Plants of the world on postage stamps

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Hilary

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Re: Plants of the world on postage stamps
« Reply #735 on: October 12, 2018, 05:22:28 AM »
Pisum sativum, Garden pea

The fourth stamp in the series issued by the USSR in 1964 depicting agricultural products

We hardly ever see fresh peas here in Greece so I have taken a photo of the packet of  frozen peas. One of our favourite meals in the spring is artichokes with peas   

Pisum sativum is mentioned in THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN number 72, January 2013 in a list of seeds donated to THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN SOCIETY by Marcus Ryan. Go to page 68 to read THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN SOCIETY SEED EXCHANGE
MGS member
Living in Korinthos, Greece.
No garden but two balconies, one facing south and the other north.
Most of my plants are succulents which need little care

Hilary

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Re: Plants of the world on postage stamps
« Reply #736 on: October 13, 2018, 06:55:45 AM »
Momordica charantia = Bitter Melon,  Balsam Pear.
This plant appeared last year on a couple of balconies in Corinth and this particular vine was growing up a newly planted olive tree outside a small shop.
The pale green, knobbly fruit turned bright orange and split open to show the bright red sticky seeds in a matter of five days.
Apparently some versions of this plant are eaten in India and Asia.
I forgot to ask the owner of the shop how she had come by the plant.
Hilary
16th November 2010

I wrote the above when I sent photos of the plant to my Hotmail friends. Now that I have the stamp I thought I would send it to this Forum, However it is not mentioned in a single issue of THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN, as far as I can see. Now, breaking my self made rule of not posting a stamp unless I find a reference to the depicted plant in THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN  here is the stamp and three photos of Momordica charantia

Momordica charantia, a stamp issued by the British Virgin Islands in 1981 in a five stamp series

MGS member
Living in Korinthos, Greece.
No garden but two balconies, one facing south and the other north.
Most of my plants are succulents which need little care

Hilary

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Re: Plants of the world on postage stamps
« Reply #737 on: October 14, 2018, 07:20:38 AM »
Passiflora foetida, Stinking Passionflower

Yet another stamp issued by the British Virgin Islands in 1981 in a five stamp series.

I don’t have a photo of this Passionflower which apparently has a strong smell!

Passion flowers are mentioned many times in THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN but not specifically this one. I have chosen issue number 7, Winter 1996/7 for you to read
GARDENING IN SOUTH-WEST FRANCE by C. R, Illingworth
MGS member
Living in Korinthos, Greece.
No garden but two balconies, one facing south and the other north.
Most of my plants are succulents which need little care

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Charithea

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Re: Plants of the world on postage stamps
« Reply #738 on: October 14, 2018, 08:03:06 AM »
Hilary, with reference to the Momordica charantia you can justify  the posting on the fact that they do grow in the Mediterranean.  We have been seeing  the above growing in our area the last few years.  They  have arrived here with  the 'foreign carers'. The ladies grow their native herbs and vegetables in plastic pots or in corners of their bosses' garden.   I was presented with one of these fruits two weeks ago but the recipe was rather vague so I put it aside for a while.  It went yellow then orange and split with seeds ready for planting.  I will try them in November.
« Last Edit: October 14, 2018, 04:40:34 PM by Charithea »
I garden in Cyprus, in a flat old farming field, alt. approx. 30 m asl.

Hilary

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Re: Plants of the world on postage stamps
« Reply #739 on: October 14, 2018, 10:08:37 AM »
Good luck, the fruit look really interesting
MGS member
Living in Korinthos, Greece.
No garden but two balconies, one facing south and the other north.
Most of my plants are succulents which need little care

Hilary

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Re: Plants of the world on postage stamps
« Reply #740 on: October 15, 2018, 05:16:48 AM »
Colchicum speciosum stev

A stamp issued by the USSR in 1960 in an eight stamp series
 designed by G. Chuchelov

Here is a photo of Colchicum cupanii which was identified for me by
 THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN SOCIETY Forum.
We saw the flowers one autumn when we visited my favourite field half way between Sparta and Tripolis.

Looking for a reference to Colchicum in THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN I came across a very apt article as, I think, we were probably in Arcadia when I took the photo.
GARDENING IN ARKADIA by Duncan Graham in issue number 19, Winter 2000
MGS member
Living in Korinthos, Greece.
No garden but two balconies, one facing south and the other north.
Most of my plants are succulents which need little care

Hilary

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Re: Plants of the world on postage stamps
« Reply #741 on: October 16, 2018, 06:16:00 AM »
Rosa, Elizabeth of Glamis 

Issued in 1976 by the Royal Mail to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the Royal National Rose Society. There are four stamps in the series

This rose is apparently a salmon colour. I don’t have a photo of this particular rose but I thought you might like to see this photo of a pink/ orange rose growing in the Goudes Park in Sparta.

There are so many references to Roses in THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN I had great difficulty in deciding which one to recommend. In the end I decided on USEFUL ROSES  by Christoph Wieschus in issue number 13 Summer 1998
MGS member
Living in Korinthos, Greece.
No garden but two balconies, one facing south and the other north.
Most of my plants are succulents which need little care

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Fermi

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Re: Plants of the world on postage stamps - Rosa, Elizabeth of Glamis
« Reply #742 on: October 16, 2018, 06:38:43 AM »
I often wondered if this rose was named after the (late) Queen Mother and found this which seems to verify it:
http://forums.mooseyscountrygarden.com/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=1823
cheers
fermi
Mr F de Sousa, Central Victoria, Australia
member of AGS, SRGC, NARGS
working as a physio to support my gardening habit!

Hilary

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Re: Plants of the world on postage stamps
« Reply #743 on: October 16, 2018, 12:24:47 PM »
Interesting
I love interesting information, especially when someone else does the homework!
MGS member
Living in Korinthos, Greece.
No garden but two balconies, one facing south and the other north.
Most of my plants are succulents which need little care

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JTh

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Re: Plants of the world on postage stamps
« Reply #744 on: October 16, 2018, 06:26:19 PM »
Your photo of the rose in the Goudes Park looks exactly like one  I have which i never managed to find a name of; it's my favourite rose in our garden in Greece.
Retired veterinary surgeon by training with a PhD in parasitology,  but worked as a virologist since 1992.
Member of the MGS  since 2004. Gardening in Oslo and to a limited extent in Halkidiki, Greece.

Hilary

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Re: Plants of the world on postage stamps
« Reply #745 on: October 18, 2018, 06:02:34 AM »
Iris pseudopumila, Southern Dwarf Iris 

A STAMP ISSUED BY Malta in 1999.

You can read some information about this Iris  here in the red list

http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/13161827/0

I have never seen this particular Iris so no photo but one of my favourite photos is of Iris unguicularis which I am posting here.

For all of you who are waiting for the daily, or nearly daily, dose of an article from  THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN go to Number 45, July 2006 and read
TEN MONTHS AT SPAROZA by Lina Stenemo where Iris unguicularis are mentioned.

The cover drawing, by John Jefferis, shows a view of the “threshing floor”   at Sparoza looking towards Mt. Hymettus
MGS member
Living in Korinthos, Greece.
No garden but two balconies, one facing south and the other north.
Most of my plants are succulents which need little care

Hilary

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Re: Plants of the world on postage stamps
« Reply #746 on: October 19, 2018, 07:47:06 AM »
Vitis vinifera, Grape

This stamp is in a series of six named FRUIT issued by Bulgaria in 1965

The  sage green Wedgwood Jasper Ware trinket box decorated with grape vines  was staring me in the face while I was wondering if I should go to the street market to buy yet more grapes to illustrate this post.

It was not a difficult task to find a reference to Vitis vinifera in
 THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN
Read  A RABBINICAL GARDEN :PART 2
 by Nicholas Stavroulakis in issue number 20., April 2000
MGS member
Living in Korinthos, Greece.
No garden but two balconies, one facing south and the other north.
Most of my plants are succulents which need little care

Hilary

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Re: Plants of the world on postage stamps
« Reply #747 on: October 20, 2018, 06:05:02 AM »
Trifolium pratense and Trifolium repens, Red clover and White clover

A stamp issued by New Zealand in a four stamp series in 1989

I have a photo of white Clover seen somewhere here in Corinth but none of pink Clover.

Trifolium pratense is mentioned in THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN number 17,  summer 1999 in LANDSCAPING MY GARDEN:PART II by Sue Goumas
MGS member
Living in Korinthos, Greece.
No garden but two balconies, one facing south and the other north.
Most of my plants are succulents which need little care

Hilary

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Re: Plants of the world on postage stamps
« Reply #748 on: October 21, 2018, 07:24:35 AM »
Rosa, Grandpa Dickson

Issued in 1976 by the Royal Mail to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the Royal National Rose Society. There are four stamps in the series.

Grandpa Dickson is a yellow rose and again I don’t have a photo of this particular rose. The photo I have of a similar rose was taken in Kiato, in the rain, with my friend holding an umbrella over me.

Roses and Rose gardens are mentioned in many issues of
 THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN
since I don’t find Rosa Grandpa Dickson in the journal index I am pointing you to number 19, Winter 2000 for you to read
A RABBINICAL GARDEN: PART 1 by Nicholas Stavroulakis
MGS member
Living in Korinthos, Greece.
No garden but two balconies, one facing south and the other north.
Most of my plants are succulents which need little care

Hilary

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Re: Plants of the world on postage stamps
« Reply #749 on: October 22, 2018, 05:59:50 AM »
Camellia Grand Finale

A stamp issued by New Zealand in 1992. There are 6 stamps in the series.

This Camellia produces white flowers and the photo I have of a white Camellia, I don’t know its name, was taken this year in the garden of the Thyssen Bornemisza Museum in Madrid

There is no shortage of references to Camellias in THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN. Today I chose issue number 60, April 2010 for you to read
A ROMANTIC GARDEN RESTORED IN GENZANO by Virginia Scaretti
You could also go back to issue number 22, October 2000 and read
 CAMELLIAS GALORE IN LAZIO again by Virginia Scaretti
MGS member
Living in Korinthos, Greece.
No garden but two balconies, one facing south and the other north.
Most of my plants are succulents which need little care