Lin Hawthorne
@haggewoods.bsky.social
Still Curious
Editor, author, biologist, horticulturist. FLS
Dilettante now, with interests in
Scientific Latin
Plant-invertebrate interactions
Colours of Nature
Truth and Beauty
naturallatin.com
Editor, author, biologist, horticulturist. FLS
Dilettante now, with interests in
Scientific Latin
Plant-invertebrate interactions
Colours of Nature
Truth and Beauty
naturallatin.com
Yarn bombers having a lot of fun. 😊
December 8, 2025 at 9:58 PM
Yarn bombers having a lot of fun. 😊
Betula bark, labelled as B. ermanii 'Grayswood Hill', though this should be a selection with pure white bark. the bark of the species is described as creamy white and pinkish, fawn when first exposed. I would have a grove of seed-raised birches though, and revel in the variation of colour.
💚🌱
💚🌱
December 8, 2025 at 7:59 PM
Betula bark, labelled as B. ermanii 'Grayswood Hill', though this should be a selection with pure white bark. the bark of the species is described as creamy white and pinkish, fawn when first exposed. I would have a grove of seed-raised birches though, and revel in the variation of colour.
💚🌱
💚🌱
Arbutus menziesii, Madroño. The beauty of this gorgeous bark, with chestnut coloured outer bark, peeling to reveal the smooth, olive green inner bark. This is cool to the touch, and smooth as the skin on the inner thigh of a maiden, or so I have been told. Is very lovely.
💚🌱
💚🌱
December 8, 2025 at 7:49 PM
Arbutus menziesii, Madroño. The beauty of this gorgeous bark, with chestnut coloured outer bark, peeling to reveal the smooth, olive green inner bark. This is cool to the touch, and smooth as the skin on the inner thigh of a maiden, or so I have been told. Is very lovely.
💚🌱
💚🌱
Acer capillipes.
trawling through the archives, I discover I have relatively few pictures of bark in winter. I'm not sure why, but this is the season to remedy this omission.
💚🌱
trawling through the archives, I discover I have relatively few pictures of bark in winter. I'm not sure why, but this is the season to remedy this omission.
💚🌱
December 8, 2025 at 7:41 PM
Acer capillipes.
trawling through the archives, I discover I have relatively few pictures of bark in winter. I'm not sure why, but this is the season to remedy this omission.
💚🌱
trawling through the archives, I discover I have relatively few pictures of bark in winter. I'm not sure why, but this is the season to remedy this omission.
💚🌱
Fat Freddy's Cat, Freddy is depressed. Gilbert Shelton, Dec 1973
@crawlieswithcri.bsky.social
@crawlieswithcri.bsky.social
December 6, 2025 at 9:23 PM
Fat Freddy's Cat, Freddy is depressed. Gilbert Shelton, Dec 1973
@crawlieswithcri.bsky.social
@crawlieswithcri.bsky.social
Elaeagnus umbellata, showing the typical dense covering of stellate hairs that give the appearance of silvery scales. the scales usually an identifying feature, occur on leaves flowers fruit and bark
December 3, 2025 at 3:09 PM
Elaeagnus umbellata, showing the typical dense covering of stellate hairs that give the appearance of silvery scales. the scales usually an identifying feature, occur on leaves flowers fruit and bark
three things:
Salix kinuyanagi is called the Japanese Fodder Willow.
yanagi is the Japanese word for willow.
how old to you have to be to notice you've overlooked?
it's a stout-stemmed, rapidly growing male hybrid, so doesn't self seed.
i will forever be enchanted by silky silver bling
Salix kinuyanagi is called the Japanese Fodder Willow.
yanagi is the Japanese word for willow.
how old to you have to be to notice you've overlooked?
it's a stout-stemmed, rapidly growing male hybrid, so doesn't self seed.
i will forever be enchanted by silky silver bling
December 2, 2025 at 1:24 PM
three things:
Salix kinuyanagi is called the Japanese Fodder Willow.
yanagi is the Japanese word for willow.
how old to you have to be to notice you've overlooked?
it's a stout-stemmed, rapidly growing male hybrid, so doesn't self seed.
i will forever be enchanted by silky silver bling
Salix kinuyanagi is called the Japanese Fodder Willow.
yanagi is the Japanese word for willow.
how old to you have to be to notice you've overlooked?
it's a stout-stemmed, rapidly growing male hybrid, so doesn't self seed.
i will forever be enchanted by silky silver bling
Salix hookeriana, Coastal Willow, from Western North America. some of the biggest, fattest, silkiest, most polliniferous catkins, hums with bumble bees in spring, is silvery, silky hairy throughout. Despite being beloved, it died quite often with me.
🌱
🌱
December 1, 2025 at 7:18 PM
Salix hookeriana, Coastal Willow, from Western North America. some of the biggest, fattest, silkiest, most polliniferous catkins, hums with bumble bees in spring, is silvery, silky hairy throughout. Despite being beloved, it died quite often with me.
🌱
🌱
Salix daphnoides, Violet Willow, one of a number of this ilk with attractively coloured stems that really highlight the bright silver of the young catkins.
🌱
🌱
December 1, 2025 at 7:11 PM
Salix daphnoides, Violet Willow, one of a number of this ilk with attractively coloured stems that really highlight the bright silver of the young catkins.
🌱
🌱
Random photos of willows from the archives.
Salix gracilistyla is very lovely. I may prefer it i think to the cultivars more frequently offered, such as S. g. 'Melanostachys'.
they're all beneficial for providing pollen early bumble bees
I am known to be contrary.
🌱
Salix gracilistyla is very lovely. I may prefer it i think to the cultivars more frequently offered, such as S. g. 'Melanostachys'.
they're all beneficial for providing pollen early bumble bees
I am known to be contrary.
🌱
December 1, 2025 at 7:07 PM
Random photos of willows from the archives.
Salix gracilistyla is very lovely. I may prefer it i think to the cultivars more frequently offered, such as S. g. 'Melanostachys'.
they're all beneficial for providing pollen early bumble bees
I am known to be contrary.
🌱
Salix gracilistyla is very lovely. I may prefer it i think to the cultivars more frequently offered, such as S. g. 'Melanostachys'.
they're all beneficial for providing pollen early bumble bees
I am known to be contrary.
🌱
Charmed by Yarn Bombers
November 25, 2025 at 5:17 PM
Charmed by Yarn Bombers
Do you remember this? I do. Lapwings traversing the girdle of Venus, in 2020. And despite it being a rubbish picture, due to operator panic, because i didn't want to miss it by fiddling with the camera settings. I'm such an amateur.
November 25, 2025 at 5:01 PM
Do you remember this? I do. Lapwings traversing the girdle of Venus, in 2020. And despite it being a rubbish picture, due to operator panic, because i didn't want to miss it by fiddling with the camera settings. I'm such an amateur.
Even in the early days, my gardening duties were taken seriously
November 21, 2025 at 7:46 PM
Even in the early days, my gardening duties were taken seriously
this one is labelled Lorbottle 1984, featuring me as under gardener. It was lot of fun ...
November 21, 2025 at 7:25 PM
this one is labelled Lorbottle 1984, featuring me as under gardener. It was lot of fun ...
My bicycle in ?1982-83. I restored this all on my own; it was the village district nurse's bicycle. You'll notice it had drum brakes!
She must have had legs of steel, it was a thing of beauty but incredibly heavy.
@lacharpenta.bsky.social
She must have had legs of steel, it was a thing of beauty but incredibly heavy.
@lacharpenta.bsky.social
November 21, 2025 at 7:20 PM
My bicycle in ?1982-83. I restored this all on my own; it was the village district nurse's bicycle. You'll notice it had drum brakes!
She must have had legs of steel, it was a thing of beauty but incredibly heavy.
@lacharpenta.bsky.social
She must have had legs of steel, it was a thing of beauty but incredibly heavy.
@lacharpenta.bsky.social
Ladies Day Walk, Neston, 1st June c. 1960
members on white distaffs carried beautiful bouquets of the most choice flowers..
wearing stuff, printed linen or cotton gowns
I was six
www.nestonpast.com/neston-femal...
members on white distaffs carried beautiful bouquets of the most choice flowers..
wearing stuff, printed linen or cotton gowns
I was six
www.nestonpast.com/neston-femal...
November 21, 2025 at 12:25 PM
Ladies Day Walk, Neston, 1st June c. 1960
members on white distaffs carried beautiful bouquets of the most choice flowers..
wearing stuff, printed linen or cotton gowns
I was six
www.nestonpast.com/neston-femal...
members on white distaffs carried beautiful bouquets of the most choice flowers..
wearing stuff, printed linen or cotton gowns
I was six
www.nestonpast.com/neston-femal...
Unidentified on account of irresponsible labelling, this Chinese Sorbus has not, as yet, attracted the attention of the blackbirds. The neighbouring native, Sorbus aucuparia, on the other hand, has been stripped of its berries already.
November 20, 2025 at 6:53 PM
Unidentified on account of irresponsible labelling, this Chinese Sorbus has not, as yet, attracted the attention of the blackbirds. The neighbouring native, Sorbus aucuparia, on the other hand, has been stripped of its berries already.
My goodness, is it that time already?
Helleborus niger, Christmas Rose.
(though it may be a cultivar.)
🌱
Helleborus niger, Christmas Rose.
(though it may be a cultivar.)
🌱
November 17, 2025 at 4:30 PM
My goodness, is it that time already?
Helleborus niger, Christmas Rose.
(though it may be a cultivar.)
🌱
Helleborus niger, Christmas Rose.
(though it may be a cultivar.)
🌱
colour is strong in this unidentified Sorbus
rich deep reds
rich deep reds
November 12, 2025 at 11:47 AM
colour is strong in this unidentified Sorbus
rich deep reds
rich deep reds
Mythimna vitellina (Hubner, 1808) Delicate. In this case the colour epithet refers to the colour of the forewings, described as the colour of calfskin (Emmet), vitellus being a little calf. Application of colour epithets seems flexible and very open to (mis) interpretation.
📷 Ben Sale, CC BY 2.0
📷 Ben Sale, CC BY 2.0
November 11, 2025 at 5:45 PM
Mythimna vitellina (Hubner, 1808) Delicate. In this case the colour epithet refers to the colour of the forewings, described as the colour of calfskin (Emmet), vitellus being a little calf. Application of colour epithets seems flexible and very open to (mis) interpretation.
📷 Ben Sale, CC BY 2.0
📷 Ben Sale, CC BY 2.0
Gloioxanthomyces vitellinus (Hygrophorus vitellinus, Fries, 1863) Glistening Waxcap. Endangered denizen of unimproved grasslands. The clear, bright egg-yolk yellow of its specific epithet eventually fades to white. Common name alludes to the viscid surface.
📷 John BjarneJordal, CC BY 4.0
📷 John BjarneJordal, CC BY 4.0
November 11, 2025 at 5:45 PM
Gloioxanthomyces vitellinus (Hygrophorus vitellinus, Fries, 1863) Glistening Waxcap. Endangered denizen of unimproved grasslands. The clear, bright egg-yolk yellow of its specific epithet eventually fades to white. Common name alludes to the viscid surface.
📷 John BjarneJordal, CC BY 4.0
📷 John BjarneJordal, CC BY 4.0
Vitellinus, intense or golden yellow, syn. Luteus, a hue between aurantiacus & flavus. Lutein is deep yellow xanthophyllous pigment, found in plant leaves, egg yolk, and in the corpus luteum. Latin luteum, meaning the yolk of an egg. (I can hear you whispering luteinising hormone.)🍄
📷 Joăo Estęvăo
📷 Joăo Estęvăo
November 11, 2025 at 5:45 PM
Vitellinus, intense or golden yellow, syn. Luteus, a hue between aurantiacus & flavus. Lutein is deep yellow xanthophyllous pigment, found in plant leaves, egg yolk, and in the corpus luteum. Latin luteum, meaning the yolk of an egg. (I can hear you whispering luteinising hormone.)🍄
📷 Joăo Estęvăo
📷 Joăo Estęvăo
Please forgive me, but these are papas wrinklies – a culinary speciality in Tenerife apparently. The name made me laugh till i wept, because I'm so juvenile. They are small waxy potatoes, boiled in salted water until it's all evaporated. They fit very nicely in the palm of a gal's hand. (guffaws.)
November 10, 2025 at 8:44 PM
Please forgive me, but these are papas wrinklies – a culinary speciality in Tenerife apparently. The name made me laugh till i wept, because I'm so juvenile. They are small waxy potatoes, boiled in salted water until it's all evaporated. They fit very nicely in the palm of a gal's hand. (guffaws.)
This is labelled Aloe castanea. it's in the Botanic Garden at Puerto de la Cruz, Tenerife, February 2017. Presumably the specific epithet makes reference to the fruits? These are pendant clusters, and look exactly as though they've been cast in pewter, such a beautiful patina and colour.
November 10, 2025 at 8:34 PM
This is labelled Aloe castanea. it's in the Botanic Garden at Puerto de la Cruz, Tenerife, February 2017. Presumably the specific epithet makes reference to the fruits? These are pendant clusters, and look exactly as though they've been cast in pewter, such a beautiful patina and colour.
Spanish Moss is such a romantic name. Tillandisa usneoides, in the wild, in Tenerife, February 2017.
long spiralling, ash-grey tendrils, like angel hair, remarkably weighty in its habitat, compared to the titchy things in cultivation in the cool temperate north.
long spiralling, ash-grey tendrils, like angel hair, remarkably weighty in its habitat, compared to the titchy things in cultivation in the cool temperate north.
November 10, 2025 at 8:26 PM
Spanish Moss is such a romantic name. Tillandisa usneoides, in the wild, in Tenerife, February 2017.
long spiralling, ash-grey tendrils, like angel hair, remarkably weighty in its habitat, compared to the titchy things in cultivation in the cool temperate north.
long spiralling, ash-grey tendrils, like angel hair, remarkably weighty in its habitat, compared to the titchy things in cultivation in the cool temperate north.