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March 16, 2010
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:iconfrodo-lives:
garden flower -- well, actually it is a wildflower which I have dug up for my garden. I know the name in German but have no idea what it is in English. Never got around to learning my flowers, in English. Must do, sometime. :)

Just a little something to upload after being slack all month.

live sketch, photoshop, wacom tablet

Right. Google research is always interesting;

So this plant is called "chicory" and variations thereof, in any language except German ("Wegwarte" means something that waits along the road, apparently there is some legend about a love lorn maid waiting for her lover to return from the Crusades... ah those Germans. :P )

Here is a page with some information and some very cool botanical illustrations:
[link]

So, I found out that this plant is related to the chicory we eat as salad, as well as to radiccio, that it does have healing properties - "blood cleansing", and it's also good for your liver and the -- spleen! (as in, the organ). The root can be roasted and used for a coffee substitute (I remember that! Gone out of fashion now, but it's actually quite tasty).

It also has a number of magical properties, such as to make the owner invincible when plucked or dug out the right way, or to give maidens dreams of their future husbands, or to make a woman irresistible (hmmm --- would that explain things that happened since I dug mine out and have it grow on my veranda? Gotta be careful whom you invite!)

For some reason the trail then lead to some literaly society in Köthen - a small German court where J.S.Bach used to be the musician - but this society existed before his time. It all sounded quite Freemasonrish to me. Which was all extremely interesting and mysterious, but unfortunately for most of you, in German.

It is not known to exist in New Zealand. But then, it clearly does, on my veranda. And in one particular spot by the road down towards Lake Wairarapa. Would that have been the first ever New Zealand occurrence, and am I helping propagate another evil immigrant plant? Questions.

EDIT: Funny, the English Wikipedia cites different medicinal uses for this plant - apparently it kills intestinal worms, which is why it is grown on pastures - and no magical properties to do with invincibility and invulnerabilty and general irresistibility, but it *is* said to open locked doors.

All in all, a plant to keep an eye on, I'd say! :D
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:iconkihaku-gato:
~Kihaku-Gato Nov 6, 2010  Hobbyist Digital Artist
Beautiful, I love chicory; it grows here and there all over the countryside where I live. If it weren't for my dad calling it "weed" I'd grow it in one of my gardens. He's the farmer, he has last word :XD: so I can't have any other "purdy weeds" in the garden either *fingersnap*
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:iconfrodo-lives:
*frodo-lives Nov 6, 2010  Professional General Artist
It's a healing herb (for the spleen!) and can also be consumed as lettuce. Like it says on the tin. Chicory. :D

You should by all means be allowed to grow some in your garden! I dug some up last year, but apparently they aren't perennial. :(

--
Visit me at home! [link] --- listen to my music! [link]

Still Frodo the wanderer from the Shire would walk there, upon the grass among elanor and niphredil in fair Lothlorien.
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:iconkihaku-gato:
~Kihaku-Gato Nov 7, 2010  Hobbyist Digital Artist
oh and thanks for :+fav:ing my African ButterOwl tattoo I appreciate it ^^
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:iconfrodo-lives:
*frodo-lives Nov 7, 2010  Professional General Artist
welcome!

--
Visit me at home! [link] --- listen to my music! [link]

Still Frodo the wanderer from the Shire would walk there, upon the grass among elanor and niphredil in fair Lothlorien.
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:iconkihaku-gato:
~Kihaku-Gato Nov 7, 2010  Hobbyist Digital Artist
Well as long as it reseeds it should come back, I've seen a lot of plants appear perennial when they actually aren't; Forget-me-nots, Sweet Williams and the like. I'll one of these days sneak in a plant like chicory without my dad knowing lol
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:iconfrodo-lives:
*frodo-lives Nov 7, 2010  Professional General Artist
I'll dig up some more this year and hope they'll go to seed.

I've no problem getting the forget-me-nots to reappear ... they grow and spread like a weed! :)

--
Visit me at home! [link] --- listen to my music! [link]

Still Frodo the wanderer from the Shire would walk there, upon the grass among elanor and niphredil in fair Lothlorien.
Reply
:iconkihaku-gato:
~Kihaku-Gato Nov 11, 2010  Hobbyist Digital Artist
:lmao: no kidding, I've seen people who have more forget-me-nots on their property than blades of grass in their lawn xD at least it looks nice
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:iconfrodo-lives:
*frodo-lives Nov 12, 2010  Professional General Artist
:)

--
Visit me at home! [link] --- listen to my music! [link]

Still Frodo the wanderer from the Shire would walk there, upon the grass among elanor and niphredil in fair Lothlorien.
Reply
:iconfitzcarraza:
!Fitzcarraza Apr 8, 2010
Muy bueno.
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:iconfrodo-lives:
*frodo-lives Apr 8, 2010  Professional General Artist
gracias. :)

--
Visit me at home! [link] --- listen to my music! [link]

Still Frodo the wanderer from the Shire would walk there, upon the grass among elanor and niphredil in fair Lothlorien.
Reply
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