Dahlia

       The Dahlia has been in Europe for over two hundred years. It came from Mexico to the Botanical Gardens in Madrid towards the end of the eighteenth century and was named by Abbe Cavanille in honour of Andreas Dahl, Swedish scientist come environmentalist. The first double flowered cultivars were called Show and Fancy types. The Show were self-coloured, ball like flowers, while the Fancy ones were multi-coloured.  During the mid 1800's, these show and fancy flowers attained cult status with gardeners, and several thousand different cultivars were recorded.  Other forms followed, in 1829 the first Anenome flowered dahlia appeared and then in 1850 the first Pompon were raised in Germany, and was named after the bobble on a French Sailor's hat.  The origin of the Cactus & Decorative type belongs to the arrival of “Juarrezii” according to the written records it was imported as a piece of tuber from Mexico in 1872 to Holland.  M.Van de Berg of Uttrecht who had received this so-called species (Actually a cultivar) from Mexico and released stock of the cultivar in 1874.  Subsequently “Juarrezii”, named after a President of Mexico, was introduced into the UK by W.Cullingford who would become Vice President of the NDS and distributed by H.Cannell.  After 1880. Collerettes are the last form of dahlia to have been raised, they have their origin in France and are due to sporting of dahlias at Jardin Botanique de Lyon at the end of the 19th century. 

    The initial named species imported into Europe were Dahlia pinnata, Dahlia rosea and Dahlia coccinea.  The first dahlias grown outside of Madrid were single (open-centred) & Multi-ray open centre flowered, but it was not long before the horticultural growers of the day discovered the Dahlia was a natural hybrid and when grown from seed, it readily changed its form and colour, so that today we have a range of Dahlia types that offer something to please everyone. Today, there are cultivars in the form of the waterlily, the paeony, the orchid, the chrysanthemum and the anemone, to say nothing of the main formations like the decorative (flat, broad petals), the cactus and semi-cactus types (rolled, pointed petals) and the ball forms (globular flowers) that have as their smallest relative the popular Pompon Dahlias that beguile so many gardeners. There is every colour and colour combination to choose from, except the elusive blue (which we are still seeking) which is covered by the wide range of violet and mauve cultivars. Sizes range from the smallest types, called Topmix or Lilliput Dahlias to the giants that have blooms over a foot in diameter carried on powerful stems. Today's hybridisers are still seeking the true blue dahlia, as well as one with a scent, and one that is frost hardy. 

Gobi Desert

   Gobi Desert is only the fifth largest in the world and is the most expansive arid region on the Asian continent. The desert spans two countries, covering parts of northern and northwestern China and up into southern Mongolia. A rain shadow desert, Gobi suffers from having most of its rain blocked by the Himalyas. However, this doesn't mean the region receives zero precipitation. In fact, the Gobi gets about 7 inches of rainfall each year. Gobi is a cold desert, thanks to its northern location and height (roughly 1520 meters above sea level at the area's highest points). As a result, sometimes frost and even snow can be seen capping Gobi's dunes. Temperatures can fall as far minus-40 degrees Fahrenheit in the winter. Summer is no picnic, either, with the heat occasionally rising to 122 degrees Fahrenheit. The desert is also far less sandy than other deserts. Instead, the desert floor is mostly bare rock, due in most part to the high winds that whip across the plateau. Gobi may be the fifth largest desert on the planet, but the area actually contains five distinct ecological regions: The Eastern Gobi desert steppe, the Alashan Plateau semi-desert, The Gobi Lakes Valley desert steppe, the Dzungarian Basin semi-desert, and the Tian Shan range.
   The Eastern Gobi desert steppe covers the easternmost region, encompassing 281,800 square kilometers. This region spans the area from the Inner Mongolian Plateau in China northward into Mongolia itself. There are many salt ponds and low-lying areas in the Eastern Gobi, as well as the Yin Mountains. The Alashan Plateau semi-desert sits to the west-southwest of the Eastern Gobi desert steppe. Most of this plateau is made up of desert basins and low-lying mountain ranges, including the Gobi Altai range, the Helan Mountains, and the Qilian Mountains. The Gobi Lakes Valley desert steppe lies between the Khangai Mountains and the Gobi Altai range, north of the Alashan Plateau. The Dzungarian Basin semi-desert is situated between the Tian Shan range in the south and the Altai mountains to the north. The area extends from the southeastern corner of Mongolia into China, covering the northern part of Xinjiang province in China.
     The Tian Shan range acts as a border between the Dzungarian Basin and the Taklamakan Desert to the west. The Taklamakan is deemed separate from the Gobi because of its sandy basin surrounded by high mountain ranges. A lot of history has happened across Gobi's dunes, too. The desert is home to the first fossilized dinosaur egg ever found, as well as many other important fossil discoveries. It was part of the great Mongol Empire, the largest contiguous empire in history, during the 13th and 14th centuries. Gobi also contained a few important cities for traders to stop and rest while traveling the Silk Road from Europe to China. The Italian explorer Marco Polo encountered Gobi's fabled cities on his epic 24-year journey through Asia back to Venice, which he recounted in his book "The Travels of Marco Polo."
     The Gobi Desert continues to grow, and its rapid growth is alarming its neighbors. China is hardest hit, losing valuable grassland to the expanding desert. The Chinese government has announced plans to plant the Green Wall of China, a line of new forest intended to slow the desert's expansion. Even though its expansion threatens human habitation, the Gobi remains a distinctly beautiful area of the planet, with a rich history buried beneath its surface.

Amelia Island

    The island, located at the northeastern-most tip of the state, has been cast as an English plantation, international port, playground for the elite and the illicit, Civil War fortress, turn-of-the-century tourist mecca, the terminus of Florida’s first cross- state railroad and world headquarters for revolutionary shrimping. Crucial for shipping strongholds and global power plays, Amelia was prized as the deepest natural harbor in the South – Florida’s passageway to prosperity. One of America’s premier industrialists, Henry Flagler, provided the most pivotal point in the beguiling history of Amelia Island. His venture into Florida’s Southern frontier unintentionally suspended the island in a Victorian time capsule. Then considered Amelia’s misfortune, it is now known as its fortunate destiny to be an island locked in the charm and enchantment of the Victorian era. Christened for the royal daughter of England’s King George II, Amelia’s captivating beauty, climate and harbor have enticed a collection of characters from aristocrats and bluebloods to bootleggers and buccaneers.

      As early as 2,500 B.C. ancient Timucuan Indians praised the attributes of Amelia Island or “Nopoica.” The seeds of the island’s struggle were first planted in 1562 when Frenchman Jean Ribault stepped ashore on “Isle de Mai” (Island of May) and Europe began its coexistence with the Indians. Spanish rule followed with an intent to Christianize the natives of “Santa Maria” until Spain swapped Florida with England for Havana. British loyalists then diligently established plantations for the King and dubbed the island “Amelia.” Amelia, which now has a simple innocence, once simmered with depravity as smugglers and ruffians sought to seize the “prima donna” of Florida land. As the border town between Spanish Florida (regained in another land trade) and American territory, the island’s most colorful period began during Jefferson’s Embargo Act of 1807. With all U.S. ports closed to foreign shipping, the island’s Spanish harbor of Fernandina became the nation’s smuggling center for slaves, liquor and foreign luxuries. What is now known as Old Town attracted racketeers from all over the world. The bluff, now occupied by the mansion used in the movie Pippi Longstocking, was lined with bordellos. Eventually the “festering fleshpot” of Fernandina, survivor of three more flag usurpations, was forced to relinquish its illegal ways when it ceded to the United States in 1821. The present site of Fernandina Beach originated in the 1850s as visionary U.S, Senator David Yulee promised to make Fernandina Beach the spotlight of the Western world. He convinced the town to resettle a half-mile downriver to accommodate his dream – Florida’s first cross-state railroad. Yulee’s rail journeyed over swamps to connect with Cedar Key on the Gulf Today, an original 1899 railroad depot serves as the Visitor Center on the island.

     As the new railroad was paving the path for a golden era on Amelia, the Union army took control of a partially- finished fort on the island. The First New York Volunteer Engineers continued laying the brick, but by the war’s end no battles were fought and the massive structure was never completed. Now called Fort Clinch, located within Fort Clinch State Park, the “War of Aggression” is reenacted with uniformed, rifle-toting soldiers throughout the mess hall, infirmary, barracks and brig, the first weekend of each month. Park rangers are dressed in period costume throughout the year and answer questions as if the year was 1864.

      By 1875, thousands of Northerners voyaged to Fernandina on the Mallory Steamship Line from New York, creating the dawning of the Golden Age on Amelia. Hailed as “The Queen of Summer Resorts” by an 1896 edition of American Resorts magazine, the island’s breathtaking beaches and climate lured visitors to this new destination – Florida. Golden Age prosperity prompted the building boom of Fernandina Beach, attracting America’s entrepreneurial elite. It’s now preserved as the picturesque Centre Street, home of antique shops, boutiques and some of the area’s finest restaurants. The most colorful watering hole on Centre Street is Florida’s oldest tavern, The Palace Saloon (1878). Former haunt of the Vanderbilts, DuPonts and Carnegies, spirits are still served from its 40-foot mahogany bar graced by hand carved caryatids.

     The Silk Stocking District, a collection of grand, sherbet-hued Victorian mansions, arose along the side streets. Today, more than 50 blocks of the downtown with structures styled from Queen Anne and Chinese Chippendale to “Mississippi Steamboat” are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In the 1890s, Florida entrepreneur Henry Flagler christened a railroad which drew wealthy tourists far south of Amelia Island. As a result, mass modernization bypassed the island, a disguised blessing that allowed Amelia to remain an authentic Victorian seaport village. In the early 20th century, Amelia Island became the birthplace of the modern shrimping industry as innovators replaced row boats and cast nets with power-driven seines and otter trawls. Today laden shrimp trawlers return to the downtown docks with the brilliant sunset as a backdrop. Nearly 80 percent of Florida’s intake of sweet Atlantic white shrimp is harvested in Amelia’s waters and the Burbank Trawl Makers (locals call it the Net House) is still the world’s largest producer of handmade shrimp nets.  You can still tour this net company today, and – every year – you can join the locals the first weekend of May in celebrating our shrimping heritage in the Isle of Eight Flags Shrimp Festival.

Dusty Miller

Although the dusty miller flower blooms in mid-summer, the small yellow blooms are small and not considered showy. Foliage of the dusty miller plant, however, is long lasting and drought resistant. As with most silvery, furry plants, growing dusty miller helps the garden remain attractive through the heat of the summer. It will also tolerate frost. The dusty miller plant is often grown as an annual and discarded after the first season; however, it is an herbaceous perennial and may return in gardening zones 8 to 10. Growing dusty miller can handle the heat, but is best planted where afternoon shade is available during the hottest months of summer. The dusty miller plant is adaptable to many soil types, thriving in acidic clay to sandy loam soils. Soil must be well draining to avoid root rot. Water regularly right after planting and withhold water once roots have developed and the plant is growing. Dusty miller care may involve a midsummer trim if the plant becomes leggy. The dusty miller flower may be removed to keep the plant compact. This specimen can grow as tall as 1 foot, but often remains shorter. Leave a few flowers to bloom in late summer if you wish the plant to self seed.

Word of the Day

Adumbrate:
     give hint or indication of something; disclose partially or guardedly; overshadow; shade

In The Woods

I walked alone in depths of Autumn woods;
The ruthless winds had left the maple bare;
The fern was withered, and the sweetbrier's breath
No longer gave its fragrance to the air.
 The barberry strung its coral beads no more;
The thistle-down on gauzy wings had flown;
And myriad leaves, on which the Summer wrote
Her blushing farewell, at my feet were strown.
A loneliness pervaded every spot;
A gloom of which my musing soul partook;
All Nature mourns, I said; November wild
Hath torn the fairest pages from her book.
But suddenly a wild bird overhead
Poured forth a strain so strangely clear and sweet,
It seemed to bring me back the skies of May,
And wake the sleeping violets at my feet.
Then long I pondered o'er the poet's words,
"The loss of beauty is not always loss,"
Till like the voice of love they soothed my pain,
And gave me strength to bear again my cross.
O murmuring heart! thy pleasures may decay,
Thy faith grow cold, thy golden dreams take wing;
Still in the realm of faded youth and joy,
Heaven kindly leaves some bird of hope to sing.

By Albert Laighton 

Starfruit

A unique tropical fruit that is gaining popularity in the United States. This fruit acquired its name from the five pointed star shape** when cut across the middle  (occasionally 4 or 6 ribbed fruit may occur).  The 3 to 5 inch long fruit has a paper-thin thin, translucent, waxy, yellow-orange to green skin with tart crisp flesh.  Star fruit range in taste from pleasantly tart and sour to slightly sweet with a complicated flavor combination that includes plums, pineapples, and lemons. The flesh is juicy and crunchy, and may be eaten skin, seeds and all or used as a garnish, in salads and in relishes and preserves. When used in cooking, green fruit are frequently used for their sourness. The juicy flesh is mostly water and does not hold up well when heated.

Although it is not now found in the wild, the star fruit is originally native to Sri Lanka and the Moluccas, and has been cultivated in Southeast Asia and Malaysia for almost 1,000 years. It is known many other names including: ‘belimbing’ or ‘belimbing manis’ (Indonesia), ‘mafueng’ (Thailand), ‘kamrakh’ (Indian) Chinese starfruit, star apple and Five angled fruit.  Today they are also grown throughout the Caribbean, Central and South America, Florida and Hawaii because the fruit thrives on growing in a warm environment. 

Word of the Day

Misogynist:
   a person who hates, dislikes, mistrusts, or mistreats women.

Did you know?

September is national childhood cancer awareness month. Gold is the awareness month color. In the U.S., 15,780 children under the age of 21 are diagnosed with cancer every year; approximately 1/4 of them will not survive the disease. A diagnosis turns the lives of the entire family upside down. The objective of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month is to put a spotlight on the types of cancer that largely affect children, survivorship issues, and - importantly - to help raise funds for research and family support.

Rose

Rose is one of the best known and most favorite plants in the world. There are 100 different species of roses. Majority of them are native to Asia, while others originate from Europe, North America and Africa. Roses can be found throughout the world due to commercial breeding. Cultivation of roses started 500 years BC and resulted in creation of 13 000 varieties of roses. Wild roses can survive in various habitats, except those associated with extremely cold winters. Certain species of wild roses are faced with uncertain future (listed as endangered) because of the habitat loss. Each color of the rose symbolizes certain value. Red rose is a symbol of love, yellow of friendship, orange of enthusiasm, white of purity and pink of joy. Rose oil is important ingredient in the perfume industry. Extraction of minimal amount of this oil requires huge amount of roses (one gram of oil is produced from two thousand roses).