Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Consequences of Provincialism


Ramonda myconi at Karl Foerster Garden, Potsdam


Ramonda myconi at Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-Universität, Greifswald


Ramonda myconi at Berlin Botanischer Garten


Ramonda myconi at Botanischer Garten der Universität Potsdam

A couple of blogs ago I proudly mentioned my success at growing Ramonda myconi, a hardy member of the African violet family (Gesneriaceae). I imagined this Ramonda to be a very rare thing seldom seen in gardens, because I had never seen it in gardens. I visited Germany a couple of weeks ago where I saw four rock gardens. Each and every one was growing Ramonda myconi (although they were, alas, no longer in bloom). It is so easy to become provincial! But then that is one of the main reasons I wanted to take that trip. A person needs to get out into the world every now and then. I hope it isn't another twenty-nine years between my trips to Europe.

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