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"Flower grannies" at their grandkids' wedding go viral

Two grandmothers have stolen the show at their grandkids' wedding as they walked down the aisle as flower girls. The heartwarming moment was captured by wedding photographer Joshua Hugget, who was taking photos at the picturesque wedding in South Australia. The video shows the two grandmothers arm-in-arm, dropping flower petals down the aisle in lieu of the standard young flower girls. The bride, Michaela Treloar, shared with the <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-03-03/grandmothers-who-were-flower-girls-become-viral-sensation/103519006?sf271999625=1&fbclid=IwAR21H0d9_RfQkyBfP6SuyI1L_3KN8a4CdTXqqmx8tEfN8SyIp3FXY_ryqbg_aem_AZyZ59VDrmi0hZ-kcRd9Yncw5hZywZzo313-pUSnNYZJ-K_2Z4fXcOVlFcvX0Gn-E40">ABC</a> how she and her partner both “wanted to include our grandmothers into our wedding somehow”, which resulted in the adorable moment. <blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C3hCIP9PgsG/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"> </div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"> <div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg);"> </div> </div> <div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style="width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"> </div> <div style="width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"> </div> </div> </div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"> </div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"> </div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/C3hCIP9PgsG/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Joshua Huggett Media (@joshuahuggettmedia)</a> </div> </blockquote> “They took it on with pride, smashed it, and now they’ve gone viral,” exclaimed Treloar. “It was really cute … each nonna was helping each other get to the end of the aisle, chatting all the way.” The photographer who captured the moment shared that he believes something about the video is relatable to everyone in some way, and that is the secret to its success. “It hits that heart string straight away … it’s the perfect concoction of people saying they want to do that with their grandma, teamed with people saying they wish they could do that with their grandma now that they’d passed,” Joshua shared. The flower grannies shining moment has been viewed millions of times, with many leaving comments praising the married couple for including their grandmothers in their big day. “I have goosebumps head to toe! The smiles on the grannies’ faces …. Priceless!!!!!!!” One user commented. “Hope this trend catches on, it’s truly beautiful!” Image credits: Instagram - Joshua Hugget Media

Family & Pets

8 mind-boggling facts about your favourite flowers and plants

We’ve found some fun, quirky and downright mind-boggling facts about our favourite flowers and plants. 1. A sunflower is not just one flower. Each head is composed of hundreds of tiny flowers, called florets, held together on a single seed. This is the case for all plants in the sunflower family, including daises. 2. Apples, pears, peaches, cherries, raspberries, strawberries and more are actually in the rose family, making them cousins to the long-stemmed flower of love. 3. During the 1600s, tulips were so valuable in Holland that their bulbs were worth more than gold. No wonder the Netherlands is known for their tulips! 4. Bamboo is the fasted-growing woody plant in the world. The current Guinness World Record title is held by a certain species of the 45 genera of bamboo, which have been found to grow at up to 91 cm per day or at a rate of 0.00003 km/h. 5. Strawberries are the only fruit that bears its seeds on the outside. It has on average 200 seeds. 6. The oldest known flower was discovered in 2002, in northeast China. The flower, named archaefructus sinensis, bloomed around 125 million years ago and resembles a water lily. 7. The titan arum is the world’s largest flower. The circumference of the flower can be over three metres and a single leaf can grow to the size of a small tree. However, it smells horribly like rotten flesh, earning its nickname of corpse flower. 8. You can change the colour of your hydrangeas by altering the pH level of the soil. Alkaline soil will create pinker blooms, while a more acidic soil will produce blue blooms. Image credit: Instagram Related links: <a href="../lifestyle/gardening/2015/05/gardening-and-soil-ph/">What you need to know about your soil’s pH levels</a> <a href="../lifestyle/gardening/2015/05/over60-community-gardens-part-4/">Take a look inside the beautiful gardens of the Over60 community</a> <a href="../lifestyle/gardening/2015/06/attracting-birds-to-the-garden/">Top tips for attracting birds to the garden</a>

Home & Garden

What To Plant For An Impressive Winter Garden

In some areas of Australia and New Zealand, winter is a season of ample rainfall and cool temperatures that can be enjoyed in the company of numerous garden plants. Although many plants slip into dormancy where winters are mild, there are plenty of evergreen trees, shrubs and perennials, as well as hardy annuals, that will keep the garden vibrantly alive with greenery and flowers through the slow season. The right time to landscape? If you are developing a new landscape, winter may not be slow at all. I n many mild-winter climates, autumn is the preferred planting season for perennials and evergreens, both large and small. When planted in the autumn, these plants will benefit from the cool temperatures and winter rains. By the time the hot weather returns the following summer, they are comfortably settled in with strong, deep roots established in the soil. In addition, autumn is the best time for dividing some perennials, such as daylilies, which can become crowded if they have spent several years in the same spot. When divided at the appropriate time, they will be well rooted and ready to bloom when spring arrives. The tyranny of the lawn The main feature of many gardens is a lush, green lawn. In warm climates, warm-season grasses, such as couch, buffalo and kikuyu, are the favoured grasses. During spring, summer and autumn, these lawns are green expanses that demand regular mowing, watering and lots of fertiliser. As the weather cools, warm-season grasses will wind down and may become dormant. In areas that experience winter frosts, warm-season lawns are liable to turn brown and lifeless with the first frost. While some varieties claim to hold their green colour through winter (including ‘Wintergreen’ couch and ‘Sir Walter’ buffalo), most warm-season grasses languish between dull green and straw colour. Some buffalo lawns may develop a crimson tinge, which can be removed by mowing in late autumn or early winter. If the thought of a brown lawn over winter is unappealing, it can be disguised under a blanket of green by oversowing it in autumn with cool-season grass seed such as rye or tall fescue. In climates with cold to mild winters and mild summers, cool-season grasses are the preferred choice for lawns, provided adequate water is available. These lawns demand lots of summer watering, but become lush and green in winter, and provide a pleasant green contrast to the bare branches of deciduous trees and shrubs. As the winter draws to an end, they are often starred with English daisies. Willing winter bloomers If you have acid soil and partial or filtered shade to accommodate them, camellias can be counted upon to colour up winter in mild climates. Sasanqua camellias lead the show with their first flowers opening in late summer and progressing through autumn into early winter. In late autumn and winter, the japonica camellias feature, with varieties opening progressively until spring. Camellias are a good choice for an evergreen hedge, or can be the central feature of your winter garden. For extra interest, edge with other winter-flowering plants such as pansies and primulas, or early-flowering jonquils and narcissus. In mild-winter climates gardens can be a mass of flowers with careful planning. In sunny spots, deciduous magnolias are stunning as they come into bloom in late winter while their branches are still bare. The display lasts into early spring as the leaves appear. Surround them with Marguerite daisies, African daisies and narcissus for a breath of spring in winter. In some areas of Australia and New Zealand, winter is a season of ample rainfall and cool temperatures that can be enjoyed in the company of numerous garden plants. Although many plants slip into dormancy where winters are mild, there are plenty of evergreen trees, shrubs and perennials, as well as hardy annuals, that will keep the garden vibrantly alive with greenery and flowers through the slow season. Colourful winter annuals In any mild-winter climate, there are lots of cold-hardy annuals waiting to be discovered for wintertime entertainment. Consider planting dusty miller, dianthus, ornamental kale, poppies, pansies and snapdragons. You can find them in garden centres in punnets from autumn onwards. They may not bloom much during the shortest days of winter, but will provide great colour again in early spring. When in doubt about the staying power of not-quite-hardy plants, such as snapdragons, plant them in a sheltered place. A wall or building can absorb heat during the day and radiate warmth to nearby plants at night. Such a sheltered spot also helps to protect plants from being damaged by harsh winter winds or frosts. In mild-winter climates, planning and preparation for the spring and summer garden continues through the colder months. In frost-free climates, make the most of the cool conditions to prepare new garden beds, or rework and replant existing ones. In subtropical areas, spring comes early in the garden as petunias and annual phlox burst into bloom. These annuals can be started in winter as seeds or seedlings. In all areas, you can keep winter and spring annuals such as pansies and sweet peas blooming for many months by regularly picking or deadheading spent flowers. The application of a fortnightly dose of liquid fertiliser will also help to keep your annuals growing and blooming well. What to look for: Compact plantings A mild winter usually means a long summer is ahead, giving you time to grow both cool-season and warm-season annuals. When looking into a design, group pansies, primulas and other cool-season annuals close together so that nearby permanent plants won’t be disturbed when you pull them up and replace them with summer annuals. Image credit: Shutterstock This article originally appeared on <a href="https://www.readersdigest.co.nz/gardening-tips/what-plant-impressive-winter-garden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reader's Digest</a>.

Home & Garden

How to attract butterflies to the garden

If you’re keen to attract some new fluttering friends to your garden you’ve got to know how to provide the right conditions. Butterflies can be incredibly useful not only due to their beauty but their ability to pollinate your flowers. Attracting butterflies involves incorporating a variety of plants that support all stages of life; safe spots for egg laying, food for caterpillars, places to form chrysalides and food sources for fully matured butterflies. Here’s how to tackle the basics. <ul> <li>Plant native flowering plants – Butterflies and natives evolved together and often depend on each other to thrive. Planting natives indigenous to your local area provides butterflies with plenty of foliage for both the caterpillar and adult stages.</li> <li>Choose colours carefully – Butterflies love colour. Red, yellow, orange, pink and purple blossoms are all highly attractive to our fluttering friends.</li> <li>Be mindful of sunshine – Adult butterflies generally only feed in the sun, therefore you need to plant your nectar sources in a sunny spot that receives plenty of mid morning light.</li> <li>Plant for continuous bloom – Butterflies need nectar all year round so planting a crop that will continuously flower is important.</li> <li>Steer clear of insecticides – Common insecticides are designed to kill insects, including caterpillars. Steer well clear if you can.</li> <li>Take good care of caterpillars – If you want adult butterflies, you need to take care of the caterpillars. Planting plenty of native plants that caterpillars feed off is the best way of ensuring a thriving population.</li> <li>Provide a resting place – Butterflies enjoy basking in the sun as much as we do. Flat rocks in a sunny spot make for perfect “rest zones”.</li> <li>Provide a puddle – Butterflies love damp sand and shallow puddles. This is how they ingest water and access various minerals. Place some coarse sand in a shallow pan and insert the pan in the soil of your habitat, making sure to keep it moist.</li> </ul> Image credits: Getty Images

Home & Garden

The secret meaning behind flowers

From beautiful wedding bouquets and congratulatory flowers at graduation to a bunch offered in remorse, flowers play an important part in our lives. There are many occasions and reasons why we might want to give someone flowers. But did you know that all flowers have meanings behind them? In the Victorian era, flowers were symbols and people gave specific flowers to convey specific messages. As they could not openly express themselves, flowers were almost like a secret language. Here we uncover the meaning behinds some popular flowers so next time you’re picking out some to give to a loved one, you can make sure the message matches your thoughts! Daffodils These bright and happy flowers symbolise regard. They are also associated with new beginnings, eternal life and unrequited love. A single daffodil indicates misfortune but a whole bunch of them means happiness. Peonies These feminine flowers signal bashfulness. However, when a bride carries them they indicate a happy marriage and good fortune. On the other hand, peonies can also be used to express shame or indignation. Hydrangeas This wildflower symbolises understanding. Give them to someone when you want to express gratitude. Gardenias The elegant gardenia signifies purity, beauty and sweetness. Unsurprisingly then they are popular at wedding ceremonies. Giving someone gardenias can indicate a secret love or a way of telling them you think they are sweet and lovely. Carnations These popular flowers are available in a variety of colours and each one signifies something different. Pink symbolises enduring love – particularly a mother’s love for her child. Purple means unpredictability and red – admiration and an aching heart. White carnations represent pure love and if you ever need to politely decline a lover, striped carnations indicate a regretful refusal. Rose Everyone knows red roses mean romantic love but many people don’t know other colours have quite different meanings. Dark red is associated with mourning whereas pink represents happiness. Although very pretty, yellow roses actually indicate jealousy. Tulips These popular flowers stand for perfect love. Conveying grace and elegance, giving someone tulips is a declaration of love. Orchids These tropical blossoms symbolise exotic beauty. Those looking to make a lasting impression should consider these rare and delicate flowers. Iris The meaning of the iris includes faith, hope, wisdom and eloquence. Purple irises are associated with wisdom and compliments whereas blue ones symbolise faith and hope. Image: Getty Images

Home & Garden

7 tips to make fresh flowers last longer

It’s always such a nice treat to have fresh flowers in the house – whether they’ve been bought for you by a special someone, you’ve treated yourself, or you’ve just cut them straight from your very own garden. But many people don’t know the correct way to look after a bunch of flowers to ensure they get to enjoy their beauty for as long as possible. So here are some simple tips to remember. <ol> <li>Start with the right kind of vase. Don’t try to cram too many flowers into a small vase – make sure the flowers have room to open fully so you can see as much of them as possible.</li> <li>Remove any low-hanging leaves. You don’t want any leaves to be sitting in the water, so be sure to prune them before putting your bouquet into your vase.</li> <li>Change the water daily. Flowers don’t like to sit in the same water day after day.</li> <li>Trim the stems. Every few days, trim the stems a little, cutting at an angle.</li> <li>Keep the flowers away from direct heat and sunlight. A room that is too warm will lead to wilted flowers, so be sure to choose somewhere that stays cool if possible. If you really want to stretch things, consider keeping the flowers in your fridge when you’re not in the house.</li> <li>When flowers start to wilt, remove any that don’t look so hot and transfer the bouquet to a smaller vase to freshen things up.</li> <li>If you’re left with just one or two late-opening blooms, you can float it in a decorative teacup full of water.</li> </ol> Image: Getty

Home & Garden

How to create your own flower arrangements

Flowers are a sure-fire way to make just about anyone’s day. Whether you’re giving them as a gift, using them to decorate you house or making a centrepiece for an occasion, flowers will instantly brighten with their beauty. Here are some tips for creating your own flower arrangements at home. Look for inspiration With Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, inspiration for flower arrangements is now literally endless. Magazines and books are also a great source for ideas. Select a colour scheme When deciding on a colour scheme for your flower arrangement, there are a few things to consider. Firstly, is it an arrangement to go in a vase in your home and if so, what are the colours of the room it is going in? Or perhaps it is a gift for a friend and if so, what’s the occasion? Lastly, what time of year is it? These factors will influence what you go for. If the arrangement is for a house then you’ll need to pick colours that suit the room. If it is for an occasion, you’ll want to consider if you need bright and happy colours, or something more subtle. Lastly, if it's summer, it’s best to opt for colours that celebrate that time of year. Write up a recipe Prepare a recipe for your floral arrangements, just as you do when making a meal. Include tools and supplies needed, the amount of flowers and go from there. If you're making an arrangement for home, you’ll likely just need the bucket, vase, a couple of tools for grooming the flowers (see below). For a bouquet, you’ll need all of that minus the vase and add in some ribbon and string, or if you’re after a centrepiece, you will also need a block of floral foam and a votive to make your arrangement in. It’s always a good idea to buy a few more flowers than you think you’ll need. A standard flower arranging supply tool kit would include: clippers, floral tape, ribbons, floral moss, flower preservative, rose strippers if you have roses, and vases. Once you have your recipe, you'll know what you need. Off to the market You have a few options when it comes to where to buy your blooms: you could start in your own garden if you’re on a budget, otherwise there are lots of wholesale flower markets, or grocery stores, store front florists, farmer’s markets and mail order. We recommend heading to wholesale markets. The produce comes straight from farms, the variety is amazing and you can generally get the best value for your money. Keep in mind that in order to get the best flowers from the markets, you’ll have to get there early and some markets open at 4 or 5am. Check what markets are closest to you. Pick your flowers Peonies or gardenias, roses or carnations, orchids or irises? It is best to select flowers according to the time of year and what’s in season. Out-of-season flowers are likely to be harder to come by and expensive. There are some places in which you can pre-order, so it might be worth a phone call to discuss your options. Otherwise, just Google what you’re interested in and see what's in season where you live and make your plan around that. When you’re at the market or store, make sure the flowers you buy are not beginning to wilt. Ideally, there should be a few green buds in the mix and petals should feel firm and have no brown edges. Grooming First you need to pick out any dead or broken blooms and petals. Next, you need to cut each stem by at least one inch at an angle using a sharp knife, scissors, or clippers. Then it is very important to get them into some water. Buckets work well to keep them in and a tall bucket in which the stems can gently rest on the sides will work best. The fewer leaves left below the waterline in the vase the better as leaves steal nutrients from blooms and can also cause the water to get nasty faster. Be sure to pull of the extra greenery. Most flowers (except tulips and hyacinths) do best in lukewarm water. Caring for your flowers Keep the water fresh and change daily to keep the flowers healthy. It’s also good to trim the stems periodically to help them stay hydrated. Step-by-step guide to flower arranging 1. Begin by placing two or three more branchy stems into the vase (or in your hand if you're making a bouquet) as this will help you get an idea of the overall shape you want your arrangement to take. You want to create a sense of width as well as height, so really work those angles. 2. Now start adding the attention-grabbing blooms one at a time, again at different heights. Try placing one big bloom right on the edge of the vase, and one at least an inch or two higher. If it looks like your arrangement is growing a set of eyeballs, snip one of the stems. 3. Turn your vase often and consider working from different angles. Even if you vase ends up in a corner or against a wall when you’re done, you want it looking good from all sides. 4. Go slowly and don’t be afraid to take things out if it’s not working. Keep going, adding alternate colours, sizes and shapes. Mix foliage and greenery with vivid hues, ensuring you don’t damage them. When you feel like you’re done, try adding two or three longer gestural stems (ranunculus or anemones) at an unexpected height or angle to pump up the drama. Image credits: Getty Images

Home & Garden

How to prune a hibiscus plant

As past president of the Australian Hibiscus and the International Hibiscus Society, there’s no one better to teach us how to prune hibiscus plants than 87-year-old Over60 community member, Jim Prudie. “This month we will look at the subject of pruning your plants, as this is advisable here in Australia seeing that this is the month that spring arrives and the plants begin to wake from there winter sleep and the sap begins to flow causing the plants to start getting new shoots and if you prune the bush at this time you will get a good shaped bush and better flowers. People in the southern states should wait until the danger of frosts has passed and in the northern hemisphere you will have to adjust the month to coincide with your spring. This condition is brought about by a few things – the most important being that the daylight hours begin to get longer as the sun on its  journey begins to get closer to your country, where ever you may live, be it in the northern or southern hemisphere, and as the sun gets closer, the weather begins to warm up and this causes the sap to flow and in so doing it causes the roots to start drawing more nourishment from the surrounding soil, and the plant goes into growing mode and new shoots begin to appear at the eyes, as opposed to the bare sticks we have been looking at during the winter. We prune our plants for a variety of reasons, and I have listed the most important reasons to get a better bush. 1. To train into a desired shape. 2. To maintain the bush to a manageable size, and open up the bush to the sun by pruning away the middle branches which have grown into the middle thus blocking out the air and light. 3. It helps in the control and to be able to see any attacks of insects. 4. It will encourage stronger growth, as when you shorten the branches when you prune them, it will cause the plant to send out more branches, and as I always say more branches, more flowers. 5. It will get rid of old and weak branches, and those which grown in a crisscross fashion causing a cluttered plant, as well as those that have grown out of shape. 6. If you prune your plants in the spring you help the bush to promote larger and better blooms of good shape and size. Hibiscus thrives on being pruned in the spring, and you do not have to get a stepladder to see the flowers, as the branches get too long. When you prune the tops of the branches, it causes the plant to start shooting down lower and instead of bare sticks you will see a plant covered in nice green leaves, and more branches, and “more branches more flowers”. This happens because when you prune the tops off, it stops the growing cycle from the tip. Whenever I start to prune I try to think how the bush grows, and prune the plant according to the way it grows, by that I mean if the plant is an average grower, I will prune off about a third of the bush, if the bush is a tall fast grower I will prune off about a half, and if the plant is a slow low grower, I will just prune off the tips, otherwise it takes too long to recover if you give it a hard prune, and you will miss out on the flowers for the season and have to wait until next year to see some blooms. I always cut off the low lying branches, usually leaving a 12 inch space under the bush, which allows you to keep under the bush clean and also if there are low lying branches, and a flower appears it drags in the dirt and there is a danger of snails causing damage to the petals. I prune just above an outward pointing eye, using a slanting cut away from the eye, so any water will run away from the eye, and also  encourages the new shoot to grow outwards instead of into the middle of the plant, and as I always try to end up with a pruned bush which is in the shape of a vase. Make sure your secateurs are kept clean and sharp, so that they will give a clean cut, and I like to dip my secateurs into some alcohol or methylated spirits between bushes to prevent spreading disease. Some members do not prune all the branches at one time so they are able to have blooms while they wait for the new growth to flower. These remaining branches can be pruned once the new growth commences flowering. If you are growing in pots this is a good time to think about a root prune at the same time as you prune the top of the plant, and repot into some fresh potting mix, with some slow release fertilizer included in the mix, either into the same size pot if it is the biggest you want to go to, or the next size pot if it is in a small pot. Do not make the pot size too big, When the bush is putting out a lot of new growth this is when I apply a fertilizer high in nitrogen to promote the new growth, and apply this until you see new buds starting to form and then I use a fertilizer higher in potash than nitrogen to promote flowers instead of nice green leaves. A fertiliser I recommend after you have pruned the plants in the ground is the following: two ice cream containers [or two litres] of Blood and Bone, two of superphosphate, one of sulphate of potash, half a can of magnesium sulphate [epsom salts], a quarter of can sulphate of iron. Mix all this all together and apply a good handful around each bush. Then I cover this with good mulch about two to three inches thick to keep the roots cool in hot weather to come and also to prevent the loss of moisture. Later when the blooms appear I use a soluble fertiliser higher in potash than nitrogen with my FertiGator and apply it from the hose attached to the 5000-litre tank with an electric pump. If you follow these instructions you will be well on your way to seeing a healthy bush and plenty of flowers. Image: Getty

Home & Garden

Giving out flowers on TikTok: is this a ‘random act of kindness’ or just benevolent ageism?

In June, 22-year-old Harrison Pawluk filmed himself staging a “random act of kindness”, giving a bunch of flowers to an older woman sitting alone in a Melbourne food court. His <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@lifeofharrison/video/7111321730773175553?lang=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">video</a> went viral on TikTok, attracting 57 million views within a week. Comments on the post included, “when she started crying, I couldn’t hold it back” and “wow that was so beautiful I swear I would cry”. Acts of kindness can boost <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022103117303451" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wellbeing</a> for the giver, the recipient, and even the viewers of selfless acts. Social media influencers have found ways to commodify this by presenting them as random and unexpected. <div data-id="17"> </div> But this gesture was interpreted by Maree, the woman targeted for the video, as an artificially staged production that left her feeling “<a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-07-14/tiktok-video-maree-melbourne-flowers/101228418" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dehumanised</a>” and like “clickbait” for tabloid fodder. In the media, individuals aged over 60 are often depicted as a homogeneous group of elderly people who lack personality, social identity or individuality. It’s not just a “random act of kindness”. Pawluk’s actions – and some of the media coverage – unearths a much bigger problem of “benevolent ageism”. <h2>What is benevolent ageism?</h2> When we talk about ageism, people often think of overt acts such as older people being explicitly told they are dressed “<a href="https://au.finance.yahoo.com/news/louise-di-francesco-ageism-at-work-200031282.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">inappropriately</a>” for their age, or an employer refusing to hire someone for a job because of their age. But not all ageism is overt. “<a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2793359" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Everyday ageism</a>” is a more subtle yet pervasive component that informs our impressions of older people. This could be assumptions about what older people’s preferences are because of their age group, or that by a certain age most people should be “slowing down”. Benevolent ageism is where these every day biases manifest in the belief that older people need special “help” or “support”. Benevolent ageism manifests in the way people sometimes use pet names or <a href="https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/ageism#ageism-in-healthcare" target="_blank" rel="noopener">baby talk</a> to address older people; an emphasis on <a href="https://spssi.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1540-4560.2005.00405.x" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pitying</a> people above a certain age; or the importance placed on “<a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.587911/full" target="_blank" rel="noopener">protecting</a>” older people during the COVID pandemic. Commenters on Pawluk’s video said “[the flowers] made her feel so good and it looks like she might have needed it”, “she is so cute” and “I miss my grandma!”. Benevolent ageism leads to false assumptions or inaccurate and limiting stereotypes about older people being “warm but not competent” and lacking individuality. In Pawluk’s video, Maree is framed as being sad and alone. Speaking to <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-07-14/tiktok-video-maree-melbourne-flowers/101228418" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ABC Radio</a>, Maree expressed frustration at being presented as “the elderly woman who drank a takeaway cup of coffee”. “It’s the patronising assumption that women, especially older women, will be thrilled by some random stranger giving them flowers,” she told the ABC. <h2>Our implicit biases</h2> Benevolent ageism is hiding in plain sight. Our own ageist biases can show up in everyday judgements we make about people’s capacity to work, how they dress or whether they are in need of assistance or attention because of their age. Ageist characterisations are culturally reinforced by media portrayals, and have the effect of categorising “older people” – <a href="https://spssi.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/josi.12162" target="_blank" rel="noopener">particularly women</a> – as being lonely and in need of pity. A <a href="https://www.who.int/news/item/18-03-2021-ageism-is-a-global-challenge-un" target="_blank" rel="noopener">recent report</a> from the World Health Organization shows one in every two people shows moderate to high levels of ageist attitudes, with their definition of ageism encompassing stereotypes (how we think), prejudice (how we feel) and discrimination (how we act) towards others or oneself based on age. The Australian Human Rights Commission found that <a href="https://humanrights.gov.au/about/news/new-research-finds-ageism-most-accepted-form-prejudice-australia-0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">90% of Australians</a> agree that ageism exists in Australia. Age discrimination commissioner Kay Patterson calls ageism “the least understood form of discriminatory prejudice” and “more pervasive and socially accepted than sexism and racism”. Internalised ageism, in which we unconsciously hold these own ageist attitudes against ourselves, negatively impacts our functional health as we age and can even <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S009174350400115X" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shorten our own lifespan</a>. <h2>Stereotypes facing older women</h2> These TikTok random acts of kindness can have the unfortunate overtone of the <a href="https://www.britishgerontology.org/content/22875/Live/pdf/Generations_Review%2025%202%20July%202015.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">twin prejudices</a> of ageism and sexism. Older women targeted in this way can be left feeling like their identity is reduced to being just an older lady in need of pity. When interviewed by The Project, Pawluk <a href="https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/tv/current-affairs/aussie-tiktok-star-sorry-but-wont-stop-controversial-acts-of-kindness/news-story/347c18457d80a961e27c6b31f42b2507" target="_blank" rel="noopener">apologised</a> to Maree. He claims he does not target people based on their age. But the assumptions made about Maree – and other women to whom he has offered flowers – are embedded in age-old stereotypes about older women: that they are sad or lonely, and in need of support. There is nothing wrong with greeting another person regardless of their age. But the framing of this TikTok video is a clear example of ageist stereotypes manifesting as a show of concern. Much of the news reporting and comments surrounding the event were also examples of everyday ageism. The Daily Mail <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10967869/Melbourne-TikToker-Harrison-Pawluk-gives-woman-bunch-flowers.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">described the video</a> as a “heartwarming moment [where] a total stranger gives an elderly woman a bunch of flowers before she bursts into tears”. Although likely not the initial intention of the gesture, this social media craze of capturing supposed “random acts of kindness” can have the undesired effect of diminishing the perceived social value of the target to whom the protagonist is trying to show kindness. We should take this as a moment to pause and address our own unconscious biases and our subtle forms of everyday ageism of the benevolent kind. This article originally appeared on The Conversation. Image: TikTok

Retirement Life

Hibbert’s flowers and Hitler’s beetle – what do we do when species are named after history’s monsters?

“What’s in a name?”, <a href="https://www.bartleby.com/70/3822.html">asked Juliet of Romeo</a>. “That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” But, as with the Montagues and Capulets, names mean a lot, and can cause a great deal of heartache. My colleagues and I are <a href="https://theconversation.com/its-not-the-science-of-tax-and-five-other-things-you-should-know-about-taxonomy-78926">taxonomists</a>, which means we name living things. While we’ve never named a rose, we do discover and name new Australian species of plants and animals – and there are a lot of them! For each new species we discover, we create and publish a Latin scientific name, following a set of international rules and conventions. The name has two parts: the first part is the genus name (such as Eucalyptus), which describes the group of species to which the new species belongs, and the second part is a species name (such as globulus, thereby making the name Eucalyptus globulus) particular to the new species itself. New species are either added to an existing genus, or occasionally, if they’re sufficiently novel, are given their own new genus. Some scientific names are widely known – arguably none more so than our own, Homo sapiens. And gardeners or nature enthusiasts will be familiar with genus names such as Acacia, Callistemon or Banksia. This all sounds pretty uncontroversial. But as with Shakespeare’s star-crossed lovers, history and tradition sometimes present problems. <h2>What’s in a name?</h2> Take the genus <a href="http://www.flora.sa.gov.au/cgi-bin/speciesfacts_display.cgi?form=speciesfacts&name=Hibbertia">Hibbertia</a>, the Australian guineaflowers. This is one of the largest genera of plants in Australia, and the one we study. There are many new and yet-unnamed species of Hibbertia, which means new species names are regularly added to this genus. Many scientific names are derived from a feature of the species or genus being named, such as Eucalyptus, from the Greek for “well-covered” (a reference to the operculum or bud-cap that covers unopened eucalypt flowers). Others <a href="https://theconversation.com/its-funny-to-name-species-after-celebrities-but-theres-a-serious-side-too-95513">honour significant people</a>, either living or dead. Hibbertia is named after a wealthy 19th-century English patron of botany, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Hibbert">George Hibbert</a>. <img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437440/original/file-20211214-15-1u4xyy3.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" alt="George Hibbert by Thomas Lawrence" /> George Hibbert: big fan of flowers and slavery. <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:George_Hibbert_by_Thomas_Lawrence,_1811.JPG" class="source">Thomas Lawrence/Stephen C. Dickson/Wikimedia Commons</a>, <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/" class="license">CC BY-SA</a> And here’s where things stop being straightforward, because Hibbert’s wealth came almost entirely from the transatlantic slave trade. He profited from taking slaves from Africa to the New World, selling some and using others on his family’s extensive plantations, then transporting slave-produced sugar and cotton back to England. Hibbert was also a prominent member of the British parliament and a <a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk/lbs/person/view/16791">staunch opponent of abolition</a>. He and his ilk argued that slavery was economically necessary for England, and even that slaves were better off on the plantations than in their homelands. Even at the time, his views were considered abhorrent by many critics. But despite this, he was handsomely recompensed for his “losses” when Britain finally abolished slavery in 1807. So, should Hibbert be honoured with the name of a genus of plants, to which new species are still being added today – effectively meaning he is honoured afresh with each new publication? We don’t believe so. Just like statues, buildings, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/was-first-governor-james-stirling-had-links-to-slavery-as-well-as-directing-a-massacre-should-he-be-honoured-162078">street or suburb names</a>, we think a reckoning is due for scientific species names that honour people who held views or acted in ways that are deeply dishonourable, highly problematic or truly egregious by modern standards. <img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437442/original/file-20211214-13-1yaho8u.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" alt="Anophthalmus hitleri" /> This beetle doesn’t deserve to be named after the most reviled figure of the 20th century. <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Anophthalmus_hitleri_HabitusDors.jpg" class="source">Michael Munich/Wikimedia Commons</a>, <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/" class="license">CC BY-SA</a> Just as Western Australia’s King Leopold Range <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-07-03/wa-king-leopold-ranges-renamed-wunaamin-miliwundi-ranges/12416254">was recently renamed</a> to remove the link to the atrocious <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopold_II_of_Belgium">Leopold II of Belgium</a>, we would like Hibbertia to bear a more appropriate and less troubling name. The same goes for the Great Barrier Reef coral <a href="http://www.edgeofexistence.org/species/elegance-coral/">Catalaphyllia jardinei</a>, named after Frank Jardine, a brutal dispossessor of Aboriginal people in North Queensland. And, perhaps most astoundingly, the rare Slovenian cave beetle <a href="https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/773804">Anophthalmus hitleri</a>, which was named in 1933 in honour of Adolf Hitler. This name is unfortunate for several reasons: despite being a small, somewhat nondescript, blind beetle, in recent years it has been reportedly <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/fans-exterminate-hitler-beetle-6232054.html">pushed to the brink of extinction</a> by Nazi memorabilia enthusiasts. Specimens are even being stolen from museum collections for sale into this lucrative market. <h2>Aye, there’s the rub</h2> Unfortunately, the official rules don’t allow us to rename Hibbertia or any other species that has a troubling or inappropriate name. To solve this, we propose a change to the international rules for naming species. Our <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/tax.12620">proposal</a>, if adopted, would establish an international expert committee to decide what do about scientific names that honour inappropriate people or are based on culturally offensive words. An example of the latter is the <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/tax.12622">many names of plants</a> based on the Latin caffra, the origin of which is a word so offensive to Black Africans that its use is <a href="https://www.cfr.org/blog/k-word-south-africa-and-proposed-new-penalties-against-hate-speech">banned in South Africa</a>. Some may argue the scholarly naming of species should remain aloof from social change, and that Hibbert’s views on slavery are irrelevant to the classification of Australian flowers. We counter that, just like <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statue_of_Edward_Colston">toppling statues in Bristol Harbour</a> or <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/mar/18/goodbye-cecil-rhodes-house-renamed-to-lose-link-to-british-empire-builder-in-africa">removing Cecil Rhodes’ name from public buildings</a>, renaming things is important and necessary if we are to right history’s wrongs. We believe that science, including taxonomy, must be socially responsible and responsive. Science is embedded in culture rather than housed in ivory towers, and scientists should work for the common good rather than blindly follow tradition. Deeply problematic names pervade science just as they pervade our streets, cities and landscapes. Hibbertia may be just a name, but we believe a different name for this lovely genus of Australian flowers would smell much sweeter. This article was co-authored by Tim Hammer, a postdoctoral research fellow at the State Herbarium of South Australia.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/172602/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/kevin-thiele-136882">Kevin Thiele</a>, Adjunct Assoc. Professor, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-western-australia-1067">The University of Western Australia</a> This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/hibberts-flowers-and-hitlers-beetle-what-do-we-do-when-species-are-named-after-historys-monsters-172602">original article</a>. Image: John Tann/Wikimedia Commons

Domestic Travel

Hibbert’s flowers and Hitler’s beetle – what do we do when species are named after history’s monsters?

“What’s in a name?”, <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.bartleby.com/70/3822.html" target="_blank">asked Juliet of Romeo</a>. “That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” But, as with the Montagues and Capulets, names mean a lot, and can cause a great deal of heartache. My colleagues and I are <a rel="noopener" href="https://theconversation.com/its-not-the-science-of-tax-and-five-other-things-you-should-know-about-taxonomy-78926" target="_blank">taxonomists</a>, which means we name living things. While we’ve never named a rose, we do discover and name new Australian species of plants and animals – and there are a lot of them! For each new species we discover, we create and publish a Latin scientific name, following a set of international rules and conventions. The name has two parts: the first part is the genus name (such as Eucalyptus), which describes the group of species to which the new species belongs, and the second part is a species name (such as globulus, thereby making the name Eucalyptus globulus) particular to the new species itself. New species are either added to an existing genus, or occasionally, if they’re sufficiently novel, are given their own new genus. Some scientific names are widely known – arguably none more so than our own, Homo sapiens. And gardeners or nature enthusiasts will be familiar with genus names such as Acacia, Callistemon or Banksia. This all sounds pretty uncontroversial. But as with Shakespeare’s star-crossed lovers, history and tradition sometimes present problems. What’s in a name? Take the genus <a rel="noopener" href="http://www.flora.sa.gov.au/cgi-bin/speciesfacts_display.cgi?form=speciesfacts&name=Hibbertia" target="_blank">Hibbertia</a>, the Australian guineaflowers. This is one of the largest genera of plants in Australia, and the one we study. There are many new and yet-unnamed species of Hibbertia, which means new species names are regularly added to this genus. Many scientific names are derived from a feature of the species or genus being named, such as Eucalyptus, from the Greek for “well-covered” (a reference to the operculum or bud-cap that covers unopened eucalypt flowers). Others <a rel="noopener" href="https://theconversation.com/its-funny-to-name-species-after-celebrities-but-theres-a-serious-side-too-95513" target="_blank">honour significant people</a>, either living or dead. Hibbertia is named after a wealthy 19th-century English patron of botany, <a rel="noopener" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Hibbert" target="_blank">George Hibbert</a>. <img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437440/original/file-20211214-15-1u4xyy3.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" alt="George Hibbert by Thomas Lawrence" /> George Hibbert: big fan of flowers and slavery. <a rel="noopener" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:George_Hibbert_by_Thomas_Lawrence,_1811.JPG" target="_blank" class="source">Thomas Lawrence/Stephen C. Dickson/Wikimedia Commons</a>, <a rel="noopener" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/" target="_blank" class="license">CC BY-SA</a> And here’s where things stop being straightforward, because Hibbert’s wealth came almost entirely from the transatlantic slave trade. He profited from taking slaves from Africa to the New World, selling some and using others on his family’s extensive plantations, then transporting slave-produced sugar and cotton back to England. Hibbert was also a prominent member of the British parliament and a <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk/lbs/person/view/16791" target="_blank">staunch opponent of abolition</a>. He and his ilk argued that slavery was economically necessary for England, and even that slaves were better off on the plantations than in their homelands. Even at the time, his views were considered abhorrent by many critics. But despite this, he was handsomely recompensed for his “losses” when Britain finally abolished slavery in 1807. So, should Hibbert be honoured with the name of a genus of plants, to which new species are still being added today – effectively meaning he is honoured afresh with each new publication? We don’t believe so. Just like statues, buildings, and <a rel="noopener" href="https://theconversation.com/was-first-governor-james-stirling-had-links-to-slavery-as-well-as-directing-a-massacre-should-he-be-honoured-162078" target="_blank">street or suburb names</a>, we think a reckoning is due for scientific species names that honour people who held views or acted in ways that are deeply dishonourable, highly problematic or truly egregious by modern standards. <img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/437442/original/file-20211214-13-1yaho8u.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" alt="Anophthalmus hitleri" /> This beetle doesn’t deserve to be named after the most reviled figure of the 20th century. <a rel="noopener" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Anophthalmus_hitleri_HabitusDors.jpg" target="_blank" class="source">Michael Munich/Wikimedia Commons</a>, <a rel="noopener" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/" target="_blank" class="license">CC BY-SA</a> Just as Western Australia’s King Leopold Range <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-07-03/wa-king-leopold-ranges-renamed-wunaamin-miliwundi-ranges/12416254" target="_blank">was recently renamed</a> to remove the link to the atrocious <a rel="noopener" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopold_II_of_Belgium" target="_blank">Leopold II of Belgium</a>, we would like Hibbertia to bear a more appropriate and less troubling name. The same goes for the Great Barrier Reef coral <a rel="noopener" href="http://www.edgeofexistence.org/species/elegance-coral/" target="_blank">Catalaphyllia jardinei</a>, named after Frank Jardine, a brutal dispossessor of Aboriginal people in North Queensland. And, perhaps most astoundingly, the rare Slovenian cave beetle <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/773804" target="_blank">Anophthalmus hitleri</a>, which was named in 1933 in honour of Adolf Hitler. This name is unfortunate for several reasons: despite being a small, somewhat nondescript, blind beetle, in recent years it has been reportedly <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/fans-exterminate-hitler-beetle-6232054.html" target="_blank">pushed to the brink of extinction</a> by Nazi memorabilia enthusiasts. Specimens are even being stolen from museum collections for sale into this lucrative market. Aye, there’s the rub Unfortunately, the official rules don’t allow us to rename Hibbertia or any other species that has a troubling or inappropriate name. To solve this, we propose a change to the international rules for naming species. Our <a rel="noopener" href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/tax.12620" target="_blank">proposal</a>, if adopted, would establish an international expert committee to decide what do about scientific names that honour inappropriate people or are based on culturally offensive words. An example of the latter is the <a rel="noopener" href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/tax.12622" target="_blank">many names of plants</a> based on the Latin caffra, the origin of which is a word so offensive to Black Africans that its use is <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.cfr.org/blog/k-word-south-africa-and-proposed-new-penalties-against-hate-speech" target="_blank">banned in South Africa</a>. Some may argue the scholarly naming of species should remain aloof from social change, and that Hibbert’s views on slavery are irrelevant to the classification of Australian flowers. We counter that, just like <a rel="noopener" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statue_of_Edward_Colston" target="_blank">toppling statues in Bristol Harbour</a> or <a rel="noopener" href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/mar/18/goodbye-cecil-rhodes-house-renamed-to-lose-link-to-british-empire-builder-in-africa" target="_blank">removing Cecil Rhodes’ name from public buildings</a>, renaming things is important and necessary if we are to right history’s wrongs. We believe that science, including taxonomy, must be socially responsible and responsive. Science is embedded in culture rather than housed in ivory towers, and scientists should work for the common good rather than blindly follow tradition. Deeply problematic names pervade science just as they pervade our streets, cities and landscapes. Hibbertia may be just a name, but we believe a different name for this lovely genus of Australian flowers would smell much sweeter. This article was co-authored by Tim Hammer, a postdoctoral research fellow at the State Herbarium of South Australia.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/172602/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a rel="noopener" href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/kevin-thiele-136882" target="_blank">Kevin Thiele</a>, Adjunct Assoc. Professor, <a rel="noopener" href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/the-university-of-western-australia-1067" target="_blank">The University of Western Australia</a> This article is republished from <a rel="noopener" href="https://theconversation.com" target="_blank">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a rel="noopener" href="https://theconversation.com/hibberts-flowers-and-hitlers-beetle-what-do-we-do-when-species-are-named-after-historys-monsters-172602" target="_blank">original article</a>. Image: <a rel="noopener" href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hibbertia_procumbens_(6691568261).jpg" target="_blank" class="source">John Tann/Wikimedia Commons</a>, <a rel="noopener" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/" target="_blank" class="license">CC BY-SA</a>

Home & Garden

Lily Allen shares rare snaps of her daughters as flower girls

Lily Allen has celebrated her first wedding anniversary with stranger things actor David Harbour. Marking this special occasion, the singer shared a video of the couple enjoying a romantic dinner, while also posting never before seen photos taken from their Las Vegas wedding. “1 year down with this guy. Happy Anniversary baby @dkharbour. I prefer my life with you in it. You can stay” Lily captioned the post with. Among these shared images were photos of Allen’s two daughters – Ethel and Marnie who were flower girls on the big day. In the sweet snap, the girls, who Lily Allen shares with ex-husband Sam Cooper, were dressed in cute matching pink ruffled dresses as they pink and orange roses. Allen wore a short blazer dress with a veil and the newlyweds then took Ethel and Marnie for a bite to eat at In-N-out burgers, which they then went on to eat in a car park. David Harbour wrote on Instagram “in a wedding officiated by the king himself, the people’s princess wed her devoted, low born, but kind credit card holder in a beautiful ceremony lit by the ashen skies courtesy of a burning state miles away in the midst of a global pandemic”. At the time he shared photos from the ceremony and car park reception. “Refreshments were served at a small reception following”. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CE7KngMnprf/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CE7KngMnprf/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by David Harbour (@dkharbour)</a> </div> </blockquote> The couple went public with their relationship in 2019 after they were seen catching a West End production of The Lehman Trilogy. A photo of the couple sharing a kiss followed in New York at Madison Square Garden later that year before they made their red-carpet debut at the SAG awards in LA in January 2020.

Family & Pets

The search for ‘La Botaniste’

Sorting through your attic or garage can lead to interesting discoveries and mementos from the past, and staff at the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) have made a surprising discovery doing just that. While going through old plant books, they found poems, doodles, plant specimens, and a cartoon tucked away inside a copy of The English Flora from 1830. The owner, Isabella A Allen, appeared to be a keen plant woman. But, her name has since been lost to history. She may be the 19th century botanical illustrator who we know little about, or she could be one of the many uncelebrated women with a passion for plants during the 19th century. Either way, the RHS is hoping to identify who she is and find out more about her life. “All we’ve got is a reasonably common name and lots of contextual stuff that she’s interested in biology,” said Fiona Davison, the head of libraries and exhibitions. “What I’m hoping is that somebody is aware in their family tree of an Isabella A Allen, that they’ve got any information about being a botanical artist or involved in botany.” Staff also found a collection of pressed flowers in the book, written by Sir James Edward Smith, which gives them a further insight into her knowledge of plants. “I think she clearly is a keen botanist because pressed in a number of pages are wild flowers,” Fiona said. Kidney vetch, cranesbill, lousewort, and sow thistle among others were found. “They’re wildflowers when you’re out on a botanising trip you would have picked up, identified with the help of the book and pressed.” Though the book itself isn’t rare, the annotations, bookmarks, and cartoon make it unique from the many other copies the RHS owns. Staff came across the find while going through boxes of books ahead of the combining or their two collections in new laboratories. “I don’t think that this volume had been opened in decades. It’s just been sat in an attic in Wisley,” Fiona said. “We opened this little one and we were really amazed to find all of this additional material left by its original owner.” As well as an annotation reading “this is the book of Isabella A Allen”, a print known as a personification was also found inside. Personifications, printed and sold as sheets, depicted people made up of artefacts that embody their character or tools of their trade. The one found inside Isabella’s book depicted a person made of flowers and vegetables, which was produced by a male midwife and surgeon called George Spratt. The book also contains a handwritten poem that appears to be an adaptation of a common poem, including a reference to botanists filling a garden with plants with Greek and Latin names. Though the RHS has unsuccessfully attempted to track her down, it’s hoped someone can help them solve the mystery. “We hope that we’ll be able to share it with people and show it in the new library as part of the wider effort we’re making to encourage people to take an interest in the plants that are growing around them in the same way that Ms Allen did,” Fiona said. Image: The Royal Horticultural Society

Books

A beautiful new rose for Phillip

<div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post-body-container"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text redactor-styles redactor-in"> Queen Elizabeth was overwhelmed when she was gifted a special present on what would have been Prince Philip's 100th birthday. Her Majesty is a Patron of the Royal Horticultural Society and was gifted a specially-bred rose that has been named in memory of her late husband. The flower, called the Duke of Edinburgh Rose, was gifted to the Queen on Wednesday the 2nd, but photos have only been released on what would have been the Duke's birthday, the 10th of June. "Whilst being very poignant, it was also a delight to give Her Majesty The Queen, Patron of the Royal Horticultural Society, the Duke of Edinburgh Rose to mark what would have been HRH The Duke of Edinburgh's 100th birthday and to remember his remarkable life," President of the Royal Horticultural Society, Keith Weed said in a statement from Buckingham Palace. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CP6rNW3HiPR/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CP6rNW3HiPR/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Harkness Roses (@harknessroses)</a> </div> </blockquote> > "The Duke's devotion to raising public awareness of the importance of conserving the natural world leaves a lasting legacy." The rose was bred by Harkness Roses and has a "deep-ink colour dappled with white lines" and are "perfect as vase flowers". For every rose sold, the company will donate $5 to the Duke of Edinburgh's Award Living Legacy Fund. "We are thrilled to introduce this brand-new commemorative rose to remember the remarkable life of The Duke of Edinburgh," managing director Philip Harkness said. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/COh1HEsn1q5/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="13"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/COh1HEsn1q5/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Harkness Roses (@harknessroses)</a> </div> </blockquote> "In buying this rose you will also be giving one million more young people the opportunity to do their DofE Award, so not only is this rose spectacular to look at, but you will also be raising funds for a very worthy cause." </div> </div> </div> </div>

Home & Garden

X-rated wedding bouquets go viral

<div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text redactor-styles redactor-in"> <div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text redactor-styles redactor-in"> A person has been left a bit embarrassed after flower bouquets they made have gone viral for all the wrong reasons. The person who initially made the bouquets that are looking a bit x-rated proudly shared them online, writing "Made all these for like less than 50 bucks". The flowers have stems that are wrapped in a purple fabric with what appears to be fake pearls around the bases with a sea shell stuck at the bottom. Many have been quick to point out that the bouquets look like male appendages. <img style="width: 500px; height: 281.25px;" src="https://oversixtydev.blob.core.windows.net/media/7840635/flowers-1.jpg" alt="" data-udi="umb://media/b98af9fe0de64581a021c992f4103890" /> "I thought she'd put flowers on dildos [to be honest]," one Facebook user wrote. "But why are they penises?" another wrote. "It took me a second to see the problem. Then, ohhhhhhhhh," another said. "I'd rather have my bridesmaids carry nothing over these," one added. "I wouldn't have shelled out money for that," another joked. </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div>

Beauty & Style

Bride blinded by her own wedding flowers

After picking wildflowers from her Nebraska, US, property for her upcoming wedding day, Christine Jo Miller had a reaction that sent her entire Big Day spinning into chaos. In a series of TikTok videos, Christine explained how those wildflowers caused a violent poisonous reaction on her wedding day. She thought it would be romantic to use the beautiful flowers, so in the days leading up to the wedding she picked enough to fill an entire truck – completely unware of how poisonous that type of Snow-on-the-mountain wildflower can be. The night before the wedding, the bride and her girlfriends spent the evening arranging the wildflowers with white roses and baby’s breath. And when Christine woke up on the wedding day, she found her face covered in a dreadful rash caused by the sap residue. Posting a photo of herself lying on the floor, she wrote: “I started feeling sick and feverish from the pain. So I did the cucumber trick and slept while I got my hair done.” But while she’d covered her eyes in slices of cucumber, Christine was horrified when she realised she’d lost her vision because her face was so swollen. After being rushed to the nearest emergency room, matters only got worse for Christine as it was Labour Day weekend and the ER wasn’t open. Despite receiving no treatment for the allergic reaction, Christine was determined to go ahead and walk down the aisle. “I wasn’t dying,” she wrote, “So I thought I just needed to suck it up. Tried to do make-up – was in too much pain so I ended up sleeping until my mum said it was time to put my dress on.” Once the vows were complete, Christine was immediately taken to hospital and given eye drops, pain medication and a steroid shot. Later at the reception, Christine admitted: “We didn’t want to do a first dance because I didn’t want to be the centre of attention out of embarrassment.” When a guest tried to get her to dance, Christine screamed in pain and said she spent most of the rest of the day under a table to avoid any attention. A week later after the swelling went down, the photographer arranged a surprise wedding reception for the couple where they were able to get the shots they wanted – and finally have that all-important dance. Images: @christinejomiller/TikTok

Relationships

Frustrated parents call out Duke and Duchess of Sussex

Concerned parents are questioning why Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were able to visit a pre-school in LA during the coronavirus pandemic. The parents were told they can't enter their children's schools but were frustrated to hear that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were able to "just turn up" at the preschool. The royal couple visited the Assistance League Preschool Learning Center on Monday to honour the 23rd anniversary of Harry's mother Princess Diana's death. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CEl2R8JgFKC/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CEl2R8JgFKC/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by Assistance League of LA (@assistanceleagueoflosangeles)</a> on Sep 1, 2020 at 3:57am PDT </div> </blockquote> "They have no respect for the rules as they are 'humanitarians' they are the exception?" a frustrated parent vented online. "Kids in the US have no clue what a Duke/Duchess even is, but they can come in when I can't.. for a pic?!?" Photos showed the couple wearing protective face masks and interacting with children, but this did little to ease the anger of parents as there are strict restrictions on them due to the pandemic. "I can't take a pencil to my child right now. NO visitors. No exceptions," one parent wrote. Others were critical that the pair brought a photographer along with them to capture the event. "I think any charity for children is lovely, kudos for that," one social media user wrote. "But... did they really need to have their favourite photographer there?" The couple planted forget-me-nots, which were Princess Diana's favourite flower.

Family & Pets

The special meaning behind Queen Elizabeth’s favourite flower

The Queen has revealed her favourite flower for the Royal Horticultural Society’s Chelsea Flower Show this year. In honour of the first day of the show, which was moved online this year in response to the coronavirus pandemic, the monarch shared that one of her favourite blooms was lily of the valley. “Members of the Royal Family are taking part in the #MyChelseaGarden campaign, sharing a selection of their favourite plants and flowers at this time of year,” an Instagram post on the Royal Family account read. “The Queen has chosen lily of the valley, pictured here in the Buckingham Palace gardens. Lily of the valley featured in Her Majesty’s coronation bouquet and has held special associations since.” <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CAVRMEpHS4c/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CAVRMEpHS4c/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">On the first day of the virtual Chelsea Flower Show, members of the Royal Family are taking part in the #MyChelseaGarden campaign, sharing a selection of their favourite plants and flowers at this time of year. 🌿🌸 . As this year's show coincides with #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek, @the_rhs are encouraging people to brighten their social media feeds with images of plants and gardens, to provide a moment of respite in these challenging times. The Queen has chosen lily of the valley, pictured here in the Buckingham Palace gardens. Lily of the valley featured in Her Majesty’s coronation bouquet and has held special associations since. Visit our website to see #MyChelseaGarden images shared by other members of the Royal Family (link in bio). . #MyChelseaGarden #VirtualChelsea #RHSChelsea</a> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/theroyalfamily/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank"> The Royal Family</a> (@theroyalfamily) on May 18, 2020 at 7:19am PDT </div> </blockquote> The spring flower is the May birth flower, and is said to bring luck in love. The white buds were also featured in the wedding bouquets of many royals, including Queen Victoria, Princess Astrid of Sweden, Grace Kelly, and Duchess Kate. Other royals also shared their favourite flowers on the Royal Family website. The Queen’s daughter Princess Anne opted for hellebores, stating: “Not only do they flower early but they keep flowering for two months, and they are often beautifully marked with endless variations.” Prince Charles picked delphiniums, while his wife Duchess Camilla chose Alchemilla Mollis. The Duke of Gloucester celebrated daisies, and his wife the Duchess of Gloucester chose sweet peas. Her Majesty’s cousin Princess Alexandra picked the Golden Celebration rose, saying it “gives me great pleasure to look at and has the most extraordinary and unique scent”. The Queen released a special message of support for the show on Monday. <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CAU3LeuH3HI/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CAU3LeuH3HI/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">The Royal Horticultural Society Chelsea Flower Show is moving online for the first time. 🌸💻 . Visit @the_rhs for a unique timetable of events from Monday 18th to Saturday 23rd May, including gardening advice and virtual sessions. The RHS have been supporting gardeners old and new, with more people than ever accessing the advice pages on their website over recent weeks. Her Majesty has been Patron of the Royal Horticultural Society since 1952 - she first attended the show as Monarch in 1955, and has visited almost every year since. The Queen has today sent her best wishes to all those associated with the RHS: ‘My family and I have always enjoyed visiting the Show, and I know that your Members and Supporters will be disappointed that they are unable to attend in person this year. . ‘I am sure that my grandmother, Queen Mary, who first attended the Chelsea Flower Show in 1916, would be delighted that many people today have an enthusiasm for horticulture, and that gardening remains a popular pastime in the United Kingdom.’ . #RHSChelsea #VirtualChelsea #ChelseaFlowerShow Images: ©️ @the_rhs Lindley Library</a> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by <a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/theroyalfamily/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank"> The Royal Family</a> (@theroyalfamily) on May 18, 2020 at 3:32am PDT </div> </blockquote> “I am sure that my grandmother, Queen Mary, who first attended the Chelsea Flower Show in 1916, would be delighted that many people today have an enthusiasm for horticulture, and that gardening remains a popular pastime in the United Kingdom,” she said.

Home & Garden

5 of the best air-cleaning plants according to NASA

The best plants are the ones that do double duty – and all of these purify your air of toxic chemicals. Even better, they’re easy to grow. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, our homes can have three to five times more pollutants than the outdoors. You could be living in a “sick” house and not realize it: Substances like xylene (in paint and lacquers), benzene (furniture wax, insect sprays) trichloroethylene (cleaners, adhesives), and formaldehyde (upholstery, air fresheners) – can produce symptoms like headaches, sore throats, or allergy-like breathing troubles. The NASA Clean Air Study was designed to find effective and simple ways to detox the air in the space station – and it reveals that common house plants have air purifying superpowers. 1. Boston Fern Boston ferns are native to tropical forests and swamp areas so they will thrive in low light and high humidity – they’re ideal for your bathroom. The moisture from your shower will hydrate the plant, requiring little extra care from you. Besides being a pretty and decorative addition to your bathroom, the Boston fern helps remove xylene and – the NASA study revealed – it was the top house plant for removing formaldehyde. 2. Spider plant Talk about a plant that keeps giving. It removes impurities from the air like formaldehyde and carbon monoxide. NASA’s study found that spider plants removed 95 per cent of formaldehyde from a sealed plexiglass chamber in 24 hours. Even better, the main plant sends out shoots, called “spiderettes” that flower and eventually grow into baby spider plants that you can transplant. That also helps: Research indicates that people are more relaxed and happy after caring for plants – say, for example, when they’re re-potting them. 3. Bamboo plant This plant boasts elegance and height in addition to removing harmful elements like benzene and formaldehyde. Bamboo palms also help keep indoor air moist, making it a welcome addition in dry winter months. This palm takes a bit more care: It loves bright, but not direct sunlight and needs monthly fertilising and regular misting; when it outgrows its container (every two to three years), you’ll need to re-pot it. 4. Devil’s ivy Devil’s ivy is actually quite angelic. It’s considered one of the most effective indoor air purifiers from benzene, formaldehyde and xylene. Plus, if you’re new to growing house plants, this is a great first plant to get. It’s lush, hardy and inexpensive. Another nice feature is that it can grow up to 2.5 metres long and in a variety of directions. In a hanging basket, it will trail downwards. Place it a pot and train it to climb a totem or trellis or place in a pot on a mantle or coffee table and let it grow horizontally. 5. Gerbera These colourful and cheerful daisies were mainly outdoor plants until florists started using them in arrangements. Grown indoors, they can produce flowers at any time of the year, in white, red, orange, pink and purple. The flowers usually last around four to six weeks, but even without the flowers, the gerbera or Barberton daisy has lush, dark green leaves that are effective at filtering out formaldehyde, benzene and trichloroethylene. They are most happy with full sun and plenty of water and well-drained soil. Written by Lisa Marie Conklin. Republished with permission of <a href="https://www.mydiscoveries.com.au/stories/top-spot-australians-retire-2019/">Handyman</a>.

Home & Garden

The flower festivals worth travelling for

Gardener or not, just about everyone can appreciate the wondrous hues of the botanical world. Here, we discover some of the world’s most eye-catching flower festivals. Sakura, Japan The unofficial national flower of Japan, cherry blossoms play an important role in the country’s culture. Every spring, sakura (cherry blossom season) sees the blooms erupt with colour, with hanami (cherry blossom viewing) parties in full swing. It’s hard to pick my favourite place to take in the spectacle, although the Japanese capital stands out for the sheer diversity of blooms. There are a number of parks in Tokyo popular for their blossoms including Shinjuku Goen, home to more than 1,000 cherry trees in dozens of varieties – it’s a great place for picnics and people watching on weekends. One of the country’s most popular parks, Ueno, also features thousands of trees lining a long street where small stalls sell themed delicacies, including cherry blossom-flavoured soft serve. In Kyoto, Maruyama Park is the city’s most popular place for cherry blossom parties – at its heart is a large, weeping cherry tree that is lit up in the evenings. Hundreds of cherry trees also line Philosopher’s Path, a canal-side track that leads to Kyoto’s Silver Pavilion. If you miss the cherry blossoms on the main island, you’ll still have a chance to glimpse them in Hokkaido, where trees bloom later in the year. Maruyama Park and Hokkaido Shrine, located next to each other, are always busy with hanami parties. Japan’s cherry blossom season is roughly between mid-March and mid-April. UK: Chelsea Flower Show It only lasts for five days, but the Chelsea Flower Show makes the most of its moment in the spring sun. The Royal Horticultural Society has been hosting the event for more than a century, and it gets bigger and better with every instalment. Be warned – with so much visual stimulation and gardening advice around, you will be inspired to go home and get your hands dirty immediately. One of my favourite additions to the show is the ‘Feel Good Gardens’ exhibit, designed to celebrate sights, scents, sounds, flavours and textures that will make you feel happier, calmer and generally better about the world. Plants here were chosen to enrich and indulge one of the five senses: touch, taste, smell, sight and sound. Another highlight is the Great Pavilion, a paradise for plant lovers that is packed with exhibits and floristry. Incredible floral artists complete to create over-the-top displays: Jack Dunckley’s 2017 installation ‘The Bermuda Triangle’ was designed to resemble an active volcano surrounded by tropical planting, while Laurie Chetwood and Patrick Collins teamed up to create a flora sculpture that took inspiration from the Silk Road, replete with a bridge linking the different elements of the garden. The Chelsea Flower Show runs roughly from 22 – 26 May. USA: Tamiami International Orchid Festival They come in all shapes, sizes and colours and from all corners of the globe – orchids are celebrated in all they delicate glory at this Florida flower festival. The largest winter orchid show in the US, Tamiami sees vendors descend on Miami from around the world to showcase their special blooms, from Africa to the Amazon and everywhere in between. Which means that you can look forward to identifying many of the planet’s recognised 28,000 species of the plant. Alongside exhibits there are showings of rare orchids and a number of specialty classes and lectures. While I was content strolling among the beautiful blooms, my dad signed up to learn more about basic orchid care and also find out tips and tricks for incorporating the flowers into his garden. For stallholders, there’s a more serious element of the event, with judges choosing best-in-show flowers across a number of categories. The Tamiami International Orchid Festival runs roughty from 12 – 14 January. HOLLAND: Keukenhof Tulips, windmills and sunshine…. It has to be Holland’s legendary Keukenhof. Also known as the Garden of Europe, this event in the south of the country is one of the world’s largest flower gardens, covering some 32 hectares and home to more than seven million spring-flowering bulbs. The sheer scale of the space can be overwhelming, with around 500 growers working with designers to create dozens of gardens in different styles. While deliciously scented tulips steal the show, I’m also a repeat visitor to the English landscape garden, where paths wind through well-manicured displays, and the Japanese-themed garden, with cherry blossoms and water features. While people come for the flowers, the entertainment is also worth lingering for. The festival culminates in an incredible floral parade, replete with elaborate floats, and part of the daily spectacle is live music, cooking demonstrations, hands-on workshops in floral arrangement and fashion parades. Don’t forget your camera. Keukenhof will run roughly from 22 March to 13 May. Written by Natasha Dragun. Republished with permission of <a href="https://www.mydiscoveries.com.au/stories/flower-festivals-worth-travelling-for-8a3e3661-3311-4b07-86f1-3c56e3db898a/">MyConversation.</a>

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