Escape to the Land of China in the Middle of Downtown Portland with Lan Su in Bloom

Today April 10, 2016. This spring I have watched with awe the breaking through of the flowers that have been out of sight all winter. It is almost as if they have been in reserve for several months waiting for a call to come out of the ground. They have been frozen, drenched with water from the winter rains, and snow piled on top of them for days. Yet, when the time of their arrival comes from that bulb or seed, suddenly that green stem begins to emerge. As it emerges it begins to transpose into its own personal flower, the lilies do not look like the irises or the mums, the peonies take on their own special look. One flower in peculiar I was watching for was a peony. We have two rows, one has four large peonies in it the other has seven. All

2. Albert M. Craig, William A. Graham, Donald Kagan, Steven Ozment, Frank M. Turner. “China‘s First Empire”. The Heritage of World Civilizations. 1: 1152 (2007, 2005, 2002) Pearson Education, Inc. New

Since the 17th Century the U.S. Botanic Garden has been a symbol of our job to support the fragile life of plants and the fragile life they support. Today there is an even better need to have an understanding of plants and their needs. If people can understand the history of the Botanic Garden and what it stands for then people will be able to grow to understand plants, their jobs, their role in human life, and why plants are important to humans as a whole (About

The Summer air is warm. Beacons of light peer through the canopy of leaves. Short green grass dances in the breeze. Foaming waves crash on the sandy shore. I can’t wait for our annual trip to Peak's Island.

A long time ago, in ancient Greece, there once was a beautiful, young goddess that tended the crops and for the farmers that owned the fields. This goddess’s name was Ceres. Now Ceres, goddess of the crop, had a glorious daughter that ruled over the season of spring in the time both of these goddesses lived there was spring all year round. Plant life prospered and fruit and grain never stopped growing. As Proserpina walked flowers sprang up where her feet touched the ground and the sun shined brighter when she was awake.

On the outside, Mr.LaChance may not look like a gardener, but on the inside you’ll be surprised on what you will learn from him. Mr.LaChance is the garden club co- founder with Ms. Maraglio and Mr.Gonsalves, who puts their heart and soul into gardening for the children who are looking to give back to nature. Mr.LaChance gave us great, interesting information, facts, and background knowledge. He says “When you breath in the air plants give us, we say thank you, and when we breath out we say a gift for you”. Mr.LaChance says, "Without our relationship with plants, animals don't exist. Plants give us oxygen with which we break down food and get its energy. We give plants carbon dioxide as we breath out. They make sugar with that, water and sunlight. They make energy food with our exhale. Amazing, isn't it! Life is a dance of sunlight with the Earth. Plants get the first dance. We get our energy and Earth materials through plants. We have the second dance."

The Lotus Flower portrays an example of the aforementioned

Bamboo plays an important role in the Miao Society of Yunnan border. In terms of its material culture, bamboo has been used in the Miao society in construction, agricultural production, daily life, and as well as a production equipment and living utensils. In the ceremony, bamboo or bamboo products is used in a variety of rituals and plays an extremely important role. The spiritual and cultural aspects of bamboo in the Miao society are mainly embodied in the cultural connotation of bamboo: a symbol of life that is associated with new life, rebirth and can communicate with life. A tool for self-protection against shielded evil forces, a world of communication and an important carrier of the supernatural world. With the emergence of

Ma Shouzhen (1548-1640), courtesy name Xuaner or Yuejiao, is known as Xianglan in reason to her talent in painting orchid. She was born in Jinling (now Nanjing, Jiangsu province). Ma Shouzhen is one of the most acclaimed courtesans at the Qinhuai pleasure quarters and was among one of the ‘eight great beauties of Qinhuai River’. Ma is excelled in writing poem and calligraphy as well as painting orchid and bamboo.

motif of smelling the lotus does not appear on dated stelae earlier than Sesostris I, when it is rather frequently met with, but only

Hasai, a young monk, was one day meditating in the garden of light. This garden contained flowers that held together the Earth, and if plucked the world would fall. This garden meant something different to Hasai, this garden's beauty amused him, he loved the pink tulips and yellow sunflowers. This garden was more of a home than a core that kept the world going. Hasai, thought this garden to be the reason he walked the Earth and lived such a peaceful life.

Dating back as early as the 11th century, the lychee had been named the world's romantic fruit. In the Chinese culture the lychee fruit symbolizes love, beauty and well-being. There is ancient story of a Chinese Emperor named Teng Pao whose favorite mistress loved the lychee fruit. The Emperor would order his men to go over 800 miles to fetch the best lychee for his special lover. For almost two thousand years the Chinese have used the lychee for health and well-being purposes. The fruit is known to have medicinal powers. The lychees magic powers are said to decrease the chance of a stroke, boost the immune system and even fight cancer just to name a few. A fruit this good and packed with magic powers could not remain an ancient Chinese secret.

Gardeners in USDA zones 3 through 7 can fill their fall gardens with tall shoots of bright purple-blue flowers by growing monkshood (Aconitum carmichaelii), a herbaceous perennial. It gets it common name due to the flowers upper part resembling a hood. It blooms in late summer throughout early fall and trimming off the spent flowers after a summer bloom encourages another round of flowering. Growing up to 5-feet tall and almost as wide, monkshood grows best planted in a site receiving full sun to partial shade and in fertile, well-drained soils kept moist. It makes an attractive and hardy addition used in

The Background Story which is totally different style of art. Xu Bing uses unusual materials to create this art which seems like very beautiful Chinese landscape with images of mountains, tress, and rivers and one of Chinese Scroll Painting. However, if the audience walked around the painting, people are able to notice that that is made of random natural plant debris.

The flower is in bloom from September to November in habitats with relatively dry soils receiving little sunlight. Although the flowers do not produce a scent, they do provide a nectar source and are known to attract butterflies. It is also know to be a plant that attracts predatory insects that prey upon pest insects the same as the Sweet Everlasting ( Pseudognaphalium obtusifolium). Additionally, it is of special value to pollinators, and known to attract large numbers of native bees (“Native Plant Database,” n.d.).