To the microscopist, clove oil used to be one of the best smelling agents when preparing samples for permanent mounting on a glass slide. The corridor soon filled with the…Read More >
Public Engagement with Science
Advent Botany 2016 – Day 6: Yew know it’s Christmas
By Niki Simpson The traditional Christmas tree here in the UK is the Norway spruce, Picea abies, while Abies nordmanniana is increasingly sold as the expensive “non-drop” Nordmann fir. However,…Read More >
Advent Botany 2016 – Day 5: Pōhutukawa
In Europe and North America, our Christmas trees are usually conifers. However, the New Zealand Christmas tree is a member of the Myrtaceae (Myrtle and Eucalyptus family). It is an…Read More >
Advent Botany 2016 – Day 4: The Carrot
My dog’s got no nose. How does he smell? Awful. To prevent olfactory problems with snowmen the traditional nose of choice is the carrot. To most westerners, the carrot is…Read More >
#AdventBotany 2016 – Day 3: A sweet surprise!
By Fi Young Happy birthday to me, Happy birth… hold on just a minute this is the 25 days Advent Christmas Botanical Calendar, so why the birthday? My birthday does…Read More >
#AdventBotany 2016 – Day 2: How do you create a Candy Cane Chrysanthemum?
By Dawn Bazely Peppermint candy canes are the North American equivalent of traditional British seaside rock. They are ubiquitous during the holiday season in Canada and the USA, showing up everywhere…Read More >
#Advent Botany 2016 – Day 1: Today I bought a yodeling gherkin on Ebay
Advent botany enters its third year to the sound of a yodeling gherkin; but why? It started with a list of the weirdest Christmas traditions in the Telegraph newspaper and…Read More >
Advent Botany 2015 – Christmas Day: The Christmas Cactus
By Alastair Culham My grandfather grew a huge Christmas cactus which flowered regularly every year. It spent the summers in a shady spot in the garden and the winters indoors…Read More >
Advent Botany 2015 – Day 24: King Protea
By Robbie Blackhall-Miles Every year in preparation for Christmas a king from a distant land honours me with its presence. The king of which I speak is a Protea cynaroides, the…Read More >
Advent Botany 2015 – Day 23: Night of the Radishes
By Emma Cooper When you think about Christmas plants you probably think about holly and ivy, possibly Christmas trees and poinsettias, and maybe even Brussels sprouts and parsnips. But I…Read More >