Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Nigrescens’, the black mondo or lily grass, is a famous black variety of a little evergreen member of the asparagus family. It is used as ground cover by goths, emos, and people who learned their plantcraft in the … Continue reading The Black Mondo Night Thread
Arbutus unedo is a little tree from western Europe, that grows bobbly little fruits that do not actually resemble strawberries very much. It’s a member of the heather family, and can tolerate all kinds of climates; drought, frost, shade, salt … Continue reading The Strawberry Tree Night Thread
Helleborus orientalis is another perennial garden plant and is a member of the buttercup family. It likes the shade and rich, moist soils. Its cup-shaped flowers can range from green-white to dark purple and its flowering season can start as … Continue reading The Lenten Rose Night Thread
Who wants to hear about another weird tree? ‘Course you do! Tonight’s offering is a giant! Native to North American and only one of two living species in its genus, the tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera) grows to the enormous height … Continue reading The Tulip Tree Night Thread
Tonight we have the magical tale of a very special tree that was believed extinct until it was found nestling in secluded valleys in deepest China. It is now thriving in arboreta and parks all over the world, where it … Continue reading The Dawn Redwood Night Thread
Tonight you get to feast your eyes on a plant many of you will know even if you don’t know its name: Viburnum davidii, beloved of Tescos car parks and, well, me. This evergreen shrub is native to China and … Continue reading The Viburnum davidii Night Thread
The Astrantia, disappointingly given the common name of masterwort NOT starflower, is a shade-loving herbaceous perennial in the parsley family. It is still used in herbal medicine today to increase appetite, but mostly, it’s just very pretty. It comes in … Continue reading Night Thread of Astrantia
Fritillaria meleagris is a Eurasian species of flowering plant in the lily family. It is perennial and grows from tiny bulbs. Its flowers are drooping bell shapes with an oddly square top. It likes soggy meadows and is endangered in the wild in much of its … Continue reading Snake’s Head Fritillary Night Thread
You have only yourselves to blame for this. All hail the glubby! Continue reading GLUBBY 2: THE GLUBBENING
O, to be in a tree house, cosy warm against the wind but surrounded by waving forests and creatures lurking among the branches! I’ve been looking at glamping tree houses which have fully-fitted kitchens and double beds. I never had … Continue reading The Tree House Day Thread
This is a post about my cat. OK, you’re not falling for that a second time. This is a post about the tasty, tasty crustacean! So what is a scampo (Nephrops norvegicus)? It’s an edible crustacean like a prawn, and … Continue reading The Scampi Night Thread
In honour of Sukkot, let us praise the mighty etrog, a citron unblemished by the promiscuity of its fellow citrus fruit, its purity guarded carefully from the wiles of the wicked mandarin by troops of warrior rabbi. Continue reading Emergency Etrog Day Thread
Here is a post about my cat. Sike! it’s actually about pressed bean curd! Tofu, from the Chinese dòufǔ meaning “bean curd”, has been made and eaten in East Asian countries for at least two thousand years. Tofu is low … Continue reading The Tofu Night Thread
Tonight we celebrate that classic British sweetie, the Rhubarb & Custard. Strange choice for something designed to appeal to little kids, but I can confirm they are delicious. The fragrant tartness of the red side! The creamy sweetness of the … Continue reading The Rhubarb and Custard Night Thread
Did you know there are only four species of true anteater, and two of them are tamanduas? The smallest, and strong competitor for the weirdest, is the silky anteater (Cyclopes didactylus), found from Mexico down throughout much of South America. … Continue reading The Silky Anteater Night Thread
Ah yes, I hear you say. Beatrix Potter. That nice lady with the cute bunny watercolours. NO! Well yes. But today we are not focusing on her charming, classic children’s tales, but on her scientific endeavours, in the first part … Continue reading The Beatrix Potter Night Thread
The olm, (Proteus anguinus) is a cave-dwelling salamander found in only one section of the Alps, where it dreams amongst the crunchy limestone underground rivers of the Soča basin. It is eyeless and blind, which it makes up for by … Continue reading The Olm Night Thread
Dumplings. Little packets of food contained in a silken envelope of dough. Almost every culture on earth has a variant of these, from pierogis to wontons, from momo to tortellini. These ones come from the frozen wastes of Siberia, and … Continue reading The Pelmeni Night Thread
You knew this day was coming… Finally I have gathered my courage and now you all have to share in my weird animal glee in the headers! I SHALL BE UNSTOPPABLE AHAHAHAHA!!! The leatherleaf slugs, or GLUBBIES, are a family … Continue reading It’s the GLUBBY Night Thread!
