Tchaikovsky’s tribute to economic botany

In Christmas’s past we’ve explored almonds and marzipan, sugar and glace fruits, frankincense and myrrh, Christmas trees and the rather gothic interpretations of Santa and his flying reindeer. For this Christmas Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker ballet, a rare celebration of economic botany, provides the botany of Christmas.

Controlled patience – beauty & truth

In Adelaide, the Botanic Gardens are part of our lives. We’re introduced to the beautiful gardens in prams, brought in as toddlers to explore, join pre-school visits and school excursions, court in the Gardens, marry in the Gardens, introduce our own children to the Gardens and celebrate anniversaries and milestones here. As we age, perhaps we explore the Gardens more deeply to reveal other sides of its character, introduce our grandchildren, and eventually our children or friends bring us here. The Gardens are as much a gallery of memories as a gallery of plants.

… you start liking flowers

As a botanist working in a botanic garden I’m fortunate to have access to flowers year round with, as an example close to my office, the outrageous displays of aloes in Adelaide Botanic Garden beginning in mid-winter. Nevertheless Spring’s a time for celebration, not simply for the promise of warmer weather, but for the abundance of Spring flowers.

Adelaide Botanic Garden’s three centuries of glass

The story of glass houses, as displayed in Adelaide Botanic Garden, is a powerful one spanning three centuries, but rarely read in a coherent way. Botanical historian, Frans Stafleu, suggests the narrative might begin with Luca Ghini at Pisa botanic garden in 1547.

Gin & Tonic – contemporary economic botany

Winston Churchill is supposed to have observed, “The gin & tonic has saved more Englishmen’s lives, and minds, than all the doctors in the Empire”

Crepe, Murder and Neglect

“Crepe myrtle flowers on new growth each season, so you can prune plants any time during the late winter or early spring before growth begins without losing flower buds.”

Last chance to see?

While the drying racks at Marrawah Kelp Pty Ltd might qualify as a contemporary art installation, their purpose is commercial – here the cast kelp, washed up on local beaches, is collected, dried and prepared for NatraSol products utilised for stock and plant feed supplements.

Gold, Frankincense And Myrrh – the Botany of Christmas

“When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.” Matthew 2: 10-11 KJV.

Greenspace: Children of the corn

The success of maize (or corn) cultivation since the Columbian Exchange is remarkable; Michael Pollan wryly observes that we are “processed corn, walking”.

Greenspace: The fifth element – seeing the trees for themselves

The Australia Register of Significant Trees incorporates trees on scientific, social, historic and aesthetic grounds and provides an online nomination process; and proposals for new candidates are welcomed by the Trust.