Hi there to you all,
Have you ever thought about 'what's in a name?' when it comes to your gardening plant choices.
Could that be one of the reasons you don't do as much gardening in containers as you would like to because of the difficult names of the plants?
Are you a beginner gardener and saddened and feeling thwarted (love that word!) again, because of the Latin you come across?
Well consider this, maybe it will help you.
Why does the plant world use Latin names?
Well, it's because it's a dead language ... and by that I mean dead as in not changing, not dead because it is not used anymore or because it is extinct.
Now because it will never change neither will the plant names and so in every country of the world, an already-named plant keeps its name in Latin, whether the language used in that country is English, German, Chinese, French or any of the other 7200 languages or dialects to be found globally.
Every plant has a unique Latin name, always written in two parts with the second part in italics. And you can ask for that plant wherever you go and you will get the same one.
The first name is the genus name with a capital letter and the second name is the species which is always written in lower case and usually in italics.
Take Coriandrum sativum; whether you know it or use its popular or common name of coriander, cilantro, Chinese parsley or dhania, it will always be Coriandrum sativum wherever you go and there are plants there.
What genus do you belong to? Me, I am Mulholland. And species - well I am lestie. So, if you wanted to plant me somewhere, You would just need to ask for a Mulholland lestie and it will me.
Thing is I am no longer on the market! It reminds me of that proverb ... "Grow where you are planted." and I am quite happy with my soil, sunshine, shade and water thanks!
Of course - things can get a little more complicated with the naming of plants, as with everything in life - but this is a good start for you to go on with.
Let us know if you have any questions, and I will try to answer them.
Cheers now
