[Hilary]

Gossypium, Cotton

Argentina issued this stamp in 1956 to celebrate the
‘Elevation of the Territory Chaco’

The stamp shows harvesting cotton, I think it is all done by machine now.

When we were last in Madrid I bought some cotton material from a small shop in a covered market. The young man, from Senegal, brings the material from his home country and then makes the bright dresses the women of that part of Africa like wearing. If I ever get round to making yet another sundress with this material; I fear the people of Corinth might go into shock

Cotton growing is mentioned three times in THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN
Today I am recommending that you read
MORE REFLECTIONS FROM APHRODITE’S ISLE  by John Joynes in number 28,April 2000, of THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN where cotton is mentioned.
While we are on the subject of Cyprus John Joynes has written about  PRESERVING ENDANGERED PLANTS in the latest THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN , number 93 July 2018. I am afraid I don’t have a postage stamp depicting any of the endangered plants

[Hilary]

Gentiana pneumonanthe, Marsh Gentian

A stamp issued by Bulgaria in 1972
In a series of other pretty stamps named FLOWERS

I asked a friend of mine to bring me a postcard from Switzerland depicting a gentian but she did better than that by taking this photo of gentians on her balcony. Thank you M

Looking through THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN index I came across a few references to gentians, not particularly this one. Read in issue number 29, July 2002.
 TICINO, SWITZERLAND 11-14 APRIL 2002 by Freda Cox
I do like the phrase
‘startling blue gentians “
You must agree that the gentians in the photo my friend sent me  are
 ‘startling‘blue’

[Hilary]

Sissinghurst
A stamp issued by the Royal Mail in a four stamp series named
 BRITISH GARDENS, unfortunately I don’t have the other three stamps

Sissinghurst is mentioned many times in THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN mostly as an example of what can’t be achieved in a Mediterranean garden

However, GREY–LEAVED PLANTS by Joanna Millar in THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN number 22, October 2000 looks like an interesting read

[Hilary]

Conservation
A stamp issued by Brasil in 1976 and given to me by my friend L 
It was brought out to commemorate the 
CONSERVATION OF THE ENVIRONMENT

The photo was taken on the way back from Sparta to Corinth in June
There appears to be a part of the hillside reforested, the trees are all the same size and the line stops very abruptly. There are also a few Eucalyptus trees planted on the edge of the Pine trees
.
 
I asked my son M to find out some information about this obviously reforested area in the photo and he sent me the following information in Greek, which I have very roughly translated

"Στην περιοχή των Βρεσθένων είχε γίνει μία εκτεταμένη αναδασωτική προσπάθεια κατά το παρελθόν με την ενρητίνωση των θαμνώνων με Pinus radiata (παραθαλάσσια πεύκη - αμερικανική) και P. maritima (μεσογειακή πεύκη - της δυτικής Μεσογείου), που θεωρείται ότι αντιστοιχούν στο περιβάλλον των αείφυλλων πλατύφυλλων, και μετά από μία καταστροφική πρόσφατη πυρκαγιά, σε ολόκληρη την περιοχή έγινε αναδάσωση μόνο με Pinus maritima και ήδη, με την ταχεία ανάπτυξή της, έχει αλλάξει την φυσιογνωμία στην συγκεκριμένη περιοχή".

“There had been an extensive reforestation attempt in the Vresthena area in the past with the ενρητίνωση [ artificial introduction of cone bearing trees to enrich the downgraded forests of deciduous or evergreen broad-leaved trees] of the scrub/maquis with Pinus radiata, Monterey pine and Pinus maritima, Pinus pinaster, which in theory correspond to the environment of the deciduous broad- leaved trees, then after a recent  catastrophic fire , the whole area was reforested using only Pinus maritima, Pinus pinaster which already, with its fast growth, has changed the appearance of the particular area “ 

To read about forest fires, how to try to prevent them and plants that are less inflammable than others go to
THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN number 51, January 2008
There are articles by Meral Cleary, Brian Chatterton, Trevor Nottle, Katherine Greenberg, Jennifer Gay and Caroline Harbouri on the subject

[Hilary]

I omitted to say that in issue 51, January 2008 of THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN there are articles by B.W. van Wilgen and Louis Trabaud also on the subject of gardens and fires

[Hilary]

Diathria clymena janeira, Cramer’s eighty-eight

This stamp was issued by Brasil in 1979 in a four stamp series named BUTTERLIES.
The occasion for this issue was
The International Stamp exhibition “Brasiliana 79”

This butterfly was discovered by Pieter Cramer
The stamp was kindly given to me by my friend L

There are plenty of references to butterflies in THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN, none, of course, for a butterfly which lives in Brasil.
To read about wild plants and Greek butterflies go to
THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN number 23, January 2001 and read LEARNING TO LOVE STINGING NETTLES AND THISTLES by Fleur Pavlidis

[Hilary]

Tulipa kaufmanniana, Waterlily Tulip

A stamp issued by the USSR in 1960 in an eight stamp series aptly named  FLOWERS

This stamp turned up in one of those big bags of stamps suitable for children. Our granddaughter, eleven, and her friends are collecting and swapping stamps.

I am not sure but I think the tulips we saw in THE ROYAL BOTANIC GARDEN, MADRID in a bowl shaped pot  of flowering tulips  named ‘Ice Stick’, are Tulipa kaufmanniana

This tulip is mentioned growing in Australia in
 A VISIT TO OTTO FAUSER’S GARDEN by Caroline Davies in
  THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN number 80, April 2015.

[Hilary]

Malus domestica, Apple

A stamp issued by New Zealand in a five stamp series in 1983.

The photo is of apples which my husband kindly bought so I could take the photo, now to eat them.

Apples are mentioned in THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN number 93, July 2018
Read CORFU GARDENS: ANCIENT MYTH AND MODERN MAGIC
 by Rachel Weaving

[Hilary]

Tulipa, Pink

This stamp was in a series of four issued by the Royal Mail in 1982 with the name of the series being BRITISH TEXTILES
The stamp informs us that this design was created by Steiner and Co. or did this company produce the textile also, I don’t know

The pink tulips weren’t out yet when we visited THE ROYAL BOTANIC GARDEN, MADRID this year. However, one or two were in a hurry. Here are a couple of photos of the early starters and a tulip photo bomber

Now to find an article in THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN which mentions hybrid tulips and not wild ones
Go to issue number 29, July 2002 and read
TICINO, SWITZERLAND 11-14 APRIL, 2002 by Freda Cox

[Hilary]

Gagea bohemica

Issued by Czechoslovakia, in a four stamp series named FLOWERS in, 1991
The stamps was kindly given to me by my friend L

The photo is of a local Gagea flower identified for me by 
THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN SOCIETY Forum
Several species of Gagea are mentioned in THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN but not particularly this one, so now to find an interesting article which I have not already referred to and which mentions Gagea.
Well that wasn’t too difficult
Gagea graeca are mentioned in WILD FLOWERS IN GREECE: NISYROS 
By Ann Kenady, THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN number 56, April 2009.

[Alisdair]

Steiners were a textiles firm in Accrington, Lancashire, printing calico cottons through the 19th century and then well into the first decades of the 20th. That design looks like one of the V&A's collection on their art nouveau designs.

[Hilary]

there are four in the series BRITISH TEXTILES issued by the Royal Mail

The other three are
William Morris
Strawberry Thief

Paul Nash
 Cherry Orchard

Andrew Foster
Chevron

Unfortunately I have neither the strawberry not the cherry stamps

[Hilary]

Aloe zebrina

A stamp issued by Botswana in 1975 in a four stamp series depicting aloes
Read about this plant here
http://pza.sanbi.org/aloe-zebrina

This plant is mentioned a couple of times in THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN 
I have chosen number 36, April 2004 for you to read, on page 63 in the SUNDRIES section, about the activities of the CATALONIA BRANCH

[Alisdair]

Hilary, many years ago Helena and I bought two little sofas from Libertys (William Morris designed most of his fabrics for them), which were covered in the Strawberry Thief fabric. it was rather a lightweight cotton, and eventually wore out (as they're absolutely our favourite place to sit), so last year we had them re-covered in the much heavier proper furnishing fabric. So this morning I took a picture of the fabric for you, in case you ever find that stamp!

[Hilary]

Wonderful
Just like the stamp