Season 6: Garden Flowers- Allium: Poofy Garlic Balls

A most famous flower hailing from Europe that is often used to represent a budding spring, Daffodils have been a staple decorative flower.  With little to no healing properties, it is somewhat surprising that this trumpet shaped bulb broke through the scene, but it's strength of will during cold seasons had made it a symbol of hope and prosperity.  Join us today as we discuss the daffodil.

Traveling around most of the European and even some of the Asian and African continents, the daffodil comes in a surprising amount of sizes and varieties.  It's probably most well known for it's official name that comes from the Greek myth about Narcissus.  Interesting how the Greeks have so much say in our flower culture!  Come sit with us as we talk about some of the more modern meanings of this beautiful flower, where it comes from, and why its still in our consciousness today!

Music Clips by Kevin Macleod at Incompetech https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/

When you think of garden plants, one of the first plants that probably comes to mind is the Garden Pansy, a three toned flower that often adorns outdoor landscaping spaces and Lowes stores.  And you'd be right to think that, because this flower has been bred for years as a beautiful addition to many home gardens and the subject of many myths.  Come listen to us talk today about the Pansy.

Pansies have been a part of European conciousness for a long time.  Going all the way back to the Greeks and Romans, they are surrounded by myth and curiousity for their cute face like petals.  Their knowledge in cultural conciousness continued throughout many other European cultures and still are often used as a sign of spring.  Known for being a thoughtful plant, it's a common gift for it's cultural meanings and easy care.  There's a lot more to know than you probably think, so we hope you'll enjoy today's episode on the Pansy!

Music Clips by Kevin Macleod at Incompetech https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/

Allium is one of the more under rated garden flowers.  Great for yards with lots of grass and greenery, Allium can add a pop of color into any garden.  It's related to a plant that I personally love, Garlic!  Come join us today as we discuss Allium.

Allium is a super cute flower that often gets pushed to the side in favor of more typical plants.  All different and sizes and colors, this plant produces a round ball of flowers at the top of a long stalk that can make a great addition to any garden.  It's a plant that's family includes the famous garlic plant.  Come listen to us discuss a little bit of this plant's history and care!

Music Clips by Kevin Macleod at Incompetech https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/

Dahlias are often revered for their great beauty.  With their tall stocks and shockingly beautiful flowers, they are well known for being a very popular wedding and garden flower.  Finding their exact history proves to be a little bit more of a challenge.

Initially hailing from Central America, the Dahlia was a popular flower for native populations of the area for many years.  Although it is difficult to decern it's exact origins, as the flower was not called Dahlias by native Central American populations, we do know that it was used both ornamentally and medicinally by these peoples for many years.  It was later one of the first plants brought back to Europe, and were bred to have many varities and colors that we now see on our shelves today.  We'll talk a little bit about this, some modern references to Dahlias, and dabble into their care on today's episode of Plantstories.

Music Clips by Kevin Macleod at Incompetech https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/

Most people know about the Sea Anemone (how could you not if you've watched Finding Nemo), but they've gotten their name from the beautiful terrestrial Anemone.  Also known as the WindFlower, this is a flower that can open and close it's "petals".  Join us as we take a look at the beautiful bright anemone!

Anemones are known for their varied and amazing color variety.  Used in gardens and sold in florist shops, it's well known across the world for it's delicate beauty.  It's had a variety of meanings throughout the years but somehow hasn't waned in popularity.  It's name also comes from the same greek myth as the rose.  They're known for their ability to open and close to protect themselves from the elements when nessasary and sometimes were used as storm predictions.  Come listen to us today as we chat about anemones!

Music Clips by Kevin Macleod at Incompetech https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/

Welcome to our latest season of PlantStories, Garden Flowers!  In an effort to reconnect with Spring, we're looking at some of the world's most famous garden flowers and what they mean to us.  Up first is the Rose.  The most classic of all flowers, it's been with us longer than most people can remember and has stood the test of time when it comes to representing flowers everywhere.

So just how old is the rose?  We think you'd be suprised.  It's roots go straight back to our History of Houseplants episode (which if you haven't listened to already is definately worth your time), and it's probably one of the oldest ornamental plants we know of.  But beyond being beautiful, it has been the talk of everything from Greek myths to modern day poetry.  At one point they were even considered on par with money!  Come join us today as we learn about the flower that tinted our life beautiful.

Music Clips by Kevin Macleod at Incompetech https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/

You might think that you know everything about wine.  But if our alcohol season has taught me anything, it's that nothing is like I remember it.  Made from a plant who's beginnings are much older than you might imagine, wine is a beverage we've been indulging in for thousands of years.  Join us this week as we talk about wine in our season finale!

Wine is well known for it's associating with beautiful grape vines and the French.  But did you know that we can trace grapes back millions of years?  And our love affair with them, while somewhat unknown, started thousands of years ago possibly around the same time we started making pottery.  Since then empires have spread it across the world and today it is one of the most popular alcoholic drinks from the Americas, the China, to everywhere in between.  Join us as we discuss some of the origins of wine and the grape, a beautiful varied plant that gives us this wonderful gift.

Music Clips by Kevin Macleod at Incompetech https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/

Maybe you've had some of that strong sake at your local Japanese restaurant.  Maybe you weren't a huge fan.  But like many other alcohols we've covered, there's so much more to sake than that.  It's been around for almost as long as rice and has a pretty intriuiging path to creation.  Come have a drink with us as we talk about sake.

Sake is primarily made from rice, which is one of the most prevelant plant based foods on the planet.  Like how the people of Asia were able to adapt the rice to grow in some less than hospitable monsoon lands, they were also able to find an interesting way to turn it into an alcoholic beverage.  It's gone through the hands of the government, the religious, and the people to become an important drink throughout Japan.  It is comparable to wine in it's variety of taste, each a little different depending on the grain, polish, and growth location of the rice.  There's a lot to learn about this drink from the East!

Music Clips by Kevin Macleod at Incompetech https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/

Ah, vodka.  Clearly the most malable and, I might argue, widely used distilled liquor.  Born in Eastern Europe, it has spread the world to become one of the most desirable drinks around.  But really, at what cost?  Join us today as we figure out just what vodka's been doing in it's international travels.

Vodka is world renouned for it's ability to make a fabulous cocktail, be made cheaply and inexpensively, and most importantly it's ability to be made by potatoes.  For some it's a sipping drink and for others, it makes a good Cosmo.  While it's more precise origins are blurred, the drink has been around for centuries, making good use of whatever was around to ensure everybody is getting drunk.  For better or for worse.  Join us today as we take a stroll through the times, with Vodka, Russia's water.

Music Clips by Kevin Macleod at Incompetech https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/

Gin is an especially botanical beverage, it's major selling point boasting the use of Juniper to make for a tasty beverage.  So where did it come from, and how did the famous Gin and Tonic come about?  Join us today as we talk about Gin, a European beverage infused with the taste of a strange conifer.

Juniper berries aren't really berries.  Shocking I know.  So what are they, and why do we use them in a beverage?  Well their history makes them not as suprising a choice as you would think.  And much like absinthe, came about relatively recently in the history of alcohol.  Join us this week as we talk about a story of the Dutch, the British, and a whole lotta juniper, to get our hands dirty in the story about Gin.

Music Clips by Kevin Macleod at Incompetech https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/