The Daily Gardener

Today we celebrate the botanist who discovered photosynthesis. We'll also learn about the Linnean Society Librarian, who was a botanist and explorer in his own right. We'll remember the judge who created a new kind of berry. We hear a long-forgotten verse about a rose and a raspberry. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book about smart gardening in harsh, dry places. And then we'll wrap things up with adorable instructions about how to make a sugarplum tree out of pine cones. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart To listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to "Play the latest episode of The Daily Gardener Podcast." And she will. It's just that easy. The Daily Gardener Friday Newsletter Sign up for the FREE Friday Newsletter featuring: A personal update from me Garden-related items for your calendar The Grow That Garden Library™ featured books for the week Gardener gift ideas Garden-inspired recipes Exclusive updates regarding the show Plus, each week, one lucky subscriber wins a book from the Grow That Garden Library™ bookshelf. Gardener Greetings Send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes, and so forth to [email protected]. Curated News Italy's Olive Trees Are Dying. Can They Be Saved? | National Geographic | Alejandra Borunda Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and blog posts for yourself, you're in luck. I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. So, there's no need to take notes or search for links. The next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community where you'd search for a friend... and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events December 8, 1730 Today is the birthday of the Dutch physician, physiologist, and botanist Jan Ingenhousz ("ENG-in-house"). Jan made one of the most significant botanical discoveries in history: photosynthesis. Jan served as the personal physician to the royal Habsburg family in Austria. In 1771, Jan traveled to England with a group that included Benjamin Franklin. During their trip, the group called on Joseph Priestley, who had just made his own impressive discovery: that plant leaves absorb and emit gases. Eight years later, Jan wrapped up his work with the Habsburgs and moved his family to England. In a fascinating turn of events, Jan started testing his ideas about plants in the same laboratory that Joseph Priestly had used - at Bowood House. Jan extended Priestley's work by adding light as a variable to his experiments. When Jan's plants were placed underwater in a clear container, Jan exposed them to darkness and sunlight. In the dark, only a few bubbles appeared on the plant. A more exaggerated reaction occurred when Jan's plants in the tank were placed in the sun: lots of little bubbles appeared on the leaves' undersides. Jan learned that the bubbles made in sunlight contained oxygen, and the bubbles made in darkness contained carbon dioxide. Jan had proved photosynthesis. December 8, 1800 Today is the birthday of the Scottish botanist, naturalist, and explorer David Don. David grew up in a family with five brothers and one sister. His father, George Don, was a nurseryman. The Don's provided plants to botanists and supplied produce to the people living near their nursery. In 1802, David's father became Superintendent of the Edinburgh Botanical Gardens. Both David and his older brother, George Jr, became botanists. As a young man, David moved to London and became a fellow of the Linnean Society. One of David's first jobs was as the botanist Aylmer Bourke Lambert's personal librarian, and Aylmer had an extraordinary personal library and herbarium. This job helped David become the Linnean Society librarian - a position he held for almost twenty years. At the age of 35, David became the first Professor of Botany at Kings College in London. Shortly after starting his professorship, David discovered a malignant tumor on his neck. He died in 1841, two weeks short of his 42nd birthday. December 8, 1841 Today is the birthday of the California Superior Court judge and gardener James Harvey Logan. An avid gardener, Judge Logan enjoyed trying his hand at hybridizing. In 1881, Logan was working with blackberries. He crossed a local wild blackberry with a cultivated blackberry known as the Auginbaugh. At the same time, Logan had some Red Antwerp raspberries growing in his garden. In a completely unexpected development, Logan's work resulted in a cross between his crossed blackberry and the Antwerp raspberry; the result was the Loganberry. Two years later, the Loganberry was introduced to the public by the University of California. Santa Cruz County published a feature on the Loganberry, which said: "The vines or canes of the Loganberry grow entirely unlike either the blackberry or raspberry. They trail or grow upon the ground more like the dewberry. They are exceedingly strong growers, each

Today we celebrate the botanist who saved the Lewis and Clark specimen sheets. We'll also learn about the successful botanist and garden designer who introduced the navel orange. We'll recognize the Conservatory stocked by the World's Fair. We'll hear a charming verse about the mistletoe by a poet entomologist. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book featuring fifteen incredible private gardens in North America. And then we'll wrap things up with the American writer who wrote about the natural world with simplicity and honesty. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart To listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to "Play the latest episode of The Daily Gardener Podcast." And she will. It's just that easy. The Daily Gardener Friday Newsletter Sign up for the FREE Friday Newsletter featuring: A personal update from me Garden-related items for your calendar The Grow That Garden Library™ featured books for the week Gardener gift ideas Garden-inspired recipes Exclusive updates regarding the show Plus, each week, one lucky subscriber wins a book from the Grow That Garden Library™ bookshelf. Gardener Greetings Send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes, and so forth to [email protected]. Curated News Is Mistletoe More Than Just An Excuse For A Kiss? | Kew | Michael F Fay Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and blog posts for yourself, you're in luck because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. So, there's no need to take notes or search for links. The next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community, where you'd search for a friend… and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events December 7, 1817 Today is the birthday of the American botanist and professor Edward Tuckerman. A specialist of lichens and other Alpine plants, Edward helped found the Natural History Society of Boston. As a professor at Amherst College, Edward spent his spare time botanizing in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Today Tuckerman Ravine is named in honor of Edward Tuckerman. America owes a debt of gratitude to Edward for rescuing some of the Lewis and Clark specimens at an auction. It turns out that after the Lewis and Clark Expedition, a botanist named Frederic Pursh was hired by Meriwether Lewis to process the plants from their trip. After butting heads with his boss Benjamin Smith Barton and Meriwether's apparent suicide, Frederick Pursh took the Lewis and Clark specimens and went to England. Once in England, Pursh reached out to botanists Sir James Edward Smith and Aylmer Lambert about putting together the Flora of North America. Ultimately, Aylmer became his botanical fairy godfather. Aylmer had a substantial personal botanical library, herbarium, and funding. Aylmer also forced Pursh to be productive. Frederick Pursh was kind of a rough and tough guy, and he was an alcoholic. Aylmer made a space for Frederick in the attic of his house. Once Aylmer got him up there, he would lock Frederick in for stretches at a time to keep him focused on the project. It was an extreme way to deal with Frederick's demons, but it worked. It took Pursh two years to complete the Flora of North America, and the whole time he was racing against Thomas Nuttall, who was working on the same subject back in America. American botanists felt Frederick Pursh had pulled the rug out from under them when he took the expedition specimens to England. And this is where Edward Tuckerman enters the story. Somehow Edward learned that the Lewis and Clark specimens that Pursh had brought to England were going to auction. It turns out Aylmer had hung on to all of Pursh's material, including the Lewis and Clark originals. In 1842, after Aylmer died, the Lewis and Clark specimens and papers were up for auction along as part of his estate. Somehow Edward realized the value and the important legacy of these botanical specimens and papers. After winning the items, Edward eventually donated all of the material to the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia. December 7, 1822 Today is the birthday of the English-American botanist, nurseryman, landscape gardener, and landscape designer William Saunders. William served as the first horticulturist and superintendent of the experimental gardens at the newly created U.S. Department of Agriculture. During his professional career, William enjoyed many successes, but two stand out above the rest. First, William designed the Soldiers' National Cemetery at Gettysburg. On November 17, 1863, William visited the White House to show President Abraham Lincoln his design for the cemetery near the Gettysburg battlefield. William thoughtfully made sure that the Union army dead would be organized by state. A devoted botanist, William's design was the setting for Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, an ode to the fallen soldiers interred there. William's sec

Today we celebrate the botanist who discovered the Rhododenrun minus growing in South Carolina. We'll also learn about the young German botanist who died on the Niger Expedition after valiantly trying to keep his plants alive. We'll recognize an Irish doctor who was one of the first people to discover the greenhouse effect. We salute the naturalist of Germantown, Pennsylvania, whose love for wildflowers and nature was unsurpassed. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a downhome book dedicated to helping you with the family garden to make it a resounding success. And then we'll wrap things up with the brilliant plantswoman who understood the subtleties of gardening and design. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart To listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to "Play the latest episode of The Daily Gardener Podcast." And she will. It's just that easy. The Daily Gardener Friday Newsletter Sign up for the FREE Friday Newsletter featuring: A personal update from me Garden-related items for your calendar The Grow That Garden Library™ featured books for the week Gardener gift ideas Garden-inspired recipes Exclusive updates regarding the show and more. Plus, each week, one lucky subscriber wins a book from the Grow That Garden Library™ bookshelf. Gardener Greetings Send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes, and so forth to [email protected]. Curated News David Domoney's Fencing Guide | David Domoney Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and blog posts for yourself, you're in luck because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. So, there's no need to take notes or search for links. The next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community, where you'd search for a friend… and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events December 4, 1788 On this day, Andre Michaux made his way from Georgia into South Carolina by crossing the Tugalo River. In his journal, Michaux wrote: "At dawn, I went to look at the banks of the river, and I recognized the yellow root, [a new species of rhododendron], mountain laurel, hydrangea, [and] hemlock spruce. . . ." Now Harvard's Charles Sprague Sargent remarked on the significance of this moment because it was the first time that Michaux laid eyes on the Rhododendron minus. Rhododendron grows naturally in the South from North Carolina to Alabama. With its soil and climate, Rhododendrons are perfectly suited to grow in South Carolina. The blossoms of rhododendrons have a wide color range from white to deep purple and blue. A versatile plant, Rhododendrons can be planted as specimens or even as hedges in gardens or natural settings. If you have oak or pine trees on your property, Rhododendrons are ideal for underplanting due to the filtered light from the tree canopy, the soil pH, and natural mulch. As the mulch breaks down, the organic matter provides the rhododendron with the perfect mix of nutrients. Finally, Rhododendrons need well-drained soil, and you should consider taking advantage of that fact by planting them on a slope. December 4, 1841 On this day, the German botanist Theodore Vogel was laid low with dysentery. After joining the Niger ("nee-ZHER") expedition, Theodore recorded in his journal the difficulties of traveling without the benefit of a Wardian Case on board a naval warship called the Wilberforce: "As soon as I got on board... my first care was to… the plants gathered since we arrived at Cape Coast Castle. But though I had taken all possible care, much was spoilt and almost everything in a bad state. It has been my lot ... after endless labor. I mention this, on purpose, that in case my collection comes into other hands, I may not be accused of negligence. I have sacrificed every convenience to gain room and spared no trouble to overcome the dampness of the ship and of the atmosphere, but without success. The general arrangements of a man-of-war do not give many opportunities for such experiments. When will the time arrive, that ...naturalists [will receive] the appropriate and necessary support?" When Theodore became sick on this day in 1841, his friend and fellow German, the mineralogist, Charles Gottfried Roscher, tended to him for thirteen days and never left his bedside. On December 17th, about mid-day, Theodore woke to ask Charles if everything was ready for their excursion, and then he peacefully passed away. December 4, 1893 Today is the anniversary of the death of the Irish experimental physicist John Tyndall. In 1859, John discovered the link between atmospheric CO2 and what we call the Greenhouse effect. And Although John was often attributed as the first person to discover the Greenhouse effect, today we know that a female scientist named Eunice Foote discovered it in 1856 - a full three years earlier. That said, John is best known for learning why the sky is blue. It turns ou

Today I'll talk about the difference between gourds and squash. We'll also celebrate the man whose philanthropy made the Arnold Arboretum possible. We'll recognize the painter who said flowers made him paint freely. We salute the English author who gave us a lovely poem called The Garden Year. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a cookbook from two chefs who teach authentic, seasonal cooking with ingredients from your garden in the most delicious and perfect ways possible. And then we'll wrap things up with the English naturalist who campaigned and won Green Spaces for England and her work lead to the National Trust. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart To listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to "Play the latest episode of The Daily Gardener Podcast." And she will. It's just that easy. The Daily Gardener Friday Newsletter Sign up for the FREE Friday Newsletter featuring: A personal update from me Garden-related items for your calendar The Grow That Garden Library™ featured books for the week Gardener gift ideas Garden-inspired recipes Exclusive updates regarding the show and more. Plus, each week, one lucky subscriber wins a book from the Grow That Garden Library™ bookshelf. Gardener Greetings Send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes, and so forth to [email protected]. Curated News The Same Mobile Protein Governs Seed Size And Inflorescence Structure | Botany One | Hugh Dickinson Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and blog posts for yourself, you're in luck because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. So, there's no need to take notes or search for links. The next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community, where you'd search for a friend… and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events December 3, 1492 On this day, Christopher Columbus noted in his diary: "I climbed a mountain and came to level ground, which was sown with many different crops and gourds." The gourds Columbus was referring to were actually squashes that were turned into utensils. Many people confuse gourds and squash. So here's a little gourd and squash trivia to keep your knowledge of gourds and squash sharp. Gourds and squash are members of the Cucurbitaceae ("coo-kur-bi-TAY-see-ee") plant family, including over 700 species. Both squash and gourds are fruits because they are part of the flower that contains the seeds, and like grapes, they grow on a vine. The fruits of gourds, squashes, and pumpkins are berries known as a pepo ("pee-poh"). Loofahs are a type of gourd, and they come from the inside of a gourd. Pumpkin is a squash. And while most gourds are not suitable to eat, squash has a mild taste and is delicious. The main difference between summer squash and winter squash is how long they can be stored. Summer squashes are soft-skinned, they're harvested in the summer, and they need to be eaten quickly (i.e., zucchini and yellow crookneck squash). Winter squashes are hard-shelled squashes that can be stored for months (i.e., acorn squash). Here's a little gourd joke: What vegetable keeps your garden safe? A security gourd. Lastly, if you enjoy puns, gourd puns abound on the internet, and they are truly the worst puns. "You'd butternut forget to grow gourds… because they're 'gourd'geous!" December 3, 1868 Today is the anniversary of the death of the wealthy businessman, philanthropist, and botanist James Arnold. James is the namesake for Harvard's Arnold Arboretum - the very first arboretum in the United States. James was born to a Quaker family in Providence, Rhode Island. In 1807, James married Sarah Rotch. Had James not married Sarah, there would have probably never been an Arnold Arboretum. Sarah's father was part of an exceptionally wealthy whaling family, and James eventually became a partner in his father-in-law's business. James used his wealth to buy an 11-acre estate in New Bedford, Massachusetts. As Quakers, James, and Sarah focused less on making their home ostentatious and more on developing their gardens. Together James and Sarah searched for interesting plants and trees for their home gardens during their many trips to Europe. And history tells us that the Arnold property was so stunning that the gardens were open to the public on Sundays. In 1857, even the writer Herman Melville visited the garden. The Unitarian minister, William Potter, called the Arnold estate, "...the most conspicuous among all our homes for culture, for hospitality, for charity." As both James and Sarah loved gardening and plants, their friends included many naturalists of their time: John James Audubon, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, and Bronson Alcott (Louisa May Alcott's father). When James died in 1868, as part of his will, he left $100,000 in the hands of three trustees: Francis Parker, John James Dixwell, and George Emerson. Emer

Today we celebrate the German botanist who used gardens as classrooms. We'll also learn about the botanist who was a passionate advocate of forests. We'll recognize the efforts of a key founder of the Linnean Society. We'll hear a quote about December from the creator of Peter Pan. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book that helps you maximize your smallest spaces. And then we'll wrap things up with the story of a witty English-American writer and illustrator who wrote about cats and the natural world. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart To listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to "Play the latest episode of The Daily Gardener Podcast." And she will. It's just that easy. The Daily Gardener Friday Newsletter Sign up for the FREE Friday Newsletter featuring: A personal update from me Garden-related items for your calendar The Grow That Garden Library™ featured books for the week Gardener gift ideas Garden-inspired recipes Exclusive updates regarding the show and more. Plus, each week, one lucky subscriber wins a book from the Grow That Garden Library™ bookshelf. Gardener Greetings Send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes, and so forth to [email protected]. Curated News Rain Garden Design and Benefits | Garden Design | Adam Regn Arvidson Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and blog posts for yourself, you're in luck because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. So, there's no need to take notes or search for links. The next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community, where you'd search for a friend… and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events December 2, 1707 Today is the birthday of the German theologian and educator, Johann Julius Hecker. Johann recognized that a classical education didn't work for everyone, so he founded secondary schools in Germany that prepared students for practical jobs and callings. Johann referred to his schools as "the seed-beds of the state, from which the young, like trees from a nursery, could be transplanted in their proper places." Johann's work attracted the attention of the king of Prussia, Frederick the Great. King Frederick encouraged Johann to expand his efforts. So, Johann installed gardens near his schools to teach hands-on botany. Johann's gardens included vegetables, herbs, and fruit trees. After realizing that the production of silk and the care of silkworms would probably impress the King, Johann strategically added the mulberry tree to his list of crops. Like the Monarch butterfly and milkweed, silkworms biologically evolved with their only food source: the Mulberry tree. Thanks to Johann's vision to grow the school garden, both the teachers and his students tended to a large mulberry plantation and mastered the culture of silk and mulberries. December 2, 1758 On this day, the Scottish botanist Nicholas Alexander Dalzell was preparing to leave Karachi, the capital of the province of Sindh, Pakistan. Before he left, Nicholas sent a box containing nearly 80 plant specimens collected in Sindh to William Joseph Hooker. He also described a drug from India that he had received for the Karachi museum known as 'Kala mooslee' or 'black root.' Nicholas drew a sketch of black root for Hooker, and his drawing looked a bit like a jellyfish. Nicholas explained that black root was highly valued as an aphrodisiac and had puzzled several botanists in the past. After studying the sample, Nicholas concluded the specimen was actually the root of Calla aromatica. Today, we know this aromatic rhizomatic plant is a perennial herb native to India's sub-Himalayan regions. The rhizomes contain a fragrant essential oil that is used in perfumes and cosmetics. And in India, the plant is used to treat joint pain and skin infections. Finally, Nicholas ends his letter with a little critique of William Hooker's son. Nicholas had received a copy of Joseph Dalton Hooker's Flora Indica. He wrote: "I am rather angry. Tell Dr. Hooker, with my best compliments, at his saying there were no large forests in Sindh." From his own time in Sindh, Nicholas knew firsthand that there were nearly a hundred forests in the province, with most of them averaging three miles in length and one to two miles in breadth. Today we know that forests meant a great deal to Nicholas. In fact, Nicholas Dalzell is remembered for his efforts to conserve forests. Nicholas was one of the first botanists to recognize the link between forests and rainfall. As forests were eliminated, Nicholas realized that the evaporation cycle was disrupted, which resulted in less rainfall and drier conditions over the surrounding areas, sometimes leading to drought. December 2, 1759 Today is the birthday of the English botanist and founder of the Linnean Society, James Edward Smith. In 1784, with encouragement from Joseph Banks, James shrewd

Today we celebrate the botanist who wrote one of the first Herbals. We'll also learn about the botanist who wasn't thrilled about getting one of India's first telephones. We'll recognize the lost work of an American botanist and painter. We'll remember the Hollywood Legend who loved gardening alongside his famous wife. We'll hear an excerpt from a famous garden poem by an English poet. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a Book that teaches us all the dirt - old and new - on plants, and it's written by one of the true plant masters of our time. And then we'll wrap things up with the story of a new rose that came out in 2019… and here's a hint: It's divine. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart To listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to "Play the latest episode of The Daily Gardener Podcast." And she will. It's just that easy. The Daily Gardener Friday Newsletter Sign up for the FREE Friday Newsletter featuring: A personal update from me Garden-related items for your calendar The Grow That Garden Library™ featured books for the week Gardener gift ideas Garden-inspired recipes Exclusive updates regarding the show and more. Plus, each week, one lucky subscriber wins a book from the Grow That Garden Library™ bookshelf. Gardener Greetings Send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes, and so forth to [email protected]. Curated News December Folklore and Flower | The Daily Gardener | Jennifer Ebeling December changeable and mild; the whole winter will remain a child. No matter how long the winter, spring is sure to follow. Thunder in December means fine weather ahead. Frost on the shortest day means winter will be severe. Then, here's a little tidbit of folklore regarding the snow. When the world was made, everything except the snow was given a color. So the snow went out and begged all the flowers to share their color. He asked the violet, the lilac, the buttercup, and the rose, but they all turned him down. It was only the snowdrop that offered to share its beautiful, pure, snow-white color. And, ever since, in thanks to the snowdrop, the snow keeps the blossoms of the snowdrop safe all winter long. December's birth flowers are the holly and the paperwhite. So, they are very different from each other; one being a bulb and the other an evergreen, but they both symbolize hope. Traditionally, Holly is the symbol of domestic happiness. Remember that while animals and birds can eat holly berries; they are semi-toxic to people. Meanwhile, the Paperwhite (Narcissus) has fragrant white blooms that symbolize coldness and self-esteem. In Floriography ("FLOOR-EE-ah-grah-FEE"), the narcissus conveys that you want your beloved to stay just the way they are. Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and blog posts for yourself, you're in luck because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. So, there's no need to take notes or search for links. The next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community, where you'd search for a friend... and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events December 1, 1597 On this day, The Herbal, or General History of Plants, by John Gerard was first published. In the Herbal, John shared over 800 species of plants and shared gorgeous woodcut illustrations. During his life, John was allowed to garden on land at Somerset House, and for a time, he served as the herbalist to King James I. Today, the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust sells Christmas Cards that feature John Gerard's woodcuts of Holly, Pears, and Mistletoe. The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust cares for Shakespeare's family homes and shares the love of Shakespeare from his hometown of Stratford-upon-Avon. Anyway, if you'd like to support a great organization and enjoy the John Gerard Christmas cards and gift wrap, head on over to https://shop.shakespeare.org.uk/. December 1, 1910 On this day in the Scottish Botanist and Surgeon, Andrew Thomas Gage wrote from India to complain about some new technology he had been given; the telephone. Andrew served as the Director of the Botanical Survey of India and he worked at the Botanic Garden in Calcutta. Andrew wrote: "They forced this invention of the devil upon me. Fortunately, the thing has a knack of getting out of order..." December 1, 1932 On this day, the American actor Clark Gable was photographed at his Beverly Hills villa watering his flowers. By the end of the decade, Clark would marry Carole Lombard, an actress who shared Clark's love for the natural world. As newlyweds, Carole and Clark had bought a 21-acre estate - just forty minutes outside of Beverly Hills. Instead of living glamorously, they turned the estate into a working farm. And Carole sold her star sapphire collection to fund their dream. Carole set up all the crops they would grow, and she worked long hours on the ranch. They had an orchard/citrus gro

Today we celebrate an herbalist who kept a remarkable journal. We'll also learn about the German botanist who founded the study of algae. We'll review the charming words of an American writer and poet born today. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a helpful guide for trees, shrubs, and hedges. And then we'll wrap things up with the life story of an icon of Canadian literature, beloved worldwide, and she loved to garden. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart To listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to "Play the latest episode of The Daily Gardener Podcast." And she will. It's just that easy. The Daily Gardener Friday Newsletter Sign up for the FREE Friday Newsletter featuring: A personal update from me Garden-related items for your calendar The Grow That Garden Library™ featured books for the week Gardener gift ideas Garden-inspired recipes Exclusive updates regarding the show and more. Plus, each week, one lucky subscriber wins a book from the Grow That Garden Library™ bookshelf. Gardener Greetings Send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes, and so forth to [email protected]. Curated News Georgia-Made Wreaths You'll Want to Keep Up Past New Year's | Garden & Gun | HASKELL HARRIS Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and blog posts for yourself, you're in luck because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. So, there's no need to take notes or search for links. The next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community, where you'd search for a friend... and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events November 30, 1791 On this day, Martha Ballard recorded her work as an herbalist and midwife. For 27 years, Martha kept a journal of her work as the town healer and midwife for Hallowell, Maine. In all, Martha assisted with 816 births. Today, Martha's marvelous journal gives us a glimpse into the plants she regularly used and how she applied them medicinally. As for how Martha sourced her plants, she raised them in her garden or foraged them in the wild. As the village apothecary, Martha found her own ingredients and personally made all of her herbal remedies. And so it was that 229 years ago today, Martha recorded her work to help her sick daughter. She wrote: "My daughter Hannah is very unwell this evening. I gave her some Chamomile & Camphor." Today we know that Chamomile has a calming effect, and Camphor can help treat skin conditions, improve respiratory function, and relieve pain. November 30, 1823 Today is the birthday of the German botanist Nathanael Pringsheim. Nathanael was a founder of algology or the study of algae. Nathanael's work led to an understanding of how algae and fungi live, develop, and reproduce. In 1882, Nathanael founded the German Botanical Society. November 30, 1835 Today is the birthday of the American writer and humorist Samuel Langhorne Clemens, known by his pen name Mark Twain. Samuel used the garden and garden imagery to convey his wit and satire. In 1874, Samuel's sister, Susan, and her husband built an octagonal shed for him to write in. They surprised him with it when Samuel visited their farm in upstate New York. The garden shed was perfectly situated on a hilltop overlooking the Chemung ("Sha-mung") River Valley. As was the case with Roald Dahl, the shed was not only a spur for creativity, but it removed Samuel from the main home. Like Roald Dahl, Samuel smoked as he wrote, and his sister despised his incessant pipe smoking. In this little octagonal garden/writing shed, Samuel wrote significant sections of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Life on the Mississippi, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, The Prince and the Pauper, A Tramp Abroad, and many other short works. And, in 1952, Samuel's Octagonal Shed was relocated to the Elmira College ("El-MEER-ah") campus in Elmira, New York. Today, people can visit the garden shed with student guides daily throughout the summer and by appointment in the off-season. Here are some garden-related thoughts by Samuel Langhorne Clemens, aka Mark Twain. Climate is what we expect; weather is what we get. — Mark Twain, American humorist and novelist, Climate It was a soft, reposeful summer landscape, as lovely as a dream, and as lonesome as Sunday. — Mark Twain, American humorist and novelist, The Summer Landscape To get the full value of joy You must have someone to divide it with. After all these years, I see that I was mistaken about Eve in the beginning; it is better to live outside the Garden with her than inside it without her. — Mark Twain, American humorist and novelist, Eve Unearthed Words November 30, 1838 Today is the birthday of the American writer and poet Charlotte Fiske Bates. Many of her poems were about gardens or incorporated garden imagery. Although the heart is very sore from loss, Yet there are he

Today we celebrate a one of a kind American plantsman and breeder who gave us the red-fleshed Pink Pearl apple. We'll also learn about the German nurseryman and breeder who we know from a ubiquitous feather-reed grass. We'll hear some lovely botanical poems from a New England poet. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a cookbook written around 23 essential vegetables. And then we'll wrap things up with a story about the Bicentenary at Kew. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart To listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to "Play the latest episode of The Daily Gardener Podcast." And she will. It's just that easy. The Daily Gardener Friday Newsletter Sign up for the FREE Friday Newsletter featuring: A personal update from me Garden-related items for your calendar The Grow That Garden Library™ featured books for the week Gardener gift ideas Garden-inspired recipes Exclusive updates regarding the show and more. Plus, each week, one lucky subscriber wins a book from the Grow That Garden Library™ bookshelf. Gardener Greetings Send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes, and so forth to [email protected]. Curated News How Plants Ensure Regular Seed Spacing | Phys Org | Heinrich-Heine Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and blog posts for yourself, you're in luck because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. So, there's no need to take notes or search for links. The next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community where you'd search for a friend... and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events November 27, 1872 Today is the birthday of a lifelong American plantsman and master plant breeder Albert Etter. Albert was a born horticulturist. When most children are mastering the alphabet and learning to tie their shoes, Albert was learning to graft and hybridize plants. By the time Albert was 12, his plant breeding was focused on dahlias and strawberries. His local newspaper in California reported that he had over 200 varieties of dahlia, thanks to his efforts in cultivating new hybrids. Growing frustrated that his school books taught him nothing about nature, Albert dropped out at 14. Albert continued his breeding efforts and helped out on local farms. Thanks to the Homestead Act, Albert acquired 640 acres of free land on his 21st birthday. The land needed clearing, and the acidic soil required improvement. Thanks to Albert's regular planting of cover crops like clover and vetch, his soil gradually improved. With his brothers' help, Albert's place became increasingly self-sufficient, adding a lumber mill and raising Angora goats. Albert often wrote that his ranch provided him everything he needed - except flour and sugar. Over time, Albert's ranch became known as Ettersburg. Although Albert's early work with strawberries brought him fame, his work with apples made him a legend. In his apple breeding, Albert focused on a unique and relatively unknown apple appropriately called Surprise. The Surprise apple was pink-fleshed and hailed from Kazakhstan. Over his lifetime, Albert created hundreds of apple varieties descended from the Surprise apple. In total, Albert crossbred 15,000 apples and a little over ten percent of those warranted additional experimenting. Albert accelerated his apple-breeding efforts through top grafting. Here's how that works: After pollinating an apple blossom with another tree, Albert would place a bag over the flower and wait for the flower to produce an apple. (Albert's living relatives still recall driving up to the Etter ranch and seeing an unusual sight: the orchard trees covered with little bags.) From the apple started inside a bag, Albert would plant the apple seeds. After observing the young seedlings, Albert selected the ones with the best fruit for grafting. By grafting new apple seedlings on a tree, the seedling bears fruit in just three to five years instead of waiting for ten to twenty years for fruit without grafting. In an article, Albert wrote: "How many is 15,000 apple trees? Apple trees are usually planted 30 feet apart in the row. Fifteen thousand would plant a row a trifle over 35 miles long. [In contrast,] The little seedlings [that I grow,] are top-grafted on large trees, sometimes two or three hundred on a tree." One of Albert's signature methods was to return again and again to the wild, foraging for new breeding stock. Now, many trained plant breeders of his era scoffed at Albert's use of wild crabapples. But to Albert, nature provided a bountiful supply of worthy strains. While some academic experts in his field dismissed Albert as a hillbilly, others recognized his cultivated wisdom honed through his love of experimenting, his unbridled innovation, and his fantastic recall for the minute details of his experiment station. The public came to know just a handful of Alberts apple

Today we celebrate the man who proved plants have a circadian rhythm. We'll also learn about the nurseryman who helped establish Rochester, New York, as a "City in a Forest." We'll remember the pioneer seedsman who started the largest mail-order seed company in the world. We celebrate Thanksgiving with some verses about this time of year. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a beautiful book of fruit prints. And then we'll wrap things up with the story of a woman who discovered the importance of biological diversity to water health. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart To listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to "Play the latest episode of The Daily Gardener Podcast." And she will. It's just that easy. The Daily Gardener Friday Newsletter Sign up for the FREE Friday Newsletter featuring: A personal update from me Garden-related items for your calendar The Grow That Garden Library™ featured books for the week Gardener gift ideas Garden-inspired recipes Exclusive updates regarding the show and more... Plus, each week, one lucky subscriber wins a book from the Grow That Garden Library™ bookshelf. Gardener Greetings Send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes, and so forth to [email protected]. Curated News Are your plants wilting and dry despite regular watering? Keep tabs on these side effects of improper watering practices | Chicago Tribune | Tim Johnson Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and blog posts for yourself, you're in luck because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. So, there's no need to take notes or search for links. The next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community where you'd search for a friend... and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events November 26, 1678 Today is the birthday of the French geophysicist, astronomer, and most notably, chronobiologist Jean-Jacques d'Ortous de Mairan. Mairan's job as a chronobiologist is a job one rarely hears about these days. In 1729, Mairan put together an experiment showing the existence of a circadian rhythm in plants. Mairan took a Mimosa pudica ("poo-DEE-cah")plant - the heliotrope commonly called the sensitive plant - and put it in constant darkness in a cupboard. All the while, he recorded the plant's behavior. And what do you know? The plant had a natural rhythm of opening and closing its leaves - even if it couldn't absorb sunlight. Now, Mairan didn't think that the plant had an internal clock, but he DID believe that it could attune itself to the sun - even if the plant was blocked from it. No matter the accuracy of Mairan's conclusions, his work was on to something, and it established the foundation for chronobiology or the internal circadian clock. November 26, 1906 Today is the anniversary of the death of the German-American horticulturist and nurseryman George Ellwanger ("El-WANG-ur"). In the mid-1800s, George Ellwanger and his Irish business partner and experienced nurseryman, Patrick Barry, claimed their Rochester, New York nursery was the largest in the world. Built on 650 acres along Mount Hope Avenue, George started his business on land that boasted an old pear orchard. A renaissance man, George also started writing books on a variety of topics - from gardening and gastronomy to poetry. A perpetual seeker, George returned to Europe to hunt for fine trees to propagate in America. The fruit of George's vision is evident throughout Rochester but perhaps no more so than in the grand European beeches that dot the city streets and parks. The beeches include several unique species like fern-leaved, copper, purple, and weeping beeches. Today, Rochester has 168 different trees within the city limits, and Charles Sprague Sargent dubbed Rochester the "City in a Forest." George and Patrick were also known for their fruit trees. In 1900, Mount Hope Nursery exhibited 118 varieties of pears at the Paris Exhibition, which won them a gold medal diploma. In 1888, George and Patrick donated 20 acres of their Mount Hope Nursery along with hundreds of plants to the City of Rochester, which resulted in the creation of beautiful Highland Park. In a Noah's-Ark-like gesture, George and Patrick donated two of every tree specimen in their nursery toward the effort to create Highland Park. Twelve years after George died on this day, The Mount Hope Nursery closed for good. Today, Highland Park is home to an annual Lilac Festival. Each year visitors stroll the grounds to smell the lilacs, visit Warner Castle and experience the Sunken Garden. Here are some words George wrote about beech trees from his lovely book called The Garden's Story: "If we take yellow alone for the color-standard, the beech is without an equal. A beech, indeed, is always beautiful. Its colors still remain attractive in late November, varying from rich Roman ochre to deep-brown bronze and fro

Today we celebrate the clergyman who wrote hymns and poems that use garden imagery. We'll also learn about the man who loved gardens and garden design - and he wasn't afraid of Virginia Woolf… he was married to her. We'll recognize a sculptor whose final work was a touching monument to children incorporating a bouquet of snowdrops. We hear a hauntingly beautiful poem by an English clergyman and poet. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book that teaches how to make garden crafts and projects that are totally within reach and are utterly charming with their appealing and practical sensibility. And then we'll wrap things up with the story of an Opera singer turned gardener. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart To listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to "Play the latest episode of The Daily Gardener Podcast." And she will. It's just that easy. The Daily Gardener Friday Newsletter Sign up for the FREE Friday Newsletter featuring: A personal update from me Garden-related items for your calendar The Grow That Garden Library™ featured books for the week Gardener gift ideas Garden-inspired recipes Exclusive updates regarding the show and more... Plus, each week, one lucky subscriber wins a book from the Grow That Garden Library™ bookshelf. Gardener Greetings Send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes, and so forth to [email protected]. Curated News These Succulent Christmas Trees Are Our New Holiday Obsession | Southern Living | Meghan Overdeep Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and blog posts for yourself, you're in luck because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. So, there's no need to take notes or search for links. The next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community where you'd search for a friend... and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events November 25, 1748 Today is the anniversary of the death of the English Christian minister (Congregational) and prolific hymn writer Isaac Watts. Known as the "Godfather of English Hymnody," Isaac's hymns are still sung in churches today: "O God our Help in Ages Past," "There is a Land of Pure Delight." There's another Isaac Watts hymn that will be getting some traction over the next month: "Joy to the World." Isaac's work marked a turning point for hymn writing because he didn't just set psalms and scripture to song; he actually wrote original verse. Isaac's hymn, "We are a Garden Walled Around," uses garden imagery and is a favorite with gardeners: We are a garden walled around, Chosen and made peculiar ground; A little spot enclosed by grace Out of the world's wide wilderness. Like trees of myrrh and spice we stand, Planted by God's almighty hand; And all the springs in Zion flow, To make the young plantation grow. Awake, O, heavenly wind! And come, Blow on this garden of perfume; Spirit divine! descend and breathe A gracious gale on plants beneath. Make our best spices flow abroad, To entertain our Savior God And faith, and love, and joy appear, And every grace be active here. November 25, 1880 Today is the birthday of the British political theorist, writer, publisher, civil servant, and gardener Leonard Sidney Woolf. Leonard was the husband of Virginia Woolf. Leonard was the primary gardener and garden designer of Monk's House - although Virginia helped him. Virginia and Leonard lived at the house when they first purchased it in 1919 until their deaths. The garden at Monk's House was a retreat and a place where they could both escape from London's chaos. Leonard loved to be in the garden gardening. He hated tea roses and floribunda roses. He loved fruit trees like apples and pears, and he sold the fruits to make money. Leonard's devotion to the garden was a source of consternation for Virginia. Leonard spent so much of his time and money on the garden that Virginia famously complained, "We are watering the earth with our money!" Leonard recorded all of his Monk's House garden income and expenditures in a gorgeous dark green and pink ledger book. The first line in the book is dated August 26th, 1919, and he recorded the first gardening work performed by gardener William Dedman. Virginia described Monk's House as "the pride of our hearts.'" In July of 1919, Virginia wrote that gardening or weeding produced "a queer sort of enthusiasm." When Virginia suffered bouts of depression, the garden at Monk's House was where she went to recover and heal. And, since both Virginia and Leonard kept diaries, we know today that the garden was a frequent topic. On September 29, 1919, Virginia wrote: "A week ago, Leonard's wrist and arm broke into a rash. The doctor called it eczema. Then Mrs. Dedman brushed this aside and diagnosed sunflower poisoning. [Leonard] had been uprooting them with bare hands. We have accepted her judgment." One of Virginia's favorite places to write w

Today we celebrate a prolific writer who loved violets and wrote about a secret garden. We'll also learn about the best-selling book that hit bookstores today back in 1859, and it changed the world forever. We'll look back at some timeless garden advice from 1966 courtesy of the Arlington Heights Garden Club. We'll hear some words from an English garden designer about making the most of October and November. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book about incorporating edibles into your garden design - and yes, it does matter which varieties you choose to use. And then we'll wrap things up with some charming miscellany from The New England Farmer in 1843. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart To listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to "Play the latest episode of The Daily Gardener Podcast." And she will. It's just that easy. The Daily Gardener Friday Newsletter Sign up for the FREE Friday Newsletter featuring: a personal update from me garden-related items for your calendar The Grow That Garden Library™ featured books for the week Gardener gift ideas Garden-inspired recipes Exclusive updates regarding the show and more... Plus, each week, one lucky subscriber wins a book from the Grow That Garden Library™ bookshelf. Gardener Greetings Send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes, and so forth to [email protected]. Curated News This Chaise Lounge is Designed Like a Zen Garden—and There's Even a Pond | Apartment Therapy | Jessica Wang Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and blog posts for yourself, you're in luck because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. So, there's no need to take notes or search for links. The next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community where you'd search for a friend... and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events November 24, 1849 Today is the birthday of the British-American writer and playwright Frances Hodgson Burnett. Frances was born in Britain. As a small girl, her family home backed up to property owned by the Earl of Derby. Frances remembered it as the "garden of Eden." Frances's father died when she was three years old, and his death forced her mother Eliza to leave England with her five young children and immigrate to the United States. After settling in Tennessee, Frances began writing to help her mother make ends meet. Frances published over 50 works during her lifetime, including her popular children's novels Little Lord Fauntleroy, A Little Princess, and The Secret Garden. Although Frances became America's highest-paid woman writer, her personal life had profound low points. She married and divorced twice, and Frances lost one of her two sons to tuberculosis when he was just 16 years old. After losing her boy Lionel, she covered his caskets in the flower that symbolizes innocence, modesty, and everlasting love: violets. For Frances, whether in America or England, gardens were a place for comfort and restoration, and violets were "her flower." It was Frances Hodgson Burnett who wrote, "If you look the right way, you can see that the whole world is a garden." and "Everything is made out of magic, leaves and trees, flowers and birds, badgers and foxes and squirrels and people. So it must be all around us. In this garden — in all the places." November 24, 1859 On this day, Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species reached bookstores. Over twenty years had passed since Charles departed on the HMS Beagle for a five-year voyage around the world. On this revelatory trip, Charles discovered the building blocks to his evolutionary theory in the fossils and diverse species he encountered on his expeditions. Often, Charles Darwin is depicted as an older man on the Beagle; but he was just 22 when he sailed away and still a young 27 when he returned to England with boxes full of specimens and a brain swirling with new ideas. Darwin was 50 when his book began selling in bookstores on this day in 1859. November 24, 1966 On this day, the Arlington Heights Garden Club shared their Garden tips for the week in the Arlington Heights Herald. Highlights include: Soil is alive—teeming with life—tiny insects you can see, and billions of organisms not visible with the naked eye. If cared for properly, it grows and increases in value. (This advice was 40 years before Teaming with Microbes by Jeff Lowenfels) Drooping (cut) roses can be revived by making a fresh cut 2 or 3 inches from the bottom of the stem, then placing in a tall container of very warm water until they perk up. Suggested Houseplant: Shrimp Plant (Beloperone guttata or Justicia Brandegeana), a sturdy plant with shrimp-pink bracts overshadowing the delicate white flowers. (A native of Mexico, these plants can grow up to six feet tall. As houseplants, it is good to prune them back in the spring because the stems are brittle and te

Today we celebrate one of the first successful uses of the Wardian Case on a ship in 1833. We'll also learn about the Minnesota botanist who discovered a fun new cereal. We'll remember the beloved British children's author who wrote in his garden shed. We salute the various ways trees drop their leaves… or not - in a verse by an American writer. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a cookbook for gardeners with a mix of old and new takes on garden to table goodness. And then we'll wrap things up with a grower's tips on Poinsettia care. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart To listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to "Play the latest episode of The Daily Gardener Podcast." And she will. It's just that easy. The Daily Gardener Friday Newsletter Sign up for the FREE Friday Newsletter featuring: a personal update from me garden-related items for your calendar The Grow That Garden Library™ featured books for the week Gardener gift ideas Garden-inspired recipes Exclusive updates regarding the show and more... Plus, each week, one lucky subscriber wins a book from the Grow That Garden Library™ bookshelf. Gardener Greetings Send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes, and so forth to [email protected]. Curated News The Beauty of the Fibonacci Sequence in the Garden | Empress of Dirt | Melissa J. Will Today is Fibonacci "fee-bo-NA-chee" Day! Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and blog posts for yourself, you're in luck because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. So, there's no need to take notes or search for links. The next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community where you'd search for a friend... and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events November 23, 1833 On this day, the ship Captain Charles Mallard wrote a letter to Nathaniel Bagshaw Ward. Four years earlier, in 1829, Nathaniel developed the first terrarium when he accidentally grew a fern in an insect jar. A fern spore had gotten into a jar Nathaniel was using to observe insect behavior. Nathaniel suddenly realized that if plants were enclosed in airtight glass cases, they could survive without water for long periods. Nathaniel constructed his Wardian cases out of wood and glass. Nathaniel's little portable greenhouses sat on the deck of a ship where they could absorb as much sunshine as possible. The inside of the box would have some soil on the bottom. The plants would be in pots, and a series of battens would stop the plants from rolling around inside the case. After the plants were watered and safely tucked inside, the case was nailed shut, and all the seams were painted with tar to seal the case. Wardian cases were a game-changer for plant explorers who needed to keep plants alive during long voyages. Snug inside the Wardian Case, plants often lived on ships for 6 to 12 months. And so, it was on this day in 1833 that Captain Charles Mallard excitedly shared that Nathaniel's cases worked like a charm. He wrote: "Your experiment for [keeping] plants alive… has fully succeeded." Before the Wardian case, saltwater and sun killed most plants before they reached England. With the Wardian case, plantation crops like tea, rubber, and sugar, and medicinal and ornamental plants - could be moved among the Botanic Gardens of the British Empire. November 23, 1862 Today is the birthday of the American plant physiologist, botanist, educator, and inventor Alexander Pierce Anderson. Alexander grew up in rural Southeastern, Minnesota. His cousin, John Lind, became the governor of Minnesota. After getting a degree in botany, Alexander went on to teach at Clemson. Three years later, he went to work for the New York Botanical Garden in research. This unassuming position would lead Alexander to a fantastic discovery. Suspecting that microscopic amounts of water existed inside the nucleus of starch crystals in rice, Alexander worked on finding a way to get the water out. Alexander's experiment produced "puffed rice," and breakfast cereal was changed forever. Alexander shared his discovery at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair. By the end of the fair, Alexander had sold over 20,000 pounds of puffed rice, and he had won the world's attention. November 23, 1990 Today is the anniversary of the death of the beloved British children's author, Roald Dahl. Roald was an avid gardener, and his garden shed doubled as his writing nook, where he wrote many books, including Charlie and the Chocolate factory. As sweet as this sounds to a gardener's ears, there was a practical reason behind Roald's writing in the garden shed. It turns out, Roald chain-smoked as he wrote, and the garden shed kept the smoke out of the house. For Roald'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. If you a

Today we celebrate the gardener and writer who turns 91 today. We'll also learn about the man who created the world's smallest rose garden. We'll recognize the lost work of an American botanist and painter. We salute November with an excerpt from a book by an American historical crime novelist. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a fantastic book about the Arts and Crafts Movement, which gave us wonderfully inspiring homes and gardens. And then we'll wrap things up with the story of a misnamed plant - and it's too late to change it now. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart To listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to "Play the latest episode of The Daily Gardener Podcast." And she will. It's just that easy. The Daily Gardener Friday Newsletter Sign up for the FREE Friday Newsletter featuring: a personal update from me garden-related items for your calendar The Grow That Garden Library™ featured books for the week Gardener gift ideas Garden-inspired recipes Exclusive updates regarding the show and more... Plus, each week, one lucky subscriber wins a book from the Grow That Garden Library™ bookshelf. Gardener Greetings Send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes, and so forth to [email protected]. Curated News Things I Wish I Knew Before Planting Fall Bulbs | Family Handyman | Helen Newling Lawson Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and blog posts for yourself, you're in luck because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. So, there's no need to take notes or search for links. The next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community where you'd search for a friend... and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events November 20, 1929 Today is the 91st birthday of the garden writer and designer Penelope Hobhouse, born on this day in 1929. When Penelope visited Tuscany, she was captivated by the villa gardens, and she began teaching herself garden design. A 2016 article in the New York Times said Penelope is, "a fixture in the minds of gardeners who love rooms and bones – the paths and walls and satisfying verticals that form the skeleton of a garden." Penelope has designed gardens worldwide, including a garden for Elizabeth the Queen Mother at Walmer Castle in Kent, an herb garden for the New York Botanical Garden, and an English cottage garden for Steve Jobs' Woodside home. Gardens Illustrated recently shared a post featuring six of her garden design principles: Think about backgrounds Large trees can be used to frame the sky; hedges provide vertical and horizontal lines as well as a background for planting, while small trees with broad, globular, or pyramidal heads act as 'ceilings.' Low continuous hedging can be used to frame pathways. Create a strong framework I tend to create a strong structure or framework for my gardens, with looser planting within. The architecture can be supplied by buildings, walls, steps, and pergolas, but also by plants. Don't overuse colors The cardinal rule for planting is to use bright colors sparingly. Form is much more important than color, and flowers are fleeting, so start instead with the shapes and hues of trees, hedges and shrubs, and the leaf form and color of herbaceous plants, the shape they make, and the height they grow to. Mix plants up Choose plants that will not only do well in any particular spot but will also associate happily with any neighboring indigenous plants. Repeat, repeat, repeat To help unite the house and garden and create flow, repeat hard or soft features. Don't forget it's for you Gardens should also provide shade and shelter, seats for contemplation, scents, and solitude, and require just the right amount of maintenance to encourage relaxation, because, above all, they are places to be enjoyed." Despite all of her achievements, gardeners find Penelope relatable and personable. In a recent video, Penelope said, "I'm still finding my way." November 20, 1969 Today is the anniversary of the death of the Oregon Journal columnist and gardener Richard William Fagan, who died on this day in 1969. As gardeners, we celebrate Richard for installing the world's smallest rose park - Mill Ends Park - in Portland on February 23, 1954. The installation coincided with "Rose Planting Week." Richard's Mill Ends Park is just 18 inches in diameter and was named after Dick's column, also called Mill Ends. The name for the column Mill Ends came from Dick's passion for collecting little bits and news items about the Pacific Northwest sawmills - thus, Mill Ends. In fact, the mayor of Portland once joked, "I don't know why [anyone would invite] me to talk on city affairs. Dick Fagan can tell you more." Mill Ends Park is really just a small plot in the middle of an empty lamppost hole on a cement divider on the street at the intersection of SW 1st and Taylor Street. That year, in 1954,

Today we celebrate the English poet who often wrote of the Natural World and the garden. We'll also learn about the man who coined the term "Landscape Architect." We'll read a letter written by a garden writer about the last flowers in her fall garden. We'll learn about the Canadian botanist and writer who had a marvelous column called The Note Book. We'll hear some relatable words about November from a gardener and writer. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book that helps you learn to become a market gardener and more self-sufficient. And then we'll wrap things up with a number one instrumental song about fall leaves. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart To listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to "Play the latest episode of The Daily Gardener Podcast." And she will. It's just that easy. The Daily Gardener Friday Newsletter Sign up for the FREE Friday Newsletter featuring: a personal update from me garden-related items for your calendar The Grow That Garden Library™ featured books for the week Gardener gift ideas Garden-inspired recipes Exclusive updates regarding the show and more... Plus, each week, one lucky subscriber wins a book from the Grow That Garden Library™ bookshelf. Gardener Greetings Send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes, and so forth to [email protected]. Curated News How To Encourage A New Generation Of Gardeners | The News | Brian Kidd Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and blog posts for yourself, you're in luck because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. So, there's no need to take notes or search for links. The next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community where you'd search for a friend... and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events November 19, 1850 Today is the anniversary of the death of the English poet Alfred Lord Tennyson. Alfred was the fourth of twelve children in his family, and he became one of the most well-loved Victorian poets. Today, Alfred's walled garden on the Isle of Wight is still available for walk-throughs. Both Alfred's home and the garden have been restored to their former glory, and the property gets top ratings on TripAdvisor. And, here's Tennyson's most-quoted sentiment by gardeners: If I had a flower for every time I thought of you… I could walk through my garden forever. — Alfred Lord Tennyson, English poet November 19, 1895 Today is the anniversary of the death of the Landscape Architect Calvert Vaux ("Vox"), who died on this day in 1895. Calvert was born in England, but he came to the United States at the age of 24 to work on landscape projects with Andrew Jackson Downing. Together, they planned the grounds around the Capitol and the Smithsonian Institution in Washington. After Downing's untimely death, Calvert named his second son Downing to honor his partner and friend. Calvert went on to work with many talented people during his career, including Jacob Weidenmann and George Radford. When Calvert Vaux came up with a public competition to design Central Park, he teamed up with Frederick Law Olmsted. While they worked on Central Park, Calvert coined the term "Landscape Architect" to describe what they were doing. Calvert said that his goal for Central Park was to, "translate democratic ideas into trees and dirt." Since Frederick and Calvert worked so well together, they continued to work on joint park projects like Prospect Park in Brooklyn, South Park in Chicago, and the New York Reservation at Niagara Falls. In 1895, at the age of 70, Calvert was living with his son in Brooklyn. Calvert developed a morning walk ritual, and he often visited Prospect Park. On this day in 1895, the weather was foggy, and Calvert decided to walk the pier along Gravesend Bay. Two days later, after his kids reported him missing, newspapers shared this description: "Missing since Tuesday. Calvert Vaux... four feet ten inches; medium build; gray hair and full beard; ruddy complexion; wore a blue overcoat with velvet collar, blue trousers, dark mixed undercoat, no vest, black derby hat; wears gold-rimmed eyeglasses; shirt has a name on it." The following day, Calvert's body was found in Gravesend Bay. Like his dear friend Downing, Calvert had drowned. At the end of November, the Statesville Record And Landmark out of Statesville, North Carolina, ran a tribute to Calvert that read: "Calvert Vaux was… one of the most famous men in the world.... [He] created Central Park [and] people who have [visited it from] all over the world say that no park… is so beautiful. But, the Brooklyn folks say that… Prospect Park is handsomer. Yet that, too, was "created" by Calvert Vaux. [Calvert] soothed nature's rough places and... brightened her attractive features. In Prospect Park, nature left little for a man to do. But Central Park is almost wholly artificial, and it's beautiful

Today we celebrate the man who was a gardener and a poet and he inspired the trend toward the picturesque natural Landscape. We'll also learn about the Swiss botanist who specialized in mosses. We'll remember the birthday of the Father of American botany. We'll take a look back at a popular November fruit - I use it to make a traditional Thanksgiving salad. We salute November in the garden with wise words from a gardener and writer. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a beautiful book that will help you become a houseplant master. And then we'll wrap things up with a little note about Goldenrod and Asters. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart To listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to "Play the latest episode of The Daily Gardener Podcast." And she will. It's just that easy. The Daily Gardener Friday Newsletter Sign up for the FREE Friday Newsletter featuring: a personal update from me garden-related items for your calendar The Grow That Garden Library™ featured books for the week Gardener gift ideas Garden-inspired recipes Exclusive updates regarding the show and more... Plus, each week, one lucky subscriber wins a book from the Grow That Garden Library™ bookshelf. Gardener Greetings Send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes, and so forth to [email protected]. Curated News What to Plant in a Winter Garden | Seattle pi | Rita R. Robison Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and blog posts for yourself, you're in luck because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. So, there's no need to take notes or search for links. The next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community where you'd search for a friend... and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events November 18, 1714 Today is the birthday of the poet and Landscape gardener William Shenstone, who was born on this day in 1714. In the early 1740s, William inherited his family's dairy farm, which he transformed into the Leasowes ("LEZ-zoes"). The transfer of ownership lit a fire under William, and he immediately started changing the land into a wild landscape - something he referred to as an ornamented farm. William wisely bucked the trend of his time, which called for formal garden design (he didn't have the money to do that anyway.) Yet, what William accomplished was quite extraordinary. His picturesque natural landscape included water features like cascades and pools, as well as structures like temples and ruins. What I love most about William is that he was a consummate host. He considered the comfort and perspective of the garden from the eye of his visitors when he created a walk around his estate. Wanting to control the experience, William added seating every so often along the path to cause folks to stop and admire the views that William found most appealing. Then, he incorporated signage and inscriptions with beautiful classical verses and poems - even adding some of his own - which elevated the Leasowes experience for guests. Today, a little bench at the Leasowes shares this verse from William: Here in cool grot, and mossy cell, We rural fays and fairies dwell. After his death, William's garden became a popular destination - attracting the likes of William Pitt, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin. One of the main reasons that we know so much about William Shenstone is thanks to his neighbor Henrietta (Lady Luxborough). After having an affair, Henrietta's husband sent her to live in his ramshackle estate called Barrells. The experience was a revelation for her and Henrietta began to study landscape design. Even though he was 15 years younger than her, William mentored Henrietta and they corresponded about their landscapes and daily life. Over time, Henrietta began to do a complete landscape makeover at Barrells. And, she wrote to William: "I have made a garden which I am filling with all the flowering shrubs I can get… I have also made an aviary, and filled it with a variety of singing birds, and am now making a fountain in th e middle of it, and a grotto to sit [in] and hear them sing" November 18, 1806 Today is the birthday of a son of Switzerland, Charles Leo Lesquereux, ("le crew"), who was born on this day in 1806. Leo was born with a naturalist's heart. A self-described dreamer, Leo loved to go out into the forest, and he collected all kinds of flowers and specimens for his mother. Yet, when Leo was just seven years old, he fell off the top of a mountain. Leo was carried back to his home completely unconscious, with multiple injuries to his body as well as head trauma. Leo remained motionless and unconscious for two weeks. His survival was a miracle, yet the fall resulted in hearing loss that would eventually leave Leo utterly deaf by the time he was a young man. Despite the tragedy, nature still ruled Leo's heart. As Leo matured, he tried to p

Today we remember the momentous bursting of a peat bog in Scotland. We'll also learn about the botanist nephew of Benjamin Smith Barton. We'll honor a British Iris enthusiast and painter. We salute the poet known as the Canadian Keats. We'll Grow That Garden Library™ with a cookbook for gardeners. And then we'll wrap things up with the story of a Queen who helped expand Kew Gardens and was also a botanist in her own right. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart To listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to "Play the latest episode of The Daily Gardener Podcast." And she will. It's just that easy. The Daily Gardener Friday Newsletter Sign up for the FREE Friday Newsletter featuring: a personal update from me garden-related items for your calendar The Grow That Garden Library™ featured books for the week Gardener gift ideas Garden-inspired recipes Exclusive updates regarding the show and more. Plus, each week, one lucky subscriber wins a book from the Grow That Garden Library™ bookshelf. Gardener Greetings Send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes, and so forth to [email protected]. Curated News 10 ways to rewild your outdoor space | Home & Gardens | Jennifer Ebert Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and blog posts for yourself, you're in luck because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. So, there's no need to take notes or search for links. The next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community where you'd search for a friend... and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events November 17, 1771 On this day, heavy rains caused the ancient raised peat bog known as the Solway Moss to burst over its earthen banks and flow down into a valley and cover 400 acres of farmland. The next day, Solway Moss covered the surrounding land with 15 feet of thick feculent mud. Solway Moss was a one-by-two-mile-long moss land growing since the end of the last Ice Age. The raised bog was an estimated 50 feet higher than the surrounding farmland. The living surface of the Solway Moss was a unique mix of bog cotton, sphagnum, and heather. The porous soupy surface hosted a few shrubs and standing pools of water. But the rotting vegetation created a dangerous quagmire that no man or cattle would dare traverse throughout the year. Over two hundred years before the Solway Moss burst, the English and the Scots fought over the land surrounding the bog in the Battle of Solway Moss. After the English victory, hundreds of Scots drowned in the bog as they tried to return home by crossing the moss hillside. Like a sponge, peat expands to absorb moisture when it gets wet. And, during wet months like November of 1771, the peat swells, and in this case, the peat swelled until it bursts. The incredible event was recorded in a journal: "A farmer who lived nearest the moss was alarmed with an unusual noise. The crust had at once given way, and the black deluge was rolling toward his house. He gave notice to his neighbors with all expedition; others received no other advice but… by its noise, many by its entrance into their houses…. some were surprised with it even in their beds. [while some] remaining totally ignorant…until the morning when their neighbors with difficulty got them out through the roof. The eruption burst… like a cataract of thick ink... intermixed with great fragments of peat... filling the whole valley... leaving... tremendous heaps of turf." November 17, 1786 Today is the birthday of the lawyer and medical botanist William Barton. William's uncle was 18th-century preeminent medical botanist Benjamin Smith Barton, from whom he learned his passion for botany. In 1809 William enlisted in the Navy as a Surgeon and immediately fought to improve his fellow soldiers' health. First, William tackled scurvy - the disease caused by a Vitamin C deficiency. William gave every sailor a lime or lemon. Thanks to William, permanent naval hospitals - complete with regulations and staff - popped up in port cities. And William was the first person to promote hiring female nurses to serve in naval hospitals. In terms of botany, William wrote his Vegetable Materia Medica (Medical Botany) of the United States in 1817. The book shared the botanical, general, and medical history of medicinal plants indigenous to the United States. In his book, William disputed false curative uses for plants. Specifically, William disputed alumroot or Heuchera americana as an effective cancer treatment, writing: "I do not believe that the Heuchera has cured genuine cancer: but… it has proven beneficial in [treating] some obstinate ulcers, which have been mistaken for cancer." William illustrated all the plants in his book, and his wife Esther colored many of his drawings. When his uncle Benjamin died in 1815, William assumed his post at the University of Pennsylvania. November

Today we celebrate the man known as the "Pansy King." We'll also learn about the Anglo-Australian botanist who first described much of the Eucalyptus genus. We remember the American botanist who had a favorite plant he liked to use in the study of heredity - and it wasn't peas. We salute one of America's most popular naturalists. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book about one of my favorite gardeners, and ironically, she went by the name Bunny. And then we'll wrap things up with the woman who introduced the Dahlia to England. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart To listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to "Play the latest episode of The Daily Gardener Podcast." And she will. It's just that easy. The Daily Gardener Friday Newsletter Sign up for the FREE Friday Newsletter featuring: a personal update from me garden-related items for your calendar The Grow That Garden Library™ featured books for the week Gardener gift ideas Garden-inspired recipes Exclusive updates regarding the show and more. Plus, each week, one lucky subscriber wins a book from the Grow That Garden Library™ bookshelf. Gardener Greetings Send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes, and so forth to [email protected]. Curated News Revisiting Garden Dreams | The Daily Gardener Yes, I'd love to have a garden of my own — spacious and full of everything that is fragrant and flowering. But if I don't succeed, never mind — I've still got the dream. — Ruskin Bond, Indian writer, children's author, and novelist, Rain in the Mountains: Notes from the Himalayas Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and blog posts for yourself, you're in luck because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. So, there's no need to take notes or search for links. The next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community where you'd search for a friend... and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events November 16, 1964 Today is the anniversary of the death of the Swiss-born naturalist, florist, and plant breeder Denys Zirngiebel. After marrying his wife Henrietta, the Denys immigrated to America. Once he established a home in Needham, Massachusetts, Denys sent for his wife and little boy. Denys and Henrietta had four children. Their only daughter (also named Henriette) married Andrew Newell Wyeth, and their son was NC Wyeth, the Realistic Painter. During the 1860s, Denys worked for the Arnold Arboretum at Harvard University. After purchasing a 35-acre tract of land along the Charles River in Needham, Denys started his floral business. An excellent businessman, Denys expertly marketed his inventory. Each week, Denys shipped flowers to both the White House and the State Department. In a nod to his Swiss heritage, Denys was the first person in America to cultivate the Giant Swiss Pansy successfully. Denys's Needham nursery grew so many Giant Swiss Pansies that the town adopted the flower as their floral emblem, and Denys became known as the "Pansy King." November 16, 1925 Today is the anniversary of the death of the botanist Joseph Henry Maiden. Born in London, Joseph immigrated to New South Wales, Australia, hoping that the climate would improve his health. Joseph quickly landed a job as a museum curator in Sydney, and he also married a local woman named Eliza Jane Hammond. During his time in Australia, Joseph made a significant contribution to understanding Australian flora, especially the Eucalyptus genus. After thoroughly studying Australian woods and essential oils, Joseph wrote his book called The Useful Native Plants of Australia. In 1896, Joseph was appointed the Director of the Sydney Botanic Gardens. In total, Joseph served as a botanist in Australia for 43 years. As for his Australian legacy, Joseph is remembered every September 1st, which is the first day of spring, also known as Wattle Day or Acacia Day. In Australia, the Wattle is a common name for Acacia. After appreciating their beauty and value, Joseph established the Wattle Day League, which fought to make the Golden Wattle (Acacia pycnantha "ah-KAY-see-ah pik-NANTH-ah") Australia's national floral emblem, and he also worked to establish Wattle Day. Since the inception of Wattle Day in 1909, Australians have worn a Wattle blossom, which looks like a little yellow pompom in honor of the day. The Wattle blossom is also a favorite with pollinators. As plants, Wattles are tough evergreen shrubs and trees that can withstand Australia's droughts, winds, and bushfires. There are 760 Wattle species native to Australia's forest understory, woodlands, and open scrub. The common name Wattle refers to an old germanic term for weaving and the English craft of building with interwoven flexible twigs and branches. As the English settled in Australia, they often harvested Wattle (Acacia) and used it in their building construction.

Today we celebrate the German-American botanist who lost all of his botanical work in the Columbia River. We'll also learn about the man who started the Bartlett Arboretum. We'll remember the Agave expert who never wanted a desk job. And we'll take a look back at an article about the relationship between royalty and the number of plants they owned. We'll hear some inspiring quotes about the garden and the first snow. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a cookbook for gardeners by an American garden celebrity. And then we'll wrap things up with the story of a 1916 Chrysanthemum Show. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart To listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to "Play the latest episode of The Daily Gardener Podcast." It's just that easy. Gardener Greetings Send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes, and so forth to [email protected]. Curated News Trees Are Time Machines | The Atlantic | Clive Thompson Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and blog posts for yourself, you're in luck because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. There's no need to take notes or search for links - the next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community where you'd search for a friend and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events November 13, 1843 Today is the anniversary of the day that the German botanist, Frederick Lueders, lost all of his botanical work. Frederick had been botanizing along the Columbia River in Oregon. For three years, Frederick had collected specimens across North America. He had just encountered the explorer John Freemont, when all of his work, which was secured in a canoe nearby, was drawn into the rapids. Frederick plunged into the river and retrieved his copy of The Flora by Torrey and Gray. The devastating loss was recorded in Freemont's journal who wrote: "In the natural concern I felt for his misfortune, I gave to the little cove the name of Lueders' Bay." For Frederick's part, the loss of his specimens was devastating. The loss of his instruments and his correspondence with Asa Gray and Dr. Englemann was almost too much for him. Frederick determined his best course of action was to return home. He traveled south around the tip of Chile and then onto England. It took him a full year to get back to Hamburg after his mishap on the Columbia. Frederick didn't stay in Germany long; he returned to America within the next year. By 1851, he had made his way to Wisconsin; he spent the rest of his life in Sauk City, and he dabbled in astronomy, but he also became a florist. A biographical sketch said that in his old age, Frederick Lueders was mainly devoted to his flowers. November 13, 1870 Today is the birthday of the physician, naturalist, and civic leader of the south-central Kansas town of Belle Plaine - Dr. Walter E. Bartlett. In 1910, Walter started the Bartlett Arboretum by purchasing 15 acres of land on the edge of a town called Belle Plaine - about 20 miles south of Wichita. The property had good soil, and it also had a little creek. One of Walter's initial moves was to dam up the creek and create a lake for waterfowl. In the flat expanse of Kansas, Walter was tree obsessed. He planted them everywhere - lining walkways, drives, and riverbanks. Walter was civic-minded. He enhanced the arboretum with a running track, a trap shooting area, and a baseball diamond complete with a grandstand. After Walter died, the park was managed by his landscape architect son, Glenn. Glenn had studied the gardens at Versailles - noting that they were transformed out of sand dunes and marshes. Back home, the Bartlett Arboretum had similar challenges. Glenn married Margaret Myers, an artist, a magazine fashion designer, a floral designer, a Garden Club organizer, and an instructor. Combining their fantastic skillsets, Glenn and Margaret turned the Arboretum into something quite beautiful. Together, they Incorporated tree specimens from all over the world. Using dredged dirt from the lake, they created man-made islands. At one point, the Bartlett Arboretum was the only Arboretum between the Mississippi River and the Rocky Mountains. Known for its beautiful spring tradition called Tulip Time, the Arboretum featured a tulip bed with over 40,000 bulbs. In 1997, the Arboretum was sold to Robin Macy. Macy was one of the founding members of the Dixie Chicks, and she is the current steward of the Bartlett Arboretum. Naturally, Robin incorporated music into the Arboretum. The Facebook Group for the Arboretum recently shared a register page from April 7th, 1929, and across the top of the register, Walter Bartlett quoted Wordsworth. He wrote, "He is the happiest who has the power to gather wisdom from a flower." If you get the chance to visit the Arboretum, you'll likely agree that the folks who tend the flowers and trees at Bartlett mak

Today we celebrate the Landscape Architect who had an affinity for boxwoods. We'll also learn about a passionate orchidologist who shared some advice back in 1972. We salute the English WWII code breaker who became a one-woman force for garden conservation and restoration. We'll hear a verse about the Hyacinth - one of my favorite spring bulbs… so fragrant! We Grow That Garden Library™ with an indispensable book about saving seeds. And then we'll wrap things up with the story of a Washington gardener whose garden advice was relatable, gentlemanly, and humorous. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart To listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to "Play the latest episode of The Daily Gardener Podcast." It's just that easy. Gardener Greetings Send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes, and so forth to [email protected] Curated News Want a 20-second distraction from 2020? Here are some mesmerizing pictures from 1800s seed catalogs | Massive Science | Max G. Levy Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and blog posts for yourself, you're in luck because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. There's no need to take notes or search for links - the next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community where you'd search for a friend and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events November 12, 1957 Today is the anniversary of the death of the Landscape Architect Arthur Shurcliff. After receiving his degree in Mechanical Engineering from MIT, Arthur discovered the field of Landscape Architecture. Although the field was beginning to take off thanks to the Olmsteds, Charles Eliot, and the Chicago World's Fair, there were no formal degree programs for the field. As a result, Arthur cobbled together his own curriculum at the Lawrence School of Science at Harvard. All his life, Arthur had a lifelong love for the outdoors. He especially enjoyed camping, canoeing, scenery, and sketching. Looking back on his pursuit of Landscape Architecture, Arthur reflected, "All led me away from mechanics toward scenery, toward planning and construction for the scenes of daily life..." In terms of his career, Arthur will forever be remembered for the work he did at Colonial Williamsburg. The project at Williamsburg was funded by John D. Rockefeller and the mission was a total community restoration. The scope was enormous. Arthur had over 30 years of experience when he started work on the project on St. Patrick's Day in 1928. In addition to his Landscape Architecture skills; Arthur leveraged his training in engineering, his meticulousness, and his personal energy, and charm. It wasn't just the buildings that needed restoration; it was the land, the paths, the streets, the gardens, and green spaces. Arthur wrote about his daily quest to uncover the past. One entry said: "Wednesday morning saw me in the old-fashioned gardens in the heart of the town. These old places… now gone to decay are filled with a kind of golden glory which is lacking in the new gardens. The old lattice trellises, ruined box hedges, and even the weed-grown paths seem to have the glamor of the sunshine from the olden days." Every aspect of the town was fully researched. When it came to garden plans and plant selection, Arthur insisted that authenticity was paramount. For example, Arthur's team actually searched for original fence-post holes to determine the colonially-accurate backyard. It's no wonder that it took Arthur 13 years to finish the project. Arthur's signature plant was the boxwood which he called Box for short. Williamsburg required boatloads of Box and Arthur wrote, "In replanting Williamsburg places much use should be made of Box… even allowing it to dominate the parterres and bed traceries… Generous use of Box in this manner [will define the] display and [help with the] upkeep of flowers especially in the dry season..." Arthur's passion could get the best of him. The woman who lived at the St. George Tucker House, wrote this entry in her diary in January 1931: "Today I was asked to go over the yard with Mr. Arthur Shurcliff… I found him a very alarming person! Somehow the idea of changing the yard and garden is much more repellent to me than changing the house, and this is such a terribly enthusiastic man!" And, when Arthur returned in May, she wrote, "[He came] down like a wolf on the fold again today. He rushed in and out... with charts and plans for all sorts of alarming 'landscapes' in our yard. He has boxwood on the brain." Luckily for Arthur, his charm counteracted any hesitance caused by his exuberance. When Colonial Williamsburg was revealed to the public in 1934, Arthur's Colonial Revival style gardens — complete boxwood — caused a sensation. Soon, Revival Garden design appeared in suburbs all across America. Once the restoration was complete, Arthur Shurcliff

Today we celebrate a botanist who gave us one of my favorite quotes about plant breeding. We'll also remember the fantastically driven woman who dreamed of providing blueberries to the nation… and her dream came true. We review some words about November by Lucy Maud Montgomery, author of the Anne of Green Gables series, as well as a charming quote about the sun by Galileo. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book on floral arranging with foraged cuttings that's both artistic and modern. And then we'll wrap things up with a fascinating letter from a Danish botanist working in Calcutta. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart To listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to "Play the latest episode of The Daily Gardener Podcast." It's just that easy. Gardener Greetings Send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes, and so forth to [email protected]. Curated News How to Grow Dahlias | Hunker | Victoria Lee Blackstone Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and blog posts for yourself, you're in luck because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. There's no need to take notes or search for links - the next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events November 11, 1765 Today is the birthday of the Belgian physicist, chemist, botanist, horticulturist, and pomologist, Jean-Baptiste Van Mons. The name of the game for Jean-Baptiste was selective breeding for pears. Selective breeding happens when humans breed plants to develop particular characteristics by choosing the parent plants to make the offspring. Check out the patience and endurance that was required as Jean-Baptiste Van 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 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 throughout his lifetime. The Bosc and D'Anjou pears we know today are his legacies. November 11, 1954 Today is the anniversary of the death of the Queen of Blueberries, Elizabeth Coleman White. Elizabeth grew up on her dad's Cranberry Farm in the Pine Barrens of Burlington County, New Jersey. When she was a little girl, Elizabeth would take walks to pick wild blueberries - you couldn't buy blueberries in stores. Over time, Elizabeth began to wonder about cultivating blueberries as a crop. Keeping her family's cranberry farm in mind, she figured blueberries would make the perfect offseason crop. Also, cranberries and blueberries both grow in highly acidic soil. To get started, Elizabeth asked local blueberry pickers to bring her the plants with the biggest berries, and then Elizabeth would transplant them into her father's field. She wrote: "I used to call them swamp huckleberries and thought [a blueberry] half-inch diameter - huge. They grew luxuriantly on the margins of our cranberry bogs, and as a girl, I used to… dream of a field full of [blueberry] bushes... I knew it was a wild dream." In 1910, the chief botanist at the USDA, Frederick Colville, was also working on blueberries at his summer home in New Hampshire. When Elizabeth read about his efforts, she reached out, and the two worked out a deal: Elizabeth would grow the berries, and Frederick would perfect the science. Elizabeth and Frederick successfully crossbred the largest New Jersey blueberries with the largest New Hampshire blueberries, and the rest, as they say, is history. Elizabeth said, "My old dream was but a faint shadowing of the possibilities. Now I dream of cultivated blueberries shipped by the trainload, - blueberry specials - to every part of the country. " It took Elizabeth five years to develop the first blueberry crop. Elizabeth's success increased the value of the New Jersey pine districts around her farm from 50 cents an acre to $500 an acre. Elizabeth's first harvest yielded 21 bushels of berries and netted $114. Today the US grows nearly 700 million pounds of cultivated wild blueberries, and the annual revenue is around $80 million. Elizabeth was very creative. After noticing how the Whitman chocolate Company packaged their chocolates, Elizabeth came up with the idea to use cellophane to protect and market her blueberries. The cellophane made it possible for people to see her blueberries - right through the packaging. And Whitman's ended up partnering with Elizabeth helping her source cellophane she needed from France. Finally, here's a little known fact about Elizabeth

Today we celebrate a 17th-century Scottish botanist who used the structure of a plant's fruits for classification. We'll also learn about a mobster florist killed while working with his Chrysanthemums (Dendranthema grandiflora). We salute the American author and clergyman who gave us an epic gardener's quote about spring. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a swoon-worthy garden classic. And then we'll wrap things up by Celebrating National Split Pea Soup Week. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart To listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to "Play the latest episode of The Daily Gardener Podcast." It's just that easy. Gardener Greetings Send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes, and so forth to [email protected] Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and blog posts for yourself, you're in luck because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. There's no need to take notes or search for links - the next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events November 10, 1683 Today is the anniversary of the death of the 17th-century Scottish botanist Robert Morison. A contemporary of the English naturalist and writer, John Ray, Robert helped to devise the modern system of plant classification by relying mainly on the structure of a plant's fruits for classification. After fighting on the losing side of the Civil Wars in Scotland, Robert left his home country to go to France, where he got a job as the Royal Gardens director at Blois ("Blue-ah"). Blois was foundational for Robert. The experience gave him a close personal understanding of a vast number of plants. Between his encyclopedic knowledge of plants in Scotland and France, Robert quickly became one of the most knowledgeable botanists of his time. Robert stayed in France for a decade between 1650 and 1660. Like many botanists of his time, Robert was a physician, and he served both French and English royalty as a private doctor. By 1669, Robert began teaching botany at Oxford, and he released his groundbreaking book Praeludia botanica, followed by additional valuable references like his plant history book and his book on herbs. Through these works, Robert voiced his criticism of the old ways of classification - which were based on habitat, the season of flowering, leaf shape, or medicinal uses, for example. Robert felt that his system could best be learned hands-on by observing nature day after day as he had in Blois's gardens. But Robert also thought that the proper way to classify plants had been revealed biblically in Genesis 1:11-12: And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so. And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good." Robert cast a long shadow on future generations of botanical leaders. He inspired the artist Nicolas Robert to pursue botanical illustration. And Robert's influence can be seen in this little story about the botanist John Wilson. By training, Wilson was a shoemaker and then a baker. But his heart was inclined toward botany. John was so intent on learning about botany that he almost sold his only cow to buy one of Morison's books. History tells us that the transaction would have almost certainly caused John's financial ruin had a neighbor lady not purchased the book for him. November 10, 1924 Today is the anniversary of the death of the mobster florist and devout Catholic Dean O'Banion. Dean bootlegged beer during prohibition, and he led a group of mobsters in Chicago known as the North Side Gang. At one point, Dean was making almost a million dollars a year from selling his beer and liquor. In 1921, after marrying Viola Kaniff, Dean bought a stake in William Schofield's River North Flower Shop near West Chicago Avenue and North State Street. Conveniently for Dean, Schofield's Flower Shop was directly across from Holy Name Cathedral, where he attended daily mass. The business gave him a front for his criminal operations, and the rooms above the shop served as the headquarters for the North Side Gang. At the same time, Dean had a lifelong love of flowers, and he was especially good at floral arranging. In a short while, Schofields became known as the flower shop that serviced all of the mob's floral needs from weddings to funerals. It's no surprise then that Dean's murderers used the guise of a mob funeral to plan his death. Dean had encroached on the south side territory of Johnny Torrio and Al Capone, and by so doing, Dean had signed his own death warrant. After meeting with Dean to scout the floral shop, three mobsters returned on this November day.

Today we celebrate a forgotten West Chester nurseryman and entrepreneur who pioneered the mail-order plant business. We'll also learn about the Russian botanist who made a startling discovery from the sap of diseased tobacco plants. We salute the Welsh poet and writer who died on this day in 1953 after drinking 18 straight martinis. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a really lovely book on garden design - it's one of my favorites. And then we'll wrap things up with some words on the natural world from an American astronomer. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart To listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to "Play the latest episode of The Daily Gardener Podcast." It's just that easy. Gardener Greetings Send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes, and so forth to [email protected] Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and blog posts for yourself, you're in luck because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. There's no need to take notes or search for links - the next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events November 9, 1832 Today is the birthday of the West Chester Pennsylvania nurseryman, entrepreneur, and Quaker, Josiah Hoopes. Josiah loved nature from an early age. As a young man, Josiah had a desire to propagate and sell plants. After his 30th birthday, Josiah built a greenhouse on his father's property. Within a few years, Josiah's growing customer base prompted him to start his nursery, named Cherry Hill Nurseries. Over time, Cherry Hill grew to be known as Hoopes, Bro., and Thomas (HB&T) after Josiah recruited his brother Abner and his neighbor, an accountant named George B. Thomas. With its gravelly loam soil, West Chester has cultivated some important botanical figures through the years. The West Chester botanists David Townsend and Dr. William Darlington were lifelong friends with Josiah. Together, the three men founded Marshall Square Park, named after the colonial botanist Humphry Marshall. The three men also worked on cataloging the trees and plants in their home county. Now, for their efforts, the town appointed all three men to form the first park committee. Later, Josiah (who was younger than the other men) was tasked with improving the park. Josiah added flower beds and walking paths - as well as an extraordinary amount of "resting stations." A history of the park shared that at one point, the park had 70 benches - 50 more than today's total count. And today, in Josiah's hometown, the 16-acre Hoopes Park is named for Josiah. He served as that park's original park supervisor. In addition to his local efforts, Josiah became nationally known when he developed a way to ship his nursery stock by railroad. Using moss and paper to wrap his plants, Josiah began to hire salesmen to market his plants and trees across the country. After securing a contract with the federal government, Josiah's nursery shipped trees and shrubs to all the national cemeteries. Within a decade, H B&T became the largest commercial grower in America. Before the turn of the century, HB&T was shipping plants to Europe, Australia, and the West Indian Islands. They even had a sales rep stationed in Mexico. By 1913, the nursery occupied over a thousand acres, and it even offered a pleasure garden with a boardwalk for the locals - complete with manicured shrubs in the shape of spears and a Maltese cross. One newspaper reported, "There is no more attractive place in our borough than the grounds of this firm, including their private residences adjoining, and we as a people owe them a vote of thanks for the privilege extended us in visiting them." Josiah had a special love for trees. At Hoopes, Josiah's fruit trees were a top seller, appealing to new homeowners in America's growing suburbs. An 1870's record book shows old order sheets with the words "send at once" and "immediately" handwritten on the receipt. After mastering packaging and shipping, the nursery could boast of sales to nearly every state in the union, and customers even included President Grover Cleveland at the White House. And, by the late 1800s, the nursery was the number one grower of peach trees. Like his friend Townsend, Josiah's botanical writing was geared toward encouraging a love for growing plants and trees. Josiah regularly wrote botanical articles for the New York Tribune, and he also wrote a book called Book of Evergreens. In terms of posterity, Asa Gray named the plant Hymenoxys hoopesii (ii = "ee-eye") commonly known as Owl's Claws for Josiah Hoopes. This plant is a marvelous native mountain wildflower offering large golden-yellow flowers all summer long. The bloom is made up of long, drooping petals (resembling owl's claws) and a button-like center cone. Josiah Hoopes died on January 16, 1904. HB&T closed for

Today we celebrate a son of France who developed the first natural classification of flowering plants. We'll also learn about the young female garden writer who teamed up with an Australian botanical illustrator and turned out some fabulous garden classics. We salute the English Poet Laureate who wrote inspiringly about gardens. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a tour book of American Gardens that was just released this past week. And then we'll wrap things up with the birthday of one of the greatest plant collectors of all time. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart To listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to "Play the latest episode of The Daily Gardener Podcast." It's just that easy. Gardener Greetings Send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes, and so forth to [email protected] Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and blog posts for yourself, you're in luck because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. There's no need to take notes or search for links - the next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events November 6, 1777 Today is the anniversary of the death of the French naturalist and botanist Bernard Jussieu. We remember Bernard for developing the first natural classification of flowering plants. And although both Bernard and his brother Antoine were botany professors in Paris, Bernard was the stronger botanist, and there's a famous story about his incredible dedication to botany: One time, after botanizing in Lebanon, Bernard was sailing back to France. Of course, drinkable water onboard a long voyage home would have been a precious commodity. Yet, Bernard Jussieu purportedly shared his precious water with a little Lebanon Cedar seedling he was bringing home. He wanted to plant the little seedling in the Royal Garden, and he was determined to bring the little tree back alive to Paris. The French say the seedling lived to be over 200 years old and grew to eighty feet high. As for Bernard Jussieu, in 1759, he was summoned to Versailles to develop the Royal Botanical Garden at the Petit Trianon. Unassuming and laid back, Bernard quietly began arranging the plants in the garden in a new way. Jussieu's system of organizing plants into a more natural order was revolutionary at the time, and his method was something he wouldn't disclose to others. However, Bernard did put together a catalog of the plants in his garden. Bernard recognized a kindred spirit in his nephew, Antoine-Laurent. Bernard trained him for four years, and when he came of age, Bernard confided his methods of plant classification. As a result, Antoine-Laurent's work extended his Uncle Bernard's ideas around grouping plants. It took Antoine-Laurent Jussieu almost twenty years of refinement and perfecting of his Uncle's work before he finally published it as the Bastille was falling in 1789. Antoine-Laurent Jussieu kept Linnaeus' binomial nomenclature in his book, Genera Plantarum, but he grouped plants by genera and then into families. He called his system natural and strived to let nature be his guide. Today, many plant families can be attributed to Jussieu. Today, there's a metro station near the Paris botanical garden named in honor of the Jussieu family - which boasted five notable botanists in the family over several generations. November 6, 1868 Today is the birthday of the botanist and garden writer Alice Lounsberry. (Note: Online databases report the date of birth as 1873 - which is incorrect as Alice was already two years old on an 1870 census with her brother and parents.) Alice was a New Yorker, and she developed a love for botany as a young girl. In her mid-twenties, she was already serving as a board member for the New York Botanical Garden (NYBG). But Alice is best known for her botanical books written with her dear friend and collaborator - the Australian botanical illustrator Ellis Rowan. So we have Alice and Ellis - and here's the fabulous story of how they met. In the late 1890s, Ellis decided to travel to New York. She caused a bit of a sensation during her first trip to the States a few years earlier. This trip was no different - except that Ellis contracted influenza after her arrival, and she needed to be hospitalized. Like Alice, New Yorkers read about Ellis's illness, and they sent cards and flowers to her hospital room to cheer her. Now Alice had an enormous sense of admiration for Ellis, and she felt she needed to do something more personal for her. So, Alice decided to hand-deliver a box of fresh wildflowers she had handpicked to the hospital and gave them to Ellis's nurse. Ellis was thoroughly charmed by the bouquet and the card which read, "From one flower seeker to another - and an admirer of your work." The following day, Alice visited Ellis. Even though Alice wa

Today we celebrate the man remembered as the "Father of American Dendrology" (the study of woody plants, trees, and shrubs). We'll also learn about the November birth flower, which was celebrated in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on this day in 1883. We also recognize the botanist, who was Philadelphia's botany man during the 1800s. We hear some words about November by an American comedian, writer, and activist. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a Garden Cookbook with a southern flair. And then we'll wrap things up with a little story about a pesky Otter and a koi pond in Vancouver. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart To listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to "Play the latest episode of The Daily Gardener Podcast." It's just that easy. Gardener Greetings Send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes, and so forth to [email protected] Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and blog posts for yourself, you're in luck because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. There's no need to take notes or search for links - the next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events November 5, 1801 Today is the anniversary of the death of the botanist Humphrey Marshall. The Marshalls were cousins to the Bartrams - their mothers were sisters. Humphrey's cousin, John Bartram, was known as the "Father of American Botany" after establishing the country's first botanical garden, and he ignited Humphrey's love of native plants. In 1773, after Humphrey inherited his family estate and a sizable inheritance from his father, he created the country's second botanical garden. Humphrey incorporated natives, naturally, but also exotics. Humphrey forged a friendship with the British botanist John Fothergill who paid Humphrey for his plant collecting. John was a collector and a connector, introducing Humphrey to many of Europe's top botanists and a growing customer list. John's contacts helped Humphrey source new plants for his botanical garden. And Twenty-five years before Thomas Jefferson sent Lewis & Clark on their expedition, Humphrey Marshall repeatedly suggested exploring the American West - in 1778, 1785, and 1792. A fellow friend, Quaker, and botanist Joseph Trimble Rothrock wrote this about Humphrey: "The earth abounds in beauty, all of which is open to his chastened senses. He revels in the sunlight and the breezes. The songs of the birds fall, welcome, into his ear. The colors of the flowers attract him." In 1785, Humphrey published the very first American essay on trees and shrubs. Humphrey Marshall is also known as the "Father of American Dendrology" (the study of woody plants, trees, and shrubs). Marshalltown, Pennsylvania, was named in honor of Humphrey Marshall. The genus, Marshallia, is named in honor of Humphrey Marshall. November 5, 1883 On this day in Philadelphia, The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society held its first Chrysanthemum Show in Horticultural Hall. This would be the first of several Chrysanthemum events presented by PHS to the public. Chrysanthemums have a fascinating history. In 1790, Chrysanthemums were brought back from China and introduced to England, where they were greeted with much adoration. The greens and blossoms of the chrysanthemum are edible, and they are particularly popular in Japan, China, and Vietnam. During the Victorian times in the language of flowers, the red chrysanthemum meant "I Love," and the yellow chrysanthemum symbolized slighted love. In China, the chrysanthemum is a symbol of autumn and the flower of the ninth moon. During the Han dynasty, the Chinese drank chrysanthemum wine - they believed it made their lives longer and made them healthier. As a result, the chrysanthemum was often worn to funerals. Generally, chrysanthemums symbolize optimism and joy - but they have some unique cultural meanings around the world. On Mother's Day down under, Australians traditionally wear a white chrysanthemum to honor their moms, and Chrysanthemums are common Mother's Day presents. In Poland, chrysanthemums are the flower of choice to be placed on graves for All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day. Chrysanthemums are the November birth flower and the 13th wedding anniversary flower. In 1966, Mayor Richard Daley declared the chrysanthemum as the official flower of the city of Chicago. November 5, 1896 On this day, the newspaper out of Buffalo, New York, reported that John Redfield herbarium was looking for a home. John H Redfield was born in Middletown, Connecticut, in 1815. In 1836, John became friends with Asa Gray after joining the Lyceum of Natural History in New York, where Gray was the Librarian and Superintendent. They remained life-long friends. During the 1840s, Gray tried to locate a plant called the Shortia galacifolia (commonly known as Oconee bell).

Today we celebrate the man who is remembered in the botany building at the University of Glasgow. We'll also learn about the mystery behind the California Fan Palm. We'll salute the Folklore of November, along with a witty poem about November by an American poet and satirist. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book about some incredible private gardens in the San Francisco Bay Area. And then we'll wrap things up with a charming 1855 journal entry from an American writer. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart To listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to "Play the latest episode of The Daily Gardener Podcast." It's just that easy. Gardener Greetings Send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes, and so forth to [email protected] Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and blog posts for yourself, you're in luck because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. There's no need to take notes or search for links - the next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events November 4, 1855 Today is the birthday of the English botanist and Primitive Plant Expert Frederick Orpen Bower. Bower served as the Regius chair of botany at the University of Glasgow "Glahs-go." When he arrived in 1885, the department was housed in two rooms, and the herbarium was stuffed into a small attic space. To make matters worse, when Bower lectured, he had to vie for a lecture hall with other departments and faculty. Fifteen years later, the University finally constructed a new botany building, and when it was finished, the building served as England's first botanical institute. The 1901 grand opening for the Glasgow botany building was lumped in with the University's 450th-anniversary celebration. The eminent botanist Sir Joseph Hooker opened the building. Almost a century later, the building was renamed to honor Frederick Orpen Bower, and that's how the building became known as the Bower Building. Tragically, on October 24, 2001, the Bower building was significantly damaged by a fire. The losses included first editions of Darwin's Origin of the species and Hooker and Bower's works. Many of the oldest botanical manuscripts and books were impacted because they were stored on the third floor under the roof space. After almost four years of continuous work, the building reopened in November 2005. The 2001 Bower Building fire is a cautionary lesson for archivists and curators to digitally preserve our most precious historical artifacts before they are lost to time. November 4, 1984 On this day, the Arizona Republic newspaper shared an article about the history of the native palm of Arizona written by Vic Miller, a professor of agriculture at Arizona State University. The article starts this way: "Yes, we do have a native palm. Seeds of it were collected in Arizona; taken to Belgium and grown in a nursery; [where it was observed] and named by a German botanist, but [it is not called the Arizona Fan Palm,] it is called the California Fan Palm." The mystery of the California Fan Palm was not about how it got its name but rather where it came from - California or Arizona. In 1976, researchers made a discovery that helped solve the 100-year-old mystery. Here's the fascinating backstory: In 1879, a German botanist, Herman von Wendland, saw the palms growing in a Belgium nursery. He named the palm Washingtonia filifera "Washing-TONE-ee-ah fill-IF-er-ah" in honor of George Washington. The name seemed appropriate since Wendland only knew that the seeds for the palms had been collected in America. Wendland had no idea which state was home to the palms. Three years earlier, in 1876, the German botanist Georg Drude had noted that the seed was collected in Arizona, along the Colorado River. An [Italian botanist, Dr. Francesco Franceschi, also said that the palms were] from Arizona. But a Stanford botanist named Samuel Parish disagreed. Parish knew that the area where the seeds were supposedly collected was near Prescott. According to Parish, this was "a region of pines rather than of palms." To Parish, the seeds had to come from California. But what Parish didn't realize is that there were small groves of Arizona palms roughly 38 miles from Prescott - near Castle Creek. Next, the researchers wondered how the Arizona Palm seeds ended up in Belgium? Well, it turns out, the 1870's stagecoach line went right along Castle Creek to Prescott, Arizona, and then onto Santa Fe, New Mexico. In September 1872, the Czech botanist and Extreme Orchid Hunter Benedict Roezl was in that part of the Southwest on his way to Mexico. Roezl likely bought some of the ripe purple fruit from those Castle Creek Arizona Palms and then sent the fruit back to Germany with his other specimens. And that is how the Arizona Fan Palm was named the Californ

Today we celebrate the American Romantic poet who wrote: "The rose that lives its little hour is prized beyond the sculptured flower..." We'll also learn about the man who made Six Hills Nursery famous. We hear some words about autumn by an American Poet Laureate. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book that rocked the Vegetable Cookbook world three years ago - and here's a hint: the author divided the year into Six Seasons. And then we'll wrap things up with a recipe I received from a friend recently for a delicious Golden Squash Soup. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart To listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to "Play the latest episode of The Daily Gardener Podcast." It's just that easy. Gardener Greetings Send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes, and so forth to [email protected] Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and blog posts for yourself, you're in luck because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. There's no need to take notes or search for links - the next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events November 3, 1794 Today is the birthday of the American Romantic poet and nature-lover William Cullen Bryant. As a young man, William became an attorney. His first job was in Plainfield, Massachusetts - a town seven miles away from his home. In 1815, William was walking to work one day in December when he spied a lone bird flying on the horizon. The image moved him so much that William wrote his poem called To a Waterfowl. William Cullen Bryant is a favorite poet among gardeners. Here's an excerpt from a little poem by William called A Winter Piece: ...When shrieked The bleak November winds, and smote the woods, And the brown fields were herbless, and the shades, That met above the merry rivulet, Were spoiled, I sought, I loved them still,—they seemed Like old companions in adversity. When he was alive, William Cullen Bryant visited Wodenethe - the 20-acre estate overlooking the Hudson River purchased and sculpted by Henry Winthrop Sargent. Sargent's naming of Wodenethe was a marriage of two old Saxon terms Woden (pronounced Woe-den) and ethe, which stands for woody promontory ( promontory ), of high land that juts out into the sea or a large lake; a headland. Sargent turned Wodenethe into a personal arboretum, where he artfully used trees to frame the Hudson's incredible views. One reviewer said it was, "a bijou full of interest for the lover of rural beauty; abounding in rare trees, shrubs, and plants, as well as vases, and objects of rural embellishment of all kinds." William Cullen Bryant loved Wodenethe, and he was particularly charmed by an illusion that Sargent had created on the property. Sargent had created the view from inside his house to look like the lawn extended out to the Hudson, creating the illusion of a sharp dropoff - almost like the lawn ran out to the edge of a cliff. To help pull this off, Sargent would send his young son Winthrop out onto the lawn with a fishing pole where he would pretend to fish off the edge of a nonexistent cliff. On one occasion, a lady visitor commented on how SHE wouldn't let her own children play so close to that dropoff. In reality, Winthrop was sitting a good mile away from the water's edge - quite safe on the flat earth of the lawn nestled among the trees. Sargent's masterful vista created an artful and beautiful illusion - a trick that he even pulled on his good friend William Cullen Bryant. Wodenethe so moved William he wrote his poem "A Scene on the Banks of the Hudson." Here's an excerpt: All, save this little nook of land, Circled with trees on which I stand; All, save that line of hills which lie Suspended in the mimic sky,— Seems a blue void, above, below, Through which the white clouds come and go; And from the green world's farthest steep, I gaze into the airy deep Loveliest of lovely things are they, On earth, that soonest pass away. The rose that lives its little hour Is prized beyond the sculptured flower. November 3, 1881 Today is the birthday of the English garden writer, plant explorer, renowned nurseryman, alpine specialist, and a founding member of the Alpine Garden Society, Clarence Elliott. Clarence had a remarkable career, and he cast an enormous shadow from his legendary nursery in Stevenage called Six Hills. If Six Hills has a familiar ring to it, you might be familiar with the popular and prevalent landscape plant and stalwart of most garden borders cultivated at Six Hills: the Nepeta Six Hills Giant. Or, perhaps you were thinking of the Penstemon Six Hills - another Clarence offspring. And many gardeners have forgotten that the Mrs. Popple Fuschia - was actually a nod to the Popples - a couple who lived near Six Hills. One day Clarence spied Mrs. Popple's gorgeous hardy Fuschia

Today we celebrate the Flemish artist who became known for painting floral garlands. We'll also learn about the English poet who wrote about the flower known as The Traveller's Joy. We'll celebrate the new month with some words about November. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a close look at gardens - 100 of them - in an engaging book that travels to the world's most interesting gardens to analyze why and how they are designed. And then we'll wrap things up with a little story about the bladderwort plant - a rare insect-eating plant with pretty yellow flowers. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart To listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to "Play the latest episode of The Daily Gardener Podcast." It's just that easy. Gardener Greetings Send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes, and so forth to [email protected] Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and blog posts for yourself, you're in luck because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. There's no need to take notes or search for links - the next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events November 2, 1661 Today is the anniversary of the death of the Flemish Jesuit brother and painter Daniel Seghers. Daniel was a marvelous painter based in Antwerp and focused mainly on floral still lives, and his vivid work was a favorite among his patrons and the aristocracy. As a Jesuit brother, Daniel made no money from his work - that all went to the church. But in 1649, Daniel was given a golden palette and golden brushes from a Dutch princess in exchange for some of his work. Daniel pioneered the genre of flower garland painting, and his specialty was painting flower cartouches. Daniel's garland still lifes were especially popular in his home country of Belgium. A signature Daniel Segher Floral Cartouche would feature these voluptuous swags of flowers and flower garlands placed around a religious scene or statue that was often depicted in black and white or muted colors. These religious scenes were usually placed in the center of Daniels' paintings, and incredibly, they were all painted by other Flemish painters. By the time Daniel received the artwork, he would immediately set about decorating the work with flowers. Daniel's job was to create a floral tribute that added reverence, life, and excitement to the overall image. If you look at the garlands, you'll notice that Daniel added charming, realistic touches by adding beautifully detailed butterflies and incredibly realistic flowers. Daniel also took some liberties with the flowers. Tulips and peonies are in full bloom next to roses, iris, carnations, hyacinths, and daisies. For Daniel, bloom time took a back seat to lushness and color. Also, some of the flowers conveyed additional symbolic meaning - so for the sake of Floriography ("FLOOR-EE-ah-grah-FEE"), Daniel painted the flowers he felt best suited his subject. Ornamental gardeners will find a special joy and satisfaction in viewing Daniel's masterpieces. November 2, 1848 Today is the anniversary of the death of the English poet and Irish bishop Richard Mant. Richard wrote a little poem about the wild clematis that happens to be England's only native Clematis. In the 17th century, the herbalist John Gerard gave it the common name "The Traveller's Joy" (Clematis virginiana). The flower has no petals but offers four delicate creamy sepals along with a copious amount of stamens and carpels. Most beauteous when its flowers assume Their autumn form of feathery plume. The Traveller's Joy! name well bestowed On that wild plant, which by the road Of Southern England, to adorn Fails not the hedge of prickly thorn... Even today in the English countryside, "The Traveller's Joy" rambles up hedgerows & trees, drapes down from branches and thorns to offer a profusion of fragrant white blossoms that transform into architectural wonders in fall & winter: feathery, silver 'beards' that flow from the seed pods. This is how Traveller's Joy ended up with so many common names, including "Old Man's Beard." Folklore says that Traveller's Joy (Clematis virginiana) was sent by the devil to smother the earth's plants by trailing over them. Anyone who has grown this woody vine, a member of the buttercup family, knows this is one tough and persistent plant. Not surprisingly, it's considered an invasive plant in many parts of the world. The poet A.E. Houseman wrote about the Traveller's Joy (Clematis virginiana) in his poem 'Tell Me Not Here, It Needs Not Saying.' Tell me not here; it needs not saying, What tune the enchantress plays In aftermaths of soft September Or under blanching mays, For she and I were long acquainted And I knew all her ways. On russet floors, by waters idle, The pine lets fall its cone; The cuckoo shouts all day at noth

Today we celebrate the man who wrote Species Plantarum and gave us binomial nomenclature. We'll also learn about the Boston Landscape Architect, who kept a journal of his favorite walks. We salute the British orchidologist who saved Kew Gardens. We also recognize the man who designed the garden at the Frick Museum in New York City. We'll hear one of my favorite poems about November. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book that teaches us to cook with Garden-Fresh Vegetables. And then we'll wrap things up with a little story about a young botanist who dreamed of going to Sumatra. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart To listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to "Play the latest episode of The Daily Gardener Podcast." It's just that easy. Gardener Greetings Send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes, and so forth to [email protected] Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and blog posts for yourself, you're in luck because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. There's no need to take notes or search for links - the next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events November 1, 1783 Today is the anniversary of the death of Carl Linnaeus. Thirty years earlier, on May 1st, 1753, the publication of his masterpiece Species Plantarum changed plant taxonomy forever. Linnaeus earned the moniker Father of Taxonomy; his naming system is called binomial nomenclature. Binomial means "two names," which in the naming game includes the plant's genus (which is capitalized or could be abbreviated by its first letter) and species or specific epithet (which is all lowercase and can be abbreviated sp.) If you have trouble remembering taxonomy, I like to think of it as the given name and surname of a person, but in reverse order. The names Linnaeus assigned live on unchanged and are distinguished by an "L." after their name. And, it was Linnaeus himself who said: "God created, Linnaeus ordered." November 1, 1859 Today is the birthday of the Boston Landscape Architect Charles Eliot. Charles was the son of a prominent Boston family. In 1869, the year his mother died, his father Charles Sr. became the president of Harvard University. In 1882 Charles graduated from Harvard with a degree in botany. A year later, Charles began apprenticing with the landscape firm of Frederick Law Olmsted. As a young landscape architect, Charles made a list of his favorite walks, and he titled it A Partial List of Saturday Walks before 1878. Between 1885 and 1886, Charles spent 13 months touring England and Europe. The trip was actually Olmsted's idea, and the trip provided Charles with a smorgasbord of landscapes. During the trip, Charles kept a journal where he wrote down his thoughts and sketched the places he was visiting. Charles's benchmark was always Boston, and throughout his memoirs, he was continually comparing new landscapes to the beauty of his native landscape in New England. Sadly, Charles's story ended too soon. He died at 37 from spinal meningitis. Before he died, Charles had been working on plans for The Arnold Arboretum at Harvard, where he'd gotten to know the arboretum director Charles Sprague Sargent. Poignantly, it was Sargent who wrote a tribute to Charles after he died, and it was featured in Sargent's weekly journal called Garden and Forest. Charles's death had a significant impact on his father, Charles Sr. In tribute to his son, Charles Sr. compiled all of his son's work into a book called Charles Eliot Landscape Architect. The book came out in 1902, and today it is considered a classic work in the field of landscape architecture. November 1, 1865 Today is the anniversary of the death of the British gardener, botanist, and orchidologist John Lindley. John served as secretary to the Royal Horticultural Society for 43 years. This is why the Lindley Library at the RHS is named in honor of John Lindley. When he was little, John's dad owned a nursery and an orchard. John grew up helping with the family business. In 1815, John left his small hometown and went to London. He became friends with William Jackson Hooker, who, in turn, introduced John to Sir Joseph Banks, who hired John to work in his herbarium. When Banks died, the fate of the Royal Botanic Gardens was put in jeopardy. Banks' death corresponded with the death of King George III, who was the patron of the garden. These deaths created an opening for the British government to question whether the garden should remain open. On February 11, 1840, John ingeniously demanded that the issue be put before the Parliament. John's advocacy brought the matter to the publics' attention; the garden-loving British public was not about to lose the Royal Botanic. And, that's how John Lindley saved Kew Gardens, and William Hooker was chosen as Kew's

Today we celebrate the Patron Saint of Beekeepers We'll also revisit the letter Jefferson wrote about gardening - it contains one of his most-quoted lines. We remember the French Landscape Architect who designed ninety percent of the public spaces in Argentina. We'll eavesdrop on another letter from Elizabeth Lawrence - the garden writer - who also wrote the most wonderful letters. We celebrate World Mosquito Day with some Mosquito poems. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book that will help you create some Inspired Gatherings in your garden. And then we'll wrap things up with one of my favorite light-hearted poets. But first, let's catch up on some Greetings from Gardeners around the world and today's curated news. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart Gardener Greetings To participate in the Gardener Greetings segment, send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes and so forth to [email protected] And, to listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to play The Daily Gardener Podcast. It's that easy. Curated News Get the Most from Your Potting Soil With These Tips | The Spruce | Jon VanZile Here's an excerpt: "Most soil mixes are peat-based, often made with reed or sedge peat, and pH adjusted with lime. They are rich and loamy fresh out of the bag, and often they are enhanced with fertilizer or water-retention crystals. If you've been gardening for a long time, though, you may notice that plants rarely thrive in these kinds of soils for too long. This happens because peat-based soils really aren't designed for long-term use. They're not actually designed for plants at all—they're made for your convenience. They're cheaper to produce, and they are lightweight and easy to bag and sell. As these soils decompose, a number of negative forces will affect your plants. Take these steps to ensure your plants have the soil they need: Improve your bagged soil. It's not a long-term fix, but you can improve on peat-based growing mixes by mixing in a few handfuls of perlite. It won't slow the decomposition rate of the peat, but it will increase aeration. Flush the soil thoroughly every month, at a minimum. Take the plant to the kitchen sink or outside and thoroughly flush the soil to wash out accumulated salts from fertilizer and deposits from tap water. Wick your pots. Insert a wick through the drainage hole in the bottom of the pot. This won't help with compaction, but it will wick away excess water in the pot and help drainage, thus reducing the chance of root rot. Make your own potting mix. Many growers mix up their own potting mixes based on composted bark, coconut coir, peat, perlite, vermiculite, pumice, and other soil additives. This is a more advanced option, but it is possible to build a soil that will last for two or more seasons if you make it yourself." Pass-Along Plants "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 a 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 to 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 have 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. Pick herbs for fresh use and also for drying. Most herbs have a more concentrated flavor if they are not allowed to bolt or flower. Frequent harvesting will also accomplish that. As a bonus, harvesting encourages fresh, vigorous growth and keeps them grow

Today we salute the English orphan girl who wrote her own destiny with science fiction writing. We also remember the English gardener who is still ghosting us after many decades. We revisit a letter from Elizabeth Lawrence to her sister Ann. We'll celebrate National Potato Day with some Potato Poems. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a gorgeous book about Dahlias. And then we'll wrap things up with the birthday of a beloved American creator of light verse. But first, let's catch up on some Greetings from Gardeners around the world and today's curated news. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart Gardener Greetings To participate in the Gardener Greetings segment, send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes and so forth to [email protected] And, to listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to play The Daily Gardener Podcast. It's that easy. Curated News Behind the Winning Design: Q&A with Michael Drolet | FlowerMag Here's an excerpt: "When Michael Drolet submitted his vibrant vision for a Paris apartment for the Virtual Design Challenge, "we were all immediately impressed and drawn to his colorful and technically accurate proposal," said Cass Key, creative director at Woodbridge Furniture, one of the contest sponsors along with Taylor King and KingsHaven. "He set the stage beautifully and let the story unfold like a professional, and the true plot twist came when we realized that he was a student, looking to start his career in the fall. He pushed the boundaries by using a Taylor King fabric as a wall covering and imagining the outdoor space, which is exactly the type of inventive creativity that should be rewarded today and always, said Key." Wallcovering: Taylor King's 'Secret Garden Passion' floral textile 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 caused leprosy. To combat the belief, the agronomist Antoine Auguste Parmentier single-handedly changed the French perception of the Potato. How did Antoine get the French people to believe that the Potato was safe to eat? Good question. Antoine 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. Soon, they started eating them. And 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. Today is also World Photography Day! So, head out to your garden and take some photos. Alright, that's it for today's gardening news. Now, if you'd like to check out my curated news articles and blog posts for yourself, you're in luck, because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. There's no need to take notes or search for links - the next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events 1807 Today is the birthday of Jane Webb, who married the prolific writer of all things gardening: John Claudius Loudon. Together they became magnificent partners in the world of botanical writing and publishing. Jane was an extraordinary person. She was a fantastic 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. Along with Mary Shelley, Jane was an early pioneer in science fiction writing. It's hard to believe, but this endeavor would set her on her life's path to garden writing. Jane's book The Mummy was published anonymously, in 1827, in three parts. In her writing, Jane incorporated predictable changes in technology and society. For instance, she predicted that women of the future would wear pants. And, Jane also featured something agricultural that she imagined would come to pass: a steam plow. Jane's vision of easier and less laborious farming is 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. If you enjoy Victorian illustrations, you'll positively swoon for the frontispiece of Jane's 1843 publication Gardening for ladies: with a calendar of operations and directions for every month in the year. It shows a mother and her young child standing on either side of a lush arbor, and they are both holding garden tools. Jane's garden books were ve

Today we celebrate the Brigadier General, who described the Compass Plant. We'll also learn about the Norwegian poet who gardened and tended 70 apple trees. We remember the gift given to American by the Mayor of Tokyo. We also honor an extraordinary tree that was discovered on the estate of the first Earl of Camperdown. We'll celebrate World Daffodil Day with a Daffodil Poem. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book called Dream Plants for the Natural Garden - it's a classic. And then we'll wrap things up with the story of the Georgia State Flower. But first, let's catch up on some Greetings from Gardeners around the world and today's curated news. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart Gardener Greetings To participate in the Gardener Greetings segment, send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes and so forth to [email protected] And, to listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to play The Daily Gardener Podcast. It's that easy. Curated News Do houseplants really improve air quality? | The Guardian | James Wong Here's an excerpt: "Five years ago I wrote a column in this very magazine about how houseplants can purify the air, based on research carried out by Nasa. Since then, there has been a slew of online articles, not to mention industry campaigns and even new gadgets, centred on this claim. The only problem with it is that more recent and better quality research has found this to be extremely unlikely... However, other research shows that having plants indoors has a range of other benefits. They can boost productivity. They can improve mood. They can regulate humidity – all on top of looking beautiful. If you want fresh air, open a window. If you want to witness the joy of nature and feel a daily sense of wonder, get some houseplants." Follow James on Twitter @Botanygeek Alright, that's it for today's gardening news. Now, if you'd like to check out my curated news articles and blog posts for yourself, you're in luck, because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. There's no need to take notes or search for links - the next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events 1813 Today is the birthday of Brigadier General, mathematician, and botanist Benjamin Alvord. Born in Rutland Vermont, Benjamin was always drawn to nature. He graduated from West Point and even spent some time teaching there as a Math Professor. Benjamin fought in the Seminole Wars, the Mexican–American War, and the Civil War. When he wasn't serving in the military, Benjamin returned to his passions of scholarly activity. His obituary at Arlington says, "General Alvord lived most of his life in the field, where he was separated from society and books, yet he became a learned scholar; skilled in dialectics, ready in conversation, and polished in his writing. He had a special fondness for mathematics, botany, history, and biography." Benjamin published mathematical papers as well as literary articles for magazines like Harpers, and he even wrote a botanical paper on the Compass Plant Silphium laciniatum, which was featured in The American Naturalist. In 1848, Benjamin described the Compass Plant this way: "The Silphium laciniatum is a perennial plant of the order Compositae; the first year it bears only radical leaves, the second year and after, it is a flowering herb with four or five leaves on the stem; very rough bristly throughout; Flowers yellow. Found on rich prairies of the Mississippi valley from Minnesota to Texas… It was first seen by me in the autumn of 1839, on the rich prairies near Fort Wayne in the north-eastern portion of the Cherokee nation, near the Arkansas line." The leaves of the Compass Plant align north-south, which helps the plant minimize the effect of the midday sun. The north-south orientation guided settlers crossing the prairies who used the plant as a compass during their journey. Compass Plant is edible. Livestock eats it. Native Americans used it to make tea, a dewormer for their horses, and as a teeth cleaner and breath sweetener. Although before you use the Compass Plant for your teeth or breath, take note of this passage from the Illinois author John Madison, "Pioneers found that compass plant produced a pretty good brand of native chewing gum. It has an odd pine-resin taste that's pleasant enough, but must be firmed up before its chewed. A couple summers ago I tried some of this sap while it was still liquid. It's surely the stickiest stuff in all creation and I literally had to clean it from my teeth with lighter fluid." Now, Benjamin was very curious about the polarity of the Compass Plant. In fact, another common name for the plant is the Polar Plant. Benjamin initially theorized that the plant took up a lot of iron, thereby creating a magnet polarity in the leaves, but he later discounted that t

Today we remember the man who helped to establish the Natural History Museum in Vienna. We'll also learn about the Swedish botanist who specialized in mycology. We salute the American botanist who wrote the Calendarian - a marvelous phenological record. We also recognize a fanciful botanical illustrator who anthropomorphized flowers in his book. We honor a husband and wife team who created a magnificent arboretum in the middle of the country. We'll celebrate National Relaxation Day with a poem a feature most gardeners enjoy - a little running brook. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book It's the Little Things by Susanna Salk. And then we'll wrap things up with the story of a man who created the term ecosystem, and his words still challenge us to see our gardens through a much bigger lens. But first, let's catch up on some Greetings from Gardeners around the world and today's curated news. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart Gardener Greetings To participate in the Gardener Greetings segment, send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes and so forth to [email protected] And, to listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to play The Daily Gardener Podcast. It's that easy. Curated News Connecticut Garden Journal: Ground Cherries | Connecticut Public Radio Here's an excerpt: "Some vegetables are just fun. We've been growing ground cherries for years. This tomato-family vegetable looks like a mini version of a tomatillo. It's a sprawling 2-foot tall plant that produces an abundance of green turning to brown papery husks. Inside the husk is the fun part. Small, cherry-sized fruits mature from green to golden. Unwrap the husk, harvest, and snack on the fruits. They taste like a cross between a tomato and pineapple. They are sweet and delicious and something kids really love." 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 garden in partnership with Mother Nature, and in this partnership, Mother Nature still 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 several rows of 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 massive 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 think climbing hydrangea would be lovely. Alright, that's it for today's gardening news. Now, if you'd like to check out my curated news articles and blog posts for yourself, you're in luck, because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. There's no need to take notes or search for links - the next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events 1775 Today is the birthday of the Austrian naturalist and botanist Karl Franz Anton Ritter von Schreibers. Now, the Austrian Empire had a special affinity for plants and horticulture. And, they funded expeditions regularly to collect new materials for the Natural History Museum. Many famous botanists were involved with these expeditions, including Carl Phillip Von Martinus. In 1806, Karl von Schreiber became the director of the Vienna Natural History Museum. And although he was an excellent botanist and ecologist, his heart belonged to minerals and meteorites. One of Karl's smartest moves was to make Leopold Trattinick the curator of the Museum's herbarium, which was founded in 1807. For over forty years, Karl grew the Museum, but then things took a bad turn. In 1848, during the revolution in Vienna, the Natural History Museum caught on fire. Protesters not only destroyed the library Karl had carefully built up, but they also destroyed Karl's home since his living quarters were right inside the Museum. The destruction of the Museum was too much for Karl - it broke his heart. Karl immediately retired, and he died four years later. 1794 Today is the birthday of the botanist Elias Magnus Friesz, who is born on this day in Sweden. Now, the area where Elias grew up in Sweden was rich in fungi, and as luck

Today we celebrate a historic elm tree in Boston. And we remember the Romantic English poet who went by L.E.L. We'll also learn about the magazine that helped launch the National Audubon Society. We salute the Scottish nurseryman who elevated to the top echelons of British horticulture. We also remember the Iowa botanist who dedicated her life to protecting the vanishing prairie ecosystem. We celebrate the fleeting summer with some poetry. And, we Grow That Garden Library™ with a book that features Audubon's masterful illustrations. And then we'll wrap things up with the story of a canning lid shortage back in 1975. But first, let's catch up on some Greetings from Gardeners around the world and today's curated news. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart Gardener Greetings To participate in the Gardener Greetings segment, send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes and so forth to [email protected] And, to listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to play The Daily Gardener Podcast. It's that easy. Curated News 5 Things To Consider Before You Landscape A Garden | Homes To Love Here's an excerpt: We spoke to landscaping expert John McMillan from General Lawns for his thoughts and handy tips on creating the perfect landscaped garden. How can you choose the right plants, set a theme, include a deck or a water feature or know how to describe what you want into a brief? John has 5 crucial questions to consider to build a garden fit for your home. 1. Research, Research, Research 2. Consider your lifestyle 3. Choose carefully 4. Keep a grip on the budget 5. Keep it real Saint Werenfrid's Day (August 14) Gardeners know that Werenfridus is the Patron Saint of Vegetable Gardens. Werenfrid is often portrayed as a priest holding a ship with a coffin in it. And, sometimes Werenfrid is displayed as a priest laid to rest in his ship. What do these emblems - the coffin and the ship - have to do with Vegetable Gardens? Absolutely nothing. But the coffin and ship do remind us just how beloved St. Werenfrid was by the Dutch people. You see, as a Benedictine monk, Werenfrid tended the gardens at his monastery, and his gardens served a vital purpose: feeding the poor and the hungry. As a gardener and a clergyman, Werenfrid was a nourisher of both bodies and souls. After decades of caring for his flock in and around Arnhem in the Netherlands, Werenfrid died at the age of 90. After Werenfrid died, two nearby towns named Westervort and Elst started fighting over Werenfrid's body. Each town wanted the honor of being his final resting place and, of course, being blessed by his sacred remains. Although the citizens of Elst contended that Werenfrid himself said he wanted to be laid to rest in their town, the dispute continued until the two towns agreed to let nature dictate Werenfrid's fate. According to lore, Werenfrid's body was placed on an unmanned boat on the Rhine and fate brought Werenfrid to the shores of Elst where today, the Werenfrid Church still stands. And so, today we remember the gentle, loving gardener monk named Werenfrid, who is often shown holding a ship carrying a coffin. Werenfrid is also invoked for gout and stiff joints - which, if you grow vegetables, you'll appreciate how those conditions sometimes go along with gardening. Alright, that's it for today's gardening news. Now, if you'd like to check out my curated news articles and blog posts for yourself, you're in luck, because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. There's no need to take notes or search for links - the next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events 1765 A crowd gathered under a large elm tree in Boston. The group was there to protest the Stamp Act that was passed by the British Parliament. The Stamp 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. Now, there was an old elm tree that became a rallying point for resistance against the British, and that tree became known as the Liberty Tree. The Liberty Tree had been planted in 1646 - just sixteen years after Boston became a city. As the colonists began rejecting orders from Britain, the Liberty 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 Liberty 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: Unmindful of names or distinctions they came For freemen like brothers agree, With one spirit endued, they one friendship pursued

Today we celebrate an early Swedish explorer of Niagara Falls. We'll also learn about a plant that Thomas Jefferson loved. We salute the Russian botanist who arranged plants by geography. We also recognize the Czech, who became the most famous collector of orchids in the world. And, we'll remember the lives of a British plant hunter and a German chemist. I've got a wonderful poem about August for you today. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book about canning - the author says you'll be able to make your mamma jealous with your canning skills after getting her book. And then we'll wrap things up with a mystery about a plant collected by the botanist Albert Ruth. But first, let's catch up on some Greetings from Gardeners around the world and today's curated news. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart Gardener Greetings To participate in the Gardener Greetings segment, send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes and so forth to [email protected] And, to listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to play The Daily Gardener Podcast. It's that easy. Curated News 10 Berries That Birds Love | Treehugger | Tom Oder "Have you ever thought about birdscaping your garden? Birdscaping in this case doesn't mean putting out a lot of feeders with different types of seed. It means planting the types of plants that will attract birds to your garden. A good way to get started is by planting berry-producing plants — and now is the perfect time of year to do that. Here are 10 easy-to-grow berry-producing shrubs, vines, and trees that produce berries that birds will love. Most of these plants should grow well throughout the United States, according to Bill Thompson III of Bird Watcher's Digest in Marietta, Ohio. As a bonus to help you get started with birdscaping, we've also included two popular fruit trees that birds love." 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, your 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 News out 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's show notes -if you're geeking out on nasturtiums. And, here is a little insight into 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. Alright, that's it for today's gardening news. Now, if you'd like to check out my curated news articles and blog posts for yourself, you're in luck, because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. There's no need to take notes or search for links - the next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events 1750 The botanist Peter Kalm visited Niagara Falls. Niagara was a natural attraction for botanists like Peter 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 Peter collected on this day all those years ago. However, botanists suspect that Kalm's Lobelia and Kalm's Saint John's Wort were both collected there; and that's how they were both named for him by Carl Linnaeus. 1805 Today Meriwether Lewis discovered the Snowberry or Symphoricarpos albus. I love the story of how Lewis came across the Snowberry. Meriwether was really looking for the Shoshone Indians, but he found the Snowberry instead. Meriwether wrote in his journal that he discovered something like a small honeysuckle, except that it was bearing a ber

Today we remember the busiest man in London. We'll also learn about the man honored by the Baobab tree. We salute a daughter of Winterthur, We also recognize a life cut short in the world of tropical botany. And we'll look back on a letter from one garden writer to another written on this day in 1961. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book that puts your focus on the grill for preparing your garden harvest. And then we'll wrap things up with a story about Gallant Soldiers. But first, let's catch up on some Greetings from Gardeners around the world and today's curated news. Subscribe Apple|Google|Spotify|Stitcher|iHeart Gardener Greetings To participate in the Gardener Greetings segment, send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes and so forth to [email protected] And, to listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to play The Daily Gardener Podcast. It's that easy. Curated News 7 Best Tips for Growing Dahlias | Melissa J. Will Here's an excerpt: Melissa gathered these tips for growing dahlias from numerous sources, including books, research papers, my own experience, and advice from professional growers whose livelihood depends on their success. Melissa provides seven top tips and answered Frequently Asked Questions for an excellent overview of everything needed to grow dahlias. Dahlias take 90 to 120 days to flower after planting, depending on the variety you are growing. Generally, the larger the plant and flowers, the longer it takes. If you want flowers before late summer, consider starting your dahlia tubers indoors in pots 4 to 6 weeks before the last frost. Pinching back (the same as cutting off), the main stem encourages the plant to become bushier. Every enthusiastic dahlia grower will tell you their storage method works like a charm. And—they are right—for their specific conditions. The point is, it's the health of the tuber and the overall environment that counts. The optimum storage temperature is 40-45°F (4-7°C). We run into problems when the heating systems in our homes make the humidity level too low for the tubers. Consider using the plastic food wrap method where each tuber is wrapped individually to keep moisture in. Growers who use this method report a higher number of viable tubers each spring. Exposure to some cold is necessary for their development each year, so we wait until early frosts have blackened the foliage before digging up the tubers and storing them for the winter. Come spring, a handy rule is, if it's the right time to plant tomatoes, it's the right time to plant dahlias. On a brighter note, while not entirely deer-proof, dahlias are not their first food choice when other plants are available. Alright, that's it for today's gardening news. Now, if you'd like to check out my curated news articles and blog posts for yourself, you're in luck, because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. There's no need to take notes or search for links - the next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events 1803 Today is the birthday of the English gardener, architect, and Member of Parliament, Joseph Paxton. Joseph Paxton was brilliant. It was Charles Dickens who dubbed him, "The Busiest Man in England." Joseph designed the Crystal Palace, aka the People's Palace, for the first World's Fair. The Crystal Place was a large exhibition hall. It was an extraordinary and revolutionary building. Joseph was the head gardener to the Duke of Devonshire in Chatsworth. Now, you might be wondering how Joseph's job as the head gardener had given him the experience he needed to create the Crystal Palace. Well, the answer is simple: he had built four massive greenhouses for the Duke over fifteen years from 1833 to 1848, and that made Joseph one of the top greenhouse experts in the world. And, English royalty knew it. Don't forget that the beautiful Crystal Palace was essentially a large greenhouse. Gardeners will appreciate that Joseph's iron and glass architectural plans were inspired by the "transverse girders & supports" of the giant water lily - which itself is an architectural wonder. Now Instead of creating a large empty building for exhibits, Joseph decided to build his greenhouse around and over the existing Hyde Park. The high central arch - the grand barrel vault you see in all the old postcards and images of the Crystal Palace - actually accommodated full-sized trees that were already in the park when Joseph began to build around them. Joseph's Crystal Palace was built in a very short amount of time, and this was due again to Joseph's expertise and connections. He had built relationships with various iron and glass companies in building greenhouses for the Duke, and he had even designed many of the components needed to create a greenhouse. For instance, the large beautiful columns also served a purpose:

Today we remember the master landscape and portrait painter who grew up with a magnificent mulberry tree. We learn about the planting of the first potato in Hawaii, and the discovery of a tree named for Benjamin Franklin. We also remember the poet who was inspired not by his day job at an insurance company, but by a beautiful park that was across the street from his house. We review some August Weather Folklore - and all I have to say is you might want to grab your coat. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book that lets us drop in on some of the most beautiful spaces on the planet. And then we'll wrap things up with a little post about a gorgeous garden at Longwood. But first, let's catch up on some Greetings from Gardeners around the world, and today's curated news. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart Gardener Greetings To participate in the Gardener Greetings segment, send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes, and so forth to [email protected] And, to listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to play The Daily Gardener Podcast. It's that easy. Curated News Cheery Hollyhocks Brighten Up the Garden | Southern Living These vibrant blooming stalks can reach heights of 8 feet. Here's an excerpt: "In summer, we can't get enough of hollyhocks. These plants are long-blooming summer flowers that appear in spikes of bright blossoms. Hollyhocks (Alcea rosea) are cottage garden favorites because of their appearance and extended bloom time. The warm-weather bloomers are low-maintenance plantings and make great additions to cut flower gardens. They're also known to attract birds to the garden." These perennials and biennials thrive in the sun and in the right conditions will grow to heights of 3 to 8 feet and widths of 1 to 3 feet. Their dramatic heights make an impact in mass plantings and can create magical effects in the garden. They're also capable of acting as privacy plantings. Hollyhocks are beautiful when planted in en masse in one color or in a variety of colors. They're vibrant and welcoming and can add a cheery note to backyard gardens and front-yard designs. (Hello, curb appeal!) The foliage of hollyhocks is bright green, sometimes in shades of blue-green, and the flowers appear in a rainbow of colors including red, white, pink, purple, yellow, and blue. Foliage surrounds the base of the plant and appears on stems higher up the center stalk. When it's time to bloom, the flowering stalks are covered in buds, and the blooms begin to unfurl, opening from the bottom and emerging gradually up the stalk. In regard to care, usually, you'll have to wait a year after first planting to enjoy hollyhock blooms. Be patient: Once the hollyhocks have spent a year growing, they'll put on a vibrant show. In addition to full sun and regular water, they also appreciate having a support system nearby. The tallest varieties like to be planted against a wall or a fence to keep them growing upright. Some popular selections to plant include 'Chater's Double,' which has peachy-pink, yellow, and white blooms, 'Peaches 'n Dreams,' which has double apricot-hued blooms, and 'Creme de Cassis,' which has vibrant magenta flowers. Did you have hollyhocks in your family garden growing up? Do you want to plant some of these summer blooms in your garden this year?" Link to Pinterest Page on Hollyhock Dolls Alright, that's it for today's gardening news. Now, if you'd like to check out my curated news articles and blog posts for yourself, you're in luck, because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. There's no need to take notes or search for links - the next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events 1788 Today is the anniversary of the death of the landscape and portrait painter, known for his painting of the Blue Boy, Thomas Gainsborough. Gainsborough is regarded as one of the master Landscape painters. But, he is also remembered for his portraits, which made his subjects look relaxed, natural, and beautiful. Thomas's portraits were a direct result of customer preference, and Thomas's customers were the elite. In fact, his commissioned paintings of King George III and Queen Charlotte made him a favorite with royals. So much so, that after Thomas died at age 61, he was buried in the royal church. Today, you can visit Thomas's house in Sudbury. It has been turned into a charming art center,... and there's also the garden - the garden Thomas grew up in. And, it has a spectacular mulberry tree with falling down branches dating to the early 1600s during the reign of James I, who encouraged the planting of mulberry trees so that he could establish a silk industry. Although England never successfully became known for silkworms, the craft of silk weaving became firmly rooted. The Gainsborough families were weavers. In fact, over 95%

Today we celebrate an English poet who didn't want gardens to be monetized. We'll also learn about the 8th generation seedsman of a beloved Boston company. We remember the naturalist who followed the seasons up and down the country. We also recognize the exuberant botanist, who created the Dot Map. We welcome the new month with some poems about "the Queen of the Ripe Season" - August. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book that was created by one of the world's best garden photographers. It's a beauty. And then we'll wrap things up with a little Q&A about the origin of Plant Names. But first, let's catch up on some Greetings from Gardeners around the world and today's curated news. Subscribe Apple|Google|Spotify|Stitcher|iHeart Gardener Greetings To participate in the Gardener Greetings segment, send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes and so forth to [email protected] And, to listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to play The Daily Gardener Podcast. It's that easy. Curated News Double Coconut: The Largest Seed in the World | Kew Here's an excerpt:: "On the beautiful islands of the Seychelles in the Indian Ocean grows a legendary palm. Lodoicea maldivica ("LOW-DOE-ah-SEE-ah MAHL-div-eh-cah") , also known as the double coconut, or coco-de-mer, is renowned for producing the largest and heaviest seeds in the world. With their rather suggestive shape and weighing up to an impressive 25kg, (about 55 pounds!) while measuring up to half a meter long, these spectacular seeds are attractive to scientists, tourists, and poachers alike. Legend has it that the double coconut possesses medicinal properties [and] single nuts currently sell for £500-£2,000. Sadly, due to overharvesting, there are now only around 8,000 wild mature Lodoicea palms on just two islands. To protect them from going extinct, seeds in the wild and in botanical gardens worldwide that have managed to grow them, are carefully guarded, sometimes even placed in cages, to prevent poaching." Weather Update August really begins to set the stage for fall and fall-like weather. But, remember, the most significant change that is affecting your plants right now is the reduction in daylight. We are not as sensitive to it, but believe me, our plants notice even the most subtle changes in the amount of daylight. All through August, the length of daylight starts to rapidly decline as the calendar approaches the autumnal equinox, with 12 hours of day and night, approaches in September. In the northern half of the United States, we lose 2 to 3 minutes of daylight every single day in August. For example, today, in NYC, the sun will set at 8:11 pm. But, already by the end of the month, the sun will set around 7:30 pm. And, in Seattle tonight, the sun sets at around 8:45 pm. By the end of the month, it will set almost a full hour earlier. The last full month of summer brings many changes in the weather. Hurricanes begin to get active later in August. In a typical year, August brings triple the number of named storms compared to July. If you look at the number of storms during the summer, August's total would be greater than June and July combined. The Rockies and Alaska usually get their first snows in August. August brings average cooler temperatures, and the length of daylight decreases. Although you may not be noticing the decrease in light, your houseplants are certainly making adjustments - especially African Violets (Saintpaulia species), Christmas Cactus, and Cyclamens. 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. Alright, that's it for today's gardening news. Now, if you'd like to check out my curated news articles and blog posts for yourself, you're in luck, because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. There's no need to take notes or search for links - the next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events 1743 Today is the anniversary of the death of the English poet Richard Savage. Richard once wrote about a practice among the wealthy, allowing their servants to show their gardens in exchange for money. Even the Queen let her Richmond garden and cave to be viewed for a sum. It was a practice that distressed Richard. Richard wrote: But what the flowering pride of gardens rare, However royal, or however fair, If gates, which to access should still give way, Open but, like Peter's paradise, for pay? If perquisited varlets frequent stand, And each new walk must a new tax demand? What foreign eye but with contempt surve

Today we remember the beloved English writer who was punished for treason but adored with flowers. We'll also learn about the female botanical illustrator who is known as the "Audubon of botany." We celebrate the Dean of American Architecture. We also salute the "poet of the blackbirds." We honor the establishment of the horticulture program at the Smithsonian Gardens. In Unearthed Words, we say goodbye to July and hear some poems about the fleeting summer. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book that celebrates 25 years of the Garden Conservancy through over 50 gardens from across the country. And then we'll wrap things up with a little story about the Alligator Pear. But first, let's catch up on some Greetings from Gardeners around the world and today's curated news. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart Gardener Greetings To participate in the Gardener Greetings segment, send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes and so forth to [email protected] And, to listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to play The Daily Gardener Podcast. It's that easy. Curated News How To Grow A Mood-boosting Garden| Financial Times | Clare Coulson Here's an excerpt: "Isabel Bannerman – who along with her husband, Julian, has created atmospheric gardens for the Prince of Wales at Highgrove [and other royalty] – is a passionate flag-bearer for good-for-you gardening. "Plants are a really good steadier. You can't let them die, you have to keep going. Like having children, but less demanding," she says. But as she also notes, gardens are very forgiving. "There's always another year, another season to look forward to, to try again. There is so much beauty, such sensory pleasure, all of which feeds the soul and the psyche." For Bannerman, scent is key to creating gardens that transport and revive – a subject she explores in her book Scent Magic: Notes from a Gardener. Natural chemical "uppers", including indole, are present in the fragrance of lilac and jasmine, while the calming qualities of lavender are connected to linalool. Bannerman uses their powers to envelop the home." Garden designer Jo Thompson says it is really important to have an "enclosed garden (the hortus conclusus). "It's really important to have a place to sit or even a retreat," she says. "These areas are magical and inspiring. You're in nature, there's movement and life but you feel safe..." American journalist and author Florence Williams has gathered and simplified the research in her book The Nature Fix, which reveals that we are hard-wired to be in the natural world. "Our brains become relaxed because these are things that we are designed to look at, hear and smell," she says. "The frontal lobe – the part of our brain that's hyper-engaged in modern life – deactivates a little when you're outside, while alpha waves, which indicate a calm but alert state, grow stronger." Korean researchers have found that pictures of landscapes stimulate brain function in... areas associated with empathy and altruism." Alright, that's it for today's gardening news. Now, if you'd like to check out my curated news articles and blog posts for yourself, you're in luck, because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. There's no need to take notes or search for links - the next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events 1703 It was on this day in 1703 that the English journalist and author Daniel Defoe was made to stand in the pillory in front of the temple bar. Daniel is remembered for his popular novel Robinson Crusoe which, at the time, claimed to be second to the Bible in its number of published translations. After Daniel was convicted of treason for one of his political writings, he was punished with time at the pillory. The pillory was essentially a stockade; the hands and head were stuck between two giant beams of wood. The person would stand in the pillory for days. It was a horrible punishment and it was usually reserved for hideous crimes. While Daniel was in the pillory, the crowds did their best to show their support; they sang songs, shouted encouragements, and threw flowers at his feet instead of mud. In 1830, a biography of Daniel said that his stocks were adorned with garlands and that drinks were provided to celebrate Daniel's release. The image of Daniel standing with his head and hands in the stocks surrounded by an adoring audience was memorialized in an 1862 painting by Eyre Crowe. Gardeners will especially notice the flowers strewn on the ground in the foreground. On the right, there are two women struggling to hold on to a large basket of flowers as they are being pushed away by the red coats. Behind the women, a man has managed to attach a small bouquet to the tip of a spear that he is attempting to give to Daniel who is standing calmly in the pill

Today we celebrate the author and poet who wrote some beautiful garden verses. We'll also learn about a magnificent Australian artist and botanical illustrator, and her art is now part of Australia's national library. We celebrate the selection of the State Flower for Arkansas - and the very cute story of how it came to be picked. We honor the life of the poet and WWI soldier who wrote what is probably the most popular poem ever about trees. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book about living naturally with eco-friendly ideas that don't sacrifice style, function, or sustainability. And then we'll wrap things up with the story of first academy award-winning animated cartoon that gardeners will love. But first, let's catch up on some Greetings from Gardeners around the world and today's curated news. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart Gardener Greetings To participate in the Gardener Greetings segment, send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes and so forth to [email protected] And, to listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to play The Daily Gardener Podcast. It's that easy. Curated News Director of science at Kew: it's time to decolonize botanical collections Professor Alexandre Antonelli is the Kew Gardens director responsible for the world's largest collection of plants and fungi. He was born and raised in Brazil and wrote this landmark piece for The Conversation research website. Alexandre believes that the time has come to decolonize botanical collections by ridding the field of "structural racism." Here's an excerpt: "I've often struggled to answer the simple question, "Where are you from?" As I was born and raised in Brazil, like many people my origin is mixed… I dislike pre-defined labels. At school, I was taught that Brazil was "discovered" in 1500 by the Portuguese. The fact that several million people lived there prior to that was barely mentioned in our books. We were told of a long history of brutal exploitation of our natural resources, including vast amounts of gold, rubber and timber. All this was achieved through the exploitation of our native people and African slaves – including my own ancestors. …[That] Brazil is … the world's most biodiverse country... astounded colonial botanists. Charles Darwin was astonished at our "lands teeming with life", as was Alfred Russel Wallace, who spent years in the Amazon. It is not lost on me that these were both white British men. And Britain is also where I ended up professionally. After two decades studying biodiversity across the world, I'm now head of science at Kew, responsible for the world's largest collections of plants and fungi. For hundreds of years... colonial botanists would embark on dangerous expeditions in the name of science but were ultimately tasked with finding economically profitable plants. Much of Kew's work in the 19th century focused on the movement of such plants around the British Empire, which means we too have a legacy that is deeply rooted in colonialism. ...Scientists continue to report how new species are "discovered" every year, species that are often already known and used by people in the region – and have been for thousands of years. ...The first inhabitants of Brazil and the first users of plants in Australia often remained unnamed, unrecognised, and uncompensated. They are quite literally invisible in history. This needs to change. By opening up our collections and practices, we will give voice to a past that includes troubled chapters, but one that will hopefully contribute to a brighter future." 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 "surfut" 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 the seeds altogether by cutting

Today we remember the botanist who jumped in a birch bark canoe with Aaron Greeley and paddled to Mackinac Island 110 years ago today. We'll also learn about the woman who was a housewife until the age of 48 and then transformed into one of Australia's leading naturalists. We celebrate the artist who died today among his canvases of sunflowers. We also hear the letter Beatrix Potter wrote about her garden on this day in 1924. We honor the life of a marvelous landscape designer who died in a fire on this day already four years ago. He once said, "I've had a wild life." Today we hear some fun poems about tomatoes. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book about shrub and hedge plants - an excellent resource for gardeners looking to define borders and add practical, healthy, and low-maintenance beauty to their property. And then we'll wrap things up with a botanist who shared his disdain for honeysuckle. But first, let's catch up on some Greetings from Gardeners around the world and today's curated news. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart Gardener Greetings To participate in the Gardener Greetings segment, send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes and so forth to [email protected] And, to listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to play The Daily Gardener Podcast. It's that easy. Curated News Why Front Gardens Matter | The Guardian | Clare Coulson Here's an excerpt: "Last month… Charlotte Harris, one half of the landscape design duo Harris Bugg, decided to dig up her paved front garden in east London. "It was a discussion we'd been having for a while," says Harris, who gardens with her girlfriend Catriona Knox. "Around here every bit of green space feels precious," she says. "Obviously there are parks, but I think each of us has to take responsibility for any space we have." In an area where 50% of the front gardens have no plants, the ones that do provide moments of joy. Harris's neighbors include a couple who boast "the most beautiful magnolia" in their shady spot, ... another front garden [is] an abundant [vegetable] patch complete with frames and climbing squash. "They were the inspiration, really," adds Harris. "It's a gift, isn't it? It's the ultimate in gardening altruism because your back garden is for you to enjoy, but your front garden is about improving everyone's experience." Over the past couple of months, the front garden has gained a powerful new significance… [a] point of contact… with friends or family delivering supplies or catching up with a neighbor you'd hardly spoken to before. Iris Chores Before Fall When your irises finish blooming, cut off the dead flower stalks; but not leaves. Irises use their swords, the green leaves, to nourish rhizomes for the following year. Since they are semi-dormant, you can divide them now if necessary. Replant them as soon as possible and remember to cut off about two-thirds of the foliage to compensate for root loss. Simply cut the leaves in a fan shape and enjoy more iris next year. How to Create a Peter Rabbit Garden Of course, Peter Rabbit is the creation of Beatrix Potter, who was a noted botanist and mycologist. (A mycologist studies fungi). Now to make your Peter Rabbit Garden, we will draw inspiration from Beatrix's Potter's garden was located at Hill Top Farm. In making your Peter Rabbit garden, you could add a little wooden fence or a low 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. Alright, that's it for today's gardening news. Now, if you'd like to check out my curated news articles and blog posts for yourself, you're in luck, because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. There's no need to take notes or search for links - the next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events 1810 On this day, a 24-year-old botanist named Thomas Nuttal, jumped in a birch bark canoe with Aaron Greeley, the deputy surveyor of the territory of Michigan, and they paddled to Mackinac Island arriving two weeks later on August 12. Thomas spent several days on Mackinac - He was the first real botanist to explore the flora of Michigan, and indeed, of Mackinac Island. Thomas immediately set about collecting and writing detailed accounts of the flora he discovered. He documented about sixty species - about twenty were previously unknown. One of the new Mackinac discoveries was the dwarf lake iris (Iris lucustris), which became the state wildflower of Michigan. 1874 Today is the birthday of the Australian naturalist and prolific writer Edith Coleman. Until recently, little was known about Edith. The author, Danie

Today we celebrate the botanist and writer who published the first book about salad. We'll also learn about the horticulturist whose life was cut short on this day when the steamship he was on caught on fire and sank. We celebrate the man who helped generations of people fall in love with ornithology. We also hear some garden poetry that features women. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book about creating a Pollinator Victory Garden by having a garden that is healthy, diverse, and chemical-free. And then we'll wrap things up with a glimpse into a Maine garden on this day in 2011. But first, let's catch up on some Greetings from Gardeners around the world and today's curated news. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart Gardener Greetings To participate in the Gardener Greetings segment, send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes and so forth to [email protected] And, to listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to play The Daily Gardener Podcast. It's that easy. Curated News Thriving With Nature | Mental Health Foundation "There are lots of ways in which spending time in nature can be positive for our mental health and wellbeing. New and exciting research is happening all the time that adds to our understanding of how our natural environment affects the health of our bodies and minds. The reasons why time in nature has this effect on us are complex and still being understood. The benefits are often related to how our senses connect us to the environment around us, from the shapes in nature we see to the scents that trees give off and the soft fascination that nature can stimulate which helps our minds rest." Alright, that's it for today's gardening news. Now, if you'd like to check out my curated news articles and blog posts for yourself, you're in luck, because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. There's no need to take notes or search for links - the next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events 1662 Today the English Gardner and writer John Evelyn recorded in his diary that he met with the dowager Queen Henrietta Maria. John kept a detailed diary for 66 years, and he had a devoted passion for gardening. As a result, his diary has been a treasure for garden historians over the years. And, here's a little known fact about John Evelyn: he was the first garden author to publish a book about salads (or sallets as they were spelled at the time). Check out the benefits of eating salad as described by John: "By reason of its soporiferous quality, lettuce ... still continues [to be] the principal foundation of … Sallets, which ... cool and refresh, [and have] beneficial influences on morals, temperance, and chastity." (FYI: Soporiferous means Inducing or tending to induce sleep. Here John is referring to the fact that some lettuce secretes lactucarium - a milky fluid found in the base of the lettuce stems. It is known as lettuce opium because of its sedative and pain-relieving properties. It has also been reported to promote a mild sensation of euphoria.) It was John Evelyn who wrote: "The gardener's work is never at an end, it begins with the year and continues to the next. He prepares the ground, and then he plants, and then he gathers the fruits." "Gardening is a labor full of tranquility and satisfaction; natural and instructive, and as such contributes to the most serious contemplation, experience, health, and longevity." And, keep in mind John's appreciation for the amount of work a garden requires as I tell you this little story about him. In 1698, John Evelyn had owned his estate for 40 years. Everyone who knew it said it was magnificent - both inside and out. It was decorated to the nines. Of all that he owned, John's garden was his pride and joy. That year, the Russian Czar, Peter the Great, brought an entourage of 200 people to England to visit William III. In a gesture of hospitality, William volunteered John Evelyn's home to host the Czar and his people during their visit. John and his wife graciously moved out to give the Czar his privacy. Well, it wasn't long before John's servants began sending him urgent messages begging him to return. When John came home, he walked into a nightmare. The whole estate had been trashed. Priceless paintings had served as dartboards. His floors were ruined, windows were smashed; even the garden was destroyed. The servants told how the 6'8 Czar had played a game with his friends, where they put him in one of John's wheelbarrows and then raced him through the garden beds, crashing into walls, trees, and hedges. It was a complete disregard for the sanctity of John's garden. For twenty years, John had nursed along a hedge of holly that had turned into a glorious living wall. It was ruined. The party even managed to knock down part of the stone wall that

Today we remember the first woman to have circumnavigated the world. We'll also learn about the wealthy horticulturist who built a magnificent estate on the shores of Lake Waban. We celebrate the botanist who was the first editor of Rhodora, the New England Botanical Club's journal. We also salute the father of British plant geography. We honor the Reverend, who wrote two sweet little books for Burpee about sweet peas. Today's Unearthed Words feature some silly light-hearted poems about the garden. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book that gives us something to do in terms of projects for our garden, And then we'll wrap things up with the story of the woman who founded the Greening of Harlem. But first, let's catch up on some Greetings from Gardeners around the world and today's curated news. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart Gardener Greetings To participate in the Gardener Greetings segment, send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes and so forth to [email protected] And, to listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to play The Daily Gardener Podcast. It's that easy. Curated News Landscape designer Piet Oudolf on finding solace in the garden | PBS NewsHour "The world has looked strange these past months, familiar places no longer familiar at all. Many people have turned to their own or community gardens during this period, growing vegetables and flowers, nourishing body and soul. Gardening centers have been among the first essential businesses to reopen. Sales of seeds have soared. Piet Oudolf isn't surprised." Piet Oudolf ("Peet Ow-dolf") quotes from the transcript: "I think every day is an experience, because there's always something you will like, and it's not only about the plants. It's also about the light and the movement. Once you touch the plants and just start to work with them, there's a big chance that you get lost in the world of plants and that you want to experience more of gardening. You can think while you're gardening. You can think about life and how to follow up after this crisis. But at least people want to go to places where I normally would go to, to gardens and to parks. And I think that people will realize that we, as human beings, need that, to feel good. What I say for people that just start gardening, I think anything that you see at the garden center that you like can be a good start — to become a serious gardener." Alright, that's it for today's gardening news. Now, if you'd like to check out my curated news articles and blog posts for yourself, you're in luck, because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. There's no need to take notes or search for links - the next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events 1740 Today is the birthday of the explorer and botanist Jeanne Baret. Jeanne was the first woman to have circumnavigated the globe 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, Jeanne had been employed as Commerçon's housekeeper. A few years later, his wife died, and Jeanne took over the management of the household and began a personal relationship with Commerçon. Commerçon had poor health, and it was likely that he needed Jeanne to join him on the expedition because he needed her assistance. Jeanne was an excellent botanist in her own right. When the ship stopped in Rio de Janeiro, an old leg injury prevented Commerçon from collecting specimens. Thus, it was Jeanne who ventured out into the tropics and returned with the lovely tropical vine that would be named to honor the expedition's commander: Bougainvillea. 1810 Today is the birthday of one of America's most prominent horticulturalists – Horatio Hollis Hunnewell. Horatio was staggeringly wealthy. He was a railroad financier. But he also had a lifelong love of nature and gardening. When Horatio purchased over 40 acres of land along the eastern and southern shores of Lake Waban ("Wah-bin"), he built a magnificent estate there. He had married Isabella Pratt Wells, and he decided to call his impressive home Wellesley in honor of his wife's maiden name. When it came time for the nearby town and college to settle on a name, they also chose the name Wellesley after discussing the matter with Horatio, who happened to be the most generous benefactor of the city. The Hunnewell estate was so large that when the Hunnewell children grew up, seven of the nine had homes built on the property - right next to their parent's original house. Aside from the impressive homes, Horatio added many magnificent features to the estate, including a pinetum with over 325 specimens of conifers. Hollis Honeywell made the following remark in 1899 about his trees, "N

Today we remember a pioneering seedsman out of Rockford, Illinois, whose company became the world's largest mail-order seed company. We'll also learn about an Irish playwright and critic who had a unique writing hut in his garden. We recognize the botanist who botanized in Yellowstone for an entire summer. We also revisit some July Folklore in Unearthed Words. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book about the History of Indoor Plants by one of my favorite authors. And then we'll wrap things up with the story of an English writer and politician who used humor in his work. But first, let's catch up on some Greetings from Gardeners around the world and today's curated news. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart Gardener Greetings To participate in the Gardener Greetings segment, send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes and so forth to [email protected] And, to listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to play The Daily Gardener Podcast. It's that easy. Curated News How to Grow and Care for Blueberry Bushes for Buckets of Sweet Blueberries | Stephanie Rose over at Garden Therapy "Blueberries are easy to grow, look beautiful in the garden, taste fabulous, and are well-known to be good for you. If you have just a bit of space and some sun, plant a blueberry bush or two as gorgeous landscaping and enjoy the many benefits of sun-ripened blueberries picked straight from your garden. Here are a few other known health benefits of blueberries: Blueberries are low on the glycemic index, which means that they do not cause your blood sugar to spike. They are considered to be a very nutritious fruit, supplying high levels of fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Studies show that they help improve memory. Numerous studies have shown that blueberries help lower blood pressure. Blueberries are closely related to cranberries and may help prevent urinary tract infections. Add a few blueberry plants to your landscape for their white, bell-shaped blooms in the spring and the bright globes of blue in the summer. But the REAL show happens in the late fall when the bushes turn bright red, neon pink, orange, or red-purple. Blueberry bushes make a great edible alternative to short growing shrubs like boxwood. Imagine a row of blueberries lining the fence and how many berries you will have! And you know garden-grown food always tastes better than grocery store-bought food." Work early, and stay cool. To avoid the high temps, potential sunburn, and bug bites, I go out in the morning, work for no more than a two-hour stint and wrap up no later than 10 am. For self-care, I set up a sports umbrella for shade, and I bring a massive fan around with me to stay cool. The fan also keeps the bugs at bay; mosquitos especially are not good fliers. Alright, that's it for today's gardening news. Now, if you'd like to check out my curated news articles and blog posts for yourself, you're in luck, because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. There's no need to take notes or search for links - the next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events 1842 Today is the birthday of a pioneering seedsman out of Rockford, Illinois, Roland Hallet Shumway - who always went by his initials R.H. The RH Shumway Seed Company became the world's largest mail-order seed company; their "Marketmore" seeds are especially popular. Famous Shumway Seed customers included Bing Crosby and Perry Como. When Roland was 19, he enlisted in the army to serve in the Civil War. He contracted bronchitis and became totally deaf during his service. Once Roland was asked how he would like to be remembered. He gave a three-word response: Good Seeds Cheap. Roland said that he wanted to make sure, "That good seeds were within reach of the poorest planters " As with any venture, hustle and heart drove Roland's success. Roland 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?" In 1905, Roland donated land in Rockford for the Shumway Market on the condition that the city would preserve the Farmer's Market in perpetuity, "for the benefit of all and the poor especially. " The market ran year-round on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. This was THE place for farmers and people to gather and sell their fruits, vegetables, and flowers. In the 1980s, Shumway Seed was sold, and today the area behind the market building is a parking lot. 1856 Today is the birthday of the Irish playwright and critic George Bernard Shaw. In 1906, when he was 50 years old, George and his wife Charlotte bought an ivy-covered brick country house set on almost four acres of land that

Today we remember the founding of a garden that inspired the book Alice in Wonderland. We'll also learn about the botanist remembered with the Forsythia genus. We'll salute the Lake poet who likened plant taxonomy to poetry. We also revisit a diary entry about a garden visitor and a letter from a gardener to her sister. Today's Unearthed Words feature an excerpt from a July Afternoon by Walt Whitman. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book about the unloved flowers as they have been referred to Weeds. And then we'll wrap things up with an unforgettable story of flowers and a performance called "A Case of Floral Offerings" from 1874. But first, let's catch up on some Greetings from Gardeners around the world and today's curated news. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart Gardener Greetings To participate in the Gardener Greetings segment, send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes and so forth to [email protected] And, to listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to play The Daily Gardener Podcast. It's that easy. Curated News This L.A. music producer is obsessed with houseplants: See how they amplify his work | latimes.com | Micah Fluellen "Mark Redito ("Ra-DEE-toe") is an L.A.-based electronic music producer who, it turns out, is also the proud plant parent to over 40 houseplants. He visually couples his earthy soothing sound with heavy plant imagery, from short snippets of him tenderly caring for plants to abstract videos of 3-D modeled flora. Redito's aesthetic is the seamless marriage between the ambient digital world and a tangible natural ecosystem. You can find short teaser videos of thumping tracks playing over footage of sped-up plant growth and gardens, photographs of technology blended with nature, and updates of his own garden developments on his Instagram account @markredito. "My hope is that when people listen to my work, they would be inspired to go outside and experience nature or start their own garden. My upcoming album to be released this summer, "Natural Habitat," is all about that — the interconnectedness and innate connection we have with nature and with plants. (What's your best tip for gardeners and new plant parents?) Ease into it and remember to take it slow. When I started getting into plants, my collection grew from five plants to about 30 in a month. As much as I enjoyed having plants and taking care of them, it was a lot of work for one guy to water and tend to 30-plus plants on one Saturday morning." 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 photoshoot. For one of the images, I had her hold just one large white blossom in her hands. It looked like a giant puffball, and it had a very ethereal 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 intense 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. Go to a local farmers market - not for the produce - for the knowledge. The growers at the farmer's market have expertise in growing, which 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. Alright, that's it for today's gardening news. Now, if you'd like to check out my curated news articles and blog posts for yourself, you're in luck, because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. There's no need to take notes or search for links - the next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events 1621 The Botanic garden at Oxford, also known as the Physic Garden, was founded on this day in 1621 at precisely 2 pm. It was a Sunday. The garden is the oldest in England. When the garden was founded, its primary purpose was to be a medicinal garden. Henry Danvers, the first Earl of Danby, funded the garden by giving Oxford University 250 pounds. Unfortunately, the land they purchased was flood-prone. The 5-acre tract was mostly pasture land and lined the banks of the River Cherwell. So, to protect the garden from flooding, the ground for the garden was built up. Records show a Mr. Windiat brought in 4,000 loads of "mucke and dunge" to elevate the area that we now know as the Oxford Botanic Garden. 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.

Today we remember the founding of a garden that inspired the book Alice in Wonderland. We'll also learn about the botanist remembered with the Forsythia genus. We'll salute the Lake poet who likened plant taxonomy to poetry. We also revisit a diary entry about a garden visitor and a letter from a gardener to her sister. Today's Unearthed Words feature an excerpt from a July Afternoon by Walt Whitman. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book about the unloved flowers as they have been referred to Weeds. And then we'll wrap things up with an unforgettable story of flowers and a performance called "A Case of Floral Offerings" from 1874. But first, let's catch up on some Greetings from Gardeners around the world and today's curated news. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart Gardener Greetings To participate in the Gardener Greetings segment, send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes and so forth to [email protected] And, to listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to play The Daily Gardener Podcast. It's that easy. Curated News This L.A. music producer is obsessed with houseplants: See how they amplify his work | latimes.com | Micah Fluellen "Mark Redito ("Ra-DEE-toe") is an L.A.-based electronic music producer who, it turns out, is also the proud plant parent to over 40 houseplants. He visually couples his earthy soothing sound with heavy plant imagery, from short snippets of him tenderly caring for plants to abstract videos of 3-D modeled flora. Redito's aesthetic is the seamless marriage between the ambient digital world and a tangible natural ecosystem. You can find short teaser videos of thumping tracks playing over footage of sped-up plant growth and gardens, photographs of technology blended with nature, and updates of his own garden developments on his Instagram account @markredito. "My hope is that when people listen to my work, they would be inspired to go outside and experience nature or start their own garden. My upcoming album to be released this summer, "Natural Habitat," is all about that — the interconnectedness and innate connection we have with nature and with plants. (What's your best tip for gardeners and new plant parents?) Ease into it and remember to take it slow. When I started getting into plants, my collection grew from five plants to about 30 in a month. As much as I enjoyed having plants and taking care of them, it was a lot of work for one guy to water and tend to 30-plus plants on one Saturday morning." 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 photoshoot. For one of the images, I had her hold just one large white blossom in her hands. It looked like a giant puffball, and it had a very ethereal 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 intense 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. Go to a local farmers market - not for the produce - for the knowledge. The growers at the farmer's market have expertise in growing, which 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. Alright, that's it for today's gardening news. Now, if you'd like to check out my curated news articles and blog posts for yourself, you're in luck, because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. There's no need to take notes or search for links - the next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events 1621 The Botanic garden at Oxford, also known as the Physic Garden, was founded on this day in 1621 at precisely 2 pm. It was a Sunday. The garden is the oldest in England. When the garden was founded, its primary purpose was to be a medicinal garden. Henry Danvers, the first Earl of Danby, funded the garden by giving Oxford University 250 pounds. Unfortunately, the land they purchased was flood-prone. The 5-acre tract was mostly pasture land and lined the banks of the River Cherwell. So, to protect the garden from flooding, the ground for the garden was built up. Records show a Mr. Windiat brought in 4,000 loads of "mucke and dunge" to elevate the area that we now know as the Oxford Botanic Garden. 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.

Today we remember the man who brought Lilacs to America. We'll also learn about the man who created the Missouri Botanical Gardens, also known as "Shaw's Garden." We celebrate the French author, who exchanged his personal library for a lifetime supply of cantaloupe. We also look back at an article from 1938 and the topic was tropical peas. In Unearthed Words, we'll hear an excerpt from Vita Sackville-West. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a brand new book for 2020 about creating gorgeous gardens and design mastery. Let the chase begin. And then we'll wrap things up with a little article from 1975 about something called the "Dial-A-Garden-Tipline." But first, let's catch up on some Greetings from Gardeners around the world and today's curated news. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart Gardener Greetings To participate in the Gardener Greetings segment, send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes and so forth to [email protected] And, to listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to play The Daily Gardener Podcast. It's that easy. Curated News Robert Miller: An ancient, ubiquitous plant easily ignored — but shouldn't be | RegisterCitizen.com "Because it's tiny and everywhere, it's easy to not see it. But moss is really too remarkable to overlook. Scientists now believe it was these simple plants, spreading like a carpet over the face of the then-barren earth that changed our atmosphere into the oxygen-rich state it's now in and those allowed life to flourish here. Moss helped create our world. "It's all over the place," said Cathy Hagadorn, executive director of Deer Pond Farm, the nature sanctuary in Sherman owned by Connecticut Audubon Society. "It's beautiful." Birds use moss to line their nests. Four-toed salamanders lay their eggs in the sphagnum moss at the edge of swamps. Gardeners depend on peat moss to give new saplings a nice moisture-absorbing bed to start growing in. Because they're great at absorbing water, mosses prevent erosion. They play a part in the forest cycle, helping in the decomposition of downed trees and stumps. And they're great at returning oxygen to the atmosphere. "Pound for pound, moss delivers more oxygen to the atmosphere than any other plant," said Jim Fucetola, chief of operations at Moss Acres, a Pennsylvania-based company that sells moss to gardeners. "Fifteen percent of trees deliver oxygen to the atmosphere. For mosses, it's 100 percent." Alright, that's it for today's gardening news. Now, if you'd like to check out my curated news articles and blog posts for yourself, you're in luck, because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. There's no need to take notes or search for links - the next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events 1696 It's the birthday of the colonial governor of New Hampshire, Benning Wentworth, who was born on this day in 1696. American gardeners remember Benning because he brought the lilac along with other trees and shrubs when he immigrated to States 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." 1800 It's the birthday of the man who created the Missouri Botanical Gardens, also known as "Shaw's Garden," or "Hank's Garden" - the great horticulturist and botanical philanthropist Henry Shaw. Henry is celebrated 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. Henry 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 Henry'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, Henry built the Linnean House in 1882. It is the oldest continuously operated public greenhouse west of the Mississippi River and was initially 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 Henry'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

Today we remember a gardener who became a saint. We'll also learn about the woman remembered forever in the name of one of the world's most popular hostas. We celebrate the Scottish botanist who was the first to describe the Prairie Buttercup. We'll also hear some wonderful words about simply being in the garden. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book about gardening and friendship in a heartwarming book from 2015. And then we'll wrap things up with a wonderful pesto recipe. But first, let's catch up on some Greetings from Gardeners around the world and today's curated news. Subscribe Apple|Google|Spotify|Stitcher|iHeart Gardener Greetings To participate in the Gardener Greetings segment, send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes and so forth to [email protected] And, to listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to play The Daily Gardener Podcast. It's that easy. Curated News My Relationship With My Garden Hose | May Dreams Gardens "In the spring, we optimistically buy that big heavy hose that is guaranteed to last a lifetime and never kink. And when we see that hose all wrapped up on the store shelf, we believe those claims. Then we get it home and discover what bad manners it has. Kink? Of course, it will kink the minute you look at it and even think about watering. Heavy? So heavy you can barely stand the thought of pulling it around the garden to water." Plant of the Week: Mukdenia rossii' Crimson Fans' ("muck-DEEN-ee-uh") "In 2007, I bought Mukdenia rossii 'Crimson Fans' after somewhere seeing--I forget now--photos of the pretty leaves. It grew. It's an easy plant with no fussy requirements at all except moist soil. (But wait.) ...Eventually, if the conditions are right, the green leaves develop a pretty crimson margin--the 'Crimson Fans'. Yes, I'm a fan of the crimson fans. And this, my friends, is where things get tricky--"if the conditions are right" being the operative phrase. Too much sun and the leaves will burn by turning brown. Not enough sun and the leaves will stay green. The challenge has been finding just the right balance between sun and shade. I've had this plant both in the ground and in a pot, as the trial and error experiment went on, year after year, trying one location after another to meet--but not exceed--the sunlight requirements." Alright, that's it for today's gardening news. Now, if you'd like to check out my curated news articles and blog posts for yourself, you're in luck, because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. There's no need to take notes or search for links - the next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events 300 Today, Catholics honor St. Phocas the Gardener who lived in Turkey during the third century. A protector of persecuted Christians, Phocas grew crops in his garden to help feed the poor. Phocas is remembered for his hospitality and generosity; his garden played an essential part in living both of those virtues. When Roman soldiers were sent to kill him, they could not find shelter for the night. Naturally, when Phocas encountered them, he not only offered them lodging but a meal made from the bounty of his garden. During the meal, Phocas realized they had come for him. While the soldiers slept that night, he dug his own grave and prayed for the soldiers. In the morning, Phocas told the soldiers who he was, and the soldiers, who could conceive of no other option, reluctantly killed him and buried him in the grave he had dug for himself. Although gardening can be a solitary activity, Phocas, the gardener, paved the way, showing us how to use our gardens to connect us to others through generosity and hospitality. 1883 Today is the birthday of the woman who is remembered for one of the most popular hostas in American gardens: Frances Ropes Williams. Frances had a shady garden in Winchester, Massachusetts. And, what is the most-used plant by shade gardeners? Hostas. That's right. And Frances had an appreciation for hostas before they became widely used in American gardens. A graduate of MIT, Williams was lucky enough to get the chance to work with Warren H. Manning, the famous Boston landscape architect, for a little over two years. Frances stopped working to marry Stillman Williams. But sadly, he died after almost twenty years of marriage, leaving Frances with four young children - two boys and two girls. Frances and her family loved the outdoors. When the kids were little, Frances made them one of the very first playsets. When the children were grown, Frances found purpose in her garden, and she zeroed in on her hostas. She became known for hybridizing them, and she even wrote about them for various botanical magazines. Frances discovered the hosta that would be named for her honor quite by happenstance. She had visited her daughter in college in New York, and s

Today we remember the kind Harvard botanist who was a friend of Darwin. We'll also learn about the botanist who specialized in South American flora and found the Cinchona tree: the source of quinine. We salute the pioneer of the study of allelopathy - when one plant species releases chemical compounds that affect another plant species. We also recognize the man who transformed the springtime landscape at the beautiful Magnolia Gardens. We honor the first woman to attend Cornell University's school of forestry. Today's Unearthed Words feature a poem called The Sleep of Seeds. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book about the "Science, Art, and Joy of Propagation"; learn how to grow whatever you want, whenever you want. And then we'll wrap things up with a delightful story about a horticulture teacher. But first, let's catch up on some Greetings from Gardeners around the world and today's curated news. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart Gardener Greetings To participate in the Gardener Greetings segment, send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes and so forth to [email protected] And, to listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to play The Daily Gardener Podcast. It's that easy. Curated News 16 Drought Tolerant Plants to Grow in Your Garden | Ken Druse | Garden Design "Drought-tolerant plants can be identified just by looking at them or feeling or smelling their bruised foliage. Many fragrant herbs, for example, are drought-tolerant." Larkspur and Nigella Morning Glory Portulaca ("Port-you-LAKE-ah") Rose Moss Annual sunflowers Achillea (yarrow)("Ack-ah-LEE-ah) Silphium ("SILL-fee-um) Cup Plant Helianthemum ("HE-LEE-anthemum") Rock Rose Rudbeckia black-eyed Susan Echinacea Coneflower Ratibida ("RAH-tib-it-ah") Grey-headed Coneflower Asters Dianthus Euphorbias Foxgloves Sempervivum Sedum Tulips Mulleins Bearded Iris Lilacs Have you ever tried drying flowers? Successfully drying one of your favorite flowers is such a joy. Some flowers look even better when they are dried. There are many options for drying flowers; air drying is the simplest. Then, of course, there's pressing. If you've never tried sand drying a bloom, you should give it a shot. Just fill a microwave-safe container with a layer of silica sand. Put the flower on top of the sand and then bury the bloom in the sand. Place the bloom along with a cup of water in the microwave. Heat in microwave in 30-second increments. Your flower should be dried in 2-3 minutes. Another step you can take in your flower-drying hobby is to prepare a spot in your garden shed, garage, pantry, or kitchen for drying flowers. Repurpose a pot rack or do something simple like string some twine between some eye hooks. Sometimes just creating space can inspire you to take some cuttings and bring beautiful blooms indoors. One of my favorite pictures from my garden is a single row of hydrangea cuttings drying upside down in my kitchen. Bliss. Alright, that's it for today's gardening news. Now, if you'd like to check out my curated news articles and blog posts for yourself, you're in luck, because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. There's no need to take notes or search for links - the next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events 1909 Today is the birthday of Cornelius Herman ("Neil") Muller, the American botanist and ecologist. Cornelius pioneered the study of allelopathy ("ah-la-LOP-OH-thee"). Allelopathy occurs when one plant species releases chemical compounds that affect another plant species. Most gardeners know that black walnut is an example of allelopathy. In addition to the roots, black walnut trees store allelopathic chemicals in their buds, in the hulls of the walnuts, and their leaves. 1917 Today is the birthday of John Drayton Hastie of Magnolia Gardens. The Drayton family has lived on the plantation on the banks of the Ashley River since the 1670s. Magnolia Gardens is often regarded as one of the most staggeringly beautiful places in the entire South. And it's worth noting that it was built on the backs of slaves. The journalist Charles Kuralt once wrote about Magnolia Gardens. He said, "By 1900, the Baedeker guide to the United States listed three must-see attractions: the Grand Canyon, Niagara Falls, and Magnolia Gardens. Maybe because I am a sucker for 300-year-old live oak trees hung with Spanish moss and for azaleas and camellias and dogwoods and for Cherokee roses growing on fences — I think I'd put Magnolia Gardens first on that list." Representing the 9th generation of the Drayton Family at Magnolia Gardens, John Drayton Hastie was a passionate plantsman. He knew and loved all of the winding brick paths and the thousands of specimens at Magnolia Gardens - including the Middleton Oak, which measured over 12 feet in diameter. And John kn

Today we remember the creation of legislation that turned 778 acres of land into a beloved park in New York City. We'll also learn about the State Flower of Maine - it's the only floral emblem that does not produce a blossom. We salute the Swarthmore ("SWATH-more") College alumni and horticulturist who created a magnificent garden at their home known as Todmorden ("Todd-MORE-din"). We'll also read some poems that celebrate the new habits we cultivate in the summer. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book about authors and their gardens - love this topic. And then we'll wrap things up with an old article about rose care during the heat of the summer. But first, let's catch up on some Greetings from Gardeners around the world and today's curated news. And I celebrate my dad's 78th birthday! Happy Birthday, Dad! Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart Gardener Greetings To participate in the Gardener Greetings segment, send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes and so forth to [email protected] And, to listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to play The Daily Gardener Podcast. It's that easy. Curated News Heights Garden Club: Hosting a Successful Tour During a Pandemic Pt 1 | Ravenscourt Gardens Here's an excerpt: "This June we had the opportunity to do a garden tour in a large residential garden. We took several precautions, starting with using SignUpGenius to take reservations in half-hour increments. We extended tour hours from one to two. We required everyone check-in, wear a mask, and use social distancing while in the garden." Alright, that's it for today's gardening news. Now, if you'd like to check out my curated news articles and blog posts for yourself, you're in luck, because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. There's no need to take notes or search for links - the next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events 1853 On this day, the legislation that created Central Park passed. Central Park was allowed 778 acres of land and was created by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux ("Vox"). The Park was inspired by England's Birkenhead Park, which was created by Joseph Paxton. And there were many wonderful firsts that happened during the construction fo the Park. Vaux first coined the term landscape architect while working on the Park. And Olmsted imagined a gathering place for all social classes, a place where everyone could come together and enjoy nature. And, it was after Olmsted's work on Central Park as well as Boston's Emerald Necklace, Forest Park in Springfield, Massachusetts, and Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, that Olmsted became known as America's Park-maker. Now, as with any project, the development of Central Park hit some speed bumps. For instance, the American architect Richard Morris Hunt clashed with Olmsted and Vaux over his design for one of the entrances to the Park. Although Hunt had won a competition to design the southern entrance, Olmsted and Vaux balked when they saw Hunt's plan. You see, Hunt had designed this very elaborate grand entrance - something he called the Gate of Peace. It included a circular fountain within a square parterre. But the most magnificent part of his plan was a semi-circular terrace complete with a 50-foot column. At the base of the column, there was going to be a monument to Henry Hudson. And then, the pool around it would feature Neptune in his chariot and Henry Hudson standing on the prowl of a ship. Hunt really believed the public would embrace his grand vision and so he decided to promote his designs for the Park all on his own. But Hunt did not appreciate Vaux's power to squelch his idea. Although privately, Vaux said that Hunt's plans were "splendid and striking,"; publicly, he told a friend they were, "what the country had been fighting against... Napoleon III in disguise all over." Vaux summarized that Hunt's designs were "not American, but the park was." Ironically, in 1898, a memorial to Richard Morris Hunt was installed in Central Park. It's located on the eastern perimeter of the Park, and it was created by the same man who created the monument to Abraham Lincoln in the Lincoln Memorial: Daniel Chester French. Today, Central Park is also home to Strawberry Fields, a two and ½ acre garden memorial dedicated to the memory of John Lennon. Yoko Ono and Lennon used to enjoy strolls through that section of Central Park after they moved to the Dakota building. After Lennon was shot, Ono came up with the idea for the memorial. During the installation of the memorial, Ono said, "It is our way of taking a sad song and making it better." Now initially, the concept called for every nation to donate a remembrance tree to Strawberry Fields. But soon, Ono and the New York City Parks and Recreation Commission found themselves dealing with

Today we remember the beloved botanist who served on Captain Cook's third South Seas trip. We'll also learn about the Austrian botanist and monk who pioneered the study of heredity. We celebrate the usefulness of daylilies. We also honor the life of a young man who was killed paying his florist bill and the life of the garden writer who wrote for The New Yorker. We'll hear some poems that highlight the Garden as a sanctuary, a holy place to heal and be refreshed. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book about Gardening in Your Front Yard - it's packed with ideas and projects for big and small spaces. It's an idea that is gaining popularity and acceptance thanks to stay-at-home orders and physical distancing - one of the positive effects of dealing with the pandemic. And then we'll wrap things up with remembering Katharine Stuart and the people who loved her the most. But first, let's catch up on some Greetings from Gardeners around the world and today's curated news. Subscribe Apple|Google|Spotify|Stitcher|iHeart Gardener Greetings To participate in the Gardener Greetings segment, send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes and so forth to [email protected] And, to listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to play The Daily Gardener Podcast. It's that easy. Curated News Unconventional Wisdom: 8 Revolutionary Ideas for Your Garden from Thomas Rainer - Gardenista "When you meet landscape architect Thomas Rainer he comes across as a pleasant, mild-mannered fellow… not at all the type to be traveling around the world, as he does, spouting revolutionary ideas calculated to upend years and years of conventional gardening wisdom. As he writes in his preface to Planting in a Post-Wild World, the 2015 book he wrote with Claudia West, his ideas come from his time as a boy in suburban Birmingham, Alabama, where he spent countless happy hours roaming a stretch of indigenous Piedmont forest near his home." This article reveals a list of Thomas's dos and don'ts for growing an earth-friendly garden that he says produces better results with less work. Here's a high-level overview - be sure to read the article for the full scoop. 1. Amending the Soil: Don't 2. Double Digging: Don't 3. Soil Testing: Do 4. Mulching: Don't 5. Planting Cover Crops: Do 6. Curbside Planting: Do 7. Buying A Lot of Plants: Do 8. Experimenting and Having Fun: Do Alright, that's it for today's gardening news. Now, if you'd like to check out my curated news articles and blog posts for yourself, you're in luck, because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. There's no need to take notes or search for links - the next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events 1789 Today is the anniversary of the death of the British botanist David Nelson. David served as the botanist on Captain Cook's third South Seas trip; William Bligh was the Sailing Master. After gathering many new specimens, David spent the bulk of his time caring for over 500 breadfruit plants that Bligh was transporting to the West Indies. Breadfruit is a reference to the texture of the cooked fruit, which is similar to freshly baked bread. And, breadfruit tastes like potato. A likable fellow, David had traveled on another expedition with Captain Charles Clerke of the ship Discovery, who said David was "one of the quietest fellows in nature." As you might recall, the Captain Cook expedition suffered a mutiny on April 28, 1789. For his protection, David was kept below deck and under guard. David decided to go with William Bligh and his followers to Timor. The 3,500-mile voyage was grueling, and David died on this day, just 54 days after the mutiny. David's death was a blow to Bligh and his crew. To honor this mild man of botany, Bligh conferred full naval honors for his funeral service. Three years later, Captain Bligh visited Tasmania. He named "Nelson's Hill," the highest point on the island, in David's honor. Today Mount Nelson is the Hobart location of Tasmania University. 1822 Today is the birthday of the Austrian botanist and monk Gregor Mendel. Gregor discovered the basic principles of heredity through his experiments with peas in his garden at the Augustinian monastery that he lived in at Brno ("BURR-no") in the Czech Republic. Or, as I like to tell the kids, Gregor learned about heredity when he gave peas a chance. (Sorry, couldn't resist!) During a seven-year period in the mid-1800s, Gregor grew nearly 30,000 pea plants, and he took note of everything: their height and shape and color. And, his work resulted in what we now know as the Laws of Heredity, and to this day, most kids study this in school. And it was Gregor who came up with all of the genetic terms and terminology that we still use today, like dominant and recessive genes. 1960 On this day, the Chicago Tribune ran an article about t