Here's a theory on a word origin that I hope is true:

"[One] theory posited is that oleander is the Latinized form of a Greek compound noun: οllyo (ὀλλύω) 'I kill', and the Greek noun for man, aner, genitive 'andros' (ἀνήρ, ἀνδρός), ascribed to oleander's toxicity to humans."

I recall that my junior high school's grounds included many of these hardy flowering plants, and learning at the time that (allegedly) three leaves would kill a horse.

Imagine a plant so poisonous that it was named "I kill man".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nerium

#etymology #ExtremeGardening

The #SpinalTap claim that one of its drummers died in a "bizarre gardening accident" was funnier to me before about 5 years ago, when my father had one of his own, injured his brain, and died about 6 months later.

So, in this week's edition of #ExtremeGardening news, I took on the same overgrown oleanders that killed my father.

Unlike my father, I brought the right equipment: hard hat, glasses, gloves, and pole-mounted chainsaw (link below). Pole saws are better than ladders any day, especially when it's a freakin' chain saw.

Afterward, I fed my aching muscles a shake of whey protein.

"Was mich nicht umbringt, macht mich stärker"
("What does not kill me makes me stronger")
- Friedrich Nietzsche
(part of aphorism number 8 from the "Maxims and Arrows" section of Twilight of the Idols, 1888)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06XJC7DWH

If I was into new year’s resolutions, which I am not, I would try and distribute my summer’s ‘extreme gardening’ over the rest of the year. So much effort, so many aching muscles! #AotearoaSummer #ExtremeGardening #HopingForRain