[Fermi]

Isopogon formosus ssp dasylepis was featured on an Australian stamp from 2015 (a series of 4 wildflowers).
You can read about this Western Australian protea relative here: https://www.anbg.gov.au/gnp/interns-2004/isopogon-formosus.html
Someone else will have to see if it appears in the MGS journals as I'm not a subscriber.
Lastly a couple of pics of another Isopogon (Possibly I. cuneatus) growing in a sandbed in our Central Victorian garden.
cheers
fermi

[Hilary]

Fermi,

I love all the photos you post of your garden and plants. i saw some tiny narcissus a couple of days ago in Madrid and thought of your collection. If the photos are any good i will post them.
I also love the photo of an Australian stamp featuring a plant which you posted today. I have yet to read the link .

However, after having a good laugh, i must tell you that my idea of posting photos of stamps which depict plants mentioned in THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN was with the , vain it seems, intention of drumming up some more members to the society. Personally  I can hardly wait for the next journal to arrive

[Hilary]

Sciurus vulgaris, Red Squirrel

This postage stamp was issued by the Royal Mail in 1961 to celebrate
THE POST OFFICE SAVINGS BANK 1861-1961
The stamp depicts a Squirrel squirrelling away nuts for the winter, a wise Owl looking on and a bird sitting on a nest

The photos are of a wooden squirrel my father made when he took up woodworking for a short while. I think it was too cold in the garage and woodworking too messy to be done in the house so he gave it up after completing this squirrel and a small dog.

Looking through the excellent index of
 THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN I discovered that squirrels are mentioned in seven articles. I admit that I didn’t look at all seven journals to pick out one to recommend, but chose issue number 25 July 2001 where Katherine Greenberg writes in
 A LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT

“While I was away many seedling oaks had grown from acorns planted last fall by the resident squirrels and scrub jays as a winter food supply”

[Hilary]

Cercis siliquastrum, Judas tree,
A stamp in the three stamp series THE TREES OF THE HOLY LAND issued by Israel in 1981.
This tree is in blossom now, the beginning of April.The one down in the back yard which looked quite dead a couple of weeks ago is now bright pink.
Here is a photo taken this morning
No shortage of articles to choose from for the Judas tree.
THOUGHTS INSPIRED BY A MINI ‘MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN’
By Francois Travert in THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN, number 39 January 2005 is interesting

[Umbrian]

Always a red letter day when the Journal arrives Hilary and there is an interesting cross reference in the lastest - No 92 - regarding oak trees and acorns.  Christine Magerum writes of the devestation caused by wild boar seeking out the bountiful harvest of acorns that drop from the oaks on her land. I too suffered from these marauding animals when living in our original house in the wilds of Umbria where we were surrounded by oak woods. Squirrels abounded too their favourite food being the cones on my Cupressus sempervirens. Gardening is always done hand in and with the joys and 'miseries' of the natural world around us!

[Hilary]

Talking of oak trees
Quercus ithaburensis

The last stamp from the three stamp series THE TREES OF THE HOLY LAND issued by Israel in 1981

You can read about this tree here, in Greek
http://www.greekflora.gr/el/flowers/3139/Quercus-ithaburensis-subsp-macrolepis

This tree is mentioned as growing on Mount Parnitha in Attica, Greece in the article written by Valerie Whittington THE 2013 AGM: ATTICA
THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN number 75, January 2014

[Hilary]

Pancratium maritimum, Sea Daffodil

This stamp was issued by Israel in 1960 in a series   issued to celebrate the
12th Anniversary of Independence
The photo was taken on the island of Naxos in 1991in before digital camera days

There are many articles to choose from mentioning Sea Daffodils in
THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN.  I decided on TMG issue 52, April 2008 for you to read
SOLLER BOTANICAL GARDEN by Robin Musters

[Hilary]

Ammotragus  lervia .Aoudad, Barbary Sheep

The second stamp in the series issued in 1980 by Tunisia

The Red List gives information about this goat
http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/1151/0

There are many references to goats in THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN but not this one of course.
Since anyone who has visited the Greek countryside will have come across goats I am sure you would like to  read
A CISTUS HYBRID IN CRETE by Olivier Filipppi in TMG number 24, April 2001

[Hilary]

Anthyllis onobrychioides

A stamp issued by Spain in 1974
I have not been able to find out much about this plant except that the flowers are yellow

”They grow in heads 10-12 flowered , which appear in June and July. A native of Spain”

There is no reference to this particular plant in THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN and I have not been able to find much on the web written for the layman.
However Anthyllis barba-jovis, which I imagine is a relative, is mentioned many times in TMG. I often wonder what this plant looks like but never enough to actually look it up. I see it is grown at Sparoza

You can read about Anthyllis barba-jovis here
TMG number 76, April 2014.SIX SPAROZA PLANTS ; COLOURS IN SPRING  by Caroline Harbouri

[John J]

Hilary, I don't know how to link from one thread to another, but if you look at Morning Walks, page 13, reply #187 dated April 1, the first photo is of the Anthyllis barba-jovis in our garden. It came originally from Sparoza.

[Hilary]

Anthyllis barba-jovis
In John J's garden

I expect I will be seeing it all over the place now.

[Hilary]

Zea mays, Maize

A stamp issued in 1964 by the USSR in a, seven stamp, series named AGRICULTURAL CROPS

I came across these two dried Maize cobs in a traditional shop in Chinchon. The shop was selling baskets and different kinds of rope and agricultural looking tools. I don’t know if the Maize was not more for decoration than sale although the owner did tell us how to prepare the corn to be able to eat it

Maize is mentioned in three issues of  THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN which is not many times considering every Mediterranean garden with a vegetable patch usually has a line of Maize at the edge.
Of the three articles in TMG I have already used two of them so now we go to the third in TMG number 58, October 2009.
Go to the letters and read the one by Salley Vickers about the dangers of genetic modification

[Hilary]

Gentiana verna ,Spring Gentian

A stamp issued by The Royal Mail in 1964.

The photo is of a leaflet I collected in 1964 when I visited Switzerland and wrote a journal about the experience

Gentiana verna is mentioned in THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN number 20, April 2000 in a list of plants compiled by Dick Elliot which he has growing in his garden in Nottingham.
Read GREEK PLANTS IN A NOTTINGHAM GARDEN

[Fermi]

Hi Hilary,
I like the painting from that leaflet.
Spring Gentian was one of the wildflowers we scoured the Burren in Western Ireland to find last May,
cheers
fermi

[Hilary]

Lovely
To me they are even mythical as I have never seen one