckily (aren't I a miserable old man!) we don't have trick or treat. When I was a kid, trick or treat didn't exist. We had Mischievous Night on the 4th of November. The "victim" had no choice in the matter. The trick was played whether they liked it or not. Some quite dangerous things were done, now that I think about it. Like tying up people's door knobs so that they couldn't get out of their house. Stealing wooden gates for the bonfire on Guy Fawkes Night (5th November) too.