Category Archives: Botany

Bark

Posted on 05/06/2017 by carolinemmurray

It may seem a little weird, when summer seems at last to be arriving, to be considering bark. On the other hand, in my wanderings on the Italian peninsula recently, I found myself photographing as much bark as I did … Continue reading →

Posted in Botany, Gardens, Natural history | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Plant of the Month: May 2017

Posted on 31/05/2017 by carolinemmurray

When an unfortunate juxtaposition of my slippery sandal and the glass-like surface of a marble step in Venice had fairly uncomfortable consequences a couple of weeks ago, my second conscious thought (the first having been ‘I hope this wasn’t caught … Continue reading →

Posted in Botany, Cambridge, Exploration, Gardens, Natural history | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Thunbergiana

Posted on 16/05/2017 by carolinemmurray

I was picking stems of my Deutzia to bring indoors (an activity which presents a rather more domesticated and delightful image of the châtelaine of Château Hedgehog than the reality), when it occurred to me that although I have been … Continue reading →

Posted in Botany, Exploration, Gardens, History, Natural history | Tagged , , , , | 13 Comments

A Skeleton in the Cupboard?

Posted on 06/05/2017 by carolinemmurray

One of the things I’m doing at the moment is browsing through nineteenth-century issues of the Gardeners’ Chronicle (online – God bless the Biodiversity Heritage Library!), cross-checking references to the Cambridge University Botanic Garden. A lot of the material is … Continue reading →

Posted in Botany, Cambridge, Gardens, History, Natural history, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments

Plant of the Month: April 2017

Posted on 24/04/2017 by carolinemmurray

The forget-me-not is one of those plants which are ‘only a …’. But like so many apparently over-familiar pieces of nature, it repays closer examination. It must be one of the most widespread (and toughest) plants in the northern hemisphere, … Continue reading →

Posted in Botany, Gardens, History, Literature, Natural history, Printing and Publishing | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Only Connect

Posted on 20/04/2017 by carolinemmurray

As I never cease to remind everyone, everything is connected to everything else. This was once quoted in the immortal Yes Minister: as I recall, Sir Humphrey asks Bernard ‘Who said that?’; Bernard: ‘The Cabinet Secretary?’; Sir H: ‘Almost right, … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Botany, Gardens, History, Museums and Galleries, Natural history | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Lucca

Posted on 14/04/2017 by carolinemmurray

I never quite understood what was so great about St Martin slicing his cloak in two and giving half to a beggar: why didn’t he just hand over the whole cloak and be done with it? He was a soldier … Continue reading →

Posted in Botany, Exploration, Gardens, History, Museums and Galleries, Natural history | Tagged , , , | 8 Comments

William Cobbett, Nurseryman

Posted on 03/04/2017 by carolinemmurray

Though the constant thread running through his adult life was radical journalism (for which he spent most of the years 1810–12 in Newgate prison), William Cobbett (1763–1835) had many careers: farmer, soldier, grammarian, language teacher, author, economist, printer, publisher, Member … Continue reading →

Posted in Botany, Gardens, History, Natural history, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 8 Comments

Plant of the Month: March 2017

Posted on 26/03/2017 by carolinemmurray

I have to confess that I had hoped that the Persian ironwood tree, Parrotia persica, had obtained its botanical name (first applied by C.A. von Meyer in 1831) because it was observed to be a favourite perch for parrots, but … Continue reading →

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In Chancery

Posted on 20/02/2017 by carolinemmurray

Bleak House is my favourite Dickens novel. I don’t propose to defend the assertion now, but I mention it because recent rummagings in the library in which I spend my Friday mornings have brought to light a rather sad tale … Continue reading →

Posted in Biography, Botany, Gardens, History, London, Natural history | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments