[Hilary]

Nopalea dejecta, Spiny Nopal, belonging to the same family as the Prickly Pear

A stamp depicting cactus issued by the Principality of Monaco in 1960.

Apparently this plant is naturalized in so many parts of the world that it is not known where it originated

The article I am recommending does not feature a Prickly Pear but it does give a description on the Jardin Exotique de Monaco.
THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN number 79, January 2015 
THE 2014 AGM:
THE MAIN PROGRAMME, MENTON, COTE D’AZUR
By Edith Haeuser
For photographs of some of these gardens, see
THE MEDITERRANAN GARDEN SOCIETY website.
http://www.mediterraneangardensociety.org/79-agm.html

[Hilary]

Anthornis melanura, Bellbird.

A stamp issued by New Zealand in 1966 in a two stamp series. I am lucky enough to have both stamps. The series was named HEALTH STAMPS,
 I wonder why?

There are several websites where you can see and hear the Bellbird just search with the Latin name.
I copied this interesting fact from a website
 The call of the Anthornis melanura is used by Radio New Zealand as an interval signal.

There are no references to this bird in THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN and, so far,  I have found only two articles in all the journals to date which are about New Zealand.
.I think I have recommended this one another time
 ACCIDENAL MEDITERRANEAN by Marion Abrams 
THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN number 19, Winter 2000
Read about the adventures they had  in building a garden near Christchurch

[Caroline]

i can answer that one!  Health stamps and their first-day covers were sold to help fund health camps, which ran from 1919 to about 1970 (I think), initially for children suffering from TB, and then later more generally for children in poor health.  My grandparents used to send me the first-day covers until I was about 11.

[Hilary]

Interesting, many thanks 

[Hilary]

Cedrus deodara, Cedar UK

This stamp was issued in a four stamp series to celebrate the
150th Anniversary of Kew Gardens in 1990 by the Royal Mail.

 The information I have about the stamp only says Cedar so I feel I can use the photos I have of Cedrus   taken in THE ROYAL BOTANIC GARDEN, MADRID In spring this year
The tree in Madrid is Cedrus deodara, Himalayan cedar and as the notice states CEDRO DEL HIMALAYA
To read about the Cedrus deodara in THE NATIONAL GARDEN, ATHENS  go to  THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN number 16, Spring 1999 and read the article written by Caroline Harbouri with an illustration of the entrance drawn by Charlotte Enzmann

[Hilary]

Phoenix dactylifera, Date Palm

This stamp was issued in 1950 By Algeria in a set named FRUITS OF THE LAND
The other two in the series depict grapes and oranges

When my husband was in Paris several years ago there was an exhibition of Tunisian handicrafts in the foyer of his hotel. He brought this box/pot back together with other Tunisian artifacts

To read about Yve Menzies childhood memories of a garden in Cairo go to
THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN number 19, Winter 2000 and read
GARDENS OF DELIGHT

[Hilary]

Galanthus, Snowdrop

A stamp issued by the Royal Mail in a four stamp series named
 BRITISH WILD FLOWERS.
 In a catalogue the flowers on this stamp are named SNOWDROPS 

I have a photo of one of the Snowdrops I managed to grow on our balcony, Galanthus elwesii. The photo was taken at the end of January, 2015 since then I have kept to the much easier Freesias

Well it didn’t take me long to find an article about snowdrops in
 THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN.
I must never had had a stamp depicting snowdrops before as I have never referred to this article in issue number 68, April 2014
SNOWDROPS written and illustrated by Freda Cox

[Hilary]

Papaver orientale, Oriental poppy

This is the last stamp in the series issued by Poland in 1964

I have to thank my friend K who lent me her stamps to scan and use with this project
The photo, which was sent to me by my friend L who lives in Leeds, is of an Oriental poppy growing in the grounds of a castle or stately home 

Papaver orientale is mentioned in the article by Freda Cox
 BBC GARDENER’S WORLD LIVE
. THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN number 13, Summer 1998

[Hilary]

Nerium Oleander, Oleander

A stamp issued by Cuba in 1977   a six stamp series to celebrate
 THE 100th  ANNIVERSARY OF THE BIRTH OF DOCTOR JUAN TOMAS ROIG
The series was named CUBAN FLOWERS

The photo was taken in 2012 of one of the local bushes

Nerium oleander is included in the long list of plants which Judy Thomas has in her California garden.
 Read MY OWN MINI- MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN
In THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN number 57 July 2009
See  THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN SOCIETY website for photographs of this garden
http://www.mediterraneangardensociety.org/57-minimed.html

[Hilary]

Primula vulgaris, Primrose

A stamp issued by the Royal Mail in 1979 in a four stamp series   named BRITISH WILD FLOWERS

We were lucky  to visit the Castle in Sherbourne in March 2008 when all the daffodils and primroses were in bloom
Here is one of the photos I took that day 

Primula vulgaris is mentioned in a few issues of
THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN. I am pointing you to number 33, July 2003
 to read A GARDEN IN NORTH DEVON by Polly Morris

[Hilary]

Cereus giganteus with Syconycteris, Common blossom bat

This stamp was issued by the USA in 2007 in a sheet named POLLINATION.   

I have been keeping it to see just when I would feel like writing about this lovely bat which pollinates the tall Cactus.
I don’t really see why a bat which lives in Australia should be on a stamp issued by the USA

There is no  photo of Cereus giganteus in my collection but I do have a photo of, what I identified as, Cereus hilmannianus which was growing at the edge of a pavement in Sparta and produced this flower at eye level

Bats are mentioned in THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN of course
I have chosen HEARING A HEALTHY GARDEN by Richard Turner for you to read today
THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN number 38 October 2004

[Hilary]

A stamp issued by San Marino in 1953

Nerium oleander. The most common colour of Oleander flowers here is pink although we do have a white one in the yard of the block and there is a row of dark red ones  on the road to Ancient Corinth. However the apricot coloured ones and the pale yellow ones are hardly ever seen

This is an old e mail I sent my friends a few years ago
Nerium oleander, pale yellow, single
This grows near the dry river bed in Corinth.
Unfortunately there always seems to be a breeze blowing when I try to take flower photos
It is a bit out of focus
Hilary
Friday 29th June, 2012.

I am spoilt for choice this time to find and article for you to read in
 THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN 
Luckily I came across a reference to oleanders while browsing through issue number 52, April 2008
BOBOLI GARDENS AND VILLA BARDINI:
MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN
ORCHESTRATION by Helene Pizzi

[Alisdair]

The yellow oleander's lovely, Hilary. Is it still there, do you know?

[Hilary]

Hi there,
 I don't remember where I saw this yellow Oleander bush, exactly.
I did pass by the dry river bed  a few days ago looking for  the yellow Oleander but was not sure that I found it.
The day was rather windy and in fact it always seems to be windy there.
I will have a purposeful walk looking for it when there is a gap between family visits

[Hilary]

Menura novahollandiae, Lyrebird

A stamp issued many times by Australia from 1932 to 1956

I wonder how many of you learned about the fauna of Australia from postage stamps.
.Yes Lyrebirds are mentioned in THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN number 71, January 2013
I was going to post this to the Forum anyway for our Australian friends but Alisdair Aird came to the rescue with  his article

GARDENS, PLANTS, NEW FRIENDS: THE 2012 AGM IN AUSTRALIA