A Different City, A Different Point of View, A Different Series of Posts!

Hello, hello!

Two posts in one day? Well actually to be fair, the previous post had been started while I was still at Conn--I just didn't have the time or energy to finish it until now. ^^;; So technically, I didn't do two posts in one night. In any case, I thought that since I was back home, I might as well start a new series of posts.

This new series is called A Different Point of View and probably won't be added to as regularly as First Touch for a number of reasons. First is that, unlike First Touch, this is not a documentary series. Second is that being back in the city, there is not as much flora to capture unless I were to frequent the botanical gardens or snap shots of the sidewalk trees. That's not to say that the city is barren however, so expect that there will be posts over the summer. I might still put up pics from Conn however, though I would much prefer to do that when I am actually at Conn. In any case, I'm diverging.

Different Point of View is an idea I had, I think, on a rainy day. I've always wanted to go running around taking pictures in the rain, which isn't such a great idea for my camera. So I decided that what better way to take pictures of the rain without being in the rain than to go at it from the inside? Plus, living on the fourth floor really gives one a different perspective on plants outside one's window. Unfortunately my camera was not on hand when I had this idea, so no rain pictures. And I managed to get window pictures only once, but in any case, the purpose of this series is to get pictures that are not necessarily from a traditional outside viewpoint, but from different locations, such as inside, perhaps one day from a treetop, etc.

I've rambled on enough, so without further ado, I present to you...a different point of view--from the fourth floor windows of my dorm. I assure you, each and every one of these are all window shots, some with zoom, others without.

Ah, the mysterious window makes a partial appearance

With a visible window ledge

With zoom, as you can probably tell

Should be easier to tell in this picture that I was a ways above ground level!

A-ha! A window comes into view! To be honest, I took this picture because I was amused by the presence of the spoon

And now, from my room window...

Silly me, not opening the screen...

Let there be light...

Yep yep. That's all for now. It'd be great if there were some suggestions for other points of views I could take. Until next time then.

First Touch of Spring - Time is of the Essence (Part II)

Hello!

So, as promised, here is Part II of my last post! More pictures, less words. Lucky you! ;)

I have no clue what this plant is--I originally thought I would see berries, but lo and behold, the "berries" were actually flowers!

Taken a little over a week later--they've gotten bigger and slightly redder in color

Surprise! They've blossomed into flowers! (Taken over a week later)

Full bloom five days later

Its poor neighboring relative--still in this state. Hmm, wonder why that is?

We're looking at the patch of grass behind the bench...

How sad and barren! (Sorry that the pic is oriented wrong >.<)

Now, practically a month later...

There is life!

I guess I won't be able to call these First Touch of Spring anymore huh? Spring is well on its way! Plus I'm not at Conn anymore; ah well, until next time then~

First Touch of Spring - Time is of the Essence (Part I)

Good evening fellow plant lovers,

Can you believe how time flies? I just realized that I'll be going home soon--but there's still so much I want to share pertaining to life here at Conn! I still have so many pictures of the coming of spring and well it's no fun posting them when I'm not here. But I guess a different location means a different series of posts right?

In any case, this latest post was inspired by watching the progression of spring--from flowering trees to falling flowers to the reappearance of leaves--it's really rather amazing to see how nature changes isn't it? And I don't mean just from winter to spring, but within spring itself. Besides just the changing scenery, this post is also in memory of a great first year here at Conn. I can't believe the year is over already. In any case, without further ado, here are a few of my observations. As always, I hope you all enjoy!

Two weeks after the previous photo

And a little over a week later

What a difference that one week made!

Here's a side-by-side before and after shot:

Common Name: Weeping Katsura

Scientific Name: Cercidiphyllum japonicum 'Pendulum'

This next one has been a favorite of mine to track, just because of all the changes it has undergone in such a short amount of time. And they're noticeable changes too, which really amazed me.

Sorry about the rather mediocre quality of this picture--the wind stubbornly refused to stop blowing!

Can you believe that in little over a week, this tree blossomed so much??

6 days later...

Not even a week yet, and where have all the flowers gone??

Well I guess they're still here, just sans petals... 

And 5 days later...all leaves, no flowers

Common Name: Sargent Cherry

Scientific Name: Prunus sargentii

What? Weeds are a part of spring too!

The development of fluff about two weeks later!

From yellow dandelion heads to white dandelion fluff!

Well, that'll be all for now, before I overwhelm you all with the amount of pictures. I am a little overwhelmed myself. But stay tuned for Part II, coming up soon (I hope!). Until then~

Beyond the Panda: Bamboo

Good evening any and all!

I was debating whether this post really belonged to my First Touch of Spring series or not and ultimately decided that it didn't really showcase the coming of spring, so to take a break from that, I introduce to you...

Can you tell what this plant is?

Here's a close-up!

If you couldn't tell from the pictures (and you weren't paying attention to the title), tonight's plant is... bamboo!

These past few weeks in my Intro to Ethnobotany class, we were having class presentations, in which every person had to choose a plant to research on. Lucky for me, a few days after I took these photos and decided to feature bamboo in my next post, someone in my class did a presentation on bamboo. Besides being associated with cute and cuddly pandas as their main food source, I feel like not much more is thought of when it comes to bamboo. Of course, I like pandas as much as the next person (perhaps even more), but I think that it would be nice to shed some light on bamboo besides being the staple diet of the beloved panda. Some of the things I already knew, but I also found out a lot from the presentation. Also, because much of the information from this post is derived from either my own knowledge or from the presentation, I won't be able to cite sources for any interested in finding out more. However, I am sure that the information should be easily and readily accessible online. 

Common Name: Bamboo

Tribe: Bambuseae

Native to: East Asia, Australia, Africa

Bamboo are a tribe of flowering perennial evergreen in the grass family, and there are over one thousand species of them. Like many grasses, they have a high reproductive rate and are one of the fastest growing plants in the world at a rate of three to ten centimeters per day. They can be anywhere from a few inches tall to tree height. 

In terms of usage, the sturdiness of bamboo makes it perfect for a variety of purposes. It is often used in construction and harvested when sugar levels in the stalks are lowest--otherwise pests would be drawn to them. A process known as leeching is used in order to remove the sap, to prevent damage to the harvested stalks. Besides being used for construction, these plants are also used for chopsticks, furniture, instruments, textiles, and paper. It is especially economical for China to harvest bamboo, as it is native to China, easy to harvest, and fast growing. Bamboo are also boiled for culinary purposes, used in Chinese medicine, and the sap inhaled for respiratory issues.

Besides having practical uses, bamboo are also important symbolically. In China, for example, they are a symbol of life and longevity, as well as representative of the ideal gentleman: not necessarily physically strong, but mentally strong, upright, and persevering. Along with the orchid, chrysanthemum, and plum blossom, the bamboo is considered the Four Gentleman, or the Four Noble Ones, plants which are used often in traditional painting, in which each represents a different season (orchid spring, chrysanthemum autumn, bamboo summer, and plum blossom winter).

In Japan, these plants were thought to keep away evil spirits and so were grown around shrines and temples to protect them. In India, bamboo is a symbol of friendship, while in the Philippines and Malaysia, bamboo has been linked to several creation stories as the source of the first man and woman. 

Also besides being eaten by pandas, it can also be consumed by humans. I've tried it before and personally, I was not much a fan of its taste, but my sister quite enjoyed it. If you're curious about the taste, I am not too sure how readily available they are in local supermarkets, so if that search comes up empty, then you should make a trip to your nearest Asian supermarket. I hope this has been an interesting and insightful read for all. Until next time, good night!

EDIT: Sorry guys, I found this picture online and just couldn't resist; this little guy was just too adorable, and the brushwork on this piece, though simple, is pretty amazing. Check out more of Cindy Pon's work at cindypon.com.

Source: Cindy Pon