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
Today we celebrate the man remembered as the Father of Plant Anatomy. We'll also learn about a man who developed his own system fr classifying plant families and then we'll chat a bit about why knowing your plant families can be a beneficial skill to add to your gardening expertise. We hear a little poem today from an English writer who was born on this day - she led an incredible life and died young. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book about a great topic - Plant Folklore. And then we'll wrap things up with a little story about one of my favorite spring ephemerals: Violets. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart To listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to "Play the latest episode of The Daily Gardener Podcast." And she will. It's just that easy.
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Plus, each week, one lucky subscriber wins a book from the Grow That Garden Library™ bookshelf.
Gardener Greetings Send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes, and so forth to Jennifer@theDailyGardener.org
Curated News Top 10 BEST Botany Discoveries in 2019 | BioExplorer
Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and original blog posts for yourself, you're in luck. I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. So, there's no need to take notes or search for links. The next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community where you'd search for a friend... and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group.
Today we celebrate a remarkable English naturalist and artist. We'll also learn about the man known as the Rocky Mountain botanist. We hear a journal entry about bloodroot. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book about place and how location, location, location is just as important to gardens as it is to real estate. And then we'll wrap things up with the story of a Landscape Gardener that broke away from the style used by his mentor Capability Brown - and he even coined the term "Landscape Gardener." Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart To listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to "Play the latest episode of The Daily Gardener Podcast." And she will. It's just that easy. The Daily Gardener Friday Newsletter Sign up for the FREE Friday Newsletter featuring:
Plus, each week, one lucky subscriber wins a book from the Grow That Garden Library™ bookshelf. Gardener Greetings Send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes, and so forth to Jennifer@theDailyGardener.org Curated News How to Find Native Plants Near Me | Native Backyards | Haeley Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and original blog posts for yourself, you're in luck. I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. So, there's no need to take notes or search for links. The next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community where you'd search for a friend... and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group.
Today we celebrate one of American's earliest botanists. We'll also learn about a fantastic English flower painter who was mentored by Nathaniel Wallich after meeting him in Cape Town - they happened to be staying at the same hotel. We'll hear a little poem about budding trees. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book getting back to the basics Growing all the food you need with just for hand tools. No fuss no muss. And then we'll wrap things up with some fun; it's National Chia day. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart To listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to "Play the latest episode of The Daily Gardener Podcast." And she will. It's just that easy. The Daily Gardener Friday Newsletter Sign up for the FREE Friday Newsletter featuring:
Plus, each week, one lucky subscriber wins a book from the Grow That Garden Library™ bookshelf. Gardener Greetings Send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes, and so forth to Jennifer@theDailyGardener.org Curated News You Should Totally Be Doing the TikTok Plant-Shaking Trend | The Spruce | Taylor Fuller Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and original blog posts for yourself, you're in luck. I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. So, there's no need to take notes or search for links. The next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community where you'd search for a friend... and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group.
Today we celebrate a journal entry about spring and sap and microclimates. We'll also learn about a young Dutch botanist who determined the cause of Dutch Elm Disease. We'll hear a poem about spring from a beloved English poet. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book about the Garden from a man who was never in a hurry, who fought to preserve trees, and sought to work with nature. And then we'll wrap things up with the story of the earliest horticulture society in the United States. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart To listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to "Play the latest episode of The Daily Gardener Podcast." And she will. It's just that easy. The Daily Gardener Friday Newsletter Sign up for the FREE Friday Newsletter featuring:
Plus, each week, one lucky subscriber wins a book from the Grow That Garden Library™ bookshelf. Gardener Greetings Send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes, and so forth to Jennifer@theDailyGardener.org Curated News The hunt for a white iris once popular in old New Orleans gardens | Nola.com | Dan Gill Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and original blog posts for yourself, you're in luck. I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. So, there's no need to take notes or search for links. The next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community where you'd search for a friend... and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Grow That Garden Library Garden Time by W.S. Merwin
Today we celebrate one of the best British scientific botanical artists of the 20th century. We'll also learn about a Canadian naturalist who was battling a mole problem on this day 83 years ago today. We hear a wonderful excerpt from a garden design book published two years ago today We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book about the secret design tips of the great Bunny Mellon. And then we'll wrap things up with a glimpse behind the scenes of life as a student botanist at Kew. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart To listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to "Play the latest episode of The Daily Gardener Podcast." And she will. It's just that easy. The Daily Gardener Friday Newsletter Sign up forthe FREE Friday Newsletter featuring:
Plus, each week, one lucky subscriber wins a book from the Grow That Garden Library™ bookshelf. Gardener Greetings Send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes, and so forth to Jennifer@theDailyGardener.org Curated News France on hunt for centuries-old oaks to rebuild spire of Notre Dame | The Guardian | Kim Willsher Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and original blog posts for yourself, you're in luck. I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. So, there's no need to take notes or search for links. The next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community, where you'd search for a friend... and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events March 19, 1906 Today is the birthday of the English illustrator who specialized in the native flora of Britain, Stella Ross-Craig. When Stella was 23, she landed a job at Kew Gardens, where she worked as a botanical illustrator, taxonomist, and contributor to Curtis's Botanical Magazine. When Stella's work caught the attention of the director of Kew, Sir Edward Sailsbury, he made sure to introduce her to a publisher, and the rest, as they say, is history. Today we remember Stella as one of the best British scientific botanical artists of the 20th century. In total, Stella illustrated over 1,300 species in her monumental and highly detailed series called, Drawings of British Plants series - something she worked on for over twenty-five years. The series was available in 31 individual paperback books or eight hardcover volumes. Stella's paperbacks were revolutionary; She was one of the first botanical writers to publish an illustrated book of British plants that were both inexpensive and accessible to readers. On Twitter, the ecologist and author Alex Morss wrote, "The best wild flower guides offer keys, but artists bring the music. Here is one of the masters, scientific illustrator Stella Ross-Craig. She breathed life into Kew's dried specimens with stunning accuracy." To look at photos of Stella Ross-Craig from the 1990s forward is to see a happy woman with kind eyes and perfectly coiffed snow-white hair reminiscent of a loving grandmother or even Mrs. Claus. In pictures, Stella is always smiling. In the twilight of her life, Stella received many well-deserved honors. When she was 93, she became the sixth person ever to receive the Kew International Medal. Following this honor, Stella's work was exhibited at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh and then at the Kew Gardens Gallery. And in 2002, at the age of 86, Stella was awarded the Royal Horticultural Society's Gold Veitch Memorial Medal. One of the many plants that are better-understood thanks to Stella Ross-Craig is the Fritillaria. A member of the lily family, the fritillary is a spring-blooming flower, and each plant generally produces a single blossom from April to May. With pendulous lily-shaped flowers, the blossoms have a distinct checkered pattern that is stunning, and the blooms are either purple, pink, or white. Most gardeners treat Fritillaria imperialis as an annual and plant new specimens every single year. Fritillarias love the sun and can tolerate dappled shade. The etymology of the fritillary is from the Latin "frills," meaning "dice box" - a reference to the checkered pattern on the petals in a number of species. And here's a fun fact, the checkered pattern of the fritillaria inspired the checkerboard pattern on Croatia's coat of arms. The fritillaria is native to Croatia, where it is regarded as the national flower and is known as "Kockavica" ("COX-ah-veet-sah") or the Checkered Lily. March 19, 1938 It was on this day that the Canadian Naturalist Charles Joseph Sauriol ("Sar-ee-all") jotted down a sweet diary entry, and it was shared bythe Toronto Archiveson their fabulous twitter feed - which is a wonderful thing to follow. Charles wrote: "We have a visitor. A long winding trail of tunneled earth flanked tool room, etc...& ended in a hummock of earth inside.... Mr. Mole, you can tunnel if you wish, but my flower seeds will be planted elsewhere than where you happen to be." An esteemed son of Toronto, Charles, who was born in 1904, was a one-man conservation powerhouse - saving many natural areas in Ontario and across Canada. Charles owned property in the Don River Valley and was an advocate for the Valley's preservation. Even as a teenager, he loved the Don, writing in an unpublished manuscript: "The perfume I liked was the smell of a wood fire. Planting seed or trees was preferable to throwing one's seed around recklessly... The dance floor I knew best was a long carpet of Pine needles." In 1927 Charles purchased a 40-hectare property at the Forks of the Don. He used this as a cottage, and every year, he and his wife and four kids stayed there over the long months of the summer. Life at the cottage was simple and elemental; there were ducks, a goat, and a pet raccoon named Davy, who followed Charles around like a dog. At the end of his first summer at the cottage in Don Valley, Charles wrote about leaving the place he loved: With summer's heat the weeks sped by, And springtime streams did all but dry. But days grew short and followed on, Oh, blissful memory of the Don. Of you we think with saddened heart, Our time is up and we must part. Unearthed Words Gardens are for living in, not just for looking at, from the other side of a window. I want the environments I create to be visually alluring. But also, and more importantly, to be so incredibly comfortable and functional that they draw my clients out of doors and keep them there, relaxing, reading, eating, entertaining, whether alone or with family and friends. A professor once told me to think about plants as people - as my friends - and to select the living materials for a garden as if I were having a party and throwing a group together. Some like to drink. Some are teetotallers. Some like to bask in the sun. Some need to be in the shade. Some play well with others. Some prefer to be by themselves. Some bloom. Others do not. Still, others go dormant. I love dissecting the properties of plants in that fundamental, personalized way. And I love selecting, placing, and caring for them so that they feel at home and perform at their best to compliment a house and enhance a client's life. — Scott Schrader, The Art of Outdoor Living Grow That Garden Library Garden Secrets of Bunny Mellon by Linda Holden This book came out in 2020, and I'm a huge Bunny Mellon fan - so I was very excited to order my copy. Now what's special about this book is that it shares Bunny's personal advice, her philosophy about design, many of her wonderful sayings, and her approach to the garden. Now another thing that readers of this book will like is the way that it's organized — because chapters are organized by elements of the garden. So you might have a chapter on climate, space, shape, atmosphere, or even light — and so on and so forth. Now the effect of this is that you feel like Bunny is right there with you, helping you to see both these elements more clearly and appreciate the important role that they play in your garden design. Now, before I continue, I just wanted to take a quick second and share with you a little bit about Bunny's personal story. When Bunny was alive, her favorite thing to do was to design a garden. Her husband, Paul Mellon, was one of America's wealthiest men. Together, Bunny and Paul, maintained five homes in New York, Cape Cod Nantucket and Tigua and Upperville Virginia. In addition to designing the gardens for all of her own homes. Bunny designed gardens for some of her closest friends and celebrities. Now the author of this book, Linda Holden, is really the perfect person to help preserve Bunny's legacy and all the tips and insights that she pulled together during her lifetime. Linda wrote another book about Bunny Mellon that I recommended back in January of last year. That book is called The Gardens of Bunny Mellon, and it features most of the gardens that Bunny created. Now to my way of thinking, this book was the natural followup to that first book because now Linda is sharing all of Bunny's Garden secrets with us — her secrets to garden design — and it's like having a master class in design with Bunny Mellon. And so, I personally want to thank Linda Holden for that, because as I already mentioned, I'm a huge Bunny Mellon fan. Linda's book is 176 pages of garden secrets from the late great Bunny Mellon. You can get garden secrets of Bunny Mellon by Linda Holden and support the show using the Amazon link in today's show notes for around $16. Today's Botanic Spark Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart It was on this day, back in 2019, that another wonderful book was published: The Plant Messiah by Carlos Magdalena. This is one of my favorite books because it gives us a glimpse into what it's like to be a botanist in search of the world's rarest species. And it's almost like getting a chance to shadow Carlos in his fascinating job with plants. And I thought you would enjoy hearing this little excerpt where Carlos shares what it was like to take one of his first exams. At Q. This is a passage that has stuck with me ever since the day I read it. And I'm sure it will leave an impression on you as well. So once again, here's a little excerpt from the plant Messiah. Bye Carlos Magdalena. First, I was given a plant identification test. I was shown into a small greenhouse with thirty numbered plant samples. I had to identify them all, giving their genus species, family (if known), and common name. Some were common garden plants, others less familiar. As I studied each plant carefully, I realized that the common ones were the trickiest because you never use the family or Latin name. I trusted my gut instinct and tried to stay calm — not easy when the result meant so much. We moved on to a random plant on a bench, sitting next to a selection of cutting tools, lots of different sizes, and several options to encourage rooting, including a missed bench and a tray of compost. "Can you propagate this plant?" one member of the selection panel asked. "Sure!" I said, grabbing a knife. Immediately the questioning started up again. "Why the knife and not the scalpel or the secateurs?" They wanted to know my thought processes, not just my knowledge of the plants. I kept things simple. My feeling was that underplaying an answer was better than brashly responding as if I knew everything already. I am not sure. But I think it's because secateurs damaged the stem when you close the blades to make the cut," I said. "You want to clean, cut that slices through the tissue, like a surgeon's blade. Scalpels are fine for soft growth, so a knife is the right tool to use here." Finally, I faced the interview panel made up of senior members of staff. Including heads of departments and senior horticulturists, they sat behind a long bench and fired off questions. "Look out the window. Can you see that tree? What is it?" "It looks like a Pinus Wallinchiana." "Can you name the five species of pine?" "Pinus nigra, Pinus pinea, Pinus this, Pinus that... " My mentor throughout was Ian Leese, head of the school of horticulture. Late one night, as he opened the door to the computer room to switch off the lights, he saw me. "Oh, you still hear Carlos? "Buenas noches," he said before heading off to collect his bike. I stayed until 2:00 AM. Then, at 6:00 AM, the ring of my mobile phone dragged me from my bed. On the other end was a distressed fellow student. Who broke the news that Ian had died overnight. I was stunned. Any time I felt overwhelmed. Ian would say, "It is simple. Just keep going. And you will achieve your goal." I often hear his voice in my head. Even now. Thanks for listening to The Daily Gardener. And remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."
Today we celebrate the birthday of a man many of us have heard about, but the details of his life story are even more compelling than the legend that is part of his legacy. We'll also learn about a gardener and broadcaster who was beloved by millions and who started off his lifelong career as a gardener at Windsor Castle. We hear an excerpt today from one of my favorite meditation books on nature. We Grow That Garden Library™ with an oldy but goody - a classic workbook on garden design. And then we'll wrap things up with the story of a philanthropic gardener who left a mark with her garden, her work at the New York Botanical Garden (NYBG), and the 1939 World's Fair. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart To listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to "Play the latest episode of The Daily Gardener Podcast." And she will. It's just that easy. The Daily Gardener Friday Newsletter Sign up for the FREE Friday Newsletter featuring:
Plus, each week, one lucky subscriber wins a book from the Grow That Garden Library™ bookshelf. Gardener Greetings Send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes, and so forth to Jennifer@theDailyGardener.org Curated News Sarah Raven on Why the Chrysanthemum is Having a Comeback | Home & Garden | Sarah Raven Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and original blog posts for yourself, you're in luck. I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. So, there's no need to take notes or search for links. The next time you're on Facebook, search forDaily Gardener Community, where you'd search for a friend... and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events March 18, 1845 Today is the anniversary of the death of John Chapman - better known as Johnny Appleseed - who died on this day at the age of 70. Johnny was born in Massachusetts. In fact, the street where he was born is now called Johnny Appleseed Lane. As a young man, Johnny became an apprentice to an orchardist named Crawford. Now the image that most of us have is of Johnny traipsing through the country; planting one apple tree at a time is off-base. That's not actually how things went for Johnny. Johnny actually traipsed through the country planting entire apple orchards. And then, after he planted an orchard, he would protect the grove by building a fence around it. And then, he'd arrange a deal with a neighboring farmer to sell trees from the orchard in exchange for shares. It was a genius setup. And every time I think of a community garden or hear about a school or a city that rejects a community garden, I always think of Johnny's ingenuity. Why? Because Johnny knew how to overcome the oft-cited objection of who's going to take care of this garden- and he incentivized people to do just that. Now during his life, Johnny had a particular high regard for, and relationship with, Native Americans who regarded Johnny as a medicine man. At the same time, Johnny wanted early American settlers to succeed. In fact, Johnny often acted as a one-man welcome wagon. He'd often show up at the door of a family who had just settled in the area, and he'd give them a gift of herbs as a welcoming gesture. And most people are surprised to learn that Johnny was an expert in more plants than just apple trees. In fact, Johnny was one of our country's first naturalists and herbalists. And Johnny regularly used many herbs for healing. Such as Catnip, Whore-Hound, Penny Royal, Rattlesnake Weed, and Dog Fennel. In fact, Dog Fennel (Eupatorium) was also called "Johnny weed" because Johnny planted it, believing it was antimalarial. Whenever I hear the word Eupatorium, I always think of Joe-Pye Weed, a plant that is closely related to Eupatorium or Dog Fennel. And like the Dog Fennel. It is a prolific spreader in the garden. Unfortunately, Dog Fennel is not something you want in your garden as it is a noxious weed. Toda,y the Johnny Appleseed Center is located on Urbana University's campus in Urbana, Ohio, and it holds the most extensive collection of memorabilia and information on Johnny Appleseed. In 1999, seedlings from the last-known surviving Johnny Appleseed tree were transplanted into the courtyard around the museum. Now I thought I would end this little segment on Johnny Appleseed by sharing some fun Apple facts with you. First, the crab apple is the only apple that's actually native to North America. A medium apple is about 80 calories, and apples are fat, sodium and cholesterol-free. And the old saying, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away," is actually from an old English adage that went like this: "To eat an apple before going to bed, we'll make the doctor beg for his bread." Apples are members of the Rose family, and the science of apple-growing is called pomology. And apples come in all shades of reds, greens, and yellows. Now in terms of photosynthesis, it takes the energy of fifty leaves to produce a single apple. And back in 1647, America's longest-lived apple tree was planted by Peter Stuyvesant in his Manhattan orchard. It was still bearing fruit when a derailed train struck it in 1866. And finally, here's my favorite little-known fact about apples. In colonial times, an apple was known by two charming common names: the winter banana and melt-in-the-mouth. March 18, 1988 And today is the anniversary of the death of the British Gardner broadcaster and writer, Percy Thrower. As a young boy, Percy wanted to grow up to be a head gardener - just like his father. After spending his entire childhood learning from his dad, he became a journeyman gardener at Windsor Castle at the age of 18. Along with 20 other gardeners. Percy worked at Windsor for five years, and he eventually married the daughter of the head gardener, Charles Cook. By the time Percy and Connie Cook were married, he worked for Queen Mary as the head gardener at Sandringham. In honor of his wedding, Queen Mary gifted the couple a beautiful set of china. During World War II, Percy became a major voice for the "Dig for Victory" campaign. Additionally, Percy put on educational seminars at the local parks, and he spent hours working as a volunteer. And in 1946, at the tender age of 32, he was made the Park Superintendent of Shrewsbury. This was a watershed event; Percy was the youngest Park Superintendent in the history of England. Percy's job as superintendent was very big. Percy had a staff of about 35 gardeners to manage. And while most people thought he would stay in position for only about four or five years, he actually ended up holding this post for almost thirty years. It was during his time at Shrewsbury that he made his very first television appearance. Of course, during the episode, he featured his garden. This appearance led to a long career in television and broadcasting for Percy. In fact, the great Alan Titchmarsh credits Percy with inspiring him to pursue gardening. Sadly toward the end of Percy's career, he was dropped by the BBC after agreeing to do some commercials for a group called Plant Protection. The move marked a milestone for Percy, and it was bittersweet. Percy later recalled that his deal with Plant Protection was the best contract he'd ever signed. Toward the end of his life, Percy began taking people on tours of European gardens. He even established the Percy Thrower Floral Tours company. When he wasn't taking people on trips to Europe, he spent his weekends showing people English gardens. On one of these trips, Percy's health took a turn for the worse, and he was diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease. He made his final recording from the hospital a week before he died on this day, March 18th, 1988. And I thought you'd enjoy hearing the one little story that I came across in researching Percy's life. When he was first working at Windsor Castle, he found 50 old fuchsias in the greenhouses. Seeing those established fuchsias gave him an idea, and he decided to propagate them - taking cuttings from the first rootings, and then he began to even root side shoots. Well, the net-result was Percy had over 5,000 new fuchsias to plant around Windsor Castle. And I bet that was something to see. Unearthed Words The word nature comes down to us from the Latin natura. It is derived from natus, "birth," and in its original usage, it simply meant physical kinship — the innate characteristics and traits shared among family members as a result of their common genetic heritage. We use this sense of the word today when we refer to "human nature" or to the "nature of things." But natura was also used in Latin to differentiate the natural world — the world of born — from the manufactured world — the world of made — and it is the twist we have given to this alternative meaning that has gotten us into trouble. For the Romans, the second meaning was a logical extension of the first... For us, it has become a separation between two radically different types of reality, the works of God on one hand and the works of technology on the other. We look at our cities and our automobiles and our computers and our TV dinners and think we have created something. We have not. All we have done is used pre-created rules to put pre-created things together in new ways. — William Ashworth, The Left Hand of Eden, (From the prologue) Grow That Garden Library Garden Design Workbook by John Brookes This book came out in 1994, and the subtitle is A Practical Step-by-Step Course. Well, this book is a garden classic. It's an oldie, but goodie. And if you're just starting out in garden design. This is really a book that you should have. John is really a master designer. And in his book, he includes many helpful hints and instructions for creating practical designs for your own garden. Back in the early 2000s, I first bought this book when I became interested in landscape design - so my copy is dog-eared and all marked up. And it's a little bit of a trip down memory lane when I flipped through the pages. This book is 72 pages of learning how to design a garden, including learning how to draw a garden and learning the basic principles of structure. If you want to learn how to draw designs for your garden, then John's book is exactly what you're looking for. You can get a copy of Garden Design Workbook by John Brookes and support the show using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for around $1.25 Today's Botanic Spark Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart It was on this day, March 18th in 1969, that the philanthropist and gardener Harriet Barnes Pratt died. Harriet had married Charles Pratt, the son of the Pratt Institute's founder and a founder of Standard Oil, which became Exxon. Now Harriet and Charles had a beautiful estate in Glen Cove, Long Island. During their free time, the two worked together to install and design their gardens. Charles would site the locations, and Harriet would design the gardens and select the plants. The Pratts called their garden Welwyn, and it was important to them to have continuous bloom throughout the growing season. In this regard, they often referenced something that Sir Francis Bacon had said, "There ought to be gardens for all the months of the year." Harriet did tremendous work with the New York Botanical Garden throughout her life, and she spearheaded many initiatives - like a beautiful flower show in the museum building back in 1915. But in terms of her horticultural achievements, Harriet is remembered for coming up with the idea for Gardens on Parade - a half-acre, stunning display for the 1939 World's Fair. In addition to pulling together the fifty gardens that made up Gardens on Parade, Harriet led the effort to secure funding for this magnificent exhibition. Now in today's show notes and over on the Facebook group for the show, I've included a link to a website that includes many, many photos of Harriet's beautiful Gardens on Parade, which was described in the Herald Tribune at the time as the most stupendous, most magnificent, most gorgeous exhibition of flowers, shrubs, and other horticultural beauties ever assembled. And today, there are many wonderful quotes from people who had the honor and the privilege of viewing Harriet's Gardens on Parade. One person raved, "I visited the Gardens on Parade at the New York World's Fair this morning. They are delightful. Mrs. Harold Pratt and all the other ladies connected with the gardens were very charming. And they sent me away with a sweet little corsage of carnations, which gave off the most delicate perfume all the way back to Washington." Thanks for listening to The Daily Gardener. And remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."
Today we celebrate a man who revealed the medicinal properties of Digitalis or Foxglove. We'll also learn about an English author and gardener who wrote about the gardens of her life, and she turns 88 years old today. We hear an excerpt about a Scientist, Explorer, revolutionary, and Outcast who became one of New Zealand's Great Explorers. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book about high-end garden design. And then we'll wrap things up with a story about the man who revived the town, Landscapes and gardens of Colonial Williamsburg. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart To listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to "Play the latest episode of The Daily Gardener Podcast." And she will. It's just that easy. The Daily Gardener Friday Newsletter Sign up for the FREE Friday Newsletter featuring:
Plus, each week, one lucky subscriber wins a book from the Grow That Garden Library™ bookshelf. Gardener Greetings Send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes, and so forth to Jennifer@theDailyGardener.org Curated News How to Decorate for Spring | House & Garden Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and original blog posts for yourself, you're in luck. I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. So, there's no need to take notes or search for links. The next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community, where you'd search for a friend... and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events March 17, 1741 Today is the birthday of the English botanist geologist, physician, and chemist William Withering. William became the very first person to study the bioactivity of the flower known as Digitalis or Foxglove. In this respect, William's training as a physician served him well. And the story goes that one day, he noticed a person suffering from what was then called dropsy, which is an old word for a person who's suffering from congestive heart failure. Now, in this particular case. William observed that the patient in question showed remarkable improvement after taking a traditional herbal remedy that included Digitalis or Foxglove. Now William gets the credit for discovering the power of Digitalis because he studied the various ingredients of this old herbal remedy. He determined that it really was the Digitalis that made all the difference when it came to heart issues. In 1785, William published his famous work called an account of the Foxglove and some of its medical uses. Now Foxgloves are a beautiful plant for the ornamental or cottage garden. These are plants that produce beautiful tall flower spikes. And each spike can contain 20 to 80 purple to pink flowers that are tubular and whitish on the inside. Now Foxgloves are a toxic plant, and if you eat any part of the plant, it can result in severe poisoning. And this is important to know because when Foxglove first emerges out of the ground, it can be confused for comfort or plantation. Since both of those plants are used as edible plants by many people - it's important to be able to distinguish them and to remember where you're planting Foxglove in your garden. The fact that the Foxglove so closely resembles Plantain when it first comes out of the ground is a helpful way for gardeners to remember that Foxglove is in the Plantain family. In addition to the common name, Foxgloves, Digitalis has many adorable common names, including Fairy Fingers, Fairy Thimbles, Rabbits Flower, and Scotch Mercury. And there's a delightful old legend about the Foxglove, and it goes like this, that bad fairies gave the blossoms to a Fox who needed to put the flowers on his toes so that he could muffle the sound of his feet, as he hunted for prey. And here's another fun fact about the Foxglove: it's a cousin to another beloved cottage garden flower, the Snapdragon or Antirrhinum majus ("ant-er-EYE-num MAY-jus"). Now, with regard to its toxicity, which is a very legitimate concern. The gardener and garden writer, Katharine S. White, wrote this: "At a very early age, I remember, I was to recognize what plants are to be avoided completely. At a very early age, I remember I was taught how to recognize and stay away from deadly nightshade, poison ivy, and poison sumac. (I was, just as early, taught the delights of chewing tender young checkerberry leaves and sassafras root.) To me, it would be ridiculous, though, not to grow monkshood, foxglove, hellebore, larkspur, autumn crocus, poppies, lilies of the valley, buttercups, and many other flowers now present in my borders just because they have some poison in them." So as you can see the Foxglove is in good company when it comes to toxic plants. Now when the botanical illustrator Walter Crane painted flowers, he often personified them. And when he drew the Foxglove, he did not draw it alone - he drew a Foxglove family. And he wrote, "The Foxgloves are a happy group, comprised of cousins and brothers and sisters." And finally, the English author and poet Meta Orred wrote, Her lips like foxgloves, pink and pale, Went sighing like an autumn gale; Yet, When the sunlight passed by, They opened out with half a sigh. Her smile, the last faint vesper light As swoons the eve to sleep away, Remaining through the summer night A lamp of love by which to pray. March 17, 1933 Today is the birthday of the great British writer of fiction for both children and adults, Dame Penelope Margaret Lively - so that makes her 88 years young today. Happy birthday, Penelope. Penelope wrote one of my favorite garden books. It's called life in the garden, and I found myself enthralled with this book from the very first chapter. If you don't own a copy, get one, and you will love it - not only for what's written on the inside but also for the beautiful botanical cover on the outside. Penelope's writing often reflects on common themes like life and memory, and time. And in this book, in particular, Penelope writes about one of her passions: gardening. Now, Penelope had the unique experience of growing up in a home in Cairo, Egypt, where she experienced the joy and wonder of a courtyard garden. And then she moved to a family cottage in Somerset. As an adult, her own gardens flourished, and Oxford and London. Now, as someone who loves botanical history and literature, what I especially appreciate about Penelope's book is that she not only shares her own garden experience but also she takes us on a garden tour. We get to experience great gardens like Sissinghurst. And we also get to learn a little bit about creative people who loved to garden, like Virginia Woolf and Philip Larkin. And it was Penelope Lively, who said one of my all-time favorite garden quotes. She uses the word "elide," which means to suppress or strikeout. She said, "To garden is to elide past, present, and future. It is an act of defiance of time." Unearthed Words As his former friend made his way down the street, Ernst was reminded of a line out of Darwin's Researches. Writing of the climber's expectation in the ascent of a mountain, Darwin had said that the promise lay with the projection of the climber and that what was withheld would always outstrip what was granted. What was withheld would always outstrip what was granted. What was granted? Ernst reflected on his life. The ordinary business of it. The illnesses and the sunny days. The delivery at the kitchen door. The sound of rain upon the bedroom glass. What was withheld was the sense behind the living. The dream that never ceased. And, of course, the end of the arrow's flight. And watching Klaus make his way along the footpath, Ernst saw what a blessing this withholding was, too. For who would continue with the project of living if they could see straight to its end. — Thom Conroy, The Naturalist Grow That Garden Library Garden Design Review by Ralf Knoflach and Robert Schäfer This book came out in 2018, and the subtitle is Best-designed Gardens and Parks on the Planet. Here's what the publisher wrote about this book: Discover the greatest in garden design: Garden Design Review is the inaugural edition of an exclusive new compendium of the most outstanding projects and products in garden planning and landscape architecture around the world. A garden not only extends living space outdoors; it also enhances the quality of life. This illustrated garden book presents more than 50 contemporary garden projects from some of the most internationally renowned landscape architects and garden designers. Now the featured gardens are profiled with beautiful photographs and interviews with the garden designers and the landscape architects, and they share their work process in detail. They include the concept for the property, the materials that they used, and their plant choices. So this book makes for a wonderful behind-the-scenes tutorial. This book is 256 pages of an indispensable garden guide for professional garden designers and landscape architects as well as home gardeners looking for luxury inspiration. You can get a copy of Garden Design Review by Ralf Knoflach, and Robert Schäferand support the show using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for around $62 Today's Botanic Spark Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart March 17, 1928 It was on this day, that the pioneering landscape architect, Arthur Shurcliff began working on the Colonial Revival Gardens that ended up making Colonial Williamsburg a world-famous attraction. Just after he received his degree in mechanical engineering from MIT, Arthur discovered the field of landscape architecture and he couldn't let it go. Now back when Arthur was in school, there were no formal degree programs for Landscape Architecture. And so Arthur ended up cobbling together his own curriculum at the Lawrence School of Science at Harvard. The massive project at Williamsburg was funded by John D Rockefeller and Arthur's mission was staggering: a total community restoration. By the time that Arthur took over the project on this day, St. Patrick's day, in 1928, he already had over 30 years experience in the field. Of course, it wasn't just the buildings that needed restoration; it was the land, the paths, the street, the gardens, and the green spaces. And Arthur kept detailed notes about the transformation and his daily quest to uncover the past. And one of my favorite diary entries from Arthur about this project said, "Wednesday morning saw me in the old-fashioned gardens in the heart of the town. These old places… now gone to decay are filled with a kind of golden glory which is lacking in the new gardens. The old lattice trellises, ruined box hedges, and even the weed-grown paths seem to have the glamor of the sunshine from the olden days." Thanks to Arthur, every aspect of the town of Williamsburg was fully researched. When it came to garden plants and plant selection, Arthur insisted that authenticity was paramount. For example, Arthur's team actually searched for original fence post holes to determine the colonially accurate backyard. And in light of little details like that, it's no wonder that it took Arthur 13 years to finish the restoration of Williamsburg. In researching Arthur, it's clear that every now and then, his passion could get the best of him. There's a funny story that I love to tell with regard to Arthur's experience and Williamsburg. There was a woman in Williamsburg who lived at the St. George Tucker house. She kept her own diary, and she wrote, in January of 1931, "Today, I was asked to go over the yard with Mr. Arthur Shurcliff… I found him a very alarming person! Somehow the idea of changing the yard and garden is much more repellent to me than changing the house, and this is such a terribly enthusiastic man!" And when Arthur returned in May, she wrote, "[He came] down like a wolf on the fold again today. He rushed in and out... with charts and plans for all sorts of alarming 'landscapes' in our yard. He has boxwood on the brain." She was right. Arthur's signature plant was the Boxwood, which he called "Box" for short. And for his Williamsburg make-over, Arthur required boatloads of Box. He wrote, "In replanting Williamsburg places, much use should be made of Box… even allowing it to dominate the parterres and bed traceries… Generous use of Box in this manner [will define the] display and [help with the] upkeep of flowers especially in the dry season..." Happily for Arthur, over the course of his time and Williamsburg, his charm eventually counteracted any hesitance by the townspeople caused by his exuberance. When Colonial Williamsburg was revealed to the public in 1934, Arthur's Colonial Revival style gardens complete with Boxwood caused a sensation. Soon Revival Garden Design appeared in suburbs all across America. Thanks for listening to The Daily Gardener. And remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."
Today we celebrate a woman who made botanical art through her pioneering photography. We'll also learn about a man who discovered something new and gave it a name that we are all too familiar with today: the virus. We hear an excerpt from a book about one of the world's top floral designers and gardeners and what it was like to have a flower shop during the height of WWII. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a fantastic book about garden design - it doesn't get much better than this incredible book. And then we'll wrap things up with a little story about the Trailing Arbutus or Mayflower. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart To listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to "Play the latest episode of The Daily Gardener Podcast." And she will. It's just that easy. The Daily Gardener Friday Newsletter Sign up for the FREE Friday Newsletter featuring:
Plus, each week, one lucky subscriber wins a book from the Grow That Garden Library™ bookshelf. Gardener Greetings Send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes, and so forth to Jennifer@theDailyGardener.org Curated News Rewilding: What is it And Why it's Good For Your Garden | Elle Decoration | Natasha Goodfellow Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and original blog posts for yourself, you're in luck. I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. So, there's no need to take notes or search for links. The next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community, where you'd search for a friend... and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events March 16, 1799 Today is the birthday of the English botanist and photographer Anna Children Atkins who was born on this day, March 16th in 1799. Anna is often regarded as the very first person to have published a book that was illustrated with photographs. Anna's photographs were extraordinary, and she used a type process that produced images onto cyan blue paper. And in case you're wondering, that is the etymology for the term blueprints. Today, there are just a handful of copies of Anna's 1843 work Photographs of British Algae. Sadly, although none of her specimens have survived, we at least have her beautiful prints. Back in 2015, on the occasion of her 216th birthday, Anna was honored with a Google Doodle. And if you have kids, please check out a wonderful book of photography that Fiona Robinson wrote called The Bluest of Blues: Anna Atkins and the First Book of Photographs. Now, a fun activity that you can do to accompany learning about Anna Atkins is making sun prints with botanical specimens. Sun prints are an easy project and only require a few simple steps. First, you want to go out and gather items that you want to use for your artwork - this can be fern leaves, or little flowers that you pick, or even leaves from a tree. Then you're going to need a tray, and on the tray, you'll place your sun print paper that you can get from Amazon. Next, place your botanical items on top of the Sun Paper. Now, if you have plexiglass, you can place that over the top. If you don't have plexiglass, it's not a windy day; that's just fine. You just need to bring your tray out into a sunny spot. And let it sit for about two minutes. Soon you'll notice that the paper will begin to turn a pale blue everywhere that's not covered by one of your botanical specimens. (The areas that are covered by the specimens will remain a dark blue.) After about two minutes, it's time to remove all of your items off of the paper. Then you just remove the paper and gently slip it into a tray of water. This step is essential because the water is going to stop that exposure process. And you don't need to leave the paper in the water very long - only for about a minute. Next, you can just take the paper out of the water after about a minute and then set it on a table or other flat surface to dry. This sun print activity is wonderful to do with kids in the summertime on a hot summer day when kids are looking for something to do. Then when it's all done, you will have these beautiful, fun prints that you can put on display - and they make beautiful gifts. It is a fun activity to do with little gardeners this summer in your 2021 garden. March 16, 1851 And today is the birthday of the Dutch microbiologist and botanist Martinus Beijerinck ("By-a-rink"). Now Martinus was a very smart man - a very brilliant botanist - and he was searching for the reason that tobacco plants were dying. And to do his research, Martin ground up some diseased tobacco leaves, and then he pressed the juices through a bacteria filter. And you can imagine his surprise when the filtered, bacteria-free liquid still spread the disease. It was only after reviewing his experiment that Martinus correctly deduced that a microorganism smaller than a bacteria was causing the problem, and he called this very little thing a virus, which is the Latin word for poison. Now before 2019, two of the most common viruses in humans were the flu and the common cold. But today, of course, there's only one virus on all of our minds, and that is the Coronavirus or COVID 19. But, you know, plants suffer from viruses as well. And here's a top 10 list voted on by plant virologists associated with molecular plant pathology:
Unearthed Words When the London Blitz began in September of 1940, she continued to struggle up to London on erratic trains to the shop where a skeleton staff kept the show going. She feared people would think her crazy to keep a flower shop open during a war. Was it frivolously unpatriotic? The city was heavily hit by bombs, and she arrived one morning to find a near miss had shattered the glass, and the shop floor was under water from the firemen's hoses. The whole place was in a dim half-light because of the broken and boarded up windows [she wrote]. A customer came in early for flowers, and because of the friendliness, which was one of the features of those times, everyone gathered around to talk. As she left, we thanked her and apologized for so much confusion; she gave an indifferent glance at the mess around her and a smiling one at the flowers she carried, and she remarked that in her view, flowers made one feel normal. — Sue Shepherd, The Surprising Life of Constance Spry, Chapter: The Spry Wartime Household Grow That Garden Library Garden Design Master Class by Carl Dellatore This book came out in 2020, and the subtitle is A Hundred Lessons From the World's Finest Designers on the Art of the Garden. This book is absolutely fantastic. In fact, last night, I shared a video that I found on YouTube, where Carl is introducing the topics that he describes in his fabulous book. And this book is the perfect follow-up to Carl's other book, Interior Design Masterclass. In this book. Carl continues to do what he does so very well: curating a hundred landscape architects and garden designers to have them share their own answers to top gardening questions. And every single response is illustrated with photographs from each designer's work, which is what makes this book so very special. And I love compilation books like this because it's so very rare to have someone like Carl who has that breadth of garden design knowledge. This book is truly a classic in the making. This book is 288 pages of thoughtful yet masterful teachings from the experts, and they're sure to inspire all gardeners regardless of experience. You can get a copy of Garden Design Master Class by Carl Dellatoreand support the show using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for around $32 Today's Botanic Spark Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart March 16, 1927 It was on this day that a woman named Nelva Weber wrote a letter to the editor of The Pantograph - the newspaper out of Bloomington, Illinois. Here's what she wrote. Before the winter snow has left the pine-clad New England slopes, one may find that tiny harbinger of spring, the Trailing Arbutus. This little flower has a rosy, wax blossom, and a long trailing stem, and weathered leaves. Whittier was a lover of this little flower, and it was he who wrote, Creeps the Trailing Arbutus over hillock and hollow, Through leafage whose greenness and glory are fled. And an interesting Indian legend is told about this flower. It was said that the warrior who wore a wreath of perfect Arbutus leaves would never be defeated nor suffer death. Winona, the beautiful Indian maiden, found a spray of perfect leaves, and she wove them into a wreath for her father. He was successful in combat. But when his daughter eloped with a warrior from another tribe, he was overcome with grief. His tears fell upon the Arbutus leaves and weathered them. After that, no perfect leaves were to be found. Now Winona wished to find a wreath of perfect leaves for her husband. And they wandered hand in hand in search of the leaves. But instead of perfect leaves, they found the charm of love and perfect happiness. And we who travel life's pathway are in search of our own metaphorical wreath of flawless Arbutus leaves. And, of course, we search in vain. We do not find our perfect spray of Arbutus in this life. But if we are kind and thoughtful of others along every step of our journey, we shall receive the charm of love and happiness as a reward for our search. Thanks for listening to The Daily Gardener. And remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."
Today we celebrate the man who introduced Europe to the Piggyback Plant - it's now a popular houseplant. We'll also learn about the man who was an early evangelist for gardening and working with Mother Nature. We hear an excerpt from a book by a celebrated plantsman as he discusses a beloved snow gum tree. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a joyful book about permaculture. And then we'll wrap things up with the colorful story about the Indiana State Flower and how the Zinnia lost to the Peony. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart To listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to "Play the latest episode of The Daily Gardener Podcast." And she will. It's just that easy. The Daily Gardener Friday Newsletter Sign up for the FREE Friday Newsletter featuring: A personal update from me Garden-related items for your calendar The Grow That Garden Library™ featured books for the week Gardener gift ideas Garden-inspired recipes Exclusive updates regarding the show Plus, each week, one lucky subscriber wins a book from the Grow That Garden Library™ bookshelf. Gardener Greetings Send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes, and so forth to Jennifer@theDailyGardener.org Curated News Designing a Pollinator Habitat: Four Things to Consider | Story | The Xerces Society Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and original blog posts for yourself, you're in luck. I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. So, there's no need to take notes or search for links. The next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community, where you'd search for a friend... and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events March 15, 1754 Today is the birthday of the Scottish surgeon, botanist, and naturalist Archibald Menzies. Now there's a famous story about Archibald that goes something like this: One time, Joseph Banks sent Archibald on an expedition. At some point, Joseph ended up dining with the leadership of the country of Chile. Archibald was served nuts from the Chilean Pine Tree during the meal, and these nuts were featured as part of an elaborate dessert for this grand meal that Archibald enjoyed. As Archibald is sitting there, he begins to eat some of these nuts. But then, his inner-botanist took over, and Archibald realized that the nuts were actually large seeds. And so, Archibald does what any good botanist would do: he tucks five of the nuts in his pocket. And then, on his way back to England, Archibald planted the five seeds and started growing the Chilean Pine Tree right there on the ship. And guess what? He ended up growing them successfully. Now, once these trees started growing in England, they became known by a new common name when people started calling them the Monkey Puzzle Tree - because someone remarked that even a monkey would not be able to climb the Chilean Pine Tree. And as a result of this, Archibald became known as the Monkey Puzzle Man. Now today, sadly, Monkey Puzzle Trees are considered endangered. But like Archibald, gardeners still attempt to grow these curious trees from seed, and if you're fortunate, you can find those seeds online. Now another plant that Archibald discovered is the Piggyback Plant. Today, this is a popular houseplant, and its botanical name is Tolmiea menziesii in honor of Archibald Menzies. You may be wondering how it got the common name, the Piggyback Plant, which I think is an adorable name that is inspired by the way this plant grows. It turns out that Piggyback Plants develop buds at the base of each leaf where it meets the stalk. Then the new plants basically piggyback off the parent leaf, which forces the stem to bend down to the ground under the weight of that new plant, and the new baby Piggyback Plant can take off from there. Now because of its growing habit, Piggyback Plants are perfect for hanging baskets. And they really do make excellent houseplants because they like indirect light and partial shade. Online, I noticed that the Piggyback Plant is compared to the Strawberry Begonia because they both have attractive foliage, and they are super easy to propagate - which makes them a double win in my book. Anyway, happy heavenly birthday to Archibald Menzies - and thank you for the Monkey Puzzle Tree and the Piggyback Plant. March 15, 1858 Today is the birthday of the American horticulturist and botanist who co-founded the American Society for Horticultural Science, Liberty, Hyde Bailey, who was born on this day, March 15th in 1858. We owe a huge debt of gratitude to Liberty Hyde Bailey. He is responsible for starting so many things, including the 4-H movement, the nature study movement, parcel post, and even making sure that electricity got into rural parts of America. He truly was a pioneer. Looking back, it's actually rather staggering to reflect on Liberty Hyde Bailey's work. Luckily for us, we're able to get a clear picture of his activity because he was such an excellent writer. Liberty had some tremendous mentors in his life. First, he served as a research assistant to the great Asa Gray at Harvard in his herbarium, and he worked with Asa for over two years. Between being at Harvard and regularly working with Asa, he got the finest horticultural education and experience that a person could get in the late 1800s in the United States. After Harvard, Liberty went on to work in New York. Specifically, he served as the Department Chair for Horticulture at Cornell University. And if you recall studying genetics, learning about DNA, genes, and Mendel in middle school, that is due to Liberty Hyde Bailey. This is because Liberty evaluated what Mendel had done, and he realized that it was genuinely revolutionary work. Essentially, Liberty plucks Mendel out of obscurity and puts him in a place of honor - a spot Mendel so clearly deserved. Now, if you're having trouble remembering what Mendel accomplished, here's a quick little primer. Mendel discovered the basic principles of heredity, and he did that by working with peas in his garden at an Augustinian monastery in Burno, in the Czech Republic. Over the course of seven years, Mendel grew nearly 30,000 pea plants. As he grew the peas, he documented everything about them - jotting notes about their height and shape and color, and all of this work resulted in what we now know as the laws of heredity. In fact, it was actually Mendel who came up with the genetic terms and the terminology that we still use today - like dominant and recessive genes. Mendel is a fascinating person to talk about with kids who are interested in gardening because he really was, at heart, a gardener. Mendel grew so many plants and took such pains to document everything about them; that's a great story to share with any young gardeners that you may be working with this year. Anyway, back to Liberty Hyde Bailey. There was an excellent book that was written in 2019 that revived Liberty's best essays, and it was edited by two men named John: John Stepien and John Linstrom. These two men pulled together Liberty's writings which reveal a man who was a passionate evangelist for gardening. Indeed, Liberty loved gardening, and he wanted everyone else to love gardening, too. In fact, one of his famous quotes is that "Every family can have a garden." This quote reminds me of the little phrase from the movie Ratatouille, "Everyone can cook." Now, before I share a few more of Liberty's great quotes, I just wanted to read to you what the publisher said about Liberty's work. "Liberty Hyde Bailey built a reputation as the father of modern horticulture. And an evangelist for what he called the "garden sentiment," the desire to raise plants from the good earth for the sheer joy of it, and for the love of the plants themselves." Here are a few wonderful garden quotes that Liberty wrote. "If a person cannot love a plant after he has pruned it, then he's either done a poor job or is devoid of emotion." And here's one of my favorites. "A person cannot love a plant after he has pruned it, then he has either done a poor job or is devoid of emotion." When I read that quote, it reminded me of my relationship with Creeping Charlie. A few summers ago, it was driving me crazy, and then I found a way to change my mindset around it - kind of like the way I ended up making peace with the rabbits in my garden. Somehow, I managed to reframe my thinking around Creeping Charlie, and I really think it all boiled down to learning about its medicinal qualities and how it was used and valued in gardens in the 1700s and 1800s. Now, I have one more additional quote by Liberty Hyde Bailey that I thought would be a great one to wrap up the segment on botanical history today, and it's a little verse that he wrote about spring. Yesterday the twig was brown and bare; Today the glint of green is there; Tomorrow will be leaflets spare; I know no thing so wondrous fair, No miracle so strangely rare. I wonder what will next be there! Unearthed Words One of my favorite trees in the Hillier Gardens and also popular with visitors, especially children, was the snow gum from the Australian Alps of New South Wales. Planted small from a pot in 1962, it had achieved a height of around 19 feet with several branches but had a distinct lean, enabling small children to sit astride its lower stem. Its exfoliating bark exhibited several shades of green, creamy-white, and silvery-gray, which I used to liken to the skin of a python. It was also solid and cool to the cheek, especially so on a hot summer's day. On one occasion, I introduced a group of partially-sighted visitors to this tree, encouraging them to stroke or hug the stem and to listen to the sound of the scimitar-shaped, leathery leaves shaking in the breeze. It was a special moment for them and me. Nearby grew a tall-stemmed Apache pine... The pine is today [a champion tree] while the snow gum, despite being supported, eventually blew down in a gale. — Roy Lancaster, My Life with Plants, Chapter: Spreading My Wings Grow That Garden Library Gaia's Garden by Toby Hemenway This book came out in 2009, and the subtitle is A Guide to Home-Scale Permaculture. Now, this book is one of my favorites. It truly is a garden classic, and I think it belongs in every Gardner's home library. Today most of us have had a decent amount of exposure to permaculture. But back in 2009, it still was a novel topic for many gardeners. Now the principle that is underlying every page of Gaia's garden is this: working with nature and not against her results in more beautiful, abundant, and forgiving gardens. I remember thinking the first time I read this book that Toby is such a joyful gardener - and this comes through on every page. That's why this book still remains a book that I recommend to beginning gardeners - as well as established gardeners — looking to refine and hone their gardening skills. Gaia's Garden shares everything you need to know to create a beautiful backyard ecosystem. And if you started gardening in 2020 during the pandemic, and you'd like to learn more about permaculture, Toby's book is a must-have. And I just have to share that one of my favorite garden experts, Robert Kourik, said this about Toby's book, "Permaculture gardens are no longer a thing of the future. They are here to stay and flourish. Gaia's Garden is enlightening and required reading for all people who desire to make their home landscape healthy, sustainable, and healing — and that perfectly encapsulates Toby's book." This book is 313 pages of a garden classic, introducing best practices in gardening — working with mother nature to strengthen and sustain ecosystems in your own backyard. You can get a copy of Gaia's Garden by Toby Hemenway and support the show using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for around $17 Today's Botanic Spark Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart March 15, 1957 It was on this day that the peony became Indiana's fourth state flower. The story of how the peony became selected as the state flower of Indiana is actually rather quite interesting. Apparently, the fine people of Indiana had initially considered the Zinnia for the honor, but when that was struck down, they started talking about the bloom of the redbud. But then that caused a ruckus because people could not figure out whether the redbud was a flower or a tree, or a shrub. This is when a young, distinguished member of the Indiana legislature in Indiana named Lawrence Baker, who happened to be a peony grower, suggested the peony. And that is how the peony ended up on the ballot. Now in 2016, the Daily Journal wrote an excellent article, and it was called "Indiana State Flower has a Colorful Past."I thought you would get a kick out of it. The Indiana legislature has adjourned for another year. It was a turbulent session. But at least the lawmakers did not have to grapple with the thorny issue of the State Flower. It was March of 1957 that Governor Handley signed a bill, which designated the peony as the official State Flower of Indiana. The act surprised a lot of Hoosier's suddenly uprooted was the reigning State Flower, the Zinnia. What followed was quite a tempest in a flower pot. It is a tale that smells of intrigue, and the garden editor of the Indianapolis Star blamed the flower switch on a "small cult of Zinnia-haters. Perhaps a little history is an order. Every state in the union has an official flower, from the Camillia and Alabama to the Indian Paintbrush in Wyoming. Back home in the Hoosier state. We can't seem to make up our minds. In 1913 we picked the carnation. Ten years later, we favored the tulip tree blossom. Then, in 1931, lawmakers gave the nod to the Zinnia. Motives for these changes seem to be lost in the midst of time. There appears to have been a trade-off in 1931 when we dropped the tulip tree blossom as the state flower. In that same year, the tulip poplar became the official state tree. That probably salved the hurt feelings of tulip blossom fans. Zinnia lovers were caught off guard when the flower switch came in 1957. The director of the Farm Bureau pet and hobby clubs put up a protest. "We have 650 clubs with about 10,000 members," she complained, "and one of our projects for years has been to provide the children with Zinnia seeds to grow. Imagine the children growing peonies!" Officials at Indiana National Bank already had ordered huge amounts of Zinnia seeds to be given out at the Indianapolis Home Show that year. They could not cancel that order, so they carried on. Now, if you're a Zinnia lover, you'll be happy to know that Indiana's Zinnia fans did not go down without a fight. They began a letter-writing campaign for newspapers all around the state. In fact, a woman named Meredith Haskett felt compelled to wax poetic about the switch. Somehow the men seem quite impelled The Zinnia to discard As Indiana's flower and I think they should be barred. From making further boo-boos; I'd fire them all, perhaps — If I could have my say. I'd probably call them saps For spending time and money To make the Peony queen; She lasts a day or two in the spring — That's all — no more she's seen. Indiana is a proud state, Colorful and strong And sturdy as a Zinnia; Somebody's done her wrong. Thanks for listening to The Daily Gardener. And remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."
Full show notes at the publisherToday we celebrate a man remembered for bringing a ton of new and exciting plant species to California and his profound impact on Santa Barbara in particular. We'll also learn about a year of letter-writing between two garden greats. We hear an excerpt about the first time tulip bulbs were used as money. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a stunning book about our relationship with trees. And then we'll wrap things up with the sunny State Flower of Kansas: the Sunflower. . Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart To listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to "Play the latest episode of The Daily Gardener Podcast." And she will. It's just that easy. The Daily Gardener Friday Newsletter Sign up for the FREE Friday Newsletter featuring: A personal update from me Garden-related items for your calendar The Grow That Garden Library™ featured books for the week Gardener gift ideas Garden-inspired recipes Exclusive updates regarding the show Plus, each week, one lucky subscriber wins a book from the Grow That Garden Library™ bookshelf. Gardener Greetings Send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes, and so forth to Jennifer@theDailyGardener.org Curated News National Plant-a-Flower Day | FTD Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and original blog posts for yourself, you're in luck. I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. So, there's no need to take notes or search for links. The next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community where you'd search for a friend... and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events March 12, 1843 Today is the birthday of the Italian American horticulturist Francesco Franceschi ("fran-CHESS-ko fran-CHESS-key"). Born in Italy, Francesco changed his name after coming to America and settling in Santa Barbara, California. With a temperate Mediterranean climate, Santa Barbara became a haven for plant lovers in the 1800s. Francesco's work elevated him in the plant community. He planted a boulevard of impressive Italian Stone Pines and lined another main avenue with Palm Trees. Always on the lookout for new varieties, Francesco brought Italian Zucchini to California, and he introduced exciting new plants like Cape Pittosporum, Floss Silk, and Naked Coral Trees to California. Fluent in seven languages, Francesco communicated with botanists, collectors, and explorers all over Europe and South America. In terms of legacy, Francesco is remembered for bringing more exotic plants to Southern California than any other man. One specimen that made Francesco famous was the Catalina Ironwood and the story of how he sourced the tree is legendary. In 1894, Francesco made a trip to the Channel Islands to get the Catalina Ironwood. Tragically, this expedition was beset with all kinds of challenges. When the rough waters threatened to sink their vessel, Francesco's sons had to jump out of the boat. Seeing the commotion and suspecting the Francheschi's were smugglers, the coast guard fired on them. Yet despite these close calls, Francesco achieved his goal and he managed to bring an entire burl stump of Catalina Ironwood to Santa Barbara. Once he was home, Francesco propagated new Ironwoods from the suckers that formed on the stump and one of these offspring ended up at the Botanic Garden at UC Berkeley. Forty years after Francesco's rocky trip to the Channel Islands, Santa Barbara made the Catalina Ironwood (Lyonothamnus floribundus ssp. floribundus) the city's official tree. And today, next to the space where Francesco's nursery used to be, an oceanside park bears Francesco's name. And if you've ever lamented the way botanical plant names change over time, you'd be in good company with Francesco, who — after learning that Persea gratissima was updated to Persea americana — said, "One cannot protest strongly enough against this modern craziness of creating new names for old things." March 12, 2001 On this day Nancy Goodwin of the landmark Montrose Gardens and Allen Lacy American garden writer and columnist launched their garden book called A Year in Our Gardens. This is one of my favorite books and it's a collection of the letters that Alan and Nancy exchanged during a single year. Now, what I love about Alan in Nancy's letters is that these two people are truly real gardeners in every sense of the word - despite their fame and popularity. And so their letters share their horticultural wins and their failures. They talk about plants, of course, but they also share their dreams for their gardens and they even delve into other areas of their life - like their favorite music and what's going on with their family and friends. And as for these two gardeners, Alan and Nancy's gardens and their garden philosophies could not be more different. Alan's garden was on a 100- by 155-foot plot of farmland in Southern New Jersey. And while Alan gardened on sandy soil, that required constant watering, Nancy took a different approach and she never irrigated her garden. Instead, she planted only native plants that would thrive naturally in her garden without any intervention on her part. Anyway, I cannot believe that this is the 20th anniversary of this book coming out, this landmark garden book. And if you don't have it, I encourage you to head on over to Amazon and buy the book because it's truly one of the great garden books. You can get A Year in Our Gardens on Amazon and support the show in today's show notes for around $2 Unearthed Words Deep inside the long, low-line cordon of islands that separated the northern provinces of the Dutch Republic from the North Sea stood the West Friesland town of Hoorn. Until the 1550s, Hoorn had been one of the most important places in the Netherlands, thriving on Baltic trade. Now nearly a hundred years later, the ships that had once unloaded cargos of hemp and timber at its docks, sailed on to Amsterdam. Hoorn was dying; the port had slipped into a long, slow decline from which it was never to recover. Somewhere in the center of this ruined town, in the first half of the seventeenth century, stood a house with three stone tulips carved into its facade. There was nothing else special about the building… But this is where tulip mania began. The stone flowers were placed there to commemorate the sale of the house, in the summer of 1633, for three rare tulips. It was in this year... that the price of bulbs reached unprecedented heights in West Friesland. When news of the sale of the tulip house got out, a Friesian farmhouse and its adjoining land also changed hands for a parcel of bulbs. These remarkable transactions... were the first sign that something approaching mania had begun to flourish. For three decades, flower lovers had used money to buy tulips. Now – for the first time – tulips were being used as money. And just as strikingly, they were being valued at huge sums. — Mike Dash, Tulipomania, Chapter 10: Boom Grow That Garden Library Forest by Matt Collins This book came out in 2020 and the subtitle is A Journey Through Wild And Magnificent Landscapes. In this book, Matt journeyed across North America, the United Kingdom, and Europe. Along with photographer, Roo Lewis, the two men captured the history, science, and human stories behind some of the most amazing environments in the world. Together, the two men explored earth's lush woodlands and wild landscapes - and along the way, they uncovered the relationships that humans have with trees. And here's what the publisher wrote about Matt's book: "Matt explores the captivating history behind some of the world's most enchanting for us. This book is organized by tree species, including the Hardy Pines in a forest in Spain, the towering firs of the American West, and the striking Birch groves found in Germany. And in addition to all of that Forest offers a beautiful blend of photographs, scientific trivia, and engaging human stories." This book is 256 pages of gorgeous tree photography and the magnificence of the forest of our planet. You can get a copy of Forest by Matt Collins and support the show using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for around $4 Today's Botanic Spark Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart March 12, 1903 On this day, the Kansas State Flower was officially selected. Governor Willis Bailey signed the legislation that designated the wild native Sunflower or Helianthus as the state flower. And it turns out that during that same time period, Nebraska was also considering the Sunflower. But when Kansas made it official, Nebraska dropped its bid. And so today, Kansas remains the only state that can officially claim the Sunflower. Now in the years, leading up to the official selection of the Sunflower, many Kansans were writing about its beauty. In fact, the Topeka Capital wrote "Kansas boasts a number of men who can write a good Sunflower verse, but none of these can do it more entertainingly than Ed Blair." Ed Blair was a Kansas poet and author, and in 1901, he wrote an ode to the Kansas Sunflower. Here's a little excerpt: Oh, Sunflower the Queen of all flowers, No other with you can compare The roadside and fields are made golden Because of your bright presence there. Now, with regard to the Sunflower, there are a number of fun facts that just may surprise you. First of all, they are definitely native plants to the Western hemisphere. And through the ages, they've been used for dyes and oil and food and even medicine. In fact, in both Mexico and in Native American tribes, the Sunflower was used to treat chest pain. Now most gardeners will attempt to grow Sunflowers at some point. So if you find yourself wanting to give it a try. Here are a few things you should consider. First of all, Sunflowers really do need a ton of sun. Don't be stingy with the sunshine and put them in part shade. These are plants that really appreciate all the rays they can get. Second. Sunflowers not only grow in full sun, they actually follow the sun. They exhibit behavior that's known as Heliotropism. In the morning, the Sunflower heads will face East. And then the Sunflower heads will move to track the sun throughout the day. Now as they mature, this tracking movement will become less pronounced as the stem loses its flexibility in order to support the large mature bloom. Now in terms of botanical history, there is a story about the Sunflower that I love to tell. In 1972, a young student named Charles B. Heizer Jr. wrote a lovely tribute about his mentor and teacher, the botanist Edgar Anderson. "Student Days with Edgar Anderson or How I Came to Study Sunflowers." Charles sifted through the many letters he had received from Edgar during his lifetime - they filled up a folder over two inches thick. Over the years, Edgar was an encouraging mentor to Charles, writing, "What an incredible gift good students are…" and "if you are tired of [Helianthus] and don't want to look at 'em anymore for a while, why by all means put them aside. Don't let anybody's advice, including mine, keep you from what you are happiest doing." And here's another fun Sunflower story. When the Russian Tsar, Peter the Great, saw Sunflower for the first time in Holland, he fell in love with them and had them brought back to Russia. The Russian public loved Sunflowers as well - but not just for their happy flowers. Unlike other cooking oils, the oil from Sunflower seeds was approved for use during Lent by the Russian Orthodox Church. By the early 1800s, two million Acres of Sunflowers for planted in Russia every single year. Ironically, over the next century, immigrants from Russia would bring Sunflower seeds with them when they immigrated to the United States. And even though these plants were originally native to the Western hemisphere, the Russian hybrids actually had evolved and had bigger blooms than the original American varieties. And finally, Mabel Thompson, a resident of Kansas wrote a poem called, "When the Sunflowers, Bloom," and it was shared in the Chanute Daily Tribune in July of 1903 - just three months after the Sunflower was made the official state flower. And I found Mabel's poem to beat absolutely charming and I thought I'd close the show with it today. I've been off on a journey. I just got home today. I traveled East and North and South and every other way. I've seen a heap of country and cities on the boom, But I want to be in Kansas, when the Sunflowers bloom. You may talk about your lilies, your violets and roses, Your asters and your jazzy-mins, and all other posies. I'll allow they all are beauties and full of sweet perfume, But there's none of them, a patchin' to the Sunflowers bloom. Oh, it's nice among the mountains, but I sorta felt shut-in. It'd be nice upon the seashore. if it wasn't for the din. While the Prairie's are so quiet and there's always lots of room. Oh, it's nice, still in Kansas when the Sunflowers bloom. When all the sky above is just as blue as can be. And the Prairie's are waving like a yellow drifting sea. Oh, it's there my soul goes sailing and my heart is on the boom In the golden fields of Kansas. When the Sunflowers bloom. — Mabel Thompson, Here's When the Sunflowers Bloom Thanks for listening to The Daily Gardener. And remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."
Full show notes at the publisher
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