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Boston Globe
6 days ago
- General
- Boston Globe
Ask the Gardener: Irises are simply divine
The name originates from Greek mythology, where Iris served as a messenger between humans and the gods of Mount Olympus. Wherever Iris went, she was trailed by a rainbow, which the Greeks saw as evidence that a divine message had been delivered. It is natural to see why the plant, which appears in nearly every color of the spectrum, would be associated with the name and the rainbow. The flower was seen as a symbol of power and majesty, its outline adorning the brow of the Egyptian Sphinx, where the three petals were thought to represent faith, wisdom, and valor. In European history, King Louis VII of France selected the white iris as his house emblem, ensuring the association of fleur-de-Louis with fleur-de-lis , a corruption of the original with no correlation to the French word lis, for lily. Advertisement In the language of flowers, the iris symbolizes a message of love, friendship, and promise, all valid reasons to share those sentiments in a bouquet with those you care about. Many still believe that a vase of fresh-cut iris flowers provides calming energy and invigoration to a room. Horticulturally, irises are a versatile group of perennials from early flowering and bulbous to tall, stately bearded. Given the long association with humans, a significant amount of breeding and hybridization work has been conducted with this group, resulting in a diverse array of choices, selections, and hybrids. Broadly, irises can be divided into three categories: Lastly, I would be remiss if I did not highlight some of our garden-worthy eastern United States species, the blue flag iris (Limniris versicolor), the slender blue flag (Limniris prismatica), and the dwarf crested iris (Lophiris cristata). The Advertisement Now that we have a handle on the diversity of irises available, let's discuss using them in a garden context. Q. What natives are suitable for a very wet area? / How do I plant a native rain garden? Any advice is greatly appreciated! Caitlin, Leominster Rain gardens have been on my mind over the past few years, given the swings between drought and deluge that we have weathered. Managing stormwater is crucial to the health of local waterways, rivers, ponds, lakes, estuaries, and bays by keeping runoff (fertilizers, pollutants, and soil) out of those bodies of water. One of the goals of a sustainable garden is to retain as much water on site as possible, slow it down, and allow it to percolate back into the ground. Rain gardens can help achieve this goal. And one of the best plants for such an application is the blue flag iris (Iris versicolor). It is tolerant of both waterlogged soils and drier conditions once established. Deer won't bother with it, it spreads slowly via rhizomes and — given time — can form dense stands. Sedges, swamp hibiscus, cardinal flower, and New York aster make great companions to the blue flag Iris and extend the bloom times well into autumn. These are excellent choices for consistently wet areas, too. Aside from these natives, beardless irises would do well in this type of planting, given their preference for damp soils. There is one iris to avoid: the yellow flag iris (Iris pseudacorus). It is the only iris on the state's Advertisement Ulrich Lorimer is the director of horticulture at the Native Plant Trust in Framingham. Send your gardening questions, along with your name/initials and hometown, to for possible publication. Some questions are edited for clarity.
Epoch Times
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Epoch Times
A Princess's Lot in the Middle Ages: The Story of Eleanor of Aquitaine
Commentary Nowadays every little girl goes through a phase of wanting to be a princess. Parents are obliged to stream Disney movies around the clock and purchase miniature gowns, tiaras, and tea sets for the would-be Princess Jasmine, Ariel, Cinderella, Snow White, Tiana, et al. Handsome princes, splendid coaches, lavish balls, and just a whiff of adventure seem to be the enviable life of such young women. In the real life of the Middle Ages, however, the fate of princesses was often far less glamorous. They were essentially breeding stock, existing solely to be married off to men they were unlikely to have ever met for the benefit of their family's wealth or standing. They might be forced to marry a fellow countryman, but just as often they were packed off to a foreign country to wed someone of a different religion, or speaking a different language. Pity the poor princess whose royal father decides he needs to cement a pact with a barbarian tribe on his borders; one day she is living in a marble palace, the next she is living in a yurt and drinking out of a cup fashioned from the skull of one of her new husband's enemies. And what of the poor prince who is compelled by his family to take a foreign princess as his bride? He might find his new spouse physically repellent (as did Henry VIII and George IV), leading to an estrangement and the recruiting of a royal mistress from the ranks of her more attractive ladies-in-waiting. He might discover that his wife is cleverer and more ambitious than he and end up like Czar Peter III, overthrown and murdered. Consider then the career of Eleanor (1124–1204), the heiress to the Duchy of Aquitaine, the richest and most sophisticated area of France. Her father died when she was 13 years old, at which point she fell under the guardianship of the King of France, Louis VI, who immediately arranged her marriage to his teenage son, also named Louis. The match was very advantageous to the French crown as it seemed to ensure that Aquitaine would lose its semi-independent status and become a firm possession of the Capetian dynasty. Shortly thereafter, the old monarch died and Eleanor found herself the Queen of France. Eleanor of Aquitaine marrying Louis VII in 1137 (L) and Louis VII departing on the Second Crusade (R). Public Domain Eleanor's marriage to Louis was marked by scandal. She was accused of having an affair with Geoffrey, the Duke of Anjou, and she accompanied her husband on the disastrous Second Crusade where her behaviour offended many. Relations between the royal couple were strained during their absence from France and there was talk of the marriage being annulled. When in 1152, after almost 15 years of marriage, Eleanor had failed in her paramount task of producing a male heir, Louis VII arranged with Church officials to have the marriage dissolved on the grounds that they were too closely related—they were third cousins once removed. Though such a link might seem absurdly distant to us in the 21st century, it violated Church rules of consanguinity, designed to prevent incest—rules that ensured Christian Europe was not clan-ridden or closed off and that it was relatively inclusive and socially mobile. Related Stories 5/2/2025 4/18/2025 Eleanor was now an unmarried heiress and instantly prey to the medieval aristocratic sport of abduction and forced marriage. Taking her future into her own hands, Eleanor dodged two kidnapping attempts by ambitious French nobles and wrote in secret to Henry, Duke of Normandy, telling him to come at once and marry her. Within two months of her first marriage being declared invalid, she had wed a prince nine years younger and destined before too long to become Henry II, the King of England and founder of the Plantagenet dynasty. The best word to describe the 35-year marriage of Eleanor and Henry would be 'tempestuous.' She provided for him the requisite potential male heirs—five boys—as well as three daughters. (Henry also spawned a clutch of illegitimate children.) The sons proved to be treacherous and greedy, all of them leading armed rebellions against their father at one time or another, and Eleanor unwisely supported them. For her folly, she was imprisoned by Henry in various castles for 13 years; she was released upon his death in 1189. (A movie chronicling an imaginary Christmas reunion of Henry, his queen, and his disloyal sons is ' Eleanor outlived her husband by another 15 years and proved to be an able regent for her son Richard I, a.k.a. Richard the Lionheart, when he was on the Third Crusade, and helped her youngest son John seize the English throne when Richard died. Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
BBC News
28-03-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
The medieval battle in Suffolk that 'changed the course of history'
From Game Of Thrones and Merlin to Lord Of The Rings and Vikings, epic, bloody battle sequences have become a staple part of our television diet. But how much do we actually know about some of the historical, ferocious fights that took place on our very doorsteps in Suffolk, hundreds and hundreds of years ago?The Battle of Fornham, for example, was fought on land now home to the All Saints Hotel and its accompanying golf course near Bury St describe the conflict as being "massively underrated" yet "the biggest medieval battle in England". So, what exactly happened, who were the main players, and did it change the course of history? What was the Battle of Fornham and why was it important? The Battle of Fornham occurred on 17 October 1173 and engulfed a large plot of land surrounded by Fornham All Saints, Fornham Saint Martin, and Fornham St. was fought about 1.8 miles (3km) to the north of Bury St Edmunds, not far from the church of St. Genevieve, on the eastern side of the River conflict in Fornham was actually one of three major fights - including the Battle of Dol and the Battle of Alnwick - to play out during the Great Revolt, a rebellion against King Henry II, who ruled England from 1154 until his death in King of France Louis VII, had grown increasingly concerned with the King of England's "expanding authority" and decided to take action to overthrow him - but he headteacher-turned-historian, Dr Michael Walker, said: "It was probably the most important [battle of three] because Henry II secured control back of his throne. "With most medieval battles, we do not know exactly where they happened and who was there, but we do with Fornham. "We also know that in the later 12th century tactics were changing and there is evidence at Fornham that the supremacy of an initial charge by knights was starting to happen. "And this was one of the earliest battles where this occurred. Probably the big turning point, in fact, in the Great Revolt being won by Henry II's royalist forces." What was the catalyst for the revolt and subsequent battle? The uprising was orchestrated by three of King Henry II's sons - one of which he had actually crowned king long before his death in an unprecedented move to ensure his succession - and their followers. They had been encouraged to rise up by France's King Louis VII, who wanted to break up and disrupt King Henry II's Angevin Empire by making his sons the overlords of the Angevin territories in France."The boy's mother, Eleanor of Aquitaine, also joined in and, when the revolt started, went back to her former husband, the King of France Louis VII, to fight on his side," added Dr Walker."His own family were really difficult people to control and manage. Henry once had the young King Henry sleeping in his own bedchamber to try and stop him running away and to keep tabs on him."The in-fighting, internal family politics, and betrayal were also not lost on Ian Wilson, from the Suffolk branch of the Battlefields Trust. He said: "The entire family makes the whole Succession series on television look tame. If you think TV is weird... well, this is a really interesting group."In addition to his own family turning against him, King Henry II also upset several earls, who rebelled after he tried to centralise government and introduce the Common years before, meanwhile, in 1170, he had ordered the murder of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Beckkett, which did not go down well with the church. Who were the battle's key figures? While the conflict may have been borne out of an uprising against King Henry II, he was not actually present at the battle himself - he was in Normandy, in his army - comprising of less than 3,000 troops but more than 300 knights - was led by the commander-in-chief of the royalist forces, Richard de Lucy. Described as being loyal and compassionate, de Lucy was on the side of King Henry II, who was fighting to defend his territories and his rule of England. He is said to have "responded exceptionally" to the invasion of Suffolk - with his victory in the county being his "greatest achievement".The opposition, meanwhile, was thrust into battle by the Earl of Leicester, Robert III Beaumont, who oversaw more than 3,000 men, but only 80 knights - a significant factor that proved decisive. Considered "immature and corrupting of others", Beaumont was fighting on behalf of King Louis VII, as well as King Henry II's own sons. He is said to have deliberately sabotaged King Henry's previous attempt to make peace, swearing at him before eventually attempting to draw his sword. After losing the battle, Beaumont was imprisoned, and King Henry claimed his land and destroyed the majority of his castles. How did the battle end? According to Dr Walker, de Lucy's army and his greater number of skilled knights were far too strong for the Earl of Leicester's forces, which ultimately proved the of his troops were "finished off mercilessly", after becoming trapped in marshy ground near to the River Lark. "Between 3,000 to 5,000 mercenaries were literally slaughtered along the river and just left to rot where they lay," added Dr Walker, who is the author of A Hard and Grievous Battle, a book about the ferocious fight in Fornham."So, under the soil are the skeletons of all these people who did not get to see their homeland again." Did it change the course of history? Despite believing The Battle of Fornham is "massively underrated as a really important battle", Dr Walker is adamant it is likely "the biggest medieval battle in England".And, therefore, suggests its outcome most definitely has had a lasting impact."Yes, it probably did change the course of history because had Leicester had succeeded, King Henry might have lost the throne and the course of history would have been very different," he told the BBC."And what the chroniclers say is that after the battle, the heart went out of the rebel armies - they didn't see how they could win now."It absolutely secured England for King Henry." Did the socio-economic make-up of Bury St Edmunds help the royalists win the battle? It "helped enormously", according to Dr said: "Bury St Edmunds was a massive shrine at the time to Saint Edmund, and people in this area wanted to protect the memory of Saint Edmund and protect the abbey. "Suffolk was also very, very wealthy, one of the wealthiest counties in England, and it was a weaving community. "So, the Flemish weavers who were amongst the mercenaries were hated and resented - 'they're coming here to take our jobs', that sort of idea. "So, there are lots of reasons why the local people would join a foot-soldier levy against an invading army." What discoveries have been made at the battlefield site? In the centuries that followed the so-called "bloody rout", many artefacts have been uncovered - some remarkable, others gruesome. These included two medieval swords, a find Dr Walker said was "really significant", and bones from some of the fallen soldiers."The artefacts preserved were in an anaerobic environment in the mud," he added."So, we have a dagger, arrowheads, cooking pots and Henry II pennies from the ridge where we think the royalist army camped - all of that is very significant."Beyond that, we actually have skeletons and skulls, which were found on the field." Why is the Battle of Fornham back in the spotlight? While the Battle of Fornham's 850th anniversary was commemorated in 2023, two new information boards have been installed and unveiled at the All Saints was hoped the new educational wooden plaques would encourage more people to learn about the battle, which some consider to have been "overlooked" and "forgotten", and come to appreciate its historical significance. Joshua Harris, who owns the hotel, said he was "delighted" to have been able to work alongside the Battlefields Trust and West Suffolk Council to bring the battle back into the spotlight."It is important to understand and appreciate the history of the local area, and we are pleased to be able to share this with visitors to the golf course and hotel," he Austin, national operations director of the Battlefields Trust, is also "very pleased"."This battle was one of the biggest to ever take place in East Anglia and it is very good to see that it is now achieving the recognition that it deserves," he said. Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
