NEWSLETTER ARCHIVE
A NEWSLETTER from LUCRETIA WEEMS
KISSING BOUGHS
Kissing Boughs, or Kissing Balls, have been around since Medieval times. I had never heard of them! Made of a woven armature of branches and covered with winter greenery and lit with candles, the balls were hung indoors to welcome guests at year's end.
Traditionally they were decorated with holly, ivy, hellebore, and fruits--as well as mistletoe, of course. Why not make one? READ MORE
Sending you a bounty of magic and warmth for all your winter celebrations!
Heartfelt thanks for your support.
ARISTOLOCHIA
or Dutchman's Pipe is an old and amazing plant.
From earliest recorded time it has been used medicinally, and most all the numerous varieties are larval host plants for several gorgeous butterflies.
I have added photos to the gallery of this fascinating plant along with the butterflies in the Plants and Gardens section of the website..
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THE LANGUAGE OF FLOWERS
illustrated by Kate Greenaway is a classic.
Pictured is my treasured first edition of this delightful 1884 compendium. With abundant illustrations, it contains flower meanings listed both by flower and by quality (Daffodils for Regard, Levity via Larkspur) and many pages of flower poetry. It has been republished in numerous editions, though of course Kate Greenaway's original illustrations are essential.
THE LANGUAGE OF FLOWERS
illustrated by Kate Greenaway is a classic.
Pictured is my treasured first edition of this delightful 1884 compendium. With abundant illustrations, it contains flower meanings listed both by flower and by quality (Daffodils for Regard, Levity via Larkspur) and many pages of flower poetry. It has been republished in numerous editions, though of course Kate Greenaway's original illustrations are essential.
MISTLETOES are a large group of plants that aree parasitic on above ground parts of woody trees and shrubs.
The traditions surrounding mistletoe include stories from the Druids and the Norse legends. Its story is not simple and though It began as a sacred and medicinal herb, now most of us know it for the kiss it entitles those beneath it.
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THIS WILD LIFE
Heroines in the History of Botany 1650-1850
The women in these pages led amazing lives. Some encountered pirates, some witnessed historic earthquakes, some received visits from the Queen.
Each was a true heroine who contributed dramatically to our knowledge of plants before the term botany even existed.
They explored, collected and propagated plants alongside men. Courage, determination and intelligence underscored their work yet their historic endeavors were too often barely acknowledged.
Hundreds of years have passed, and their names have been largely forgotten. Here are the remarkable stories of their lives and work, that we may know them and that their stature be reclaimed and celebrated anew.
