From my Forest
stories fresh from trees
Under the Pink
Some places always remain exotic, even when never visited, or perhaps specially because of this. Colonia del Sacramento, in Uruguay, with…its walls of tumbling bougainvillea will always remain so. ¶ The image of pink bougainvillea tumbling over a white wall, throwing patterned shadows too, is dabbed in my memory. And it has a suitably naughty history. ¶ Native to South America, the first European to describe these plants was Philibert Commerçon, a botanist accompanying French explorer Louis Antoine de Bougainville during his voyage around the world.
Hamish ’Managua’ GunnFeb 22
Plum Blossoms
Prunus mume originated in the south of China around the Yangtze River and was later introduced to Japan, Korea, Taiwan and Vietnam. The…tree can be found in sparse forests, beside streams, on forested slopes along trails and mountains, and sometimes at altitudes up to 1,700–3,100 metres. ¶ Due to the beauty of its flowers, the word mai is used to name girls in Vietnam. The largest hospital in Hanoi is named Bach Mai (white plum blossom), another hospital in Hanoi is named Mai Huong (the scent of plum), situated in Hong Mai (pink plum blossom) street.Hamish ’Managua’ GunnJan 29
