The Daily Gardener

Today is International Coffee Day. There is a legend that tells of coffee's discovery: In Ethiopia, there was a goatherder who observed his goats didn't want to go to sleep at night after eating berries from a certain tree. After he reported this to the Abbot of a local monastery, the Abbott gathered the berries himself and then made a drink with them. The Abbott's discovered the drink kept him awake and alert for the long hours of evening prayers. The rest is history. The coffee plant is actually a shrub. It's an evergreen that has a light gray bark and shiny, dark leaves that are five inches long. If the coffee plant wasn't pruned back, it could grow up to thirty feet tall in the wild. It takes the coffee plant five years to be able to produce fruit. Coffee plants have an interesting life cycle; they can live to be 100 years old, but their producing years are between the ages of 7 and 20. And, the next time you think about the equator, reframe it as "The Bean Belt." Coffee plants grow best along the equator. Brevities #OTD Today is the anniversary of the death of the "Dean of Landscape Architects," Jens Jensen, who died on this day in 1860. Jens Jensen was featured in The Living Green Documentary; he was an early pioneer in the conservation movement and used art as activism. He was ahead of his time. Jensen and Frank Lloyd Wright were contemporaries. Jensen made over 600 Landscapes and was known as the "Poet of the Prairie." The prairie was the theme of his work, and Jensen likened the prairie to the sea. He felt there was spiritualism that rose out of the long grass and that every person on earth needed the living green. He valued the natural lands, and he recognized that nature had restorative powers. Jensen was a maker of public parks and spaces. Later in life, Jensen moved his family into a remote part of Wisconsin called Ellison Bay, located in northern door county. Even in 2010, the population was just 165. It was Jens Jensen who said, "Where there is forest, there is peace." and "Trees are much like human beings and enjoy each other's company. Only a few love to be alone." #OTD Today is the birthday of California plant collector, LeRoy Abrams, who was born on this day in 1874. Abrams was born in Sheffield, Iowa. He moved west with his parents as a small boy. As a graduate student, Abrams performed yeoman's work botanizing the area around Los Angeles. A biographical sketch of Abrams said, "[Abrams] crisscrossed southern California in a wagon, on the back of a mule or burrow, and on foot to make field observations... and collect specimens from Santa Barbara to Yuma, from Needles to San Diego, and from the Salton Sink prior to its flooding to the summits of Old Baldy" In 1902, Abrams published a flora of Los Angeles and Vicinity. (The vicinity included a fifty-mile radius around LA). In 1909, Abrams married a fellow student at Stanford. Her name was Letitia Patterson; they shared everything together - especially the joys of their mountain cabin they had built with their own hands on the west side of Fallen Leaf Lake. When their only daughter died a few short years after her college graduation, they shouldered their grief together. Abrams served as the director of the Natural History Museum at Stanford, where he taught botany for thirty-four years. He did not live to see the completion of his dream, a four-volume work called An Illustrated Flora of the Pacific States (Stanford, Stanford University Press, 1923–1960, 4 vols.). However, it was Abrams's dream to carry out; he had been inspired by the New York Botanical Garden (NYBG) and their three-volume work, An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States, Canada, and the British Possessions, by Britton and Brown. Abrams was a loving teacher. His students called him "Father." #OTD On this day in 1887, the botanists John and Harvey Ruth made a trip to Wyker's Island to collect fall flora. Wyker's Island is now known as Lynn Island, in the Delaware River, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. The Ruth's rowed their own boat to the island on this day in 1887, where they discovered the island was covered with asters and butterfly weed. #OTD On this day in 1891, the newspapers carried the obituary of the self-taught botanist and poet Cyrus M. Tracy who had died on September 29th. Tracy was the Chair of Botany for the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy. He is remembered for his work in creating the noble forest park known as Lynn Woods. Three times the size of Central Park, Lynn Woods is a massive green space located outside of Boston. A hidden gem, Lynn Woods, enjoys less public awareness because it is not part of our National State Park system. It features a rose garden, three reservoirs, and a 48-foot-tall stone tower. In 1850, Tracy was working to secure protection for Lynn Woods, and he formed a group called the "Exploring Circle" with four other residents; the went botanizing in the woods and then shared their discoveries with others. When Tracy wrote his Studi

I was reading in Facebook yesterday, a friend had planted all of these autumn crocus, colchicums, in her garden. Like any bulb, it takes lots of dedication to get them planted and then you have all of the anticipation - waiting to see if they come up and if they meet your expectations. Anyway, she'd invited some friends over to come and check them out. Instead of being amazed by the beautiful autumn crocus, her friends were completely taken her gorgeous hydrangea. Isn't that the way it goes? We toil in our gardens and then we invite people over to come and see it. Yet, the plants we expect others to be amazed by, the plants that have stolen our hearts, are not always the plants that are the most popular with our visitors. So, my piece of advice, if you have an affinity for autumn crocus, is don't plant hydrangea. If you do have hydrangea, only invite other gardeners over. Only gardeners will appreciate the dedication that it takes to plant colchicum. Only gardeners are sensitive to the fact that if they've been invited over to "see the colchicum", they will ooh and aah only for the autumn crocus, and offer merely a passing nod to the show-stealing hydrangea. Brevities #OTD Today is the birthday of the botanist Sarah Hynes who was born on this day in 1859, Hynes was born in Danzig, Prussia and she immigrated to Australia in the mid 1800's. After graduating from the University of Sydney, she and Georgina King brought in fresh flowers for a botanical display at the Sydney Technological Museum. This is how Haynes came to know the director of the Museum, Joseph Henry Maiden. Maiden hired Haynes as a botanical assistant and when he was promoted to be the director of the Sydney Botanic Garden, he hired Hynes to be in charge of the herbarium. Once Hynes arrived at the botanic garden, she ran into difficulties with her male bosses. She was pointing out disparities between herself and her male counterparts; she had requested better pay. In 1905, Hynes was suspended and cited for 39 counts of insubordination including the use of "unladylike" phrase "lowdown, dirty larrikin trick." Hynes stood her ground and denied the charges, which were ultimately dismissed. But, five years later, it happened again. After this suspension, Haynes had had enough; she transferred to the Department of Public Instruction. After this position, Haynes spent the rest of her professional life teaching science to high schoolers. William Fitzgerald named the (Acacia hynesiana) for her, in recognition of her work with Joseph Henry Maiden on his book Forest Flora. #OTD Today is the birthday of the botanical artist Faith Fyles who was born on this day in 1875. Fyles was trained as a botanist, but her natural artistic talent became apparent early in her career. She was the first female hired by the Canadian Department of Agriculture. In 1920, she transferred to the horticulture division where she began producing colored illustrations of plant specimens; especially fruits and ornamentals. Fyles is remembered for her work on the 1920 bulletin, Principal Poison Plants of Canada. The bulletin was prepared for farmers so that they could discern the problematic plants on their properties and avoid pasturing animals with poisonous plants. The book was offered free through the Ottawa Department of Agriculture. Over her career, Fyles had the opportunity to study art with Stanhope Forbes in England and with Rene Menard and Lucien Simon in Paris. #OTD Today is the birthday of the Mexican botanist Helia Bravo Hollis who was born on this day in 1901. Bravo Hollis was the first woman to graduate with the title of Biologist in Mexico. By the age of 29, she was named curator of the University's herbarium where she was assigned the job of studying the cactus. In 1937, Bravo Hollispublished "Las cactáceas de México", making her a leader of global cactus research. Bravo Hollis focused on cactus in and in 1951, she cofounded the Mexican Cactus Society. Six cacti species are named in her honor. In 2001, the Cactus Society had planned to celebrate her 100th birthday, but she died four days shy of the century mark. Bravo Hollis also helped found the Botanical Gardens at the National Autonomous University of Mexico. She served as the director of the Gardens throughout the 1960s. When a strike occurred, Bravo-Hollis offset the pay owed her workers with money out of her own pocket. Last year, Google commemorated the 117th birthday of Bravo Hollis with a Doodle. If you search for her online, you'll see a memorable image of Bravo Hollis, in a skirt and blazer with a knife in her hand, standing next to an Echinocactus platyacanthus, also known as the giant barrel cactus, that appears to be over 5 ft tall and just as wide; a very impressive specimen. This species is the largest barrel cacti. In Mexico, where the cactus is a native, the hairs are harvested for weaving and a traditional candy is made from boiling the pith. Today, the Helia Bravo HollisBotanical Garden, with more

What are you doing with all of your tomatoes? A few years ago, I stumbled on Ina Garten's Recipe for Roasted Tomato Soup - it's the best roasted tomato basil soup recipe out there if you ask me! Ina's recipe calls for fresh tomatoes and herbs and she doesn't use cream or milk. Best of all, Ina's soup is rich and full of flavor. Ingredients 3 lbs. ripe plum tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise 1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp. olive oil 2 cups chopped yellow onions 6 garlic cloves, minced 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes 1 (28 oz) can whole plum tomatoes, with juice 4 cups fresh basil leaves, packed 1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves (or 1/2 tsp. dried) 4 cups chicken stock (homemadeor store bought) Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper Preheat the oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Gently toss the tomatoes from your garden with 1/4 cup olive oil and layer on the prepared baking sheet in a single layer. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, to taste. Roast for 45 minutes. In a large dutch-oven, heat olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, red pepper flakes, and a pinch of salt. Sauté until onions are translucent and start to brown, about 10 minutes. Add the canned tomatoes, basil, thyme, roasted tomatoes, including the juices, and chicken stock. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bring the soup back to a simmer and cook for 40 minutes, uncovered. Transfer the soup to a blender and puree until smooth. Taste for salt and pepper. Serve with drizzle of cream or dollop of sour cream, fresh parmesan, and side of grilled cheese. So that's what I do with any extra tomatoes this time of year. I'll share the recipe in today's Show Notes. Brevities #OTD On this day in 1843, the New England Farmer ran an ad about Chrysanthemums for nurseryman Joseph Breck: "The subscribers offer for sale twenty varieties of new Chrysanthemums of the most superb and rare sorts, at 50 cents per pot." #OTD Today is the birthday of Joy Morton who was born on this day in 1855. Morton's father was J. Sterling Morton, the founder of Arbor Dayand a former secretary of agriculture under President Cleveland. Not surprisingly, Joy's love of trees was instilled in him at a young age. Raised on a farm in Nebraska, Joy Morton became a powerful businessman in Chicago with his company Morton Salt. In December 1922, Joy established The Morton Arboretum - a tract of land dedicated to ongoing study of trees, shrubs, and grasses. In 1923, Morton donated his family's Ancestral home, Arbor Lodge, to Nebraska and the property became a state park and a memorial to his father. An article from the Chicago Tribune in 1926, offered a glimpse of the passion Morton felt about trees. Speaking at the Arboretum, Morton said, "I want to appeal to the gambling instinct of the American people. I want a man to come in here and say, 'What can I get out of tree planting?' I want to arouse his venturesomeness. A man old enough to think for himself comes in here and sees a group like that [pointing] group of walnuts over there which is doing so well, and then he says to himself, 'Well, how about it? What can I do now on my land that will mean something to my grandchildren thirty years hence? And, then I want him to keep looking at the walnuts, or what he likes best, until he says, I believe I'll go and do likewise.'" #OTD Today is the birthday of James Drummond Dole who was born on this day in 1877. Dole had gone to Harvard and then after graduation at the age of 22, he made his way to Hawaii in 1899. After living there two years, he honed in on growing pineapple as a business. The Smooth Cayenne strain of pineapple wasn't native to Hawaii. It was a Florida variety. Dole began growing 200 pineapple plants on 60 acres. The rest is history. Here are a few fun pineapple facts: Pineapples have Bromelain; a chemical that prevents gelatin from setting. But, once pineapple is canned, the Bromelain is destroyed, which is why you can add canned pineapple to jello. Christopher Columbus brought pineapples back to Spain from the Caribbean Island of Guadalupe in 1493. The Spanish introduced pineapples to Hawaii. Today, thanks to Dole, more than one-third of the world's commercial supply of pineapples comes from Hawaii. Unearthed Words How beautiful leaves grow old. How full of light and color are their last days. -John Burroughs Autumn arrives early in the morning but spring at the close of the day. - Elizabeth Bowen Autumn asks that we prepare for the future —that we be wise in the ways of garnering and keeping. But it also asks that we learn to let go—to acknowledge the beauty of sparseness. - Bonaro W. Overstreet Today's book recommendation: Hedgemaids and Fairy Candles by Jack Sanders This lovely little book is a personal favorite. It came out in 1995 and the subtitle is The Lives and Lore of North American Wildflowers. The hedgemaids referred to in the title is a reference to the common ground ivy, while Fairy Candles are the tal

Right now is the perfect time to bring some nature indoors. Why buy something manufactured to look like nature, when some of the most impactful pieces can be found right in your own garden? I love to bring in some of the bird's nests from my garden. I place them on top of a stack of books, in a crystal bowl or on a bookshelf. They add wonderful, texture and interest to help ground your interior for winter. Adding leaves and berries to ledges and to your arrangements accomplishes the same thing. And, an interesting branch placed on a mantle, suspended from the ceiling or propped in the corner of a room,, adds an attractive seasonal form; a natural element, that costs nothing, but brings a part of the garden, of the woods or the forest, into your home. Brevities #OTD Today is the birthday of the Father of Plant Anatomy, Nehemiah Grew, who was born on this day in 1641. Grew was an English botanist and was the first person to illustrate the inner structures and functions of plants in all their wondrous intricacy. If you've ever seen a Nehemiah Grew drawing, you'll never forget it; you're probably able to spot them a mile away. But, if you've never seen a Nehemiah Grew drawing, imagine an etch-a-sketch drawing on steroids. The lines are impossibly thin. The level of detail is staggering. For instance, Grew's drawings of tree parts cut transversely look like elaborate Japanese fans. This is because Grew was one of the first naturalists to incorporate the microscope in the study of plant morphology. It was his use of the microscope that allowed Grew to give the first known microscopic description of pollen. Along those same lines, Grew was also the first person to analyze the ridges, furrows, grooves, and pores on human hands and feet. He published his incredibly accurate drawings of finger ridge patterns in 1684. Palm readers owe Grew a debt of gratitude. (Just kidding.... or am I?) #OTD Today is the birthday of John Chapman who was born on this day in 1774. You may never have heard of John Chapman, but you've probably heard of his nickname; Johnny Appleseed. Chapman was born in Massachusetts and the street where he was born is now called Johnny Appleseed Lane. As a young man, Chapman became an apprentice to an orchardist named Crawford. The image most of us have of Chapman, traipsing through the country planting one apple tree at a time is off base. Chapman actually traipsed through the country planting entire apple orchards, then he protected the orchard by building a fence around it, and then arranging a deal with a neighboring farmer to sell trees from the orchard in exchange for shares. It was a genius setup. During his life, Chapman had a special regard for and relationship with Native Americans who regarded him as a medicine man. At the same time, Chapman wanted early American settlers to succeed; he often acted as a one-man welcome wagon; showing up at door with a gift of herbs as a gesture of support. For his part, Chapman was an expert in more plants than just apple trees; he was one of our country's first naturalists and herbalists. Chapman used many herbs for healing like catnip, hoarhound, pennyroyal, rattlesnake weed, and dog-fennel. In fact, dog fennel (Eupatorium) was also called "Johnny weed" because Chapman planted it believing it was antimalarial. Whenever you hear Eupatorium, you can deduce that the plant is closely related to joe pye weed. Unfortunately, dog fennel was not a good thing to spread around; it's a noxious weed. The Johnny Appleseed Center on the campus of Urbana University in Urbana, Ohio holds the largest collection of memorabilia and information on Chapmen. In 1999, seedlings from the last-known surviving Johnny Appleseed tree were transplanted into the courtyard around the museum. #OTD Today is the birthday of the botanist Oakes Ames who was born on this day in 1874. What a great name for a botanist, huh? Ames was trained as an economic botanist, but his specialty was orchids. He had his own orchid collection as a kid, and you know what they say about orchid lovers; once you're hooked, you're hooked. The author, Norman MacDonald, wrote in his 1939 book The Orchid Hunters: "For when a man falls in love with orchids, he'll do anything to possess the one he wants. It's like chasing a green-eyed woman [being consumed by desire] or taking cocaine. A sort of madness..." Ames was a Harvard man; he spent his entire career there. His work on the Orchidaceae was foundational to the study of orchids. His effort culminated in a seven-volume work on the Orchid Family. For his dedication, in 1924, Ames won the gold medal of the American Orchid Society. Today, Ames is recognized for his biggest contribution to the world of orchids; the Ames Orchid Herbarium (now part of the Harvard Herbaria) featuring 3,000 flowers in glycerine, 4,000 specimens that are pickled, along with 131,000 standard specimens, in addition to a magnificent library. Unearthed Words 'I grow old, I grow old,' the garden s

If you're feeling a little glum about the end of the gardening season, here are a few activities that can help you rebalance: First, support your local farmers by shopping at a local farm stand. Often the growers will have insights on plants and practices that are applicable to your own garden. Get inspired by seeing some of the different varieties of apples, gourds, zucchinis, pumpkins, and other vegetables. Second, refresh your mulch supply. Top dressing before winter feels as good now as it does in the Spring. Your beds will benefit from the extra layer of protection and you will feel a boost from the beauty of cleaned beds. Brevities #OTD Today is the anniversary of the death of the German botanist Valerius Cordus who died on this day in 1544. Cordus was the author of one of the most influential herbals in history. In fact, centuries later, the botanist Thomas ArchibaldSprague re-published "The Herbal of Valerius Cordus" with his older sister who he considered to be the best botanist in the family. After the book was published, Sprague gifted her with a personal and gorgeous bound copy. He had the book dedicated to her in latin: "M. S. Sprague praeceptrici olim hodie collaboratrici d.d. T. A. Sprague" - basically saying that she had taught him and collaborated with him. Cordus died young, at the age of 29, likely from malaria. He had botanized in Italy over the summer of 1544 with two French naturalists. At some point, he had waded into marshes in search of new plants. When he became sick a short time later, his friends brought him to Rome and then, they continued on to Naples. When they returned for him, they found Cordus had died. We owe a debt of gratitude to the Swiss botanist Konrad Gesner who had the sense to collect Cordus' prolific writings and preserve and publish them. One expert once said, "There was Theophrastus; there was nothing for 1,800 years; then there was Cordus." The genus Cordia is named in honor of Valerius Cordus. #OTD Today is the birthday of the Landscape Gardener Edward Kemp who was born on this day in 1817. Edward Kemp was the landscape gardener and architect at Birkenhead under Joseph Paxton. He placed an ad in the Liverpool Mercury after the opening of Birkenhead, he was out of work and was offering his services, "[Edward Kemp] begs to offer his services to the Noblemen and Gentlemen in the vicinity of Birkenhead and Liverpool…The fluttering testimonials which he has received from numberless visitors to the Birkenhead park, induce him to believe that a simple reference to the past and present condition of the park …. will be sufficient to ensure for him a large and liberal patronage." Don't worry about Edward Kemp. He went on to be a leading Victorian Landscape Gardener and a successful one, at that. #OTD On this day in 1890, the Sequoia National Park was established to protect the giant Sequoia trees, among the oldest living things on earth. In 1847, Stephan Ladislaus Endlicher, a German botanist, came up with the genus name "Sequoia" after a Cherokee Chief named Sequoyah (1770-1843) who was the son of a British merchant and a Cherokee woman. Sequoyah developed an alphabet to enable his tribe's dialect to be written. In 1872, Asa Gray wrote about the sequoia and presented his work in Dubuque Iowa at the 21st annual session of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. During his presentation, Gray speculated on the origin of the trees. He offered three hypotheses: Either they are just coming into existence, and are destined, if unmolested by man, to spread over the world; They have long lived; on the Pacific Slope, and have never spread elsewhere, because no other climate is fit for them; They are the survivors of a race that once crowded the hills and valleys of the world. Gray felt the last hypothesis was the one with the most merit. He expanded on this point by saying, "Research has found the fossil sequoia gigantea throughout ... Northern Europe, Iceland, Greenland, Alaska, and the Rocky Mountains. All of these fossil specimens are almost exactly the same as the " Big Trees" of today. The very slight difference can be readily explained by the modifying force of different conditions. This crucial test shows that, before man sprang from the dust of the Garden of Eden, according to Genesis, or was evolved from the ape of Northern Africa, according to Darwin, the sequoia gigantea belted Northern America, Asia, and Europe, and the islands of the Northern seas. The " Big Trees" of California are but the outlying sentinels of an army that has vanished." #OTD On this day in 1942, the newspaper in Spokane Washington had a headline that said: Noted Botanist Crosses Jungle (Takes Long Mule Route Through Tibet to Get a Few Flowers.) The article was about the botanist Francis Kingdon-Ward who had just arrived in New Delhi after a 500 hundred mile walk over mountains and through jungles to avoid the Japanese invaders of Burma. The article said this: "A thin, wiry little

One of my favorite shoulder season plants is my magnolia. The beautiful white blossoms in the spring and the glorious yellow leaves in the fall bookend a summer of hardy greenery. Then all winter long, the dormant flower buds will pop out adding interest and promise during those final snowstorms in late March and April. If you're looking for something that provides something new in every season, add magnolia to your list. Brevities #OTD Today is the birthday of the botanist William Herbst who was born on this day in 1833. As a child, William would accompany his father on horseback as he visited his patients across Bucks County in Pennsylvania. While his dad met with the sick in their homes, William stayed outside and passed the time collecting flora and fauna for study. When he grew older, he spent time formally studying botany, in addition to attending Medical School in Philadelphia. Although he became a doctor like his father Frederick, William Herbst was truly a botanist at heart. He developed a passion for fungi and he wrote a Fungal Flora of the Lehigh Valley in Pennsylvania in 1899. Once, after sending a specimen to his botanist friend, a Professor CH Peck, Herbst received a kind acknowledgement letter, which read in part: "That was a splendid fungus you sent me. It is an undescribed species of Sparassis. I propose to name it, with your consent, Sparassis Herbstii." In 1906, doctors were still making house-calls. Herbst died after visiting a sick patient. His obituary in The Morning Call in Allentown, PA said, "[Herbst] suffered from a fall. Leaving a sick-room to go to the bath room, he opened a stairway door by accident and plunged to the bottom in the darkness... [Then] he sank into a coma from which he did not awake. The doctor was one of the most lovable of men. He was firm and honest in his convictions ... [and] His beautiful nature was exemplified in the poem, "Welcome Spring Flowers," which "he wrote many years ago... Many a time he was asked why he did not settle in some city where his [botanical] talents would receive prompt recognition, but his answer invariably was that he could study nature better in his old home." When Herbst died, his widow donated his collection of 5,000 fungi to the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia. #OTD On this day in 1886, the botanist Wilhelm Nikolaus Suksdorf began his journey by train to Cambridge, Massachusetts to go work for Harvard's top botanist, Asa Gray. Now I know what you're thinking. This must be another story about a budding young botanist who makes his way to Harvard and then writes his ticket to success and fame. But that is not the story of Wilhelm Suksdorf. Suksdorf was born in Germany, but his family soon immigrated to Iowa. The Suksdorf's had nine children, but after their two little girls died, the Suksdorfs were a family of seven boys; often referred to as the seven Suksdorfs. (Wilhelm was number six). Wilhelm was a sickly little boy; maybe that's why he ended up being such a homebody. When his older brothers went to Ames Iowa for college, botany was part of the curriculum. (Imagine that?!) It was through his older brothers that Wilhelm learned of Asa Gray's botany manual. After he heard about it, he wanted one for himself. So, when he was twenty years old, he bought himself a copy and he used it to learn about the plants around the family's Davenport Iowa farm. After his older brothers went West to find their fortunes, it wasn't long before the entire Suksdorf family followed suit. They ended up buying land along the Columbia River in the Pacific Northwest and they settled in an area they named Bingen. Wilhelm attempted to study botany at Berkeley. But, after two years, decided to quit. Suksdorf was 26 when he left Berkeley and returned to the family farm to help his brothers with their dairy operation. Back in Iowa, the Suksdorfs had been part of a large German immigrant population. They were able continue to speak German at home on the farm and with a fair number of other German settlers in the county. But, when the Suksdorf family moved west, the dense concentration of German families did not exist. Wilhelm's lack of formal schooling and his isolation on the farm, made him uncomfortable communicating in English. As a result, much of his botanical work was written and documented in German. As fate would have it, Asa Gray's manual was not helpful with the flora in the Northwest. Botanically speaking, Suksdorf was in uncharted territory. The lack of information spurred Wilhelm to reach out to none other than Asa Gray. Gray wrote him back. Corresponding with Gray gave Suksdorf something to do outside of the farm, yet it allowed him to at stay home (where he preferred to be). Suksdorf would collect specimens and send the ones he wasn't sure of to Gray and then wait for a response as to the identification. In the beginning, Suksdorf may not have appreciated how this relationship was actually a true quid pro quo. See, Suksdorf's work was

Today is the first day of Autumn also referred to as the Autumn Equinox. Equinox means 'equal night'. On this day, both day and night are nearly the same length. Thereafter, the dark part of the year begins. Brevities #OTD Today is the birthday of the grandson of Genghis Khan, Kubla Khan, who was born on this day in 1215. Kubla Khan's Summer Garden at Xanadu is the subject of Samuel Taylor Coleridge's 1797 poem Kubla Khan. In Xanadu did Kubla Khan A stately pleasure-dome decree: Where Alph, the sacred river, ran Through caverns measureless to man Down to a sunless sea. So twice five miles of fertile ground With walls and towers were girdled round; And there were gardens bright with sinuous rills, Where blossomed many an incense-bearing tree; And here were forests ancient as the hills, Enfolding sunny spots of greenery. Coleridge's Kubla Kahn is regarded as one of his most important works. Coleridge said that he composed the entire poem while in a dreamlike state, drowsy from opium he had as medication. When he woke up, he remembered the entire poem and immediately set about writing it down. But then, he was interrupted by a knock at his door and he received a visitor. Sadly, when the visitor left, his perfect recollection of the poem failed him and he was only able to finish the poem in fragments. The poem begins by describing Kahn's palace and the garden contrasted with the setting of the ancient Mongolian forest. Although Coleridge wrote this poem in 1797, he didn't share it with the world until urged to do so by his friend Lord Byron. Together, Coleridge's poem and the adventurer, Marco Polo, brought world-wide attention to Kubla Kahn and his achievements. #OTD Today in 1806, Lewis and Clark returned to St. Louis after spending over two years exploring the headwaters of the Missouri River in an effort to find a route to the Pacific. They returned with their journals and with plant specimens. Here's just a handful of the plants they discovered (I picked the ones you might be the most familiar with): Snow-on-the-mountain (Euphorbia marginata) Creeping juniper (Juniperus horizontalis) False indigo (Amorpha fruticosa) Needle-and-thread grass also called porcupine grass (Hesperostipa comata) Purple coneflower (Echinacea angustifolia) Rough gayfeather also called large button snakeroot (Liatris aspera) Wild four-o'clock (Mirabilis nyctaginea) Wild rice (Zizania palustris) Wild rose (Rosa arkansana) #OTD Today is the anniversary of the death of Stuart Robertson who died on this day in 2009. Robertson was a professional gardener in Montreal, although he was born in England. In 1981, Robertson began work as a gardening columnist for the Montreal Gazette. In 1982, Robertson added the title of broadcaster to his repertoire, as a member of the show Radio Noon on CBC Radio One. Robertson also wrote two books on gardening. A passionate, leading organic gardener, his first book was Stuart Robertson's Tips on Organic Gardening, which was published in 2007. The following year, he wrote Stuart Robertson's Tips on Container Gardening. At the age of 50, Robertson learned he had non-Hodgkins lymphoma, a type of cancer of the lymph nodes. When it returned later in life, he received a bone-marrow transplant. Robertson's colleagues recall him as a gentleman; he had class, strength, and optimism. In an article announcing Robertson's passing in his hometown paper, The Gazette out of Montreal, poignantly reported: "His final column, which appeared Sept 19, read in part 'We're getting to the sad time of the year, when we have to start thinking about cooler weather and the end of the growing season.'" #OTD Today is the anniversary of the death of the botanist Ruth Patrick who died on this day in 2013 at the age of 105. Patrick was known for a little saying that went like this: you can't live a day without diatoms. Diatoms are a single-celled algae; this was Patrick's way of saying that all life is interconnected and that nature matters. Ruth Patrick understood this premise very well. She was a leading voice in the recognition that the smallest organisms, living in communities, were more reliable than an individual species as indicators of pollution. Ruth Patrick was born in Topeka, Kansas. Her father was an attorney and when he wasn't working he loved to take Ruth and her sister out into nature. The girls would collect samples from streams and ponds and then get a closer look with the brass microscope in their father's study. Later, Ruth would often say that her father had always encouraged her to leave the world a better place for having passed through it. In 1975, Patrick was the first woman elected president of the American Society of Naturalists. She worked for 80 years at The Academy of Natural Sciences. In 1996, she was awarded the country's National Medal of Science from President Bill Clinton. Unearthed Words "When the goldenrod is yellow, And leaves are turning brown - Reluctantly the summer goes In a cloud of thistledown.

Folklore and legends are often intertwined with plants and gardens. Today, I stumbled on a Swedish Legend called "The Harvest That Never Came" and I thought you'd get a kick out of it. The story has been used in lesson plans, to teach kids problem solving. I'm going to abbreviate it a bit, but I'll share a link to a good English translation in today's show notes. A young man named Arild was the son of a Danish noble family. He had fallen in love with a girl from Sweden named Thale. But, in the midst of their romance, Denmark and Sweden declared war on each other. Arild, who served in the war as a Danish Knight, was captured by the Swedes and thrown in prison. While he was in prison, Arild received a note from Thala, his true love. "My dearest Arild, I promised to wait for you forever, but I fear I will not be allowed to. My father says you will never return, and he has chosen another man to be my husband... He has already set the marriage date. I will love you always. Your faithful Thale" Now, Arild was not about to die in prison, and he was certainly not going to lose Thale. So, he came up with an offer and he presented it to King Erik of Sweden in the form of a letter: "Your Royal Majesty, Grant me one favor. Let me go home to marry the woman I love. Then allow me to stay only long enough to plant a crop and harvest it. On my word of honor (as a knight), I will return to your prison as soon as the harvest is gathered." The King granted Arild's request and Arild married Thale. In the Spring, Arild decided on a crop and he planted the seeds placing them each of them six paces apart. In the Fall, after the Harvest season had passed, King Erik sent a messenger to summon Arild back to prison. Arild looked at the messenger with surprise, saying, "My crop is not harvested... Indeed it has not yet even sprouted!" The messenger looked perplexed and said, "Not sprouted? What did you plant?" Arild's reply revealed the cleverness of his plan: "Pine Trees." When King Erik heard Arild's story he wisely judged, "A man like that does not deserve to be in prison." "And so, Arild was allowed to remain home with his beloved Thale. And a magnificent forest stands today as a testament to his love." Brevities #OTD Today is the birthday of the botanist and physician Lorenz Scholz von Rosenau who was born on this day in 1552. The information history has preserved about Scholz gives us a rare glimpse into the botanical life of a dedicated plantsman in the 1500's. Like many early botanists, he was very well educated and he was a polyglot; reading, writing, and speaking many languages. One of the most important endeavors accomplished by Scholz was translating medical references which were written in Greek and Arabic. He took that information, along with references written by peers around Europe, and put together a reference book that combined all of the best medical information of his time. His work proved so valuable in helping to teach people about the plague, that he earned a coat of arms and nobility title, the Scholz von Rosenau" name in 1596. As for botanical activities, Scholz was way ahead of his time. He grew potatoes - a dubious activity during his day and age, and one few gardeners would have pursued - because people were afraid of night shade plants. And, Scholz had a massive garden even by today's standards - over 7 acres. I love the description of the layout for Scholz's garden: four quadrants, big central pathways, and smack in the middle of all of it was a building that historians say was used to entertain; Scholz had designed it to serve both as a dining hall and an art gallery. Clearly, Scholz was a people person and he loved entertaining his friends and family at his garden. During the growing season, Scholz would hold gatherings he called "flower festivals" in his garden to delight his friends and family. #OTD Today is the anniversary of the death of Margherita Caffi who died on this day in 1710. Caffi was an Italian painter who was able to have a long career painting still life flower & fruit compositions.The men in her family were painters, but Caffi was self-taught. A mother of four who was pursuing a craft outside of the norm for her times, Caffi had an incredible work ethic. But, her efforts paid off; Caffi achieved fame and even royal patronage during a time when female painters were not embraced. A quick Google search of Caffi will reveal that she loved tulips, roses, peonies and carnations; she loved to paint their delicate forms and felt that their tremendous colors - the soft pinks, the vibrant reds, the remarkable shades of yellow and orange - were best displayed against a dark background. Caffi's art is formal and elegant; she painted on silk, canvas and vellum. #OTD Today is the birthday of botanist and explorer Mary Sophie Young who was born on this day in 1872. In 2017, Nicole Elmer wrote a lovely profile of Young which was featured on the website for the Department of Integrative Biology at the U

There's are some lines from a TS Eliot poem that go like this : Oh, Do not ask, "What is it?" Let us go and make our visit." If you've never visited your local botanic garden this time of year, you really should go. I have a friend who recently did this, and she posted amazing pictures from her visit to the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. She said this: "This is my PSA : Get yourself to the Arb ....now . Don't wait to go just to see the change in color of the trees (like everyone else ) Go now ! The colors of the flowers are crazy ! This is just a couple quick snaps with my phone ( which doesn't do justice) no filters, editing or enhancing. The colors are just THAT bright and bold . I've never gone this time of year . I go in the spring, a few times mid summer then I wait like everyone else for the leaves to change and go again. I've even gone in the winter but never late late summer /early fall . For some reason I thought there wouldn't be anything to look at. I thought the flowers would be half dead ( like my potted plants at home ) I won't make that mistake again." Brevities #OTD Today is the birthday of the botanist professor Mildred Mathias who was born on this day in 1906 in Sappington, Missouri. Mathias was a professor at UCLA for twelve years, until 1974. She also served as president of the American Society for Plant Taxonomists and the Botanical Society of America. Matthias is remembered as a pioneer in the area of ecotourism. She enjoyed bringing botanists and amateurs alike all over the world to study and discover plants. From her early days with Dr. Lincoln Constance at Berkeley, back in 1937, Matthias began to focus on Umbelliferae. The Umbelliferae ("Um-bull-iffer-EYE") is a family of aromatic flowering plants and it's commonly referred to as the carrot, or celery, or parsley family. It also includes other important herbs like Angelica and Annis Carraway, and chervil, dill, fennel, lovage, and parsnip, just to name a few. The growing habit in plants throughout the family varies. The taproots of carrot and parsnip are big enough to be harvested as food. Plants like cilantro, coriander, dill and parsley or harvested for their leaves which contain essential oils that are very aromatic. In addition, the seeds of these plants, like fennel and cumin and coriander are also harvested for cuisine. Umbelliferae prefer soil that is cool; and, they grow best in the shoulder seasons. Umbelliferae are favorites among ladybugs and parasitic wasps. The family Umbelliferae is named because of the tiny flowers that are clustered together to form in amble – a little flower overhang reminiscent of an umbrella. It's fitting then, that the Mathiasella bupleuroides is named in her honor. Mathiasella bupleuroides 'Green Dream' is native to Mexico; it was discovered in 1954. The umbelliferous flowerhead of Green Dream has these jade-green, bracts that appear from April to June. In the Fall, the flower heads turn a charming pink. Here's a fun fact; Green Dream was a bit of a sensation at Chelsea 2006. Over the course of Matthias's career she published over 100 articles and books about the Umbelliferae. Volume 26 of Madrono was dedicated to Mildred Mathias, and the tribute recognized Mathias' pioneering spirit and energy. In 1993, Mathias was honored a s the Distinguished Economic Botanist of the year. #OTD Today in 1907, Orville Redenbacher, was born. Redenbacher was a U.S. agricultural scientist and the co-creator of a new hybrid of popcorn called "snowflake." It was lighter and fluffier than traditional popped kernels and Redenbacher became a household name with his commercials for his popcorn. To this day, Orville Redenbacher is the number one selling popcorn in the world. Nebraska produces more popcorn than any other state in the country. #OTD Today is the birthday of the third son of Charles Darwin, Francis Darwin - known to his family as Frank. Francis published the results of his work with his dad in a book called The Movement of Plants. The book details their experiments which showed that young grass seedlings grow toward the light. In 1887, Frank shared a portrait of his father in a book called life and letters of Charles Darwin. The letters revealed Darwins fluid prose and clarity. Frank said that correcting his fathers proof sheets made him a better writer. There's no doubt, Frank had been taught by a master teacher and, in turn, he became a teacher as well. At Cambridge, he taught students of pure science and medicine. Frank Darwin received many honors during his lifetime including the President of the British Association in the 1908-1909 year. In 1913, he was knighted by the Queen. It was Frank Darwin who said, "The personal effect of teacher on pupil cannot be bought at a price, nor can it be paid for in any coin but gratitude. It is the possibility of earning this payment that makes the best part of a teacher's life." #OTD On this day in 1991, The New York Times printed printed an announcement about an up

Last night I shared the trailer for The Secret Garden remake which just dropped. It is a visual feast for lovers of gardens everywhere. The new adaptation of the children's classic stars Colin Firth and Julie Walters and is set for release in April (2020). It looks fantastic. The Secret Garden is a children's novel written by American author and gardener Frances Hodgson Burnett. It was first released in the early 1900's as a serial in The American Magazine. The story is about a young girl, Mary Lennox, who was living in India with her wealthy British family. She is a spoiled, neglected little 10 year old girl. When cholera kills her parents, she is sent to England to live with a widowed uncle, Archibald Craven, at his huge Yorkshire estate. Mary learns that her dead aunt had a walled garden which has been locked away 10 years, ever since her death. Determined to find it, Mary finds the key to open the garden and she discovers a lost paradise. Spending time in the garden is transformational for her; she becomes softer and kinder and more optimistic. That's why the trailer ends with this quote, "This garden; it's capable of extraordinary things. Now will you believe in the magic?" Brevities #OTD Today is the birthday of the Irish-born botanical steward of the plants collected by Lewis and Clark; the Philadelphia nurseryman, Bernard McMahon, who was born on this day in 1816. McMahon's lasting legacy was his American Gardener's Calendar. Packed with monthly directions and information about all things gardening, McMahon's Calendar was the most popular and most comprehensive gardening publication of the first half of the nineteenth century. Through his work, McMahon was helping to shape the gardening identity of America; which was becoming more distinct and defined as it transitioned away from English traditions. The Calendar was like a gardening bible to Thomas Jefferson and it was that connection that led McMahon to become his gardening mentor. It also meant that when it came time for Jefferson to pick a curator for the Lewis and Clark expedition, McMahan was his pick. Lewis and Clark are forever remembered for their famous expedition which led to many botanical discoveries. The live plants and the seeds they had collected were expertly curated by McMahon who didn't dither; especially with the seeds. Once the specimens were in his hands, he immediately set about cultivating them. There were constraints placed on McMahon. As the sole nurseryman fortunate enough to steward the collection, he could not propagate the plants for profit (they were the property of the United States Government) and he could not tell anyone about the collection (at least not until Lewis and Clark had a chance to write about it). In honor of his work, the botanist Thomas Nuttal named the genus Mahonia for McMahon. Mahonia is an evergreen shrub, also known as Oregon holly. The low-growing shrub can be kept tidy with pruning and looks like a holly, although it belongs to the barberry family. The Mahonia produces yellow flowers followed by clusters of bluish-green berries that turn red in the fall. The red berries attract birds and gardeners love that it is a favorite of cardinals. Mahonia has a glossy, dark green foliage that turns a gorgeous bronze in autumn. #OTD Today is the anniversary of the death of the botanist and chemist John M. Darby who died on this day in 1877. In 1841, Darby wrote one of the earliest floras and he focused on the south eastern United States. His flora was practical and regional, so it's no surprise that his work became a textbook for botany in the South East. After John Torrey and Asa Gray had released their North American Flora, Darby's work was one of many regional floras that started popping up all over the United States. Sadly, Darby's work was basically dissed by Asa Gray who felt that Darby's work was amateurish. This dismissal was too hasty and ignored the rigorous botanizing performed by Darby throughout the South East and his obvious grasp of the distribution of plants throughout the South. Darby taught at Auburn University; at the time it was known as the East Alabama Male College. Darby was the "Julia Ann Hamiter" Professor of Natural Science. Darby taught there until 1861, when the college closed due to the Civil War. It reopened again in 1866 and Darby resumed teaching botany. #OTD Today is the birthday of the Panama Orchid Hunter and son of Lincoln, Nebraska, Abel Aken Hunter, who was born on this day in 1877. In a biography of his older brother, it was mentioned that all the kids in the Hunter family were, "born naturalists, for they knew all the birds and many of the plants and insects around Lincoln, [Nebraska]." When Hunter was just 15 years old, he was appointed to the United States Postal Service. It was a career choice that would supplement his collecting efforts all through his life. Hunter was like many Plant Collectors; he worked his regular job with the post office for almost 30 years w

There's are some lines from a TS Eliot poem that go like this : Oh, Do not ask, "What is it?" Let us go and make our visit." If you've never visited your local botanic garden this time of year, you really should go. I have a friend who recently did this, and she posted amazing pictures from her visit to the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. She said this: "This is my PSA : Get yourself to the Arb ....now . Don't wait to go just to see the change in color of the trees (like everyone else ) Go now ! The colors of the flowers are crazy ! This is just a couple quick snaps with my phone ( which doesn't do justice) no filters, editing or enhancing. The colors are just THAT bright and bold . I've never gone this time of year . I go in the spring, a few times mid summer then I wait like everyone else for the leaves to change and go again. I've even gone in the winter but never late late summer /early fall . For some reason I thought there wouldn't be anything to look at. I thought the flowers would be half dead ( like my potted plants at home 😜) I won't make that mistake again." Brevities #OTD Today is the birthday of the botanist professor Mildred Mathias who was born on this day in 1906 in Sappington, Missouri. Mathias was a professor at UCLA from 1962 until 1974. Mathias also served as president of the American Society for Plant Taxonomists and the Botanical Society of America. Matthias was a pioneer in the area of ecotourism. She enjoyed bringing brightness and amateurs alike all over the world to study and discover plants. From her early days with Dr. Lincoln Constance at Berkeley and 1937, Matthias began to focus on the umbrella for I family or the carrot family The envelope for Reiff is a family of aromatic flowering plants and it's commonly referred to as the carrot or sell celery or parsley family. But it also includes other important herbs like Angelica and Annis Carraway and chervil, dill, fennel, luggage, and parsnip, just to name a few. The taproots of carrot and parsnip are big enough to be harvested as food. Plants like coriander and cilantro and dill and parsley or harvested for their leaves which contain essential boils that are very aromatic. In addition the seeds of these plants, like fennel and cumin and coriander are also harvested for cuisine. On both prefer soil that is cool; they grow breast in the shoulder seasons. The umbrella for I family is named because of the tiny flowers that are clustered together to form in amble – a little flower overhang reminiscent of an umbrella The above are favorites among ladybugs and parasitic wasps. Over the course of Matthias's career she published over 100 articles and books about the ambler fry. Mathias became an authority on #Apiaceae #taxonomy. Here's her namesake Mathiasella bupleuroides. She served as the president of the Botanical Soc. of America @Botanical_ & American Soc. of Plant Taxonomists @AmSocPlantTaxon When volume 26 of Madrono was dedicated to you, the final sentence of the citation read: "Mildred, your pioneering spirit, unbelievable energy, wit, humor, warmth, and effectiveness as a leader have made the world a brighter, greener, and more compassionate place for all of us." With these same words we also salute you, as you honor The Society for Economic Botany by accepting our award as Distinguished Economic Botanist for 1993. #OTD Today in 1907, Orville Redenbacher, was born. Redenbacher was a U.S. agricultural scientist and the co-creator of a new hybrid of popcorn called "snowflake." It was lighter and fluffier than traditional popped kernels and Redenbacher became a household name with his commercials for his popcorn. To this day, Orville Redenbacher is the number one selling popcorn in the world. Nebraska produces more popcorn than any other state in the country. #OTD Today is the birthday of the third son of Charles Darwin, Francis Darwin - known to his family as Frank. Francis published the results of his work with his dad in a book called The Movement of Plants. The book details their experiments which showed that young grass seedlings grow toward the light. In 1887, Frank shared a portrait of his father in a book called life and letters of Charles Darwin. The letters revealed Darwins fluid pros and Clarity Frank said that correcting his fathers proof sheets made him a better writer. Frank had been taught by a master teacher and intern he became a teacher as well. At Cambridge he taught students of pure science and medicine. Frank Darwin received many honors during his lifetime including The president of the British Association in the 1908 1909 year And in 1913 he was knighted. It was Frank Darwin who said "the personal affective teacher on people cannot be bought at a price, nor can it be paid for in any coin but gratitude. It is the possibility of earning this payment that makes the best part of a teachers life." #OTD On this day in 1991 The NY Times printed printed an announcement about an upcoming symposium at the NYBG featuring

#NationalIndoorPlantWeek is this week! Be sure to follow my friend, Lisa Steinkopf - the @HouseplantGuru- on twitter for a chance to win copies of her books and some houseplants. And remember, it's all week long - so Happy Indoor Plant Week. Go get yourself something new for the Indoor season which is just around the corner if you live in a colder climate. Brevities #OTD Today is the anniversary of the death of Charles V of France who died on this day in 1380. He commissioned his cook, Guillaume Tirel, to create the first cookbook. The full title of the book is an exceptionally long one. In English, it translates to: "Hereafter follows the [recipe collection] describing the preparation of all manner of foods, as cooked by Taillevent, the cook of our noble king, and also the dressing and preparation of boiled meat, roasts, sea and freshwater fish, sauces, spices, and other suitable and necessary things as described hereafter." As the Culinary World was getting underway, it is interesting to note that during Charles V's reign, the first forks were found to be included in an inventory. And gardeners with some knowledge of mushrooms will find the death of Charles V intriguing; some historians believe that Charles V died as a result of eating the highly poisonous amanita mushrooms. #OTD Today is the birthday of the Scottish plantsman Robert Fortune who was born on this day in 1812. Robert Fortune's name is inextricably bound to China and to tea and the tea plant, Camellia sinensis. For centuries, China had a monopoly on tea. They, alone, grew the plants. They made black tea and green tea, and the rest of the world had no idea how they did it. By the 1700's, the British had started enjoying exports from China: porcelain, silk, and yes, tea. But, China was not interested in goods from Britain. The lop-sided relationship was a problem. This is where Robert Fortune enters the scene. By the early 1800's, he was a trained botanist learning at the hem of some of England's finest gardens and he gets hired to go to China by the Royal Geographic Society the RGS. At the time, China was off-limits to foreigners. So, in order to collect plants, Fortune figured out a way to blend in: he shaves his head and wears clothing like the locals, he picks up some of the Mandarin language and he learns about China more than any other westerner at the time. China is vast and Fortune stayed for three years before returning home to England. When he returned, Fortune wrote about his time in China and he drew the attention of The British East India Company. They were serious about obtaining tea plants from China. And, they were desperate to learn how to make tea. So, they wisely select Fortune, with his unique combination of botanical and Chinese expertise, and they send him back to China. This time Fortune was on a much more specific mission and he knew what he needed to do to. He went to China incognito; dressed as a Mandarin. He had shaved the front of his head he basically had extensions sewn in to the hair on the back of his head so he looked like he has this amazingly long ponytail. He looked 100% the part. Then, he hired guides to do the talking for him and since there was no national language, it all flew under the radar. Once in China, Fortune immediately began visiting tea plantations. He learned the methods and ways of harvesting tea plants to make tea. He learned that green tea and black tea come from the same plant; it's just the processing method that makes them different. Thanks to the Wardian case, Fortune was able to get live plants to India. All told, Fortune managed to smuggle out 20,000 tea plants and ships them to India. He even managed to get some of the Chinese tea farmers with their tools to leave China and help set up tea production in India. Sara Rose, one of the authors who has written a biography on Fortune, said that what Fortune accomplished was no less than the greatest single act of corporate espionage in the history of the world. Today, China is still the top tea producer with over 2.4 million tons of production. Followed by India at a little less than half and then Kenya, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam make up the next spots. So, tea being grown outside of China is a direct result of Robert Fortune and India, as the number 2 tea producer in the world (behind China) was a feat that was accomplished in a less than two centuries. And, again, it wouldn't have happened without Robert Fortune. #OTD 1835 Charles Darwin arrived at the Galapagos islands on board a ship called the HMS Beagle. Once he's on the islands, Darwin begins to check out all of the varied and unique plants and it gets him thinking. The experience basically shapes his theory of natural selection. Unearthed Words "But now in September the garden has cooled, and with it my possessiveness. The sun warms my back instead of beating on my head ... The harvest has dwindled, and I have grown apart from the intense midsummer relationship that brought it on." -

What's the secret to beautiful begonias? I asked this to a friend recently who has the most gorgeous begonias every single year. Her answer: fish emulsion. This means you should feed your begonias with fertilizer. Since we love that begonias flower and they do flower their hearts out, that makes begonias are heavy feeders. Since fish emulsion (5-1-1) is a low-intensity total fertilizer it's perfect for promoting large, healthy, beautiful begonias. Just feed every 3-4 weeks and follow the label directions. And remember, most begonias do best with plenty of filtered light but little or no direct hot sun. So don't fry them. At the same time, water and begonias don't play nice together in the sense that begonias can rot pretty quickly. They need a soil that's going to drain quick. They need to be in pots - like terra cotta- that breathe. Add perlite or leaf mold to your soil mix to make a very coarse, quick-draining potting mix to add more air pockets to the soil. Then, don't forget that those air pockets mean you need to water more frequently - especially during warm weather. One thing you can also do is mist begonias. They like humidity - but too much of that can invite fungus or powdery mildew, so keep an eye on them. Brevities #OTD Today is the birthday of Caspar Wistar the Younger who was born on this day in 1761. His grandfather was also Caspar Wistar, so the Younger distinction helps people tell them apart. Wistar was a Professor of Anatomy at the University of Pennsylvania. The botanist Thomas Nuttall named the genus Wisteria in his honor (some people say Wistaria to reflect the proper spelling of Wistar's last name. Either is fine because guess what - the misspelling is preserved for all time under the International Code of Botanical Nomenclature). It's like one of my kid's birth certificate - it can be amended but the original is wrong and will be until the end of time. Wistar had some pretty impressive friends: his best friend was probably Thomas Jefferson and his most famous botany friend was probably Alexander von Humboldt. Wistar died of a heart ailment unexpectedly on January 18, 1818. His final utterance was: "I wish well to all mankind." During his life, every Sunday Night, Wistar would hold a salon - an open house - at his home on the corner of Fourth and Locust Street. His friends would stop by - along with any members of academia, or the elite or high society, along with other accomplished people who happened to be in Philadelphia that evening. They all knew that Wistar's house was the place to go to meet up with the best minds of the day. When Wistar died, his friends continued holding Wistar parties for a core group of 50 members. They would each take turns hosting and the kept the tradition going for another forty years. #OTD Today is the birthday of the British author, Roald Dahl who was born on this day in 1916. Today, his birthday, is celebrated all over the world as Roald Dahl Day. Dahl was an avid gardener. In fact, his garden shed doubled as his writing nook where he wrote many books, including Charlie and the Chocolate factory. As romantic a notion as this sounds to a gardener's ears, it was also a pragmatic decision on the part of Dahl's wife. Dahl chain-smoked as he wrote and the garden shed kept the smoke out of the house. For Dahl's part, he loved the idea of using the garden shed as a place to write, especially after seeing the little writing hut used by the author Dylan Thomas. Gardeners with a passion for roses will no doubt praise the Roald Dahl Rose which honored Dahl's love of gardening. It's an absolutely stunning English shrub rose bred by David Austin. It's got a very blousy habit and scrumptious peach blooms that just go non-stop. They have a lovely fragrance as well - and not many thorns, so that's a bonus. Dahl's diaries have marvelous entries about his garden, and he was often inspired by his garden which you can ascertain when you read in his work. H ere are some examples: From Matilda: "I liked The Secret Garden best of all. It was full of mystery." From My Year: "There is just one small bright spark shining through the gloom in my January garden. The first snowdrops are in flower." From James and the Giant Peach: "And now suddenly, the whole place, the whole garden seemed to be alive with magic..." From The BFG: "But Mr Tibbs didn't hesitate for long. 'Tell the head gardener,' he whispered, 'that I require immediately a brand new unused garden fork and also a spade. And for a knife we shall use the great sword hanging on the wall in the morning-room. But clean the sword well first. It was last used to cut off the head of King Charles the First and there may still be a little dried blood on the blade." From Roald Dahl: "Mary, Mary, quite contrary How does yr garden grow? 'I live with my brat in a high-rise flat, So how in the world would I know.' Unearthed Words All week long The Daily Gardener has been sharing quotes from the author Beverley Nichols, who was bor

How's your garden doing? Is there something blooming that is stealing your heart? In my garden, I'm especially enjoying the Yellow wax-bells or Kirengeshoma palmata ("kih-ren-gesh-OH-mah palm-AY-tah"). Heidi Heiland installed these for me last summer during my garden renovation. They are right up by my front door in a North-facing garden - and I see them every day as I go in and out the front door. I have to say that this plant has slowly won my heart. All season, I watched this perennial grow into a clump of maple-leaves (the leaves look just like the maple tree but smaller and a lighter green.) Then as August comes on, you begin to see these pendulous pale yellow buds. They are quite enchanting and they hang there through September. Fine Gardening describes the plant this way: "This hardy, clump-forming perennial bears pendulous, shuttlecock-shaped soft-yellow blossoms in late August and early September. The plant has attractive, glossy, 4- to 8-inch-long, maple-leaf-shaped leaves. Noteworthy Characteristics This unusual flowering perennial is native to mountainous areas of Japan and Korea. Survives the -20ºF winters of USDA Zone 5, as well as winters of warmer climates. Care Grow in rich, moist, acidic soil. Shelter from wind." Anyway, when you think of yellow blossoms in the garden, that spectrum of color can be pretty wide; there are so many shades of yellow. I'm personally not a fan of the super bright yellows and I end up eliminating flowers if their bloom is too jarring to my taste. But, I've decided that the soft pastel, creamy-buttery yellow of yellow wax-bells, has to be hands-down my favorite yellow in the garden. Brevities #OTD Today is the birthday of America's first pteridologist, Daniel Cady Eaton, who was born on this day in 1834. A pteridologist is a person who studies ferns. The botanist Charles Frost told a charming story about how Eaton had fallen in love with ferns after going on a walk with his fiancé. At some point on their walk, she had apparently called Eaton's attention to a beautiful fern and Eaton's desire to please her was the origin of his hyper-focus on ferns. Eaton was born in to a botanical family. His grandfather, Amos, was an American pioneer in the field of botany. Amos actually was a teacher to John Torrey. His father was also interested in collecting. For his undergraduate work, Eaton went to Yale and then received another degree at Harvard. While he was in college, he excelled in Latin and he loved and used the language for the rest of his life. Eaton studied under Asa Gray. Asa Gray would have learned about botany as a student by reading Amos Eaton's textbooks. In any case, Daniel and Asa were kindred spirits; so much so, that Eaton dedicated his work on "The Ferns of the United States of America and British North American Possessions" to his beloved instructor. #OTD Today is the birthday of the Landscape Architect Arthur Shurcliff who was born on this day in 1870. Shurcliff's path to Landscape Architecture was not clear cut. His dad had been a successful businessman. Arthur was supposed to follow in his dad's footsteps and become a Mechanical Engineer. But after receiving his degree from MIT, the field of Landscape Architecture was making waves thanks to the Olmsteds, Charles Eliot, and the Chicago World's Fair. Since no formal degree programs existed at the time, Shurcliff cobbled together his own curriculum at the Lawrence School of Science at Harvard. All his life, Shurcliff loved being outside. He loved camping and canoeing. He loved scenery. He love sketching the landscape. Looking back on his decision to pursue Landscape Architecture, Shurcliff remembered, "All led me away from mechanics toward scenery, toward planning and construction for the scenes of daily life..." In 1904, Shurcliff opened his own firm. Shurcliff designed recreational spaces in and around Boston like the Rose Garden, the Washington Garden at old North, and the park Back Bay Fens. But, Shurcliff will forever be remembered for the work he did at Colonial Williamsburg. It was the first time an entire American community was to be restored. John D. Rockefeller financed the project. Shurcliff had over 30 years of experience behind him when he officially started the project on St. Patrick's Day of that year. He didn't just bring his Landscape Architecture skills; he brought everything he had; his training in engineering, his meticulousness, and his ability to get things done through his personal clarity, energy, and charm. It took Shurcliff 13 years to finish the project. But, once it was done, Shurcliff had redefined Williamsburg; helping it to lay claim to it's past and ensuring that Colonial Revival garden design found legitimacy in 20th Century Landscape Architecture. #OTD Today in 1930, Dr. Ernest H. Wilson also known as "Chinese" Wilson spoke at a banquet room at the Hotel Bond as part of the Connecticut Horticultural Exposition. Wilson's speech drew loud applause when he predicted that peo

If, over the course of the summer, you found yourself driving down the road and spying a little electric blue blossom by the side of the road; chances are, you are looking at chicory. Listener Danny Perkins shared a post at the end of August sharing beautiful photos of chicory. A few years ago, I used to drive the boys into St. Paul for basketball camp and when I pulled off the free way, there it was. Chicory. Impossibly growing in between cracks in the cement along the sidewalk. I went straight to my Mac when I got home and order seeds on the spot. The blue of chicory is positively luminescent. The plant is where chicory coffee and tea come from. Listener Diane Lydic posted this: "My father use to pick it on his way home from work. He made a map of all the patches so he could remember for next year. Delicious with olive oil and vinegar with hard boiled eggs. Always a treat!" Diane's father is a man after my own heart. Anyone who makes a map of roadside patches of precious plants is a friend in my book! Brevities #OTD Today is the anniversary of the death of Rudolph Jacob Camerarius the botanist who demonstrated the existence of sexes in plants. He died in 1721. Camerarius was born in Germany. He was a professor of natural philosophy. He identified and defined the male parts of the flower as the anther and he did the same for the female part; the pistol. And, he figured out that pollen made production possible. His work was recorded for the ages in a letter he wrote to a peer in 1694 called On the sex of plants. #OTD Today is the anniversary of the death of the Spanish priest, botanist, physician, and naturalist José Celestino Mutis who spent almost 50 years in Columbia where he is regarded as a national treasure for his scientific work. In the 18th century, Columbia and the area around it was known as New Granada. Given his lifetime spent in Granada, Mutis was able to leave a lasting legacy. He created an impressive library complete with thousands of books on botany and the natural world. He also built a herbarium with over 24,000 species. Only Joseph Banks had a herbarium that rivaled Mutis; and Banks had more resources and more support from the English government. Mutis approached the job of documenting the flora of Granada in a very unique way; he accomplished his mission by enlisting others. During his time in Granada, Mutis worked with over 40 local Creole artists. He recruited them and trained them. He brought them to a studio where they could work all day long in silence. In short, Mutis set up a botanical production machine that was unsurpassed in terms of the output and the level of excellence for the times. At one point, Mutis had up to twenty artisans working all at one time. One artist would work on the plant habit while another would work on specific aspects or features. The Mutis machine created over 6,500 pieces of art; botanical sketches and watercolors painted with pigments made from local dyes which heightened their realism. On the top of the Mutis bucket-list was the dream of a Flora of Bogata. Sadly it never happened. Mutis died in Granada in 1808. Eight years later, the King of Spain ordered all of the output from the Mutis expedition to be shipped back home. All the work created by the Creole artisans and the entire herbarium were packed into 105 shipping crates and sent to Spain where they sat and sat and sat and waited... until 1952 when a handful were used in a large folio series. Then the Mutis collection waited another 60 years until 2010 when they were finally exhibited at Kew. Today, the thousands of pieces that make up the Mutis collection are housed at the Botanical Garden in Madrid, Spain. The pieces are large - mostly folio size - and since they haven't really seen much daylight over the past two centuries, they are in immaculate condition. #OTD Today is the birthday of the Harvard and Smithsonian botanist, taxonomist and plant collector Lyman Bradford Smith who was born on this day in 1904. Smith was homeschooled by his mother, but it was his mother's Aunt Cora that nurtured his love of horticulture. He went to college and pursued botany at Harvard where he found another passion: wrestling. Smith continued wrestling into his 60's. When he started his Ph.D. he attempted to focus on grasses. But that work required the use of a microscope and Smith didn't have good eye sight. It was the botanist Ivan Murray Johnston who encouraged Smith to choose Bromeliaceae because they didn't require so much microscope time. When he married his wife in 1929, their honeymoon was a tour of European herberia. When he returned home, Smith worked at the Asa Gray herbarium at Harvard. All through the Depression, Smith rode his bike to and from the Gray; 14 miles round trip. Smith began focusing on four Brazilian plant families Bromeliaceae, Begoniaceae, Velloziaceae, and Xyridaceae early in his career. Despite discouragement from older academics who felt the topic of North American Bromeliaceae

Right about now is the perfect time to get out the power washer. Clean your water features, edging, rocks, fountains, and your outdoor entertaining spaces. The reality is that once you start up that power washer, the list of things that you can clean with it goes on and on. As you're working, you invariably find more things to wash. When it comes to our maintenance free decking, I'll add a little Dawn dish soap to help release the dirt out of the grooves. And, this week and next is the exact best time of year to get your ponds netted so you can catch those falling leaves and save yourself some major cleanup. My neighbor has a huge maple tree that hangs over part of our yard. When that tree starts to let go the helicopter seeds, I'll cover some of the raised beds and planters with wedding tulle to minimize the number of baby maples growing in the garden.

I thought I'd start today's show off with a quote by Beverley Nichols from his book, Sunlight on the Lawn: "Why do insurance companies, when they want to describe an act of God, invariably pick on something which sounds much more like an act of the Devil? One would think that God was exclusively concerned in making hurricanes, smallpox, thunderbolts, and dry rot. They seem to forget that He also manufactures rainbows, apple-blossom, and Siamese kittens. However, that is, perhaps, a diversion." This quote by Nichols came to mind when I heard the wondrous story about the little tomato plant that had sprouted on a piling by the Brooklyn Bridge. It made the Nightly News after the story was first published by the New York Times on Wednesday along with a photo taken by a passerby, Matthew Frey. Paddle-boarding between Pier 1 and 2 in Brooklyn Bridge Park, Frey saw the leaves first. His incredible image of a lone tomato plant growing straight up with no supports and with one perfectly red little tomato was heartwarming. It reminded me of the Charlie Brown Christmas Tree but with only one red ornament hanging proudly in the middle of the plant. Frey, who is 54, told the times: "I'm used to seeing things grow here, but nothing as special as that... Things like that just make me happy." Beverley Nichols would have loved seeing the little tomato plant that could. To him, it would have been heaven sent - a little gift to us all from above. Brevities #OTD On this day in 1513, James IV of Scotland, along with other Flowers of the Forest, were killed in the battle of Flodden. The Scottish army led by James, was taking advantage of Henry VIII's absence in France but they were resoundingly crushed by an army organized by Katherine of Aragon, Henry VIII's 1st wife. It was the largest battle ever fought between England & Scotland, and it was a devastating defeat for the Scots who remembered the pain of an estimated 12,000 dead sons of Scotland in an old Scottish folksong called "The Flowers of the Forest." There are many variations of the lyrics that have surfaced over the years. One of the oldest verses ends this way: "'The Flowers of the Forest that fought at the foremost, The prime of the land are cold in the clay'" In 1765, the socialite Alison Cockburn wrote her own lyrics to the Flowers of the Forest. Here's the first verse: I've seen the smiling Of fortune beguiling, I've tasted her pleasures And felt her decay; Sweet is her blessing, And kind her caressing, But now they are fled And fled far away. #OTD Today is the anniversary of the death of the botanist and the incomparable botanical illustrator Georg Dionysius Ehret who died on this day in 1770. Ehret was born in Heidelberg, Germany to Ferdinand Christian Ehret, who was a gardener and also had a talent for drawing. He taught his son both skills- gardening and drawing - before he died. Ehret made his way to Regensburg. There, he met an apothecary who hired him to draw of specimens from his herbarium and garden. Ehret earnestly took on the job; drawing over 500 pieces in one year. Taking advantage of his young employee, the apothecary fired Ehret and told him he should have completed 1,000 drawings and was fired. It was basically his way of avoiding paying Ehret. After this dreadful experience, Ehret made his way to England and worked at the major botanical gardens - Including Chelsea Physic. Isaac Rand, the first director of the Chelsea Physic Garden in London, told Ehret to paint the rare plants in the garden. The uniqueness of the specimens added to the demand for Ehret's work. As a result, Ehret was on friendly terms with the plant collectors and naturalists of his time. Chelsea was formative professionally and personally for Ehret; He married the head gardener's sister-in-law, Susanna Kennet. In The Art of Botanical Illustration, Wilfrid Blunt noted that, "By the middle of the century he had become a popular figure in London society: the highest nobility in England clamored to receive instruction from him," Indeed, the wealthiest woman in England, Margaret Cavendish Bentinck, (the Duchess of Portland) gladly retained Ehret as a drawing instructor. Struck by the luminescence of his work, and ultimately she would buy over 300 of his paintings. In 1737, Ehret was hired to draw by Sir Charles Wager, First Lord of the Admiralty. In August of that year, Wagner's personal garden is where Ehret first observed the Magnolia grandiflora flowering. The bloom was so inspiring that Ehret walked for an hour each way, from Chelsea to Wagner's house (in Fulham), to see and sketch every stage of the Magnolia grandiflora; from bud to full flower. Ehret's work provided the world with the first Magnolia to be illustrated in England. Beyond his work in England, Ehret traveled throughout Europe in pursuit of his craft. He met Linnaeus in Holland when he was visiting the botanical garden in Leiden. Linnaeus taught Ehret exactly how he wanted plants to be dissected and drawn. By this ti

September is my favorite month for planting trees, shrubs, and perennials. The cool air makes outdoor exercise a joy and the ground temperatures add the perfect amount of warmth for plants to get established. Planting in the fall is preferred because it's the time of year when perennials experience less transplant shock. At the same time, there is still sufficient time for plants to establish their roots in the garden in time for winter. After their season of dormancy, when the ground warms again, fall-planted perennials grow and bloom more vigorously than if they were planted in the spring. Bottomline: Now is NOT the time to stop planting. It's the perfect time to get your dig on. Brevities #OTD Today is the anniversary of the death of the botanist Jean-Baptiste Van Mons who died on this day in 1842. The name of the game for Mons was selective breeding for pears. Selective breeding happens when humans breed plants to develop particular characteristic by choosing the parent plants to make the offspring. Check out the patience and fortitude that was required as Mon's described his work: "I have found this art to consist in regenerating in a direct line of descent, and as rapidly as possible an improving variety, taking care that there be no interval between the generations. To sow, to re-sow, to sow again, to sow perpetually, in short to do nothing but sow, is the practice to be pursued, and which cannot be departed from; and in short this is the whole secret of the art I have employed." Jean-Baptiste Van Mons produced a tremendous amount of new pear cultivars in his breeding program - something north of forty incredible species over the course of his lifetime. The Bosc and D'Anjou pears, we know today, are his legacy. #OTD Today is the anniversary of the day in 1847 when Henry David Thoreau left Walden Pond and moved in with Ralph Waldo Emerson in Concord, Massachusetts. His two years of simple living at Walden Pond were over. #OTD Today is the anniversary of the death of James Veitch Jr. who died on this day in 1869. Veitch was born into the famous family nursery business known the world over as Veitch Nurseries. His grandfather, John, had started the business. After growing up and learning the business from his father and grandfather, Veitch went to London to train with other nurserymen. After he quickly became a partner in the nursery, he married Harriott Gould. In addition to being a wonderful plantsman himself, James Jr. was an exceptionally bright businessman. He acquired a nursery called the Royal Exotic Nursery in London to ensure the Veitch Nursery stayed competitive and he turned Royal Exotic into the largest specialty nursery in Europe. James Veitch Jr created the RHS Fruit and Floral Committees which still exist today. His love of the plants and the business were carried on in his three sons. The oldest, John Gould Veitch, was one of the first plant hunters to visit Japan. The second son, Harry James, oversaw the business during a period of peak growth. The third son, Arthur, worked with Harry to send Plant Explorers on missions all over the globe. Of the brothers, it was the middle son, Harry, who outlived them both. His older brother John Gould died young at age 31 from tuberculosis. Harry outlived his younger brother, Arthur, who died young as well - he died after a short illness when he was just 36 years old. #OTD Today is the birthday of the Belgian botanist and dendrologist Joseph Hers who was born on this day in 1884. Dendrology is the science and study of wooded plants, like trees and shrubs, and their taxonomic classifications. Hers made his first trip to China in 1905; he was an interpreter for the Belgium ministry. He later founded organizations to promote good relations between China and Belgium. Later, Hers spent five years collecting in the north-central provinces of China from 1919-1924. The Arnold Arboretum had hired him to collect for them. As a dendrologist, Hers was especially focused on trees. The rapid rate of deforestation in China was especially alarming to Hers. Among Hers discoveries was the snakebark maple Acer tegmentosum. #OTD Today is the birthday of the British Botanist Kathleen Basford who was born on this day in 1916. As a young girl, Basford's nanny, Winny, taught her about the natural world; she learned to identify wildflower and trees. In the 1940's, Basford had three children of her own. She began gardening. When she wasn't with the children, she started breeding orchids. She became so interested in botany, she took evening classes on the subject. By the early 1950's, Basford published a paper on a fuchsia she discovered. It proved that the fuchsia had existed 20-30 million years ago - before the break-up of the continents. Her paper caught the attention of the chair of the botany department at Manchester University; a geneticist named Sydney Harland. He offered Basford a job on the spot. Later in life, Basford also wrote a book called "The Green Man." Before

If you have struggled to grow tomatoes successfully, maybe it's time to give cucumbers a try. They are much easier to grow than tomatoes. Just add some organic matter to the soil and mulch around the base of the plant. Cucumbers benefit from support, so install a trellis for the vines to climb. That's it. The saying, "cool as a cucumber" refers to the fact that it's about 20 degrees cooler on the inside of a cucumber. And, cucumbers contain loads of nutrients like magnesium, vitamin C, and potassium. Cucumbers are 96 percent cool water. The phytochemcials in cucumbers kill the bacteria that causes bad breath. Just press a slice of cucumber to the roof of your mouth with your tongue and in 30 seconds, you'll have better-smelling breath. Brevities #OTD Today is the birthday of the first collector and cataloguer of Canadian plant specimens, Naturalist Michel Sarrazin, who was born on this day in 1659. In France, Sarrazin was a trained to be a surgeon. By the age of 25, he was appointed to help the troops headed to colonize Canada. When he arrived in Canada he tended to both the troops and civilians in Québec and Montreal. Helping sick people was dangerous work. In his early thirties Sarrazin himself became ill and in short order he returned to France to receive more training. He spent three years in France - obtaining his doctorate of medicine and finding himself spending more and more time at the Botanical Garden in Paris. It wasn't long before he met the nobleman and botanist Joseph Pitton de Tournefort. Tournefort was an excellent teacher. He was the first botanist to develop the idea of creating a genus for plants. Later, Sarrazin would report that it was Tournefort who "stimulated [his] lifelong interest in collecting and classifying [plants]". Rested, educated, and passionate about horticulture, Sarrazin returned to Canada and he kept in touch with Tournefort through correspondence. He would send back various specimens of North American plants. Tournefort, in turn, would share Sarrazin's discoveries with the Royal Academy of Science back in France. Sarrazin's most noted discover was Sarracenia purpurea, the pitcher plant - which Linneaus would name in his honor. The pitcher plant grew in wetlands, bogs and marshes around Québec. From a medicinal standpoint, the pitcher plant was discovered to be an effective against smallpox. Ever the doctor, Sarrazin had studied the powerful pitcher plant. Incredibly, it was Michel Sarrazin who first suspected that the plant actually caught insects and ate them. When he shared his thoughts in writing, the academic community rejected his theory. Nearly 200 years later, Charles Darwin would validate Sarrazin's hypothesis in his work called Insectivorous Plants. There's a fascinating side-note in the Sarrazin biography; Sarrazin was the first doctor to perform a mastectomy in North America. His patient was a 38-year-old nun and her prognosis was so grim that Sarrazin was certain she would die without the surgery. Sarrazin acted quickly, the nun recovered, and lived a full life until the age of 77. #OTD Today in 1857, Harvard botanist Asa Gray received a confidential letter from Charles Darwin. In the letter, Darwin wrote: "I will enclose the briefest abstract of my notions on the means by which nature makes her species....I ask you not to mention my doctrine." Two years later, Darwin revealed his concept of natural selection in his book, "On the Origin of Species. #OTD Today is the birthday of the botanist Katherine Warington who was born on this day in 1897. Warington was a twin in a family with five girls. After college, Warington ended up working with an entomologist who was researching the black fly. The point of the research was to make beans taste bad to the fly. Researchers took turns applying various elements to the beans and in the process, Warington discovered that Boron was essential to plant growth. Two years later, Warington published her work - amazing the scientific community at her discovery and the unlikely scenario of a scientist making a major discovery with their first research project after college. Unearthed Words "What wondrous life is this I lead! Ripe apples drop about my head; The luscious clusters of the vine Upon my mouth do crush their wine; The nectarine and curious peach Into my hands themselves do reach; Stumbling on melons, as I pass, Ensnared with flowers, I fall on grass." - Andrew Marvell, Thoughts in a Garden Today's book recommendation: Tussie-Mussies by Geraldine Laufer This book on Tussie-Mussies is subtitled The Victorian Art of Expressing Yourself in the Language of Flowers and it came out in 1993. Laufer's book does a wonderful job of explaining the art of sending floral messages. Tussie-Mussies were originally called "talking bouquets" or "word posies." She describes how to make them (it's simpler than you might think). She also shares how the meanings of herbs and flowers have changed over time. Laufer has been called a Floral P

I had to chuckle the other day as I was putting together my fall containers. The first thing I do when I transition from one season to another, is determine which plants are salvageable - the ones that have enough gas to go another season. One of my pots ended up being a bit of a hodgepodge. I call it my "Must Go" Container in honor of my husband's Great Aunt Lena. Here's the backstory: Great Aunt Lena would babysit my husband and his siblings when they were little. She was helping out my in-laws while they were both at work and she was famous for making a casserole at the end of the week she called "Must Go" hotdish. Phil's dad used to tell how one particular Must Go hotdish was extra memorable because when he was dishing himself up a plate, he pulled out an intact piece of pizza out of the depths of this hotdish; which no doubt was combined with a can of cream of mushroom soup. In any case, my "Must Go" container ended up being a bit of an homage to Great Aunt Lena; individually, the plants looked fine. But, put together, the effect was jumbled - a "Must Go" container if ever there was one. I'll have to redo it this weekend. Brevities #OTD Today is the birthday of the English gardener, designer, and nurseryman Henry Wise who was born on this day in 1653. One can't mention Henry Wise without talking about George London. The two worked together on gardens throughout England. The partnership began when Wise was a student of London. When Wise came of age, he became London's partner at the Brompton Park nurseries. Wise was one of the greatest gardeners and plantsmen of his time. Together, he and London became THE designers to work for over two decades until London died in 1714. Wise is remembered for being the gardener for Queen Anne, although he also managed the royal gardens during the reigns of William III and George I as well. London and Wise designed formal baroque gardens. Think - box hedges, gravel walk ways, beautiful statuary and magnificent fountains. Wise laid out the stunning avenue of Chestnut trees in England's Bushy Park as well as the walled kitchen garden made for the Duke of Marlborough in Blenheim which thrills visitors still today. #OTD Today is the birthday of the Arnold Arboretum taxonomist and dendrologist Alfred Rehder who was born on this day in 1863. A dendrologist studies trees and Rehder was the top dendrologist of his generation. Rehder learned about horticulture from his father who was an amateur gardener. He worked at a number of botanical gardens around Germany. At the turn of the 20th century, Rehder was sent to the US to study American grapes - which were resistant to phylloxera - the disease that was caused by aphids and that was threatening to obliterate wine production in Europe. There was no better place for Rehder to conduct his research than Harvard's Arnold Arboretum. It was a fortuitous assignment for Rehder who ended up meeting the director of the Arboretum - Charles Sprague Sargent. Sargent recognized Rehder's intelligence and diligence. He persuaded him to stay on and gave him the tremendous assignment of compiling a bibliography of everything written about woody plants published before 1900. It resulted in a five-volume, 3,789-page work. Rehder accomplished much during his time at Harvard. He launched a quarterly botanical publication known as the Journal of the Arnold Arboretum and he came up with a system to identify geographic zones based on the relationship between temperature and the hardiness of specific plants. Rehder's work helped establish what we know as the USDA Hardiness zone maps. #OTD Today is the birthday of Canada's first professional woman plant breeder - a woman called the "dean of hybridists" and the "Grand Lady of Canadian Horticulture" - Isabella Preston, who was born on this day in 1881. Vita Sackville-West once acknowledged, "I must confess I don't know anything about Miss Isabella Prestonof Ottawa. . ." Preston's name had become famous as the result of her lily hybrids. She bred the renowned George C. Creelman hybrid lily in 1919. Vita would have loved Preston's practical and hard-won advice. When a colleague asked Preston what she should do with her rock garden, Preston's advice was rather fascinating: "Use every bit of rock – Don't be afraid of it. Plant between, atop or along side. Presently, you will be convinced that flowers need near them the harsh stability of stone." Preston was a self-taught plant hybridizer. In 1920 she joined the Central Experimental Farm in Ottawa. For almost three decades, she endeavored to create more blooms on more disease-resistant plants. She created over 200 cultivars of six different plants including lilacs, lilies, crab apples, columbine, Siberian iris and roses. Preston Lilacs are named in her honor. Preston received many honors for her work. Unearthed Words "She had only to stand in the orchard, to put her hand on a little crab tree and look up at the apples, to make you feel the goodness of planting an

Have you ordered your spring bulbs yet? Here's a new perspective on planting spring bulbs - they're important resources for pollinators. Most gardeners think about spring flowering bulbs in terms of color - which is something we desperately need after a long winter. But spring flowering bulbs are valuable for another reason: they're an early source of nectar for pollinators. Think about planting these spring bulbs this October to help out bumblebees, native bees, and other pollinators in the early days of spring: Crocus, tulips, and daffodils are obvious choices. Other excellent spring bulb selections include options like fritillaria, grape hyacinths, winter aconites, snow drops, squill and glory of the snow (Chinodoxia). All of these bulbs can be planted now through the end of October. And don't forget you can plant early-flowering spring perennials to accompany these bulbs. Choose plants like early flowering hellebores and lungwort. Brevities #OTD On this day in 1802, a 13-year-old boy named George Thorndike, planted a tree at Bowdoin College in Maine. Thorndike was part of the first class at Bowdoin. The class was made up of 8 boys. Aside from being part of the charter class, Thorndike became an important part of the college's history. The story happened after Thorndike attended the very first service at the college chapel. As he was leaving the chapel, he spied a little acorn by the path. Thorndike knew enough about plants and trees to know that the acorn was a little out of place in the pine-laden forest around Bowdoin. Thorndike planted the acorn and the following year, it had made enough progress for Thorndike to move the sapling to the college president's garden. The year George and his class graduated, in 1806, they met under the tree to say farewell. The Thorndike Oak became an important symbol for Bowdoin College and a yearly commencement tradition; students would meet under the Thorndike Oak before the ceremony. #OTD Today is the birthday of the botanist Sara Allen Plummer Lemmon who was born on this day in 1836. Lemmon is remembered for her successful 1903 piece of legislation that nominated the golden poppy (Eschscholzia californica) as the state flower of California. Asa Gray named the genus Plummera in honor of Sara Plummer Lemmon. Plummera are yellow wildflowers in the daisy family, and they bloom from July through September in southeastern Arizona. Lemmon and her husband, John Gill Lemmon, were both botanists. Her husband always went by his initials JG. Although Sara partnered equally with her husband on their work in botany, their papers were always published with the credentials "J.G. Lemmon & Wife." The Lemmons had found each other late in life in California. They had both suffered individually during the civil war. John was taken prisoner at Andersonville. He barely survived and his health was impacted for the rest of his life. Sara had worked herself ragged nursing soldiers in New York while teaching. In 1881, when Sara was 45 years old, the Lemmons took a honeymoon trip to Arizona. They called it their "botanical wedding trip." The Lemmons rode a train to Tucson along with another passenger - President Rutherford B. Hayes. When they arrived, the Lemmons set off for the Santa Catalina Mountains. In Elliot's history of Arizona, he recounts the difficulty in climbing the mountain range: "The Lemmons often sat on the stone porch of their cave and dug the thorns and spines out of their hands and feet" And once they saw, " . . . a lion so large he carried a huge buck away without dragging feet or antlers." When they returned to Tucson unsuccessful and discouraged, they were told to meet a rancher named Emerson Oliver Stratton. Thanks to Stratton, they were able to ascend the Catalinas from the back side. When they arrived at the summit, Stratton was so impressed with Sara's drive and demeanor he named the mountain in her honor - Mount Lemmon. Sara was the first woman to climb the Catalinas. Twenty-five years later, in 1905, the Lemmons returned to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary. When they climbed the Catalina's in celebration, Stratton was again at their side; helping them retrace the steps of their "botanical wedding trip" to the top of Mount Lemmon. #OTD Today in 1893, The Times out of Philadelphia reported on a George Vanderbilt's mountain home; It said that the millionaire had transformed a forest into a blooming garden. Of course, it was describing the Biltmore - Vanderbilt's country mansion and estate. Here's what it said: "[Vanderbilt's] first step was to purchase, besides several mountains, 18,000 acres of land along the French Broad and the Swannanoa rivers. The next step ... was to restrain the natural temptation to carry out plans of his own and to employ the services of the greatest landscape artist in the country, Frederick Law Olmstead... Seven hundred men are employed, their wages running from $1 per day to the salary of $12,000 paid to the overseer. Three years ag

Now is the perfect time to play doctor in the garden. Look for the sick or injured. Look for plants that haven't thrived, plants with disease, and plants riddled with pests. You don't want to leave any diseased plants in your garden over the winter. If you are able to do only one fall garden chore, taking out the sick and infirm is what you want to do. All these babies get dug up and escorted out of my garden. Generally I say that nothing green or brown leaves the property, but these are items I don't dare chop and drop, or compost - these sick plants go out. Brevities #OTD It's the birthday of Lancelot Brown who was born on this day in 1716. Lancelot ended up at Stowe working for William Kent - the eminent painter and Landscape Architect. Stowe was commissioned in the 1730's. The garden at Stowe was a landscape garden. Lots of straight lines and formality. The garden looked like a painting with an 11 acre lake. The main area was the Elysian Fields; 40 acres featuring buildings and monuments that flank two narrow lakes called the River Styx. The monuments honored the virtuous men of Britian and Greece. The time spent with Kent at Stowe not only transformed the land, it transformed Lancelot from a gardener into a Landscape Architect. It was his big break. After Stowe, Brown traveled all over England as a freelancer. Brown' skill and his nickname came from seeing the "capabilities" of the landscape. He became so popular that everyone with means wanted a Capability Brown landscape - they craved his garden designs and garden temples. What everyone wanted was beauty and Capability delivered just that: beautiful gardens. Today, at least 20 of his gardens remain and are in the care of England's National Trust. #OTD Today is the birthday of Agoston Haraszthy who was born on this day in 1812. Haraszthy's family wasHungarian nobility. In 1840, he immigrated to the United States.Back home, Haraszthy had gotten hold of a book that reported the Wisconsin territory offered the finest land in America. So, he went there first. Since Haraszthy's dream was to make European wine in America, he quickly discovered Wisconsin was not the place for that. In short order, Haraszthy made his way to San Francisco with the gold rush. But San Francisco was not a fit with the grapes. It was foggy and cold. But then, Haraszthy found the Sonoma Valley in 1857. Sonoma Valley was called the "Valley of the Moon" by the writer Jack London and it turned out that Sonoma was the perfect place to grow purple gold. After a dozen years of searching Harazethy had found a place suitable for growing European grapes - which were more delicate and more finicky than North American wild grapes. Giddy and hopeful, Haraszethy built a white villa for his wife and six children on a property he named Buena Vista or Good View. Then he went to Europe and collected 100,000 cuttings of 300 varieties of grapes; There were the rare white grapes of the Pinot Chardonnay, the green Hungarian grape, the Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, and the white Riesling grapes of the Rhine and Moselle river region, just to name a few. There is an old saying that the God of wine, Bacchus, loved the hills. Well, Haraszethy loved them, too. He was the first vine dresser to grow his grapes on the mountain sides in California. In fact, Haraszthy brought many european growing methods to his estate - which included growing the grape plants closer together. This was something other growers found unwise. But Haraszthy knew that growing grapes in close proximity stressed the vines, which in turn, made better tasting grapes. Haraszthy also performed a green harvest - something no one had ever done before. Today the technique is known as dropping fruit which means doing an initial harvest of some of the grapes; the fewer grapes on the vine - the better the flavor of the remaining grapes. That year Haraszthy also brought in a team of Chinese laborers and they worked to dig out the first wine caves in the state. The most impressive accomplishment included a 100-feet-deep stone wine cellar built on the side of a hill. In 1863, Haraszthy incorporated his vineyard as the Buena Vista Vinicultural Society Thanks to investors, Haraszthy purchased an additional 4,000 acres making Buena Vista the second largest vineyard in the state. In 1866, a vine disease swept through the area. Haraszthy and his unique growing methods were blamed for the small tasteless grapes and the brown, dying vines. The disease was actually Phylloxera - an aphid that attacks vine roots and causes grapes to harden on the vine. It wiped out Buena Vista. Haraszthy filed for bankruptcy. With his vineyard and his reputation in tatters, Haraszthy went south to Nicaragua. He planted a large sugar plantation and he planned to make and sell rum. But, on July 6, 1869, as he was reaching for a vine and crossing a river on his property, he apparently fell and was eaten by an alligator. Today, Haraszthy is considered the father of California Vitocu

Now is the perfect time to play doctor in the garden. Look for the sick or injured. Look for plants that haven't thrived, plants with disease, and plants riddled with pests. You don't want to leave any diseased plants in your garden over the winter. If you are able to do only one fall garden chore, taking out the sick and infirm is what you want to do. All these babies get dug up and escorted out of my garden. Generally I say that nothing green or brown leaves the property, but these are items I don't dare chop and drop, or compost - these sick plants go out. Brevities #OTD It's the birthday of Lancelot Brown who was born on this day in 1716. Lancelot ended up at Stowe working for William Kent - the eminent painter and Landscape Architect. Stowe was commissioned in the 1730's. The garden at Stowe was a landscape garden. Lots of straight lines and formality. The garden looked like a painting with an 11 acre lake. The main area was the Elysian Fields; 40 acres featuring buildings and monuments that flank two narrow lakes called the River Styx. The monuments honored the virtuous men of Britian and Greece. The time spent with Kent at Stowe not only transformed the land, it transformed Lancelot from a gardener into a Landscape Architect. It was his big break. After Stowe, Brown traveled all over England as a freelancer. Brown' skill and his nickname came from seeing the "capabilities" of the landscape. He became so popular that everyone with means wanted a Capability Brown landscape - they craved his garden designs and garden temples. What everyone wanted was beauty and Capability delivered just that: beautiful gardens. Today, at least 20 of his gardens remain and are in the care of England's National Trust. #OTD Today is the birthday of Agoston Haraszthy who was born on this day in 1812. Haraszthy's family wasHungarian nobility. In 1840, he immigrated to the United States.Back home, Haraszthy had gotten hold of a book that reported the Wisconsin territory offered the finest land in America. So, he went there first. Since Haraszthy's dream was to make European wine in America, he quickly discovered Wisconsin was not the place for that. In short order, Haraszthy made his way to San Francisco with the gold rush. But San Francisco was not a fit with the grapes. It was foggy and cold. But then, Haraszthy found the Sonoma Valley in 1857. Sonoma Valley was called the "Valley of the Moon" by the writer Jack London and it turned out that Sonoma was the perfect place to grow purple gold. After a dozen years of searching Harazethy had found a place suitable for growing European grapes - which were more delicate and more finicky than North American wild grapes. Giddy and hopeful, Haraszethy built a white villa for his wife and six children on a property he named Buena Vista or Good View. Then he went to Europe and collected 100,000 cuttings of 300 varieties of grapes; There were the rare white grapes of the Pinot Chardonnay, the green Hungarian grape, the Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, and the white Riesling grapes of the Rhine and Moselle river region, just to name a few. There is an old saying that the God of wine, Bacchus, loved the hills. Well, Haraszethy loved them, too. He was the first vine dresser to grow his grapes on the mountain sides in California. In fact, Haraszthy brought many european growing methods to his estate - which included growing the grape plants closer together. This was something other growers found unwise. But Haraszthy knew that growing grapes in close proximity stressed the vines, which in turn, made better tasting grapes. Haraszthy also performed a green harvest - something no one had ever done before. Today the technique is known as dropping fruit which means doing an initial harvest of some of the grapes; the fewer grapes on the vine - the better the flavor of the remaining grapes. That year Haraszthy also brought in a team of Chinese laborers and they worked to dig out the first wine caves in the state. The most impressive accomplishment included a 100-feet-deep stone wine cellar built on the side of a hill. In 1863, Haraszthy incorporated his vineyard as the Buena Vista Vinicultural Society Thanks to investors, Haraszthy purchased an additional 4,000 acres making Buena Vista the second largest vineyard in the state. In 1866, a vine disease swept through the area. Haraszthy and his unique growing methods were blamed for the small tasteless grapes and the brown, dying vines. The disease was actually Phylloxera - an aphid that attacks vine roots and causes grapes to harden on the vine. It wiped out Buena Vista. Haraszthy filed for bankruptcy. With his vineyard and his reputation in tatters, Haraszthy went south to Nicaragua. He planted a large sugar plantation and he planned to make and sell rum. But, on July 6, 1869, as he was reaching for a vine and crossing a river on his property, he apparently fell and was eaten by an alligator. Today, Haraszthy is considered the father of California Vitocu

Well, it's time to get serious about remaking our containers – especially on the front porch and around the front door. Editing containers from time to time is essential to keep them looking great. Sometimes combinations don't work well, other times plants can grow in unexpected ways – too tall, too bushy, or just an abject failure. With the arrival of fall, it's the perfect time to remove spent plants and replace them with selections that are more seasonally appropriate. Fall pansies are wonderful to incorporate if you live in a cold climate. They can take the colder temperatures with no problem. Of course mums and asters and even grasses are wonderful in fall pots. I always like to look for bargains at my local nurseries and big box stores. Sometimes those finds get placed in containers temporarily before they find a home in the garden. And don't forget you can include houseplants when you're working with your fall containers. Pathos and Croton, even chopped up sections from an overgrown Boston fern are tremendous additions to fall containers. Brevities #OTD Today is the anniversary of the death of the Irish botanist and friend of Linnaeus, Patrick Browne who died on this day in 1790. There are no photographs of Patrick Browne - who was also a physician; but we was described this way: "The Doctor is a tall comely man, of good address and gentle manners, naturally cheerful, very temperate and in general health." Browne's major work was The Civil and Natural History of Jamaicapublished in 1756 in which he described 104 new species. In fact, Browne's work was the first book in the English language to use Linnaeus' classification system. Linnaeus was very pleased with Browne's work. He told the botanist Peter Collinson (who was friends with John Bartram and Benjamin Franklin) that after he had read Browne's book he reflected "No author did I ever quit more instructed" and he gushed that Browne, "ought to be honored with a Golden Statue." Browne named the genus to which cloves belong: Syzygium aromaticum. #OTD Today is the birthday of the German Austrian rosarian Rudolf Geschwind who was born on this day in 1829. As a child, Geschwind loved gardening. As a young man, he studied Forestry and his first job was working for the Austro-Hungarian Department of Forestry. Although he performed excellent work in the field of forestry, Geschwind's true passion was roses. At the age of 30, Geschwind began experimenting with breeding roses. It was a pursuit he would perfect over the next five decades. Geschwind's speciality was breeding roses that were frost resistant. Geschwind created close to 150 rose cultivars. His prized collection of climbing roses were displayed at the 1889 World's Fair in Paris. When Geschwind died in 1910, the Countess Maria-Henrieta Chotek, known as "The Countess of Roses," or "The Pink Countess," purchased Geschwind's entire collection - including some which had never been made public. As a member of one of the most distinguished families of the Czech nobility, Chotek had the means to handle this impressive transfer. In fact, Chotek was so serious about the effort to preserve Geschwind's work that she sent two of her gardeners to oversee the transfer of the collection. It was no small affair - it involved packing and moving over 2,000 roses to her estate - the Manor House or Castle known as Dolna Krupa. Over a century before Dolna Krupa was the place where Beethoven is presumed to have written his Moonlight Sonata. Maria-Henrieta's great grandfather, Jozef, was friends with Beethoven and he allowed Beethoven to live at Dolna Krupa for nearly a decade. Maria-Henrieta Chotek was born almost 60 years after Beethoven's stay at Dolna Krupa in 1863. As a woman who never married, her inheritance allowed her to pursue her passion for roses with abandon - and she did. She was in her 30's when she inherited Dolna Krupa. Once it was all hers, she set about creating one of the top three rosaria in Europe. During its prime, the rosaria at Dolna Krupa rivaled the roseria in France and the Rosarium of Sangerhausen in Germany. Chotek was a woman of action and she didn't just direct activities - she was very hands on. As a rosarian herself, Chotek developed new cultivars and conducted experiments. One time while visiting an exhibition, Chotek watched as a German horticulturist named Johannes Böttner presented a rambling rose called the Fragezeichen which means the "Question Mark" (What a great name!) The rose intrigued Henrieta Chotek so much, that she immediately left for Frankfurt to see the Fragezeichen trials personally. The year 1914 marked a turning point in Chotek's life and in the fate of many of Geschwind's roses. That year, in June, the Rose Congress was held at Zweibrücken. Chotek's work and rosaria were honored. But in the days following the event, Marie Henrieta's cousin, Sophie Chotek Ferdinand, wife of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand, was murdered alongside her husband in Saraevo and World War I had

This past week, I started looking for perennials I want to divide. After the hail storm and siding installation we had earlier this month, I don't feel too bad about digging up the plants. The garden looks tough. Might as well dig up old plants. I always start with my hostas - in part, because they recover so quickly. Next spring, you'll never know that they were transplanted this fall. In addition, they, like the ferns, get used make great ground covers. Got a chronic creeping charlie, creeping buttercup, or creeping anything... plant a hosta. It can handle the creepers and even if they manage to survive under the dense canopy, they aren't as vigorous and you won't see them anyway. Brevities #OTD On this day in 1773, French explorer and botanist Aimé Bonpland was born. Bonpland had traveled with Alexander von Humboldt in Latin America for five years - from 1799-1804, collecting & classifying 6,000 new plants. He co-authored many books about his discoveries. One of his journal entries says this: "We just arrived at a town where the locals invited us to eat a dish called enchiladas. When I tried it, my tongue burned and I started to sweat. I was told that this feeling is due to a fruit called "chili." I have to analyze it ..." And here's a little trivia about Bonpland: When Napolean's wife Josephine died, Bonpland was present at her deathbed. #OTD Today in 1798, the first American vineyard was planted 25 miles from Lexington, Kentucky. It was started by a Swiss immigrant named John James Dufour. He established the first successful commercial vineyard and winery in America. He called it "The First Vineyard." Dufour had read newspaper accounts of the American Revolution as a young boy in Switzerland. What struck him most was something the French fighters had said. They were fighting alongside the colonists and they bemoaned the fact that they didn't have any wine to drink in America. It left an impression on DuFour. His grandfather and father were both vine dressers in Switzerland. Dufour wanted to bring their winemaking skills to America. In 1796, Dufour arrived in America. Initially, he made a point of visiting Thomas Jefferson's Monticello and other estates. DuFour noticed they were working with the wild grapes, which Dufour felt were inferior. After one year of success with "The First Vineyard", Dufour wrote to his father, brothers and sisters in Switzerland and invited them all to join him. Seventeen members of his family made the voyage. After his family arrived, Dufour petitioned congress for the privilege of getting land in Indiana. The area had a steep valley that reminded the family of Switzerland. Congress granted a special approval for Dufour. By 1806, the first wine was made from the vineyard in Indiana, known as "The Second Vineyard" and the area became known as New Switzerland. #OTD Today is the birthday of the man known as the King of Colorado Botany, Charles Christopher Parry, who was born on this day in 1823. Parry discovered both the Torrey pine and Engelmann spruce which gives you a clue about his impressive mentors. Although he rubbed shoulders with the best botanists of his time, Parry's focus was not academic. He was more interested in making sure the public and the common man benefitted from his work. In 1845 while he was at college, Parry's teacher was the great John Torrey. Parry was good friends with Asa Gray - who was also a student of John Torrey. In 1848, Parry learned about the botanical trade from the star of the Missouri Botanical Garden: George Engelmann. In the summer of 1862 he brought Elihu Hall and J. P. Harbour on an expedition to Colorado. The men gathered ten sets of over 700 species. According to William Weber, their effort remains "the largest [collection ever] made in Colorado in a single season". Parry spent 20 summers in Colorado - in a cabin nestled between Torrey Peak and Gray Peak - mountains he named after John Torrey and Asa Gray. Parry named another mountain Eva Peak in honor of his wife. He even named one Mount Flora. In 1870, during a visit to England, Parry met the master botanist of his age: Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker, Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. In fact, it was Hooker who referred to Parry as the "King of Colorado Botany". And it wasn't just Colorado that Parry explored. He traveled throughout the West, amassing over 30,000 specimens for his herbarium. When Parry was collecting in California, he continued his habit of recording his thoughts into notebooks. Occasionally, he waxed poetic about the landscape. In one example from his time in California, he wrote: "A newborn moon hangs her crescent over the western hills and by its full-orbed light we hope to see our way to winter quarters on the Pacific." #OTD Today is the birthday of Roger Tory Peterson of Peterson's Field Guide to Birds fame - he was born in 1908. Peterson not only wrote the guides, he also illustrated them. Peterson was the noted American naturalist who brought the natural w

Today is National Banana Lovers Day. Botanically speaking, the banana is a berry - a many seeded fruit. And, banana trees are not trees. The banana plant is a giant herb. Inside the guts of the banana tree trunk is a white tube. It may be cooked, and tastes like bamboo shoots. Under a black light (ultraviolet or UV), ripe bananas glow a beautiful bright blue. Scientists believe this is a signal to banana eating animals like insects and bats that can see UV light. In 1690, the first shipments of bananas reached Salem, Massachusetts. They tried boiling them with pork. Needless to say, it took another 200 years for bananas to catch on in North America. Today, average U.S. banana consumption is almost 30 pounds per year. Until the early 1800s in Hawaii, most banana varieties were 'kapu' - forbidden for women of Hawaii to eat, under penalty of death. Banana's are facing a huge threat in the form of a pathogenic fungus called Fusarium wilt tropical race 4 (TR4) or Panama Disease. TR4 was first discovered in Taiwan in the 1990s. It has slowly made its way around the world. Just this month, on August 8th, researchers confirmed that TR4 is infecting banana plants in Latin America - Columbia declared a national state of emergency. This may seem extreme or over-reactive to people who don't realize that the fungus, TR4, lives in the soil for decades, making the land unlivable for future banana crops. TR4 first attacks the roots before spreading through the rest of the plant. Unfortunately, fungicides do not work against the disease. Thanks to Sir Joseph Paxton, the English gardener, architect and politician, who cultivated the Cavendish banana - who named it after William Cavendish, the 6th Duke of Devonshire who fancied them. In November 1935, five years after receiving a specimen imported from Mauritius, Joseph Paxton's plant finally flowered and by the following May it was loaded with more than 100 bananas, one of which won a medal at that year's Horticultural Society show. Today, bananas still grow on the Devonshire estate and the Cavendish banana is the most-consumed banana in the western world - it accounts for 99.9% of bananas in the western world - it accounts or 99.9% of bananas traded globally. It replaced a tastier variety who was wiped out be a fungal disease in the 1950s. Today, work is underway to create a Cavendish banana replacement. Although, earlier this month, a scientist predicted, "Eventually, it will not be possible to produce the Cavendish banana variety for international trade." We eat the variety of banana known as the Cavendish banana. Brevities #OTD Today is the birthday of Maria van Oosterwijck who was born on this day in 1630. Oosterwijck was an incredible Dutch Golden Age painter, specializing in flower paintings and still life. Her art was rich, vividly detailed, and incredibly realistic. Her still lifes of flowers in ornate vases were often set against a dark background and featured flowers like sunflowers, roses, carnations, hyacinths, parrot tulips, berries and her most famous paintings included a red admiral butterfly. In her 40's, her studio was opposite another flower painter by the name of Willem van Aelst. He attempted to woo Maria, but her heart belonged really only to her art. When he kept asking her, she finally agreed to marry him if he could prove that he could match her work ethic - he needed to paint every day, for 10 hours a day, for a year... only then would she marry him. Well, he couldn't do it and Maria remained single throughout her life. Oosterwijck's paintings were purchased by Kings and Emperors after she smartly secured an agent to market her work. #OTD Today is the birthday of the botanist Edwin James who was born on this day in Vermont in 1797. As a young man, James compiled the very first Flora of Vermont plants. James went on one of the first expeditions of the American West from Pittsburgh to the Rocky Mountains. He discovered the mountain Columbine, Aquilegia caerulea which ultimately became known as the Colorado Blue Columbine and the State Flower of Colorado. An account of James' climb of Pikes Peak on July 13, 1820, states: "A little above the point where the timber disappears entirely, commences a region of astonishing beauty . . . covered with a carpet of low but brilliantly flowering alpine plants. . ." James' phrasing, "a region of astonishing beauty," became the title of a 2003 book on the botanical history of the Rocky Mountains by Roger Lawrence Williams. After the expedition, James married and settled in Burlington, Iowa. His home was a stop on the Underground Railroad. James died in 1861 after an accident. A monument to James was installed on Pike's Peak and the Des Moines County Medical Society planted Rocky Mountain Blue Columbine on his grave in the Rock Springs Cemetery. Newspaper accounts said the location was in the most picturesque part of southeastern Iowa. #OTD Today is the anniversary of the death of the botanist Emil Christian Hansen,

If your garden looks a little sad right now, it could probably benefit from the addition of some no-fail fantastic fall perennials. Here are some of my favorites: If you have a sunny, wet area, Joe-Pye weed is a perfect choice. The blooms are super tall and a favorite with pollinators. The latin name is Eutrochium purpureum. Sedum 'Autumn Joy' (Hylotelephium telephium) is fantastic this time of year. It's super easy to propagate as well - in the spring when it starts to grow, I'll give it a hair cut and then simply place the clippings together in well-drained area in the garden and viola! A new Sedum 'Autumn Joy' is born. It's just that easy to propagate them. Up at the cabin, I have three new autumn joys thanks to the haircuts I gave the parent plants in mid June. Asters are glorious right now. You can grow them from seed or from transplants. If your asters are tall and leggy, make a note to give them a few haircuts during the month of June. I'll keep mine cut back to about a foot tall until the 4th of July and then I'll let them be. As with Joe-Pye and Autumn Joy, the Chelsea Chops keep my asters more compact - the way I prefer them this time of year. The latin name for New England asters is Symphyotrichum novae angliae (They were moved into their own genus.) Finally, sweet autumn clematis is in it's glory in the garden right now. Throughout the spring and the summer, I'm not very nice to the young vines. They can act a bit thuggish and I rip out everything I find during the months of May and June. The vines that make it to fall are the lucky ones - benefitting from my absences in the garden during the summer; weeks when I was too busy or away for travel. While I was gone, the remaining vines made big enough strides to earn the right to stay through to fall. The beautiful blooms give me pause for the way I treated them in the spring, yet I know my garden would be overrun if I didn't at least attempt to thwart it in the spring. Brevities #OTD Today is the birthday of Stephen McCormick who was born on this day in 1784. McCormick was from Auburn, Virginia and he patented a cast iron plow with replaceable parts. Inventing equipment for agriculture was something of a family activity; his cousin of was Cyrus McCormick, inventor of the famous reaper. The concept of removable, replaceable parts created the need for factories to build them. Farmers liked the idea of only needing to buy the parts they needed; instead of buying an entirely new plow. In a little over a decade, McCormick had sold more than 10,00 plows. #OTD Today is the birthday of Edward Beard Budding who was born On this day in 1796. Budding had been working part time at carpet mill. During his shift, he watched a machine remove the nap from wool. It gave him an idea. Inspired by the machine from the carpet mill and working mostly at night, Budding adopted the machine into what became the world's first push lawn mower. Budding even tested his machine at night - to avoid the curiosity of his neighbors and also to make sure they wouldn't make fun of him. In South Downs in West Sussex, England, there is the Budding Museum of Gardening which features some of the very first lawn mowers preserved and researched by an ex-bank manager named Clive Gravett. In addition to the museum made up of Gravett's impressive collection of mowers spanning the past 150 years, Gravett created a charity dedicated to Budding. A year ago, Gravett wrote a book called, Two Men Went to Mow: The Obsession, Impact and History of Lawn Mowing. In it, Gravett tells the full story of this the lawn mower and it's impact on the world. A passionate gardener with a love of history, Gravett has helped to preserve Budding's legacy. There's just one piece of Budding's legacy that has remained illusive: one of his original lawn mowers. Gravett suspects they ended up being used as scrap during the first and second world wars. #OTD Today in 1959, the state flower of Alabama was changed to the camellia. The women of Butler County had decided the camellia was a better choice than the goldenrod which they considered a weed and which had been officially adapted back in 1927. Twenty years ago, Alabama decided to get more specific, naming the Camellia japonica L. the official state flower - to avoid confusion with the many other types of camellia. The Camellia japonica is sometimes called "the rose of winter". #OTD Today is the anniversary of the death of Dame Helen Gwynne-Vaughan - a prominent English botanist and mycologist. She died in 1967. Early on, Gwynn-Vaughan researched rust fungi. But she also helped form the University of London's Suffrage Society - where she was the first female professor. During #WW1 she also helped form the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps. Due to her extraordinary wartime leadership, Gwynne-Vaughan was one of the first women to receive a Military Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire award. The University of London recently released a lovely article a

Sometimes I think cutting your bangs are a great analogy for pruning in the garden. You know how when your bangs are growing out - maybe a little past your eyebrows - and you think, "I am gonna grow these bangs out. I'm gonna have amazing hair." Then, they start to go past your nose and you realize that this was a complete mistake. Then, you don't have the stamina to make it all the way to having no bangs, and it's time to get this crazy idea back in check. Sometimes, the thing same thing happens with the flowers that are spilling into your paths and walkways. Today, the student gardeners and I clipped back the cat mint that of been allowed to go wherever it wanted - in addition to the sumac and artemisia. Sometimes, even though it requires extra courage, it's necessary to prune things back. When it's done, your garden looks a little lighter, a little more put together, and everybody seems happier that work was done. The garden feels brand new and ready to show off it's new haircut to the world. Brevities #OTD Today is the day that Catholics celebrate the patron of gardeners and flowers - it's at Saint Rose of Lima day. Saint Rose worked to serve the poor. She was a Dominican. There was a malaria epidemic during the 1600s and Saint Rose worked to heal the sick and in some cases, she did. Saint Rose was the first saint born in the Americas. When she was born, her parents named her Ysabelle but she became known as a Rose. One time, when she was sleeping in her cradle, her mother saw the figure of a rose on the side of her cheek and she started calling her Rose. She was also called Rose because of her beauty. Sadly, Rose died in 1617; she was just 31 years old. #OTD Today is the anniversary of the death of the Scottish ornithologist and poet Alexander Wilson. Wilson immigrated to the United States from Paisley Scotland. His family called him Sandy. He quickly became one of the foremost naturalists of his time. Before John James Audubon, there was Alexander Wilson - who was born the 20 years before Audubon. Wilson is known as the father of American ornithology. Wilson wrote the very first ornithology of American birds. When Wilson completed his publication, which he had prepared in nine volumes, it was sold for an exorbitant price: $120. Even John James Audubon passed on owning a copy for that sky-high price. Wilson ended up living at Gray's Ferry, where he took charge of a school founded by John Bartram. Right down the street, lived William Bartram, of all people. Bartram operated his own nursery called Bartram Botanical Gardens and he became a mentor for Wilson. Bartrum was the best kind of mentor; encouraging and honoring of Wilson's unique talents and interests. In fact, it was actually William Bartram who helped Wilson learn to draw birds. #OTD Today is the anniversary of the death of Eliza Sullivant. She had been taught by her husband about botany and other subjects. When she died in 1850, her husband William Starling Sullivant praised her drawings of mosses. Eliza was his second wife. His first wife died following the birth of their child. Sullivant fell in love with Eliza about the same time he fell in love with botany. The Sullivants lived in a gorgeous Italianate home that they called Sullivant Hill. There was a large pasture there and Sullivant would get up early in the morning and walk through it; identifying the flowering plants, grasses, and sedges. He got curiouser and curiouser about botany. Before you know it, he was corresponding with Dr. Asa Gray from Harvard and Dr. John Torrey from Princeton. Once when Sullivan was botanizing in Highland county, Ohio. He ran across a little plant with tiny delicate white flowers and ornate leaves. He sent it to Gray and Torrey. They, in turn, named it Sullivantii ohioensis. Sullivant's herbarium, which had nearly 10,000 specimens, was donated to Harvard through Dr. Asa Gray. #OTD Today is the birthday of Hazel Marguerite Schmoll who was born in McAlester, Kansas on this day in 1890. Schmoll was born in a sod cabin. Her family settled in Colorado when she was just two years old. Schmoll was the first woman to earn a doctorate in botany from the University of Chicago. Schmoll had the opportunity, early on in her career, to work with Alice Eastwood. She mostly mounted and catalog specimens. It was Hazel Schmoll who said, "I hope we can keep some wilderness areas. People need some places where they can get away from the crowds and be refreshed by nature." Unearthed Words "In the garden, Autumn is, indeed the crowning glory of the year, bringing us the fruition of months of thought and care and toil. And at no season, safe perhaps in Daffodil time, do we get such superb color effects as from August to November." - Rose G. Kingsley, The Autumn Garden, 1905 Today's book recommendation: The Prickly Pear Cookbook by Carolyn Niethammer I remember the first time I grew Prickly Pear Cactus in my garden and I fell immediately in love with it. This charming cookbook cele

At the cabin, a Mullein has seeded itself in one of my beds and I'm letting it grow. (I was touring gardens in Washington DC a few years ago and the garden had a section for Mulleins. It was so pretty.) On more than one occasion, I have had to rescue it - to make sure that no one in the family pulled it or weed-whacked it. Now, there it stands; 6 feet tall, big leaves, soft as lamb's ears, and the yellow florets are just starting to pop out from the flower spike. If you look closely at Mulleins, they have these little fine hairs on the very soft leaves. The purpose of those little fine hairs is to trap moisture from the air; to help the plant survive - even when there's no water around. Inside the leaf and the flower of Mullein, is a compound called mucilage. It's a soothing property - a soothing slime - that protects tissue when it comes into contact with it. Herbalists use that mucilage to treat dry coughs; the mucilage reduces the acidity level in the esophagus which helps stop the cough reflex. Whenever I look at Mullein, I always think of Whitman's charming thoughts on it. Whitman wrote: "The farmers, I find, think the Mullein a mean unworthy weed. But, I have grown to a fondness for it. Every object has its lesson, enclosing the suggestion of everything else —and lately I sometimes think all is consecrated for me in these hardy, yellow flower'd weeds. As I come down the lane early in the morning, I pause before their soft wool-like fleece and stem and broad leaves, glittering with countless diamonds. Annually for three summers now, they and I have silently returned together; at such long intervals I stand or sit among them, musing [...] of my sane or sick spirit, here as near at peace as it can be." Brevities #OTD On this day in 1745, Prince Charles Stuart plucked a white rose and placed it in his hat. Charles got the nickname "Bonnie Prince Charlie." Some have speculated, that the event sparked the significance of the Burnett rose - a white rose - because it became a celebrated symbol of Scotland. Here's a little poem about the white rose from Hugh MacDiarmid: The rose of all the world is not for me. I want for my part Only the little white rose of Scotland. That smells sharp and sweet - and breaks the heart. #OTD Today in 1830, the first lawn Moore was invented by Edward Beard Budding. Budding had adopted a machine that was used to remove the nap from wool. Budding had been working part time at carpet mill and he got the idea when he was working there; watching that machine with the wool. Budding apparently tested his machine at night, so that his neighbors wouldn't be curious or make fun of him. And, if you ever get the chance to go and see the Budding Museum of Gardening, it looks like a fun place to go. It shows mowers from all over the world. There's also a pruning exhibit. The museum is in England. Cute little museum. #OTD Today is the birthday of the botanist Jacob Weidenmann, who was born on this day in 1829 in Zürich Switzerland. Weidenmann was a landscape architect. He came to the United States in 1856. By 1861, he was named the first superintendent of parks for Hartford, Connecticut. When he was there, he designed the Bushnell Park in Cedar Hill cemetery. By the 1870's, he was collaborating with Frederick Law Olmsted. In 1871, Weidenmann published his very first book it was called Beautifying Country Homes.His work on the Cedar Hill Cemetery led him to write a book called Modern Cemeteries - where he actually talked about how to landscape memorial grounds. After Weidenmann had finished designing in Hartford, he was asked to design the capital grounds in Des Moines. When Weidenmann died, he was buried in a quiet corner of the cemetery he had designed in Connecticut. Today, Harvard awards the Weidenmann prize to the student who shows outstanding ability in landscape design. #OTD Today is National Eat a Peach Day. Peaches are native to northwest China. August is one of the months that peaches are harvested. Thomas Jefferson had peaches growing at Monticello. The scientific name for peaches is Persica. The name Persica derives from the belief that peaches were from Persia - but they were actually from China. Unearthed Words "In June we picked the clover, And sea-shells in July: There was no silence at the door, No word from the sky. A hand came out of August And flicked his life away: We had not time to bargain, mope, Moralize, or pray." ― Cecil Day-Lewis, Overtures to Death and Other Poems Today's book recommendation: Herbal Healing for Women by Rosemary Gladstar This book is a favorite among women and female gardeners looking to utilize herbs for women's health. Specifically, there are tons of great recipes in here and lots of useful information. The book covers common disorders and the herbs that are effective for treating them. Gladstar shares how to select in-store herbs and then how to pair hundreds of herbal remedies. I think what is especially helpful about this book is Rosemary's excl

How do you start adding living mulch to your garden? One of the simplest ways, is just to look for the spots in your garden that are bare. Look for the open areas and start there. Look under your shrubs. Look along the edges of your beds. Instead of adding another layer of mulch, add plants. Think about planting these living mulches in terms of planting families. In other words, planting en masse. This is what the naturalists and ecologists do naturally; They think about plants in terms of population. New gardeners tend to think of A PLANT and not A PLANTING; so think bigger. Think community. Think about the way you see plants occurring naturally. Even the weeds tend to show up with their brothers and sisters. If one finds purchase, they send out an Evite. The next thing you know, there's a family reunion of Canadian Thistle or Creeping Charlie and you get to be the host. With this in mind, it's right about this time of year, that I remind myself how much I like the giant allium. And, how I fervently wish I would've planted that allium as a member of a very, very, very large extended family; the Everybody Loves Raymond kind of family, because one can never have enough allium. Brevities #OTD Today is St. Bernard Tolomeo's Day, the Patron Saint of Olive Growers. Saint Bernard was from Tuscany and he was born there in 1272. He was going to be a lawyer, but then he pursued the church after he recovered his eyesight after an illness. He'd made a deal with God. He chose the name Bernard after the habit of Clairvaux - we mentioned him yesterday - he is the patron saint of bees and beekeepers. Bernard became the patron Saint of Olives because t he Abbey where Tolomeo lived, St Mary of Olivet, was the site of an olive plantation. The location became known as Mount Olivet. Here are some here are a few quick fun facts about Olives: Olives are a fruit and not a vegetable. The first olive harvest occurs after 15 years of growing. The next time you're feeling impatient, remember the olive. Olive trees are some of the oldest live plants on earth. They're considered evergreens. One of the oldest all of trees is on the island of Crete is an Olive and it's estimated to be about 4,000 years old and it is still producing fruit. Finally, the color of the fruit is completely dependent on the maturity – unripe fruit is green and the ripe is dark purple to black (like tomatoes and peppers). #OTD It was on this day that the botanist George Taylor died in 1891. Taylor had immigrated from Scotland at the age of 53. He brought his family to the United States and they settled in Kalamazoo Michigan in 1855. Taylor's brothers were already there, so it was an easy decision. Once he got settled, George became known as "Celery" after he started growing celery commercially. Kalamazoo had what was called "muckland" which was "valueless for anything other than growing to celery." Once, when a botanist visited the area, he said that the land was black muckland of a peaty nature which is best for celery. In Kalamazoo, there is a little plaque dedicated to George Celery Taylor. Thanks to Taylor, Kalamazoo became known as the Celery City or Celeryville In 1880, the Detroit Free Press shared an article that talked about the celery beds that were growing. It said this: "Driving north from Kalamazoo, through the country, one passes great 100-acre farms devoted to the sweet-scented celery, reminding one of that Methodist hymn: 'Sweet fields beyond stand dressed in living green.' One would never forget a drive through the celery gardens in any direction from Kalamazoo; the long rows keeping their bright green till November, as crop follows crop; and the fields being unmarred by fences or anything except the cozy cottages of the thrifty Hollanders." And there was a fun little article that was posted in The Herald Press out of St Joseph Michigan in 1956. It talked about the early days of celery growing and it had an adorable story about George Celery Taylor: "In the fall of 1856, there was a big party that was going to be held at the Burdock House Hotel on December 19. It was going to be a big gathering with lots of people from all over and Mr. Taylor thought it would be a good opportunity to advertise celery. As the unknown vegetable, [Taylor] persuaded the owner of the hotel to put celery on his menu and the people were curious about it. They asked, "how do you eat this?" "Is it grown from seed?" It just grew in popularity from there." In the 1870s, the celery growers would have children sell it on the street which created a demand for celery. They also met all of the trains that that came into town. They would give it to the conductors on the New York trains and asked them to take a bunch. The next thing you know, the market for celery was off to the races. #OTD It was on this day that the botanist and German poet Adelbert van Chamiso died. When he was 30, Chamiso ended up in Switzerland where he decided to devote himself to botanical research. In 181

"You don't have a garden just for yourself. You have it to share." - Augusta Carter, Master Gardener, Pound Ridge, Georgia Pass-along plants have the best stories, don't they? They have history. They have personal history. One of my student gardeners had a grandmother who recently passed away from breast cancer. Her mom was no green thumb. But, when her daughter started working in my garden, she let me know that her mom had some plants and her dad was looking for a place for them. Would I be willing to take one? Sure. Absolutely, I said. Next thing I knew, a few weeks later, Mom is walking up my driveway caring one of the largest Jade plants I've ever seen. The plant was in a container the size of a 5 gallon paint bucket and the plant was just as tall. I took the plant from her with a promise to take good care of it. When she turned to leave, I asked her mom's name. I like to name my pass-along plants after the people I get them from; and, that's when the tears started. When she left, I brought it over to the potting bench and let it sit for a few days. Then, my student gardeners and I set about dividing it and taking care of it. It was a good thing we did it - because the minute we started to take it out of the pot it became very apparent that this plant was severely waterlogged. It wouldn't of made it have a knot rescued it from the pot. We removed as much potting soil as we could. We split the plant in half and put them into separate clay pots which were very heavily perlited; which was just what the doctor ordered. It's the perfect environment and now it's doing fantastic. But, I'd be lying if I didn't say that it had a little more special meaning to me than just your typical jade plant -because of the look on this woman's face when she gave me this plant; passing on this little, living thing that her mom had nurtured. Brevities #OTD Today is Saint Bernard of Clairvaux's day; he was the patron saint of beekeepers. He's also the patron saint of bees and candlemakers. St. Bernard was a doctor of the church and a French Abbot. He was apparently a fabulous preacher, with excellent speaking skills. He became known as the "honey sweet" doctor for his honey sweet language; he would draw people in. When he decided to become a part of the monastery, he had to give up and get up and give a testimony. History tells us that his testimony was so compelling that thirty members of his family and his friends decided to join the monastery. That's how he became associated with bees; all that sweet talk. And it was Saint Bernard who said, "Believe me, for I know, you will find something far greater in the woods than in books. Stones and trees will teach you that which you cannot learn from the masters." #OTD Today is the birthday of Edward Lee Green; who was born on this day in 1843. Green performed yeoman's work when it came to the plants of the American West; naming or describing or even re-describing over 4,400 species. Before Green made his way west, he reached out to Asa Gray of Cambridge and George Englemann of St. Louis at the Missouri Botanic Garden. They gave him good counsel and in 1870, he started traveling to Colorado, California, Mexico, New Mexico, and Arizona. He eventually settled in Berkeley as a church rector. In the early 1880s, an interesting thing happened: he left the episcopal church and he became a Catholic. While he was becoming Catholic, Green began lecturing at the University of California, where he became the curator of the herbarium. When he and the University's President didn't agree on nomenclature for the plants, he ended up accepting a job at Catholic University in Washington DC, where he worked until 1904. At that point, he ended up going to the Smithsonian. When he was there, he transferred his herbarium and published his masterpiece called Landmarks of Botanical History Part One. Part Two was never completed. #OTD It was on this day in 1863 that a botanist preserved a specimen of milkweed about 15 days after the battle of Gettysburg. Drexel University shared this story back in 2018. A curatorial assistant at the botany department named Elana Benamy was digitizing plant images. She came across an image of milkweed - which is pretty common - but what made her take a double take was the date and location of the plant specimen. The plant was labeled "Battlefield of Gettysburg, August 20, 1863." The battle in Gettysburg had occurred during the first three days of July. So this specimen had been gathered about seven weeks after the battle, and about five weeks after Frederick Law Olmsted had walked the field. Elana asked, "Can you imagine why on earth would someone be out plant collecting [there]?" As it turns out, the reason made perfect sense. The collector was a man named Thomas Meehan. Meehan had worked for Andrew Eastwick who was the owner of Bartrum's garden in Philadelphia. Afterward, Meehan opened up his own nursery in Germantown. In 1853, his younger brother, Joseph, had come to the

Today is National Potato Day. Here are some fun potato facts: The average American eats approximately 126 pounds of spuds each year. And, up until the 18th century, the French believed potatoes called leprosy. To combat the belief, the agronomist Antoine Auguste Parmentier became a one-man PR person for the potato. How did Parmentier get the French people to believe that the potato is safe to eat? Good question. Parmentier cleverly posted guards around his potato fields during the day and put the word out that he didn't want people stealing them. Then, he purposefully left them unguarded at night. As he suspected, people did what he thought they would do; steal the potatoes by the sackful by the light of the moon and they started eating them. Later, Marie Antoinette wore potato blossoms in her hair. The Idaho Potato, or the Russet Burbank, was developed by none other than Luther Burbank in 1871. Brevities #OTD Today is the birth of Jane Webb who married the prolific writer of all things gardening: John Claudius Loudon. Jane was special. She was an amazing writer in her own right but she also possessed an inner determination; she was a survivor. When her father lost the family fortune and died penniless when Jane was only seventeen, it was the beginning of her career writing Science Fiction. For her times, Jane wrote Science Fiction in a unique way. She incorporated predictable changes in technology and society. For instance, the women in her books wear pants. In any case, her book The Mummy was published anonymously, in 1827, in three parts. In her book, Jane featured something she imagined would come to pass: a steam plow. That's what attracted the attention of John Claudius Loudon - her future husband. Loudon wrote a favorable review of her book but he also wanted to meet the author. Loudon didn't realize Jane had written the book using a nom de plume of Henry Colburn. Much to Loudon's delight, Henry was Jane; they fell in love and married a year later. The Loudons were considered high society and their friends included Charles Dickens. John's arms stopped working as he grew older, after an attack of rheumatic fever. As a result, Jane became his arms; handling most of his writing. When his arms got so bad that surgeons needed to amputate his right arm, they found him in his garden which he said he intended to return to immediately after the operation. Two weeks before Christmas 1843, John was dictating his last book called, A Self Instruction to Young Gardeners. Around midnight, he suddenly collapsed into Jane's arms and died. Jane completed the book on her own. #OTD It was on this day in 1843, that the Massachusetts Horticultural Society held their exhibition of flowers. They kicked things off by writing about their phlox. Here's what they said: "The Phloxes were very splendid, and it gives us great pleasure to see that our friends are engaged in raising seedlings of this beautiful class of plants. Instead of importing Phloxes from England, as we have heretofore done, we hazard but little when we state that it will not be many years (if our friends persevere in raising seedlings) before we shall be able to send our English friends varieties, that will surprise them for their beautiful form and richness of color." #OTD Today is the birthday of Ellen Ann Willmott who was an English horticulturalist who was born in 1858. Ellen was the oldest in her family of three daughters. In 1875, her parents moved to Warley Place, which was set on 33 acres of land in Essex. Ellen lived there for the rest of her life. All of the Willmott's were gardeners and they often gardened as a family. They created an alpine garden complete with a gorge and rockery. This was something that Ellen's father allowed her to do to commemorate her 21st birthday. When her godmother died she received some pretty significant money. When her father died, Warley Place went to her. Ellen planted to her hearts content; and given the size of the property, it's no wonder that she hired over 100 gardeners to help her tend it. Ellen was no shrinking violet. She had a reputation for firing any gardener who allowed a weed to grow in her beds. And, she only hired men. There's a famous quote from her that is often cited, "Women would be a disaster in the border." It was a good thing that Ellen had so much money, because she sure liked to spend it. She had three homes: one in France, Warley Place, and another in Italy. Ellen also paid for plant hunting expeditions. Since she paid for them, the plants that were discovered on those expeditions were often named in her honor. And, Ellen hired some pretty impressive people to do her plant collecting. For example, Ellen even sponsored Ernest Henry Wilson. When Ellen receive the Victoria Medal of Honor in 1897, she was honored alongside Gertrude Jekyll. In the end, Ellen died penniless and heartbroken. Warley Place became a nature preserve. #OTD Today is the birthday of The Botany Man - Willis Linn Jepson - who

Are you swimming in zucchini yet? Emily Seftel, of The Tennessean, wrote an article in 2006 that was titled Gad zuks!- which I think is hilarious; we don't use that term enough, do we? Anyway, the article started out this way: "Zucchini, the summer squash, is the Rodney Dangerfield of the produce world it gets no respect." Then, the article goes on to share some recipes, which were offered by Chef Laura Slama who said, "When you're cooking with zucchini, all you need to do is add a little olive oil and kosher salt to bring out it's flavor." The three recipes she shared, were for Mexican Zucchini Corn and Black Tostadas - that looked amazing. Then, Sautéed Zucchini Strings; which is basically zucchini that's been turned into spaghetti. And, finally, she shared an Orzo Pasta with Roasted Zucchini. One of my favorite recipes for zucchini is from The New Zucchini Cookbookand Other Squashby Nancy Ralston and Mary Jordan. It's for a zucchini basil tart: You drain salted zucchini and tomato slices on paper towels. You purée basil in a food processor with ricotta and eggs and you add mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Then you line a 9 inch pie shell with zucchini slices. Spoon the basil mixture over the top and then put tomato slices on the top. Then brush the whole top of it with olive oil and bake it for 40 to 50 minutes. Yum. I'll put the link to the recipes in today show notes as well as a link to the cookbook. Brevities #OTDToday is the birthday of Magness Holman who was born in 1745. Holman was the painter who completed a portrait of Carla Ness that most people recognize. The portrait was painted around 1780. #OTD Today is the birthday of François-Andre Michaux. He was the son of the botanist Andrea Michaux. His father named an oak in his honor. Michaux's mother died a few weeks after he was born. His father was so despondent, he turned to botany to deal with his grief. His mentors just happened to be some of the top gardeners in the Royal Gardens. When François-Andre was 15 years old, he accompanied his dad to North America. His father established a botanical garden in 1786 on property that's now occupied by the Charleston Area National Airport. As you leave the airport, you'll notice a stunning mural that pays tribute the Michaux's - from the rice fields along the Ashley River to the Charleston Harbor where he introduced one of the first camellia plants. Andre-François and his father are depicted in the potager or kitchen garden. The mural was installed in 2016. François-Andre stayed in America where he established a nursery in Hackensack, New Jersey and also in Charleston, South Carolina. France was still eager to obtain trees from North America to replenish their forests and François-Andre grew them in his nursery. He returned to France briefly in 1790 and participated in the French revolution. By 1801, he returned to the United States because the French government wanted him to get rid of the nurseries in Hackensack and Charleston. François-Andre did as instructed and also explored the United States as far north as Maine, as far south as Georgia, and as far west as the Great Lakes. After his explorations, he returned to France, he had enough material and experience to prepare his masterpiece, North American Silva or North American Forests. #OTD Today in 1805, the Lewis and Clark expedition was near the Narrows of the Columbia river when the serviceberry was discovered. Serviceberry are available in a number of different species. There's a wonderful graphic showing the different types of serviceberry featured on the spruce.com. I'll share a link to that in today's show notes. Serviceberries are a member of the Rose family. Now that you know that, you'll be able to recognize the family resemblance the next time you see one. Serviceberry are primarily prized for their four-season interest: you get beautiful blossoms in the spring, fruits in the summer, fantastic autumn color, and wonderful bark coloration in the winter time. The Maryland Department of Resources says that the etymology of the name serviceberry comes from church services which resumed around Easter time. People used to say that when the serviceberries were in flower, the ground had thawed enough to dig a grave. #OTD Today is the birthday of the third son of Charles Darwin, Francis Darwin - known to his family as Frank. Francis published the results of his work with his dad in a book called The Movement of Plants. The book details their experiments which showed that young grass seedlings grow toward the light. OTD It's the anniversary of the death of Kenneth Woodbridge, who died on this day in 1988. Woodbridge was known for his work on the history of garden design in England and France. Woodbridge wrote a book called The Stourhead Landscape, a book about one of England's greatest gardens. Stourhead was the work of an English banker named Henry Hoare who lived during much of the 1700s. Woodbridge's last book was called Princely Gardens it was pub

Last week was one of turmoil in my garden. We decided to put new windows and siding on the house. Then we decided to enjoy the ravages of a hail storm which dumped ping pong ball sized hail on the garden for about five minutes - the entire storm lasted 30 minutes. I always remind new gardeners that we never garden alone. We're always gardening and partnership with Mother Nature and in this partnership, Mother Nature always has her way. Sometimes we may feel like we win, but I kind of think it's like the first time you play Go Fish or some other game with your child, they just THINK they won. In any case, I am using this as an opportunity to address some crowding in my garden beds. In some places everything is just gone and I suppose I could see it as an early start on fall cleanup. The one thing I'm grateful for is the replacement of this large 14 x 20' Arbor on the side of our house. I had started growing a number of lines on it over the years and then settled on golden hops when I was going through my hops phase. Over the past few years I've decided I'm not a fan of hops. The vines are aggressive and sticky and the sap can be irritating to the skin. And I wasn't a huge fan of the color. My student gardeners will help me cover the area with some landscape fabric to make sure it does not come back and then I'm thinking climbing hydrangea would be lovely. Brevities #OTD Today is the birthday of Karl Franz Anton Ritter von Schreibers. Schreibers was an Austrian naturalist and a botanist. In 1806, Schreibers became the director of the Vienna Natural History Museum. He was a good botanist and ecologist, but his heart belong to minerals and meteorites. Schreibers made Leopold Trattinick curator of the museum herbarium which was founded in 1807. The Austrian Empire had a thing for plants and horticulture. So expeditions were sent to collect new materials including minerals for the museum. Many famous botanists were involved with these expeditions including Carl Phillip Von Martinus. In 1848, during the revolution, the museum caught on fire. The protesters not only destroyed the library Schreibers had carefully built up, they destroyed Schreibers home - his living quarters or right inside the museum. It broke Schreibers heart. He retired and died four years later. #OTD Happy birthday to Elias Magnus Friesz who is born on this day in 1794 in Sweden. The area where Friesz grew up, was rich in fungi and his father was a self-taught botanist. Put the two together, and it's no wonder Friesz developed a lifelong interest in mycology. In fact, Friesz developed the first system that was used to classify fungi; so we remember him for that. There's a wonderful picture of Elias as an octogenarian. He looks like he could've been Dumbledore's best friend. He was a happy botanist and he worked tirelessly until the day he died in February 1878. #OTD Happy birthday to John Torrey who is born on this day in 1796. Torreywas the first American botanist to study the flora of New York State. The area Torrey botanized included what is now Greenwich Village, the area of the Elgin botanic garden which is now Rockefeller Center, and Bloomingdale which is now the upper side west side of Manhattan, as well as Hoboken New Jersey. Torrey's Calendarian was a phenological record where he documented the plants he observed - recording the species, location, and date of first bloom. Farmers often kept similar records to track planting seasons and growing cycles. Thomas Jefferson did the same thing in a book he called The Calendar. The New York botanic garden has digitized this manuscript so you can check it out when you get a chance. And, if you live in Colorado, it might interest you to know that Torrey's peak in Colorado is named for John Torrey. #OTD It's the birthday of the illustrator Walter Crane, born in Liverpool #OnThisDay in 1845. Gardeners appreciate Crane thanks to one of his most stunning works - a book called "A Floral Fantasy in an Old English Garden" which was published in 1899. Crane's book was intended to be a children's book - but for gardeners it is really something of a graphic novel telling the storyof the hidden life and society of flowers. The flowers are personified. For example, the Dandelion is portrayed as a bold knight - his shield is made of a large dandelion blossom. And, the Foxgloves are a happy group; comprised of cousins and brothers and sisters. The book continues to appeal thanks to Crane's beautiful artwork and the allure of the enchanted realm he created; complete with Fairies, the Four Seasons, Old Man Time, knights, and other creatures. There are 46 illustrations in this little book. Original copies of this rare book sell for over $1,000. You can view the entire book for FREE using this link in today's show notes. #OTD Today, we remember Geoff Hamilton who was born on this day in 1936. Hamilton was a presenter of the BBC's Gardener's Worldin the 1980s and 1990s he was also a gardener himself. Hamilton had a

Today, August 14, is Saint Werenfrid's Day. Werenfrid is the patron saint of vegetable gardens. He is often portrayed as a priest holding up a ship with a coffin in it or displayed as a priest laid to rest in his ship. Werenfrid is also invoked for gout and stiff joints; which, if you're a vegetable gardener, those three sometimes go together. Brevities #OTD Today, in 1765, a crowd gathered under a large elm tree in Boston. The group was there to protest the Stamp Act that was passed by British Parliament. The act imposed a tax on paper in the American colonies which meant that all the paper had to have a stamp on it. So, if you were publishing a newspaper, or needed a mortgage deed, or court papers, it all had to be printed on paper with a tax stamp on it. There was an elm tree that became a rallying point for resistance against the British and that tree became known as the Liberty Tree. The tree had been planted in 1646 - just sixteen years after Boston became a city. As the colonists began rejecting orders from Britain, the tree became a bulletin board of sorts. As it's symbolism grew, protesters would share calls to action on the trunk. When the stamp act was repealed, the tree was THE place people went to celebrate; hanging flags and streamers, as well as lanterns from its branches. After the war began, Thomas Paine wrote an ode to the Liberty Tree in the Pennsylvania Gazette. It said: "Unmindful of names or distinctions they came For freemen like brothers agree, With one spirit endued, they one friendship pursued, And their temple was Liberty Tree…" Four months later, in August, British troops and Loyalists descended on the tree. A man named Nathaniel Coffin Jr. cut it down. #OTD On this day in 1873, the magazine Forest and Stream debuted. Forest and Streamfeatured outdoor activities like hunting and fishing. It was dedicated to wildlife conservation and it helped launch the National Audubon Society. In 1930, the magazine merged with Field & Stream. #OTD Today in 1880 for the botanist Ada Hayden was born. Hayden was the curator of the Iowa State University herbarium. As a young girl, growing up in Ames, Iowa, she fell in love with the flora surrounding her family's home. Hayden was a talented photographer, artist, and a writer, and she put all of those skills to good use documenting Iowa's prairies. Hayden became the first woman to earn a PhD from Iowa State. She inherited her grandparents farm and she often brought her botany students there to walk through the Prairie and to take notes on their observations. Hayden's life work was to save the vanishing prairie ecosystem. Hayden loved the Prairie. She wrote, "Throughout the season, from April to October, the colorful flowers of the grassland flora present a rainbow-hued sequence of bloom. It is identified with the open sky. It is the unprotected battleground of wind and weather. When Dr. Hayden died, the University named a 240-acre-tract of virgin Prairie, Hayden Prairie, in her honor. #OTD On this day, in 1960, FTD had their 50th anniversary convention at Cobo Hall in Detroit. And there's a lovely video of the convention that's available to see on YouTube. I shared it in the The Daily Gardener Community Facebook Groupor you can see a link to it in today show notes. The video was prepared for those members who could not attend. It is utterly charming. You get to see 50's fashions. You get to see a revolving floral stage. It was a three-day long extravaganza in Detroit - it it just so fun to watch. #OTD Today is the anniversary of the death of the botanist Edgar Walter Denison, who was an expert on Missouri's wildflowers. Denison died in Missouri on this day in 1993. Tennyson had emigrated to the country from Stuttgart, Germany In 1927. He left behind much of his extended family; including a famously brilliant cousin named Albert Einstein. Denison's book, Missouri Wildflowershas sold nearly 100,000 copies since its first printing in 1962. Denison illustrated the book as well. One of the reasons the book was so popular is because the way the book is organized. It especially appeals to gardeners; It's organized by color and within colors by month of blossom. As a result, gardeners can find a species quickly and with ease. Denison had an amazing personal garden. He had over 1,000 varieties of plants which he grew from seed; he hated the thought of removing a plant from its native habitat. Denison had a special relationship with the Missouri Botanical Garden. The gardens director, Peter Raven, said, "An old-fashioned European gentleman in many ways, Edgar Denison exceeded most of our citizens in his deep love for the plants that enrich and beautify Missouri ." Denison's former next-door neighbor, horticulturist Patrick Brockmeyer, said Denison told him everything he knew about plants including pruning, fertilizing, weed control naturally; he was a naturalist. Brockmeyer felt Denison's presence when he visited the garden. He said, "He was there. I don't car

Boy, nasturtiums are such wonderful plants aren't they? August is a time when your nasturtiums look fabulous; even after a summer of blooming their hearts out. Right about now, you're nasturtiums will bloom better if you remove a few of the center leaves. Opening up the plant a little bit will promote airflow - and allow the sun to shine on the base of the plant. Nasturtiums are 100% edible. You can add the petals to any salad - just as you would watercress. In fact, you can make a beautiful sandwich with nasturtium flowers and a little salad dressing. Jane Eddington shared this idea in the Daily Newsout of New York, in 1928. She wrote, "If you have never tried a nasturtium leaf spread with a thin mayonnaise between two thin slices of bread and butter, you do not know how pleasant a little bite – in two senses – you can get from this "Indian cress" filling. And before I forget, I found this wonderful article on nasturtiums that was featured in the Hartford current out of Hartford Connecticut in August of 1914. It had all of these wonderful recipes for nasturtiums It not only gave some good advice about nasturtium capers and nasturtium sandwiches, but also, a nasturtium sauce for fish, meat, and vegetables, a nasturtium vinegar, and a nasturtium potato salad. I'll have all of that in today show notes -if you're geeking out on nasturtiums. And, here is a little insight on how nasturtiums like to coexist with us: the more we cut nasturtiums - to bring in as cut flowers, or to eat them raw, or as capers - the more they are they will bloom. Regular cuttings seem to encourage more lateral development and therefore you get more flowers. Win win. If you protect your plants with burlap or sheets on cold fall evenings, your nasturtiums just might surprise you and bloom well into November. Brevities #OTD Today, in 1750, the botanist Peter Kalm visited Niagara Falls. Niagara was a natural attraction for Bartness like Kalm who studied under Karla Nas Niagara was a natural attraction for botanist like Kalm who studied under Carl Linnaeus. (It was actually Linnaeus who came up with the idea to send trained botanists to Niagara.) There are no records of the plants that Kalm collected that day. However, botanists suspect that Kalm's Labelia and Kalm's Saint John's Wort were collected there; both would have been named for him by Carl Linnaeus. #OTD Today, in 1805, Meriwether Lewis discovered the Snowberry or Symphoricarpos albus. I love the story of how Lewis came across the Snowberry. He was really looking for the Shoshone Indians; but he found the Snowberry instead. Lewis wrote in his journal that he discovered something like a small honeysuckle; except that it was bearing a berry as, "large as a garden pea and as white as wax." The plant was a true new discovery to the scientific community. And, Lewis showed his botany chops when he said he thought it resembled the honeysuckle because it actually IS a member of the honeysuckle family. The Latin name is from the Greek meaning "fruits joined together", because the berries are clustered in pairs. The berries aren't good for eating; they're pretty tasteless. But, the birds, and especially grouse, love it. Lewis probably took a specimen of the Snowberry because some of the seeds made their way to Philadelphia. They were given to Thomas Jefferson's favorite nurseryman: Bernard McMahan. Then, McMahan did what he always did; he grew them and sent cuttings to Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson wrote him in October of 1812 saying that the Snowberries were thriving in his garden. He gushed that they were, "some of the most beautiful berries I have ever seen." #OTD Today is the birthday of the Russian botanist Edward August Von Regal who was born on this day in 1815. Regal was born in Switzerland - but he lived most of his life in Russia. Regal worked in a number of botanical gardens, including gardens in Germany and Switzerland. In 1852, he founded the magazine Garten Florawhere he described all the new species he had encountered. By 1855, Regal made his final move to Saint Petersburg where he made his home. He oversaw the imperial botanical garden and he even started a Russian gardening society, as well as a number of journals. Regal was a very hands-on botanist. When he went to St. Petersburg he immediately addressed the setup and the level of excellence. He changed how all the plants were arranged and rebuilt the green houses (most of which were heated by hot water). Regal loved to arrange plants in groups based on geography. For instance, he would have an area for plants of St. Petersburg, and an area for the plants of Siberia, and an area for the plants of North America, and so on. And if you're a fan of Curtis's botanical magazine which was started by William Curtis (who was employed at Kew), you'll appreciate knowing that volume 111 is dedicated to Edward August van Regal. #OTD Today is the birthday of Benedict Roezl who was born on this day in 1823 in Czechoslovakia. Roezl was prob

If you're looking to grow an onion that won't make you cry and give you that bad breath, Sweet Onions are your thing. If you buy them in the store, they're usually more expensive than the regular onions. Sweet Onions are sweet because the sugar and water content are higher. That's the upside. The downside to the higher sugar and water content, is that they won't store as long as regular onions. Sweet Onions have a lower level of sulfur compounds which means they're also easier to digest - and it also means they won't cause your eyes to tear up during prep work. Vidalia onions were the first sweet onions to be sold across the United States. They were growing primarily in Georgia - Vidalia, Georgia to be exact. Today, we have other options including Walla Walla Sweet Onions from Washington, Maui Sweet Onions from Hawaii and Spring Sweets from Texas. Sweet Onions can be traced back to seeds brought over from the Canary Islands in 1898. Brevities #OTD It's the birthday of Thomas Andrew Knight who was born in England on this day in 1759. Knight served as the second president of the Royal Horticultural Society. He assumed the position at the urging of his friend Joseph A Banks. Knight's inclination was always to turn inward. Banks helped him overcome that. He also encouraged Knight to begin reading scientific papers published by authors. Otherwise, Knight was purposefully shutting himself off from outside influences. During his life, Knight had inherited 10,000 acres of land and he used the land to conduct all kinds of experiments on plants like strawberries, cabbages, and peas. Knight was a born pragmatist. His breeding efforts were always designed to help make better plants in order to feed the masses. #OTD It's the anniversary of the death of Sir William Jackson Hooker who died on this day in 1865 Hooker was both a botanist and a botanical illustrator. Like Thomas Andrew Knight, Hooker enjoyed the friendship of Joseph Banks. Hooker was wealthy; he didn't need a patron to fund his expeditions. His first expedition was to Iceland in the summer of 1809. This was another one of Bank's ideas - and Hooker went to there to collect, as well as to make trials of everything he discovered. Unfortunately, on his way home, there was a terrible fire. Most people don't realize it, but Hooker nearly died. All of his work was destroyed in the fire. Yet, Hooker was able to reconstruct his discoveries and publish an account called Tour in Iceland. Turns out, his mind was a steel trap. Hooker was known worldwide for an unsurpassed herbarium. By 1841, he was appointed the director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Hooker brought Kew to greatness; expanding the gardens from 10 to 75 acres, adding a 270 acre Arboretum, and establishing a museum for botany. In 1865, there was a throat infection going around at Kew. Hooker contracted it and died. His son Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker, and outstanding botanist in his own right, succeeded him at Kew. #OTD Today in 1930, a United States patent was issued to Clarence Birdseye for his method of packaging frozen foods. One of Birdseye's first jobs, was as a field naturalist for the USDA. The job lead him to Labrador in Canada on a for trading expedition. During his time there, Birdseye observed that the Eskimos froze their food; finding fresh food during the winter was next to impossible. Birdseye became fascinated by their quick freezing process which cleverly used the elements of wind, ice, and super cold temperatures. Birdseye noticed when the fish was frozen quickly, it tasted amazing when it was thawed. Birdseye's immediately wondered if the same process could be used with fresh vegetables and other foods. Five years later, when he returned to the United States, he invented the quick freeze machine and he started his own frozen food company. Five years after that, he sold his business to Frosted Foods for $22 million. The year was 1929. Unearthed Words "One day you discover you are alive. Explosion! Concussion! Illumination! Delight! You laugh, you dance around, you shout. But, not long after, the sun goes out. Snow falls, but no one sees it, on an August noon." ― Ray Bradbury, Dandelion Wine Today's book recommendation: The New Healing Herbs by Michael Castleman This book features 135 of the most widely used medicinal herbs. There is a very helpful cure finder chart that shares treatments for more than 100 common conditions; for example: cinnamon to treat cuts and scrapes, Saint Johns Wort to speed healing, etc. For each Herb, there are drawings, the history of the herb, plus instructions for growing it in your herb garden. Today's Garden Chore Start seeds for fall crops. Your fall crops can include another round of quick-maturing edibles for the fall harvest. Try to get your seeds in before the 15th. Then, if you're wondering what to plant think about leafy greens. Plants like spinach, lettuce, or beets are great and they can also be grown for their green leaves. Plants like lettuce and

Every now and then, plants can surprise you. In this case I'm talking about more than just a beautiful bloom or general survival. I'm talking about variations that could lead to exciting new varieties. This topic was covered in the newspaper out of Richmond Indiana on this day in 1938. Here's what it said: "Black Hull Wheat - the wheat that increased production by millions of bushels in the Southwest - came from just one plant discovered in his wheat field by Earl Clark in Sedgwick county, Kans. The Wayzata ever-bearing strawberry came from just one plant discovered in a patch of June-bearing strawberries in Hennepin county, Minn. And, John Brown discovered an entirely new kind of watermelon - and a dandy - in his melon patch in White county, Illinois. Keep your eyes open." Brevities #OTD It was on this day that the German botanist and internationally-regarded landscape architect Ludwig Winter was born. Winter taught Karl Forrester - of Karl Forrester grass fame - when he came to visit him in Italy. Early on, Winter was drawn to exotic plants. When he began gardening in Italy he experimented with them. Instead of letting them go crazy or turn into a jungle, Winter's tropical gardens were very controlled and created a scene. Winter's reputation is inextricably bound to palm trees and Palm Gardens became symbolic of the seaside resorts along the Italian Riviera. Ultimately, Winter's contribution was making exotic plants accessible to all gardeners, not just to the wealthy. Winter also created new concepts in the marketing of nurseries. Winter came up with the idea of using nurseries to permanently exhibit plants. This would help his clients imagine the end result of garden designs and to promote various schemes that could be replicated in the clients garden. Winter's best gardens were created along the Italian Riviera - some exist still today. When Monet saw the area, he wrote: "Water, flowers, and poetry merge into a musical harmony of colors that my eyes have never met…. In addition, to paint certain landscapes you should have a palette of gems and diamonds. It is wonderful." #OTD It was on this day in 1854 that two years of simple living near Walden Pond in Massachusetts was shared with the world in the form of a book; Henry David Thoreau's Walden was published. It was Henry David Thoreau who said: "The question is not what you look at, but what you see." "Gardening is civil and social, but it wants the vigor and freedom of the forest and the outlaw." #OTD Today, in 1869, the explorer John Wesley Powell named an area of the Grand Canyon after his botanist George Vasey. Known as Vasey's Paradise,water spills out from the north rim of the Grand Canyon into the Colorado river. It's a spectacularly beautiful waterfall. A year earlier, in 1868, during Powell's preliminary expedition, Vasey had accompanied him and collected a large number of plants. Vasey returned to Illinois where he became the curator of the Illinois State University Natural History Museum and ultimately the chief botanist of the USDA. Here's what Powell wrote in his about Vasey's Paradise, on August 9, 1869: "The river turns sharply to the east, and seems enclosed by a wall, set; with a million brilliant gems. What can it mean? Every eye is engaged, everyone wonders. On coming nearer, we find fountains bursting from the rock, high overhead, and the spray in the sunshine forms the gems which bedeck the wall. The rocks below the fountain are covered with mosses, and ferns, and many beautiful flowering plants. We name it Vasey's Paradise, in honor of the botanist who traveled with us last year." #OTD Today is the birthday of the Belgium botanical illustrator, Helen Durand, who was born on this day in 1883. After taking classes in art and botany, Durand worked full-time in the garden of the royal Belgian Institute. Durand was meticulous and her work as an artist. Once she spent more than 105 hours drawing the cone of the Abies nobilis - commonly called the red fir, noble fir or Christmas Tree. #OTD Today is the birthday of Rachel Lowe Lambert Lloyd Mellon also known as Bunny Mellon. She got her nickname from a family nurse. Bunny's earliest memory was shared in the preface in one of her books. Bunny wrote that she remembered, "... being very small near a bed of tall, white, phlox in my godmothers garden. This towering forest of scent and white flowers was the beginning of ceaseless and trust, passion, and pleasure in gardens and books." Bunny's greatest passion was garden design. She became well known after designing the White House Rose garden. Bunny was a close friend of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. One of Bunny's first gardens was designed for Hattie Carnegie, who was a clothing designer. At the age of 23, Bunny designed her garden and even planted it. In exchange, Carnegie gave her a coat and a dress from her salon. A woman after my own heart, Bunny loved books and she had a wonderful collection of rear garden books, manuscripts and botanical

John Tabb wrote: "A flash of harmless lightning, A mist of rainbow dyes, The burnished sunbeams brightening From flower to flower he flies." He's talking of course about the hummingbird. Gardeners are enthralled by hummingbirds and will do next to anything to attract them to their garden. One of my happiest memories is being in my garden, working away, when I suddenly felt a little displacement of air on my cheek and I turned and found myself staring right at a hummingbird. Pure magic. Hummingbirds find food entirely by sight. If they see red, they zoom in for a closer look. This is why all the hummingbird feeder's have that "McDonald's cherry red" as a prominent feature of the feeder. On the other hand, the liquid it does not need to be red. Remember that. You can make your own simple nectar by combining one part sugar to four parts water in a sauce pan and then make a simple syrup by boiling it for two minutes. Allow the mixture to cool before before you fill your feeders and replace it every couple of days. And whatever you do, don't add anything else to your syrup. Do not add red dye and do not add honey; both are harmful two hummingbirds. And yes, you may not see them. Hummingbirds are notoriously sneaky. They can feed every 15 minutes without you even knowing, unless you're sitting right there or you happen to have your nest cam trained on your feeder. Finally, hummingbirds love some plants more than others. They are especially fond of honeysuckle. Their favorite flowers have to meet to their color criteria – red, red orange or pink blossoms. John Audubon called them "glittering fragments of the rainbow". Brevities #OTD Today is the day that the botanist Carl Peter Thunberg died in 1828. Thunberg has been called by many names – the father of South African botany Thunberg had actually been taught by Carl Linnaeus and Linnaeus encouraged him to continue his work in Paris and Amsterdam. In Amsterdam, Thunberg met the Burmans, a father and a son, and both botanical experts. From there, Thunberg joined the Dutch East India Company and he botanized in South Africa for three years. After South Africa, he traveled to Japan where he stayed for a little over a year. Before he went to Japan, Thunberg needed to learn Dutch. The Japanese were not about to convert to Christianity and so they had closed the country off to all European nations except for Holland in order to learn more about medicinal plants. When Thunberg went to Japan he was posing as a Dutchman instead of a Swede. In fact, during the 18th century, Thunberg was Japan's only European visitor and his Flora japonica published in 1784 was a revelation to botanists around the world. During his time in Japan, Thunberg discovered the Easter Lily growing near the city of Nagasaki. He also discovered Forsythia in Japan and he named it to honor William Forsyth. #OTD Today is the birthday of the Canadian botanist Julia Wilmotte Henshaw who was born on this day in 1869. Remembered as one of British Columbia's leading botanists, Henshaw studied for a bit with the botanist Charles Schaefer and his wife Mary Schaefer Warren. The two were surprised when Henshaw published Mountain Flowers of America in 1906. Rumor had it that the Schaefers may have felt Henshaw had co-opted their work, but another perspective would be that Henshaw was simply more driven and she was definitely an experienced author. In either case, the work needed to be published and by that time Henshaw had already written a few books so she was not slow to publish. In any case, she went on to publish two additional volumes on Canadian wildflowers. Henshaw was a founding member of the Canadian Alpine Club. Henshaw had a regular column called The Note Book that was featured in the Vancouver Sun newspaper where she was known as gentle Julia by her fellow journalists. Her weekly column is a delight to read even today. In April of 1937, she wrote: "If one were to tabulate all the proposals put forward as to what is to be done with that monstrosity called a fountain, in the centre of Lost Lagoon, I think it would occupy a whole column in the newspaper! Some want it to continue to work as a fountain, illuminated or not; others propose to turn it into a rockery." The last one she wrote talked about was a continuation of the previous weeks discussion of the destruction of forest areas. Henshaw always wrote with conviction and in that last column she aimed to rouse awareness: "I refer to the practice which has increased with each passing year of shipping enormous quantities of young Douglas firs by the carload to the United States for use as Christmas Trees. Surely this is a matter which should be promptly and peremptorily stopped." And here's a lovely excerpt from her post for this day August 8, 1935 "When one stops for an instant in the whirligig of daily life to think of "All things bright and beautiful," three words spring into prominence, namely music, children and gardens, each bringing a separate form

There's that lovely saying that goes something like, "One man's weed is another man's wildflower". This is especially true in the case of Queen Anne's Lace. In the Facebook group for the show, listener Danny Perkins shared how much he enjoyed allowing Queen Anne's Lace to reign all over in his garden. I feel the same way. But, others do not.... and, I respect that. I think one of the reasons I personally enjoy Queen Anne's Lace is because it reminds me of Baby's Breath - which does not like to return as a perennial in my garden. On the other hand, this year, I started growing Valerian and I would say that it is another alternative to Baby's Breath and it is similar to Queen Anne's Lace. Another charming characteristic of Queen Anne's Lace is that it's a member of the carrot family. If you crush the leaves and stem, you'll notice a carrot odor. It's no wonder the scientific name for Queen Anne's Lace is Daucus carota and the common name is wild carrot. Here's a fun fact: the Romans ate Queen Anne's Lace as a vegetable. And here's an herbal application: the root juice of Queen Anne's Lace is wonderful for treating itchy skin. Brevities #OTD It's the anniversary of the death of Andreas Marggraff who died on this day in 1782. Marggraff was a German chemist. In 1747, he figured out a way to isolate glucose from raisins. That same year, he announced his discovery of finding sugar in beets and he came up with a way to use alcohol to extract it. Marggraff's discovery was not used commercially while he was alive. It wasn't until 1802, that the first beat sugar refinery opened its doors... and the modern sugar industry was born. #OTD Today in 1840 the world lost a wonderful physician and botanist by the name of Henry Perrine. As a botanist, Perrine was first recognized for his work with quinine as a cure for malaria. Perrine also served as a US Ambassador to the Yucatán. As a result of his position, Perrine was able to bring many tropical plants from Mexico and Caribbean to the United States. In 1838, the United States Congress gave Perrine a land grant which he used to establish a place to grow plants in the Florida Keys. At the time Florida was a territory. Perrine believed that the Florida Keys and South Florida offered the perfect climate for creating what he hoped would be one of the great botanical gardens of the world. Perrine's vision was to turn the wasteland into a tropical paradise Perrine shared his hopes when he wrote to Congress, saying: "This land will grow every tropic a growth in abundance… With settlers on 5 acre parcels, growing such plants - this South Florida area [can] support more population than any... area in the entire south end [as well as] the happiest living conditions…" On Christmas day and 1838, Dr. Perrine and his wife and their children moved to Indian key Perrine was in love with his new surroundings. Unlike many South Florida settlers, Perrine believed that he could live in peace; side-by-side with the local American Indians. Perrine's work was showing promise until this day in 1840. Perrine 's neighbor was a radical named Jacob Hausman. Hausman had gathered a small militia and had offered Congress a deal; he would kill every American Indian in South Florida and they would pay him $200 per body. Congress never got Hausman's letter, but the Seminole Indians in Florida had learned of Hausman's plan. It's no wonder, then, that on this day in 1840, they attacked Indian key. But, their chief target, Hausman, had escaped the attack by slipping away in a boat. Dr. Perrine could hear the attack happening outside his house. He quickly tucked his wife and children into a turtle crawl beneath their house and he slid a chest of his Mexican seeds over the trap door in order to conceal it. When the opportunity presented itself, Dr. Perrine spoke to the Indians in Spanish identifying himself as a friend and a doctor. The Indians left... but they returned that evening. They chased Perrine to the cupola of his house where they killed him. Then they set the house on fire. Perrine's wife and children survived the entire ordeal in the turtle crawl, making their way through a narrow tunnel to the sea along side the turtles. The following day a naval vessel rescued Hester Perrine and her children. Today, Perrine and his legacy lives on in the botanicals he brought to Florida: the avocado, the key lime, the mango, and numerous agave. #OTD Today is the birthday of the Indian geneticist MS Swaminathan. Swaminathan is the father of India's Green Revolution; a movement which distributed high-yield wheat and rice varieties to poor farmers When Swaminathan had graduated from college, he recognized that the number one issue facing his country was food scarcity. While others were concerned with independence, Swaminathan felt that agriculture was the country's highest priority. Instead of pursuing medicine, which was his natural inclination, he decided to pursue degrees in agriculture. And, he continued to get a v

Well, the time we've waited for all year is here; it's time to harvest tomatoes. I want to give you just a quick word of caution when it comes to harvesting your tomatoes. As gardeners, sometimes we wait too long to harvest them. Sometimes that can be unintentional, and other times, we think that letting them stay on the vine is best. However, if you wait too long, the tomatoes split. This is especially true with heirloom tomatoes. If you're growing heirlooms it's best to let them ripen in a cool, dark, place. Don't be tempted to put them on a sunny window or countertop. They won't appreciate the view or the attention. Remember, heirloom tomatoes, are very fragile. The price for their fantastic flavor? Lots of TLC. Brevities #OTD Today is the birthday of horticulturalist Frank Cabot who was born on this day in 1925. It's hard to believe that we lost Frank just eight years ago. He was a tremendous gardener and we owe him a debt of gratitude for his work in founding the nonprofit The Garden Conservancy. Cabot lived until the age of 86 and he spent his life perfecting his 20-acre English-style garden and estate. His masterpiece garden is known as Les Quatre Vents, or the Four Winds, and it's been in his family for over 100 years. There's a wonderful video of an interview that Martha Stewart did with Frank. He tells about the moon bridge being a copy of a moon bridge from Seven Star Park in China. "I'm a great believer in plagiarizing. I think all gardeners are. There's no reason why one shouldn't plagiarize. Why not take someone else's good idea and adapted to one's site. This garden really represents that; it's just Ideas that were gleaned from other sources." #OTD Today is the birthday of Andy Warhol who was born on this day in 1928 Warhol painted a series called Flowers that debuted in 1964. This series of paintings was unique. Warhol found the original photo for it in a magazine called Modern Photography. All the canvas Warhol used for the Flowers series was square. He only painted on 24 and 48 inch canvases. In these paintings, Warhol applied his masterful use of color; making the flowers much more vibrant against their background. Although Warhol's Flowers have been compared to Van Gogh's bouquets and Matisse's Cutouts, it seemed no one could agree what kind of blooms were featured in the Flowers. The New York Herald Tribune identified the blossoms as anemones. The Village Voice said they were nasturtiums. Other publications said they were pansies. There was no way to really tell. The series of prints showed the same flowers over and over again in different color combinations and backgrounds. Warhol once said, "My fascination with letting images repeat and repeat - manifests my belief that we spend much of our lives seeing without observing." Warhol's Flower series is considered a likely source for the phrase "flower power" which became an anthem for the non-violence movement. Whether or not that's true, Warhol's psychedelic flowers were totally in sync with the movement. Warhols assistant once recalled, "When Warhol... made flowers, it reflected the urban, dark, death side of that whole flower power movement... there is a lot of depth in there." Warhol's inclinations aligned with the 1960's flower children. He once wished aloud: "I think everybody should like everybody." My favorite Andy Warhol quote is one that gardeners will identify with. He said, "I always notice flowers." #OTD On this day in 1954 that the botanist David Fairchild passed away. He was 85 years old. In terms of accomplishments, Fairchild hit it out of the botanical park. He was single-handedly responsible for the introduction of more than 200,000 plants to the United States; including pistachios, mangoes, dates, nectarines, soybeans, and flowering cherries. In conducting his work, Fairchild traveled around the globe numerous times. Without David Fairchild; the Washington Mall would not have the beautiful Japanese flowering cherries. When that first shipment of cherry trees arrived in the United States, it was infested with insects and diseases. It was a blessing in disguise. Japan was so embarrassed by the shipment, that they immediately shipped new specimens. And, Japan sent experts to the States to make sure that the trees were taken care of properly. And, plants like kale seem to be a relatively new phenomenon in gardens across the country. But, it was actually David Fairchild, and not Trader Joe's, who brought kale to the United States. And, David Fairchild brought the avocado here as well. Looking back over Fairchild's life, it's clear he had a few lucky breaks that helped change the trajectory of his life. For instance, on his first collecting expedition, he met a world traveler and wealthy benefactor named Barbara Latham who funded Many of his adventures. And, in 1905 he married Mary Ann Bell; his father-in-law was none other than Alexander Graham Bell. Finally, the next time you're in Florida, stop by the Fairchild Tropical Bo

One of the things I love to do at the end of spending time in my garden is to make some tussie mussies. Tussie mussies are also called nosegays or posies; they are small flower bouquets typically given as a gift. Mine are pretty small - with cuttings no longer than 6 inches. I like the charm of these little tussie mussies. They are super fun to drop off by someone's mailbox or simply to set down near the register of your favorite barista. They look perfect when placed on top of a book or added to the top of a gift-wrapped package. Irene Deitsch wrote a book called Tussie Mussies a few years ago and she explained the etymology of the word tussie mussie - which I found quite helpful. "A 'tussie' is a nosegay, which is a Middle English word for a small group of flowers held together in a little bouquet. 'Mussie' refers to the moss that was moistened and put around the stems of the flowers to keep them from wilting. That's why they're called tussie-mussies." Brevities #OTD Today is the anniversary of the death of Jeanne Baret who died on this day in 1807. Baret was the first woman to have circumnavigated the world as part of the expedition which was led by Louis Antoine de Bougainville. Beret was able to join the expedition after posing as a valet to the expedition's naturalist: Philibert Commerçon. Before the expedition, Baret had been employed as Commerçon's housekeeper. A few years later his wife died and Baret took over the management of the household in addition to having a personal relationship with Commerçon. Commerçon had poor health and it was likely that he needed Baret to join him on the expedition because he needed her assistance. Baret herself was actually a botanist herself and her own right. When the ship stopped in Rio de Janeiro, an old leg injury prevented Commerçon from collecting specimens. Thus , it was Baret who ventured out into the tropics and returned with the lovely tropical vine that would be named to honor the expedition's commander: Bougainvillea. #OTD It's the birthday of Frederick William Calcut Paxford who was born on this day in 1898. Paxford was CS Lewis's gardener from 1930 until Lewis' death in 1963. Paxford was the inspiration for Puddleglum; the marsh Weigle and the silver chair in the chronicles of Narnia where Puddleglum was described as, "an inwardly optimistic, outwardly pessimistic, dear, frustrating, shrewd countryman of immense integrity." Paxford and Lewis were the same age. However, Paxford had served during World War I, and he had been gassed as a soldier. Nearly a decade after the war, Lewis bought his property in Oxfordshire called the Kilns. When Paxford was hired, he spent many years preparing the grounds. He leveled the lawn in front of the house. He set out flowers and a Rose arbor. He established both an orchard and a vegetable garden. and he helped raise rabbits and chickens. Lewis called Paxford, "our indispensable factotum" (A factotem is an employee who does all kinds of tasks.) Meanwhile, Paxford always referred to Sinclair Lewis as "Mr. Jack". Here are a few of Paxford's memories about Lewis: "Mr. Jack loved the trees and would not have a tree cut down or lopped. When we had to take some [branches] to make a rose trellis, we had to get them when he was away for a few days and cover up the cuts with mud so that they would not be seen." Paxford lived in a little private Bungalow in the garden and he stayed there for 33 years. When Lewis died, Paxford was only bequeathed 100 pounds. To which he replied, "Well, it won't take me far, will it?" #OTD Today is the anniversary of the death of Candice Wheeler who died on this day in 1923. Candice Wheeler is often called "the mother of interior design". In addition to design, Wheeler loved gardening and she helped create the artist community of Onteora. Onteora was known for its unique homes and gardens. In its prime, it was a summer colony teaming with artists set in New York's Catskill Mountains. Wheeler's garden was known as Wildmuir. Wildmuir had wonderful lawn, specimen rhododendrons, laurels, and evergreen trees. In the 1920s, Wildmuir was updated by Harold Caparn, who designed the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens. Like Martha Stewart, Candice Wheeler was multitalented. Her publishing credits include a variety of books; from How to Make Rugsto Content in a Garden. Content in a Gardenis partly an essay and partly a guide as to what can be grown in a small space. Wheeler wrote from her own experiences. In a 1923 newspaper advertisement for the book, the reviewer wrote that Candice Wheeler and her daughter, Dora Wheeler Keith, "are thoroughly in sympathy with nature, of which the former writes as charmingly as the latter illustrates it." And it was Candace Wheeler who said, "One of the most perfect and unfailing joys of life is planting. It is the creative joy felt by God." Unearthed Words Today, we honor the poetry of Wendell Erdman Barry, an American author whose extraordinary nature poetry grew out of his experien

Right about now you might be thinking about doing a little garden cleanup and preparation for fall. One of the questions I get from gardeners this time of year has to do with whether or not to let some of your plants go to seed. After spending most of the summer deadheading and illuminating all of the brown stuff on our foliage, it can be tough for some gardeners to let things go to seed. But there are many benefits to letting some of the plants in your garden bolt in all their glory. First of all, there is tremendous ornamental value that extends into winter if you allow your perennials to keep their seed heads. (Think of the seeds heads offered by cilantro, kale, arugula, basil and so forth). Second, seeds offer food and habitat to native bees and other creatures. Thirdly, saving seeds from the garden saves you money because it eliminates the need to buy seed for next year. (Think of your tomatoes and other edibles). This practice also allows you to keep heritage plants alive for future generations. That's exactly how the heirlooms we know and love have been passed down through the generations. The main thing, is to allow nature to do most of the drying for you. Your seeds will have a much higher success rate if you let them dry as much as possible before you collect them. And finally, allowing plants to go to seed means that you will have less to plant and subsequent seasons thanks to volunteer plants. Each year my garden is blessed with Queen Anne's lace, Indian Paintbrush, Columbine, Forget-Me-Nots, Lettuce, Dill, Foxglove, Valerian, Lovage and Beets. All planted by God; all perfectly placed and happy as a result. My volunteers find a way to utilize the tiniest nooks and crevices in my garden. Brevities #OTD It's the anniversary of the death of the landscape and portrait painter Thomas Gainsborough who died on this day in 1788. Gainsborough is known for his painting of the Blue Boy today. You can visit Gainsborough's house in Suffolk. There is a garden there with a spectacular mulberry tree dating to the early 1600s during the reign of James I who encouraged the planting of mulberry trees in order to establish a silk industry. The king and his advisers lacked the knowledge about Mulberry trees of which there are two kinds. The white mulberry feeds silk worms and the black supplies the fruit. Gainsborough's Mulberry (as well as every other Mulberry cultivated in England) was the black Mulberry. Although England never successfully became known for silk worms, the craft of silk weaving became firmly rooted. In addition to the large Mulberry, the Gainsborough garden includes two Beds for Herbs and another that is strictly devoted to plants used for dying fabric. The rest of the garden is made up of plants that were available during Gainsborough's lifetime. #OTD Today in 1820 the first potatoes were planted in Hawaii. Turns out the, the American brig, the Thaddeus, brought more than the first missionaries to the island brought. #OTD On this day In 1938, the Belvedere Daily Republican, out of Belvedere Illinois, published a small article about a tree named for Benjamin Franklin. Here's what it said: "About 200 years ago, John Bartram, an eminent botanist, discovered a strange flowering tree in a Georgia forest and named it "Franklinia" in honor of his fellow Philadelphian, Benjamin Franklin." #OTD It's the anniversary of the death of the poet Wallace Stevens who died on this day in 1955. Stevens said, "Death is the mother of beauty. Only the perishable can be beautiful; which is why we are unmoved by artificial flowers." Stevens was one of the most skilled poets of the 20th Century he lived his entire adult life near Elizabeth Park in Hartford Connecticut. By day, Stevens worked at Hartford insurance company where he became a Vice President and by night he was a poet; it was in an unusual combination. Stevens lived 2 miles from his work and he walked to work every day; undoubtedly using the time to find inspiration and to write poems. The park across from his house was one of his favorite places. Elizabeth Park is huge; covering over 100 acres with formal gardens, meadows, lawns, green houses, and a pond. Stevens wrote the following poems About Elizabeth Park: Vacancy in the Park The Plain Sense of Things Nuns Painting Water Lilies By 1950, Stevens was awarded the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award for his poetry. And, here's a little known fact about Wallace Stevens: He once started a fist-fight with Ernest Hemingway in Key West. Unearthed Words Today is the birthday of the victorian poet William Watson who is born on this day in 1858. Watson was overlooked two times for the role of poet laureate because he had included his political views about the government's policy regarding South Africa and Ireland into some of his poetry. Late in his life, he was invited to write a poem to commemorate the Liverpool cathedral in 1924 to help raise money. He did the job, but the church wasn't thrilled that Watso

Are you growing Gladiola? The plants are also sometimes called the Sword Lily. Gladiola is Latin for a small sword. In Victorian times, the Gladiola meant, "You pierce my heart." And the next time you see a Gladiola, take a closer look: Members of this family produce parts in multiples of three. There are three sepals, colored to look like petals, and three true petals, and three stamens. Brevities #OTD It was on this day in 1923 that the botanist Edwin Way Teale married Nelly Imogene Donovan. The two had met while Teale was at College. After they married, they moved to New York so that Teale could continue his education at Columbia University. Teale's first job was writing for the magazine Popular Science. On the side, he began taking pictures and specializing in nature photography. When Teale was 42, he left Popular Science to become a freelancer. By 1943, his book By-ways to Adventure: A Guide to Nature Hobbies won the John Burroughs Medal for distinguished natural history writing. During World War II, Teale's son, David, was killed in Germany. The couple began traveling across the country by automobile. The trips help them cope with their grief. The trips became not only a catharsis but also an integral part of Teale's writing. Their 1947 journey, covering 17,000 miles in a black Buick, following the advance of spring, led to Teale's book north with the spring. Additional road trips lead to more books: Journey Into Summer, Autumn Across America, and Wandering Through Winter. Wandering Through Winter won the Pulitzer Prize in 1966. And, it was Edward Way Teale who said: For man, autumn is a time of harvest, of gathering together. For nature, it is a time of sowing, of scattering abroad. Any fine morning, a power saw can fell a tree that took a thousand years to grow. "Nature is shy and noncommittal in a crowd. To learn her secrets, visit her alone or with a single friend, at most. Everything evades you, everything hides, even your thoughts escape you when you walk in a crowd." "Our minds, as well as our bodies, have need of the out-of-doors. Our spirits, too, need simple things, elemental things, the sun and the wind and the rain, moonlight, and starlight, sunrise and mist and mossy forest trails, the perfumes of dawn, and the smell of fresh-turned earth and the ancient music of wind among the trees." #OTD And today is the birthday of the botanist Franklin Hewitt Perrin who is born in London on this day in 1927. In 1962, Perrin, along with Max Walters, wrote The Atlas of the British Flora, which some called the most important natural history book of the 20th century. It was Franklin Perrin who devised the Dot Map. He was an outstanding field botanist with a phenomenal memory for plants. Perrin was the best kind of botanist, possessing the eagerness of an amateur and the training of a true professional. Perrin had obtained his Ph.D. in Cambridge. When Max Walters, the director of the University herbarium, invited him to map the distribution of all the wildflowers trees and ferns of England and Ireland, Perrin said, "yes." Planning and leading groups of experts on remote field trips by bicycle, train, or on foot, was Perrin's favorite thing to do. Walters and Perrin successfully mapped all of Britain's plants in under five years. Unearthed Words "The English winter, ending in July To recommence in August." - Lord Byron Today's book recommendation: The Garden Chef: Recipes and Stories from Plant to Plate For many people, gardens are just extensions of the kitchen. Today restaurants are utilizing rooftop gardens for growing herbs and spices, and larger plots allow for cultivating vegetables along with fruit trees. The garden chef offers more than 100 gardens focused recipes, and it shares how 40 of the world's top chefs grow and cook with produce directly from their garden. The book offers stories along with the recipes for folks to enjoy reading cookbooks. It also gives tips for gardeners showing how the smallest space can grow Something delicious to eat. Today's Garden Chore Try using a strawberry jar to plant herbs. One of the best things about strawberry jars is that they can be brought into the house for winter, and the leaves of your herbs can be snipped off whenever you need them. And it has a minimal footprint. If you're going to plant in a strawberry jar successfully, make sure you fill it with a mixture of potting soil and plenty of perlite. Then, you can add the herbs that you like: basil, parsley, apple mint, and lemon time, for instance. Something Sweet Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart And it was on this day in 1950 that The Ithaca Journal out of Ithaca New York published a question from a reader. The reader wanted an answer to this question: Please list a few plants that are named for people. Here is the answer: The poinsettia was named 'for Joel R. Poinsett, a famous statesman. Wisteria is named in .honor of Caspar Wistar, a distinguished physician and scientist of Philadelphia.

Did you know that poppies were Christopher Lloyd's his favorite flower? In his short essay about poppies, he introduces 'Goliath' poppies which grow to 4 feet tall and offer the largest blooms of any poppy. Lloyd wrote about the blooms saying, "They are rich crimson, which is as exciting as scarlet. In choosing plant neighbors to vie with it, I have been best pleased with an equally bright and pure yellow giant buttercup. Ranunculus acris 'Stevenii.' It is, however, shocking to discover that there are some gardeners (and non -gardeners) of congenitally weak and palsied constitution who do not like strong colors and who even pride themselves, as a class apart, on their good taste. The good-taste brigade can only think comfortably in terms of color harmonies and of soft and soothing pastel shades." Oh, how it pains the heart to be called out by Christopher Lloyd, doesn't it? Well, even though he thinks we're too meek when it comes to color in the garden, we are in violent agreement when it comes to procurement. You'll love this little snippet about how he came to own the poppy "Beauty Queen": "I took a fancy to 'Beauty Queen' in a friend's garden in Scotland in June, when it was flowering, and received permission to take a piece. When you see a plant that you must have, the answer to the question "Would you like some at the right time? should be "I'd rather have it now," right time or not. Otherwise, the right time will surely slip by, the transference of the coveted piece from central Scotland to the south of England (or from California to Maine) will be in convenient, and all you'll have is a gnawing gap in the pit of your wish-world." Brevities #OTD It was on this day in 1703 that Daniel Defoe was made to stand in the pillory in front of the temple bar. The pillory was basically a stockade; the hands and head would be caught between two large beams of wood. It was a horrible punishment. It was usually reserved for the most hideous crimes. When Dafoe was convicted of sedition, the crowds did their best to show their support; they threw flowers at his feet instead of mud. The image of Defoe standing with his head and hands in the stocks surrounded by an adoring audience was memorialized in an 1862 painting. In 1830, a biography of Defoe said that the stocks were adorned with garlands and that drinks were provided to celebrate Dafoe's release. #OTD It's the birthday of Mary Vaux Walcott born in Philadelphia today in 1860. Gardeners know Walcott for her work as a botanical illustrator; she created meticulously accurate watercolors of plants and flowers. She is known as the "Audobon of botany". Walcott became an illustrator one summer after being challenged to paint a rare blooming Arnica. Although her effort was only a modest success, it encouraged her to pursue the art. In that pursuit, she met Charles Doolittle Walcott. They were both doing fieldwork in the Canadian Rockies and they found they were equally yoked. They married the following year. At the time, Charles was the secretary of the Smithsonian; that's how Walcott came to develop the Smithsonian process printing technique. Walcott created hundreds of illustrations of the native plants of North America. Her five volume set entitled North American Wildflowersshowcases the stunning beauty of everyday wildflowers, many of which are at peak bloom right now. In addition to her work as a botanist, Mary was a successful glacial geologist and photographer. She was the first woman to summit a peak over 10,000 feet in Canada when she tackled Mount Stephen. Today Walcott even has a mountain named after her in Jasper - Mount Mary Vaux. #OTD Today's the anniversary of the death of Richard Morris Hunt who was an American architect during the gilded age. Gardeners know Hunt for his collaborations with the Frederick Law Olmsted. They worked together on the Vanderbilt mausoleum and the Chicago world's fair. Their ultimate collaboration occurred in Asheville, North Carolina, where they worked together to design the gardens, house, and manor village for the Biltmore estate. Hunt is often recognized as theDean of American Architecture. He was the first American trained at the prestigious Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris. Although Hunt and Olmsted had history, they clashed over Hunt's design for the southern entrance to Central Park. Hunt had won the competition to design it, but Olmsted and Vaux balked when they saw Hunt's glorious plan. For the main entrance at Fifth Avenue, Hunt had designed what he called the Gate of Peace. It included a circular fountain within a square parterre. The most magnificent part of his plan, was a semi circular terrace with a 50 foot column featuring a sailor and a Native American holding up the cities arms. At the base of the column was to be a monument to Henry Hudson. It involved a pool of water featuring Neptune in his chariot and Henry Hudson standing on the prowl of a ship. On the back side, there was a memorial to Christopher Columbus.

Have you tried growing Castor Bean? It's one of Michael Pollen's favorite plants. Check out the way he starts his article on the plant called, "Consider the Castor Bean" : "Pretty they are not, but a garden can labor under a surfeit "sur·fuht" of prettiness, be too sweet or cheerful for its own good. Sometimes what's needed in the garden is a hint of vegetal menace, of nature run tropically, luxuriantly amuck. For this I recommend the castor bean." While most of us have heard of castor oil (extracted by crushing and processing the seeds), growing the castor bean plant can be a new adventure for gardeners. The castor bean plant is the only member of the genus Ricinus communis and belongs to the spurge family. Unlike other members of the euphorbia family, castor bean does not have that milky latex sap, the sap of castor bean is watery. The giant, tropical leaves and peculiar seed pods make the plant an exotic addition to your garden. A native plant from Ethiopia, castor bean can grow to 40 feet tall when it can grow year round. For most gardeners who grow castor bean as an annual in a single season, castor bean will grow quickly and vigorously but it will only reach about 8-10 feet. If you grow castor bean, you need to be aware that the seeds are extremely poisonous. If you have kids around, keep plants out of reach and eliminate seeds altogether by cutting off the flowering spike. As you probably suspected from the latin name, the toxin in castor seeds is ricin (RYE-sin), one of the world's deadliest natural poisons. During the Cold War, the Bulgarian journalist, Georgi Markov, was killed when an umbrella rigged as a pellet rifle, shot a small BB into his leg as Markov stood in line at a bus stop. After he died in 1978, Scotland Yard investigated and found the BB; it was the size of a pinhead and it had been drilled with two holes producing an X-shaped cavity and the holes had been packed with ricin. The holes had been coated with a sugary substance which trapped the ricin inside the BB. The coating was designed to melt at body temperature, at which time the ricin was free to be absorbed into the bloodstream and kill him. Despite their unnerving history, castor beans are still good garden plants. They look beautiful with cannas, bananas and elephant ears for a tropical garden. They make a wonderful backdrop for grasses. And, they shine at the back of the flower border where they create a magnificent screen in no time. Castor Beans do best in full sun and they don't like wet feet - so plant them high and dry or in well drained locations. Brevities #OTD It's the birthday of Emily Brontë who was born on this day in 1818. Brontë wrote: Reason, indeed, may oft complain For Nature's sad reality, And tell the suffering heart, how vain Its cherished dreams must always be; And Truth may rudely trample down The flowers of Fancy, newly-blown. #OTD It's the birthday of Ellis Rowan, who was a well-known Australian artist and botanical illustrator, born on this day in 1848. In a 1994 newspaper article, Sarah Guest described Rowan this way: "She was an explorer. She set off alone at 68, for Papua New Guinea - who died in 1922. She dyed her hair red; had a face-lift; left her husband (the suggestion is that she was bored); was a member of one of Victoria's great pastoralist families; was a much-admired, prolific, technically proficient and joyous painter of plants and birds; and a conservationist she campaigned to stop the slaughter of birds for the decoration of ladies' hats... in her day she was known as "Australia's brilliant daughter" which, indeed, she was." Rowan discovered painting after her botanist husband. Frederick. encouraged her to develop a talent. Rowan developed her passion into her profession and it led her into unknown parts of Australia. During the first World war Rowan was living in New Guinea. At one point, she painted 45 of the 62 known species of birds of paradise. As a woman living during the mid-1800s, Rowan minded the dress code of her era. Wherever she went, whether on an exploration or back at home, she was always impeccably dressed; wearing heavy ankle length dresses, high collars with full sleeves - complete with crinolines, corsets, whalebone stays, and a hat. Just before Rowan died, the federal parliament in Australia debated whether to buy 1,000 of her paintings despite the Australian artist and novelist, Norman Lindsay, who called her work vulgar art. Lindsey didn't think wildflowers were worthy of subjects of real art. Ultimately, the paintings were purchased for $5000 . They are now part of Australia's national library. #OTD And it was on this day in 1901 that the General assembly of Arkansas selected the apple blossom as the floral emblem. This selection was not without controversy. The Floral Emblem Society, led by Mrs. Ed Barton, had supported the apple blossom. The Arkansas Federation of women's clubs wanted the passion flower. The disagreement between the two groups became known as t

Do you have children or grandchildren? A Peter Rabbit Garden is a lovely idea for you to consider. Of course, Peter Rabbit is the creation of Beatrix Potter, who was a noted botanist and mycologist. (A mycologist studies fungi). Potter's garden was located at Hill Top Farm. In making your Peter Rabbit garden, you could add a little wooden fence or a little stone wall around the perimeter. Inside, use the herbs and perennials featured in the books: Herbs include: Mint, Chamomile, Lavender, Parsley, Sage, Thyme, Rosemary, Lemon Balm, and Tansy. Edibles include Lettuce, Beets, Radish, Rhubarb, Onions, and Strawberry Then add Pansies, Roses, and Pinks. Brevities #OTD On this day in 1810, Thomas Nuttal, just 24 years old, jumped in a birch bark canoe with Aaron Greely, the deputy surveyor of the territory of Michigan, and they paddled to Mackinac Island arriving two weeks later on August 12. Nuttal spent several days on Mackinac. He was the first true botanist to explore the flora of Michigan, and certainly of Mackinac Island. Nuttal immediately set about collecting and writing detailed accounts of the flora he discovered. He documented about sixty species - about twenty were previously unknown. One the new Mackinac discoveries was the dwarf lake iris (Iris lucustris), which became the state wildflower of Michigan. #OTD It's the birthday of Edith Coleman, an Australian naturalist and a prolific writer, who was born on this day in 1874. Until recently little was known about Coleman. The author, Danielle Claude wrote a book about Coleman called The Wasp and the Orchidwhich explored how Coleman went from being a housewife until the age of 48 and then transformed into one of Australia's leading naturalists. Coleman had a special appreciation for orchids. Beginning in January 1927 one of her daughters told her that she had seen a wasp entering the flower of the small tongue orchid backwards. The odd behavior was something both Coleman and her daughter would see repeatedly over the next few seasons. The behavior was is perplexing; especially after Coleman dissected the plants and discovered that they were male. Coleman continued to study their behavior and she finally discovered that the wasp was fertilizing the orchid. The orchid uses this stealth pollination strategy Called pseudo-copulation to trick the mail wasps into thinking they are meeting with a female wasp. By getting the males to enter the plant, the plant is able to be pollinated. Coleman became the first woman to be awarded the Australian natural history medallion. Coleman will forever be remembered for her groundbreaking discovery about orchid pollination #OTD And it's the anniversary of the death of Ryan Gainey the landscape designer extraordinaire who died on this day in 2016. Gaineydied trying to save his beloved Jack Russell terrier's jellybean Leo and baby Ruth from a fire at his home. Neither he nor his dogs survived. When I came to landscape design, Gainey was completely self-taught. In the wonderful documentary about his life called "The Well-Placed Weed: The Bountiful Life of Ryan Gainey." (btw I shared it in the FB group so check it out) In the documentary Gaineyasked the filmmaker, "I've had a wild life. Do you know why?" His reply was simple and 100% Gainey: "I created it." Gaineypurchased a home in Decatur Georgia that used to be the site of Holcomb Nursery. He removed many of the green houses behind his home but kept the low brick walls that had served as the foundation for the greenhouses. The result was that Gaineyinstantly had a series of garden rooms that he could decorate and design to his hearts content. Over the course of his career, Gaineybecame friends with other notable designers and gardeners like Rosemary Verey and Penelope Hobhouse. Gainey loved Verey; they had a special bond. He loved the Camellia japonica. Gaineys gardens looked effortless with things spilling over and nestled in a way that made them look like they had been in the garden for decades. It was Gainey who said, "Where lies the genius of man? It is the ability to control nature... but for one purpose only; and that is to create beauty." 148 days before Gaineypassed away, an enormous white oak fell over and crushed his house. Gainey considered the tree to be the soul of his life. #OTD It was on this day in 1931 that newspapers were reporting that Louis Schubert and August Rosenberg had the distinction of being the first recipients of a patent for a plant. The patent was conferred for the first ever-blooming rose, which they named "The New Dawn." The patentable feature was for its ever-blooming aspect. The new rose was described as identical with the Dr. Van Fleet climbing rose, except that instead of blooming once each year it bloomed successively like the ever-blooming tea roses. The plant patent act was signed by president Hoover May 23, 1930. The patent for New Dawn was assigned shortly after President Herbert Hoover signed the the bill. A plant patent gives the

Have you tried to propagate roses through cutting? Maybe you want to pass along an old rose from a friend or simply make more of your own. You can take a cutting of your rose, which is also called a slip. When it comes to selecting the right stem, I look for a long, young shoot. These new shoots are about the diameter of a pencil and have grown from spots I have pruned earlier in the year – which is another benefit of pruning. Now these shoots are pretty easy to spot; they are usually a little lighter in color and they are super vigorous. Anyway, you want to cut one long shoot down low and then make your hardwood slips from that one long shoot. If you look at the long stem you just cut, you'll notice that, at the top, the stem is pliable; meaning you can bend it quite easily. But as you go further down the stem, you'll begin to notice that the soft, pliability goes away and all you're left with is what we call hardwood. That's where you will take your cuttings. From one long stem I can usually get three or four 5 to 7 inch cuttings. So, bottom line; Don't take your cutting from a stem that is bendable. Now when you make your slips, use something sharp – it can be a knife or a pruner. For the bottom of the cutting, cut straight across - right below a bud(where the leads to connect to the stem.) For the top of your slip, cut at an angle - right above a bud. Using those bud connection points as guides for cutting is important because this is where loads of non-determinant cells like to hang out. That means the plants can leverage them to make roots or shoots, depending on what it needs to do to survive. Pretty cool, huh? Then, I just strip the leaves off from the lower 4 inches of the stem, leaving just one or two leaf clusters at the tip. Then, I trim some of the bark from the bottom inch or so of the cutting; making it rather squarish (like a mint stem), and then I dip that into rooting powder. Finally, place the bottom 3-4 inches of the cutting into well drained potting soil in the ground and cut and cover the slip with a mason jar. Brevities #OTD It's the birthday of Roland Hallet Shumway who was born on this day in 1842. A pioneering seedsman out of Rockford, Illinois, Shumway always went by his initials of R.H. The RH Shumway Seed Company became the worlds largest mail-order seed company; their "Marketmore" seeds or especially popular. Famous Shumway Seed customers included Bing Crosby and Perry Como. When Shumway was 19, he enlisted in the army to serve in the Civil War. He contracted bronchitis and became totally deaf during his service. Once Shumway was asked how he would like to be remembered. He gave a three word response: Good Seeds Cheap. Shumway said that he wanted to make sure, "that good seeds were within the reach of the poorest planters" As with any venture, sweat equity drives success. Shumway said, "From the beginning of the new year, until after spring planting, my industrious employees work 16 hours a day, and myself and my family 18 or more hours per day. Are we not surely knights at labor? How can we do more? Do we not deserve the patronage of every planter in America ?" #OTD It's the 120th anniversary of the 14-week botanical expedition through Yellowstone led by the botanist Aven Nelson. Aven had hired a student named Leslie Goodding to be the chore boy for $10 per month. The group assembled at the University of Wyoming where Nelsen had been hired to teach. Leslie remembered the excitement on campus at the prospect of going on the trek, saying, "Some three or four months were to be spent in Yellowstone park collecting plants… Many students… were anxious to accompany Dr. Nelson on [the] expedition, and were willing to work for nothing just to see the Park… This was in the days when autos were much like hen's teeth and trips through the Park by stage were expensive." (Note: The euphemism "hen's teeth" refers to something being exceptionally rare; since hens have no teeth, it implies that something is so scarce it is virtually nonexistent. So, during the time of this expedition – no vehicles.) In addition to Leslie, another botany student named Elias Nelsen, (no relation to Aven), joined the group. Anyway, on this day in 1899, Leslie and Elias, had gone collecting near an area called Artist Paint Pots; it's a dangerous area with over 50 springs, geysers, vents and mud pots. Geothermal features are some of the most dangerous natural features in Yellowstone, but people often fail to realize that fact. To this day, park rangers rescue one or two visitors, who fall from boardwalks or wander off designated paths and punch their feet through thin earthen crust into boiling water. Yet, drawn by curiosity, Elias ignored the warning signs and went off the path. Suddenly, he found himself with one leg sunk into boiling hot mud. He managed to free himself and Aven's wife did what she could with soda and flour to bandage his wounds, and the doc at the nearest town recommend Elias return home for tre

Are you growing Cleome? My daughter just had her senior pictures taken and I took some cuttings from the garden for her to hold during her photo shoot. For one of the pictures, I had her hold just one large white blossom in her hands. It looked like a giant puffball and it had a very etherial quality about it Cleome is beautiful - but it is also sticky - so keep that in mind if you handle it. I know some gardeners have no trouble sowing cleome directly into their gardens, but some gardeners complain that it can be an inconsistent germinater. I like to sow cleome right now since the seeds like strong light to get going. Sometimes cleome can benefit from staking - so keep that in mind as well. And, if you are planning a cutting garden, it is hard to beat cleome. The blooms are a show-stealer in any arrangement. Brevities #OTD The Botanic garden at Oxford, also known as the Physic Garden, was founded on this day in 1632. The garden is the oldest in England. When the garden was founded,the ground where the garden stands had been raised to protect it from floods. During the founding ceremony, dignitaries of the University walked in a procession from St. Mary's church to the garden. Mr. Edward Dawson, a physician, and Dr. Clayton, the Regius Professor of Medicine, each gave a speech and a stone was placed in the garden gateway by the Vice-Chancellor himself. #OTD Today is the birthday of William Forsyth who was born on this day in 1804. Forsyth was a Scottish botanist. He trained as a gardener at the Physic Garden and was an apprentice to Philip Miller, the chief gardener. In 1771, Forsyth himself took over the chief gardening position. Three years later, he built one of the very first rock gardens with over 40 tons of stone collected from the land around the Tower of London and even some pieces of lava imported from Iceland. The effort was noted for posterity, the garden was a bust. Forsyth was also the founding member of the Royal Horticultural Society. The genus, Forsythia, is named in his honor. #OTD The English poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge died on this day in 1834. Along with his friend, William Wordsworth, he helped found the Romantic Movement in England and was a member of a group called the Lake Poets. In his poem called Youth and Age, Samuel Taylor Coleridge wrote, "Flowers are lovely; Love is flower-like; Friendship is a sheltering tree;" #OTD On this day in 1938, Canadian Naturalist Charles Joseph Sauriol ("Sar-ee-all") wrote about sharing his garden with a toad. He wrote, "One particular toad has taken quite a fancy to the Wild Flower garden. His den is alongside the Hepatica plant. There he sits half buried, and blinks up at me while I shower water on him." Unearthed Words Here are a few English proverbs about July: "If the first of July be rainy weather, It will rain, more of less, for four weeks together." "The glowing Ruby should adorn Those who in warm July are born, Then will they be exempt and free From love's doubt and anxiety." Today's book recommendation: The Fragrant Path by Louise Beebe Wilder This is a wonderful guide to the cultivation of scented flowers. The newly revised edition includes modern varieties as well. The late Louise Beebe Wilder is that rare figure, a garden writer from another era (she was born in 1878). Her books continue to be published because they are so charming and contain a wealth of horticultural knowledge. Today's Garden Chore Go to a local farmers market - not for the produce - for the knowledge. The growers at the farmer's market have an expertise about growing that is often an untapped resource. Plus, the growers are so generous with Information. It's always a pleasure to talk to someone who has first-hand knowledge about growing plants. Something Sweet Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart Today in 1874, the The Opelousas Courier shared a wonderful story called "A Case of Floral Offerings." The story was from Berlin, it told of an actress who was playing the role of a female Hamlet. She wanted to have bouquets and wreaths thrown to her at the end of her performance. When a man told her that the flowers would cost $20, the actress said that it was too much for one night. But, the gentleman had an idea. He said, twenty dollars would be sufficient for two nights. And he explained how it would work. He said, "Today, I and my men, will throw the bouquets to you from the first tier. After the performance is over, I shall take the flowers home with me in a basket [and] put them in water... Tomorrow night [we will toss them at your feet again]. No one in the audience will know that the bouquets have been used before." The actress liked to the man's ingenious plan and paid the sum he had demanded. Thanks for listening to the daily gardener, and remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."

Are you a fan of basil? A few years ago, I produced an entire long-format show about basil for the Still Growing podcast. It was Episode 573, and I called it Basilmania. At one point or another, we've all needed an introduction to basil and to pesto. So, if you've never grown basil, or smelled basil, or tasted it, or cooked with basil - I want to introduce you to it. I'd love it if someday you look back and say - yeah that Basilmania episode on Still Growing - that's what made me want to give basil a try. If you're an experienced basil gardener, you also it because I take you through some of the amazing varieties of basil - just know that there are over a hundred - (and I give you some ideas for what you can do with them). From a growing standpoint, I share how to grow it from seed, how to propagate it (it's so easy - its insane), offer some basic cultivation tips, and provide answers to some common questions about problems folks can have growing basil. I also tell you about harvesting and storing all of your green gold - your basil leaves. And then I wrap up with my favorite part of growing basil - eating it. I'll share my pesto tips and give you some pretty amazing recipes that may or may not incorporate pesto. Whew! So, check it out on my blog or on your favorite podcast player just search for the word Basilmania (SG573) and the Still Growing podcast episode should pop right up. Brevities #OTD It's the birthday of Benning Wentworth who was born on this day in 1696. Wentworth was the colonial governor of New Hampshire from 1741 to 1766. Wentworth is important to North American gardeners, because Wentworth had brought the lilac along with other trees and shrubs when he immigrated to America from England. In 1750, the first lilac was planted at the Wentworth home. In 1919, it was adopted as the New Hampshire State Flower because lawmakers felt it was, "symbolic of the hardy character of the men and women of New Hampshire; the granite state." #OTD It's the birthday of one of the man who created the Missouri Botanical Gardens also known as "Shaw's Garden," or "Hank's Garden" - I'm talking about none other than the great Henry Shaw who was born on this day in 1800. Shaw is easily in the top ten of any list of great American botanical philanthropists. Shaw is commemorated on the St. Louis Walk of Fame with this epitaph: Henry Shaw, only 18 when he came to St. Louis, was one of the city's largest landowners by age 40. Working with leading botanists, he planned, funded and built the Missouri Botanical Garden, which opened in 1859. Shaw donated the land for Tower Grove Park and helped with its construction. He wrote botanical tracts, endowed Washington University's School of Botany, helped found the Missouri Historical Society, and gave the city a school and land for a hospital. Of Shaw's gifts, the Botanical Garden is best-known. Said as early as 1868 to have "no equal in the United States, and, indeed, few anywhere in the world." In addition to the Botanical Garden, Shaw built the Linnean House in 1882. It is the oldest continuously operated public greenhouse west of the Mississippi River and was originally designed to be an orangery; a place to overwinter citrus trees, palms and tree ferns. And, there's a little story I love that reveals Shaw's regard for the plants in his garden. It was posted in the St. Louis Star and Times on April 5, 1933 "Mr. Shaw was escorting a lady through his gardens, pointing out objects of interest. The visitor said: " I cannot understand, Sir, how you are able to remember all of these difficult names." He replied, with a courtly bow, "Madame, did you ever know a mother to forget the names of her children? These plants and flowers are my little ones." #OTD Today in 1938, The Miami News posted an article about pigeon peas. The article begins this way, "If English peas don't suit your palate, plant pigeon peas. The suggestion is that of a Miami pioneer, Charles F. Sulzner, who through the years has pointed out to newcomers the advantages of growing tropical fruits and vegetables, often of a type requiring no painstaking cultivation... Pigeon peas, as Sulzner demonstrated in his spacious grounds at 236 S. W. Second St grow on trees, and may be had by the simple process of picking. Pigeon peas make a lovely and distinct addition to the edible garden. The cultivation of the pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan), can be traced back more than 3,500 years. Other common names include: Congo pea, Angola pea and red gram. In Barbados, pigeon pea was used to feed pigeons. Gardeners who love growing peas in the spring, may thoroughly enjoy growing pigeon pea in the summer. It's a hardy perennial that can produce multiple harvests during the season. The sweet, fresh green peas are technically beans. They can be eaten fresh when green or dried. The dried beans need to be soaked before boiling. Pigeon peas have a nutty taste and crisp texture. The entire pod may be eaten. As a bonus, the yellow-red flowers att