Monday, January 12, 2009
Gardening In The Mind
As Iowa shivers into the coldest week of the winter, I can still garden in my mind, visiting faraway lands; misty mountain ranges in the vast and mysterious corners of the world.
The Carpathian Mountains, seen from space look rather like a giant snake, the head lying at the south border of Poland, the body stretching across Ukraine and Romania, the tail curling down into Serbia. One of the last and best areas of mountain wildness, home to brown bears, wolves and lynx, and the abode of Dracula, the Carpathians are host also to a myriad of beautiful flower bulbs, bulbs being a way of coping with dry, hot summers. It is said that a third of all the plant species in Europe are found in the Carpathians.
Crocuses, scillas, corydalis, and snowdrops all are found in these rugged mountains. The spring snowflake, Leucojum vernum carpathicum, with yellow spots on its petals instead of the common green, is one of the endemic gems.
I have always wanted to visit and hike these mountains of legend, and someday I will... and then the Altai Range, the Caucasus Mountains, the Pamirs and the Julian Alps.
(The images above are from Wikipedia Commons, for which I am grateful.)
// posted by IBOY @ 6:55 AM 
Comments:
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Just imagine that if this is the coldest week of winter, days can only get longer, warmer, better from here on in. :) It does give one reason to hope, doesn't it?
# posted by 
: January 12, 2009
: January 12, 2009
Even in the darkest coldest Chicago winter I too garden in my mind. I'm mostly thinking of the Azalea Trails in Mobile, Alabama and the fragrant cedar and pines in my childhood home.
Don - It's interesting to see other fantasy destinations. The Carpatianians would be on mine, along with Georgia (the former USSR republic at the south edge of the Caucasuses), Kyrgystan maybe the Amur River Valley. Pretty close to you stomping ground - send post cards!
# posted by : January 12, 2009
: January 12, 2009
nancy... at least the days are getting longer; that really helps to see the sun.
Carolyn... azaleas would be nice right now!
Ted... see you at the airport!
don
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Carolyn... azaleas would be nice right now!
Ted... see you at the airport!
don
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