The Book Review. Mediterranean Fish

I got the book 'Mediterranean Fish' as a gift. It reminded me of the days I spent on the island of Mallorca, Spain. The sea, sun, warm sand and pine trees overhead - these were wonderful days. The sea was magnificent and I really regretted that I could not take photos of many fish swimming near the coast.

The author of the book is Andrea Ghisotti.  On February 18, 2010, Andrea Ghisotti, a freelance journalist and professional photographer, diving instructor, consultant and press officer, an employee of the main Italian and European magazines about travel, nature, diving and sailing, went missing :((.

 

 

Since 1978, he has published, as an author or co-author, over twenty-two books on the marine environment on research, teaching, biology and wrecks, among other works. The great underwater photographer took great pictures which many of us can admire in trade magazines, which placed him among the elite of Italian photographers.

All photos below are

© Casa Editrice Bonechi (info@bonechibooks.it) www.bonechi.it

I'd like to show you some Andrea Ghisotti's pictures that he took in the Mediterranean. These are fish, corals, jellyfish, starfish, etc - some of them look intimidating, while others, on the contrary, look attractive. Some corals are reminiscent of magnificent underwater gardens, where their inhabitants feel at home. 

 

I hope you liked his photos, or perhaps you've also seen such interesting fish or even some of you are engaged in underwater photography?  

All photos above are

© Casa Editrice Bonechi (info@bonechibooks.it) www.bonechi.it

 

My video:    Cyprus Aquarium

 

 

Elatior Begonia

I got pink Elatior Begonia as a present. This is a new plant for me. I have already grown tuberous and ever-flowering begonias. Therefore, I want to tell you about Elatior Begonia. 

Winter begonias, begonias of the Elatior group, are hybrid begonias of compact size that can bloom all year round and are distinguished by rather large flowers. 

They are called winter ones, because no other species is able to please with abundant flowering in the most cloudy time. But the main advantage of Elatior Begonias is the most resistant begonias to fungal diseases.

 

Elatior Begonias are short, compact, herbaceous plants with evergreen leaves; flowers can be either simple or semi-double. Most of all, Elatior flowers are reminiscent of mini-roses. 

The color range includes all shades from white to yellow and pink-red, as well as two-tone combinations.

 

Elatior Begonias need stable warmth and good soft lighting to bloom relentlessly. 

Winter begonias remain primarily indoor plants. Increasingly, they are grown for the garden, decorating balconies, terraces, potted gardens and even open soil. 

Do you grow this kind of begonias? Do they really bloom all year round?

Happy Valentine Day!

Snowberry Bush ( Symphoricarpos )

 

While the snow lies outside the window, I want to think again what kind of plants I will plant in the new garden. So I decided to tell you about my favorite shrub. I love this decorative bush Symphoricarpos or Snowberry. 

Snowberry Bush with white fruit (Symphoricarpos albus) grows quickly, is unpretentious to growing conditions, photophilous, prefers calcareous soils. Well tolerates haircuts, shaping. Sometimes suffers from frost, but recovers quickly. It reproduces well and quickly by layering, stem cuttings, dividing the bush and seeds.

It blooms in summer with small pink flowers that make all pollinators happy. When comes autumn snow-white round waxy berries appear and persist until spring on Snowberry branches. Birds, small mammals eat them during winter cold months.

I want to have more Snowberry to landscape the new garden. There is only one adult snowberry bush in my garden. You may remember my summer nursery where I showed young Snowberry bushes for the new garden.

 

 Another variety is Symphoricarpos orbiculatus with red or pink fruit. At its home in North America, it is called the Indian currant, a coral berry. It grows on dry sandy and rocky soils, along river banks and in meadows. 

 

It is a rather tall shrub with thin shoots and small leaves. The flowers are as small as that of the white, and are collected in dense, short inflorescences. Berries are purple-red or coral, with a bluish bloom. 

In autumn, this shrub is also very beautiful - thin shoots with purple leaves are strewn with red berries along the entire length. Rounded Snowberry is somewhat less winter-hardy than white one.

 

The fruit of the Snowberry is inedible, but if you wish, you can try the berry, nothing will happen. Just make sure that the taste is very unpleasant. Some birds that feed on berries in winter, such as waxwings, do not disdain Snowberries, but they only eat seeds.

Do you grow this plant in your garden? Would you like to have it? What is your experience?