tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4450926564221225084.post4039042064724679603..comments2024-03-27T01:11:59.600-04:00Comments on Children of the Corm: A Charleston Garden Blog: Dr. Watson At Your ServiceJesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01524574998937986323noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4450926564221225084.post-49386698920274912422011-05-05T12:17:28.691-04:002011-05-05T12:17:28.691-04:00Just stumbled across your blog looking for trellis...Just stumbled across your blog looking for trellis ideas, then saw you are also a Blotanist! Love your writing style, keeps me smiling!Cheriehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14064103050679390906noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4450926564221225084.post-22061861118136230962011-05-03T19:00:56.445-04:002011-05-03T19:00:56.445-04:00Dear Jess, this would be my perfect post - funny a...Dear Jess, this would be my perfect post - funny and informative! It's time consuming but fascinating researching plants isn't it? I agree with Jean - we'll give you the 2011 Sherlock Award. cheers, catmintSue Catminthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14242341696447975933noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4450926564221225084.post-51022970993946796862011-04-29T22:13:20.624-04:002011-04-29T22:13:20.624-04:00Jess, Like you, I need to know the names of the pl...Jess, Like you, I need to know the names of the plants in my garden. Having a plant sitting in my garden that I don't know the name of feels like having a student sitting in my class whose name I don't know. I'm not opposed to common names, but they have limitations (as you discovered here). It's fine to call that student in my 9 a.m. class Bridget, which is what she's commonly called by her friends and family; but when I need to submit her grade, I better know that she'll turn up on my grade roster under her official name of Mary Smith. I think you deserve the Sherlock award for your detective work. -JeanAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4450926564221225084.post-78571809307675814592011-04-28T14:43:47.757-04:002011-04-28T14:43:47.757-04:00Hi All, I'm pretty convinced that if that prim...Hi All, I'm pretty convinced that if that primrose tag had been in one of the boxwoods right beside it, she'd have called that a primrose. But, you never know. My guess is someone told her it was a creeping foxglove and she remembered the foxglove part, and forgot everything else. I'm all for plant tags. I can't stand not knowing what something is in my garden. No idea why, just can't stand it!Jesshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01524574998937986323noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4450926564221225084.post-62841052989906781852011-04-27T21:16:37.456-04:002011-04-27T21:16:37.456-04:00Jess, That is a very funny story. I am dying to k...Jess, That is a very funny story. I am dying to know if the woman actually knew that it's two common names were foxglove and primrose. I am guessing yes. That's why I hate common names. There is no naming committee, someone just thought it looked like a foxglove and someone else thought it looked like a primrose. I wrote what I thought was quite a clever post about this: http://carolynsshadegardens.com/2011/01/07/i-dream-in-latin/. CarolynAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4450926564221225084.post-2856080292387415962011-04-27T20:02:07.487-04:002011-04-27T20:02:07.487-04:00The saleswoman clearly didn't know anyway---if...The saleswoman clearly didn't know anyway---if she'd had an actual clue, she would have said "Well, I realize it looks nothing like the usual versions, but it's called a creeping foxglove..." or something akin to it. <br /><br />I've learned to be somewhat mistrustful of salespeople that do not display casual familiarity with their plants...if they're not gardeners themselves, odds are good I'll get much better info on the spot with a smartphone and some googling.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4450926564221225084.post-10394741456921776592011-04-27T16:36:40.575-04:002011-04-27T16:36:40.575-04:00What a story! It also illustrates why the botanica...What a story! It also illustrates why the botanical name should be used. If the lady had said 'Asystasia gangetica', you would have been praising her horticultural expertise. And if the plant had a proper label, you would not have had to ask at all!debsgardenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15656883577922890561noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4450926564221225084.post-40534563292335820802011-04-27T14:59:02.790-04:002011-04-27T14:59:02.790-04:00Do we lack creativity and have to reuse names?
Ye...Do we lack creativity and have to reuse names?<br /><br />Yes yes yes! Do you have any idea how many Cape ... there are in the Western Cape? Settlers from Europe said Oh look what a pretty little/great Cape ... ash chestnut cowslip daisy gooseberry (which comes from Peru and WEARS a cape) honeysuckle ... Then there's Pride of De Kaap, which isn't from the Cape at all! <br /><br />Good sleuthing and a fascinating post!Diana Studerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12286066768376135880noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4450926564221225084.post-85412274307377425592011-04-27T12:03:10.840-04:002011-04-27T12:03:10.840-04:00Great solve! and now we know why latin names are ...Great solve! and now we know why latin names are so important. Obviously the lady didn't really know what the plant was or she would have been able to explain the difference between foxglove and this plant. glad you decided to go ahead and buy it anyway. We learn so much by investigating and trying new plants.Margueritehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14377516887669269657noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4450926564221225084.post-9414907640607102102011-04-27T06:30:08.565-04:002011-04-27T06:30:08.565-04:00Dear Jess, You were much more persistent than I wo...Dear Jess, You were much more persistent than I would have been, tracking down the name of this sweet plant. Well done. P xPam's English Gardenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01359787694149174369noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4450926564221225084.post-84929552534419166432011-04-26T12:52:42.398-04:002011-04-26T12:52:42.398-04:00What a funny story! Yes, at some point we seem to...What a funny story! Yes, at some point we seem to know more than most of the workers at the nursery. Still, we expect them to be the expert. Glad you found the name of your plant. It drives me crazy to not have the full latin name of my plants. Of course, having all these plant tags around drives everyone else crazy - but that's a different story.HolleyGardenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14892421871044249940noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4450926564221225084.post-47053020612458000402011-04-26T02:37:24.586-04:002011-04-26T02:37:24.586-04:00Hi Jess, that was a long story, whew! Did i sweat ...Hi Jess, that was a long story, whew! Did i sweat reading it, LOL. Common names are really confusing because common means common to a group, and there are many groups who can label something with how they like it, or common to them. So, much thanks to Linnaeus who eased the confusion by starting on the Scientific names! Wherever you are in the world, that name stands. BTW, since we are from a different group, your colloquial phrase might be different from mine, so i did not get the real meaning of what you said in my post. Thanks.Andreahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06044386271018560595noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4450926564221225084.post-16191880776650848532011-04-25T21:40:39.397-04:002011-04-25T21:40:39.397-04:00What a find - the plant that is called both foxglo...What a find - the plant that is called both foxglove and primrose (and violet) and related to thunbergia too! Sheesh, being a gardener is tough :). It is a pretty plant and thank you for the funny story.Mashahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15996950576326655813noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4450926564221225084.post-20426083388683210952011-04-25T21:14:46.837-04:002011-04-25T21:14:46.837-04:00What a strange and interesting story. You really w...What a strange and interesting story. You really went all out to find the name of the plant and by a strange accident found it out. I would not have trusted the names and would not have combined them to get the answer. Great work. You should go back and tell the nursery worker too. I am sure she would find this really interesting.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4450926564221225084.post-77206663731263702872011-04-25T20:28:07.272-04:002011-04-25T20:28:07.272-04:00The moral of this story is that my Latin teacher i...The moral of this story is that my Latin teacher in high school was right. Latin isn't a dead language (much though I protested it was, somewhere around the 5th declension when she herself was at the receiving end of a fuzzy eyeball or two), and as a gardener I find it to be infinitely useful! Common names be damned, they only serve to confuse us all. Excellent sleuthing there my dear Watson, a beautiful Asystasia gangetica indeed! :)Curbstone Valley Farmhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06714297348566721344noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4450926564221225084.post-60048390847520862532011-04-25T20:24:05.803-04:002011-04-25T20:24:05.803-04:00Hats off to you dear, Jess for donning your sleuth...Hats off to you dear, Jess for donning your sleuthing garb and getting to the bottom of this mystery plant. You done good!! Too bad the people that grew this plant couldn't have just labeled the plant correctly in the first place. :) She is a beaut, all right. I would have been captivated by her irresistible charms too.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4450926564221225084.post-72476474703209061892011-04-25T19:42:54.883-04:002011-04-25T19:42:54.883-04:00Jess you know I love Holmes and Watson too ....rea...Jess you know I love Holmes and Watson too ....really though your detective work was far better than the saleslady who really didn't have a clue...it was neither a foxglove or a primrose no matter what she said...they need a plant book at that nursery and someone who doesn't rely on labels..bravo for you for speaking up...Donnahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13420133886162844400noreply@blogger.com