The Daily Gardener

Today we celebrate one of my favorite botanists and his personal story of love and love of poetry and nature. We'll also learn about an extraordinary gardener who could grow anything - and I mean anything. We'll hear Rosemary Verey's thoughts on patterns. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a behind-the-scenes look at the 2009 White House Garden and the modern community garden movement. And then we'll wrap things up with a celebration that may drive you nuts - but we will celebrate nonetheless. 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 Hillside Landscaping Ideas | Better Homes & Gardens Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and original 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 January 21, 1854 Today is the birthday of the Washington DC-based USDA botanist Erwin Frink Smith. Erwin had attempted to solve the problem of the peach yellows - a disease caused by a microorganism called a phytoplasma, and it was affecting Peach Orchards. It was called the Peach Yellows disease because the main symptom was that new leaves would have a yellowish tint. Now, if Erwin had solved the Peach Yellows' problem, he would have become world-famous - but he didn't. Years later, it was actually the botanist Louis Otto Kunkel who discovered it was a type of leafhopper that was carrying the disease. Although Erwin didn't solve the Peach Yellows problem, he was a peach of a guy. In researching Erwin, I discovered a rare combination of kindness and intellect. And Erwin was ahead of his time. Erwin developed a reputation for hiring and promoting female botanists as his assistants at the Bureau of Plant Industry in Washington DC. After giving these women tasks based on their strengths instead of their job descriptions, Erwin's team was able to work on projects that charted new territory for female botanists. The happiest day in Erwin's life was no doubt when he married the pretty Charlotte Mae Buffet on April 13, 1893. Together, Erwin and Charlotte shared an epic love for each other and for reading and poetry. Tragically, after twelve years of marriage, Charlotte was diagnosed with endocarditis. She died eight months later, on December 28, 1906. Erwin dealt with his grief by putting together a book of poetry, stories, and a biography of Charlotte. The book is called For Her Friends and Mine: A Book of Aspirations, Dreams, and Memories. Erwin wrote, "This book is a cycle of my life— seven lonely years are in it. The long ode (on page 62) is a cry of pain." There's one passage from Erwin describing Charlotte's fantastic ability to attune to the natural world, and I thought you'd find it as touching as I did when I first read it: "Charlotte's visual powers were remarkable. They far exceeded my own. Out of doors, her keen eyes were always prying into the habits of all sorts of living things... Had she cared for classification, which she did not, and been willing to make careful records, she might have become an expert naturalist. Whether she looked into the tops of the tallest trees, or the bottom of a stream, or the grass at her feet, she was always finding marvels of adaptation to wonder at... She made lists of all the birds that visited her neighborhood. She knew most of them by their songs, and some times distinguished individuals of the same species by little differences in their notes... She knew when they nested and where, how they made their nests, and what food they brought to their young. In studying birds, she used an opera-glass, not a shotgun. She was, however, a very good shot with the revolver." January 21, 1881 Today is the birthday of the incredible American gardener, plant whisperer, and horticulturist Rae Selling Berry. Almost totally deaf by the time she was an adult, Rae was an excellent lip reader, and many suspect her deafness helped her attune to plants. In the early 1900s, Rae started a new hobby: gardening. Like many gardeners, Rae began gardening with a few pots on her front po

Today we celebrate the pardoned outlaw who donated the land for the Oxford Botanic Garden. We'll also learn about Carl Jr. - Linnaeus's son - Linnaeus filius, who surely felt some pressure growing up in his father's shadow. We'll hear one of my favorite letters from the garden writer Elizabeth Lawrence. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a delightful book of hope and grace for gardeners and for anyone - an excellent book for 2021. And then we'll wrap things up with the story of the first female botanist in America. 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 Jobs for January | Adventures in Horticulture | Lou Nicholls Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and original 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 January 20, 1643 Today is the anniversary of the death of Henry Danvers, the 1st Earl of Danby. In 1621, Henry founded the Oxford Botanic Garden, but planting didn't start until the 1640s As a young man, Henry was an English soldier who was outlawed after killing a rival family's son. The Danvers and the Longs had feuded for generations. Along with his brother and a few friends, Henry ambushed Henry Long as he was dining at a tavern. And that's when Henry Danvers shot and killed Henry Long and became an outlaw. After the shooting, Henry and his gang fled to France, where they honorably served in the French army. Four years later, the King of France interceded on the men's behalf and secured a pardon for them. After returning to England, Henry regained favor for his service and ultimately became a Knight of the Garter and the lifelong governor of Guernsey's isle. Henry never married, but he created a lasting legacy for himself when he donated five acres of land to the University of Oxford. Henry had the flood-prone land along the river raised and enclosed with a high wall. The massive stone gateway to the garden was designed by a peer and friend to Inigo Jones, a master mason named Nicholas Stone. The Danby gateway is inscribed: Gloriae Dei opt. max. Honori Caroli Regis. In usum Acad. et Reipub. and the frieze inscription is Henricus Comes Danby D.D. 1632 - or "In honor of King Charles, for academic use and the general welfare by the Earl of Danby 1632." January 20, 1741 Today is the birthday of the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus the Younger, the son of the great Carl Linnaeus or Carl von Linné. To distinguish him from his famous father, he was referred to as Linnaeus filius, Latin for Linnaeus, the son. For botanical purposes, he is referred to with the abbreviation L.f. for Linnaeus filius. Carl Linneaus learned of his son's birth while he was away in Stockholm. He wrote a letter straight away to his wife Sara Lisa, saying: "How excited I was when I received the news I had been longing for… I kiss the gracious hand of God ... that we have been blessed with a son. Take care to avoid changes of temperature and draughts, for carelessness of that sort might harm you. I remain, my dearest wife, your faithful husband, Carl Linnaeus Greetings to my little Carl." When he was just nine years old, Linnaeus filius enrolled at the University of Uppsala and taught by great botanists like Pehr Löfling, Daniel Solander, and Johan Peter Falk. Eleven years later, Linnaeus filius backfilled his father's position as the chair of Practical Medicine at the University. Unfortunately, Linnaeus filius was resented by his peers after favoritism played a role in the promotion. At the tender age of 22, Linnaeus filius got the job without applying or defending a thesis. Twenty years later, Linnaeus filius was in the middle of a two-year-long expedition through Europe. When he reached London, Linnaeus filius became ill and died from a stroke. He was just 42 years old. Unearthed Words January 20, 1945 ... I can't imagine anything worse than a square of dogwoods back of the house. I thought your idea was that you wanted to clear that all out (except for the serviceberry, which is to one side) so

Today we celebrate the self-taught botanist who saved the San Francisco herbarium. We'll also learn about the woman who helped describe the flora of Yosemite. We'll hear a little passage about the magic of light. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a magnificent new book by a modern plant master: Dan Hinckley. And then we'll wrap things up with a sudsy State Flower found in New Mexico. 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 3 Gorgeous Ways to Group Containers Together for a Lush Patio Garden | Better Homes & Gardens | Andrea Beck Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and original 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 January 19, 1859 Today is the birthday of one of our botanical greats: Alice Eastwood. A self-taught botanist, Alice is remembered for saving almost 1500 specimens from a burning building following the San Francisco earthquake in 1906. Afterward, Alice wrote about the specimens that didn't make it: "I do not feel the loss to be mine, but it is a great loss to the scientific world and an irreparable loss to California. My own destroyed work I do not lament, for it was a joy to me while I did it, and I can still have the same joy in starting it again." An account of Alice's heroics was recorded by Carola DeRooy, who wrote : "On the day of the 1906 earthquake, Alice Eastwood, curator of Botany at the California Academy of Sciences, rushed straight into the ruins of downtown San Francisco as a firestorm swept toward her beloved Academy building. Arriving to find the stone steps dangerously crumbled, she and a friend nevertheless climbed the metal spiral staircase to the 6th floor with a single-minded mission: to rescue what she could of the largest botanical collection in the Western United States, her life's work. Eastwood saved 1,497 plant type specimens from the Academy but lost the remainder of the collections to the all-consuming fire. Just three days later, she joined Geologist GK Gilbert to inspect a fault trace resulting from the earthquake, north of Olema, within what is now the Point Reyes National Seashore." That moment with Gilbert at the fault line was memorialized forever in a captivating photo featuring Alice standing next to the fault line's surface ruption. Alice was 47 years old when the quake hit in 1906. After the fire, Alice set her mind to rebuilding the herbarium, and over the next four decades, she collected over 300,000 specimens. Alice retired as the curator at the age of 90. Alice was the protégée of the botanist Kate Brandegee. Dale Debakcsy created a poignant article about Alice in 2018, and he ended it this way: "In 1959, the California Academy of Sciences unveiled the Eastwood Hall of Botany, which is very nice, but I think the most fitting tribute is the naming of the Eastwoodia elegans. There is only one species in the Eastwoodia genus, and it is a sunflower, and both of those facts match so well with everything we know of Alice Eastwood that nothing more need be said." January 19, 1880 Today is the birthday of the American suffragist, fern collector, botanist, professor, and author Carlotta Case Hall. Carlotta studied botany at the University of California, Berkeley, which is how she met her husband, the botanist and professor Harvey Monroe Hall. Later, Carlotta herself became an assistant professor of botany at Berkeley. Carlotta had a passion for collecting ferns, and she wrote about them as well. Today, Carlotta is remembered in the handy little illustrated guidebook on Yosemite that she co-wrote with her husband, Harvey. The pocket-sized botanical guidebook featuring over 900 species of plants was called A Yosemite Flora: A Descriptive Account of the Ferns and Flowering Plants, Including the Trees, of the Yosemite National Park; With Simple Keys for Their Identification; Designed to be Useful Throughout the Sierra Nevada Mountains. A 1912 Book Review said this: "For the lover of the great outdoors who combines with his

Today we celebrate the man who bought a forested property and wrote Winnie the Pooh. We'll also learn about the poet who found fame and then gardening on a grand scale. We'll hear some wonderful words about thistles. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a behind-the-scenes look at one of the World's top gardens. And then we'll wrap things up with the bizarre story of the Maple image that was used on Canadian currency. 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 Garden Short Cuts? No thanks | The Guardian | James Wong Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and original 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 January 18, 1882 Today is the birthday of the English author, best known for his books about a teddy bear named Winnie-the-Pooh, Alan Alexander Milne. In 2015 the garden historian Kathryn Aalto wrote a book that explored the iconic landscape around Alan's second home, Cotchford Farm in England. Surrounded by fields and Ashdown forest, Cotchford was the perfect place for Alan's young son, Christopher Robin, to spend weekends and holidays and imagine adventures with his favorite toys Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, Eeyore, Kanga, and Roo. As an adult, Christopher later described it this way: "So there we were - in 1925 - with a cottage, a little bit of garden, a lot of jungle, two fields, a river, and then all the green, hilly countryside beyond, meadows and woods, waiting to be explored..." Finding inspiration at every turn, the group of pine trees on the other side of the main road became the fabled Six Pine Trees, and the bridge became Pooh-sticks Bridge. The trees of Ashdown forest played an important role in the Winnie-the-Pooh series. A Beech (Fagus) tree was Piglet's house. Owl's house was one of Christopher Robin's favorite trees because he could walk on one of the limbs (in the story, it said that it had its "elbow on the ground") An Alder (Alnus glutinosa) tree shaded poor Eeyore, as Pooh sat nearby on a rock. Although he lived in a large, old walnut tree, Pooh's favorite tree was naturally the "Bee Tree," the source for his precious honey. Finally, Piglet and Pooh followed the tracks of a Woozle through a thicket of Larch (Larix "LAIR-iks") trees. Larches are conifer trees like pines because they have needles instead of leaves. However, unlike pines, Larches are not evergreen; they are deciduous. So, every autumn, the needles of larches turn yellow and fall from the branches. And Larch seeds grow in cones. And here's a little fun fact about the illustrator of Winnie-the-Pooh, Ernest Howard Shepard: he drew the trees of the forest first and added the characters last to help create the feeling of the enormity of the forest. It was Alan Alexander Milne who wrote: "Flowers give a prolonged delight to all, both in the garden and out of it, and though one can buy cut flowers, one cannot buy the happiness which they give us as they grow." And he also wrote, "Weeds are flowers too, once you get to know them." Today Ashdown Forest is a protected nature area. January 18, 1936 Today is the anniversary of the death of the English journalist, short-story writer, poet, and novelist, Rudyard Kipling. One of England's most famous writers, Rudyard, purchased a property called Bateman's in East Sussex in 1902. Rudyard called it his "good and peaceable place." From the onset, Rudyard envisioned Bateman's to be preserved in perpetuity. To help ensure his vision would become a reality, Rudyard purchased 300 acres of land surrounding the property. When Rudyard became the first English writer to win the Nobel Prize for Literature, he spent all the prize-money on his garden. The gardens at Bateman are a delight. In addition to the beautiful ornamental pond and orchard, there is a pergola, a walled mulberry garden, a walk, a rose garden, a secret door, and a sundial inscribed with the words "It's later than you think." When Rudyard was alive, his garden was a favorite for his guests and visitors.

Today we celebrate living virtually - we can tour one of the world's greatest museums - which opened on this day in 1759. We'll also learn about a man who endeared himself to his countrymen when he published a book about the plant life found within sixteen miles of his hometown. We'll hear some thoughts on identifying wildlife in the winter garden. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a beautiful book that's full of incredible wisdom from a seasoned gardener and stylist. And then we'll wrap things up with the story of the woman who wrote about her garden and called herself the commuter's wife. 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 How to Grow and Care for Spirea Shrubs | The Spruce | Les Engels Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and original 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 January 15, 1759 On this day, the British Museum opened. The British Museum was founded in 1753 when Sir Hans Hans left his entire collection to the country of England. At first glance, a personal collection doesn't sound worthy of starting a museum. But over his lifetime, Hans ended up becoming a one-person repository for all things relating to the natural world. Hans outlived many of the explorers and collectors of his day, and as they would die, they would bequeath him their herbariums and collections. So when Hans passed away, he practically had become the caretaker of the world's Natural History, aka the British Museum. Today the British Museum is the largest indoor space captured by Google Street View. Google mapped the museum in November of 2015, and so it's now available online to all of us. So, today if someone asks you what you're doing, you can say, "I'm going to tour the British Museum. What are you up to?" January 15, 1786 Today is the birthday of the British shoemaker and amateur botanist Richard Buxton. Born into poverty in Lancashire, as a young boy, Richard enjoyed picking his favorite wildflowers: Germander Speedwell, Creeping Tormentil or Cinquefoil, and Common Chickweed. Now, although it has pretty deep blue flowers, I think it's a little funny that Richard picked Germander Speedwell (Veronica chamaedrys "kam-EE-driss") because the blossoms wilt quickly after picking or cutting them - which is how it got the ironic common name "Männertreu" in Germany. "Männertreu" means "men's faithfulness." As for Creeping Tormentil or Cinquefoil (Potentilla reptans) - today, that plant is considered a lawn weed. And a clue to the medicinal power of this invasive plant is its name: Potentilla, which means "powerful, despite its small size." Finally, all species of Chickweed are in the genus Stellaria. And, the adorable little chickweed blossoms resemble carnations, which makes sense because chickweed is actually a member of the carnation family, Caryophyllaceae ("kair-ee-off-il-AYE-see-ee"). And before we get back to Richard's story, there's another great thing to know about Chickweed: it's a great plant to eat. I think of it as a spinach substitute. Nutritious and delicious, you can eat Chickweed leaves raw or in a sandwich or salad. The mild flavor is delightful - and if you're wondering what it tastes like, it's often compared to corn silk. As for Richard, he was industrious, and he taught himself to read when he was 16. Richard accomplished this herculean task with two books: The Common Spelling Book and Jones Pronouncing Dictionary. And by the age of 18, Richard became an apprentice to a shoemaker and an amateur botanist named James Heap. Together, James and Richard would botanize the countryside - looking for herbs to make drinks. After realizing a reference book would help with their foraging, Richard bought a copy of Culpeper's Complete Herbal. And when Culpepper wasn't practical enough or accurate, Richard purchased Meyrick's Herbal. For Richard, both of these books both started a lifelong pursuit for botanical knowledge. As a gardener, if you struggle with taking cuttings fr

Today we celebrate one of my favorite botanical painters. We'll also learn about a botanist who was one of the first female plant pathologists. We'll hear some thoughts on the humble dandelion. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a fun fiction book that incorporates masterful recipes, mystery, secrets, conflict, and the garden. And then we'll wrap things up with a story about a beloved Louisiana garden expert. 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 The Transformation of a Yorkshire Garden | House & Garden | Caroline Beck Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and original 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 January 14, 1825 On this day, King Charles X honored the Belgian botanical illustrator Pierre-Joseph Redouté with the Legion of Honor. Redouté was born into a Flemish family of painters. His family made a living by creating paintings for the home and for the church. Today, Redouté is one of the most renowned flower painters of all time - he's a personal favorite of mine. And I love the stories about Redouté. One time when he was serving as an official royal draftsman, Redouté was summoned to appear before Queen Marie Antoinette. I like to imagine the excitement this caused - especially since the Queen sent her request around midnight. When Redouté appeared, the Queen asked him to paint her a cactus. She was exerting her control; Redouté needed to prove that the reports of his talent were real. He passed the test. Redouté was also a favorite of Josephine Bonaparte. In fact, Redouté's paintings of Josephine's flowers at Malmaison are among his most beautiful works. And Redouté's work earned him a nickname; the Raffaele of flowers. Today, Redouté is best known for his paintings of lilies and roses (roses were his specialty). Now, if you'd like to really treat yourself or get a special gift for a gardener in your life, you should check out the book by Werner Dressendorfer called Redouté: Selection of the Most Beautiful Flowers. This large coffee table book was released in September of 2018. As one of the most beautiful books I've ever seen, Dressendorfer's book features 144 paintings by Redouté that were published between 1827 and 1833. And I must confess that this gorgeous book is one of my favorite books in my Botanical Library. Now when this book first came out, it retailed for $150. Last year, after mulling it over for a long time - mainly because of the price, I got myself an excellent used copy for $65. Today new and used copies of Redouté: Selection of the Most Beautiful Flowers by Werner Dressendorfer are being sold on Amazon for between $350 and $900. January 14, 1865 Today is the anniversary of the death of the Belgian botanist, mycologist, and one of the first women plant pathologists, Marie-Anne Libert. Born in 1782, Marie-Anne was the twelfth of thirteen children in her middle-class family. Her parents immediately recognized her intellect, and they sent her to school in Germany when she was 11 years old. In addition to her general love of learning, Marie-Anne was fascinated by the natural world. So, Marie-Anne began botanizing, and she learned to classify her own specimens. Since most references available to her were written in Latin, Marie-Anne mastered Latin - all on her own. Now, Marie-Anne specialized in cryptograms - plants with no true flowers or seeds like ferns, mosses, liverworts, lichens, algae, and fungi ("fun-GUY"). And it was Marie-Anne's maniacal focus on cryptograms that paved the way for her to meet with top botanists of her day like Alexander Lejeune and Augustin Pyramis de Candolle. Today Marie-Anne Libert is remembered as the botanist who first identified the cause of "late blight" in potatoes. Thirty years later, Anton de Bary would continue where Marie-Anne left off - when he proved that potato blight - or late blight disease - is caused by a fungus-like organism that spreads rapidly in warm, humid weather. Blight can show up in the

Today we celebrate a man who was regarded as the most revered British field-botanist of his time. We'll also learn about the botanist who considered China to be his real home. We'll hear thoughts on holly and ivy from one of my favorite gardeners. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book of Sunday poems inspired by the natural world. And then we'll wrap things up with the woman who wrote a book called Garden Cinderellas - what an excellent title. 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 Experts Predict Gardening Trends for 2021 | Candide | Marc Rosenberg Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and original 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 January 13, 1834 Today is the birthday of the botanist and former Keeper of the Herbarium at the Royal Botanic Garden Kew, John Gilbert Baker. Regarded as the most-revered British field botanist of his time, John had a profound understanding of plants and an earnest desire to preserve them. Professionally, John was referred to as J.G. Baker. The scope of his work brought him into contact with an incredible span of plant species. In addition to his impressive collecting, John identified ten plant families, and he wrote helpful handbooks on plant groups, like the Amaryllidaceae ("am-ah-rilla-DAY-see-ee"), the Bromeliaceae ("bro-mee-lee-AYE-see-ee), the Iridaceae ("eye-ri-DAY-see-ee"), the Liliaceae ("lil-ee-AY-see-ee"), and the ferns. And in addition to all of that, John described and developed the very first key for the Hemerocallis or the daylily. And, here's a little fun fact about John: He once met Beatrix Potter (who was an amateur botanist in her own right in addition to being an author). And, as luck would have it, Beatrix wrote about meeting John in her journal on May 19, 1896 - although it didn't seem like she was very impressed with him. She wrote, "We met Mr. Baker... A slim, timid-looking old gentleman with a large thin book under his arm and an appearance, of having been dried in blotting paper under a press." John was mentored by the botanist Hewett Cotrell Watson. Hewett was a few generations older than Darwin, and he was one of the first botanists to research plant evolution. And it was Hewett's work that paved the way for a new science now known as ecology. In his old age, Hewett burned all of his botanical correspondence. But thankfully, John persuaded him not to burn his herbarium. And so, upon his death, Hewett Cotrell Watson left his house and his land - as well as his books and botanical collections - to the person he thought would most-appreciate them: his protégé, John Gilbert Baker. In 1899, John was awarded the Gold Medal of the Linnean Society. Eight years later, he received the Veitch Memorial Medal. Both of these awards were well-deserved. Today, Wikidata has several pages of data devoted to the plants named by John. It's an impressive list. Conversely, John Gilbert Baker is honored by many plant names, including the Iris bakeriana. January 13, 1884 Today is the birthday of the eccentric Hawaiian-based botanist, anthropologist, and explorer Joseph Francis Rock. Joseph was born in Austria but ended up immigrating to the United States before eventually settling in Hawaii, where he was beloved. In fact, Joseph became Hawaii's first official botanist. Joseph started teaching as a Botany professor at the University of Hawaii in 1911, and he also served as a botanist for the Hawaiian Territorial Board of Agriculture. After working for 13 years in Hawaii, Joseph left to explore China - and that quest would become his primary passion. It was 1920 before Joseph left Honolulu for China for the very first time. And when he traveled, Joseph always carried a copy of David Copperfield to remind him of his own terrible childhood. And although Joseph knew he was beloved in Hawaii, he always said that he considered China to be his "real" home. In fact, when comparing China to the rest of the world, Joseph said China wa

Today we celebrate a descriptive rare orchid hunter who changed the way orchids were cared for. We'll also learn about the man who was held as a prisoner at the Singapore Botanical Garden during WWII. We'll hear about the stark funeral instructions left by Carl Linnaeus. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book about botanical fraud - it's a fascinating story. And then we'll wrap things up with the long lost story of a man who didn't support a diet that included fruits and vegetables. 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 Harvesting Herbs, Healing, and How to Make the Perfect Cup of Herbal Tea | Garden Therapy | Stephanie Rose Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and original 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 January 12, 1898 Today is the anniversary of the death of the 19th-century Belgian botanist, explorer, horticulturist, rare orchid hunter, and businessman Jean Jules Linden. Before he reached 20, Jean began collecting rare orchids in South America. In 1844, Jean discovered the Dendrophylax lindenii or the Ghost orchid in Cuba. But there was an aspect to Jean's work that was even more important than the orchids he collected - and that was his incredible notes about how these rare orchids grew in the wild. Jean's careful observations and detailed notes were a revelation to European collectors who could not wait to acquire the latest specimens from around the world. The little details Jean included in his notes transformed the way orchids were grown in Europe. Before Jean's work, Europe was regarded as an orchid graveyard - a place where orchids were sent to die. Initially, collectors and even trained botanists didn't fully appreciate how to care for orchids. The standard practice of the time was to treat all orchids as other tropicals: just stick them in a hothouse at high temperatures and hope they survive. Jean's work helped plant experts and orchid lovers appreciate the errors in their understanding of these plants. Jean's holistic approach to orchid collection became a benchmark for other botanists. For instance, after Jean's work, the British botanist John Lindley began including accounts of the native conditions of the plants he collected. When he returned to Brussels, Jean served as the director of the Brussels Zoo and Botanical Garden. Not surprisingly, Jean's favorite aspect of the job was horticulture. As Jean focused on expanding the gardens, he grew thousands of plants. Jean created three different types of glasshouses with his intimate knowledge of orchids - each with its own distinct temperature range - to match the various native climates Jean had noted while searching for orchids. In addition to a traditional hothouse, Jean's garden had a temperate house and a cool house. As a result of his specialized care, Jean's orchids flourished, and Jean soon had a thriving orchid business. At one point, Jean had orchid outlets in Brussels, Ghent, and Paris. And Jean's orchids won awards at exhibitions across Europe from London to St. Petersburg. Today, thanks to the BioDiversity Heritage Library, you can see digital scans of Jean Jules Linden's incredibly gorgeous lithographs from his invaluable books on orchids - Pescatorea and Lindenia. They are truly spectacular. Jean Jules Linden is remembered in many plant names, including the orchids Phalaenopsis lindenii (Orchidaceae) and Polyrrhiza lindenii (Orchidaceae). January 12, 1906 Today is the birthday of the brilliant botanist, conservationist, and mycologist Edred John Henry Corner. As a young boy, John developed a stutter - something he battled all of his life, and it was the main reason he never pursued teaching or lecturing as a career. Sadly, John attributed his stutter to his parents, who he remembered as harsh and cold. Early in his career, John was mentored by the British botanist, photographer, and botanical illustrator Arthur Harry Church. A devoted archivist, Arthur advised John, "Note ev

Today we celebrate the founder of the influential Curtis Botanical Magazine. We'll also learn about the traditional start of the agricultural year. We'll hear about a beautiful plant called Wintersweet from one of my favorite gardeners. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book about home through the eyes of a passionate plantsman. And then we'll wrap things up with a fun story about a young botanist and disciple of Carl Linnaeus. 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 New Year's Resolutions for the Regenerative Grower | Modern Farmer | Lindsay Campbell Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and original 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 January 11, 1746 Today is the birthday of the botanist, entomologist, and founder of the influential Curtis Botanical Magazine, William Curtis. William had started life as an apothecary, but in short order, he discovered that it could not hold his interest. Sir James Edward Smith recalled that William loved being a naturalist more than working in the city. He wrote, "The Apothecary was soon swallowed up in the botanist, and the shop exchanged for a garden!" William was a founder of the Linnean Society, and he also authored a book about the botany of London called Flora Londiniensis. In 1779, William transformed his Lambeth garden into the London Botanic Garden. William wanted his garden to be a place where visitors could learn all about plants and their uses - not just for food - but in medicine and cooking as well. William was, at heart, a pragmatist. When William heard from visitors that they needed a resource to help grow the plants they were acquiring, William came up with the idea for his magazine. On February 1, 1787, the very first Curtis Botanical magazine was published, "for the... ladies, gentlemen, and gardeners ... who wish to become scientifically acquainted with the plants they cultivate." The Curtis Botanical Magazine made William wealthy, and he often remarked that it had brought him "pudding and praise." As for William's magazine, the reason it was so successful is that, early on, William vowed to provide his readers with helpful illustrations. Hence, William brought in incredible artists, like James Sowerby, and they helped ensure the magazine's success. In addition to his legacy left by his garden, flora, and magazine, the genus Curtisia honors William Curtis. January 11, 1850 Today is the birthday of the American pioneer botanist, plant pathologist, and mycologist, Joseph Charles Arthur. Known for his work with a group of plant fungus known as rusts, Joseph became the first department chair for Botany and Plant Pathology at Purdue University. Joseph held the chair position for half a century. During his time at Purdue, Joseph built a repository of over 40,000 rust specimens. Although Joseph kept these rust specimens at Purdue, he felt the collection belonged to him because he paid for them with his own personal funds. Despite Joseph's private investment, Purdue insisted the collection belonged to the University. So, in the middle of the night, Joseph packed up his entire herbarium - cabinets and all - putting everything into moving vans. In a single night, the entire Arthur herbarium was moved into Joseph's house. After a long standoff, an agreement was reached, and Purdue paid Joseph $1,450 - a paltry 3 cents per specimen - for the magnificent Arthur herbarium. And here's a fun side note about Joseph Charles Arthur: In addition to his work in botany, Joseph was a musician. In 1902, in happier times at the University, Joseph wrote the music for a school song called Vive Purdue. January 11, 2021 It's official; the holidays are truly over - today is Plough Monday. Plough Monday is regarded as the traditional start of the agricultural year and the official end to the holiday season. Plough Monday is always the first Monday after the 12th night of Christmas, and in the not-too-distant past, Plough Monday represen

Today we celebrate the avid gardener who transformed the gardens at what was once the largest private residence in the United States. We'll also learn about the man who created many new citruses through hybridizing. We'll hear some January advice from a Dig For Victory brochure from WWII. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a fun fiction book set on an English estate called Winterfold. And then we'll wrap things up with the story of the man behind the Wagner Tree. 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 Three Friends of Winter Tour | Snug Harbor Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and original 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 January 8, 1828 On this day, Eliza Ridgely married her fifth cousin and son of a Maryland Governor, John Carnan Ridgely. The couple lived on the Hampton Plantation built by John's great-uncle Charles Ridgely III in 1790. After construction, it was the largest private residence in the United States. Eliza was the third mistress of Hampton and an avid gardener. During the decades following their marriage, Eliza and John had five children, and Eliza spent a great deal of time improving Hampton's gardens and landscape. In 1859, the horticulturist Henry Winthrop Sargent wrote that "[Hampton] expresses more grandeur than any other place in America." He was not a fan of that grandeur - Henry preferred a more natural garden landscape. Hampton's garden landscape history dates back to the late 1780s when Captain Charles Ridgely acquired an Irish-born gardener and indentured servant named Daniel Healy. Daniel oversaw the Great Terrace's creation with its winding path and the 80x50-foot parterres that make up Hampton's Falling Gardens. Eliza left her mark on the gardens at Hampton by doing something completely different. She fell in love with the Victorian garden trend of "carpet bedding," which leveraged plant colors to create designs - like diamonds or circles. Other plants just provided contrasting colors. In his book, The Garden Triumphant, David Stuart said, "In the early Victorian bedding system, plant individualities were of no importance, each individual [plant] merely yielding the color of its flowers to the general show… The obsession with 'show' with plants merely as a 'blaze of colors' was all." Regarded as an accomplished gardener and horticulturist, Eliza had grand garden dreams. She installed extensive gardens, and her love for carpet bedding would have been a radical departure from gardening etiquette of the time. Because, before this trend, it was considered poor taste to plant a plant next to another one of the same color and variety. That was a big no-no. In fact, in 1839, Henry Winthrop Sargent issued another dig at Eliza's formal gardens when he said, they"quite disturb one's ideas of republican America." He was definitely not a fan. Over 4,000 acres surrounded Hampton House, and Eliza had more than enough room to develop impressive greenhouses, which along with the lavish gardens, were tended by slaves. And many people who tour Hampton today are surprised to learn that. They were not aware that slavery existed as far north as Maryland. During their marriage, Eliza and John loved to travel, and on their journeys through Europe and Asia, Eliza collected exotic trees and plants for her Hampton gardens. Eliza's love of citrus trees led to creating an orangery to help her citrus collection survive the harsh Baltimore winters. Eliza Ridgely added specimen trees to Hampton's formal landscape. Today a Lebanon Cedar stands on the mansion's south lawn of the Great Terrace. And Ridgely family history says that Eliza brought the exotic tree to Hampton as a little seedling in a shoebox from the Middle East. Eliza also selected the white and pink Saucer Magnolias that bloom in the spring and the magnificent fan-leafed ginkgo at the corner of the house. But, the oldest trees on the property are catalpas that predate the home. And although they

Today we celebrate an American poet, essayist, and editor who is often remembered in a photograph where she is dressed as Saint Barbara with a laurel wreath around her head. We'll also learn about the woman who started a flower club that offered rare and exotic plants to Swedish homemakers during World War II. We'll hear about the enticing words used to describe the gorgeous plants in garden catalogs - they work so well on gardeners. We Grow That Garden Library™ with an old book by a stylist who loves to incorporate nature into her interior designs. And then we'll wrap things up with a cheery story about the man who saw life through rose-colored glasses—chin up. 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 Beautiful Bark on Deciduous Trees | Fine Gardening | Kristin Green Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and original 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 January 7, 1861 Today is the birthday of the American poet, essayist, and editor Louise Imogen Guiney. Louise was the daughter of a Tipperary-born Civil War General named Patrick Guiney. And after living in constant pain from his war injuries, Louise's father died when she was 16. But her dad's bravery and morality helped to shape Louise's work. As her family struggled to make ends meet, Louise worked several jobs. In 1894, she ended up working for her local post office in Auburndale, Massachusetts. She was the postmistress. And when locals protested her appointment because she was Catholic, her friends responded to the backlash by buying so many stamps that Louise kept her job and actually even got a raise. I think of that little incident when I read a poem often attributed to Louise - but its origins remain uncertain. The foolish fears of what may come, I cast them all away Among the clover-scented grass, Among the new-mown hay; Among the hushing of the corn, Where drowsing poppies nod. Ill thoughts can die, and good be born, Out in the fields of God. During Louise's early life in Boston, she lived on Pinckney Street. And that street served as a hub for creatives like Louisa May Alcott, Nathaniel Hawthorne, the Thoreau family, and the publisher Elizabeth Peabody. Imagine living there... Louise's work was featured in popular magazines like Harper's and The Atlantic Monthly. And has she matured in her adulthood, Louise fell in love with England's history and she made repeated trips there before permanently moving to the country in the early 1900s. In one of her beautiful pieces of correspondence, Louise was asked if her poem A Song Of The Lilac could be set to music - and it was. It's a charming verse that goes like this: And when by night the May wind blows The lilac-blooms apart, The memory of his first love Is shaken on his heart. Today if you search for Louise online, you'll see beautiful images of her dressed as Saint Barbara with a laurel wreath around her head and, in some photos, someone faintly penciled a halo above her head. January 7, 1898 Today is the birthday of the Swedish botanist and children's book author Vivi Laurent-Täckholm. During World War II, Vivi started a flower club that offered rare and exotic plants to Swedish housewives. Vivi's club debuted several popular houseplants, including pothos and two types of Plectranthus, green-leafed and variegated. As Plectranthus australis grew in popularity, thanks to Vivi's flower club, it became known as Swedish Ivy. The genus name, Plectranthus, refers to the spur-shaped flowers and comes from the Greek words for spur and flower: plectron and anthos. And if you've never seen a Swedish Ivy flower, don't worry - the little flowers aren't particularly showy. But it sure is a thrill to get your Swdish Ivy to bloom - I've had that pleasure - and I hope someday you will be able to enjoy it as well. The species name (australis) means southern and refers to its native home of South Africa. Although it is neither Swedish nor an ivy, the stems trail, and it does

Today we celebrate a botanist regarded as the "Father of Paleobotany" - the study of ancient plants that uses plant fossils. We'll also learn about the guitarist who went on a self-imposed 30-year exile - spending most of his time painting and gardening. We hear some thoughts on growing poisonous plants. We Grow That Garden Library™ with one of my favorite garden poetry books - I always carry it with me. And then we'll wrap things up with a great article that helps us identify trees in winter - no small task. 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 The Best Indoor Plants for any Purpose | Garden Design | Anne Balogh Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and original 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 January 6, 1761 Today is the birthday of the Bohemian theologian, mineralogist, geognost, entomologist, and botanist. Kaspar Maria von Sternberg Remembered as one of the most important natural scientists of the first half of the 19th century, Kaspar is regarded as the "Father of Paleobotany." In 1818, Kaspar founded the National Museum in Prague. Today, the botanical genus Sternbergia honors Kaspar Sternberg. Sternbergia is a genus of plants in the Amaryllis family and comprises eight recognized species of flowering bulbs that look like Crocus. The most popular Sternbergia is the lutea, a garden favorite described by Clusius in 1601. White Flower Farm describes Sternbergia lutea this way: "These lovely, fall-flowering bulbs are Crocus look-alikes with bright yellow blooms. The foliage appears with the yellow flowers in fall and persists until spring. Bulbs multiply freely where they are happy—in a hot, sunny, very well-drained spot. Add a bit of lime to sweeten the soil, and planting will quickly fill out. Try pairing with one of the glorious blue flowers of fall, such as Caryopteris or Salvia, for a heavenly contrast. A member of the Amaryllis family, so the bulbs are essentially pest free, resistant to deer and voles. Heirloom, pre-1601. 10 per sq. ft." January 6, 1946 Today is the birthday of the guitarist, singer, songwriter, and co-founder of Pink Floyd, Syd Barrett. After his immense success with Pink Floyd, Syd released two solo LPs and then disappeared into a self-imposed 30-year exile where he spent most of his time painting and gardening. Before his life with Pink Floyd, Syd attended the Camberwell Art School. One of the pieces he created was a beautiful watercolor - a delicate-looking still life of a dried flower bouquet. In 2006, Syd died of cancer at the age of 60. Before he died, Syd was a patient at Addenbrooke Hospital in Cambridge. In 2017, his friend, the sculptor Stephen Pyle, and a garden designer named Paul Harrington were planning to install the Syd Barrett Garden at Addenbrooke. Stephen's sculpture for the garden depicts Syd riding his bicycle - hands-free - with a guitar in one hand and artist brushes in the other. Unearthed Words The year 1967 started with an all-out alert on the danger of poisonous plants. On January 6th, the Times published a story about a lecture on the subject by John M. Kingsbury, the author of a useful small book titled Deadly Harvest: A Guide to Common Poisonous Plants. At a very early age, I remember, I was to recognize what plants are to be avoided completely. At a very early age, I remember, I was taught how to recognize and stay away from deadly nightshade, poison ivy, and poison sumac. (I was, just as early, taught the delights of chewing tender young checkerberry leaves and sassafras root.) To me, it would be ridiculous, though, not to grow monkshood, foxglove, hellebore, larkspur, autumn crocus, poppies, lilies of the valley, buttercups, and many other flowers now present in my borders just because they have some poison in them. — Katharine S. White, gardener and garden writer, Onward and Upward in the Garden Grow That Garden Library A Nature Poem for Every Night of the Year by Jane Hunter This book came out in

Today we celebrate an iconic tree of England - a holy tree with biblical and cultural significance. We'll also learn about a botanist whose last name is similar to the surname of Carl Linnaeus's in-laws - and that has caused some confusion over the years. We'll take a look back at some unflattering words about the winter garden from a man who was a close personal friend of Nathaniel Hawthorne. We'll hear a little secret to making Hyacinths look fabulous when forcing Hyacinth Bulbs indoors. We Grow That Garden Library™ with one of my favorite books - part of a new set that features garden poetry. And then we'll wrap things up with the wassailing of apple trees - a delightful ceremony that takes place on the 12th night of Christmas (that would be tonight.) 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 How to Make a White Berry Wreath | Better Homes & Gardens | BH&G Crafts Editors Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and original 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 January 5, 1786 On this day, a winter-blooming hawthorn- the iconic Glastonbury Thorn - blossomed. In all previous years, the beautiful Glastonberry Thorn, Crataegus monogyna 'Biflora' ("Cra-TAY-gus Mon-uhj-EYE-ah") had flowered on Christmas Day. But by 1786, Britain had adopted the Gregorian calendar, which affected the bloom time, and so the tree bloomed eleven days past schedule. Unlike other hawthorns, the Glastonbury Thorn miraculously flowers twice a year. The first bloom occurs in winter around Christmas time, which is why it has long been considered sacred. The second flush occurs in spring around Easter - hence the name 'biflora.' And every Christmas, a budded branch is sent to the Queen. Legend has it that the original plant - widely called the holy thorn - was planted in Somerset, more than 2000 years ago, by the Uncle of Jesus Christ, Joseph of Arimathea. And so the legend says that after the crucifixion, Joseph visited the area and pushed his walking staff into the ground where it rooted and became the holy thorn. In 1986, the Glastonbury Thorn was featured on a beautiful Christmas stamp. But the recent history of the tree is not so happy. In 2010, vandals removed almost every branch from the Glastonbury Thorn. Thankfully, Kew's arboretum team arrived in time to take cuttings from some of the damaged branches. With the help of these skilled arborists, the mother tree was replaced, and sister trees were planted in other secret locations throughout England. January 5, 1780 Today is the anniversary of the death of the English academic, attorney, politician, and gardener, who sat in the House of Commons, Robert More. A passionate amateur botanist, the botanist Philip Miller, named the plant genus Morea ("Mor-AY-ah") in honor of Robert More. But later, Carl Linnaeus altered the spelling to Moraea ("mor-ah-EE-uh") to honor his wife's maiden name. And in 1803, the Belgium painter Pierre-Joseph Redouté created one of the most beautiful early illustrations of Morea. Morea is a rare and delicate plant in the Iris family. Moreas are not as hardy as the common iris. And instead of growing from rhizomes or bulbs, Moreas grow from corms. Unlike bulbs, corms are a little different because they don't have a bulb's layered scales. Corms produce little cormlets that can be broken away from the parent plant for propagation. Familiar plants that grow from corms include gladiolus and crocus. Like bulbs, corms thrive in nutrient-rich, well-draining soil. Most corm perennials prefer sunny locations and when you plant them, make sure to plant them with the pointed side up at a depth about four times the size of the corm - that's a good rule of thumb. In case you're wondering, you can find Morea in some specialty bulb catalogs. January 5, 1874 On this day, the English merchant and author Henry Arthur Bright recorded a rather bleak comment about winter gardens in his famous book called Year in a Lancashire Garden. "A 'wint

Today we celebrate an English botanist who discovered which way sap flows in plants. We'll also learn about a female Dutch botanist who fought for equity and is now remembered as a trailblazer. We'll remember a thoughtful and witty garden writer whose only book became a garden classic. We hear some thoughts on the garden in winter from one of my favorite authors. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book that shares the story of the French naturalist and medical doctor Aimé Bonpland ("bon-plon"). And then we'll wrap things up with a little garden trivia in honor of National Trivia Day. 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 Invasive Species Spotlight: Garlic Mustard | Washington Gardener | Jacqueline Hyman Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and original 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 January 4, 1761 Today is the anniversary of the death of the English clergyman, botanist, and physiologist Stephen Hales. Stephen applied himself to many different areas of science. Stephen spent most of his life studying tree sap and blood flow. Do you know the direction sap flows in a plant? Stephen figured this out - it flows upward - and he also examined other fascinating aspects of plants like the sap's pressure, the pressure roots exert on sap, and how fast shoots and leaves grow. He also demonstrated that plants absorb air. Stephen's curiosity about sap and blood flow led him to become the first person to measure blood flow, blood volume, and blood pressure. Stephen was always thinking about the forces around us - from our internal blood pressure to external air pressure. It's not surprising that Stephen became curious about air quality and whether improved airflow could help fight typhus. And so, Stephen invented a ventilator to purify stale air. Stephen's device was essentially large bellows that had to be moved by hand, but they were still effective and were used in ships, prisons, and mines. And there was another use for Stephen's ventilator: it also preserved and dried food. In the twilight of his life, Stephen had royal visitors. Frederick, Prince of Wales, and his wife, Princess Augusta, both stopped by to discuss gardening and botany. And it was Stephen Hales who gave Princess Augusta advice on the creation of Kew Gardens. Today, Stephen is remembered in the genus for the snowdrop tree, the Halesia carolina. And since 1927, the Stephen Hales Prize is awarded to a scientist who made an outstanding contribution to plant biology science. January 4, 1883 Today is the birthday of a Dutch plant pathologist and the first female professor in the Netherlands, Johanna Westerdijk, who went by "Hans." In 1906, Johanna completed her thesis on the regeneration of mosses, and she was hired to be the director of a major botanical institute at the ripe old age of 23. By 1917, Johanna became the first female professor in the Netherlands. During her tenure, Johanna supervised 56 doctoral students - half of them women - and she strongly believed in equal opportunities for women. She once said, "I strive for a genuinely equal division of men and women in high positions." To illustrate how her peers perceived Johanna during her lifetime, check out this excerpt from The Lincoln Star Journal from October 29, 1914. Johanna had traveled to America to visit the Missouri Botanical Garden, and the article was titled, "Woman Botanist Who Smokes and Drinks Publicly." "A famous woman botanist, who both drinks and smokes In public, is now in the United States. Doctor [Charles] Bessey of the State University met her in St. Louis a short time ago. The name of the peculiar woman is Doctor Johanna Westerdtjk, and she is in charge of the pathological laboratories in Amsterdam. "She was quite enraged because botanists did not pay quite as much attention to her in St. Louis as she thought she deserved," said Doctor Bessey. "She insists that women should have the same rights as men and is in rebellion

Today we'll celebrate a Scottish baker and botanist who left a charming collection behind as his legacy - and I must say, he had a head full of dark hair reminiscent of Beethoven. We'll also learn about the White House's first Christmas tree and the adorable grandchild who thoroughly enjoyed it. We'll recognize the work of a woman who envisioned a world where women were taught horticulture without threatening jobs for male gardeners. We hear a delightful poem called Jack Frost - it's adorable. We Grow That Garden Library™ with about celebrity gardens - and these folks are major trendsetters in the world of fashion and interior design. And then we'll wrap things up with a few versions of The Gardener's Night Before Christmas - maybe they will inspire you to write one of your own. 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 Garden News Brooklyn Botanic Garden in 1918: A Time of Pandemic, War, and Poverty | Brooklyn Botanic Garden | Kathy Crosby Facebook Group I share all of my curated news articles and original blog posts 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 24, 1866 Today is the anniversary of the death of the Scottish geologist, botanist, and baker Robert Dick. The artist Joanne B. Kaar recently created a replica of Robert's moss box to honor his work. This was a little box that Robert used to carry moss back to his bakery. Now Joanne's moss box features fold-down flaps with delightful discoveries that call to mind the spirit of Robert Dick. And I share a video of Joanne's marvelous creation in the Facebook Group for the show. So if you want to check it out, it's a masterpiece, and it's a thrill to see that video. I followed up with Joanne, and when I emailed her, I asked for her insights on Robert. And Joanne replied with a lovely interview she did back in 2017. Here's an excerpt: "Wearing a swallowtail coat, jeans, and a chimney-pot hat, Robert Dick often had children following him from his bakery in Thurso, as they were curious to know what he was doing on his walks. He was not only a baker but also a renowned self-taught botanist, a geologist, and a naturalist. Interested in entomology, he collected moths, beetles, butterflies, and bees. To bring the samples home he pinned them to the inside of his hat." She continues, "Dunnet Head was one of his favorite places to walk, describing it as having a forest of ferns. Dunnet Head Lighthouse was built in 1831, an event Robert Dick must have witnessed. Robert Dick saved old letters, envelopes, newspapers, and documents to keep his collection of small plants and mosses in. His herbarium collection is now in Caithness Horizons Museum, Thurso, and contains around 3,000 specimens." Now when I was researching Rober,t I stumbled on an old document by Sir Roderick Murchison, the Director-General of the Geographical Society. Roderick delivered a wonderful speech at Leeds in September 1858, where he mentioned meeting the multi-talented baker Robert Dick. "In pursuing my research in the Highlands… it was my gratification.. to meet with a remarkable man in the town of Thurso, named Robert Dick, a baker by trade. I am proud to call him my distinguished friend. When I went to see him, he spread out before me a map of Caithness and pointed out its imperfections. Mr. Dick had traveled over the whole county in his leisure hours and was thoroughly acquainted with its features. He delineated to me, by means of some flour which he spread out on his baking board... its geographical features. (How clever of Robert to use flour to show the topography of the county!) Here is a man who is earning his daily bread by his hard work; who is obliged to read and study by night; and yet who can instruct the Director-General of the Geographical Society. But this is not half of what I have to tell you of Robert Dick. When I became better acquainted with this distinguished man and was admitted into his sanctum—which few were permitted to enter—I found there busts of Byron, of Sir Walter Scott, and other great poets. I also found books,

Today we celebrate a gardener who was also a Founding Father and a Governor of New York. We'll also learn about a botanist who brought back the Bird of Paradise (Strelitzia reginae "strel-IT-zee-ah REJ-in-ee") as well as a plant that is now the oldest living potted plant at Kew. We hear a charming poem that takes us through the seasons by an English poet who was friends with many poets, including Mary Wollstonecraft. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a good ol' garden book that teaches how to grow your own food. And then we'll wrap things up with another delightful story about the Mistletoe - this one is a heart-warmer. 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 Garden News 6 Great Plants for a New Perennial Design | Fine Gardening | Greg Loades Facebook Group I share all of my curated news articles and original blog posts 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 23, 1745 Today is the birthday of the American Founding Father and gardener John Jay. When he wasn't serving as the second Governor of New York and the United States' first Chief Justice, John Jay loved to garden. John's ancestral home was in Rye, New York. And today, the Jay Heritage Center oversees the Jay Estate and the incredible landscape, which includes stone ha-ha walls from 1822, one-and-a-half acres of historic sunken gardens from the 1700s, a meadow, an apple orchard, and elm tree allée. And here's a little fun fact about John Jay: His great-granddaughter, Mary Rutherfurd Jay, grew up on the ancestral Jay estate. She became one of America's earliest landscape architects and an advocate of horticultural education and women's careers. In 1801, John and his wife, Sarah, retired to their farmhouse in Bedford, Westchester County. Yet, their dream of settled farm life was cut short when Sarah died at age 45. John never remarried, and he lived out his remaining 30 years on this earth as a gentleman farmer. Today the John Jay Homestead features four gardens that reflect the John Jay family: The Formal Gardens feature a fountain and a sundial. The Terrace Garden features deer resistant plants and an apple orchard in a nod to John Jay's original orchard. And the old cutting garden is now an Herb Garden that was re-designed by Page Dickey, who laid out a 17th-century English knot garden. There's also a Teaching Garden to inspire kids to get involved in horticulture. Personally, I find the most touching garden of all is the blue and white North Courtyard Garden, which was inspired by a book of pressed flowers from John's daughter, Maria Jay. This charming blue and white garden features violets, poppies, and irises, which bloom from spring to fall. And, I should mention that all of the gardens at the John Jay homestead are tended by local garden clubs. December 23, 1805 Today is the anniversary of the death of the Scottish gardener, botanical illustrator, and the very first plant hunter for Kew, Francis Masson. After proving himself capable at Kew, Joseph Banks sent Francis on an expedition to southern Africa, where he met up with the Swedish botanist Carl Peter Thunberg. Together Francis and Carl ventured into the veldt and the Blue Mountains. Surviving the extreme heat, lack of water, and dangerous wild animals, Francis made it back to England in 1775. With his gardener's eye for ornamentals, Francis brought back many plants and seeds to England. In a letter to Linnaeus, Francis reported he had "added upwards of 400 new species to his Majesties collection of living plants". Among Francis' specimens were gladioli, irises, kniphofias, lobelias, and pelargoniums as well as the stunning bird of paradise flower, which was named to honor the wife of George III, Queen Charlotte: a patroness of the arts, an amateur botanist in her own right, and a champion of Kew Gardens. And the name of the plant recognized the fact that the Queen was born in Germany in an area called Mecklenberg-Strelitz. And so, the botanical name for the Bird of Paradise is the Strelitzia reginae ("stray-LIT-zee-ah REJ-in-ee.") As f

Today we celebrate the botanist and doctor who established the nation's first public botanical garden. We'll also learn about the English Victorian author who loved roses. We'll recognize the inspiring former president and owner of Tulsa Greenhouse and Four State Wholesale. We'll hear an excerpt about pruning from a peach farmer. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book from American garden royalty - it's part garden book and part cookbook. And then we'll wrap things up with a story about the only First Lady recognized by The American Horticultural Society with their highest honor, the Liberty Hyde Bailey Award. 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 Garden News Tree ferns are older than dinosaurs. And that's not even the most interesting thing about them | World Economic Forum | Gregory Moore Facebook Group I share all of my curated news articles and original blog posts 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 22, 1835 Today is the anniversary of the death of the doctor and botanist David Hosack. He was 65. In 2018, David Hosack's story was brilliantly told in the biography by Victoria Johnson called American Eden. David was a New Yorker and he was a leading doctor in America during the early days of the country. David had a fantastic gift: he was able to form incredible relationships with leading thinkers of his time. Doctor Benjamin Rush was his mentor, and England's top botanist William Curtis trained him in botany and medicinal plants. At the age of 25, David returned to his alma mater, Columbia University, to teach medicine and botany. David's patients included Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton. And if you've watched the musical Hamilton, you know that although David was one of the best physicians available, he could not save Hamilton. David Hosack established the nation's first public botanical garden in the middle of Manhattan. David initially focused on medicinal plants, but he soon added vegetables, grasses, grains, fruits. And exotics collected from all over the world. It really was a paradise. David's medical students used his garden as an extension of their classroom and that was a first for students on this side of the Atlantic. At its zenith, David's garden boasted of having over 2,000 different species of plants - just incredible. It was David's pioneering work with plants that allowed him to teach an entire generation of doctors brand-new remedies to common medical problems. Now, unfortunately, David's vision for the garden way exceeded his financial ability to keep it going. Sadly David was forced to sell off and dismantle his botanical dream. And today, his former garden is the site of Rockefeller Center. Yet David's garden and his work had inspired botanists all over the world. And although his botanic garden did not survive, David's dream of a garden of discovery and learning would be carried out through the work of other pioneers like Henry Shaw, Charles Sprague Sargent, and David Fairchild. In the twilight of his life, David's wife died. After remarrying a very wealthy woman, David built a country estate with an incredible garden (of course) where he enjoyed his remaining days on earth. December 22, 1880 Today is the 140th anniversary of the death of the English Victorian author George Eliot. George Eliot was the pen name for a woman named Mary Ann Evans, and her many works like Silas Marner and Middlemarch are packed with images from the garden. To Mary Ann, plants were the perfect representation of faith. Like faith, our botanical friends require care and feeding to grow and flourish. On October 1st, 1841, Mary Ann wrote a letter to her old governess, Maria Lewis. She wrote: "Is not this a true autumn day? Just the still melancholy that I love - that makes life and nature harmonise. The birds are consulting about their migrations, the trees are putting on the hectic or the pallid hues of decay, and begin to strew the ground, that one's very footsteps may not disturb the repose of earth and air, while they give us a scent tha

Today we celebrate the Scottish botanist who is remembered for the phenomenon known as Brownian Motion. We'll also learn about the woman remembered as the Queen of the Traditional English Country Garden. We'll have a little mini-class on Mistletoe and the etymology of its name. We'll listen to a verse from a garden writer and forager who grows wild plants during the winter. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book that features a dozen gardens of an incredible modern garden designer. And then we'll wrap things up with a century-old article that shared a new way to water plants. 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 Garden News 6 Healthy Winter Vegetables That Don't Require a Whole Lot of Space To Grow | Well + Good | Emily Laurence Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and original 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 21, 1773 Today is the birthday of Scottish botanist Robert Brown. Robert made important contributions to botany and (science in general) through his pioneering use of the microscope. In particular, Robert is best known for being the first to notice the natural continuous movement of minute particles. Today we call that phenomenon of movement Brownian Motion. Now how did Robert come up with this? Well, for his 1827 experiment, Robert looked through his microscope at pollen immersed in water, and he started to notice subtle movements of the pollen - even though the water was still. He's what he wrote about it, "These motions… arose neither from currents in the fluid, nor from its gradual evaporation, but belonged to the particle itself" Now, at the time, Brown was unable to explain why the particles moved. It wasn't until 1905 that Einstein was able to understand the cause of Brownian motion fully. Einstein suggested that this motion was due to the movement of water particles - in essence, little atoms in the water that were bumping into the pollen. And I thought you'd get a kick out of this: Einstein also famously said, "If I could remember the names of all these particles, I'd be a botanist." Today, Brownian Motion helps explain the "spin" from black holes. Robert Brown also coined the term nucleus in living cells. In Latin, the term nucleus means "little nut." Robert Brown was the first person to recognize the difference between angiosperms (flowering plants) and gymnosperms (non-flowering plants like conifers). And houseplant enthusiasts will appreciate knowing that Robert named the Hoya plant genus after his friend and fellow botanist Thomas Hoy who was also a gardener for the Duke of Northumberland. Now, Robert also worked closely with Ferdinand Bauer - one of the world's most accomplished natural history artists. Together they joined Captain Matthew Flinders on a ship called Investigator. The Flinders expedition was the first to circumnavigate Australia. With the assistance of Peter Good, who was hunting for viable seeds and live plants for Kew Gardens, Robert amassed a large collection of specimens during his years in Australia. And as a result of all his time and work in Australia, Brown published the remarkable survey on Australian flora, which he called The Prodromus. The Prodromus opened doors for Robert Brown when it attracted the attention of Joseph Banks. The two became great friends, and Banks asked Brown to serve as his personal botanical librarian. When Banks died in 1820, he left his home, collections, and library to Robert Brown - along with a large yearly allowance. December 21, 1918 Today is the birthday of the English garden designer, lecturer, prolific garden writer, and one of the greatest gardeners of the 20th century, Rosemary Verey. Regarded as the "Queen of the Traditional English Country Garden," Rosemary's garden masterpiece is a blend of nature and geometry, traditional and cottage. You'll see graceful draping of wisteria, blousy roses, warm stone, and symmetrical chimneys create Rosemary's intimate, timeless, and

Today we celebrate the man who cleverly saved the Royal Botanic Garden during the French Revolution. We'll also learn about the woman who lavishly decorated her bathroom with a garden theme almost a hundred years ago. We look back at a successful bid to save a 700-year-old Christmas Tree in Oregon. We'll remember one of the great nurserymen and rosarians of our time… after two years, we still feel his loss. We hear words about the peace that comes in winter by the writer Rachel Peden. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book subtitled, "How to Have Your Yard and Eat It Too." And then we'll wrap things up with the story of an arboretum that came to life thanks to the vision and obsession of one Atlanta man. It's quite the story. 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 Garden News The Best Plants For Stunning Winter Bark | Gardening Etc | Sarah Wilson Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and original 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 18, 1829 Today is the anniversary of the death of a French naturalist, biologist, and academic, Jean-Baptiste Lamarck. Lamarck died lonely, blind, and impoverished in Paris on this day in 1829. He was buried in a common grave. Regarded as the Father of Evolutionary Theory, Lamarck paved the way for Darwin's Origin of the Species. By 1809, Lamarck had worked out a complete theory of evolution. Lamarck speculated on the inheritability of acquired traits. He believed that all life evolved upward - beginning with dead matter, progressing from simple to complex forms, and ending in "human perfection." A progressive thinker, Lamarck also proposed an early version of continental drift. By 1790 Lamark was working as a botanist at the Royal Herbarium in Paris. As the French Revolution intensified, Lamarck saved the Royal Garden by quietly and ingeniously renaming it. Instead of The Royal Garden, the sign simply read The Garden of Plants. Lamark's little sign trick worked, and the garden was saved. December 18, 1930 On this day, The Boston Globe shared a little snippet called "Bathrooms like Gardens." Here's an excerpt: "Lady Cromer has her favorite flower, the iris, as the motif of her bathroom. The walls are painted with growing irises in flower on the bank of a river, the river being the bath itself, and the whole effect is that of a charming garden." December 18, 1958 On this day, the Statesman Journal out of Salem, Oregon, reported on a 700-Year-Old Tree Saved From Axemen. "[In Seaside, Oregon], a giant 700-year-old Christmas tree has been added to a five-acre tree farm park dedicated to the public. The Sitka Spruce, 195 feet tall and 15 feet, 9 inches in diameter… contains enough wood to build six two-bedroom houses. The ink was barely dry on England's Magna Carta when the spruce sprouted. The tree passed its 500th birthday before the American Revolution. The American Forestry Association, which keeps records on big trees. lists a 180-foot Sitka Spruce in Washington's Olympic National Park as the largest tree. While it boasts an eight-inch edge in diameter, it is 15 feet shorter than Oregon's champion." December 18, 2018 Today is the second anniversary of the death of the rose breeder and writer David Austin. When David passed away, I found some old advertisements that he posted in The Observer in 1973. That post was already twelve years after creating his first commercially available Rose - the Constance Spry. A 1973 ad showed how early-on David found his calling. It read: "Old-fashioned roses, shrub roses, rare and unusual roses, many of our own breeding. Roses of charm, and fragrance. The country's finest collection."A handbook of roses" free." Unearthed Words Under the big Swamp Maple in the east lot, the gray geese and the white Pilgrim ganders gather silently. During winter nights, they sleep in the open face tool shed, and often in the night, they think of new expressions of scorn and at once utter them. ("We are the watchdog

Today we celebrate one of the world's best composers and his intense appreciation of nature. We'll also learn about the botanist who cracked the code on pollinating vanilla and came up with a new word for the cyclical nature of things. We'll recognize the incredible written work of a daughter of Indiana - and yes, she is famous. We Grow That Garden Library™ with something light and enjoyable - a New York Times Best Selling Fiction Novel from 2012. And then we'll wrap things up with a little mistletoe history that is sure to leave an impression - it's not about kissing - but it will definitely give you something to talk about around the dinner table over Christmas break. 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 5 Low-Maintenance Annuals For Your Garden | Gardening Etc | Sophie Warren-Smith Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and original 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 17, 1770 Today is the baptism day of the German composer and pianist Ludwig Van Beethoven. Beethoven grew up loving nature. Living along the Rhine, little Ludwig would take walks with his father. Beethoven turned to nature for inspiration when he wrote his sixth symphony - which is why the subtitle for the sixth symphony is called "Pastoral." After coming up with the idea that each movement would reflect a complete day in the country - from sunrise to sunset - Beethoven used music to imitate nature. In his music notes, Beethoven even added little headlines like "storm" or "scene at a brook" to make certain that the musicians understood the link between the notes they were playing and nature. Once, while walking with a friend, Beethoven pointed at the water and said, "Here I composed the 'Scene by the Brook,' and the yellowhammers up there - the quails, nightingales and cuckoos 'round about - composed with me." And Beethoven wanted listeners of his music to recognize the powerful link between nature and our feelings. As Beethoven sought out nature to inspire his 6th Symphony, at one point, he simply wrote: "effect on the soul" in his notes. And it was the manor house of Dolna Krupa where Beethoven is presumed to have written his Moonlight Sonata. A hundred years later, the Countess Maria-Henrieta Chotek, known as "The Countess of Roses," established Dolna Krupa as one of the world's top three rose gardens. And here's a fun side note: Beethoven's last name is a combination of "beet," which translates to beet (as in the vegetable), and "hoven," which means farm. So the blended meaning of his last name is beet farm. December 17, 1858 Today is the anniversary of the death of the Belgian botanist and horticulturist, and Director of the Jardin botanique de l'Université de Liège ("lee-EZH") Charles François Antoine Morren. Charles made some very significant contributions to botany. First, Charles discovered how vanilla was pollinated. Before Charles Morren, the pollination of vanilla was a mystery. Although Hernán Cortés brought vanilla to Europe for 300 years, no one knew how to pollinate the flower. Charles discovered that a Native bee of Mexico - the Melipone ("meh-lip-in-ah") bee, a social and stingless bee, was the only pollinator for vanilla. Like Monarchs and Milkweed (Asclepias), the Melipone bee and vanilla co-evolved. At the same time, Charles discovered the bee, the Museum of Paris came up with a way to pollinate Vanilla by hand using a blade of grass or a pointed stick (like a toothpick). Today almost all vanilla is pollinated by hand using this method. In addition to discovering how vanilla was pollinated, Charles Morren coined the term phenology. Derived from a Greek word that means "to show or make to appear," Phenology is the study of cyclic and seasonal natural phenomena, especially concerning climate and plant and animal life. Gardeners who keep phenological journals record the first and last days of events in the garden (i.e., the first snow, the first robin, the first frog,

Today we celebrate a botanist remembered for his work with Pears and Camellias. We'll also learn about a botanist who specialized in grasses and traveled extensively to collect them. We'll learn about the work of a forensic botanist back in the early 1980s. We take a moment to savor December - courtesy of a verse from the American naturalist and writer Hal Borland. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book that came out this summer, and it brings the goodness of the Catskills right to your table. And then we'll wrap things up with a cute little story about a plant name you won't soon forget. 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 Garden News How Did Madagascar Become the World's Biggest Producer of Vanilla? | Atlas Obscura | Dan Nosowitz Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and original 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 16, 1886 Today is the anniversary of the death of the Massachusetts merchant, amateur horticulturist, and politician Marshall Pinckney Wilder. When Marshall started out, his father gave him three options: attend college, start a farm, or work in the family store. Marshall elected to farm. But Marshall was unexpectedly pulled into the family business after his uncle died. In a twist of fate, Marshall was a natural businessman, and he helped take the family wholesale business to even more successful heights. With his financial success, Marshall bought an old farm in Dorchester, Massachusetts, for $5,500. Marshall called the property Hawthorn Grove. But shortly after moving into Hawthorn Grove, Marshall's young wife Eliza died. With four small children to raise, Marshall quickly married again. After his personal affairs were squared away, Marshall began designing ten acres worth of gardens on the property - complete with several large greenhouses. Marshall devoted all of his spare time to horticulture, and he loved to dabble in plant breeding. Historical records indicate that Marshall developed a double California Poppy. But without a doubt, Marshall's favorite pursuits were Pears and Camellias. Marshall successfully cultivated two European Pears - the Bartlett and the Anjou. In Pears alone, Marshall experimented with over 900 varieties. And Marshall's Camellia collection made him quite famous in certain botanical circles. In all, Marshall Wilder created over 300 Camellia varieties. And Marshall's top award-winning Camellias were all named after the women in his life: Mrs. Abby Wilder (named for his second wife), Mrs. Julia Wilder (named for his third wife - who was also Abby's sister), and Jenny Wilder (named for his granddaughter). In 1839 a greenhouse fire destroyed all but two of Marshall's beloved Camellias. Still, Marshall bounced back quickly the following year thanks to his success in the wholesale business. When Marshall wasn't gardening at Hawthorne Grove, he was active in horticulture organizations in and around Boston. In addition to serving as the third president of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, Marshall was the founder and first president of the American Pomological Society. And on Google right now, it says, "The American Pomological Society was founded by Marshall Pinckney Wilder in 1848, to foster the growing of fruit and the development of new varieties, and is the oldest fruit organization in North America." When the great Landscape Architect Andrew Jackson Downing suddenly died, it was Marshall Wilder who delivered his eulogy before the Pomological Congress in Philadelphia in 1852. And, since 1873, the Pomological Society awards the "Wilder Medal" to pomologists who demonstrate outstanding service to horticulture in the broad area of pomology. During his lifetime, Marshall became quite famous for his horticultural activities. After his death, Marshall's private plant collection was used to create the Boston Public Garden. And here's a fun fact about Marshall Pinckney Wilder: He had a nephew who became a well-known

Today we celebrate the 17th-century philosopher and naturalist, who was the first woman to make a living from her writing. We'll also learn about the forensic botanist who solved the crime of the decade in the 1960s in Australia. We'll recognize the Herb Society's project that now occupies two and a half acres at the U.S. National Arboretum. We look back at an entry about winter from one of America's most beloved naturalists. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book that Martin Crawford, author of Creating a Forest Garden, called a "must-read for anyone interested in agroforestry, forest gardening, or utilizing forests for specialty crops." And then we'll wrap things up with the story of a vine discovered by a Harvard botanist and his son as they were walking to a Red Sox game back in August 1988. 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 Garden News How a few plants in your front garden could boost your wellbeing | World Economic Forum | Victoria Masterson 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 15, 1673 Today is the anniversary of the death of the 17th-century philosopher, poet, scientist, fiction-writer, naturalist, and playwright Margaret Cavendish. Margaret's perspective on the natural world helped shape our modern viewpoint. And it should be noted that Margaret was the first woman to make a living from her writing. Yet Margaret has always been an easy target for ridicule; her points were often lost in confusing verse and the novelty of her ideas. In one of her poems, she compared the brain to a garden: The Brain a Garden seems, full of delight, Whereon the sun of knowledge shineth bright, Where fancy flows, and runs in bubbling streams, Where flowers grow upon the banks of dreams. There various thoughts as several flowers grow: Some milk-white innocence, as lilies, show, Fancies, as painted tulips' colors fixed, By Nature's pencil neatly intermixt; Some as sweet roses, which are newly blown, Others as tender buds, not yet full-grown; Some, as small violets, much sweetness bring. Thus many fancies from the brain still spring. — Margaret Cavendish, Similarizing the Brain to a Garden One of my favorite poems by Margaret is called The Duchess to Her Readers. In this poem, Margaret shares her appreciation for her husband; theirs was a love marriage, and William helped Margaret with her work. A Poet am I neither born nor bred, But to a witty poet married: Whose brain is fresh and pleasant as the Spring, Where Fancies grow and where the Muses sing. There oft I lean my head, and listening, hark, To catch his words and all his fancies mark: And from that garden show of beauties take Whereof a posy I in verse may make. Thus I, that have no gardens of my own, There gather flowers that are newly blown. — Margaret Cavendish, The Duchess to Her Readers Virginia Woolf was not a fan of Margaret. In "A Room of One's Own," Virginia wrote, "What a vision of loneliness and riot the thought of Margaret Cavendish brings to mind! As if some giant cucumber had spread itself over all the roses and carnations in the garden and choked them to death." December 15, 1908 Today is the birthday of the Australian botanist and forensic botanist Joyce Winifred Vickery. 1960 was a pivotal year in Joyce's career. In 1960, all of Australia was focused on the building of the now famous Sydney Opera House. And to pay for the construction, the government of Australia held a lottery. A man named Bazil Thorne spent three pounds - a quarter of his paycheck - to purchase the winning ticket. After Bazil's win of 100,000 pounds, his eight-year-old son Graeme was kidnapped and brutally murdered. The crime stunned the country. But ultimately, it was Joyce Vickery's forensic work that helped the police solve the case. In the Graeme Thorn kidnapping, Joyce had been tasked with identifying two plant particles from the boy's clothing. Vickery recognized them as pa

Today we celebrate the English garden writer who fell in love with one of the world's first science fiction writers - and she turned out to be a woman. We'll also learn about the Connecticut botanist and conservations who created a new undergraduate degree program he called Human Ecology. We'll hear a delightful interview with the month of December in today's poem. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book that helps us turn our cupboards into our very own kitchen apothecary through recipes that help and heal us. And then we'll wrap things up with the state flower of Alabama - the Camellia. 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 New variety of apple discovered by Wiltshire runner | The Guardian Archie Thomas stumbled across solitary windfall fruit that could be a cross between a cultivated apple and a European crab apple. 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 14, 1843 Today is the anniversary of the death of the Scottish botanist, garden designer, and author John Claudius Loudon. A prolific garden writer and publisher, John coined the term arboretum. There are two stories I love to tell about John. One is his love story with his wife Jane, and the other is a famous miscommunication he had over some beech trees. Well, John's love story with his wife was made for movies. The two met when John insisted on meeting the fantastic new sci-fi author of a book named The Mummy by Henry Colburn. When John went to meet with Henry, he discovered Henry was a nom de plume for Jane. The two fell in love and married a year later. Now the second story I like to tell about John is about his letter to the Duke of Wellington and what happened next is like a Shakespeare comedy. John had written the Duke to ask if he could inspect the Waterloo Beeches. These gorgeous beech trees had been planted as a memorial to the battle of Waterloo. Unfortunately, when the Duke got John's note, he misread the signature at the bottom of the letter. Instead of JC Louden, the Duke mistakenly believed the note was from CJ London or the Bishop of London. Compounding this problem, the Duke misread the word beeches as "BREECHES." And so, the Duke thought the Bishop of London wanted to inspect his pants. So, the Duke wrote the Bishop back, saying: "My dear Bishop of London, It will always give me great pleasure to see you… Pray whenever it suits your convenience, whether I am at home or not. My servant will receive orders to show you so many pairs of breeches of mine as you wish, but why you should wish to inspect those that I wore at the battle of Waterloo is quite beyond [my] comprehension." From that day forward, the incident became known as the story of the "Waterloo Breeches." And, we wouldn't have it - without John Claudius Louden. John and his wife Jane were considered high society, and their friends included Charles Dickens. As he grew older, John's arms stopped working after an attack of rheumatic fever. As a result, Jane became his arms, handling most of his writing. When his arms got so bad that surgeons needed to amputate his right arm, they found him in his garden, and he told his doctors he wanted to return to the garden immediately after the procedure. Two weeks before Christmas in 1843, John was dictating his final book called, A Self Instruction to Young Gardeners. Around midnight, he suddenly collapsed into Jane's arms and died. Jane completed the book on her own. December 14, 1910 Today is the birthday of the American botanist and conservationist Richard Hale "Dick" Goodwin. Reflecting on how he decided to pursue botany in college, Richard wrote, "I loved the outdoors and wild places and had the thought that by entering that field I might be able to contribute toward the rehabilitation of devastated country," A Harvard grad, Richard went to work at Connecticut College in 1944 as a professor of botany. The job intrigued Richard becaus

Today we celebrate the Indiana botanist remembered in a particular species of Red Oak (Quercus rubra). We'll also learn about the Red-Pole - one of the smallest birds in the finch family. We'll recognize the French flower breeder remembered for his work with the Lilac (Syringa vulgaris). We hear a poem about the Winter garden from a man known as The People's Poet. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book about growing perennials - but not ornamentals. This book is all about perennial edibles for your garden. And then we'll wrap things up with the story of a man known as Little Flower. 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 Brazil's Amazon: Deforestation 'surges to 12-year high' | BBC News 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 11, 1843 Today is the birthday of the Indiana physician, naturalist, and botanist Jacob Schneck. Jacob loved plants. He had a special passion for trees, and he spent as much time as he could in the field botanizing. And for the 1893 Chicago World's Fair, Jacob put together a collection of various types of wood for an exhibition. Once while he was out botanizing, Jacob's observation and general cleverness allowed him to see a distinctive feature in a species of Red Oaks. To confirm his suspicions, Jacob shared his discovery with a fellow botanist named Nathaniel Lord Britton. Britton agreed with Jacob, and to recognize his discovery, Britton named the oak in Jacob's honor, calling it the Quercus Schneckii(ii = "ee-eye"). Today, most people just call it the Schneck Oak. Jacob died at the age of 63. Newspaper accounts indicated Jacob had been battling pneumonia but as a physician, he had still gone out on horseback to tend to his patients. Jacob's efforts probably cost him his life. It's no wonder that Jacob's funeral was reported to be the largest ever held in Mount Carmel, Illinois. Jacob's obituary said, "No man in Wabash county had endeared himself to so many people as had Dr. Schneck. Year after year he had gone about in our midst, quietly doing his great work for humanity, turning away now and then to investigate some scientific question, especially in the realm of botany, his favorite study, and one in which he had acquired a national reputation." After Jacob died, his collection of specimens, stones, shells, and fossils was displayed at the Carnegie public library in 1934. When he was alive, Jacob spent a great deal of time fashioning cases and containers to display his collection. Each specimen was labeled in Dr. Schneck's impeccable handwriting. December 11, 1855 On this day, Henry David Thoreau wrote about walking through a spruce swamp and stumbling on a flock of Lesser Redpolls ("Red-Poles"). These little birds are some of the smallest in the finch family. Lesser Redpolls are small and brown with red foreheads. If you've ever stumbled on a flock of birds enjoying berries during this time of year, you will be able to relate to Thoreau's wonder at birds in winter. To Holden Swamp… For the first time I wear gloves, but I have not walked early this season... I thread the tangle of the spruce swamp, admiring the leaflets of the swamp pyrus… the great yellow buds of the swamp pink, the round red buds of the high blueberry, and the firm sharp red ones of the panicled andromeda. Slowly I worm my way amid the snarl, the thicket of black alder, blueberry, etc., see the forms, apparently of rabbits, at the foot of maples, and cat-birds' nests now exposed in the leafless thicket. Standing there, though in this bare November landscape, I am reminded of the incredible phenomenon of small birds in winter, that erelong, amid the cold, powdery snow, as it were a fruit of the season, will come twittering a flock of delicate, crimson-tinged birds, lesser red-polls, to sport and feed on the seeds and buds just ripe for them on the sunny side of a wood, shaking down the powdery snow there in thei

Today we celebrate the birthday of a beloved American who, in her lifetime, was known more as a gardener than a poet. We'll also learn about the gift from Japan that resulted in the Plant Quarantine Act in the United States. We'll remember the botanist knighted for his incredible scientific services to the British Empire. We'll hear a poem about King Midas and his garden. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book that reminds us of the importance of beauty in our garden harvest. And then we'll wrap things up with the story of the botanist known as "Mad Ridley"... and it turns out he wasn't mad at all. 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 The Story of the 'Conference' Pear | The English Garden | Greg Loades 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 10, 1830 Today is the birthday of Emily Dickinson. The Dickinson author, Judith Farr, reminds us that during her lifetime, Emily Dickinson was, "known more widely as a gardener... than as a poet." Emily grew up gardening. She would help her mother with their large edible and ornamental garden. The flower garden became Emily's responsibility when she got older. She planted in a carefree cottage garden style. After Emily died, her sister Lavinia took over the garden. Emily's niece and editor, Martha Dickinson Bianchi, recalls: "All [Lavinia's] flowers did as they liked: tyrannized over her, hopped out of their own beds and into each other's beds, were never reproved or removed as long as they bloomed; for a live flower to Aunt Lavinia was more than any dead horticultural principle." December 10, 1909 On this day, 2,000 cherry trees arrived in Seattle from Japan. When the First Lady Helen Taft indicated, she wanted to beautify Potomac Park, the mayor of Tokyo donated 2,000 cherry trees for the project. But once the trees arrived on this day in 1909, they were found to have pest issues and disease. And it was this delivery of trees that lead to plant quarantine legislation for America. So, if you've ever wondered about the laws that govern bringing plants into the country, that legislation is rooted in this bad batch of cherry trees which the USDA ordered to be burned. Now, you can imagine Japan's mortification over the first lot of trees. In response, Japanese horticulturists immediately started cultivating and fumigating a new lot of cherry trees. It took three years to grow the trees and get them ready for travel. Finally, in 1912, Tokyo's mayor Yukio Ozaki rectified the matter from 1909 three-fold when he sent 6,000 trees to the United States. By this time, Charles Marlett's Plant Quarantine Act of 1912 was in place to ensure that all plant material entering the country was healthy and sanctioned. And this larger batch of trees was split between New York and Washington DC. December 10, 1911 Today is the anniversary of the death of the Victorian British botanist, explorer, President of the Royal Society, and director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker, who died at 94. Joseph accomplished much during his long life. The botanic gardens of the world were a discovery and classification network that Joseph masterfully orchestrated. To Joseph, the botanic gardens were essentially botanical laboratories on a mission to enhance the world's economy and promote trade. And Joseph was Charle's Darwin's closest friend and collaborator. In fact, they corresponded about Darwin's theory before it was made public. And Joseph was instrumental in getting Darwin's work published. Many regard Joseph as Darwin's PR man. Joseph was brilliant and concise. It was Joseph Dalton Hooker who once famously wrote, "Life is short, and books are long." In 1877, Joseph was knighted for scientific services to the British Empire. And here's an adorable factoid about Joseph: Kew Gardens shared that, during his travels, Joseph would send letters to his young son with the salutatio

Today we celebrate the first snow of 1855 on Walden Pond. We'll also learn about the young woman who became an emblem for a raisin company. We'll remember the gardener spy who discovered photographer in the last decades of his life. We hear a verse of flowers for a poet's dead friend. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book that takes us through 100 gardens to help us understand the history of landscape design. And then we'll wrap things up with the sweet story of a sweet potato party and the fascinating woman who came up with the idea back in 1969. 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 Why Kenya's Giant Fig Tree Won Over A President | BBC News 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 9, 1855 On this day, it was starting to snow on Walden Pond. The winter Landscape appeared before Henry David Thoreau's eyes, and he captured the transformation in his journal: "At 8.30 a fine snow begins to fall, increasing very gradually, perfectly straight down, till in fifteen minutes, the ground is white, the smooth places first, and thus, the winter landscape is ushered in. And now it is falling thus all the land over, sifting down through the tree-tops in woods, and on the meadow and pastures, where the dry grass and weeds conceal it at first, and on the river and ponds, in which it is dissolved. But in a few minutes, it turns to rain, and so the wintry landscape is postponed for the present." December 9, 1892 Today is the birthday of the American model Lorraine Collett, born on this day in 1892 in Kansas City, Missouri. At the age of 23, Lorraine worked as a Sun-Maid Raisin girl and wore a blue bonnet with a white blouse and blue piping. Lorraine and the other Sun-Maid girls handed out raisins. In a spectacular marketing stunt, Lorraine even hopped aboard a small plane every day of the festival and tossed raisins into the crowds of people. One Sunday morning, after her mom had set her hair into eight long black curls, Lorraine was outside drying her hair in the warmth of her sunny backyard in Fresno. That afternoon, Lorraine had swapped out her blue bonnet for her mother's red one. The combination of her silky black curls and the red bonnet in the sunshine made an arresting sight. Coincidentally, a group of raisin coop executives and their wives walked by at that very moment, and they asked Lorraine about the red bonnet. After that day, all the Sun-Maids wore red bonnets, and Lorraine agreed to pose for a watercolor painting. Lorraine and her mom had to rent an apartment in San Francisco for a month to work with the artist Fanny Scafford. All month long, Lorraine posed every day for three hours a day. She held a wooden tray overflowing with grapes while wearing the red bonnet. The portrait ended up as the symbol for the company and was included on the cover of every box of raisins. One newspaper article about the story in 1978 had the headline "Hair A-glinting in the Sun Made Girl an Emblem." After many years, the painting ended up in Lorraine's possession. Later on, Lorraine returned the watercolor to the company. Today, the portrait hangs in a conference room at the Sun-Maid Growers plant. And the faded red bonnet was donated to the Smithsonian by the company in honor of Sun Maid's 75th Anniversary. December 9, 1913 Today is the birthday of the lawyer, politician, diplomat, scholar, photographer, award-winning gardener, writer, and spy Peter Smithers. Peter learned to love gardening as a little boy. One of his earliest memories came when he was four years old and planted mustard seeds with his nanny. He said, "She was quite aware of a child's inability to wait long for anything. Instead of having me plant a bulb, which would have taken weeks to appear above ground, she handed me mustard seeds that popped up the next day. I was hooked for life." Incredibly, in his adult life, Peter inspired the fictional character of J

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).