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maltatoday | SUNDAY • 2 ARPIL 2023 7 ALMANAC Nature Notebook 860. Tassel Hyacinth OUR limey soils are apparently best suited for flowers in the yellow/ white spectrum. So a vivid purple flower is a joy to spot amidst the yellow-petalled hoi polloi. The tassel hyacinth is one such beauty and it's not just the colour that sets it apart, but also its unusual arrangement of buds that look rather like a pin cushion, or perhaps a little purple firework caught in mid burst. You may not see this flower at once as it's not particularly tall, but often as soon as you spot your first one, others of its kind start to appear. And this is the time to go looking for these exquisite natural gems. Tassel hyacinths (M. basal il-ħnieżer) grow in long-abandoned fields with depleted soil. Like others in the garlic family this plant grows bulbs, which ex- plains the 'basal' part in its Maltese name; the porcine connection, on the other hand, has me totally baffled! We are getting closer and closer to the conservation of Comino On the charming little island of Comino, there is a dilapidated bakery. We want to restore the old bakery on Comino and turn it into an in- terpretation centre with the help of donations from our crowdfunding campaign. This will give us space for sustainability education and a non-profit area which can used as a community centre. By doing this, we raise awareness about Comino being a Natura 2000 site. We have already raised over €8,000, a third of our goal with just under three weeks to go. There are almost two weeks left to reach €30,000. Crowdfunding has recently changed the landscape of traditional fund- raising, removing obstacles between those who require assistance and those who can support them. We believe that crowdfunding offers the opportunity for the community to be involved from the start of the pro- ject and honour the building's close connections to Comino's historic community. Victor Falzon www.birdlifemalta.org Green idea of the week 748: Learn more about the bakery, donate or share the link. In any case, we appreciate your help! https://zaar.com.mt/ projects/restoration-of-comino-bakery-foe/ Visit Friends of the Earth's website for more information about our work, as well as information about how to join us. You can also support us by sending us a donation – www.foemalta.org/donate Don't miss this APS Bank Easter Concert on 14 April 2023 Place: St. John's Co-Cathedral Resident Conductor Michael Laus leads the MPO in a sublime Easter concert of choral and instrumental music in the spectacular setting of St John's Co- Cathedral. The programme opens with an arrangement for strings of Bach's majestic Toccata and Fugue. The main highlight, Puccini's Messa di Gloria for orchestra, choir and soloists features tenor Cliff Zammit Stevens, baritone James Agius, bass Noel Galea and the Goldberg Ensemble. Composed in his youth, this riveting gem is bursting with vitality and enchanting melodies. Give nature a voice. Become a BirdLife member Only Rock n Roll! on 26 and 27 May 2023 Place: Montekristo Estate The best Rock Classics to sing along to. Queen, AC/DC, Pink Floyd, Whitesnake, U2 and more. At the ARENA. Chris Grech, Tiziana, Kenneth Calleja, Daryl Ebejer and others will perform with a live band. You should sing and dance all night. Food and drinks available. Dress up in your best Rock n Roll outfit! Prizes will be given to those who wore it best. We love rock 'n' roll, so get READY. A GOOD WEEK Good Week/Bad Week A BAD WEEK A painting by Sir Winston Churchill has been unveiled as part of a re- curation of a historic attraction. The 1930s oil painting was purchased by Hever Castle in Kent in a private sale from Christie's auction house. Presenter and comedian Paul O'Grady has died at the age of 67. He died "unexpectedly but peacefully" on Tuesday evening, his husband Andre Portasio said in a statement. The artwork, titled View Through An Arch At Hever, was shown at a celebratory event on Wednesday by Lord and Lady Astor. O'Grady rose to fame in the 1990s with his drag queen persona Lily Savage, going on to present BBC One game show Blankety Blank and other light entertainment programmes.