The vocabulary of plant descriptions! Fascinating and almost overwhelming, I have a plant ID book that can help translate the shape and texture into the correct word. My landscaping style with mostly natives tends to the natural looking and not too tidy. I have adopted edging the beds to maintain the smooth curving lines, that seems to signal some control over the growth and turf as a narrow path through the natives is pleasing to my eye. The wildlife making their home in my yard adds to the greenery appeal. Many butterflies are flitting around these days and as I look closer I discover small wonders among the plants.
Amazing!! The earth’s resilience and biodiversity needs only for us to step into relationship with her. May we all come fully into the AWE of that truth, as you did in the garden, and shed our greed like it was last year’s little league schedule.
One of our favorite places in the San Francisco Botanical Garden is the MesoAmerica section where it feels like you can taste the oxygen. Impossible to visit and not feel rejuvenated!
To me, plants are powerful, transformative, life-giving, graceful, tranquil yet willful, and to a passerby, my yard with many natives may appear a chaotic botanical mass, but it gives me peace. I enjoyed reading your letter today filled with botanical terms and descriptions. Even though we have lots of apps these days to identify plants, I still remember using those terms in dichotomous keys to classify and identify plants. Loved all your photos!
Thanks for this, Janisse! I'm planning to transform my suburban front lawn (which has full sun) into a garden, which will likely mean taking on local ordinances about fences, due to deer overpopulation. With the rapid acceleration of climate change, I think more people will need to grow food in their neighborhoods.
What a wonderful tour of jungly leaves. Intoxicating my senses through the small screen of my mobile phone. So good to be reminded of the beauty of a leaf and the pleasure of growing many. Thanks for your words.
I thank your for what for me is, I'm hoping, only a preview of the Fairchild gardens. Among many life-long objectives is to visit these gardens, even during the heat of summer and ideally during the possibly all-too-little known annual mango festival. One day, surely, I'll make that visit.
What a wonderful and meaningful experience for you and Raven! Good for the soul! So glad you got a chance to relax and drink in the wonders of the plant world surrounding you! BTW, got the fabulous book and seeds! Can’t wait to plant and read! Thank you so much!
Do you have any Texas Star Hibiscus(aka Scarlet Rosemallow). It’s a perennial with beautiful big red flowers, and all parts of the plant have medicinal uses. It is native from Southeastern Virginia south to Florida, then west to Louisiana.
The vocabulary of plant descriptions! Fascinating and almost overwhelming, I have a plant ID book that can help translate the shape and texture into the correct word. My landscaping style with mostly natives tends to the natural looking and not too tidy. I have adopted edging the beds to maintain the smooth curving lines, that seems to signal some control over the growth and turf as a narrow path through the natives is pleasing to my eye. The wildlife making their home in my yard adds to the greenery appeal. Many butterflies are flitting around these days and as I look closer I discover small wonders among the plants.
Beautiful! Would you consider publishing this as a tiny gift book? I’m thinking Christmas presents!
It was not oxygen but your own special spirit, that which makes you Janisse.
I live in Tpa, but SG is one of my favorite places. I wish there was a plan to develop & beautify the USF Botanical Gardens.
I love leaves! I want to practice drawing them more. And the words to describe them are delicious in themselves. Thank you for this lovely post!
Amazing!! The earth’s resilience and biodiversity needs only for us to step into relationship with her. May we all come fully into the AWE of that truth, as you did in the garden, and shed our greed like it was last year’s little league schedule.
One of our favorite places in the San Francisco Botanical Garden is the MesoAmerica section where it feels like you can taste the oxygen. Impossible to visit and not feel rejuvenated!
To me, plants are powerful, transformative, life-giving, graceful, tranquil yet willful, and to a passerby, my yard with many natives may appear a chaotic botanical mass, but it gives me peace. I enjoyed reading your letter today filled with botanical terms and descriptions. Even though we have lots of apps these days to identify plants, I still remember using those terms in dichotomous keys to classify and identify plants. Loved all your photos!
Thanks for this, Janisse! I'm planning to transform my suburban front lawn (which has full sun) into a garden, which will likely mean taking on local ordinances about fences, due to deer overpopulation. With the rapid acceleration of climate change, I think more people will need to grow food in their neighborhoods.
A beautiful tribute and glimpse of "a world restored."
We're all just leaves, constructed of water and stone by the sun.
Long green wings, constructed of light -and passing it through to light up the night.
Thanks!
What a wonderful tour of jungly leaves. Intoxicating my senses through the small screen of my mobile phone. So good to be reminded of the beauty of a leaf and the pleasure of growing many. Thanks for your words.
I thank your for what for me is, I'm hoping, only a preview of the Fairchild gardens. Among many life-long objectives is to visit these gardens, even during the heat of summer and ideally during the possibly all-too-little known annual mango festival. One day, surely, I'll make that visit.
What a wonderful and meaningful experience for you and Raven! Good for the soul! So glad you got a chance to relax and drink in the wonders of the plant world surrounding you! BTW, got the fabulous book and seeds! Can’t wait to plant and read! Thank you so much!
Do you have any Texas Star Hibiscus(aka Scarlet Rosemallow). It’s a perennial with beautiful big red flowers, and all parts of the plant have medicinal uses. It is native from Southeastern Virginia south to Florida, then west to Louisiana.
I look at these photos, and of all the foliage in my yard, and I understand why the heart chakra is represented by the color green 💚
How perfect is that.