In 2021, the enchanting Madrigal family hit our screens in Disney's 60th film, Encanto. Here we meet the plants featured in Isabela's song "What else can I do?", including a stunning orchid, the "exam tree", an obligate mutualist, carnivory and a tree that could be the inspiration behind the Madrigal candle!
This week, we're taking a peak into the illustrious life of the "best-selling, bisexual baroness" Vita Sackville-West who, despite living in the 1920's, was determined to prove that love could be between a woman and a man or a woman and a woman, and sometimes both at once.
On 11th February, the International Day of Women and Girls in Science is observed to promote and celebrate women and girls leading and working on ground-breaking scientific research. In this blog post, we're meeting two badass botanists who overcame so much to pursue their passion for plants.
When I think of January, I think of snow. Fitting, then, that the birth flower of this month is the dainty, white Snowdrop. This hopeful little plant has flowers that are more than just beautiful.
The rich green and vibrant red colours of Holly remind us of the festive period and help keep spirits high. What a perfect plant it is, then, to celebrate the month of December.
Every November, men around the world leave their upper-lip untamed and grow fabulous moustaches to raise awareness for mens health. Here are the stories of three botanists who made incredible contributions to science and had excellent moustaches.
11 November is observed as a Remembrance Day, in honour of those who died during the First World war. In this blog post, I'm going to introduce you to the Flanders Poppy, the symbol of the First World War and explain the history behind why this delicate little flower became associated with one of the most infamous wars in recent history.
If you're at the beginning of your PhD journey, half way through, looking back fondly or even curious to know what a PhD is like, hopefully you'll get a glimpse of my experience by looking at some of the joys and regrets from my PhD.
As we move towards winter, Chrysanthemums, the birth flower of November, provides much needed light and warmth. It's almost as if it was designed to remind us of the suns imminent return.
In my final road trip post (for now) I’ll cover a few of the plants I spotted in West Yorkshire, Greater Manchester and Leicestershire including an early Christmas present, a butterfly friendly beauty and a quietly reliable flower.
Fronds with Benefits 