Apertures
Capsicum annuum, tomatoes as guindillas, Solanum lycopersicum, to carry out its short life in the fruit you first have to give flowers. To reach this igali benefit you need a leaf that extends it to the sun and generates the amount of food you need with the energy of light. (Before we go on, by the way, this is what sets us apart from animals and plants: plants take energy from earth and air – transforming through light – and they are able to feed and live, while animals, if we are going to live, we have to end another living being that we practically have to eat.)
Grasping the leaf and the flower, what is the first, the leaf or the flower? Each plant has its own behavior. Some show the flower first, spectacularly, attracting bees that are hungry for spring. Others open the flower and leaf in parallel. First there's someone who gets dressed in leaves. The latter usually require wind for pollination.
Here is the month of April, the Latin aprilis, aperire, open listening, when the trees and flowers begin to open. For those who have to organize orchards and fields of cultivation it is Jorraila, to work in Basque, that is, to work the land. It is also called a cake, because it is said that cattle cows and plants are made to channel the wishes and offers of the new season. Is that where the animal is also called?
And May? They say it comes from the name of the Greek goddess Maia, which relates to fertility. The poet Ovidio confers another etymology on him: he says that June has died of the young (iuniores), of the old (maids) before the month. Where are our vases, tin and tin? We in May, we are on the site! For the month in which flowering, combs and hostages have occurred.
In the face of the impossibility of opening the leaves and the eyes of the flowers, in the face of the fear of showing the shoots, they have spent the most recent spring with panic. And if it's always late, this year is late. Delayed, delayed, retracted, blackened and long ignited form. Especially for flowers...
And in the face of the chamomile, our grandfather says every year, “The flower of April is gold, better than nothing the flower of May.”
In our latitude the sweat of most plants moves in the spring, and in this time we will enjoy the great blooms. Flowers are the symbol of beauty: to see, to smell... And to try? Did you eat a flower? I'm sure it does.
Who has not eaten artichokes (Cynara cardunculus var... [+]
Lilipak edo nartzisoak loretan dira. Nabarmen adierazten dute mendean hartutako bere lurren berri. Neguan loratzen dira, kolore zuri-hori ikusgarritan, eta usaina bafadaka hedatzen dute. Multzoka bizi dira; lurpean erraboila emankorra dute, eta bat zen tokian, urtetik urtera... [+]
Udari begira jarri gaituen eguraldi honek landareak ederki mugitu ditu. Gu ere bai. Zaldibarren, Eitzaga auzoko zabortegiko madarikazioaren ardurak eskatzera, eta langileei, haien senideei eta auzotarrei babesa emateko manifestazioan Eibarko Amañatik abiatu ginen. Hasi... [+]
I remember as a kid how we called it the "little boy." The flower reminded us of the chicken's head. José María Lakoizketa was named “kurkubia” in Bertizarana in 1888, as its fruit resembles a kurkubi or bottle. He says in Cinco Villas they call him “cascabel.” In 1976... [+]
The danger of plant extinction may have many reasons. In the past, they were divided into three groups: diseases, pests and herbs or “bad” plants. Today, there is a tendency to call plague to all plant disasters. Previously, an accident caused by the proliferation of... [+]
In the pile of manure and waste there is usually a guest in summer, although not always: estrammonium or estrammonium, Datura stramonum. Some have also received the names of “carbonero” or “higuzoro” for this plant. It is a striking, upright plant, with a glowing... [+]
The year of Dalia, the pinnata Dahlia, was chosen this year by the organizers of the festival. Well said, it's the year of Dahlia. Dictionaries and encyclopedias in Euskera call this plant “dalia”; I think we should call it “dahlia”.
The Spanish invaders who met Dahlia... [+]
I have been a little quieter on the day when the night has become longer than the clear day and I am glad that we are six months like this. I cannot deny that summer has been beautiful, but it smells better to fall. Plants are made “tizas” with the arrival of autumn. The... [+]
Plants are known to smell, more and more. We had known for a long time that plant martingale was to protect itself from herbivorous animals: the plant that has been bitten releases the odor to warn neighboring plants, that they will knead the leaves and will not be of taste to... [+]
Lately, I asked Joxe Anton Arze, one of the most beautiful Basque landscape architects, about the names of the plants that had white flowers. It's already in its Mortecine light.
Grapefruit (Narcissus poeticus), Star perico (Stelaria holostea), White hawthorn (Crataegus... [+]
His relative is the Lo-Belar (Papaver somniferum), but compared to him is the Michoneta (Papaver Rhoeas). The poppy is well known; it is also known as “urdemutur” and “urdamutur”. When spring arrives, the earth will blur every year. It also revives the blush of my shame,... [+]