The Collection
Short narrative essays connecting plants, soil, history, and culture — each story a door to a hidden world.
On Vasily Dokuchaev and the science of soil
Vasily Dokuchaev is one of those figures who look very serious in textbooks — moustache, frock coat, stern gaze — but if you were to transport him to the present day, he'd probably be a YouTube star, explaining to kids and farmers why the earth beneath their feet is more important than it seems.
Earthworms (apparently)
In 1831, whilst the November Uprising was raging in Poland, a young theology graduate fascinated by nature – Charles Darwin – boarded the small but nimble ship HMS Beagle. In his 70s, Charles turned his attention and scientific rigour towards… earthworms.
Apart from the fact that they're both sweethearts
Pedro Pascal starred in 'The Last of Us', in which fungi attack humans and turn them into dangerous zombies. The creators were inspired by a real predatory fungus — the ant-lurker — which actually turns ants into mindless zombies.
Seeds as dreams in a packet
Seeds are 'dreams in a packet', as Rodney and Rachel Saunders used to say. Nikolai Vavilov travelled across five continents collecting thousands of plant samples. During the Siege of Leningrad, nine scientists died of starvation — but the seed bank's reserves remained untouched.
On camassia and the Lewis & Clark expedition
For some time now, Migdalski Roundabout has been planted with a beautiful blue or purple bulbous perennial, quite rare in Polish gardens, called kamasja. Kamasia originates from North America — and its story connects Polish resistance fighters with Native American guides.
On Staphylea pinnata and the history of heels
A shrub known as kłokoczka grows around Prof. Łukasz Łuczaj's house in Podkarpacie. It is a very rare plant in Poland. Its hard seeds were used for rosaries — and its wood connects to the surprising history of high heels.
On the Kentia palm and the circumnavigation of the globe
Johann Reinhold Forster was born in Tczew, then part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. His son George sailed with Captain Cook. Among the species named after him: Howea forsteriana — the Kentia palm, Queen Victoria's favourite plant.
On the Tatra larkspur and the colour blue
In ancient Greece, blue dye was obtained from the larkspur. The name 'delphinion' derives from the word 'delphis' — dolphin — as the buds reminded ancient researchers of a dolphin's silhouette. And it is precisely Delphinium oxysepalum that grows only in the Tatra Mountains.
On tomatoes, emigration, and the taste of home
Most likely, all of today's tomato varieties descend from a single wild plant from coastal Peru. The Polish word 'pomidor' comes from the Italian 'pomi d'oro' — golden apple. And the Sarnowski Polish Plum tomato variety may carry the memory of a November Uprising exile.
On the soothing power of gardens
Known mainly for his moralising fables, Ignacy Krasicki was also a great lover of gardens. He had 'only' forty varieties of roses. Meanwhile, David Beckham tends his Cotswolds greenhouse. Both discovered the same secret: Mycobacterium vaccae.
On gnomes, resistance, and Chelsea Flower Show
In the 1980s, the Orange Alternative movement painted orange gnomes in Wrocław on patches where the militia had painted over anti-communist slogans. Until 2013, garden gnomes were officially banned from the Chelsea Flower Show. A coincidence?
On Arts & Crafts, botanical wallpapers, and flower rubbish
William Morris believed that beauty was every person's right. His 'Strawberry Thief' wallpaper was inspired by blackbirds in his kitchen garden. In Poland, Edmund Jankowski championed the same idea. And in Świdno, a palace now belongs to artist Marcin Rusak.
On phenology and the wisdom of observation
Scientists refer to the study of the timing of 'seasonal biological activities' as phenology. According to old lore, sow maize when the elm leaves are the size of a squirrel's ear. But what is the actual size of a squirrel's ear?