Rana ‘little frog’
Ranunculus asiaticus

Catching up with another print from last fall’s Belle Empoisonneuse, this time the eponymous flower from the Ranunculaceae family. Its name, Ranunculus, is derived from the late Latin, Rana, meaning little frog - probably because both the frogs and the flowers thrive near water.

#printmaking #reliefprint #linocut #aquilegia #ranunculaceae #ranunculus #dendrobatidae #poisonplants #aspotentasacharm

Before the storm . . .
Christmas Rose, Black Hellebore, Helleborus niger, (with black referring to the roots rather than its blooms)

#blackhellebore #helleborusniger #christmasrose #wintergarden #urbangarden #poisonplants

December arrives in the garden . . .
Traditionally the first flower to bloom after the winter solstice, the Black Hellebore, Helleborus niger, (with black referring to the roots rather than its blooms, which are snowy white) is often called the Christmas Rose.

#blackhellebore #helleborusniger #christmasrose #wintergarden #urbangarden #poisonplants #printmaking #reliefprint #art

‘that thankless flower’
Columbine, Aquilegia
Achemon Sphinx moth

For such a lovely flower, the Columbine has a history of negative symbolism. It was part of Ophelia’s bouquet, denoting faithlessness and deceived lovers (Hamlet, Act IV, Scene 5). The print title is borrowed from playwright and poet, George Chapman (1559 - 1634), who wrote “What’s that – a Columbine? No, that thankless flower grows not in my garden.”

#printmaking #reliefprint #linocut #aquilegia #ranunculaceae #poisonplants