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 #885 on: May 15, 2019, 06:50:58 AM »
Pseudepipona herrichi, Purbeck  Mason Wasp

The Royal Mail issued a 10 stamp series featuring ENDANGERED INSECTS of the UK in 2008
I will be posting a scan of the stamp and a scan of part of the information leaflet from the presentation pack.
The presentation pack was sent to me by my friend Helen in Scotland

Since I don't have photos of insects I won't be adding my photos to these posts
Anyone wanting to add their photos is very welcome

Hardly a wasp you will find in Mediterranean areas
However, wasps are mentioned in many issues of
 THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN .
Go to number 83, January 2016 and read GOING NATIVE by Melissa Hamilton

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 #886 on: May 16, 2019, 05:40:56 AM »
This post has been at least two years in the making

The Italian stamp issued in 1945 depicts reforestation.

I had the luck / opportunity to take a busload of small children to an area being reforested by the local forestry service. The holes were already dug for us and we were given a talk by the local head of the forestry department as to how important it was to reforest land which had been burned or otherwise destroyed and which trees they were going to plant, all this was in 1989, 30 years ago.

 My husband and I revisited the area about six years later to see how the trees were doing.

 A couple of years ago we visited the same area but did not recognize anything but as we were leaving I realized that the tall eucalyptus trees lining the road  were probably what we had planted.

This year we visited the area again determined to get some photos of the trees if not find the actual field.

So here are the photos of some of the Greek Girl Guides, their leaders and some of their brothers planting the trees.
A couple of fuzzy photos of the trees  six years later.
Photos of the trees as they are now taken this spring   
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

*

John J

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Re: Plants of the world on postage stamps
« Reply #887 on: May 16, 2019, 06:51:17 AM »
Hilary, I'm curious to know why the Forestry Dept would replant an area with non-native eucalypts. When the British first came to Cyprus in the late 1800s they planted eucalypts and acacias, especially in the wetland areas in an attempt to dry them up and reduce the mosquito problem. Now, 150 years later, the Forestry Dept have the task of getting rid of these as they have become invasive and replacing them with native species.
Cyprus Branch Head. Gardens in a field 40 m above sea level with reasonably fertile clay soil.
"Aphrodite emerged from the sea and came ashore and at her feet all manner of plants sprang forth" John Deacon (13thC AD)

Hilary

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Re: Plants of the world on postage stamps
« Reply #888 on: May 16, 2019, 06:59:39 AM »
I don't remember what he said about the choice of trees. I myself am surprised at the number of Australian trees in the area. However, although many new houses have appeared in the neighborhood none of them are on the land we planted .
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

*

Alisdair

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Re: Plants of the world on postage stamps
« Reply #889 on: May 16, 2019, 09:08:52 AM »
I wonder what those kids are doing now - whether any of them "caught the bug" on that planting day. Some of them already looked as if they knew what they were doing.
Alisdair Aird
Gardens in SE England (Sussex); also coastal Southern Greece, and (in a very small way) South West France; MGS member (and former president); vice chairman RHS Lily Group, past chairman Cyclamen Society

Hilary

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Re: Plants of the world on postage stamps
« Reply #890 on: May 17, 2019, 04:23:35 AM »
One is a teacher, one a lawyer, one lives in Germany, one runs a hotel and one graduated from the Agricultural University of Athens
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 #891 on: May 17, 2019, 04:29:28 AM »
Solanum tuberosum, potato

This stamp was issued by Jersey in 1980 to celebrate the centenary of the
 Jersey Royal Potato.

The three stamps in the series are quite interesting. The first one shows farmers planting the potatoes while a horse and cart are standing on a road. The second stamp, which I don’t have, shows the farmers picking the potatoes with barrels standing in the background. The third stamp shows a port and sailing ships while there are horses and barrel filled carts waiting at a weighbridge. 
I was glad to find a reference to potatoes in
 THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN number 94, October 2018
Stelios Deverakis writes about planting all sorts of vegetables in
 A NOVICE GROWING A VEGETABLE GARDEN IN EDINBURGH.

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

  • Hero Member
Re: Plants of the world on postage stamps
« Reply #892 on: May 19, 2019, 06:21:42 AM »
Dracunculus vulgaris, Dragon Arum

A stamp issued in a six stamp series named FLOWERS by Benin in 1995.

I was lucky enough to have this photo of one of these plants, which we saw in 1991, but I don't remember where we saw it.

This plant is mentioned several times in THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN
Today go to issue number 16, Spring 1999 and read
HOMES AND GARDENS IN GREECE by John Rendall

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 #893 on: May 20, 2019, 05:21:34 AM »
Caltha polypetala, Giant Marsh Marigold 

Bulgaria issued a six stamp sheet depicting WATER FLOWERS in 1988
 
You can read about this plant here
https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/105708/i-Caltha-polypetala-i-Hochst-ex-Lorent/Details

This plant also featured on a stamp from Finland

Caltha palustris is mentioned in THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN number 82, October 2015
Read EPIRUS – THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN SOCIETY TRIP MAY 2015
By John Joynes
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 #894 on: May 21, 2019, 07:07:38 AM »

Echinops viscosus, Viscous Globe Thistle

A stamp issued in 1980 by Israel

The Globe Thistle is in a list compiled by Judy Thomas
THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN number 91, January 2019.
SOME WONDERFUL MEDITERRANEAN PLANTS 
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

  • Hero Member
Re: Plants of the world on postage stamps
« Reply #895 on: May 22, 2019, 05:33:49 AM »
Lysandria bellargus , Adonis Blue

The Royal Mail issued a 10 stamp series featuring ENDANGERED INSECTS of the UK in 2008
I will be posting a scan of the stamp and a scan of part of the information leaflet from the presentation pack.
The presentation pack was sent to me by my friend Helen in Scotland
Since I don't have photos of insects I won't be adding my photos to these posts
Anyone wanting to add their photos is very welcome
Another butterfly you won't see in Mediterranean gardens

However, all is not lost the  article by Melissa  Hamilton
GOING NATIVE: GARDEN DESIGN FOR WILDLIFE is interesting
THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN number 85 , July 2016
Yes, just checked butterflies are mentioned .
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

  • Hero Member
Re: Plants of the world on postage stamps
« Reply #896 on: May 24, 2019, 05:44:10 AM »
Cynara syriaca, Wild Artichoke, Syrian Wild Artichoke

A stamp issued by Israel in 1980

Wild artichokes are sold here in the street market. I used to buy them to make various meals featuring artichokes but a few years ago after getting scratched by all the spikes I decided that I had cleaned my last Wild Artichoke.

The photo is of an artichoke growing in the garden of a summer house. I don't know if it is wild or not

Cynara in general are mentioned in THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN
Number 8, Spring 1997 in
NOT ALL PLANTS ARE EQUALLY THIRSTY
By Heidi Gildemeister
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

  • Hero Member
Re: Plants of the world on postage stamps
« Reply #897 on: May 26, 2019, 05:49:34 AM »
Chrysanthemum

A self adhesive stamp issued by Belgium in 2005

The photo is of some Chrysanthemum plants growing in an empty plot near our home.
This area used to be farmland and the lucky owner of this plot has a well, however the well dried up and the efforts of the previous two or three years to grow vegetables for the home also dried up. The Chrysanthemums lasted another year or so but I think they too have disappeared under the weeds / wild plants.
 Yes, there is no sign of them now but the Lavender and  Sweet Geranium are both doing well.

Chrysanthemums are mentioned in THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN number 6, Autumn 1996
Read A GARDEN FOR UMBELLIFERAE by Eliano Pallaro
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 #898 on: May 27, 2019, 04:50:06 AM »
Scolymus maculatus, Spotted Golden Thistle

A stamp issued by Israel in 1980

I don't have a photo of this plant but I do have one of its near relative
Scolymus hispanicus, Spanish Oyster Plant

Somehow or other no one has mentioned this plant in THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN.  However, I did find a reference to Scolymus hispanicus in the book written by Mary Jaqueline Tyrwhitt MAKING A GARDEN ON A GREEK HILLSIDE
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

  • Hero Member
Re: Plants of the world on postage stamps
« Reply #899 on: May 28, 2019, 07:05:53 AM »
Hydrangea, Hortensia

Spain issued this adhesive stamp in 2009 along with another one of a bird.

The photo was taken in 1997 in the Royal Botanic Garden, Madrid

Hydrangea are mentioned in a few issues of THE MEDITERRANEAN GARDEN

Heidi Gildemeister writes in WHERE WATER IS LACKING number 4, Spring 1996
Quote
“Exotics such as Hydrangea and Canna depend on ample supplies (of water) and are best located near the house “
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