For a gardener, resolutions are continuous.  The euphoria of spring brings the heartfelt promise that this will be the year that any thistle daring to poke it's head in the veggie patch will immediately be sent to the compost pile.  From a shady lounge chair the summer gardener gazes remorsefully at crisp, brown hanging baskets and vows to be better at watering.  Autumn brings a pledge to purchase next fall's bulbs early, while the selection is good, and those cold winds of winter blow oaths that in twelve months there will be fewer large pots to haul in.

There is another resolution that gardeners worldwide might want to make for 2000.  LEARN LATIN!!!  More specifically, learning the correct botanical names of plants will allow you to communicate and research without confusion in a world where Ann Marie's bachelor button is Linda Lou's cornflower.  For clarity, say "Centaurea cyanus".

The botanical names of plants can be intimidating at first glance but learning them is fun if you look beyond the words.  For example, that bachelor button mentioned earlier...the species name "cyanus" refers to the color blue, one that is often found amongst the flowers.  The genus name "Centaurea"?  It comes from Greek mythology.  After that superman of old, Hercules, killed the nine headed hydra he visited the wise Centaur, Chiron.  (Think back to your school days...Centaurs...half man, half horse.)  While there, one of Hercules' arrows, poisoned with the blood of the hydra, accidentally touched Chiron's foot.  Quick thinking Hercules covered the area with leaves from a nearby plant and saved Chiron's life.  This plant was then named "Centaurea" in honor of the wondrous event.

Very often the botanical names of plants tell of uses or give a physical description.  Comfrey, properly called Symphytum officinale, was used historically to help broken bones heal - the genus "Symphytum" originates from the Greek "symphy" meaning "growing together" while plants with a species name of officinalis (or officinale) have a history of being used for medicinal purposes.

Descriptive names abound in the scented geraniums we love.  But, they AREN'T in the genus Geranium at all!!!  They and our zonals, regals and ivy geraniums, are all Pelargoniums.  How in the world will we ever remember that???  Easily, if you have ever let one of these plants go to seed...the pods are long and pointed, resembling the bill of a large bird... lo and behold, "Pelargo" is Greek for stork!  The species names of Pelargoniums are also fun.
P. querciefolium         querc=oak                        Oak Leaf 
P. hispidum              hispid=bristly                    Grape Leaf , has hairy leaves
P. vitifolium              vit=vine, folium=leaf         Rose scented, leaves resemble grape leaves
P. capitatium            capit=head                       Rose scented, dense seed heads
P. tomentosum         tomentosum=dense hair         Peppermint, fuzzy leaves
P. graveolens           grav=heavy, olen=emit a smell      Old Fashioned Rose
P. odoratissimum     odor=a smell  issimum=super or great        Apple
P. crispum                crisp=curled                       Citrus types, have crinkled leaves
P. citronellum           citro=a lemon                    Mabel Grey, lemon scented
P. grossularioides    grossular=gooseberry, odes=like   Coconut, ?leaf shape?

Of course, there are far more Pelargoniums than these ten, many of them are hybrids, naturally occurring varieties or cultivated forms that are known by non Latin names.  For example, 'Joy Lucille" is believed to be a hybrid resulting from a cross between P. graveolens and P. tomentosum.  Interesting Trivia: Joy Lucille is named after Joy Logee Martin whose father founded Logee's Greenhouses, well known for their work with Pelargoniums.  Other examples of cultivar names are 'Snowflake' and 'Rober's Lemon Rose'.

While hybrids can create confusion, their cultivar names are their "true names" and a 'Joy Lucille' in England is a 'Joy Lucille' in the US, is a 'Joy Lucille' in Sweden.  The same cannot be said for common names applied by people as they encounter new plants, so for clarity's sake, resolve to use botanical names in 2000.  Insist the nursery give you the proper name before you give them your money.  Pronounce the names as best you can, wildflower expert Marshall Johnston once instructed "Whatever you say, say it with authority."  You'll find that the botanical names quickly become habit and common names fade.  References to help you learn the meanings behind the botanical names include "Dictionary of Word Roots and Combining Forms" by Donald J. Borror, "Legends & Lore of Texas Wildflowers" by Elizabeth Silverthorne and "Ladybugs, Tiger Lilies & Wildflowers" by Robert Hendrickson.