[Hilary]

Triticum aestivum, Wheat

A stamp issued in 1964 in a seven stamp series by the USSR The photo is of women winnowing grain on the Lasithi plateau, Crete, Greece in 1966

Just for interest I looked up what winnow is in Greek, λιχνίζω

To read an interesting article about TRAVELLING SEEDS go to
THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN number 64, April 2011 and read the introduction From the President who was then Jean Vache 

[Hilary]

Leucanthemum vulgare, Ox Eye Daisy
Tussilago, Coltsfoot
Ranunculus acris, Meadow Buttercup

A stamp issued by the Royal Mail in 1967 depicting common wild flowers of Britain

I can’t say I have seen a Coltsfoot for very many years
In fact I don’t seem to have a photo of any of these flowers.

I was thrilled to find a reference to Coltsfoot in THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN and even more so when I realized that I had not recommended this article before.
FLORA’S FROCK : A MEDITATION UPON    BOTTICELLI’S  “ PRIMAVERA”
By Anthony Lyman-Dixon in issue number 57
I snapped the drawing John Jefferis made to illustrate this article
Primavera’s flowers, after Botticelli

[Charithea]

Hillary, My IPad was in use by our granddaughter yesterday so I didn't read any of the posts. The photo of the ladies winnowing is very evocative of 'hard backbreaking labour'. During my teaching years here in Cyprus I have always made a point of creating a garden for herbs, planted native plants and generally looked after the school garden. I used the content of the garden for my primary science lessons. It was very difficult to get the children to dig or weed the garden. Their parents didn't want them to work in the 'dirt' like their grandparents. I was reminded that they were there to study and have an easier life. 

[Hilary]

My eleven year old granddaughter didn't want to go to school when it opened again this September. I told her that she would have to work if she didn't go to school. This brought memories of a family friend, now a teacher, who used to spend all her summer holidays working in the family fields.

[Hilary]

Carpobrotus edulis, Hottentot Fig.

One more stamp issued by THE BAILIWICK OF GUERNSEY in a series named WILD FLOWERS

I took this photo in 1966 somewhere near the sea in Corinth. I must have been very impressed by the plant to take its photo as the film, for transparencies, was very expensive.

Hottentot Fig  used to be very common in the 1960’s and I remember some growing down the walls near one of the toll booths of the then National Road

To read about Carpobrotus edulis and other invasive plants go to
 THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN number 57, October 2008 where there are five articles about INVASIVE PLANTS

[Hilary]

Anthemis tricolor, Three-coloured chamomile

A stamp issued in a four stamp series named    WILD FLOWERS by
The Republic of Cyprus,  Κυπριακή Δημοκρατία,  Kibris Cumhuriyeti in 2018.
The stamp was kindly donated by John J to keep this thread going

Photos of this plant can be seen on the website of Savvas Tryfonos
 “A website dedicated to all Cyprus plants “

Sorry no photo from me

While Anthemis tricolor is not mentioned anywhere in THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN  Anthemis are mentioned is several issues. Go to number 56, April 2009 and read WILD FLOWERS IN GREECE: NISYROS by Ann Kenady

For photographs of some of the plants and places described, see
 THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN SOCIETY website

http://www.mediterraneangardensociety.org/56-nisyros.html

[Hilary]

Vitis vinifera, Grape vine 

Greece issued a series of twelve stamps in 2014 each depicting something representing each month and Folk Art
The series was named THE MONTH IN FOLK ART

The stamp for September depicts grapes. This area of Greece grows a lot of grapes and the hillsides, which we see from the beach, shine with the plastic covers  erected over the vines to protect them from rain and sun damage, not to mention hail. 
My husband brought grapes back from the street market and I cut some branches off a neighbour's grape vine to take this photo. Now to eat the grapes. We are spoiled in this area as seedless grapes are grown in great quantities. Consequently it is a bother to have to eat grapes with pips, how lazy can you get?

There probably not many Mediterranean gardens without their grape vine and there is no shortage of references in THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN
Go to issue number 82, October 2015 and read
HISTORIC GARDENS AT VILLA BOLOGNA, MALTA
By Anne R. Welles

[Hilary]

For photographs of the Villa Bologna, Malta go here

http://www.mediterraneangardensociety.org/82-malta.html

[Alisdair]

Beautifully staged photo, Hilary!

[Charithea]

Hilary are the red grapes crunchy?  They look like our Cyprus 'verico' grapes which is the most common type of grape normaly grown in the homes for summer shade.

[Hilary]

Charithea,
I can't say the grapes were crunchy, they had very small pips and are now a thing of the past.
My husband didn't ask the man at the street market the name of the grapes which, of course, was the first thing I asked him when he brought them home

[Charithea]

Άντρες  !! Thanks Hilary.  Because 'verico' is crunchy and full of seeds  they are not used to make raisins or to squeeze to make 'palouze'. They do have a lovely taste though.

[Hilary]

Decticus verrucivorus, Bush Cricket, Wart - biter

Another stamp from the five stamp series named INSECTS issued by the Royal Mail in 1985.
Find these stamps very attractive and note that they were engraved by Harrison

I don’t think I have a photo of a Bush Cricket although we did have a large grasshopper like insect trapped in the kitchen last December. In the photo you can see, apart from the grasshopper,  the dismal view from the kitchen window and the Gerania Mountain

I didn’t find an article about the Bush Cricket in THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN but I thought the gardeners with pest problems might be interested in this
GARDEN PESTS, DISEASES AND WEEDS:A SURVEY by members of the Languedoc branch in THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN number 60, April 2010

[Hilary]

Passiflora coerulea, MBURUCUYA-PASONARA

A stamp issued by Argentina in 1983
The stamp states the name as Passiflora coerulea but it seems to be Passiflora caerulea, Did they make a mistake and write o instead of a?
There are nine stamps in the series; I posted one of the series a while ago.
Now I have the complete set so there will be eight beautiful flowery stamp posts coming your way

To read about how to grow this climber read here
https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/12356/Passiflora-caerulea/Details

The photo I have of a Passion Flower was taken in October 2008 when we attended a wedding in Saint Albans, UK

This useful climber is mentioned in many copies of THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN. Today I am pointing you to issue number 22, October 2000
So that you read
OUR LEONIDION GARDEN: SEPTEMBER by Duncan Graham

[Alisdair]

They did make a mistake, Hilary - and lots of other people including a few nursery catalogues still do! But it's been "caerulea" ever since Linnaeus named it.