Stay ConnectedThe Daily Gardener is a weekday podcast celebrating garden history, literature, and the small botanical stories that shape how we garden today.
Each episode follows an “on this day” format, uncovering the people, plants, books, and moments that have quietly influenced gardens across time.
New episodes are released Monday through Friday, and each show features a thoughtfully chosen garden book.
Copyright: Copyright ©2019-2020, Jennifer Ebeling|The Daily Gardener All rights reserved
Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart Support The Daily Gardener Buy Me A Coffee Connect for FREE! The Friday Newsletter | Daily Gardener Community Historical Events 1648 On this day, Elias Ashmole (books about this person), the English antiquary, politician, astrologer, and alchemist, wrote in his diary, Having entered upon a study this day about three o'clock was the first time I went a simpling; Dr: Carter of Reding and Mr. Watling an Apothecary there, accompanying me. To go "a simpling" was an early term for botanizing. People would gather "simples" or medicinal plants, so Elias went out with a Dr. Carter and an Apothecary. They were no doubt looking for herbal remedies. 1816 During June, in New England, six inches of snow fell. The entire year of 1816 was freezing. Every month of the year 1816 had a hard frost. Temperatures dropped to 40 degrees in July and August as far south as Connecticut. This is known as 'The Year Without a Summer' in New England. The weather anomalies originated from the volcanic eruption of Mount Tambora the previous year. The enormous volcanic explosion in recorded history spewed small particles that were light enough to spread over the atmosphere the following year. The impact on the world's climate was profound. The earth's temperature dropped an average of three degrees Celsius across the globe. On the bright side, the terrible summer of 1816 served as an inspiration to many writers. In Lake Geneva, Switzerland, Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein while on vacation with her husband, the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley and the poet Lord Byron. Thanks to nonstop rain and gray skies, the three writers had been stuck inside for days. On the same trip, Lord Byron wrote Darkness, his poem that begins, I had a dream, which was not all a dream. The bright sun was extinguished. 1864 On this day, the famous American writer and political reporter, John Beauchamp Jones ("Bo-shamp"), wrote in his journal: Clear and hot, but with a fine breeze-southwest. Yesterday, I learn, both sides buried the dead... What a war, and for what? And then, after giving some updates from the battlefield, John wrote: Small heads of early York cabbage sold in market to-day at $3, or $5 for two. At that rate, I got about $10 worth out of my garden. Mine are excellent, and so far abundant, as well as the lettuce, which we have every day. My snap beans and beets will soon come on. The little garden is a little treasure. John Beauchamp Jones was born in Maryland and served as a Confederate soldier during the Civil War. 2022 National Garden Exercise Day Gardening is a workout. Gardening is therapeutic on so many levels. The physical aspect of gardening is quite demanding and is an excellent way to build muscle and burn calories. And for many garden podcast listeners, the brain is engaged as well - learning about new plants, techniques, or general garden info. Today and every day in your garden, make sure to stay hydrated and make a point of gardening that promotes good health - take breaks, stretch, use garden chairs, add elevated beds, etc. Be careful living heavy items and tuck some bandaids, bee sting relief (like an epi-pen or Benedryl), and betadine in your garden tote. You never know when you might need a little first aid in the garden. Happy gardening!! It's National Garden Exercise day! Grow That Garden Library™ Book Recommendation The Sibley Guide to Trees by David Allen Sibley This book came out in 2009, but this is one of the best when it comes to tree-reference books. This book has over 500 five-star reviews on Amazon, and it's easy to see why — this book is laid out in such an accessible way. It's effortless to use. I keep one tucked in my garden bench in the garage because I love keeping this guide handy. And I should mention that the reason it's called the Sibley Guide to Trees is that it's written by David Alan Sibley. If that name's familiar, it's because he is the bird guide, author, and illustrator. So you have those side-by-side skills of bird identification and tree identification — and they just go together. David Sibley applies the same approach that he used with birds for the equally complex subject of tree identification. And if trees are a challenge for you, you will definitely appreciate the over 4,000 illustrations in this guide. And I had to chuckle just a little bit after reading an Amazon Q&A with David Alan Sibley about this book. They asked him, Were there significant differences in writing this book vs. the Guide to Birds? I got a kick out of David's answer: The obvious difference is that trees are much easier to find. When I needed to study a particular species of tree I could just walk right up to it and spend as much time investigating it as I needed. Birds are more elusive. I had to spend years in the field in order to build up enough observation time to draw them well. I thought David's response was such a clue to the rest of us regarding tree identification because David spends time with trees. I can't tell you how many people I've helped identify a tree over the years after they spent a mere one or two seconds looking at a single leaf. Trees can offer us many more clues than just their leaf for identification. And this leads to another question that Amazon asked David: What would you say to someone who is a beginner at tree identification? David said, The first thing I suggest is to spend some time with the guide. Try to become familiar with the characteristics of certain trees. Then go through the book and mark all the species that occur in your area. This will help you become familiar with the range of species that could be present so when you see an odd leaf shape, fruit, flower, bark pattern, etc.--even if you can't remember the name--you can remember seeing it in the guide. Since trees are so easy to approach, you can simply take a photo of the key parts of any tree, or pick up a leaf or other part that has fallen on the ground, and identify it at your leisure. They key identifiers will always be the shape, color and size of leaves; the color and shape of twigs; the color and texture of bark; and the tree's overall size and shape as well as habitat, any fruit or flowers, and the timing of seasonal changes. For example, in late May in the northeast, if you see a pale-barked tree with small silvery leaves just emerging (while other trees have well-developed green leaves) you can be virtually certain that is a Bigtooth Aspen. A multi-trunked, spreading tree in wetter soils, with clusters of straw-colored fruit hanging from the twigs all winter, is almost certainly a female Boxelder. So a couple of great examples from David on tree identification and some great tips to keep in mind. Tree ID is often way more than just looking at a single leaf. Take your time. Look at all the different aspects of the tree and take tons of pictures. And now, with the iPhone, you can take a picture of any plant or any part of a plant, any leaf, and then press a little info icon, and then it will ask you right there if you want help with plant identification. That particular part of the photos app for me has been beneficial — and, I have to say, surprisingly accurate. So be sure to give that a try if you haven't yet. This book is 426 pages of tree identification highlighting over 600 tree species. And it's one of my favorite guides. You can get a copy of The Sibley Guide to Trees by David Allen Sibley and support the show using the Amazon link in today's show notes for around $17. Botanic Spark 1925 Birth of Maxine Kumin ("Cue-men") (books by this author), America Pulitzer Prize-winning poet, novelist, children's author, and gardener. Maxine often incorporated garden themes into her work. She once wrote these words in her poems History Lesson, That a man may be free of his ghosts he must return to them like a garden. He must put his hands in the sweet rot uprooting the turnips, washing them tying them into bundles and shouldering the whole load to market. Any gardener who has battled a woodchuck will appreciate Maxine's poem, Woodchucks. This poem was written after Maxine had to battle a family of woodchucks that had invaded her vegetable garden. In the poem, Maxine examines how everyday people can find themselves in a murderous mindset. Gassing the woodchucks didn't turn out right. The knockout bomb from the Feed and Grain Exchange was featured as merciful, quick at the bone and the case we had against them was airtight, both exits shoehorned shut with puddingstone, but they had a sub-sub-basement out of range. Next morning they turned up again, no worse for the cyanide than we for our cigarettes and state-store Scotch, all of us up to scratch. They brought down the marigolds as a matter of course and then took over the vegetable patch nipping the broccoli shoots, beheading the carrots. The food from our mouths, I said, righteously thrilling to the feel of the .22, the bullets' neat noses. I, a lapsed pacifist fallen from grace puffed with Darwinian pieties for killing, now drew a bead on the little woodchuck's face. He died down in the everbearing roses. In July 1998, Maxine was gravely injured when her horse bolted at a carriage-driving clinic. To the surprise of her doctors, Maxine managed to survive the ordeal and wrote a book about the time she spent "inside the halo," which kept her head immobilized as she endured weeks of recovery and rehab. In her 2001 book called, Inside the Halo and Beyond: The Anatomy of a Recovery, Maxine wrote, Keeping the garden going becomes for the family a way of keeping me going. Every morning Judith climbs the hill above the farmhouse to where my fenced garden is situated, just below the pond. Everything here is grown organically. The plants thrive in a soil heavily amended with rotted horse manure and are mulched with spoiled hay. The walkways are papered with old grain bags and then covered with pine needles. It has taken years to achieve this orderly oasis, which somehow compensates for my disorderly desk drawers and the chaos of my closet. In my suburban past, I had only a few self-seeding petunias and cosmos to deal with. The yard was shady; dandelions dotted the grass. To my indifferent eye, it looked adequately tidy. But when we acquired the farm, I gradually began to see another landscape entirely. Wild asparagus appeared, waving their ferny fronds in unexpected places. In a small sunny clearing, rhubarb emerged. Garlic chives sent up little white blossoms along the house foundation and great unkillable clumps of chives with fat purple blooms ran rampant around them. Clusters of what resembled sunflowers proved to be edible Jerusalem artichokes. The first time Victor mowed the area we were slowly restoring to lawn, the wonderful pungency of fresh thyme arose from the nubbly "grass." This season, it is Judith who daily inspects my seven thirty-foot-long raised beds for insect depredation. Whatever needs picking - broccoli, cauliflower, early green beans, lettuce, radishes, the last of the peas - she takes down to the house to be dealt with. The surplus is blanched and frozen for the winter ahead. The tomatoes are not quite ready; the corn, cucumbers, and summer squashes are still ripening, but soon there will be that gratifying mountain of veggies, the benevolent tyranny I always strive to stay abreast of, pickling, canning, and freezing. A poem of mine in praise of gardens ends [with these words]: O children, my wayward jungly dears you are all to be celebrated plucked, transplanted, tilled under, resurrected here even the lowly despised purslane, chickweed, burdock, poke, wild poppies. For all of you, whether eaten or extirpated I plan to spend the rest of my life on my knees. Maxine died in February of 2014 at the age of 88. Thanks for listening to The Daily Gardener And remember: For a happy, healthy life, garden every day.
Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart Support The Daily Gardener Buy Me A Coffee Connect for FREE! The Friday Newsletter | Daily Gardener Community Historical Events 1731 Birth of Martha Washington (books about this person), the inaugural first lady of the United States. At Mount Vernon, Martha was in charge of the kitchen garden. As mistress of the plantation, she was in charge of entertaining guests and planning the evening meal. This meant that a robust kitchen garden was an absolute necessity. Thus, the kitchen garden is the oldest garden at Mount Vernon. It was installed in 1760, and the grounds have produced edibles now for over 250 years. So while other areas of Mount Vernon have gone through some changes, the kitchen garden or the lower garden remains primarily unchanged from how it was initially used back when the Washingtons lived there. Now George and Martha spent a great deal of time away from the estate. And whenever George Washington would send letters back to Mount Vernon, the last paragraph was reserved for instructions from Martha to the gardener about the kitchen garden. Martha would ask about different crops and suggest planting or collecting seeds. Martha really was a knowledgeable plantswoman, and when it came to the kitchen garden, she was not afraid to make suggestions or changes. Martha knew that the kitchen garden was a reflection of her As George's wife and as the president's wife. And when George and Martha were at Mount Vernon, they hosted an average of 600 guests every single year. And most of those people enjoyed supper at the plantation, and the meal No Doubt featured produce from the kitchen garden. William Spence was the gardener at Mount Vernon. He continued working at Mount Vernon after George Washington's death. In addition, William was s a witness to Martha Washington's will, which he signed on September 22, 1800. 1874 On this day, Ann Pamela Cunningham, founder of the MVLA, gave her farewell address MVLA stands for the Mount Vernon Ladies Association, which was founded in 1853. In 1858, less than five years later, this group of indomitable women purchased Mount Vernon from the George Washington family. By so doing, they saved George Washington's eighteenth-century plantation home from development or destruction. Together with encouragement from tourists, the MVLA worked to restore the home and grounds to their full glory. Ann spoke of the need for continued work in her address: Ladies, the home of Washington is in your charge see to it that you keep It the home of Washington! Let no irreverent hand change it; let no vandal hands desecrate it with the fingers of "progress"! Let one spot, in this grand country of ours, be saved from change. Upon you rests this duty. Today we can say definitively that Ann's advice was followed. Washington's home is in top condition along with the outbuildings and the grounds. The greenhouse, which was in a fire in 1835, was fully restored in 1952. To preserve Washington's view of the Potomac, the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association purchased nearly 500 acres on the other side of the Potomac River, thanks to Mrs. Frances Payne Bolton. The latter ended up organizing one of the country's earliest land trusts. When it came to Mount Vernon, George Washington always dreamed of a fine landscape and beautiful gardens. Many enslaved people and trained gardeners made his dream a reality. George hired his first gardener in 1762. A decade later, he posted an ad that said, "a good Kitchen Gardener is what I want." After seeing the one that Margaret Tilghman Carroll installed at her home, Mount Clare, near Baltimore, George added a greenhouse. In turn, Margaret sent the plans and some plants to help the Washingtons christen their greenhouse. In 1799, one guest at Mount Vernon wrote, "[There] I saw ...English grapes, oranges, limes, and lemons... as well as a great variety of plants and flowers... exquisite in their perfume and delightful to the eye..." 1893 On this day, a witty, thoughtful, and upright citizen of South Yarmouth, Massachusetts, Stephen Sears wrote in his journal about his garden. Stephen kept a journal for posterity, and nature entries are sprinkled throughout his writings in between notes on work, worship, and family. Stephen was a Sunday School teacher, and he wrote that he thought it was "the best thing I can do for the coming generation." On this day in 1893, Stephen was 71 years old. He built a cage around a tree and burned caterpillars. He must have thought them destructive (maybe tent caterpillars?) That spring, he had "plowed [the] garden and planted peas." On June 6, he noted that "summer is here, hot and dry," and then he "transplanted [his] tomato vines and hoed [his] watermelons." Almost every day, Stephen worked in his garden. He watered daily and occasionally added seaweed as a fertilizer. On June 17, after three weeks of no rain, Stephen wrote, "The ground is wet again, and vegetation smiles." At the end of the month, he was clearly frustrated with one particular garden pest: potato bugs. Stephen wrote, If I were to offer [a] sacrifice to the Devil it [w]ould be potato bugs in Lager Beer. . 2003 On this day, an Iraqi scientist named Mahdi Obeidi led US officials, including David Kay, out to his rose garden. Over a decade earlier, in February of 1992, Uday Hussein had told Mahdi Obeidi to hide all the evidence of Iraq's efforts to pursue a nuclear program. So Mahdi gathered up his documents and prototypes and packed them in a fifty-gallon drum. Then Mahdi buried the drum beneath a lotus tree in his backyard. The entire stash remained there undisturbed until America declared war on Iraq. Mahdi's story became a book called, The Bomb in My Garden and tells how Saddam Hussein pursued nukes only to be thwarted by his invasion of Kuwait and honorable people in his own government. After the fall of Baghdad, Dr. Obeidi felt it was finally safe to reveal the secret he had buried in his garden, under a lotustree, no less. Lotus trees have a long history and are known scientifically as the Ziziphus lotus. In Greek mythology, in the Odyssey, the Lotus tree fruit was eaten by the Lotus-Eaters to make them sleepy and to create a false sense of peace and apathy. It was said Romulus planted a sacred Lotus near the temple of Vulcan and that it was still standing seven centuries later, in the time of Pliny the Elder. The English explorer Richard Francis Burton saw a lotus on his travels through the middle east. The Lotus leaves were used to wash the bodies of the dead, and the fruit was sold as a cash crop to travelers. Today the Lotus tree is used as fodder and for hedges. The thorny branches create an effective barrier. The flowers are a favorite of pollinators of all kinds. Grow That Garden Library™ Book Recommendation Where We Bloom by Debra Prinzing This book came out in 2022, and the subtitle is Thirty-Seven Intimate, Inventive and Artistic Studio Spaces Where Floral Passions Find a Place to Blossom. The publisher writes, Step inside the places where flowers come to life. Slow Flowers Society founder Debra Prinzing's new book showcases the beautiful plant- and flower-filled settings of Slow Flowers designers, farmer-florists, and growers. Each environment reflects the personality and aesthetic style of its owner, offering great ideas to inspire the design, organization, and functionality of your creative studio. Visit their spaces and read about their floral passions. Debra profiles thirty-seven studio spaces for floral aficionados of all kinds in this book. Here's how she introduces Lori Poliski's Woodinville, Washington, modern homestead - a former horse barn converted into a studio with function and beauty in mind: Lori Poliski was a gardener long before she formed Flori, her design studio based in a suburb of Seattle. She has made posies and arrangements since she was five, drawing from roots that began on a family farm in New Jersey where her mother grew lilacs, peonies, and roses. Lori worked for a flower shop in the Bay Area after college and later, during a technology career, she continued to design flowers for family and friends' weddings. In 2017, she formalized a business, naming the studio "Flori" ...and rhymes with her name. Lori said, "My husband designed my first business card and it read: "Garden-style Bowers for small weddings and events." The frustration of producing wedding flowers in a garage filled with sports equipment and bicycles inspired dreams of having a dedicated design space. Lori's solution? A 12-by-24-foot covered storage area at one end of the horse barn where three animals also are stabled. The space now has two sets of white French dooms and windows, which look charming against the blue-gray shingle siding, complete with striped awning, I can only imagine how fun it was for Debra to roam the country scouting these 37 flower-filled locations for her book. All the stories and the people behind these magical spaces are a true joy to discover. If you are thinking about creating or redoing a floral space of your own - a simple she shed or a little corner in the garage or attic, well, then you'll find plenty of inspiration in the spaces profiled in Debra's book. This book is 127 pages of pure eye candy and dreams made real for modern floral artists and creatives. You can get a copy of Where We Bloom by Debra Prinzing and support the show using the Amazon link in today's show notes for around $9. Botanic Spark 1962 Death of Vita Sackville-West (books by this author) English author, and garden designer. In 1960, Vita wrote of her marriage and death: ..now in our advancing age, we love each other more deeply than ever, and also more agonizingly, since we see the inevitable end. It is not nice to know that one of us must die before the other. Vita died first. Three weeks later, Harold wrote, Oh Vita, I have wept buckets for you. Vita Sackville-West was a talented and complex woman. An excellent writer, Vita found success as a poet, writer, and broadcaster. After she and Harold purchased Sissinghurst, Vita became one of the most influential gardeners of her time. For over twenty years, they worked together to create a garden where none ever grew before. And for over a decade, she wrote a weekly column about her life as a gardener at Sissinghurst for the Observer. Vita was at once relatable, admirable, witty, and removed. Vita knew love and loss in her personal life and had relationships with both women and men, but through it, all Harold remained the true north of her heart. Today the fruit of their labor and their shared dream, Sissinghurst, is beloved worldwide, and Vita's garden wisdom still holds sway. In her book called The Garden, Vita wrote, I tried to hold the courage of my ways In that which might endure, Daring to find a world in a lost world, A little world, a little perfect world… And in her Poems of West & East, Vita wrote a loving tribute to their efforts at Sissinghurst in a poem called The Garden. We owned a garden on a hill, We planted rose and daffodil, Flowers that English poets sing, And hoped for glory in the Spring. We planted yellow hollyhocks, And humble sweetly-smelling stocks, And columbine for carnival, And dreamt of Summer's festival. And Autumn not to be outdone As heiress of the summer sun, Should doubly wreathe her tawny head With poppies and with creepers red. We waited then for all to grow, We planted wallflowers in a row. And lavender and borage blue, - Alas! we waited, I and you, But love was all that ever grew. Thanks for listening to The Daily Gardener And remember: For a happy, healthy life, garden every day.
Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart Support The Daily Gardener Buy Me A Coffee Connect for FREE! The Friday Newsletter | Daily Gardener Community Historical Events 1785 It was on this day that Noah Webster (books about this person) (of Webster's dictionary fame) boarded a little ship named George in Baltimore. When the ship stopped in Norfolk, Virginia, Noah ate some cherries for the very first time. He must have liked them because he later added cherry trees to his orchard. Noah Webster was a fierce gardener. He enjoyed his time in the garden, and he planted all kinds of vegetables, like parsnips, carrots, cucumbers, beets, and potatoes. In fact, in his dictionary, Noah Webster defined potatoes as, one of the cheapest and most nourishing vegetables. And then he got a little spiritual about the potato. Noah wrote, In the British dominions and in the United States, the potato has proved to be one of the greatest blessings bestowed on man by the Creator. Noah Webster was also a fan of farming. He called farming, the most necessary, the most healthy, the most innocent, and the most agreeable employment of men. Noah Webster had a property in Amhurst, and over the years, he gradually acquired the land around his property until he had around ten acres. On this land. Noah built a barn. He had a chaise house, and he also planted a magnificent garden. Everyone in Amhurst knew that Noah Webster's orchard was the best in the town. Noah grew pears. He had apple trees and peach trees - and even grew sweet white grapes, 1859 From The Diary of Calvin Fletcher, American attorney who became a prominent banker, farmer, and state senator in Indianapolis, Indiana This a beautiful day. My early corn one foot high. Early potatoes set for blossom. Early tomatoes six and eight inches high. Grapes in full blossom. Strawberrys Ditto. Two messes of green peas. The grass in the yard cut one week ago. Raspberrys nearly full grown. Currants ditto former good size latter small. 1888 Birth of Henry Beston (books by this author), American writer and naturalist. Last week I discovered Henry Beston when I researched his wife, the writer, and poet, Elizabeth Coatsworth (books by this author). I have to say it was a thrill getting to know both of them. Henry is best remembered for his book The Outermost House (1928). Henry wrote the book during the year spent on the Great Beach of Cape Cod. He isolated himself in a house on the beach and devoted himself to writing about life along the shore. Henry wrote his book in longhand at a kitchen table. During this year, when Henry was sequestered in this house, he actually met his future wife, Elizabeth, at a garden party. Later on, when he proposed marriage to Elizabeth, She told him, "No book. No marriage". So that was an extra incentive for Henry to finish his book. Now Henry and Elizabeth went on to have two little girls. Their daughter, Kate Barnes (books by this author), became a respected author and poet in her own right. Here's a little excerpt from her poem called Old Roses, which is about how her parents met. Kate wrote, When my father met my mother at a dinner party in a garden of very old roses on Beacon Hill one hot evening in early June, he said to his friend, F. Morton Smith, that night, "Morton, I have met the girl I'm going to marry!" (We have Uncle Morton's testimony for that, the certified word of a Boston lawyer.) My mother said my father had looked handsome, yes, and talked delightfully, but what she remembered were the mosquitoes. "If you stopped slapping at them, even for a second, you were eaten up alive." Henry wrote many different books. Of course, most of them are about nature, but there was one garden book that caught my attention, and it's called Herbs and the Earth. And in this book, Henry wrote. A garden of herbs, is a garden of things loved for themselves in their wholeness and integrity. It is not a garden of flowers, but a garden of plants which are sometimes very lovely flowers and are always more than flowers. Isn't that a great quote about herbs? The more I read about Henry Beston, the more it became apparent that Henry was a profound thinker and thought about gardening on a much deeper level. I think it's because Henry was so grounded in the tenants of nature. Listen to how Henry describes watering plants. This is a perspective that I have not heard before. Henry wrote. If gardeners will forget a little the phrase, "watering the plants" and think of watering as a matter of "watering the earth" under the plants, keeping up its moisture content and gauging. its need, the garden will get on very well. And isn't that the truth? Here's a delightful little quote by Henry. It's about. Fall: The leaves fall, the wind blows, and the farm country slowly changes from the summer cottons into its winter wools. 1968 Death of Helen Keller (books about this person), American author, disability rights advocate, and lecture. Helen lost both her sight and hearing when she was a little toddler at the age of 19 months. In the years before she met her excellent teacher, she would turn to nature whenever she was frustrated. She was like her father in that way; they both enjoyed being outdoors. And the Keller family garden was a place where Helen could go to find solace. Helen once wrote. People often have no idea how fair the flour is to the touch. Nor do they appreciate its fragrance, which is the soul of the flower. And Helen also wrote, I feel the delightful velvety texture of a flower and discover its remarkable convolutions and something of the miracle of nature is revealed to me. Helen's favorite flower was the peony. If you think about holding a peony and the fragrance of the peony, it's no wonder why that flower had a special appeal to Helen. Helen once said, Since my childhood, I have adored them and have been glad each spring. When the miracle of their bloom.has been wrought again. In 1961, Helen Keller retired from public life, and she spent the last seven years of her life walking in her garden and reading books. After Helen died of a heart attack on June 1st, 1968, her ashes were placed beside her dear friend and teacher, Annie Sullivan, at the National Cathedral in Washington, DC. Helen was once asked if she believed. In heaven. She replied, Most certainly. It is no more than passing from one room into another. But there's a difference for me. Because in the other room, I will be able to see. Grow That Garden Library™ Book Recommendation The Pig by Robin Hutson This book came out in 2019, and the subtitle is Tales and Recipes from the Kitchen Garden and Beyond. Tom Parker Bowles raved, The Pig revolutionised the country house hotel, creating a true rooms home away from hame. No pomp or pretence, just beautiful and magnificent food with produce from their own kitchen gardens. Where The Pig goes, the others follow. From the publisher: A stylish, practical guide to living the good life. Among the pages of The Pig, you will find an idiosyncratic, seasonal approach to the good life, with delicious recipes, how-to guides, lists, panels, and stories. Chapters include one called Out in the Garden - The benefits of growing 12 types of mint- An essay on "the sweetness of carrots"- How to make your own sack garden- Recipe for the Gardener's sandwich Here's how Robin introduces his restaurant, The Pig, and the journey he's been on these past dozen years. We opened The Pig back in July 2011, although in some respects it feels like a whole lot longer ago than that. One thing's for sure - we've learnt a lot along the way in those few years. For a start, we've become experts in growing our own and making the most of what we produce. We know how to seek out small artisan producers and work with them to bring some amazing ingredients to the table. We've discovered how to keep bees and make delicious honey. A nd we've even perfected the art of building smokehouses - now we smoke everything in sight, from salmon and salt to beetroot and beef. Beyond the kitchen and garden, we've worked out how to infuse just about anything into gin and vodka and have become past masters at upcycling junk-shop treasures. The purpose of this book is to share with you some of these discoveries. If you have visions of a working kitchen garden on a grand scale, listen as Robin tells us what it takes to make it all work at The Pig. We'd heard horrible stories of kitchen gardens at other hotels where the garden produce was left to perish in the soil because there was no shared vision between the chef and the gardener, so we knew this relationship was key. Happily, we've seen no such sorry sights in our gardens. In fact, the bond between garden and kitchen - headed up by Ollie (senior kitchen gardener) and James (chef director) is so strong, there now exists an almost obsessional culture for all things home-grown, homemade and local. Certainly on day one of The Pig, back in the summer of 2011, we didn't envisage the garden team we have today with around 20 kitchen gardeners working across several acres of productive gardens, and our own plant nursery for seedlings. The gardens didn't just play a major part in influencing the food style and the menus but many other aspects of the overall operation, too. And here's just a random sampling of recipe titles from the index under the letter H: hazelnuts: - nettle salsa verde 143 - salt-baked celeriac salad 84-5 hens 128, 174-5 herbs: garden herb oil 98-9 - growing 114-15 - winter savory $1 herbal healing 255-6 - infusions 208-11, 260 - planters for 241 - in pots 229 - see also basil; lemon verbena; mint; rosemary herby popcorn 205 honey 130-1 - honey clotted cream 123 horseradish: cylindra beetroot & - horseradish toasts 68-9 - making horseradish sauce 68 Here's a glimpse of one of my favorite recipes from this book, Judy's Tomatoes on Toast. Robin writes, You might think you know what tomatoes on toast tastes like... but believe me, once you've tried this version you'll never have it any other way - it's one of our all-time favourites at home. The tomatoes are so juicy and buttery, and the sourdough toast has just the right combination of crispness and chewiness. Of course the big thing here is the quality of the tomatoes, which can be a bit of a challenge in the UK, especially in the winter. I love Isle of Wight tomatoes, when I can get them. They come in different varieties from some of the best growers in the UK and are fairly local to us as well, which is a bonus. 2 big knobs of salted butter, plus extra for the toast 1kg (2lb 4oz) of the ripest, sweetest, medium-sized tomatoes you can get, roughly chopped A splash of Worcestershire sauce (optional: it's not part of Judy's version but I sometimes add some If I'm feeling a bit wild - woohoo!) 4 large slices of very holey sourdough bread salt and pepper Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat and add the tomatoes (and a splash of Worcestershire sauce, if you like). Cook them gently for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Don't boil them, just let them simmer, and then season to your taste. Meanwhile, toast the bread to a nice dark color and spread with a little more butter. By this time the mixture should be halfway between solid and soup, so pour it onto the toast and away you go. This book is 304 pages of Robin Hutson's The Pig. You can get a copy of The Pig by Robin Hutson and support the show using the Amazon link in today's show notes for around $8. Botanic Spark 1917 On this day, a garden accident occurred in West Scranton, Pennsylvania. The story was reported in the 11th volume of the Coal Age magazine. Here's what it said. While Mrs. Theodore Barton was pulling weeds in her garden on June 1st, the ground suddenly gave way under her, and she landed in an old abandoned mine gangway that was 18 feet below. A mine gangway is the highway of the mind, and it's a permanent and often fortified part of the mine. It's heavily timbered on the sides and the roof. And so this event of Mrs. Barton falling through a gangway was actually quite unusual, although I'm sure it was terribly frightening. The article says that several neighbors heard Mrs. Barton screaming for help, and they ended up rescuing her after considerable effort. So all's well, that ends well. But I tell you what: the garden can still be a place where dangerous things can happen. Last fall, I had a terrible fall in my garden. I ended up face planting right into the hard ground. It was early November. And I remember lying there thinking, am I still alive? I'm not kidding. It was such an abrupt fall. I didn't even have time to brace myself. But it underscored something that I always tell my student gardeners and gardeners in general. And that is that it's always a good idea to have your phone on you. Not only for taking pictures of all the beautiful plants and flowers that you're working with but also for your personal safety when you're in the garden. Thanks for listening to The Daily Gardener And remember: For a happy, healthy life, garden every day.
Full show notes at the publisherSubscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart Support The Daily Gardener Buy Me A Coffee Connect for FREE! The Friday Newsletter | Daily Gardener Community Historical Events 1819 Birth of Walt Whitman, American poet, essayist, and journalist. A humanist, Walt is remembered as the father of free verse. When Whitman was 54 years old, he suffered a stroke that left him paralyzed. He spent the next two years immersed in nature, and he believed that nature had helped to heal him. He wrote, How it all nourishes, lulls me, in the way most needed; the open air, the rye-fields, the apple orchards. Walt also appreciated flowers. He wrote, A morning-glory at my window satisfies me more than the metaphysics of books. In 1892, Walt wrote one of his most celebrated prose about Wild Flowers in a piece called Specimen Days. This has been and is yet a great season for wild flowers; oceans of them line the roads through the woods, border the edges of the water-runlets, grow all along the old fences, and are scatter'd in profusion over the fields. An eight-petal'd blossom of gold-yellow clear and bright, with a brown tuft in the middle, nearly as large as a silver half-dollar, is very common; yesterday on a long drive I noticed it thickly lining the borders of the brooks everywhere. Then there is a beautiful weed cover'd with blue flowers, (the blue of the old Chinese teacups treasur'd by our grand-aunts,) I am continually stopping to admire [it] - [it's] a little larger than a dime, and very plentiful. White, however, is the prevailing color. The wild carrot I have spoken of; also the fragrant life-everlasting. But there are all hues and beauties, especially on the frequent tracts of half-open scrub-oak and dwarf-cedar hereabout - wild asters of all colors. Notwithstanding the frost-touch the hardy little chaps maintain themselves in all their bloom. 1840 Birth of Charles McIlvaine, American author, and mycologist. Charles was born in Chester County, Pennsylvania. He served as a captain in the Pennsylvania Infantry. After the Civil War, he always went by "Captain." When he was 40, Charles moved to West Virginia, where he wrote articles for magazines like Century and Harpers. After the war, food was scarce, and Charles started hunting and eating mushrooms. Charles ate virtually every specimen he encountered and even dabbled in mushrooms said to be poisonous. If he suffered no ill effects, Charles deemed a specimen edible. Before Charles's work, the USDA issued a report in 1885 that claimed there were only twelve edible species of mushrooms in the United States. Today Charles is best known for his 1896 book called 1,000 American Fungi. Charles was passionate about mycology, and he included his experiences with eating almost every species mentioned in his book. He wrote, I take no man's word for the qualities of a toadstool. I go for it myself. Charles claimed to have eaten over 1,000 mushrooms and toadstools, and he said he enjoyed the flavor of most of them. His daring ingestion of so many species earned Charles the nickname Old Iron Guts. Charles lived to be 69 and defied the old saying, There are old mushroom hunters and there are bold mushroom hunters, but there are no old bold mushroom hunters. Charles was indeed an old, bold mycologist. Charles's experimentation is all the more impressive given the challenging nature of mushroom identification. If you find plant identification challenging, mushroom identification is much more involved and often requires chemical reagents and microscopic evaluation. In our modern times, DNA sequencing can also definitively establish species. Thanks to his excellent writing skills, Charles wrote about mushrooms in a friendly and conversational manner. Here's what Charles wrote about the Oyster Mushroom: The camel is gratefully called the ship of the desert. The oyster mushroom is the shellfish of the forest. When the tender parts are dipped in egg, rolled in bread crumbs, and fried as an oyster, they're not excelled buy any vegetable and are worth of place on the daintiest menu. Here's how Charles described the Vomiting Russella: Most are sweet and nutty to the taste. Some are as hot as the fiercest cayenne, but this they lose upon cooking. Their caps make the most palatable dishes when stewed, baked, roasted or escalloped. Finally, here's a little-known poem that Charles wrote called Our Church Fight. I'm that nigh near disgusted with the fight in our old church, Where one halfs 'g'in the t'other, an' the Lord's left in the lurch, That I went an' told the parson if he'd jine me in a prayer, We'd slip out 'mong the daisies and' put one up from there. Charles is remembered in the name of the journal of the North American Mycological Association (NAMA), McIlvainea ("Mick-ill-vay-nee-ah"). 1893 Birth of Elizabeth Coatsworth, American writer of fiction and poetry for children and adults. In 1931, She won the Newbery Medal for her children's book, The Cat Who Went to Heaven. Elizabeth's poems invoke sentiment and thoughts of home. Her poem November begins, November comes And November goes, With the last red berries And the first white snows. Her poem Nosegay is about a small bunch of flowers. Nosegays were typically sweet-scented and worn at the waist or bodice. Violets, daffodils, roses and thorn were all in the garden before you were born. Daffodils, violets, red and white roses your grandchildren's children will hold to their noses. 1920 On this day, a 37-year-old Virginia Woolf gardened with her husband, Leonard, at the new home they had bought the previous year. The garden covered three-quarters of a hectare and came with mature apple, plum, cherry, and pear trees. Of the two, Leonard was more the gardener, but Virginia was happy to assist whenever she got the chance. In her diary on this day, she wrote, The first pure joy of the garden… weeding all day to finish the beds in a queer sort of enthusiasm which made me say this is happiness. Gladioli standing in troops; the mock orange out. We were out till nine at night, though the evening was cold. Both stiff and scratched all over today, with chocolate earth in our nails. Grow That Garden Library™ Book Recommendation The Pickled Pantry by Andrea Chesman This book came out in 2012. It's an oldie, but goodie. And the subtitle is From Apples to Zucchini, 150 Recipes for Pickles, Relishes, Chutneys & More. Well, this is one of my favorite books. I use this every single summer. And I love what the publisher says here about Andrea's book. They write Blending your grandmother's pickling know-how with today's Internet resources, Andrea Chesman shows you how easy it is to fill your pantry with tasty homemade sauerkraut, Salt-Cured Dilly Beans, and Rosemary Onion Confit. Explaining classic techniques in simple language, guiding you to helpful websites, and making you laugh with humorous stories, Chesman provides inspiration and encouragement for both first-time picklers and dedicated home canners. With tips on pickling everything from apples to zucchini, you'll enjoy exploring the stunning variety of flavors that can fill a Mason jar. And I can tell you from experience that when the pandemic hit, and we had that first year of everybody rushing to garden, Andrea's book was a go-to resource for so many people as they were dealing with their first garden harvest. Now I thought what I would do is walk you through the table of contents because that helps you understand Andrea's book's structure. This is really a book about pickling. There are other items and other recipes covered here, but this is primarily a pickle resource. So, what is covered here is: 1 All About Pickling page 10 2 Fermented Pickles page 34 3 Single Jar Pickles page 72 4 Big-Harvest Fresh-Pack Pickles page 122 5 Salsas, Relishes, Chutneys page 148 (This is one of my most dog-eared sections in this book.) 6 Refrigerator & Freezer Pickles page 202 7 Recipes for Enjoying Homemade Pickles page 236 I also wanted to share just a little bit about what Andrea wrote in the introduction to this book because you'll get a little glimpse of her marvelous sense of humor. She wrote this in the introduction. Naturally I wanted to pack all that freshly harvested goodness into jars to preserve it for the coming winter. I asked my grand- mother how she made her pickles. My grandmother was not a woman enthralled by the domestic arts, nor was she overly chatty. She told me to put cucumbers and dill in a crock, cover them with water, then add enough salt so "it's just before you gag. Well, that sounds like my mom. That's exactly how my mom tells me about how to make our family recipes. So this one made me smile. Now the other story that I wanted to share with you is this fantastic idea that Andrea came up with for sharing your pickle bounty. If you're part of a garden club or a group of gardeners in your neighborhood, maybe you can pool your resources when it comes to canning time. I had the opportunity to collect pickle recipes and gather them together for a book. It began with a "pickle barter party." Because so many traditional recipes yielded seven or nine jars of pickles (a boiling-water-bath canner load), I thought it would be a great idea to swap jars of home-canned pickles the same way people swap cookies at Christmastime. My friends were all fellow back-to-the-landers, and preserving food by canning, pickling, and freezing was part of the lifestyle. Today's urban food swaps accomplish much the same thing. Great idea. Isn't that? And such a fun thing to do this summer. You can do it outside. And not have to worry about catching COVID. And here's what Andrea says about pickle preferences - and this is so true - especially if you have kids. What I learned as I tasted my way through batch after batch of pickles is that preferences vary widely. For some people, no pickle is too sweet; others hate garlic. But inevitably, there is perfect pickle for every taste. It just requires collecting and inventing many, many recipes. Over the years, I've watched many trends and pickle making And in the 1970s, just like today, many people rediscovered, pickle making as they moved back to the land. And so what's old is new again. Well, I tell you what, you could do a lot worse than having Andrea Chessman be your guide for pickling. This is a hefty book. It is 304 pages of pickling everything - from cucumbers (so that you can make your dills, your half-sours, your bread-and-butters) to other vegetables (everything from carrots to rhubarb cabbage, to even pineapple.) The bottom line here is you can pickle it - and that's Andrea's favorite saying. Now, luckily Andrea's book is ubiquitous because this book has been around for a decade. You can get a copy of The Pickled Pantry by Andrea Chesman and support the show using the Amazon link in today's show notes for around $8. And by the way, if you have a family reunion to go to, or you just want to have a little family picnic, this would be a lovely little hostess gift. It's so sweet and that cover is adorable. Botanic Spark 1905 The Flower Garden Day by Day by Louisa Yeomans King MAY 31. Take a part of this month if possible, and visit the Arnold Arboretum, Boston, for lilacs, Asiatic cherries, crabs, and general beauty; and Highland Park, Rochester, N. Y., for the great lilac collection. The notebooks should go, too; and while it is difficult to leave one's own garden at SO interesting a time, a great enlarging of the gardening horizon is the result of such travels. Thanks for listening to The Daily Gardener And remember: For a happy, healthy life, garden every day.
Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart Support The Daily Gardener Buy Me A Coffee Connect for FREE! The Friday Newsletter | Daily Gardener Community Historical Events 1669 Birth of Sébastien Vaillant ("Vy-yaw"), French botanist. Appointed to the King's garden in Paris, Sebastien loved organizing and cataloging plants. Biographical accounts say Sebastian showed a passion for plants from the age of five. His masterpiece, forty years in the making, Botanicon Parisienne, was a book about the flora of Paris. It wasn't published until five years after his death. Sebastian's work on plant sexuality inspired generations of botanists and set the stage for Linneaus to develop his sexual system of plant classification. Linnaeus used the male stamens to determine the class and the female pistils to determine the order. And like Sebastion, Linnaeus often compared plant sexuality to that of humans. Linnaeus wrote, Love even seizes... plants... both [males and females], even the hermaphrodites, hold their nuptials, which is what I now intend to discuss. Sebastian caused a sensation at the Royal Garden in Paris on June 10, 1717. On that day, he presented a lecture titled, Lecture on the Structure of the Flowers: Their Differences and the Use of Their Parts. He began by reinforcing the idea that the flower is the most essential part of a plant - essential to reproduction - and then he began to lead his scientific colleagues into a deep dive on plant sexuality - at six in the morning, no less. Before Sebastian's lecture, the topic of sex in the plant world had only been touched on lightly, allowing flowers and blossoms to maintain their reputation as pure, sweet, and innocent. Today, we can imagine the reaction of his 600-person audience as he began using fairly explicit language and the lens of human sexuality to describe the sex lives of plants. A 2002 translation of Sebastian's speech was presented in the Huntia - a Journal of Botanical History. Sebastian started his lecture with these words, Perhaps the language I am going to use for this purpose will seem a little novel for botany, but since it will be filled with terminology that is perfectly proper for the use of the parts ... I intend to expose, I believe it will be more comprehensible than the old fashioned terminology, which — being crammed with incorrect and ambiguous terms [is] better suited for confusing the subject than for shedding light on it. Sebastian's discussion of the plant embryos was rather poetic: Who can imagine that a prism with four faces becomes a Pansy; a narrow roll, the Borage; a kidney, the Daffodil; that a cross can metamorphose into a maple; two crystal balls intimately glued to each other, [Comfrey], etc.? These are nevertheless the shapes favored in these diverse plants by their lowly little embryos. 1742 On this day, Horace Walpole wrote to Horace Mann, in part describing his visit to Ranelagh ("Ron-ah-lay") Gardens in Chelsea. Ranelagh had opened just two days prior, and it was one of several pleasure gardens opened around this time. Horace wrote, Today calls itself May the 26th, as you perceive by the date; but I am writing to you by the fireside, instead of going to Vauxhall. If we have one warm day in seven, "we bless our stars, and think it luxury." And yet we have as much waterworks and fresco diversions, as if we lay ten degrees nearer warmth. Two nights ago Ranelagh-gardens were opened at Chelsea; the Prince, Princess, Duke, much nobility, and much mob besides, were there. There is a vast amphitheatre, finely gilt, painted, and illuminated, into which everybody that loves eating, drinking, staring, or crowding, is admitted for twelvepence. The building and... gardens cost sixteen thousand pounds. Twice a-week there are to be ridottos... [entertainment] for which you are to have a supper and music. I was there last night, but did not find the joy of it. Vauxhall is a little better; the garden is pleasanter, and [you arrive] by water... Horace must have come to prefer Ranelagh. He later wrote, It has totally beat Vauxhall... You can't set your foot without treading on a Prince, or Duke of Cumberland. Finally, it was Horace Walpole who wrote, When people will not weed their own minds, they are apt to be overrun by nettles. 1811 On this day, Thomas Jefferson wrote to his granddaughter, Anne, who was visiting her in-laws: Nothing new has happened in our neighborhood since you left us. The houses and trees stand where they did. The flowers come forth like the belles of the day, have their short reign of beauty and splendor, and retire like them to the more interesting office of reproducing their like. The hyacinths and tulips are off the stage, the irises are giving place to the belladonnas, as this will to the tuberoses etc. Thomas was not able to garden much during the summer of 1811. His arthritis had flared, and he found himself almost entirely bedridden. 1921 On this day, Kate Lancaster Brewster resigned as editor of the bulletin she funded and started for The Garden Club of America for its first six years. At the time of her resignation, Kate reported, Cost of Publishing the Bulletin (including postage) between July, 1920 and May, 1921 totaled $4038. Number of paid subscribers... 55 Number of lapsed subscribers... 21 2 Paid subscribers have become Members-at-Large. I Paid subscriber has become a member of the GARDEN CLUB OF AMERICA. As for Kate Lancaster Brewster, she had a beautiful Italianate garden in Lake Forest, Illinois. She was friends with most of the prominent gardeners and garden writers of her time, including Mrs. Francis King (Louisa Yeomans King). When Louisa published The Little Garden Series, Kate wrote one of the books called The Little Garden for Little Money. Kate and her husband Walter were ardent art collectors and loved to travel. The couple helped establish the Chicago Art Institute. During WWI, Kate left her service work in Chicago, California, and New York to go to France. There, she assisted her friend, the indefatigable Mabel Boardman of the American Red Cross, with hospital work. Grow That Garden Library™ Book Recommendation The Thoughtful Gardener by Jinny Blom This book came out in 2017, and the subtitle is An Intelligent Approach to Garden Design. Well, Piet Oudolf has high praise for Jinny Blom. He writes, The most romantic, creative person in garden design I know. So that's high praise right there from one of our top modern garden designers. Like Piet Oudolf, Jinny Blom is a force all her own. She's designed well over 200 gardens, and they represent a diverse range of garden styles - proving that Jinny Blom really is The Thoughtful Gardener. Now, one of Jinny's superpowers is to take a look at the current landscape, look at the setting, look at the surrounding ecosystems and communities, and then determine what vision best fits that landscape. And, of course, she has to throw in client desires and other challenges that might come up in the creation of that garden. And whether it's topography challenges or resource constraints, Jinny has indeed seen it all. Through her myriad experiences, she's come up with six different steps to help you become a thoughtful gardener too. Now I think one of the things that Jinny does almost unconsciously at this stage in her career is that she really thinks through what she's trying to accomplish in any given landscape. And I don't care what you're trying to accomplish; you will definitely do a better job of reaching your anticipated goals if you take the time to do your homework and truly think things through. The six different sections in Jinny's book are understanding, structuring, harmonizing, rooting, and liberating. Jinny also has another superpower that I think really helps her when it comes to her garden design skills, and that is that she can see gardens as they will look when they are mature, and that's a particular skill for garden designers. I remember the first time I interviewed the Renegade Gardener, and he said the same thing to me. He said that he was a successful garden designer because he could imagine what a plant would look like at maturity or in any particular setting in the future. And so he knew what to plant where - and how it would look when it was all grown up. And so his goal as a designer was not to make sure that the garden would look good immediately - although that was a temporary concern and a nice to have - he was more concerned with his ultimate goal, which was to be able to drive by these properties that he had designed, especially early in his career and see their mature beauty in the fullness of time. Jinny also has that ability. Now Paula Deitz, Editor of The Hudson Review, wrote the forward to Jinny's book. And here's what she wrote, Rare is the garden book, like this one, that makes the reader feel personally included as a friend in a long conversation with the writer. Like Lancelot 'Capability' Brown, whom she lauds for his estate management in the 18th century, Blom is herself a cultural geographer who scopes out the historical features of paths, gates and antiquated farm buildings on a given property prior to drawing up a plan that proceeds almost instantaneously, a process fascinating to follow. Whether in town or country, with either single or multiple garden areas, Blom establishes architectural enclosures, like Cotswold drystone walls, prior to the overlay of her signature, beautifying horticulture, thus creating what she calls environments for intimate experiences'. And that is the quintessentialJinny Blom landscape. Now, this is how Jinny herself describes this book. She writes, So this book is about how I've developed my way of working over the last twenty years in progression from apprentice to journeyman to master craftsman. It takes a long time and I've learned at the elbow of countless masters, not in a schoolroom. I choose plants with compatibility in mind, appropriate materials arise from their locale, and I consider the people who will live in the garden, the wildlife, the weather. I'd like to share some of what I think about when designing, in the hope that it kindles the fires of excitement in others. I've climbed a big mountain to get to this point and hope there's a view worth sharing. From the reviews of this book, the Amazon ratings, and the commentary by her peers, I can tell you that Jinny Blom definitely has a view worth sharing. She's hit it out of the park - out of the garden - with this beautiful book called The Thoughtful Gardener. You'll get to see images from so many of Jinny's gardens. You'll see her thoughtfulness and creativity in action certainly. But most of all, you'll get to know Jinny. She is funny and intelligent, and she thinks about plants and gardens and landscapes on a level that very few garden designers do. It feels like she's always one step ahead, and I think that's because Jinny does such a thorough job of researching and thinking about her garden designs - so that by the time you see the final product, it just seems so effortless. But I suppose that is Jinny's method behind the madness at the end of the day. This book is 256 pages of learning garden design with one of our modern masters, Jinny Blom. You can get a copy of The Thoughtful Gardener by Jinny Blom and support the show using the Amazon link in today's show notes for around $16. Botanic Spark 1847 Birth of Edgar Fawcett, American poet. Edgar wrote some famous garden verses. He wrote, [A]ll life budding like a rose and sparkling like its dew. And Come rambling awhile through this exquisite weather Of days that are fleet to pass, When the stem of the willow shoots out a green feather, And buttercups burn in the grass! Edgar's poems often remind us of the value of all green living things. We say of the oak "How grand of girth!" Of the willow we say, "How slender!" And yet to the soft grass clothing the earth How slight is the praise we render. My favorite Edgar Fawcett verses feature trees. Here's one about lovers speaking to each other using the language of birds: Hark, love, while...we walk, Beneath melodious trees… You'd speak to me in Redbreast; I would answer you in Wren! Thanks for listening to The Daily Gardener And remember: For a happy, healthy life, garden every day.
Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart Support The Daily Gardener Buy Me A Coffee Connect for FREE! The Friday Newsletter | Daily Gardener Community Historical Events 1803 Birth of Ralph Waldo Emerson, American transcendentalist, essayist, philosopher, and poet. After graduating from Harvard, Ralph decided to go by his middle name, Waldo. He was beloved by his fellow Harvard classmates, and many became his lifelong friends. Waldo served as his class poet. Waldo met his first wife, Ellen, on Christmas Day six years later. Two years later, he lost her to tuberculosis. Her death eventually made him a wealthy man — although Waldo had to sue his inlaws to get his inheritance. After losing Ellen, Waldo traveled to Europe and visited the Royal Botanical Garden while he was in Paris. The experience was a revelation to him. There Waldo began to see connections between different plant species thanks to Jussieu's natural way of organizing the garden. The American historian and biographer Robert D. Richardson wrote about this period of heightened awareness for Waldo. He wrote, Emerson's moment of insight into the interconnectedness of things in the Jardin des Plantes was a moment of almost visionary intensity that pointed him away from theology and toward science. When he returned to the states, Waldo became friends with other forward thinkers and writers of his time: William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and Thomas Carlyle. In 1835, Waldo married again. His second wife was named Lydia Jackson. Waldo changed her name to Lidian, and he also had many pet names for her, like Queenie and Asia - but she always called him "Mr. Emerson." Around that time, Waldo began to think differently about the world and his perspective on life. As the son of a minister, his move away from religion and societal beliefs was quite impressive. In 1836, Waldo published his philosophy of transcendentalism in an essay he titled "Nature." He wrote: Nature is a language and every new fact one learns is a new word; but it is not a language taken to pieces and dead in the dictionary, but [a] language put together into a most significant and universal sense. I wish to learn this language, not that I may know a new grammar, but that I may read the great book that is written in that tongue. Waldo also advised, Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience. As Waldo grew older, he immensely enjoyed gardening. His time in the garden also proved revelatory. Waldo had hired workers to help him in the landscape as a younger man. As a mature man, he recognized the benefits of exercise and a feeling of satisfaction from doing garden work all by himself. Waldo wrote, When I go into the garden with a spade and dig a bed, I feel such an exhilaration and [good] health that I discover that I have been defrauding myself all this time in letting others do for me what I should have done with my own hands. He also quipped, All my hurts my garden spade can heal. In the twilight of his life, Ralph Waldo Emerson was invited to join a group of nine intellectuals on a camping trip in the Adirondacks. The trip had one mission: to connect with nature. Waldo's traveling companions included Harvard's naturalist Louis Agassiz, the great botanist James Russell Lowell, and the American naturalist Jeffries Wyman. They had a marvelous time. It was Ralph Waldo Emerson who wrote, The landscape belongs to the person who looks at it. And another Waldo quote is a personal favorite, The Earth laughs in flowers. Finally, here's a little prayer Waldo wrote to thank God for the gifts of nature. For flowers that bloom about our feet; For tender grass, so fresh, so sweet; For song of bird, and hum of bee; For all things fair we hear or see, Father in heaven, we thank Thee! 1909 On this day, Miss Amanda Palmer, a teacher at Wilmington Normal School in Wilmington, North Carolina, shared her experience of taking her students on nature-based field trips. Her report was published in the Atlantic Educational Journal. Amanda wrote, On a field trip, a pupil... gains more of life's lessons than could possibly be learned in the schoolroom. These trips lead the children to ask questions, which the teacher must answer. My class is composed of children in the fourth year primary. On one trip, trees of the neighborhood were studied. The flowers commanded our attention on still another trip. [Flowers like] the wild carrot, the yarrow, and wild mustard were examined. On one occasion a great mullein, or velvet dock, was brought into school. It was greatly admired by the children. On the next field trip no child had to be told what a mullein was. They, themselves, each saw and knew the mullein. On our trips, we sometimes catch glimpses of shy, wild creatures-a water-snake or, perhaps, a prairie hen. Again we may see only tracks here, the tiny footprints of a field-mouse; there, the path of a snake. On one trip we looked for birds especially, using field glasses. After hearing and seeing many birds, we sat down, about six o'clock in the evening, to listen to the concert--not one for which we were forced to give a silver offering, but a concert free to all. It was the sweetest music ever heard. On May 25, 1909, we either saw or heard these birds: A phoebe, a pewee, a flicker, a cuckoo, a black and white warbler, a magnolia warbler, a chestnut-sided warbler, a water thrush, a Maryland yellow-throat, a red-start, a catbird, a brown thrasher, a Carolina wren and a hermit thrush. I think it is very instructive to show children the various birds' nests. They have observed, with keenest wonder, the blackbird's nest, the swinging nest of the oriole, the mud-lined nest of the robin, the feather-lined nest of the plain English sparrow, and the horsehair-lined nest of the red-eyed vireo ("vir-ē-ˌō"). I have [recently] added... a catbird's nest and a barn swallow's nest. [And when I was] in Haddonfield, N. J., I learned where a hummingbird's nest was. It will be [added to] the school's collection. And then Amanda ends with this recommendation. [The following nature books are] helpful and interesting: The Audubon Leaflets, The Home Nature Study Library, and Julia Rogers' Among Green Trees. Wilmington Normal School (where Amanda taught) was the first school in Wilmington, North Carolina, to admit African-American students. The school operated from 1868 to 1921. 1939 On this day, George Orwell, English novelist, essayist, journalist, and critic, wrote that his hens had laid two hundred eggs in the previous two weeks. When George returned to his home in Wallington after the Spanish Civil War, he recorded the activity of his chickens as he recovered from his war injuries and another bout of lung issues. George noted everything about his chickens: their daily egg production, their behavior, and what they ate and required in terms of care. George's diary begins in April, three years after arriving at Wallington, We have now twenty-six hens, the youngest about eleven months. Yesterday seven eggs (the hens have only recently started laying again.) Everything greatly neglected, full of weeds, etc., ground very hard & dry, attributed to heavy falls of rain, then no rain at all for some weeks. . . . Flowers now in bloom in the garden: polyanthus, aubretia, scilla, grape hyacinth, oxalis, a few narcissi. Many daffodils in the field...These are very double & evidently not real wild daffodil but bulbs dropped there by accident. Bullaces & plums coming into blossom. Apple trees budding but no blossom yet. Pears in full blossom. Roses sprouting fairly strongly. Well, there you go - a little update from George Orwell about his garden over 90 years ago. And before I forget, there's a fabulous book from 2021 called Orwell's Roses by Rebecca Solnit, and when it debuted, it received all kinds of critical acclaim. It was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award for non-fiction, and the writer, Margaret Atwood, raved that it was an exhilarating romp through Orwell's life and times — and also the life and times of roses. And Harper's said that it was "A captivating account of Orwell as a gardener, lover, parent, and endlessly curious thinker." And then the publisher wrote this, In the spring of 1936, a writer planted roses." So begins Rebecca Solnit's new book, a reflection on George Orwell's passionate gardening and the way that his involvement with plants, particularly flowers, illuminates his other commitments as a writer and antifascist, and on the intertwined politics of nature and power. 1988 On this day, the Ripley Garden at the Smithsonian was dedicated. Tucked in between the Arts and Industries Building and the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, the Ripley Garden is home to rare and unusual trees and shrubs as well as annuals and perennials - many in elevated beds, Which is terrific for folks of all different abilities and also for little children, it gets the garden up to eye level. And it's lovely for people like me with rheumatoid arthritis or arthritis in general because you don't have to stoop Over to see the flowers, It's all brought up to at least waist level, and you can examine Many of the specimens very closely. And also just want to say that this garden is immaculately maintained. The garden was the inspiration of Mary Livingston Ripley. She was a lifelong plant scholar, collector, gardener, and wife of the Smithsonian's eighth Secretary. Mary came up with the idea for a "fragrant garden" in a location slated to become a parking lot. In 1978, she rallied the Women's Committee of the Smithsonian Associates to support the garden. That group was an organization Mary founded in 1966 to raise money for Smithsonian projects. Ten years later, on this day in 1988, the Women's Committee recognized their founder and friend, Mary Livingston Ripley, by naming the garden after her. In 1996, Mary Livingston Ripley's obituary shared some fascinating details about her life. During the twenty years her husband worked at the Smithsonian, [Mary] frequently accompanied him on scientific expeditions to exotic reaches throughout the Far East. She volunteered her time to fundraising and gardening exhibits at the museum. Mary was an avid gardener at her homes in Washington and in Litchfield. She was the person behind the Smithsonian's huge collection of orchids. She was also adept at skinning birds and turning over rocks in search of insects. Today, a lovely woman named Janet Draper is the horticulturist for the Mary Livingston Ripley Garden - a position she has relished since 1997. You can see her work on the Smithsonian Gardens Twitter feed. It's one of my favorite feeds on Twitter to follow. So check that out. And also, I'm a friend of Janet's on Facebook. So I get to see all her posts about the incredible flowers and rare specimens planted in that garden. The garden posts are just absolutely astounding. Janet is a wonderful person, and I met her during the Garden Bloggers Fling in DC several years ago. So I would be remiss not to mention the wonderful and dedicated Janet Draper in conjunction with the Ripley Garden. Grow That Garden Library™ Book Recommendation Potted History by Catherine Horwood This book came out in 2021. It's one of my favorites. This is a revised edition, and the subtitle is: How Houseplants Took Over Our Homes. This is a great little garden history book, and it's all about houseplants. Now houseplants are crazy popular, and that's one of the reasons why Catherine revised this book. It was over a decade ago when the first edition came out, and so this is the second edition. As Catherine mentions, a surprising amount has changed in the story of plants in the home since this book first appeared. Now, what has caused this massive expansion in popularity? Well, in addition to the pandemic, which turned so many people toward gardening and growing houseplants. That trend had already started but was definitely nudged along by the pandemic. Catherine believes three factors have contributed to this overwhelming demand for houseplants. First, improved propagation techniques lead to increased availability and lower prices, which is fantastic. For me, our local Hy-Vee grocery store has a beautiful floral section. I find it quite interesting that the houseplant area is right at the east entrance of my store - that's the side that I always like to go in, of course, because the houseplants are there. But I am entirely fascinated that houseplants are impulse buys these days and are positioned at the front of the store. And while cut flowers are offered, they are not as close to the entrance as houseplants - they're a little further in the store. Another factor behind the houseplant craze is changing lifestyles - particularly of millennials. Millennials are definitely into houseplants. When I took my daughter to college this past fall, her roommate took up half of the windowsill with her houseplants, and then my daughter's houseplants took up the other half of the windowsill. But as a wise gardener - and knowing that my daughter's room was facing north plus knowing Emma would forget about plant care - 99.9% of the houseplants I sent along with Emma were permanent stems or fake. That said, I did have two super tough live plants in the mix. One of them was moss in a closed terrarium environment. Yes, I am a gardener, and yes, I love houseplants — but I'm also a realist. The other factor causing the phenomenal growth of houseplants is social media. Just the other day. I saw someone post a picture of their living room on Twitter, and it was filled with houseplants. Somewhere in the back of this jungle, you could just see one lone chair, and the caption was, "Is this too many houseplants?" Even I was like, yes - that is too many houseplants. So crazy. There is no doubt that social media has encouraged this trend of houseplants, bringing plants indoors and turning your home into a conservatory. In the introduction, Catherine tells of a man named Sir Hugh Platt. He was a garden writer, and he published one of the first books on gardening techniques. He was also the first person to write a little section about having a garden within doors. Sir Hugh Platt would have loved an idea house that I saw a couple of years ago. Sponsored by one of our local nurseries, the home is updated in the spring and fall with all of these wonderful decor ideas. One particular year, they took one of the bedrooms upstairs and turned it into an indoor potting shed. Fantastic idea. The upstairs bath doubled as a place to wash your hands or water some plants. The little potting bench in the middle of the room was so cute. They also repurposed a bookshelf to serve as their system for organizing all their garden paraphernalia, their garden books, and their garden supplies. A beautiful display of different containers and pots - and tons of terracotta - made me go wild for this room idea. So, if you love this craze of indoor houseplants, you will love Catherine's book of houseplant history and the fascinating stories behind some of our most beloved houseplants. And what better time of year to read about houseplants than right now? This week, most gardeners are starting to move their houseplants back outside for summer, where there'll be deliriously happy before they have to come back in for the winter. And if you are giving someone the gift of a houseplant, then, by all means, order a few copies of Catherine's book to include that along with the present. Talk about amping up a houseplant gift! Sizewise, this is a little book. I love it by the chair in my garden library. And the cover is so pleasant. It's beautifully illustrated wit…
Full show notes at the publisherSubscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart Support The Daily Gardener Buy Me A Coffee Connect for FREE! The Friday Newsletter | Daily Gardener Community Historical Events 1794 Birth of William Whewell ("Hyoo- uhl"), English polymath, scientist, and Anglican priest. He was Master of Trinity College, Cambridge. William was a unique blend of right and left brain aptitudes. As a university student, he was recognized for his work in both poetry and mathematics. In Elizabeth Gilbert's The Signature of All Things, she wrote of William's signature accomplishment - devising the word "scientist." She wrote, ...the word scientist had been coined, by the polymath William Whewell. Many scholars had objected to this blunt new term, as it sounded so sinisterly similar to that awful word atheist; Why not simply continue to call themselves natural philosophers? Was that designation not more godly, more pure? But divisions were being drawn now between the realm of nature and the realm of philosophy. Ministers who doubled as botanists or geologists were becoming increasingly rare, as far too many challenges to biblical truths were stirred up through investigation of the natural world. It used to be that God was revealed in the wonders of nature; now God was being challenged by those same wonders. Scholars were now required to choose one side or the other. 1819 Birth of Queen Victoria, Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from June 20, 1837, until she died in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and seven months was longer than any previous British monarch and is known as the Victorian era. In 2019, Kensington Palace celebrated the bicentenary, the 200th anniversary, of Victoria's birth with a large floral display in the sunken garden. The display included blossoms from the Victorian era, such as heliotropes, cannas, pelargonium, and begonias. The humble violet was Queen Victoria's favorite flower. Today many plants are named for Queen Victoria, including the Victoria agave and the giant waterlily, Victoria amazonica. 1861 It was on this day that 45-year-old Anne Frobel, who lived outside of Alexandria, Virginia, not far from Mount Vernon started her Civil War diary with these words, I never saw 'Wilton' my dear old home looking more lovely and inviting. The trees and plants had put on their loveliest spring attire, and the garden was resplendent with the bloom of rare and brilliant flowers, and the fields were all smiling with a bright prospect of an abundant harvest. The following day, Anne's farmhouse, like many homes in Alexandria and all along the Potomac, was ceased by Union soldiers looking for quarters. Anne shared her home with her sister Lizzie. The two women never married. Anne's journal gives a glimpse of what it was like for Southern women of the Civil War era to endure four years of occupation as troops and scavengers used their land for firewood, food, and water. One day, Anne recounted how a Union officer shared a story over dinner at her table about how he had destroyed the last turnips. Anne wrote, My very blood boiled! 1905 On this day, the banker H. Howard Pepper of Providence, Rhode Island, wrote a letter to the magazine Country Life in America, I have had the gardening fever for three summers. ...All the work in the garden is done by myself, and it takes about two hours a day. We started with these objects in view: To have cut flowers for the house at all times. To have a mass of roses in the backyard. To have [flowers] in the garden all season. Our lot is the average city size, fifty by one hundred feet. The house is twenty feet from the street line, where there are two large elm trees that shade the lawn and beds in front. While these trees are beautiful and we would not part with them, yet they are great deal of trouble, They require spraying each spring, and their roots fill ... the drainpipes, causing much annoyance and expense. I should never plant elm trees near flowerbeds or drain pipes. The backyard is surrounded by a five-foot board fence on the north and east and picket fence on the south. Climbing nasturtiums cover the picket fence, and [we want] to have climbers hide the board fence, which is covered with wire netting hung on hooks In case the fence is to be painted, the vines and netting can easily be laid down. A woodbine trumpet-vine and Clematis paniculeta are already established, The single tuberous begonias are the best bedding plants I know; they bloom all summer. Last year's hollyhocks were affected with blight; we have overcome that disease by spraying with ... One ounce of carbonate of copper made into a paste with one• half pint of water; slowly add one-half pint of strong ammonia water (twenty-six degrees}; water, nine gallons. Our spraying outfit consists of a wooden pail and whisk broom. The broom is far ahead of the ordinary syringe, as it is not so wasteful. The sweet-pea bed, or No. 5, is twelve feet long and three and one-half feet wide. Last year, by planting the peas four inches deep in the middle of October and giving them heavy covering during the winter, we had flowers on May 24th. Early in the fall the sweet peas and nasturtiums were removed to make way for the homemade cold- frame, with a second-hand sash that cost us one dollar. In this frame six by three feet are two hundred small plants of oriental poppies, foxgloves, cardinal flowers, and pansies, also three hundred cuttings of phlox, wisteria, hibiscus, snow-ball, althea, and roses. We have seventy-five rose bushes, mostly vigorous hybrid perpetuals. Last winter we carried over a number of hybrid tea roses by covering them with nail kegs filled with leaves, the kegs having one stave removed for ventilation. When the ground freezes, the rose beds receive a three-inch coating of fresh cow manure, part of which is forked in in the spring. Our greatest difficulty in gardening has been to keep the roses free from aphids. We have tried almost everything advertised but fall back on spraying with the hose. The roses receive weekly applications of liquid manure, two quarts to a plant, from the time the buds appear until they show color. It is usually applied after a rain or when the ground is wet, to prevent burning the roots. We have two piazza boxes. Last fall one was filled with snowdrops, scillas, chionodoxas and crocuses; the other with hyacinths and tulips; they were buried in a vacant lot near by, As soon as the ground thawed in the spring they were placed in position. The bulbs were succeeded by tuberous begonias. We have raised hundreds of hardy plants like cardinal flowers, foxgloves, Boston ivies, and Oriental poppies in small candy and cigar bases placed on the walk in the rear of the house. Tin marshmallow boxes are excellent for this purpose, as they hold moisture longer than wooden boxes. Our chief error in growing seedlings has been in giving them too much sun. WHY WE HAVE A GOOD LAWN We take great delight in the back lawn because we have overcome SO much in getting it into its present condition. The weeds are removed from the lawn at least twice a year. The grass is cut once in ten days and the clippings are not raked up. Grow That Garden Library™ Book Recommendation Cultivated by Christin Geall This book came out in 2020, and the subtitle is The Elements of Floral Style. This book is so highly rated on Amazon. There are almost 400 reviews, and this is a five-star book. I like to think of this book as a masterclass In floral design. The arrangement on the cover of this book is stunning. An excellent floral design book is so essential. It's a good thing to brush up on those skills - especially this time of year as we're wrapping up spring. We've got beautiful blossoms, like lilacs and peonies, and the roses are just starting to bud. And then, as we get into early summer, there is just an entire buffet of beautiful blossoms that you may want to cut and bring indoors. Just because you're a good gardener doesn't mean that you're a good floral designer or arranger. Like gardening, floral art is a skill that you can learn and get better at. Now I thought I would just give you a quick overview of how Christin has this book laid out. Because very quickly - you'll be able to deduce that Christin is truly a pro. She is a conscious-competent and when it comes to working with flowers. And that's precisely the kind of expert that you want. So Christin begins by talking about finding the flowers and the plants you want to work with. Now you can source many of these things right from your backyard or your patio as a gardener, or you can even supplement some of those with items that you forage or purchase when you're out and about. Then next, Christin has a section that she calls Gearing Up. Here, what she walks you through is everything from, Where are you going to work? (Do you have a potting bench or a room or part of your kitchen that you'll use when you're creating with cut flowers.) What are the vessels or the containers that you're planning on using? What are the tools you plan to use? (What Christin calls the mechanics). And then she has an entire section Where she talks about color. When I think about color, I think about both the art and the science of color. So if you're not good with picking colors, if you struggle with what color to paint a room or what colors to accessorize with, that struggle can translate into your work with flowers. Conversely, if you have a knack for choosing color or working with color, this section will be a slam dunk. But there is a science to it for those of us who struggle with color. And just like with gardening, you can get better and more confident in your work with color. Now two things I want to call out here that Christin talks about in her book that I think are especially helpful is she spends some time talking about two colors, in particular, which can be a true challenge for your work putting together floral designs. One is the color red. Red is such a bold color. And then the other color is green. While you might be thinking about green: how can green be a problem or a challenge? It's because there are different tones and shades of green, and believe it or not; there are times when the green you might be working with can conflict, get dragged down, or just be a little bit off with the rest of your floral work. So you do have to pay attention to the greens you're using. Now the following four sections that are covered in Christin's book, to me, are really where her expertise is. This is Christin in her wheelhouse. She talks about shape and shaping your work. There are so many ways to mold and take control of the form of your floral design. So I loved this section. And then she has one that's called learning from the past. And here is where she looks at garden history, and she looks at some of the best garden artists that have ever lived and how they composed with flowers. So she takes a look at, in particular at the Baroque style, what the Dutch masters were doing with their flowers and their flower paintings, the Rococo style, and SO on. Next, she features a little section on design, creativity and style, restraint, and constraint. And then, finally, she brings it all together by talking about how you can deepen your work: How you can know your why when it comes to creating with flowers. She spends a little bit of time talking about how to photograph flowers - a topic near and dear to my heart. Now I wanted to take one second here. And just share a little bit from what Christin writes in the introduction to this book. Christin is a gardener. She is a writer. She's a garden writer. And at one point, she found herself serving as a florist in residence on an estate in Scotland. And she had absolutely no experience as a florist. So, here's what she wrote. If you'd asked me at the time what I was doing in that shed in Scotland, the professor in me would have had an answer, but I myself might not have believed it: I was serving as a florist in residence on the estate. What does such a person do? I didn't know entirely, even after I pitched the idea to the owners and head gardener. They just let me get on with it, assuming I knew what "it" was. So I roamed around with a borrowed bucket and wheelbarrow looking for flowers to pick in the dark days of October. I begged vessels and an old folding card table from the house manager. I tried to put together color palettes. I sought out places to photograph my arrangements. And I silently questioned my every move. One thing in my favor: I knew plants. I'd spent thirty years learning about them, growing them, selling them, and loving them. So I made a deal with myself to do at least one arrangement a day, no matter what, and photograph it as best I could. I had no tripod, SO most of my pictures were blurry, and because of the latitude and time of year, there was very little light. I had no idea where my designs might take me from one day to the next, but no matter what, I got started. And that starting, that instinct to begin without a doubt, is what matters most. That's predominantly what this book is about-discovering how to see flowers. My magpie tendencies have thankfully suited me well; in this book you'll find color theory and discussions of fashion, form, and style but also ruminations on gardening and seasonality that I feel are fundamental to an appreciation of the art. This book is rated a best-of-DIY book on Amazon. It is 224 pages of a fresh and thoughtful guide to flower arranging for gardeners. You can get a copy of Cultivated by Christin Geall and support the show using the Amazon link in today's show notes for around $14. Botanic Spark 1884 On this day, the Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky ("chai-kaaf-skee") threw out his work on Suite No. 3 in G major, Op. 55 - and began all over again. Weeks earlier, he had written in his journal that he had gone out to his garden and found inspiration for the melody. He wrote, In the forest and indoors I have been trying to lay the foundation of a new symphony but - am not at all satisfied.... Walked in the garden and found the germ, not of a symphony, but of a future Suite. Prone to self-doubt and angst, Tchaikovsky was tender-hearted and easily wounded by critics of his work. Tchaikovsky's most popular music was often written for ballets like Swan Lake (1877), The Sleeping Beauty (1889), and The Nutcracker(1892), featuring a favorite melody on many gardener's playlists, The Waltz of the Flowers. Tchaikovsky was a nature lover and a gardener. He loved flowers and spent much of his free time cultivating his flowers. He wrote in a letter on June 1 (13th), 1888. Just now I am busy with flowers and flower-growing. I should like to have as many flowers as possible in my garden, but I have very little knowledge or experience. am not lacking in zeal, and have indeed taken cold from pottering about in the damp. Now, thank goodness, it is warmer weather; I am glad of it, for you, for myself, and for my dear flowers, for I have sown a quantity, and the cold nights made me anxious for them....' Later that same summer, on July 25 (August 6), 1888, Tchaikovsky wrote his patron once more, The real summer weather has not lasted long, but how I enjoyed it! My flowers, which I feared would die, have nearly all recovered, and some have blossomed luxuriantly. I cannot tell you what a pleasure it has been to watch them grow and to see daily- even hourly-new blossoms coming out. Now I have as many as - want. When I am quite old, and past composing, I shall devote myself to growing flowers. Today, the Tchaikovsky House and Museum still stands at his final country home in Klin ("Kuh-lin"), 85 kilometers northwest of Moscow. Tchai…
Full show notes at the publisherSubscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart Support The Daily Gardener Buy Me A Coffee Connect for FREE! The Friday Newsletter | Daily Gardener Community Historical Events 1707 Birth of Carl Linnaeus (books about this person), Swedish botanist, zoologist, taxonomist, and physician. Carl was a fan of flowers early on in his life. As a young child, his mother gave him flowers to soothe him whenever he was upset. On May 1st, 1753, the publication of his masterpiece Species Plantarum changed plant taxonomy forever. The work gave Linnaeus the moniker Father of Taxonomy; his naming system is called binomial nomenclature. Binomial means "two names," which in the naming game includes the plant's genus (which is capitalized or could be abbreviated by its first letter) and species or specific epithet (which is all lowercase and can be shortened sp.) If you have trouble remembering taxonomy, I like to think of it as a person's given name and surname, but in reverse order. Linnaeus's names live on unchanged and are distinguished by an "L." after their name. And it was Linnaeus himself who said: God created, Linnaeus ordered. There are many stories about Linnaeus, but I thought I'd share a few more-obscure stories about him and his work. First, Linnaeus' friend Anders Celsius created the Centigrade thermometer in 1742, with water boiling at 0 degrees and freezing at 100. Three years later, Linnaeus reversed the scale - sharing it in an article with the Botanical Garden at Uppsala University. Second, there is a memorable story about Linnaeus and the genus Commelina, the genus of the Asiatic Dayflower. Linnaeus named the genus after the three Commelin brothers, two of whom achieved much in botany and one who died young before amounting to anything. Linnaeus wrote: Commelina has three petals, two of which are showy — where the third is not conspicuous. Next time you see the Commelina communis or Asiatic Dayflower (with two large blue petals and one tiny white petal), you can remember the Commelins and Linnaeus' kind commemoration of the three brothers. Another fun story about Linnaeus involved a trip he took to Lapland when Linnaeus was 25 years old. Carl spent nearly six months there, and he came back with stories of an obscure part of Scandinavia few people knew existed. The expedition was trying, and Linneaus suffered from hunger, mosquitoes, freezing temperatures, near death from a rockslide and a gunshot wound. Through it all, Linnaeus fell in love with the Lapland. He even brought home a traditional costume complete with a magical drum as a souvenir from his adventure. Five years later, an obscure German painter named Martin Hoffman painted Linnaeus' portrait. And, guess what did Linnaeus choose to wear for the sitting? His Lapland costume (Of course!). In Hoffman's Linnaeus, a 30-year-old Linnaeus is seen wearing boots made of reindeer skin. He's also wearing an early version of a toolbelt. Suspended from the belt is a magical drum from a shaman, a needle to make nets, a snuffbox, a cartridge box, and a knife. Linnaeus is also wearing traditional Laplander gloves, and in his right hand, he holds his favorite plant: the Twinflower, Linnaea borealis. 1799 Birth of Thomas Hood was an English poet, author, and humorist. Thomas is remembered for his poems "The Bridge of Sighs" and "The Song of the Shirt." Here's an excerpt from his poem Song. 'Tis like the birthday of the world, When earth was born in bloom; The light is made of many dyes, The air is all perfume: There's crimson buds, and white and blue, The very rainbow showers Have turned to blossoms where they fell, And sown the earth with flowers. And here's my all-time favorite Thomas Hood poem, and it's called No. No warmth, no cheerfulness, no healthful ease, No comfortable feel in any member - No shade, no shine, no butterflies, no bees, No fruits, no flowers, no leaves, no birds - November! 1843 Birth of Georgiana Molloy (books about this person), English-Australian pioneer and one of the first botanical collectors in Western Australia. Georgiana's life in the 1830s in Western Australia was one of extreme hardship. Her first child died shortly after it was born, and her only son ended up drowning in a well. After these events, Georgiana naturally struggled to find joy in her life. But in 1836, at the end of the year, Georgiana received a letter from a man named James Mangles. James was an officer in the Royal Navy and a naturalist, horticulturist, and writer. He wrote to ask Georgiana for help, and his request for botanical specimens gave her life new meaning. James had made arrangements for several people to collect for him in Australia. He was very strategic in that regard. But it also meant that James was uniquely qualified to review the work done by collectors in Western Australia before 1850. The result was that James was a huge fan of Georgiana's work. He once wrote. [Georgiana's collections] were full of pressed plants that were mounted and set out with delicacy and precision and carefully numbered showing great evidence of care and cleanliness in the sorting. Georgiana would have been delighted to know that many of the seeds she collected were sent to botanists and horticulturists worldwide, and they were found to be especially viable. Sadly Georgiana's life was cut short at the age of 37. After giving birth to her seventh child, she suffered for four months from December 1842 until her death on April 8th, the following spring. And when the English naturalist George Wailes learned of the death of Georgiana Malloy, he reached out to the man who inspired her love for botany, James Mangles. George wrote. Not one in 10,000 who go out to distant lands has done what she did for the gardens of her native country. 1905 On this day, Louisa Yeomans King (books about this person) recorded an entry in her garden diary, which became her book, The Flower Garden Day By Day. MAY 23. Sow seed now of the beautiful pale yellow oenothera ("ee-nah-THAIR-ah") (Evening-primrose), Afterglow, at the back of the border near Physostegia ("fy-sah-STEE-jee-ah ver-jin-ee-AYE-nah")(Obedient plant). A group of these two with Artemesia lactiflora (White Mugwort) and the little annual sunflower known as Primrose Stella, will make August well worth waiting for. Grow That Garden Library™ Book Recommendation The Less is More Garden by Susan Morrison This book came out in 2018, and the subtitle is Big Ideas for Designing Your Small Yard. You should definitely check out Susan's book if you have a small garden. Right off the bat, when I saw the cover, I knew that I would love Susan's book, and you know, most people are small-space gardeners. Susan writes. In my practice as a landscape designer, most of the backyards that I design measure less than 2,500 square feet and layouts are rarely more than 40 by 60 feet. I no longer think of that as small, it has become standard. Interestingly while active gardeners are often concerned with fitting in everything, into a space that's generally smaller than the backyards that they grew up in. I am just as likely to hear from homeowners, more interested in creating a space that will be as simple as possible to maintain... no one wants another to-do list item, but most of us want backyard that's a refuge... [and] the shift in how we live, work, and play is what led me to develop the less is more approach to garden design and outdoor living. And here's how Susan defines as her less is more garden approach. She writes: At its heart, this approach to garden design means: Less space, more enjoyment Less effort, more beauty Less maintenance, more relaxation, and finally Less gardening-by-the-numbers, more YOU. This book is 225 pages of small-garden design with the less is more approach. You'll find practical and helpful advice, inspirational photography, and many creative and unexpected tricks to help you get the small space garden of your dreams. You can get a copy of The Less is More Garden by Susan Morrison and support the show using the Amazon link in today's show notes for around $18. Botanic Spark 2021 Death of Eric Carle (books by this person), American illustrator and writer. Eric had a wide-ranging knowledge and love of nature. His early books include Nature Thoughts, Flower Thoughts, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, and The Tiny Seed. Here's a quote from Eric's most memorable work, The Very Hungry Caterpillar: On Saturday, he ate through one piece of chocolate cake, one ice-cream cone, one pickle, one slice of Swiss cheese, one slice of salami, one lollipop, one piece of cherry pie, one sausage, one cupcake, and one slice of watermelon. That night he had a stomach ache. And it was Eric Carle who said, Whatever our eyes touch should be beautiful. In 2007, Eric Carle gave a commencement address at Bates College in 2007. He concluded with these words: Love your partner and tend your garden. Simplify, slow down, be kind. Thanks for listening to The Daily Gardener And remember: For a happy, healthy life, garden every day.
Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart Support The Daily Gardener Buy Me A Coffee Connect for FREE! The Friday Newsletter | Daily Gardener Community Historical Events National Pick Strawberries Day Here are a few fun facts about this beloved sweet fruit: The etymology of the name strawberry (books about this topic) is likely a corruption of the phrase "strewn berry." This would reference the way the plant produced thanks prolifically to runners, resulting in berries strewn about the ground. Fragariaphobia is a little-known word and is the fear of strawberries. In terms of their uniqueness, strawberries are the only fruit that wears its seeds on the outside, and the average strawberry has 200 seeds. Strawberries are perennial and are members of the rose family. The strawberry flower averages five to seven petals. In terms of harvesting, strawberry plants are hand-picked about every three days. A single acre of land can grow almost 50,000 pounds of strawberries. California produces a billion pounds of strawberries every year which means that 75% of the American strawberry crop is grown in California - with Florida and North Carolina in the 2nd and 3rd place. As for strawberry quotes, the author Tsugumi Ohba, Death Note Box Set, wrote, If you keep my secret, this strawberry is yours. 1846 On this day, the Prussian botanist Ludwig Leichhardt (books about this person) wrote a letter to a fellow botanist about his impressive and arduous collecting efforts in Australia. For his part, Ludwig loved Australia. He wrote, I would find it hard to remain in Germany, or even in Europe, now. I [prefer] the clear, sunny skies of Australia. On this day, 1846, Leichhardt wrote a letter to his botanist contact and friend, the Italian Gaetano Durando, living in Paris. Ludwig's message conveys the extreme difficulties and dangers faced by the early plant explorers. He wrote, My dear friend, You have, no doubt, noticed and regretted my long silence... But you must bear this in mind, my good friend, ... it was not my lot to travel all at my ease... Gladly would I have made drawings of my plants, and noted fully all particulars of the different species which I saw; and how valuable would such memoranda have been... [as] four of my pack-horses having been drowned. Botanical and geological specimens thus abandoned — how disappointing! From four to five thousand plants were thus sacrificed... In the spring of 1848, Ludwig Leichhardt and a small group of explorers began what was to be a two- to three-year expedition across Australia. Shortly after starting the trek, the entire party vanished with barely a trace. Still known as the 'Prince of Explorers,' Leichhardt was 35 when he was lost to time. 1858 On this day, in The Flower Garden, Or Breck's Book of Flowers, Tulips at their peak per Joseph Breck A bed of late tulips is generally in its highest perfection about the 20th of May and may be kept in fine condition a fortnight longer, taking the trouble to erect an awning over them. I take up my Tulips about the 20th of June, and dry them undercover in an airy place, and, when dry, take off the offsets and plant them out, while the flowering roots are each wrapped in a piece of waste paper, and put away, in a box or drawer, in a dry place, until wanted to plant. One hundred different varieties, with their names and colors, reputed to be the very best, mabe obtained from Holland, at the cost of about $25; but I have found, by experience, that some of the rarer and most expensive sorts are not included. Very good border Tulips, including finedouble sorts, early and late, single, parrots, etc, may be obtained from 50 cents to $1 per dozen, and some of the common sorts at much less price. So there is some tulip pricing for you courtesy of Joseph Breck back in 1858. And just for comparison, I went out to brecks.com and priced some of their deluxe tulips. They sell eight tulips for $15. 1922 On this day, the sorority of Pi Beta Phi at West Virginia University held a party to celebrate the arrival of spring. In a report of their activities to the 1922 edition of The Arrow, the chapter wrote, The spring party comes on May 20. It will be a Japanese party, with lanterns, spring blossoms, and wooden programs. Present Day On or around this day in Blackville, South Carolina, that Cuke Season gets underway. The Encyclopedia of South Carolina (2000) says this about Blackville: Named for Alexander Black, an early railroad executive who shipped cantaloupes, watermelons, and cucumbers in large quantities by rail. During the "cuke" season, beginning about May 20, the town council employs an auctioneer to conduct daily sales, generally starting at 10 in the morning and frequently lasting until 6. At the auction, growers may accept or refuse the offered prices. Buyers are usually local produce merchants, though there are often purchasers from markets out of state. Grow That Garden Library™ Book Recommendation Garden Maker by Christie Purifoy This book came out in January of 2022, and the subtitle is Growing a Life of Beauty and Wonder with Flowers. This is Christie's third book, and her books have to do with beauty and placemaking, sustainability, and love. Her first book is Roots and Sky: A Journey Home in Four Seasons. This book is about purchasing her beautiful property called Maplehearst in Pennsylvania. Her second book was released in 2019 and is called Placemaker: Cultivating Places of Comfort, Beauty, and Peace, and this is about creating a garden home for yourself. I view her latest book Garden Maker as part of this garden trilogy. In this very spiritual and inspirational book, Christie walks us through how to grow a beautiful garden and create your own little slice of heaven here on earth. Now, in addition to teaching you how to make a garden. Christie is a cut flower expert, and she's a master at creating beautiful bouquets and other arrangements. In this book, Christie teaches you some of her tried and true techniques and her easiest bouquet recipes. In addition to sharing her list of favorite shrubs - she calls these superhero shrubs. She also shares her favorite flowers - she calls these flowers of importance. And then last but not least, her favorite self-sowers in a section she calls self-sowing salvation. Now Christie is a lyrical writer. Her tone is super friendly and personable. When I read one of her books, I always feel like I'm reading something that a garden friend wrote for me. But best of all, and I think more important than any of her credentials, is her passion for plants and the garden because that comes through loud and clear in every word she writes in this book. I wanted to end this review today with a little excerpt from what Christie wrote in the introduction to Garden Maker. She writes, I grow flowers because cannot help myself. I grow flowers as if some magician at the center of the universe has cast his spell on me, and I will never want my old unenchanted life back again. In my flower garden, I am the weaver of stories. In my flower garden, am the composer of seasonal songs. Or maybe I am more conductor than composer. This garden of mine is certainly singing a song, but the song delights me, moves me, and surprises me. I cannot recommend flower gardening for the sober-minded. I cannot recommend it for those afraid of mysterious rabbit holes, who prefer to keep their two feet fixed firmly to a clean and solid, and entirely predictable floor. I cannot, in good conscience, recommend intoxicating moonflowers or romantic roses to anyone who values utility and efficiency and productivity above all. But for those who read fairy tales or cry at arias, for those who suspect that heaven lies just behind the veil of this everyday world, well, to those I say: Welcome to the garden. Welcome to this holy work. I understand if you are afraid. The thorns are knife-sharp, and the weeds are always waging their quiet wars. But here is the promise that has been made to each one of us: "Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy" (Psalm 126:5). Every garden is singing a song for the One who made us, and we are invited to sing along. Beautiful verse. And by the way, can you tell that Christie has a Ph.D. in English Literature from the University of Chicago? Yes, you can. She's a beautiful writer. This book is 208 pages of a love letter to flowers, plants, gardens, and garden making. You can get a copy of Garden Maker by Christie Purifoy and support the show using the Amazon link in today's show notes for around $16. Botanic Spark 1804 On this day, Lady Holland sent home a parcel of seeds from Spain, and they were Dahlia seeds. The story was shared in The Complete Dictionary of Practical Gardening (1807): In the spring of 1805 all the parcels of seed were sewn, including four varieties of Dahlia. The Dahlia Rosea was the most handsome and produced plenty of seeds. And all the plants of 1805, except one, were taken up before Christmas and planted in pots or large pans. They were kept in a very cold greenhouse, and they began to push new shoots in the middle of April [the following year]. The genus Dahlia (books about this flower) got its name in the 18th century. Swedish botanist Andreas Dahl. Surprisingly after Lady Holland introduced Dahlias to Europe, many top gardeners thought the Dahlia was just too flamboyant to use in their gardens. But in modern gardens, Dahlias are beloved. Both the roots and the Dahlia flowers are used medicinally. The Dahlia is also the official flower of both Seattle and San Francisco. And if you're planning a wedding, Dahlias are the perfect flower for the bridal bouquet. In floriography or the language of flowers, the beautiful Dahlia represents commitment and everlasting love. Thanks for listening to The Daily Gardener And remember: For a happy, healthy life, garden every day.
Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart Support The Daily Gardener Buy Me A Coffee Connect for FREE! The Friday Newsletter | Daily Gardener Community Historical Events 1780 It was on this day that much of New England was shrouded in darkness. In fact, many feared that Judgment Day had arrived And so this day became known as The Dark Day. During this day, the sun rose as per usual. But around 10 o'clock in the morning, the sky grew dark. So dark that there were reports of candle-lit lunches, and people stopped what they were doing to pray. The blackout spread from Portland, Maine, to New Jersey. Boston newspapers reported that chickens returned to their roosts after the darkness began, and animals returned to their places in the barn - even they knew that something odd was going on. Even General George Washington wrote about the dark day in his diary. The nature poet John Greenleaf Whittier (books about this person) wrote about the event in a poem. Twas on a May-day of the far-old years Seventeen hundred eighty, that there fell Over the bloom and sweet life of the spring, Over the fresh earth, and the heaven of noon, A horror of great darkness.' "Men prayed, and women wept; all ears grew sharp To hear the doom-blast of the trumpet shatter The black sky. Instead of Judgment Day, it's now generally believed that the darkness stemmed from a fire out west. And the following night, on May 19th in 1780, New England was treated to a full moon that was said to be as red as blood set against the night sky - a spring to remember. 1864 Death of Nathaniel Hawthorne (books about this person), American novelist, and short-story writer. In May 1866, Nathaniel's sister Sophia was writing about The Wayside landscape in a letter to her friend, Annie Fields. She wrote: There is a beauty in May which there is not in July. After these latter rains, the glory of tender and deep greens surpasses all words . . . the walks — the paths look so nice, and there is no knowing what enormity of sauciness the weeds will arrive at by July. In 1843, Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote a crazy short story that not many people know about today. The story was about a mad scientist who becomes obsessed about removing his wife Georgiana's birthmark. And so the scientist, concocts a remedy for the blemish and creates a solution using the leaves of geraniums. As his wife drinks this potion, her birthmark does fade away, but in the process, the mixture also kills her. Thus, she dies a perfect unblemished woman. And that's the end of this little known and very bizarre short story by Nathaniel Hawthorne. 1906 On this day, Country Life gave an update on the season of tulips. They wrote, The writer regards the season of Tulips as one of the brightest and happiest of the year. Daffodils still flutter in the wind, the first of the Roses are bursting their buds, and the whole air is filled with the scent of wayside of garden flowers. But it is the Tulip that gives the colour, splashes of crimson,scarlet, yellow, rose, white, and even black. A black Tulip is a reality, and is known as The Sultan. It belongs to the race called Darwin, but we prefer the homely name of the May or Cottage Tulip. Dusky as the firm, short segments are, they have weird, strange beauty, which is as fascinating as the clear crimson of the greatest of all Tulips, Tulipa gesneriana major, which opens its big goblets to the sun and discloses a pool of inky blue at the base. A few years ago the May Tulips were seldom seen, but persistent reference to them has brought about a revolution: so much so, that one greets the Tulip with much the same affection as the Daffodil which precedes it. We believe it was in the Royal Gardens, Kew, that the Gesner and other Tulips were first planted in large beds, and the effect of their glorious colour we shall ever remember, it was a novel sight... So there you go—an update on tulip season from 1906. And isn't it interesting to think about how tulips were perceived compared to the daffodil a little over a hundred years ago? 1934 Birth of Ruskin Bond (books about this person), Indian author of British descent. Ruskin's novels, The Room on the Roof and Our Trees Still Grow in Dehra, received critical acclaim and he's written hundreds of short stories, essays, and books for children. In The Room on the Roof, Ruskin wrote, I don't want to rot like mangoes at the end of the season, or burnout like the sun at the and of the day. I cannot live like the gardener, the cook and water-carrier, doing the same task everyday of my life... I want to be either somebody or nobody. I don't want to be anybody. From Rain in the Mountains: Notes from the Himalayas, Ruskin wrote, 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. Finally, in his book, A Book of Simple Living: Brief Notes from the Hills, Ruskin wrote, Botanists have done their best to intimidate and confuse the nature lover. But we should not allow ourselves to be discouraged; we have as much right to the enjoyment of wild flowers as they. So I will disregard the botanist and I will go looking for the pretty flower that I have named Merry Heart. It is always nodding and dancing in the breeze. It is a happy flower, deserving of a happy, light name. Grow That Garden Library™ Book Recommendation The Modern Cottage Garden by Greg Loades This book came out in 2020, and the subtitle is A Fresh Approach to a Classic Style. This book is practical and inspirational - and if you are a fan of cottage gardens, then this is a book that you will want to have in your garden library. I love Greg's approach here because what he has done is come up with a blend between the New Perennial Movement and Classic Cottage Style - and he's integrated both of those concepts Into the looks that you see in real life gardens in this book. And so, as the reader, what you'll come away with are images of beautiful color in the garden, the use of grasses and native plants - in addition to Greg's thoughtful approach. Greg wants these gardens to be low maintenance and to offer many seasons of interest, which is the sweet spot for gardens nowadays. I will walk you through the table of contents, and then I'll give you a little excerpt from Greg's book. Greg starts with what he calls the roots of his book, which are both the traditional Cottage Garden and the New Perennial Garden. Greg takes you into a deep dive into both approaches. Then in the next section of his book, he talks about how to create a Modern Cottage Gardenn which, as I just mentioned, is a blend of both Classic Cottage Gardening and the New Perennial Garden Movement. So with Greg's help, you'll understand how to put together a gardener's garden - that's what he calls it - and how to maximize small spaces and incorporate Modern Cottage Gardening into your containers, which I think is such a hot topic this year. Now the back half of Greg's book is devoted to the seasons - so he walks you through Modern Cottage Gardening season by season. At the end of the book, there are fifty plant profiles, and these are Greg's go-to plants when it comes to garden design. But, right at the beginning of Greg's book, he introduces you to the Modern Cottage Garden. He writes, It is difficult to stick to one style in the garden, isn't it? Maybe this is because plants are alive, and as they grow, we get attached to them. So we can't let go of the plant that has survived three house moves. Or the large shrub that started life from a cutting taken from a friend's garden. This sounds so familiar. Doesn't it? He writes, Plants are memories. Plants can make us feel proud. Plants tell stories. And who can resist choosing new plants for the garden when they see them in flower in a nursery, even if they don't know where they will go or whether they are in keeping with what is there? I just experienced this exact scenario this morning. And then Greg writes, Let's be honest, who has a scale map of their garden, showing all the gaps, each time they find themselves looking at plants for sale? Then as we introduce unlikely plant partners to the border, we push the boundaries of traditional garden styles, whether by accident or design. And here is where Greg helps us get on track. He writes, This is, in fact, a good thing. The mixing together of plants from older garden styles is creating something special indeed: a new style that combines the best of the Traditional Cottage Garden and of the gardens of the New Perennial Garden Movement. For argument's sake, let's call it the Modern Cottage Garden. This is a gardener's garden. Its generous style is for gardeners who can't resist plants. Can I get an Amen? The spoke is 288 pages of the Modern Cottage Garden — encouraging you to grow plants that are new to you, try new combinations or new communities of plants, and enjoy the process of experimenting in your garden. You can get a copy of The Modern Cottage Garden by Greg Loades and support the show using the Amazon link in today's show notes for around $9. Botanic Spark 1899 On this day, Lou Andreas Salomé (books about this person), the first female psychoanalyst and writer, and Rainer Maria Rilke (books about this person), the Austrian poet and writer, visited Leo Tolstoy (books about this person) in Russia. Now this entire trip was Lou's idea. She hoped that Tolstoy would be a mentor to her friend and lover, Rainer ("Rye-nur") Maria Rilke. Lou Andreas Salomé was a bit of a muse to Rainer Maria Rilke. Early in their friendship, Lou was the one who encouraged him to change his first name from René to Rainer. She also encouraged him to learn Russian and to read Tolstoy. And so that sets the stage for their meeting with Leo Tolstoy in his garden on this day, May 19th in, 1899. One account of the meeting goes like this: We no longer looked about us, but at him absorbing this landscape. Bending down from time to time to pluck, forget me nots with a quick motion of his cup tanned as if to snatch up the odor from the stem. He would then hold them close to his face and breathe them. Intensely consume them as it were. And then let them fall to the ground. Well, it seems Leo was more interested in his garden than in becoming a mentor to Rainer Maria Rilke. But the story doesn't end there. Rainer Maria Rilke fell in love with Russia - and for a brief period with Lou Andreas Salomé. And it was during his time in Russia, Rainer wrote one of his masterpieces: a trilogy of timeless poetry called The Book of Hours. Thanks for listening to The Daily Gardener And remember: For a happy, healthy life, garden every day.
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