Apr 16 2021 - The Moors

 

For me the Moors means Sherlock Holmes. We watched the Hound of the Baskervilles last evening, and the Moors played heavily in the plot.  Low-growing vegetation on acidic soils - temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands, and of course heath and heather. There are moorland habitats in tropical Africa, norther and western Europe and South America.  We in Canada have tundra where the subsoil is permafrost and these two are closely related. The Moors have inspired many artists and writers - even Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - they played their fictional 1994 Quidditch World Cup final was hosted on the moor. But I would think the most famous is The Hound of the Baskervilles. It is the third of Doyle's four crime novels, voted one of the most popular books ever written, and is the most popular of the Sherlock stories.  It is set on Dartmoor in Devon.  This is the first appearance since his apparent death in The Final Problem.  The book incorporates five plots and was serialized so that every chapter ended in a cliffhanger.  The inspirations are themselves stories of mystery and murder.  The legend of Squire Richard Cabell of Brook Hall was the fundamental inspiration of a hellish hound and cursed country squire.  He was described as a monstrously evil man who had sold his soul to the Devil, rumoured to have murdered his wife, and when he died, a phantom pack of hounds came across the moor to howl at the tomb.  The myths and legends of Dartmoor include pixies, a headless horseman, the 'spectral hounds' and a large black dog. There is a supposed big cat known as the Beast of Dartmoor. There is even the notion that during the Great Thunderstorm of 1638, the village of Wildecombe-in-the-Moor was visited by the Devil.   How could Dartmoor's moors have so much  mythology and legendary?  It is an ancient place with a long history of inhabitants.  Even the moors have a long vegetation history: Some of the moors were naturally occurring and others were forests in Mesolithic times. It is proposed that humans began to clear it by 10,000 B.C. and efforts intensified after that.  Human settlements have occurred over thousands of years archaeological findings have been studied in many places on the Moor. Acidic soil would destroy organic remains, but the granite that was used for buildings has been studied at length. There are surviving farms in operation today from the Medieval period.  There is the well-known camping joke about Holmes and Watson.  So I went in search of something else and found this: Tesla, Oscar Wilde, and Sherlock Holmes walk into a bar. The punchline of this joke was patented and then hidden by Thomas Edison.    The blossoms have begun - here we are yesterday on John Street between Vineland and Beamsville.  With the Multiple exposures, the sense of blossoms is present, but it takes a clear image for them to really show.  There's that dark April sky - it needs some cloudy interest. Purchase at: FAA - marilyncornwellart.com Redbubble - marilyncornwellart.ca

Scentsation!

Scentsation is defined as an outstanding use of fragrance in applications other than perfume and cologne. It is said to be coined by PerfumeCulture as a scent and trend agency.  It has since made its way into the naming of flowers.  Here are a few. I mistakenly bought Honeysuckle "Scentsation."  It was a lucky error.  I thought I'd purchased Paul's Scarlett, but the blooms were not pink - they were yellow. I had thought I might have one of the invasive Japanese Honeysuckles.  Instead these were blossoms that lasted from mid-spring to late summer and has strong fragrance.  What are the notes in honeysuckle?  It is considered fruity and warm with hints of honey and ripe citrus.  There is a petunia that has been hybridized to have its fragrance back - just as roses lost and got back their beautiful scent via David Austin.  What is the fragrance in this blue Petunia "Evening Scentsation"?  It is described as having notes of hyacinth, sweet honey and rose and is stronger in the evening.  There is a series of miniature roses in the "Scentsational" series. "Overnight Scentsation" journeyed to space to aid in studies about the effects of low gravity on the smell of roses.  "Moonlight Sensation" is another one. What about finding the Camellia "Sweet Scentsation".  I would need to go to warmer areas of the U.S. for this. We know that Evening Scented Stock (Matthiola bicornis) is night-scented. It has a series named "Starlight Scentsation". This is a flower with strong notes of cloves and cinnamon. Others have nutmeg and vanilla scent. And there is a Tuberous Begonia that has the name Scentsation - it is a Blackmore & Langdon variety. Many of the scented begonias smell like roses. Many people don't realize the Cyclamen is a scented flower - they also have a Scentsation Series.  It isi considered light floral, clean, fresh, and slightly mysterious. And there is a Nicotiana alata mix "Scentsation" - it comes in pinks, purples and whites - that's interesting to me.  I will definitely find this one for this year's garden. The scent is considered similar to Jasmine. If we want to describe out floral scents, take a look at this website - theperfumeexpert.com/notes These window view pictures were taken at the Ringling Circus mansion.  All the windows have pale stained glass panes.

If In Doubt

The expression is "when in doubt"... Here are some of the expressions that are paired with this: When in doubt wear red. ~ Bill Blass When in doubt, don't. ~ Benjamin Franklin Wise men, when in doubt whether to speak or to keep quiet, give themselves the benefit of the doubt, and remain silent. ~ Napoleon Hill A conservative is someone who makes no changes and consults his grandmother when in doubt. ~ Woodrow Wilson When in doubt tell the truth. ~ Mark Twain These are from Brainyquotes, you have to go over there to see them all - they aren't easily copied.  When I look through quotes, I am amazed at the diverse range of people being quoted.  From Benjamin Franklin and Mark Twain to current comedians to names I don't recognize.  So I chose one randomly - Ken Thompson. Ken Thompson - When in doubt, use force.   Ken Thompson is a computer scientist who worked on the Unix operating system.  Here is my favourite: Ken Thompson was once asked what he would do differently if he were redesigning the UNIX system. His reply: "I'd spell creat with an e."

Summer's Flowers - Allium

I really enjoy Alliums.  They are a large family of bulbs that bloom from spring through to late fall. Here are 2 variations. The first is a current blooming cernuum allium about 6 inches tall in my salad garden, and the second is the 2 foot tall June-blooming version - likely Purple Sensation - outside of the Gooderham and Wort Flatiron building on Front Street Toronto.  I'm looking forward to having alliums bloom into October with the allium thunbergii Ozawa.