Listeners keep sending us wince-worthy puns about what various people might have in their gardens. For example, a baseball player’s backyard might be full of pitcher plants. People thinking about adopting a pet might consider orchids. (Say...
A listener noticed fugacious on a sign at the Orchid House at the San Diego Zoo, where the botanical label refers to flowers that last only briefly, sometimes just a day. The adjective also describes anything passing quickly, including a sudden...
Martha muses about the secret lives of flowers in this week’s podcast. She’s been pondering the lexical legacy of Carolus Linnaeus, the great Swedish botanist who nearly 300 years ago was criticized for his fascination with what was a...