The Heart of a Garden

Cards with Stories to Tell

Stunning photography with a complementary intriguing/inspiring story on the reverse.

Eco-friendly cards: Card from responsibly managed forests (FSC^®), vegetable-based inks, recycled paper envelopes, compostable outer slips.

This gallery requires the Adobe Flash Player, you can download it from Adobe here.
If you have Flash installed, click to view gallery

Card size: 152x152mm. Blank inside. Photography: the Heart of a Garden, Rowan Isaac (C133, C145, C146), Colin Varndell (C134, C142, C143, C144, C147, C148, C150, C153-156, C158, C160, C167), Ian Grainger (C141) & Adrian Campfield (C149) Doug Chinnery (C157, C159), Ian Cameron (C161, C166, C168), Jacky Parker (C162, C165), Mark Hamblin (C163), Tony Howell (C169), Adam Burton (C170), Jason Theaker (C171), Andy McGowan (C177), David Tipling (C178), Martin Fry (C180), Nick Haigh (C181), Ben Hall (C182), Mark Hamblin (C183), Dale Sutton (C184), Adam Burton (C185), Jason Theaker (C186)

Text on Reverse of Card
Code: C101	Crocuses are the true harbinger of spring; in fact it is not uncommon to see them poking their heads through a late snowfall. Protected by a waxy cuticle, these delicate-looking plants are surprisingly tough. While Crocus vernus is the ancestor of all the common ornamental garden varieties, it is Crocus sativus that lives up to its name. Derived from the Greek ‘krokos’, meaning saffron, the aromatic spice is produced from the plant’s dried stigmas.

Code: C102	Lone Flower, hemmed in with snows and white as they But hardier far, once more I see thee bend Thy forehead, as if fearful to offend, Like an unbidden guest. Though day by day, Storms, sallying from the mountain-tops, waylay The rising sun, and on the plains descend; Yet art thou welcome, welcome as a friend Whose zeal outruns his promise! Blue-eyed May Shall soon behold this border thickly set With bright jonquils, their odours lavishing On the soft west-wind and his frolic peers; Nor will I then thy modest grace forget, Chaste Snowdrop, venturous harbinger of Spring, And pensive monitor of fleeting years! Wordsworth

Code: C103	Hellebores were purportedly used in ancient witchcraft to summon demons. And, despite being toxic, they were used medicinally too—most commonly as a cure for insanity. Some historians conjecture that Alexander the Great may have died from an overdose of hellebore medication. So, clearly a case of don’t try this at home guys! Eating poisonous plants is never a good idea, and we all have enough to deal with in the world at the moment without the bother of demons.

Code: C104	A thing of beauty is a joy for ever: Its loveliness increases; it will never Pass into nothingness; but still will keep A bower quiet for us, and a sleep Full of sweet dreams, and health, and quiet breathing. Therefore, on every morrow, are we wreathing A flowery band to bind us to the earth, Spite of despondence, of the inhuman dearth Of noble natures, of the gloomy days, Of all the unhealthy and o’er-darkn’d ways Made for our searching: yes, in spite of all, Some shape of beauty moves away the pall From our dark spirits. John Keats

Code: C105	This wildflower is much loved in the UK, but it does have a dark side. Tradition associates the bluebell with the Hyacinth of the ancients, the flower of grief and mourning. Folklore also suggests that if you hear a bluebell ring, then death awaits you. This is the flower that will alert woodland fairies that you are trespassing—and we’re not talking about Tinkerbell, apparently these guys can be nasty! Bluebells are protected, and not just by the law—so remember, don’t pick them!

Code: C106	Regarded as a symbol of rebirth, the cheery daffodil has darker associations. Its Latin name comes from the ancient Greek word ‘narkoa.’ Meaning ‘to numb’, and the root of the word ‘narcotic’, it refers to the toxic paralyzing alkaloid contained within the bulbs. Apparently, Roman soldiers would carry bulbs and eat them if mortally wounded, to ease the pain of death. The daffodil is also named for the Greek myth of Narcissus, a young man too obsessed by his own reflection to notice the adoration of the wood nymph Echo. Thereby, it is a symbol of unrequited love.

Code: C107	This curiously warped variety of hazel was discovered growing in a hedge in Gloucestershire in the early 1860s. Hazel, much revered in Celtic mythology, was thought to be a tree with magical properties, and a charm against witches and thieves. Legend tells us that St. Patrick used a wand made of hazel to rid Ireland of serpents; hazel wands were also believed to induce shape-shifting. Hazelnuts were perhaps most highly esteemed by the Celts; they represented wisdom and poetic inspiration—in fact the Gaelic word for these nuts is ‘cno’, and the word for wisdom is very similar, ‘cnocach’.

Code: C108	The anemone is a member of the buttercup family and sometimes known colloquially as a windflower. These wildflowers have a rich history. Greek mythology gives varying accounts of their origins, some saying they sprang from Aphrodite’s tears as she mourned the tragic death of her lover Adonis, while other accounts say that the flower grew from the blood of Adonis. The Romans believed that anemones had valuable medicinal qualities, using them to prevent fever and also to alleviate bruising.

Code: C109	This protected wildflower is a compelling feature of UK meadows, needing wet grasslands to flourish. A member of the lily family, it is a European native, and in Croatia it is part of the country’s national symbol. The fritillary derives its name from fritillus, the Latin for ‘dice-box’, probably because of its checkered pattern.

Code: C111	This is a species of magnolia that graces the sheltered valleys of the Himalayas—it’s named for Dr. Archibald Campbell, a Scottish botanist…and soup-maker (perhaps!). Magnolias are really ancient trees, with fossil remains dating to between 36 and 58 million years ago! On the scene long before bees, the magnolia has evolved unusually tough petal-like tepals to allow pollination by beetles (who apparently lack the gentle good-manners of bees).

Code: C113	Falling upon earth, Pure water spills from the cup of the camellia. Matsuo Bashõ This 17th-century haiku not only contemplates the beauty of nature, but also evokes a sense of transience, the fleeting quality of life. In Japanese literature the camellia is often used to symbolise the samurai; the lives of both the flower and the warrior being spectacular but short.

Code: C115	This ornamental variety of catmint is popular in gardens for its aromatic foliage. Catmint, also known as catnip, famously sends cats wild—some evidence suggests it even has an effect on lions and tigers! Interestingly, there does seem to be a genetic factor involved. Susceptibility to catnip is hereditary, with about two thirds of cats displaying behavioural effects such as licking and pawing at the plant’s leaves, purring and growling. Cats in Australia, however, mostly ignore the plant; drawn from a relatively closed genetic pool, they seem to lack the ‘catnip’ gene. Catmint also makes a therapeutic tea, traditionally used to alleviate nervousness and insomnia.

Code: C116	In 1861 John Gould Veitch became one of the first Western plant hunters to be allowed into Japan. Maples were amongst his discoveries, causing quite a stir when he brought them home to Britain. Plant hunters were the Indiana Joneses of their day, and Veitch’s intrepid escapades proved that he was no exception. He was shipwrecked, losing all his possessions, before he even got to Japan, but quickly managed to secure passage on another vessel—arriving in good time to be one of the first Europeans to climb Mount Fuji.

Code: C117	It is easy to forget how culturally significant flowers, plants, and herbs have been across the centuries—be it because of their beauty, or their medicinal, perfumery or culinary qualities. So it is not surprising that they have often been used as symbols, or even to carry a moral message. The Victorians went a step further, inventing ‘floriography’ or the language of flowers. This could lead to much intrigue, as secret messages were conveyed via bouquets of flowers, or in references in poems or songs. An allusion to a red tulip, for instance, would be a declaration of love.

Code: C118	These hardy plants were grown by Spanish priests in their mission gardens in Mexico. The perfect symmetry of the petals suggested the name ‘cosmos’, from the Greek for an ordered or harmonious system. Showy and highly attractive to birds and bees, they will bring balance to your garden—a little natural order amongst the chaos!

Code: C119	A Light exists in Spring Not present on the Year At any other period — When March is scarcely here A Color stands abroad On Solitary Fields That Science cannot overtake But Human Nature feels. It waits upon the Lawn, It shows the furthest Tree Upon the furthest Slope you know It almost speaks to you. Emily Dickinson

Code: C120	The national flower of England is historically a symbol of love and beauty linked with goddesses such as Aphrodite and Isis. The phrase ‘sub rosa’ (literally ‘under the rose’) denotes secrecy, and is derived from the ancient Roman practice of placing a rose on the door of a room where confidential issues were being discussed. The colour of the rose often has symbolic importance—a yellow rose carrying a message of friendship—but roses are also prized for their exquisite fragrance. The steam-extracted attar of rose has been used as a perfume for centuries.

Code: C121	This showy succulent hails from Southern Africa and, in its struggle for existence, is one of nature’s floozies. Its leaves, swollen with water, allow it to survive droughts; but this practical nature is underpinned by dazzling, shimmering flowers. No shrinking violet, this exotically dressed plant always gets its bee—ensuring pollination—and it isn’t shy when it comes to reproducing either. A special mechanism allows it to produce an unusually large abundance of seeds, giving it more opportunities for germination…and claiming tax credit.

Code: C122	Many believe this to be a Dutch flower, but actually the tulip was originally a wildflower growing in Central Asia. As early as 1000 AD it was cultivated by the Turks, who named it after the Turkish word for ‘turban’. Its introduction to Holland saw the eruption of ‘tulip mania’ with the Dutch often selling homes, businesses, and everything they owned, to participate in tulip trading. With some varieties costing more than a property in Amsterdam, it seems obvious with hindsight that it would all end in tears—as indeed it did, with the flower becoming so common that it caused a ‘tulip crash’ (or ‘tulip crunch’ as it would be known today!).

Code: C123	In 1933, on a May night in Bhutan, plant hunter Betty Sherriff had a dream. Her husband appeared vividly in the vision giving her directions to an unusual blue poppy. The very next day she followed her dream to discover a form of Meconopsis grandis, descendants of which would later be cultivated as ‘Betty’s Dream Poppy’.

Code: C125	Originating from Southern Europe and North Africa, Love-in-a-mist is so-called because of the hair-like bracts that encircle and partially obscure the flower. It is the sacred flower of St. Catherine, but is also rather more sinisterly known as Devil-in-a-bush. The aromatic seeds of this plant are used in the cuisines of the Middle East, Turkey and India. In the Victorian era, when it wasn’t always easy to express certain feelings, flowers were used as a code, a way of sending messages. In the Victorian language of flowers, otherwise known as floriography, Love-in-a-mist represented: ‘You puzzle me’.

Code: C126	Why do we use a buttercup under the chin to test for the love of butter? Buttercups and butter are linked; it was once thought that butter was yellow because cows grazed on buttercups in their pastures. Not very likely, especially as livestock avoid these poisonous plants due to their nasty, acrid flavour. On May Day, it was an Irish tradition to rub buttercups onto cow udders; doing so was believed to increase milk production. As skin contact with buttercups can cause blistering, it probably resulted in a number of cow-kick related injuries, rather than an increase of milk!

Code: C128	Flowering dogwood originates from Japan, China and Korea—this variety is named after the granddaughter of Akira Shibamichi, a famous Japanese nurseryman. The name dogwood could be derived from ‘dagwood’, as its slender branches of very hard wood were once used for making ‘dags’ (daggers). The very first tennis racket was made using this wood! A Christian legend states that Jesus’ crucifix was made of dogwood, which was the strongest, largest tree in all of Jerusalem. After his crucifixion, Jesus transformed the tree into the smaller, spindly, woody plant that we know today, so it could never again be used in the construction of crosses.

Code: C129	The summer sun shone round me, The folded valley lay In a stream of sun and odour, That sultry summer day. The tall trees stood in the sunlight As still as still could be, But the deep grass sighed and rustled And bowed and beckoned me. The deep grass moved and whispered And bowed and brushed my face. It whispered in the sunshine: ‘The winter comes apace.’ Robert Louis Stevenson (1850–94)

Code: C130	This flower hails from North America and takes its common name from the vibrantly patterned blankets made by Native Americans. According to a Comanche myth, there was once a weaver so skilful that people travelled miles to trade for his creations. Before he passed away, he made one last blanket, his best attempt yet, coloured with the dyes of hundreds of plants and flowers. His people wrapped him for burial in this blanket and prayed to the Great Spirit to honour the weaver. Touched by their devotion, the Great Spirit pledged a gift to the Comanche people—every year he sends the blanket flower, in the very same colours as the weaver’s last creation.

Code: C131	When the conquistadors arrived in 1521 to conquer Central America they found dahlias growing in the gardens of the Aztecs. This civilisation created awe-inspiring architecture and had complex ideas about art and religion—along with a rather gruesome penchant for human sacrifice—and they also adored personal decoration. Dahlias were much favoured as part of ceremonial dress, and more practically were cultivated for food and medicines (but don’t try this at home folks!).

Code: C132	This cultivar is aptly named for its intriguing shape. A whirligig is an old-English word for a spinning toy, but it was also the name of a torture device used in the 17th century. The victim would be secured in a violently spinning wooden suspended cage and spun so fast as to induce nausea. Ironically enough, people pay good money for that sort of thing at Alton Towers these days!

Code: C133	Field poppies bloomed on much of the Western front during the First World War, so have become especially symbolic to military veterans and are the flowers we now associate with wartime remembrance. Previously, the poppy was strongly connected with forgetfulness, due to the numbing nature of the opium that can be extracted from the plant. Other meanings attributed to the flower include imagination, oblivion and eternal sleep.

Code: C134	Butterflies have been the subject of more books than any other creature, excepting birds. However, many species are in decline due to the loss or degradation of habitats—you can help by monitoring the types and numbers of butterflies in your area and passing the information to the relevant conservation organisations. Watch out for Marbled White butterflies from mid June through to the end of August. They are most common in the southern counties of England, but can be found elsewhere in the UK, flapping lazily around their preferred habitats: unimproved grasslands, woodland rides and railway embankments, to name a few.

Code: C135	The perfect conditions for autumn colour are sunny days followed by crisp, cold nights. But why do leaves change colour in autumn? As the nights lengthen and become cooler, biochemical processes occur in the leaves, which slow down the production of chlorophyll, the pigment that makes the leaves green. As the chlorophyll fades away, the other pigments within the leaves are unmasked to reveal bright colours. Carotene, also found in carrots, is responsible for shades of yellow and orange, but it is another chemical, anthocyanin, that produces the vivid red of the maple pictured. This pigment forms when sugars become concentrated in the leaves as they break down, and as sunlight is needed for this process, the ideal conditions for this to occur are dry, late summers.

Code: C136	This majestic tree gets its name from the Saxon word boc, from which the word ‘book’ is derived. Early books were made from beech bark; this is why, perhaps, the beech tree is traditionally associated with ancient wisdom. In Celtic mythology, the beech is known as the ‘tree of wishes’. Fallen branches were said to be invitations from fairies: if you carved your wish on the branch, and buried it deep in the earth, it would be collected and taken to the fairy underworld for the Fairy Queen’s consideration.

Code: C138	All around the world different cultures celebrate the harvest – typically with feasting and music. China’s Moon Festival is one of the two most important dates in their calendar, along with the New Year, and in North America and Canada, Thanksgiving has become a national secular holiday. In Britain, harvest has been the subject of ceremony since pagan times. One tradition, adopted by the Christian Church, was the celebration of Lammas, meaning ‘loaf mass’. Held on the first of August, this marked the beginning of the harvest season. It was customary for farmers to make loaves of bread from the new wheat crop and give them to their local church. They were then used as the Communion bread during a special service thanking God for the harvest.

Code: C139	A maple is a must for every Japanese garden. The tree is cherished and has been revered as far back as the 17th century, where the oldest existing book of Japanese poetry, Man-Yoshu, translating as Collection of Ten Thousand Leaves, celebrated the maple for its romantic beauty. In the Edo period (1603–1867), people would hold maple-viewing parties, visiting the trees in the wild. In Japan, maples are known by two names: momiji or kaede. Kaede is derived from a combination of the Japanese for ‘frog’ and ‘hand’ whereas momiji comes from an old Japanese word, which meant ‘to change colour’.

Code: C140	Before the 16th century, we usually referred to the autumn season as ‘harvest’. With a move away from rural living, we have lost the sense of importance that was once attributed to this time of the year. The cutting of the last sheaf of corn was considered particularly significant, a ceremonious occasion with all sorts of intriguing local variants. At the root of the tradition was the pagan faith in the circle of life: in birth, death and rebirth. It was believed that the last sheaf of corn harboured the harvest spirit, so in many places this would be used to make a corn dolly, thus capturing the harvest spirit. This corn dolly would adorn the top table at the end of the harvest feast and would be carefully looked after throughout the winter. It would appear again, when the spring crops were sown, symbolically bestowing the blessing of Mother Earth.

Code: C141	At Christmas, I no more desire a rose Than wish a snow in May’s newfangled mirth; But like each thing that in season grows. Love’s Labour’s Lost, William Shakespeare

Code: C142	The frost on the angelica pictured makes it look quite festive, wholly appropriate for this time of year. However, since most historians agree that it is unlikely that Jesus was born in December, why do we celebrate Christmas at this time? The answer, of course, lies in the pagan origins of the festival. Even in ancient Babylon, long before the birth of Christ, December 25th marked a significant celebration: the feast of the Son of Isis. And it sounds like a real rave-up, with raucous behaviour and gluttonous eating and drinking being the order of the day – pretty similar to how we celebrate Christmas nowadays, but without the endless repeats and awful comedy ‘specials’.

Code: C143	Blow, blow, thou winter wind. Thou art not so unkind As man’s ingratitude; Thy tooth is not so keen, Because thou art not seen, Although thy breath be rude. Heigh-ho! sing, heigh-ho! unto the green holly: Most friendship is feigning, most loving mere folly: Then, heigh-ho, the holly! This life is most jolly. Freeze, freeze, thou bitter sky, That dost not bite so nigh As benefits forgot ... As You Like It, William Shakespeare

Code: C144	On clear and frosty winter nights white ice crystals can be loosely deposited onto vegetation or exposed surfaces – they form when heat is lost into the open skies, causing objects to become colder than the surrounding air. This is known as hoar frost or radiation frost, and is similar to the formation of dew, the difference being that that the temperature of the object on which the hoar frost forms is well below 0°C. Initially looking like fine feathers, spikes or spines, the interlocking crystals can become so thick they resemble snow, creating a winter wonderland!

Code: C145	There are about forty species of Helenium, a member of the daisy family and a native of Central and North America. Some varieties of Helenium are commonly known as sneezeweed, probably because it was used as snuff by early settlers. Native Americans valued the plant’s medicinal qualities, drying the flowers to produce a cure for catarrh, fevers and head colds. Legend offers up several accounts of how the plant acquired its name. One tells us that it was the flower that Helen of Troy was holding when she was kidnapped by Paris, another says it first grew on ground watered by her tears. It is perhaps more likely that the plant derives its name from helios, the Greek word for the sun, which it resembles.

Code: C146	Late for work, desperately trying to defrost your car’s windscreen, fingers rapidly freezing as you do so – blame Jack Frost, English folklore’s personification of cold winter weather. A lively little elfin character, it is Jack Frost who is said to spread frost on a cold winter’s morning. His origins are ambiguous; some believe he is a Viking invention, his name derived from Norse character names Jokul (icicle) and Frosti (frost). It has also been suggested that he is a much more recent addition to Anglo Saxon culture, his source a Russian fairytale, where he is known as Morozoka or Father Frost. Other Russian tales depict Father Frost as a character whose role is to bind together earth and water with heavy chains. Germany also has a Jack Frost equivalent: an old woman who creates snow when she shakes out her bed of white feathers.

Code: C147	There is something so stately, so intrinsically English, about a tree-lined avenue, but trees have historically been worshipped by many cultures. With its cycle of foliage decay and renewal, and its changes in age clearly indicated by the height and size of its trunk, the tree is a powerful symbol of growth, life, death and resurrection. One motif that crosses cultures and features in several religions and mythologies is that of the World Tree. Representing the holistic, interconnected nature of life, this colossal tree unites the different worlds: supporting the heavens with its branches, linking them to the earth, and, via its roots, the underworld.

Code: C148	Our native trees, such as the beeches pictured, are already showing signs of suffering from the effects of climate change. Beech has a shallow root system, making it particularly vulnerable to drought and the stresses of hotter summers and wetter winters. Trees and forests are so essential to our lives. They reduce noise and improve the quality of air, water and soil, provide shade and play host to an incredibly diverse range of wildlife. For many people, our native woodlands are also imbued with a magical, even mystical, quality – connected with childhood memories and fairytales. More than ever we need to appreciate the beauty of this fantastic resource and make sure we safeguard its future.

Code: C149	Probably the last of our native trees to reach the British Isles after the Ice Age, the small-leaved lime has proved itself to be useful over the years. It has been widely coppiced for fuel, and, because it has a tight grain that doesn’t splinter easily, it is ideal for making into many things – from piano and organ keys to ladles, hop poles and Morris Dancing sticks. Lime was also favoured by the master woodcarver, Grinling Gibbons (1648–1721), who could give wood ‘the loose and airy lightness of flowers’; his work can be seen in St Paul’s Cathedral and other sites around the country. Tree lore associates the lime tree with fertility, whereas in France and Switzerland it signifies liberty: limes were often planted in remembrance of battles that had been fought to free one country from the domination of another.

Code: C150	The cold and often inhospitable months of winter have traditionally been a time for communities to come together. Cheerful celebrations were believed to drive away malicious spirits lurking in the darkness of the world outside – the winter solstice, on 21 December, was considered a particularly dangerous time. It is no wonder that the festive season is steeped in superstition. People born on Christmas Day often complain that they get only one set of presents, but customs suggest that this is an auspicious beginning: they will never meet a ghost, and they will be protected from the unpleasantness of drowning or hanging. If that doesn’t sound exciting enough, the Pennsylvania Dutch believe that cows are given the gift of speech on Christmas Eve and that only those born on Christmas Day will be able to understand them!

Code: C151	The camellia was the must-have flower of the Victorian era. Originating in the Orient, it appealed to an age fascinated by the Far East and tales of adventure in exotic lands. With its romantic and showy blooms, the camellia symbolised ?admiration? and ?perfection? in the Victorian language of flowers. Camellia sinensis is used to make tea, the most widely consumed beverage in the world after water. According to a Chinese legend, it was discovered around 2737 BC by the emperor Shen Nung after some leaves from a camellia tree drifted down into a pot of water he was boiling. (Warning: do not use or consume plants for medicinal or nutritional purposes without seeking the appropriate professional advice.)

Code: C152	The daffodil is the national flower of Wales, which is traditionally worn on St David?s Day on 1 March. However, the origins of this tradition are not obvious, apart from the daffodil being a spring flower. It is thought that the choice of this flower may have arisen out of confusion: its name in Welsh, cenhinen pedr, being similar to the country?s other famous symbol, the leek (known as cenhinen). The leek as a symbol can be accounted for: one legend describes a battle between the Welsh and the Saxons as taking place in a field of leeks, and the vegetable also gets a mention in Shakespeare?s Henry V as an emblem of Wales. The daffodil, however, became associated with the Welsh only in the 19th century ? perhaps purely because it?s more attractive to wear in a buttonhole than a leek?

Code: C153	A fine and subtle spirit dwells In every little flower, Each one its own sweet feeling breathes With more or less of power. There is a silent eloquence In every wild bluebell That fills my softened heart with bliss That words could never tell… O, that lone flower recalled to me My happy childhood’s hours When bluebells seemed like fairy gifts A prize among the flowers … Excerpt from ‘The Bluebell’, Anne Bronte (1820–49)

Code: C154	This wildflower is a member of the same family as the primrose and is thought to derive its name from cuslyppe, the Old English for a cowpat. It was once believed that it would grow only where cows grazed, and it is certainly true that its preferred habitat is meadowland. Folklore has plenty to say about the cowslip. One legend, perhaps drawing on the shape of the flower, tells of St Peter dropping the keys to heaven on the ground and the cowslip springing up from the spot where they landed. Another belief was that if you planted the cowslip upside down, its flowers would be red.

Code: C155	The name ‘lady’s smock’ has its origins in the smocks commonly worn in Tudor times. Another common name for the plant is the cuckoo flower, because it appears in April around the same time as the bird. Folklore describes the flower as sacred to fairies, and unlucky to bring indoors – for this reason it was never included in Mayday garlands.

Code: C156	The artist is the confidant of nature, flowers carry on dialogues with him through the graceful bending of their stems and the harmoniously tinted nuances of their blossoms. Every flower has a cordial word which nature directs towards him. Auguste Rodin (1840–1917)

Code: C157	Astrantia major is a European native and has been cultivated in the UK since the 16th century. It has unusual blooms: a centre of spikes bearing true flowers, surrounded by star-shaped bracts, which are thought to have inspired both its Latin name – derived from astron, the Greek for ‘star’ – and the more prosaic moniker, ‘Hattie’s pincushion’. Astrantia is known for its medicinal properties, and is reportedly useful in the treatment of migraines and as an appetite stimulant. (Warning: do not use or consume plants for medicinal or nutritional purposes without seeking the appropriate professional advice.)

Code: C158	Also known as torch lily, this stately plant originated from South Africa and has sweet nectar that not only appeals to butterflies and bees but also to nectar-loving birds, such as hummingbirds. The blue tit pictured clearly appreciates the plant’s insect- attracting properties! Easy to grow, red-hot pokers are an exotic addition to any garden and one of the best wildlife magnets.

Code: C159	Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under the trees on a summer’s day, listening to the murmur of water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time. Sir John Lubbock (1834–1913)

Code: C160	Hailing from South America, the nasturtium is cultivated for its ornamental and medicinal properties. Both the leaves and the flowers, which are high in vitamin C, are edible, with a peppery taste similar to watercress, and they make a great addition to salads. The nasturtium is a popular component of Andean herbal medicine; it is believed to be antibacterial and useful for the healing of wounds and the treatment of chest conditions. Gardeners, meanwhile, use the nasturtium as a kind of decoy; it is very attractive to aphids and may entice them away from other plants. (Warning: do not use or consume plants for medicinal or nutritional purposes without seeking the appropriate professional advice.)

Code: C161	A native of the Mediterranean, lavender is a lover of dry, sunny habitats, so it is perhaps surprising that many English gardens are famous for their lavender and that it has become a favourite of gardeners everywhere. Lavender has been celebrated for its therapeutic benefits and fine fragrance throughout history. Traces of the plant, still slightly scented, were found when Tutankhamen’s tomb was opened in 1922 – 3,000 years after it was sealed! Legend suggests that the Romans introduced lavender to Britain, carried by solders within a ‘first-aid kit’ of herbs and valued for its healing, soothing and insect-repellent properties. Believed to be both restoring to the skin and relaxing, lavender was commonly added to Roman baths and this is probably how it got its name – derived from the Latin word lavare, which means ‘to wash’.

Code: C162	If a man could pass thro’ Paradise in a Dream, & have a flower presented to him as a pledge that his Soul had really been there, & found that flower in his hand when he awoke – Aye, what then? Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772–1834)

Code: C163	The corn marigold has grown in cornfields from the Neolithic Age to the present day. It was once considered a dangerous weed and so damaging to crops that a royal decree demanded its destruction. In 13th-century Scotland, for example, a farmer could be fined a sheep if he allowed just a single corn marigold to grow among his crops. The plant was known as Brenanbroi in Gaelic, translating as ‘that which rotteth corn’. Oddly, considering its reputation, it was picked by Mary Queen of Scots as her emblem.

Code: C164	Aptly named, the daylily’s flowers open at sunrise and wither at sunset. A popular garden plant worldwide, with over 60,000 cultivars, the daylily has particular resonance in China and the Orient, where it has its origins. It is given many names by the Chinese, often relating to the belief that its beauty could be emotionally uplifting. Given as a present to the grieving or melancholy, the flower is called Wong Yu, which translates as ‘forgetting worries’. The daylily also represents fertility in Chinese plant lore, and in particular is given to pregnant women hoping for a baby boy – in this case it is known as I Nan, meaning ‘suited for a boy’.

Code: C165	The humble daisy has long been a favourite with children, used to make daisy chains and for light-heartedly divining a future love by plucking off the petals one by one and saying the words ‘he loves me, he loves me not’ until the remaining petal reveals the answer. Folklore invests the daisy with messages of innocence, purity and loyalty in love, and many intriguing beliefs besides. Medieval farmers would say that spring had not arrived until you could set a foot on 12 daisies, and that adorning a child in a daisy chain would prevent them from being stolen by fairies. Daisies were once even valued for their healing properties – King Henry VIII ate dishes of daisies to ease his stomach-ulcer pain, gout and fever.

Code: C166	Full many a glorious morning have I seen Flatter the mountaintops with sovereign eye, Kissing with golden face the meadows green, Gilding pale streams with heavenly alchemy. Excerpt from ‘Sonnet 33’, William Shakespeare (1564–1616)

Code: C167	To see a World in a Grain of Sand And a Heaven in a Wild Flower, Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand And Eternity in an hour. Excerpt from Auguries of Innocence, William Blake (17571827)

Code: C168	Native to the Central Americas, the sunflower is celebrated for its beauty, vitality and, more importantly, as a food source it is perhaps due to this combination of qualities that it is a cultural symbol worldwide. The sunflower turns to follow the sun known as heliotropism and has come to represent the sun itself, conveying connotations of longevity, warmth and happiness. The Aztecs were among the many Native American societies to link the sunflower with their solar deity, and it is believed that the Incas worshipped a giant sunflower, the Incan priestesses adorning themselves with sunflower-shaped discs of gold. Nowadays the sunflower is often used to symbolise a green, ecologically friendly ideology and is also the emblem of the Vegan Society.

Code: C169	In 1861, John Gould Veitch became one of the first Western plant hunters to be allowed into Japan. Maples were among his discoveries, causing quite a stir when he brought them home to Britain. Plant hunters were the Indiana Joneses of their day, and Veitch’s intrepid escapades proved that he was no exception. He was shipwrecked, losing all his possessions, before he even got to Japan, but quickly managed to secure passage on another vessel – arriving in good time to be one of the first Europeans to climb Mount Fuji.

Code: C170	The New Forest was first recoded as ‘Nova Foresta’ in the Domesday Book in 1086 and was established some years earlier by William the Conqueror as a royal forest and hunting ground. Today, the Forest still retains much of its character from the commoners’ cattle, ponies and donkeys that roam the open heath and woodland, but it is also a nationally important wildlife environment. Its surprising diversity of habitats – woodland pasture, heaths, bogs, the remains of coppices and timber plantations – support an abundance of wild species, some of which are extremely rare. The New Forest cicada, the only cicada native to Britain, rare wetland plants like the marsh gentian, specialist heathland birds and all three species of British native snake are just a few of the Forest’s inhabitants.

Code: C171	The winter comes; I walk alone, I want no bird to sing; To those who keep their hearts their own The winter is the spring. No flowers to please – no bees to hum – The coming spring’s already come. I love the snow, the crumpling snow That hangs on everything, It covers everything below Like white dove’s brooding wing, A landscape to the aching sight, A vast expanse of dazzling light … Excerpt from ‘The Winter’s Spring’, John Clare (1793–1864)

Code: C172	Also commonly referred to as a hellebore, the Lenten rose gets its more poetic and slightly misleading name (it is not a member of the rose family) because it flowers during the period of Lent. It is prized for its fine foliage and the novelty of such early blooms. Hellebores were used medicinally in ancient times – most commonly as a cure for insanity. However, this is definitely not to be recommended, because many hellebore species are highly toxic, and some historians conjecture that Alexander the Great may have died from an overdose of hellebore medication.

Code: C173	Delicate looking, but surprisingly tough, pansies are cultivated in a wide range of vivid colours, with many available in bi-colours. Their sheer variety is part of their popularity, but they are also celebrated by gardeners because they are easy to grow and can survive light frosts or snow – in mild climates blooming cheerfully all winter. The name ‘pansy’ is derived from pensée, the French word for ‘thought’, and is possibly so named because the large flowers, with their instantly recognisable face-like centre markings, nod forward as if thinking. The pansy has associations with St Valentine’s Day and in floriography – the Victorian language of flowers – it symbolises loving thoughts. The pansy’s wild precursor, the viola, was also considered romantic. In Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, it is used in a love potion: ‘The juice of it, on sleeping eyelids laid, will make a man or woman madly dote upon the next live creature that it sees’.

Code: C174	The sweet pea is a hugely popular garden plant, and is admired for its many varieties, bright colours and the delicious sweet scent after which it is named. It is a Mediterranean native, and its cultivation in the UK can be traced back to 1699 when a Sicilian monk sent seeds to England. It was the nurseryman, Henry Eckford, who then developed the plant, cross-breeding it to introduce 115 of the total 264 cultivars grown at the time. His success made the sweet pea a Victorian sensation and a must-have for gardeners everywhere. There was one thing he wasn’t able to achieve, however, and neither has anyone since: the breeding of a yellow sweet pea; like a blue rose this colouring remains elusive.

Code: C175	The orchid family is truly remarkable, containing twice as many species as there are species of birds and four times more than there are species of mammal. They have complex and highly specialised pollination systems, with some orchids actually attracting male insects by mimicking receptive females using adaptations to shape, smell and colour. Strange, otherworldly and animalistic, orchids have exerted a fascination among plant lovers since their introduction in the 19th century. They are adaptable to experimentation as well, with horticulturists producing more than 100,000 hybrids and cultivars. The moth orchid is so called for its resemblance to a moth with outstretched wings. In the wild it has a range that stretches from India through to the Philippines and into Northern Australia. It grows on trees under the canopy of rainforests, its roots attaching to branches like ivy adheres to a wall. The moth orchid is valued as the easiest orchid for the home grower and makes an excellent and rewarding house plant, producing spikes of around ten flowers as often as three times a year.

Code: C176	The tulip was originally a wildflower growing in Central Asia. It was cultivated by the Turks as early as AD 1000, and they named it after the Turkish word for ‘turban’. Its introduction to Holland saw the eruption of ‘tulip mania’ with the Dutch often selling homes and businesses to participate in tulip trading. With some varieties costing more than a property in Amsterdam, it seems obvious with hindsight that it would all end in tears – as indeed it did, with the flower becoming so common that it caused a ‘tulip crash’ in 1637 throwing Holland into a financial crisis. In the Victorian language of flowers, known as floriography, secret messages were conveyed via bouquets of flowers or in references in poems or songs. Generally, the tulip would be considered as a declaration of love, while a variegated tulip would symbolise beautiful eyes.

Code: C177	‘Let your boat of life be light, packed with only what you need – a homely home and simple pleasures, one or two friends, worth the name, someone to love and someone to love you, a cat, a dog, and a pipe or two, enough to eat and enough to wear, and a little more than enough to drink; for thirst is a dangerous thing.’ Three Men in a Boat, Jerome K. Jerome (1859–1927)

Code: C178	‘One travels more usefully when alone, because he reflects more.’ Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826)

Code: C179	With around 300 species and new cultivars constantly being introduced, clematis is one of the most popular garden plants. It is much admired for its versatility: this woody climber can be grown on walls and pergolas, in containers or left to scramble through trees and shrubs. As they have a natural range of habitats which includes the temperate areas of the northern hemisphere, they thrive in the UK – flowering from July to September. Wild clematis is often referred to as ‘Traveller’s Joy’ because travellers often spot it festooning roadside hedges.

Code: C180	‘But he that dares not grasp the thorn Should never crave the rose.’ Anne Brontë (1820–49)

Code: C181	‘Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not.’ Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82)

Code: C182	Heathland is a semi-natural habitat dominated by colourful heather, gorse and bracken. It is rich in biodiversity, supporting an array of plant and invertebrate species. Like moorland, it is characterised by low-quality acidic soils, but it differs in that it tends to be found in lowland areas and to be drier and less waterlogged. Heaths have their origins in the tundra-like vegetation created when the ice sheets retreated 14,000 years ago. It is thought that the heathlands themselves were established by the activities of Neolithic farming communities. Existing woodlands were cleared and then the land worked until the soil became exhausted – people would then move on to cultivate new areas, leaving the barren land to develop as heath. Today, many of the UK’s heathlands have been lost to intensive agriculture and housing development. Their importance as a habitat, however, has been recognised, resulting in protection laws and a priority status for conservation.

Code: C183	‘Between every two pines is a doorway to a new world.’ John Muir (1838–1914)

Code: C184	It sifts from leaden sieves, It powders all the wood, It fills with alabaster wool The wrinkles of the road ... It reaches to the fence, It wraps it, rail by rail, Till it is lost in fleeces; It flings a crystal veil ... It ruffles wrists of posts, As ankles of a queen,– Then still its artisans like ghosts, Denying they have been. Excerpt from ‘The Snow’, by Emily Dickinson (1830–86)

Code: C185	Derwent Water is celebrated as one of the most beautiful of the great lakes in the Lake District. A region of spectacular scenery encompassing soaring mountains (or fells), woodland, open moors and, of course, lakes, it is no wonder that the Lake District offers so much inspiration for artists and writers. It is perhaps most famous for weaving its spell on the Romantic poets of the late 18th to the mid 19th centuries, William Wordsworth and Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and the author and art critic, John Ruskin, as well as for providing the wild and adventure-filled backdrop for children’s writers such as Arthur Ransome of Swallows and Amazons fame.

Code: C186	‘Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us up, snow is exhilarating; there’s really no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather.’ John Ruskin (1819–1900)

Life is Sweet \| Viva La Diva \| Wild at Heart \| Where on Earth The Good Life \| London Calling International Animal Rescue \| British Divers Marine Life Rescue \| Surfers Against Sewage \| Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust \| Woodland Trust Cards with Stories to Tell \| Timeless Treasures \| Nearer to Nature \| Barnaby's Bugs \| Designed by Nature Celtic Cornwall \| Celtic Ireland \| Celtic Scotland \| Celtic Wales