January 24 2020

Next on the Bachelor: Aphrodite’s Frenemy

The Greeks have a myth that anemones originated at the site of Adonis’s death. Aphrodite, who warned her boo of dangerous wild boar, found Adonis did not heed her advice. (They never listen, am I right ladies?) Adonis took a tusk to the yarbles. (There is speculation that jealous Ares transformed into the beast to do the deed, and still another rumor that Persephone sent the boar from Hades because Adonis did not answer her “you up” text.) Anyway, the myth says Aphrodite’s tears sprouted anemones where Adonis died. It was also at this tragic event, that she created the first red rose from her blood – but that’s another story.

Anemones start to come up in our region in late December. These greenhouse-grown flowers give us some much-needed color in the Winter and early Spring. With their signature navy eye, they are popular for weddings, events and great for every day designs. They continue to bloom into May for us if it doesn't get too hot early in the season.

Anemones are nyctinastic: they open in the light and close in the dark. They have circadian rhythms just like you, me and Aphrodite. Scientists are not sure why they do this. Darwin thought it was to reduce the risk of freezing. Other theories include fending off predators and keeping their pollen dry.

Peduncle

It’s not the pervy relative you avoided as a child at the family holiday gathering. If you look closely at an anemone from the root there is the stem. Follow up the stem and you will find some ruffly green leaves. The stem continues before the flower. The part of the stem between the ruffly leaves and the bloom is called the peduncle. The peduncle lengthens as the anemone grows. It can serve as a natural gauge to indicate the best time for harvesting. Dave Dowling likes a quarter-inch peduncle.

LB January 25, 2020
haaahahahahaha loooooove this!

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