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Category Archives: botany
Bella Ciao: Strike diary 13
This extraordinary month of strikes has come to an end. We had a great rally at Cardiff University today, with rousing speeches and rallying songs. Then many of us who are involved with the union retired to the pub. In … Continue reading
Posted in botany, Plants, Poetry, Wales
Tagged Bella Cioa, Meleager of Gadara, UCUstrike, USSStrike
3 Comments
Cross-pollination on the pickets: Strike diary 11
Strikes are unnerving and unsettling. It is perhaps for that very reason that they are also sites of great creativity. There is so much art in making placards, creating slogans, and writing strike songs. Our Cardiff rallies are becoming more … Continue reading
Posted in Ancient History, botany, History of Science, Poetry
Tagged bees, Jean-Jacques Porchat-Bressenel, pollination, Quintilian, UCUstrike, USSStrike
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The money tree: strike diary 9
“Money doesn’t grow on trees”. In essence, that is what we are constantly being told in universities. If we, as staff, point out the discrepancy between that message and the fact that UK universities are engaged in huge building projects … Continue reading
Posted in Ancient Greece, Ancient History, botany, Plants, Wales
Tagged Theophrastus, UCUstrike, USSStrike, wish trees
2 Comments
O Tannenbaum!
Well, it’s been a very long time! I needed a little time off public writing in order to concentrate on other projects. But here I am. Last week, I went to Marburg in Germany for a great conference on Greek … Continue reading
Posted in Ancient History, botany, Plants, Travelling
Tagged Aelian, Christmas trees, Xerxes
2 Comments
An apple a day
This year (I tend to think in academic years rather than calendar ones) has not been easy, for many reasons. I have felt exhausted a lot, and have lacked confidence on many occasions. As the teaching session ended, I was … Continue reading
Posted in botany, Food history, Gardening, History, Plants, Travelling
Tagged Apples, Berrington Hall, Croft Castle, Orchards, Tracy Chevalier
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An ode to spring
The gods have treated us to this rare phenomenon: a sunny bank holiday. We decided to make the most of it and went To The Beach, to beautiful Rhossili Bay, on the Gower Peninsula. We actually live five minutes from … Continue reading
Posted in botany, Plants, Poetry, Travelling, Wales
Tagged bluebells, Gower Peninsula, Meleager of Gadara, orchids, Rhossili Bay
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A yellow flag for peace
Today my native city – Brussels – was victim of horrific terrorist attacks. People on social media quickly showed their solidarity by using the Belgian flag (black – yellow – red). Less used – because far less known – was … Continue reading
Posted in Ancient History, botany, History, History of medicine, Plants
Tagged Brussels, Dioscorides, iris, Yellow Flag
2 Comments
Flower consumption
Last time I wrote, I presented to you some fabulous twentieth-century representations of classical medicine by Ernest Board. One of his paintings showed Athenian black-figure vases used as flower pots. Now, these vases would never have been put to that … Continue reading
Posted in botany, Food history, History, Plants, Wales
Tagged Curtis' Botanical Magazine, National Museum of Wales, Porcelain, Thomas Pardoe
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