Category: Photography

Magical Friends

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The first time I saw these towering plants, I thought I had entered a fairy tale land.

The Pride of Madeira (Echium) generally grows near the coast in California. But as a native of Madeira and the Canary Islands, it found a welcome home in Sacramento’s WPA Garden. We tried, without luck, to grow it in the Homeward Bound Memorial Garden. But it thrives in this enchanted garden tucked inside William Land Park, an urban oasis, creating a perfect climate for Mediterranean and coast-loving plants in our otherwise hot and freeze-sensitive valley.

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Pride of Madeira begins blooming in April with towering spikes of violet-blue flowers. At the coast, it is considered invasive. But here, it stays pretty well-behaved.

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Its hundreds of tiny flowers cast a magical spell over bees and butterflies.

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And this one in particular:

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The Pipevine Swallowtail. This tailed beauty has an iridescent blue blue body, white spots on the upper side of the hind wings, and a row of orange polka dots.

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I can almost always find one flitting from flower to flower: two blue beauties – magical friends.

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Petaloso: Full of Petals

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Have you heard about the eight-year-old Italian boy who invented a new Italian word?

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In a classroom assignment, Matteo unsed an unfamiliar word. He described a flower as a “petaloso” – full of petals. While “petaloso” does not officially exist in the Italian dictionary, it made sense – combining “petalo” (“petal”) and the suffix “-oso” (meaning “full of”).

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It is similar to the English word, “petalous” – meaning of flowers having petals. But so much more descriptive.

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His teacher marked it as incorrect – but beautiful. And then she helped Matteo petition the instituion that oversees the use of the Italian language for their thoughts.

“The word you invented is well formed and could be used in the Italian language,” they replied. “It is beautiful and clear.”

In order for it to be accepted as an official Italian word, it would need to be used and understood by a large number of people.

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Thus, the hoped-to-be word “petaloso” is being shared all over social media.

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Help Matteo have his word become accepted and published in the next Italian dictionary.

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How many ways can you use “petaloso?”

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