Albrecht Dürer (1471 – 1528)The primrose, as every one knows, flowers a little earlier in the spring than the cowslip, and inhabits slightly different stations and districts. The primrose generally grows on banks or in woods, whilst the cowslip is found in more open places.
The cowslip is habitually visited during the day by the larger humble-bees (namely Bombus muscorum and hortorum), and at night by moths, as I have seen in the case of Cucullia. The primrose is never visited (and I speak after many years’ observation) by the larger humble-bees, and only rarely by the smaller kinds; hence its fertilisation must depend almost exclusively on moths.
Charles Darwin
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![Václav Hollar (Czech pronunciation: [ˈvaːtslav ˈɦolar]), known in England as Wenceslaus or Wenceslas and in Germany as Wenzel Hollar (13 July 1607 – 25 March 1677),](https://secretgardening.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/wenceslas_hollar_-_charonia_variegata_lam_1.jpg?w=177)
Secret Gardener, have you seen “Seraphine”?
Had not til now HEARD of it.
Love that name
How beautiful, I still have a tiny pencil sketch I did in a science class while studying plants. I just love botanical art.
I know! –I just get lost in it. Sort of a child’s point of view -from the days of looking with very clear eyes. And it has the gold of the lost time too.
At the risk of sounding insincere in response– I am utterly beguiled by what you do; the visual diary, the thoughts in motion, the eager eye on everything around you. If I had genius of my own I wouldn’t need to have such a thin premise for poring over these treasures–but then I wouldn’t be displaying them for everyone else either. And I’m especially glad that an artist is enjoying my favorite artist
Oh–I’d be really grateful to see your pencil sketch
Thanks thats sweet of you, I’ll see if I can dig it out, last seen in an old science text book that I never handed back in! I could never bear to part with them. It may not be worth the dig but these things happen for a reason. Cheers Sue