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Botanica Magnifica

Botanica Magnifica

Posted 02/1/10

From the Abbeville Press,

The original edition of Botanica Magnifica, consisting of five lavishly hand-bound volumes, was limited to just ten copies, the first of which was recently donated to the Smithsonian Institution. The extra-large “double-elephant” format of that edition was chosen in homage to the famous double-elephant folio of The Birds of America, and indeed, Botanica Magnifica is one of the few works of natural history ever to rival Audubon’s magnum opus in its scope and artistry. In praise of the double-elephant folio of Botanica Magnifica, the Smithsonian’s Chairman of Botany attested, “Everyone who has seen the photographs . . . has been tremendously impressed with the power, scale, and depth of the work.”

Botanica Magnifica features two hundred and fifty stunning photographs of rare and exotic plants and flowers by Hasselblad Laureate Award winner Jonathan Singer.

The original volume hand sown by Kerstin Tini Miura, is hand bound in goatskin, by German master bookbinder who now has ateliers both in California and Japan.

The original version is said to be worth as much as $2.5 million.

Each plant pictured is accompanied by a clear description of its botany, geography, folklore, history, and conservation. The species included are rare plants, historically significant flowers, gold medal winners, newly discovered plants, and plants that are just beautiful.

A podiatrist photographs some of the world’s most endangered flowers with remarkable precision and artistry, hoping to raise the plants’ profiles before it’s too late. — Audubon magazine

…its his [Singers] flowers, in Botanica Magnifica, that have caused quite a stir. Art aficionados marvel at their painterly quality, and botanists are in awe of how Singer manages to capture them so true to form… — Smithsonian.com

Botanica Magnifica is truly one of the most amazing natural history publications that has ever appeared… — Zoom magazine

As rare and sublime as the marvels surveyed within its broad covers, Singer has produced a work to rest alongside some of the great botanical codexes in history, one for connoisseurs of the still-life, natural phenomena, and the photographic art. — Library Journal

John Kress at the Smithsonian

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Activated Carbon for filtration?

Posted 01/31/10

Activated carbon or activated charcoal called by some has been used for many years in pond filtration. Known mostly for its properties as an agent that can grab almost any chemical and contain it it makes a great water cleaner. I recently learned about just how good a bacterial agent it may be as well. According to reports just 1/2 ounce has the same surface area as the Melbourne Cricket Ground (one of the 10 largest soccer stadiums in the world).

                             To use in a water garden simply fill a cheese cloth sack or some stalkings with a couple pounds of activated carbon or charcoal, tie it, rinse very well or your pond will turn black in seconds. Once you rinse until clear place in a skimmer, filter, or where the water is moving and your pond will be rid of toxins very quickly. Remove before treating with a chemical or fish medicine as the carbon will absorb it in its entirety. Change the charcoal every 6 -12 months, you can rinse a few times during the year with clean pond water or well water.

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News of Interest

Posted 01/27/10

Beginning with Good news. An Aquascape team is participating in some wonderful work abroad.  Follow the link to their Blog and you can keep up with what is going on. http://aquascapecolombia.blogspot.com/.

Update January 28th 2010: 2500 gallons of clean water has been delivered to the Rose of Sharon School.

Learn more about the Aquascapes Foundation here.

Next we have more state aquatic plant restriction news. Texas we hope to know more about the potential white list or if that can be prevented.  Both Warner and Paula are wonderful watchdogs, I got a note from Warner this morning.
From Paula, this ruling will prohibit the control/elimination of Nelumbo lutea in Minnesota
http://www.pineandlakes.com/stories/123009/sports_20091230052.shtml.

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“Iris Secret” Avoiding Spring Algae

Posted 01/26/10

 

          I should start by saying that this works in properly maintained water gardens. If you refer to your water garden as fish pond or koi pond that is the first signal you might lean more on the fish and less on the garden. In the spring remember not to begin feeding your fish until your plants are well established. You can throw off the balanced ecosystem with a single feeding and can cause some damage to fish if its real early. After winter a fish’s stomach is a little fragile. It has not had a good amount of food in many months perhaps, floating pellets or other fish-foods can cause a fish’s stomach to swell and lead to bleeding & even death. You want to introduce feeding slowly (but that’s more for a blogging fish day, you want to know about the Iris’s secret to preventing the spring algae bloom. Iris are one of the first plants to come alive in the pond, perhaps the very first. This plant and Marsh marigolds can suck the excess nutrients out of the pond beginning around the time of the final few frosts. Having a few areas of iris can dramatically reduces nitrites in the water and begin the process of cleaning the pond months before hyacinths or other plants can begin filtering the water. Iris also add a nice spring flower when hardy lilies are just beginning to send up leaves.  In the spring, if you have a few areas of established iris (Flag Iris, Japanese Iris, Louisiana Iris are all partially aquatic and can handle a couple inches of water), dont feed the fish, and do not have dead leaves and debris in the pond the chances of a spring algae bloom or green water are greatly reduced. A good water garden is a biologically correct water garden.

  

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Aquatic Lingo “true aquatic”

Aquatic Lingo “true aquatic”

Posted 01/25/10

A question yesterday from Cathy of Houston Texas as to what a true aquatic was. As stated by the IWGS, “True aquatics grow either underwater – submersed, or partly underwater – emersed.” This would make of course waterlilies true aquatics, and you may think of submerged oxygenators as true aquatics, but not all (even some sold as aquarium plants are not true aquatics). Many submerged plants are grown above the water and cut or cultivated before adding below the surface. The 2008 trip to Florida Aquatic Nurseries showed several species growing totally out of the water. Some of these grow normally right at the surface and easily below (probably because plants growing just at or below the waters surface deal with high and low levels of water. Anacharis, Hornwort, Cabomba are all submersed plants. Red star ludwigia, Lemon Bacopa, Moneywort, Rotala, and many varieties found submerged in fish tanks are easily grown at or above the waters surface. It is also much easier to propagate these plants in this condition.

 

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Hibiscus Sunrise (Hibiscus acetosella ‘Sunrise’)

Posted 01/20/10

 

Available Spring 2010!

 New for 2010! Buy this pond plant and others at Pond Megastore

This bog plant was developed by Florida Aquatic Nurseries. A seedling of the Red Night Booming Hibiscus (Hibiscus acetosella) Hibiscus ‘ Sunrise’ displays bright yellow flowers with a red throat that are open during the night and into the morning .  The leaves are reddish green with pink backing and similar in shape to its parent.  This plant resembles a Japanese maple in leaf shape and color, but has the added benefit of bright yellow flowers. Hibiscus ‘ Sunrise’ is an excellent tropical marginal for the North or can be a perennial in the South.  This plant will thrive both in the water and out in the landscape, so don’t be afraid to try it in different places.  Produced at Florida Aquatic Nurseries, 2010 is the first year that this plant is available. Hardy in Zones 7-11. Can grow 3-4 feet in 2 gallon containers and taller in larger containers.  

Grow with roots at water surface in 2 gallon container with rich heavy soil. The marsh hibiscus is a perennial pond plant with:

  • A broad, round base.
  • Round stems with tiny hairs.

Hibiscus flowers bloom on the plant from late spring through early fall. Flowers are 6 to 8 inches in diameter and have: .

  • A brilliant yellow central stamen.
  • A deep pink to burgundy center.
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