News
Where do plant names come from?
By Debby Looney, gardening expert
Have you ever opened up a gardening book and been confused by all the names?
It is pretty daunting to be faced with Latin, illegible and irrelevant words, possibly very few pictures and a whole gamut of words in italics.
Many people just close the book again thinking they will not make any sense of it, which is a shame, as so much can be learned! I meet people who grumble that they cannot find a plant in a book, or by Googling it, and this is often because they are using the common name, which, especially with Google, will bring up an unfamiliar plant on an American website. Imagine if all plants only had a common name - it would be great! Or maybe not so handy, for example, take the flower ‘Bluebell’ - in Ireland it can be one of two species of bulb, in Australia it’s a climber and in America it’s a Mertensia. If I say I love Spirea, do you think of as Sorbaria, Astilbe, goatsbeard or an actual Spirea?
So how did we arrive at the correct names we have?
We owe our binomial nomenclature, to give it its correct terminology, to Carl Linneaus, a Swedish naturalist born in 1707. He studied medicine and botany, which was one of the required subjects when studying medicine. At the age of 30 he developed a system of classification for all organisms, which is more or less still the one we use. Unfortunately for us, Latin was the scientific language of the time, so this is what has been kept. The genus and species names are always italicised (something about which I am very lazy), or, in handwriting, underlined.
When you look at a plant name, for example Cornus sanguinea, the first part denotes the genus, which is a large group of plants sharing similar characteristics. The second part is the species with the name often descriptive, in this case sanguinea comes from the Latin for blood, as Cornus sanguinea has brightly coloured stems. The species name can relate to many different characteristics, where a plant comes from as in japonica - Japan, occidentalis – America, arabis – Arabia, - or colour; alba - white, purpurea – purple. Where it grows; saxatile – rocks, campestris – fields, how it grows; fruticosa – bushy, repens – creeping, and so on.
There are a few curveballs thrown in too, where a plant is named after a person, as in fortuneii – Robert Fortune - who is credited with bringing us tea!), or darwinii - Charles Darwin. The RHS have a lovely book called 'Latin for Gardeners' which is a gem if you are interested in this type of thing!
Now is the time to start thinking about the flower garden. It is the perfect time to plant begonia bulbs in pots, as starting them off in the greenhouse or even shed will get you a much earlier flowering time. The depressed part of the bulb is the top, which is unusual. Do not plant them too deep! Dahlias are also available currently, again it is a good idea to start them off indoors, as they are not very hardy if we get a late frost. Plant them with their crown level to the soil, and when shoots appear only leave five grow. I know it seems wrong, but this will produce strong plants with a lot of flowers. As Dahlias grow, pinch the top of the shoots out to encourage bushy growth. All dahlias have different speeds at which they grow, so don’t despair if one seems very slow compared to others!
International Roses kick off Kerry tour in Killarney
The 32 international contestants competing in the 2026 Rose of Tralee International Festival officially made their long-awaited arrival in the Kingdom on Wednesday, with landmark venue Kate Kearney’s Cottage hosting their very first official engagement in County Kerry.
Following a busy week-long tour across the country, the Roses arrived at the entrance to the Gap of Dunloe to launch the Kerry leg of their journey. The afternoon proved to be a major highlight of the tour so far, with the contestants treated to traditional jaunting-car rides through the glaciated valley, a wool-spinning demonstration, and lunch in the beer garden.
Deputy Mayor of Killarney Municipal District, Cllr Brendan Cronin, was on hand to formally extend a warm town welcome to the international visitors as they soaked up local hospitality, traditional food, and iconic mountain scenery.
After their afternoon in Killarney, the group departed to continue their itinerary in Listowel, where they were greeted by Mayor of Listowel Municipal District, Cllr Jimmy Moloney, before making their final arrival into Tralee ahead of the festival weekend.
SIDEBAR: Dublin Rose leads festival betting
As the festival gets underway, punters are already backing their preferred candidates ahead of next week’s televised selection nights and crowning in the Dome.
According to bookmaker BoyleSports, Dublin Rose Suad Mooge has emerged as the clear 2/1 favourite after steady support, having opened at 5/1.
Kildare Rose Jessica Hunter has seen her odds shorten dramatically to 11/2 from an opening 40/1, while Leitrim’s Catherine Cullen has backed into 6/1. Meanwhile, local interest remains fixed on Kerry Rose Caoimhe Lynch—a 28-year-old Beaufort native—who is currently listed at 10/1 as she aims to bring the sash back to the county for the first time in 62 years.
Killarney Park Hotel bids farewell to Noreen
The Killarney Park has marked the end of an era as long-serving team member Noreen McSweeney officially retires after nearly five decades with the business.
Noreen started her career almost 50 years ago at The Ross before moving to The Killarney Park. Over the past half-century, she became a familiar face to generations of visitors to the town and a constant presence for her colleagues.
Managing Director Marcus Treacy praised her contribution to the hotel over the decades:
“Hospitality was never simply a job for Noreen; it is who she is. Caring for people came as naturally to her as breathing. Every guest she welcomed felt genuinely looked after, and every colleague who worked alongside her became better because of her example.
As we continued to evolve The Killarney Park, I often spoke about preserving the hotel’s DNA. The surroundings could change and our standards could continue to rise, but the soul of the hotel had to remain the same. If I were ever asked to define that DNA in one person, it would be Noreen McSweeney. She embodied everything we stand for , genuine hospitality, warmth, professionalism and heartfelt care.”
Speaking on behalf of the family, the Treacys added:
“Noreen has been part of our family for almost fifty years. Her loyalty, kindness and commitment have helped shape The Killarney Park into the hotel it is today, and we will always be grateful for everything she has given to our guests, our colleagues and our family.
While we will miss seeing her every day, we are delighted that she begins this new chapter. She will always have a place at The Killarney Park, and we look forward to welcoming her back, this time as our guest.”
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