There is always something that will grow and something that will bloom regardless of what time of year it might be. Being able to put names to the world around me gives me confidence that I have some place in it. That said, I am no stickler for Latin names and hybrid designations. I remember them when I can and look them up when needed. Unless you are going to a nursery in search for a specific plant you saw in a magazine or on television common names will often serve you just as well as Latin.
Latin names do make some sort of odd sense however.
If you learn a few of the Latin root words you can see how many names offer identifying information for the plant they name. It is always amazing how helping in someone else's garden can give us a better insight into our own. It also gives me more desire to make my garden into as much of a haven as my friend's. If she can do it with cement and walls and potted plants, I should be able to do as least as much in my fertile corner of the world. Douglas E. Welch is a freelance writer and comptuer consultant based in Van Nuys, California.