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.
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Today we celebrate a botanical illustrator who is remembered as one of the greats from the 17th century. We'll also learn about a woman who battled the Prickly Pear Cactus - not an easy thing to do. We'll hear an excerpt from an expert on growing giant hybrid delphinium - and why we really should think of these as annuals and not perennials. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book about growing food in your own backyard. And then we'll wrap things up with the story of a magnificent tree that met its demise on this day in 1992. 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 Plantswoman Sarah Raven reveals unconventional tip for growing herbs, and it doesn't cost a penny | Ideal Home | Millie Hurst 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 11, 1775 Today is the birthday of French botanist and illustrator Pierre Jean François Turpin. Pierre learned botany from a friend, Pierre Antoine Poiteau, who was a botanist, gardener, and botanical artist. And though we know that he had some help learning botany from his friend Poiteau, Pierre actually taught himself to draw, and he was influenced by other great artists like Redouté. Today there are many examples of Pierre's work in the Lindley Library. And history tells us that, altogether, Pierre created over 6,000 magnificent botanical watercolors. Furthermore, many experts regard Pierre's fruit prints to be some of the finest ever produced. I ran across two fascinating stories about Pierre that I wanted to share with you today. First, Pierre created a fictional illustration of an archetypal plant. This isn't something that he just decided to do. Instead, he was commissioned by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Goethe asked Pierre to demonstrate the diversity of angiosperms - no small task - and Pierre happily obliged. When Goethe first laid eyes on Pierre's drawing of this composite plant, he named it the Urplant. And he wrote that, "The Urplant would be the most wondrous creation in the world, for which nature itself would envy me. With it, one could invent plants to infinity..." I've shared his image of the Urplant inthe Facebook group for the show. So you can just head on over there, and it should be at the top of your feed for today. The second story that I wanted to share with you about Pierre is a little sadder but nonetheless touching. It turns out that Pierre also had a son named Pierre Jr., and no doubt. Pierre taught his son how to draw. But tragically, when he was just 18 years old, Pierre's son died, and the very last thing he drew was an Amaryllis. After his death, Pierre made sure to give him credit, and then he did something unusual for botanical illustrations: he made a little remark on his son's passing. And so the inscription under this amaryllis reads. This original illustration was painted by Pierre John Frederick Eugene Turpin. The illustrator, who was 18 years and six days of age, ceased to live on the 21st of August in 1821. And less than 20 years later. Pierre himself would die in Paris in 1840 at the age of 65. In any case, I found this little picture of the amaryllis drawn by Pierre's son to be so touching, and I included it in response to a listener who had written me to ask, "What should I do with my Amaryllis after it's done blooming?" Great question. Now I know that some people decide to throw their Amaryllis away when it's all done - because then you're just left with the beautiful foliage. But if you're intent on saving it, it is possible to do, and you can force it to flower again next year. And here's how you would do that. Once your Amaryllis finishes blooming, just remove the flower stock by cutting it about one to two inches above the leaves. And whatever you do, do not remove the leaves because they feed the bulb so that it can rebloom later in the year. Once you've removed the flower stock, you can place your Amaryllis in a sunny window and then wait until June to move it outside. As with so many plants, it's an excellent idea to harden-off your Amaryllis. Bring your Amaryllis outside for a couple of hours and set it in a shady area and then bring it back in. Then continue to do that routine - lengthening the amount of time it's outdoors until it's spending all of the time outside. Next, you're going to want to move it into a sunny location gradually. When the summer is over, take your Amaryllis indoors. And then you're going to work on inducing dormancy because Amaryllis need to go through an eight to ten weeks of cold temperatures. They need to feel like they're experiencing winter so that when they warm up, they will begin to produce a bloom. So if you have a cold dark cellar, this would be ideal. And remember that during this period of dormancy, you do not want to water your Amaryllis - just think about it as a little sleeping beauty that you're going to wake up in time for the holidays. And so there you go; a little Amaryllis Care 101 inspired by the son of Pierre Turpin. March 11, 1877 Today is the birthday of the Australian botanist Jean White-Haney. Before I tell you Jean's story, it's important to remember that Prickly Pear Cactus is not native to Australia. A man named Captain Arthur Phillip brought the Prickly Pear from Rio de Janeiro to Australia way back in 1787. As with many invasives, the Prickly Pear was actually cultivated and then distributed throughout Australia. And by 1912, Jean was put in charge of tackling the Prickly Pear problem and Jean was just the woman for the job. Jean's appointment marked the first time that a woman held a scientific leadership position in the Australian government. And while jean did this job, she worked in a little house in a remote town between Miles and Roma. And she reflected on her experience this way. "It was in the midst of the thickest pair. A desolate little place where living was primitive. I was young then and still rather nervous, but I insisted on not being given any special privileges because of being a woman. If you do that, you make it harder for all women to engage in research. The inevitable response to any suggestion that a woman should be sent out on fieldwork is, but she couldn't live out there alone. Failures of women who can not rough it would naturally be magnified. I lived in the little public house there. And worked on my fascinating job with all the enthusiasm of those who see small beginnings to great ends. And the methods chosen for experiment were the introduction of suitable, insects and poison." Jean's work with the Prickly Pear led her to meet an American scientist named Victor Haney and by 1915, the two were married. And fifteen years later, the couple moved to the United States, where Jean and her husband lived the rest of their lives. Now as for the Prickly Pear, here are some fun facts. The leaves of the pear are known as pads and are actually not leaves at all but modified branches. And as you might've suspected, those pads are perfectly suited for water storage, photosynthesis, and flower production. And while you might think that the Prickly Pear can only grow in hot climates, many Prickly Pear are cold-hardy, and they can survive temperatures as low as 30 degrees below zero. And finally, here's something you might not have known: the Prickly Pear is actually an excellent pollinator plant. Charles Darwin noticed that the flowers of the Prickly Pear Cactus had thigmotactic anthers - that just means that they like to curl over and deposit their pollen when they're touched. And yes, the bees love it. Unearthed Words The following plants are those. I know. The vast majority say 95 percent are very friendly things. Stick them in the ground, and they grow. Some other plants are diffident, and friendship with them is slow to ripen. Great Hybrid Delphinium, the Queen of Flowers, is an example. The reader will recall that the first time I produced perennials, the six- to seven-foot Delphinium stalks were so sensational that I gave up golf for gardening. Then it took me ten years to reproduce that first crop. Why? During that time I also learned that a one-year-old field-grown Delphinium still the standard in the trade, is a fraud. If we can't transplant the things successfully in the nursery, and we never can, one needs little imagination to realize what a problem such plants are to the home gardener. The successful transplant is one started from seed in a three-inch peat-pot in a greenhouse in January. If planted early in a rich border, it will hit six feet by the end of July. Also, few garden writers or nurserymen admit that Giant Hybrid Delphinium are so far from being true perennials that they must be planted, like annuals, to get consistent results, but that's God's truth about lovely things. Of course, there are a few giant hybrids that lasts for five years. But they are sensational only because they have lived so long their flower spikes are just average. — Amos Pettengill (aka William Harris and Jane Grant), The White Flower Farm Garden Book Grow That Garden Library Food Grown Right, In Your Backyard by Colin McCrate and Brad Halm This book came out in 2012, and the subtitle is A Beginner's Guide To Growing Crops At Home. Well, this book has a special place in my heart because it's one of the first books I bought to learn how to grow food in my own backyard. Colin and Brad founded the Seattle Urban Farm Company and they love to answer questions that are posed by first-time-gardeners such as: Do I really need to buy fertilizer? What on earth is that creature doing on my tomatoes or my backyard is too small? How can I make space for a garden? Well, luckily, Collin and Brad answer all of these questions and more. Their book covers garden size and design for any setting (including container gardens). They also cover soil types, watering, and irrigation. And then they go into things like plant profiles, garden tools and crop planning. And I love what Urban Farm Magazine wrote about Collin and Brad's book. They said, "Collin and Brad proved that anyone can develop a green thumb." I can't think of any higher praise. This book is 320 pages of a backyard gardening masterclass, helping you to grow food in your own backyard. You can get a copy of Food Grown Right, In Your Backyard by Colin McCrate and Brad Halm and support the show using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for around $15 Today's Botanic Spark Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart It was on this day, March 11th in 1992, that a beautiful Magnolia tree at Montrose fell to the ground. The story of the tree was shared in The Berkshire Eagle in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, and the title was In Memoriam of Montrose's Priceless Tree by the great garden writer, Allen Lacy. Here's what he wrote. "Since its founding in 1984, Montrose Nursery has become one of the best small mail-order sources of rare and unusual plants in the country, and a place I regularly visit on pilgrimage. But Montrose is more than Montrose Nursery. Its spacious grounds have borne their name since the early 19th century, as home to several generations of the Graham family, going back to William A. Graham, a governor of North Carolina… Since 1977, the owners of Montrose have been Craufurd Goodwin, a professor of economics at Duke University, and Nancy Goodwin, the proprietor of the nursery. But the Goodwins say they are primarily stewards of this historic property, and I have long suspected that its true owners are not human beings but trees. Billowing hedges of ancient boxwood embrace the large two-story white house and define parts of the garden, separating it from a rolling meadow that in March is a sea of daffodils. Above the garden and its broad green lawns, trees stand sentinel. But one tree in particular has always seemed emblematic of Montrose: a cucumber Magnolia (Magnolia acuminata) growing by the driveway of crushed blue-stone just where it curves past the house. This tree — who can bear to talk of it in the past tense? — comes suddenly into view from lower down the hill, where the lane passes between hollies on one side, hemlocks on the other. It can be taken in in its entirety at a single glance, despite its vast proportions and the complexity of its structure. The tree is lovely in every season, starting in high spring when its long, pale-green leaves unfurl and it lifts its thousands of greenish chalices of flowers. This particular Cucumber Magnolia, by any reckoning 100 feet high and at least 250 years old and surely one of the largest and oldest in North America, is — alas, was — the most powerful in its beauty in winter. This tree was more than a tree. It was endowed with energy that bordered on something beyond the natural order. I have shifted to the past tense, for the Montrose Magnolia is no more. For several years it had developed a noticeable lean, more and more pronounced. Tree surgeons were called to remove some limbs and branches, in hopes of saving it in a severe storm. But on March 11, late in the day and in only a moderate wind, it toppled to the ground, blocking the driveway and badly damaging a huge fir nearby. I arrived at Montrose the next morning, unprepared to discover that the tree had gone to earth. Douglas Ruhren, Nancy Goodwin's associate at the nursery, said very little. Neither did I. There were no words. But Ruhren scattered camellia and daffodil blossoms along the prostrate trunk. Five workers arrived with chain saws and forklifts and took three days to remove the tree piece by piece to a: place in nearby woodlands, where it will decompose, enriching the soil with its substance. In its life, this tree spanned much history. It was a sapling when Hillsborough was a capital of the colony of North Carolina. Cornwallis's troops, rumor has it, camped in the meadow below during part of the British attempt to crush the American rebellion. This tree had many friends and they mourn its loss, passing on the news by telephone. They called the Goodwins to offer sympathy, and to express their conviction that when this, Magnolia fell, it left a wound in the world that will not soon heal." 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 an East German Nurseryman and plant breeder who is remembered in the name Feather Reed Grass. We'll also learn about an exceptional English author and garden designer. We hear a little snippet about Gardener's Latin as a clue to the meaning behind Plant Names. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a fantastic book about the business of flowers. And then we'll wrap things up with a beloved old poem about botany. 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 Feel Happier — Easy Ways To Gaze At America's Most Gorgeous Spring Gardens | Forbes | Laura Manske 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 9, 1874 Today is the birthday of the revered German plant breeder, writer, and garden designer Karl Foerster. Now Karl was born into an intellectual and accomplished family. His father was an astronomer, and his mother was a famous painter. Many gardeners are surprised to learn that Karl began gardening at the tender age of seven after obtaining an apprenticeship. A year later, Karl entered a professional gardening program and studied there for 11 years. When Karl turned 18, he took over his family's Berlin nursery, which was a bit of a mess. But Karl had a knack for running a nursery. He streamlined the business by simplifying his plant inventory. Although Karl loved all plants, he was especially drawn to tough, low-maintenance, hardy perennials. Karl used three factors to determine whether a plant would be sold in his nursery: beauty, resilience, and endurance. And Karl's high standards ended up bringing great success to his nursery. When he turned 24, Karl moved his nursery to Potsdam. There, Karl married a singer and pianist named Eva, and together they had one daughter. Knowing Karl's high standards of plants, imagine how exacting Karl was as a plant breeder. Yet, Karl never pollinated flowers by hand. He wanted nature to reign supreme. Today, Karl Foerster grass is a recognized staple in many gardens and landscapes. The story goes that Karl was on a train when he spied the grass along the tracks. To seize the chance to collect the specimen, Karl pulled the emergency brake, stopped the train, and then quickly collected the specimen that now bears his name. While gardeners have heard of Karl Foerster Grass or Feather Reed Grass (Calamagrostis), many fail to realize the grass was successful because it first met Karl's high standards for perennials. Karl Foerster grass was the Perennial Plant of the Year in 2001. And, Overdam is a variegated version of Karl Foerster grass. Karl's plant performance expectations and his appreciation for low maintenance spaces with year-long seasonal interest helped shape the New German Garden Style of garden design. A Karl Foerster garden had some signature plants: grasses, delphinium, and phlox. Naturally, all of these plants were favorites in Karl's breeding work. Karl once wrote, "A garden without phlox is not only a sheer mistake but a sin against summer." And he also wrote, "Grasses are the hair of mother earth." Karl lived to the ripe old age of 96. And looking back, it's staggering to think that Karl spent nearly nine decades gardening, and it was Karl Foerster who said, "In my next life, I'd like to be a gardener once again. The job was too big for just one lifetime." March 9, 1892 Today is the birthday of the English author and garden designer, Vita Sackville West. In 1930, Sissinghurst Castle - at least what was left of it - was bought by Vita and her husband - the diplomat, and journalist, Harold Nicolson. Together, they restored the house and created the famous garden, which was given to the National Trust in 1967. After seeing Sissinghurst for the very first time, Vita recalled, "I fell in love; love at first sight. I saw what might be made of it." Vita explored the depths of her own creativity as she shaped the gardens at Sissinghurst. When she came up with the idea for a Sunset Garden, she wrote, "I used to call it the Sunset Garden in my own mind before I even planted it up." Vita's Sunset Garden included flowers with warm citrus colors, like the yellows, oranges, and reds of Dahlia's Salvias Canas and tulips. Vita also created a white Garden – one of the most difficult Gardens to design, maintain and pull off. White gardens are challenging, and you may be thinking, well, why is that? Well, here's the main reason: because, after flowering, many white blooms don't age well; they turn brown or yellow as they wither and die on the plant. But I have to say that 10 years ago, I did help a friend install a white garden. And when it was in bloom, it really was spectacular. By the time World War happened, Vita and Harold had been working on Sissinghurst for nearly a decade. But there came a point when they were both convinced that a German invasion of Britain was becoming more likely. Never one to run from a challenge. Vita decided to plant 11,000 daffodils on the property. She was essentially leaving her legacy and a message of defiance to the enemy. Vita's personal life was as varied and fascinating it's the plants in her garden. She had relationships with both men and women, and she loved the people in her life intensely. Once, in a letter to Harold, Vita wrote, "You are my eternal spring." On December 29, 1946, Harold wrote, "Trying to convince [Vita] that planning is an element in gardening… She wishes just to jab in things that she has leftover. The tragedy of the romantic temperament is that it dislikes form so much that it ignores the effect of masses." In 1955, Vita was honored with the Veitch Memorial Medal, which is awarded to those who have helped advance and improve the science and practice of horticulture - and Vita definitely achieved that. I thought I'd close out this mini-biography of Vita with her own words. Here's something that Vieta wrote about spring: She walks in the loveliness she made, Between the apple-blossom and the water-- She walks among the patterned pied brocade, Each flower her son, and every tree her daughter. And We owned a garden on a hill, We planted rose and daffodil, Flowers that English poets sing, And hoped for glory in the Spring. Unearthed Words Plants can be said to have a personality, a certain air about them, and this is often reflected in their names. The term vulgari often refers to what was considered the most common plant in the genus at the time of the naming. Thus the Primrose was named Primula vulgaris. Many species names. Describe the beauty of a plant. The specific name Bellis means beautiful... And it's fairly easy to identify Elegantissima presents no surprises as it means very elegant… While dius shows even greater beauty since it describes a plant belonging to the gods. — Richard Bird, garden writer, A Gardner's Latin, General Personality. Grow That Garden Library Flower Confidential by Amy Stewart This book came out in 2008, and the subtitle is The Good, the Bad, and the Beautiful. It's hard to believe that this book has already been out for over 13 years. This was Amy's third book, and it's one of my favorites. And I remember thinking when this book debuted, just how sensational the stories in this book were - and also I was amazed by the amount of work it took Amy to write this book and to help us understand just what the flower industry is all about. Now the publisher describes Amy's book this way: "Amy Stewart travels the globe to take us inside this dazzling world. She tracks down scientists intent on developing the first genetically modified blue rose; an eccentric horticultural legend who created the world's most popular lily (the 'Star Gazer'); and an Ecuadorean farmer growing exquisite, high-end organic roses that are the floral equivalent of a Tiffany diamond. She sees firsthand how flowers are grown and harvested on farms in Latin America, California, and Holland. (It isn't always pretty). You'll never look at a cut flower the same again." This book is 320 pages of the secret story of flowers in the marketplace - highlighting the intersection of flowers, technology, marketing, and money. You can get a copy of Flower Confidential by Amy Stewart and support the show using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for around $2 Today's Botanic Spark Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart There should be no monotony In studying your botany; It helps to train And spur the brain-- Unless you haven't gotany. It teaches you, does Botany, To know the plants and spotany, And learn just why They live or die-- In case you plant or potany. You learn, from reading Botany, Of wooly plants and cottony That grow on earth, And what they're worth, And why some spots have notany. You sketch the plants in Botany, You learn to chart and plotany Like corn or oats-- You jot down notes, If you know how to jotany. Your time, if you'll allotany, Will teach you how and what any Old plant or tree Can do or be-- And that's the use of Botany! — Berton Braley, Botany, Science News Letter, March 9, 1929 Thanks for listening to The Daily Gardener. And remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."
Today we celebrate a French botanist and explorer who became an accomplished botanist after losing his wife. We'll also learn about the man remembered in the late spring/summer-flowering genus Roscoea (ross-COE-ee-uh), which includes extremely fragrant herbaceous perennials in the Zingiberaceae "Zin- jah-bah-RAY-see-ee" or ginger family. We hear an excerpt from a delightful book about pruning wisteria - if you have a wisteria in full sun that hasn't bloomed - you can thank your pruning regimen for that. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book about floral cocktails. Cheers to that. And then we'll wrap things up with a little story about a female botanist and botanical illustrator known to her family and friends by her nickname: Shadow. 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 Build an Affordable Grow Light System | Fine Gardening | Carol Collins 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 8, 1746 Today is the birthday of the French botanist and explorer André Michaux. Most people think of André Michaux as the accomplished old botanist, but I always prefer to recall the beginning of his story because that's what set him on his course. André grew up on a royal farm in Satory south of Versailles. His father trained both he and his brother in horticulture, and after his father died, André carried on at the farm. André married a prosperous farmer's daughter from a nearby farm named Cécile Claye. Within a month after marrying, Cécile became pregnant. And a month shy of their first wedding anniversary Cécile delivered a son, Francois-André, and later in life, André named an oak in his son's honor. Tragically, Cécile died after the delivery of their only son, which plunged André into depression. Yet mercifully, the decade after Cécile's death ended up accelerating André's horticultural learning and development. First, his friend, the naturalist Louis-Guillaume Le Monnier, persuaded André to work with exotic plants that needed study and acclimation to France's weather. Then, André started studying with the great botanist Bernard de Jussieu at Versailles and in the Royal Botanic Garden in Paris. And then, André began starting to travel to collect plants. In 1786, André was asked to go to North America, and he brought his 15-year-old son François-Andre along with him. André's mission was to establish a botanical garden in America and send specimens back to France. In quick fashion, André established his nursery on the property that the Charleston Area National Airport now occupies. Today, as you leave the Charleston airport, you'll notice a stunning mural that honors Andre and his son. The mural was installed in 2016. In one panel, Andre-François and his father are depicted in the potager or kitchen garden. The central scene depicts the rice fields along the Ashley River and the Charleston Harbor, where Michaux introduced one of the first Camellia plants. Native to Asia, Camellias are small, evergreen flowering trees or shrubs, and Camellias are in the Theaceae or tea family, which is why Camellias are commonly called tea plants. In Floriography ("FLOOR-EE-ah-grah-FEE") or the language of flowers, the Camellia represents love and loyalty. Camellia blossoms are beautiful and come in various colors, sizes, bloom times, and forms. And, best of all, Camellias are long-lived and can grow for 100 to 200 years. Finally, here are two fun facts about the Camellia: In California, Sacramento is nicknamed the Camellia City, and The Camellia is Alabama's state flower. March 8, 1753 Today is the birthday of the Liverpool poet, historian, botanist, and politician William Roscoe. William grew up in the Presbyterian church. He learned his love of poetry from his mother, and he'd helped his father with his work as a market gardener. As an adult, William was an early abolitionist during a time when the slave trade was the backbone of the economic success of Liverpool. In 1803, William led a group of botanists and naturalists and helped found the Liverpool Botanic Garden - one of England's earliest public gardens. And William gave the inaugural address for the Botanic Gardens and served as its first president. For the rest of his life, William loved working in the garden, and he especially enjoyed studying the tropical plants. In fact, William also authored a book on the ginger plant family, which included Canna Lilies, Arrowroot, Ginger, and Tumeric -something we hear an awful lot about on TV commercials today. As for William's book, his talented daughter-in-law, Margaret Roscoe, provided some beautiful illustrations for his work. And in 1807, William wrote a whimsical poem about a party for insects for his ten children to get them excited about the natural world called The Butterfly's Ball and the Grasshopper's Feast with the famous verse: Come take up your hats, and away let us haste, To the Butterfly's Ball, and the Grasshopper's Feast. It's no wonder that a biography of William referred to him as "Liverpool's greatest citizen." Today William Roscoe is remembered in the late spring/summer-flowering genus Roscoea (ross-COE-ee-uh), which includes extremely fragrant herbaceous perennials in the Zingiberaceae "Zin- jah-bah-RAY-see-ee" or ginger family. Roscoea or Alpine Gingers are native to China and the Himalayas. Roscoea blossoms look like the bloom of an orchid, and they are perfect for a woodland garden or a shady border. Unearthed Words After planting, remove all but the three strongest vines. Wind those around and tie them [to whatever you're going to be growing them on.] Make sure you wrap the vines in the direction they naturally want to grow. Chinese and Japanese Wisteria naturally winds in different directions. To entice the plant into blooming, you need to do some special pruning. Wisteria normally blooms in mid-May, and soon after the blooming period is over, tendrils begin to grow out of the main structural vines. For the first few years, your Wisteria won't bloom because it's too young. But the tendrils will still begin to grow right after the normal blooming period is over. And each tendril is capable of growing 25 feet in one season. The trick to encouraging flowering is to cut back these rapidly growing tendrils to about six inches long. This is called spur pruning. All the energy that would have gone into 25 feet of growth is captured in the six-inch spur and now stimulates flower bud production instead. Spur pruning is a lot of work that must be done every spring. Soon after, the tendrils begin to grow. But pruning in this manner usually results in flowering within four to five years after planting. — Ciscoe Morris, Oh, La La!: Homegrown Stories, Helpful Tips, and Garden Wisdom, Wisteria Grow That Garden Library Floral Libations by Cassie Winslow This book came out in 2019, and the subtitle is 41 Fragrant Drinks + Ingredients (Flower Cocktails, Non-Alcoholic and Alcoholic Mixed Drinks, and Mocktails Recipe Book). Well, Cassie's book is a gardener's delight, and I first ran across it in a gift shop back in 2019. The cover is absolutely gorgeous, and Cassie's creativity shines in this beautiful book. Nowadays, edible flowers and botanically-infused drinks are all the rage - and they are irresistibly beautiful. And Cassie teaches us how to make them taste as good as they look. Cassie's recipes include an Iced Lavender Café au Lait, Rose Petal Almond Milk, Dandelion Tea Cinnamon Cappuccino, Hibiscus Old Fashioned, Orange Blossom Moscow Mule, and my favorite — Plum Rosewater Gin and Tonic — just to name a few. Another outstanding feature of Cassie's book is the beautiful photographs that accompany every single recipe. And if you're in the Facebook Group for the show, I shared a gorgeous video of Cassie making her Blackberry Hibiscus Lemon Drop - it's so easy and so pretty. This book is 128 pages of beautiful floral drinks fit for a gardener and perfect for a garden party. You can get a copy of Floral Libations by Cassie Winslow 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 8, 1963 Today is the anniversary of the death of the little-known, multi-talented, driven, and dauntless plant explorer, plant collector, gardener, and botanical artist Charlotte Wheeler-Cuffe. Born in Wimbledon in 1867, Charlotte was the youngest daughter in her family. Charlotte became very ill at some point in her childhood, and her sickliness caused her family to give her a little nickname that would follow her for the rest of her life: "Shadow." At the age of 30, Charlotte married a man she had known since her childhood, Otway Wheeler-Cuffe. Otway was a civil engineer who had secured a posting in Burma, and after the wedding, Otway and Charlotte immediately left for Maymyo ("MAY-me-oh"). Charlotte's life with Otway blossomed in Burma as she discovered a world with natural wonders and beauty she could have never imagined. A lifelong gardener, one of Charlotte's first letters from Burma tells of meeting a Mr. Carter who was, "...going to start me with plants for our little compound, which I think I shall be able to make very pretty in time." For over two decades, between 1897 and 1921, Charlotte painted brilliant watercolors of the beautiful flora of colonial Burma, especially the region's bountiful orchids. Her work was a delight to the folks back at Kew and other botanic gardens. So much so that plant explorers like Reginald Farrar, George Forrest, and Frank Kingdon Ward would stop by on their travels to visit Charlotte and check out the areas she had explored. Charlotte would saddle up a small pony during her time in Burma and go jungling - Charlotte's word for botanizing in Burma's jungles and mountains. Charlotte's adventures, maps, paintings, and notes were all vividly described and preserved in prolific letters home to her mother and other relatives. Today Charlotte's materials are housed at Glasnevin. Charlotte's love of gardening and horticulture attracted the attention of the locals. While many ex-pats in Burma tried and failed to grow plants from their homeland, Charlotte committed early on to growing the beautiful tropical plants native to Burma. In no time, government officials asked Charlotte to create a garden that would become her legacy: Burma's Botanical Garden. Charlotte worked on designing and planting the garden during her final five years in Burma. Among the plants named in Charlotte's honor is a blue Anemone called the Shadow's buttercup. In 2020, the author and former director of the botanic gardens at Glasnevin, E Charles Nelson, wrote a beautiful book about Charlotte called "Shadow Amoung Splendours." Nelson's book follows Charlotte's experiences in Burma and shares many of her charming personal letters and writings. As for Charlotte, her dear Otway died in 1934. She carried on without him at their home back in Kilkenny for 33 years until she died on this day in 1967, just a few months shy of her 100th birthday. Thanks for listening to The Daily Gardener. And remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."
Today we celebrate the woman who donated her entire orchid collection to begin the Belle Isle Conservatory. We'll also learn about a woman who Burpee honored with the naming of a Marigold. We hear an excerpt from a garden diary for this week of March. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a very delightful book that teaches how to make your own floral cocktails. And then we'll wrap things up with a little story that shares five favorite perennials for country life. 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 4 Things You Can Plant in March, the Very Beginning of Outdoor Gardening Season | Apartment Therapy | Molly Williams 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 5, 1866 Today is the birthday of Anna Scripps Whitcomb. Anna was born to James and Harriet Scripps. Anna's father was an entrepreneur; he founded the Detroit News and helped found the Detroit Museum of Art. In 1891, Anna married Edgar Whitcomb and together they raised two children. The couple lived on a beautiful estate in Gross Pointe and along the way, Anna nurtured her passion for orchids. The Whitcomb property boasted two large greenhouses which were largely devoted to orchids. During the first half of the 1900s, Orchids were still very challenging to grow and they had a very poor germination rate. Anna's success with orchids was in large part thanks to her longtime gardener and propagator William Crichton who worked for Anna for almost 30 years. William often had the help of a small staff of gardeners and the team worked together to show many of Anna's orchids at the Detroit Flower Show. A charming article about Anna's orchids highlighted William's expertise this way, "With a fine brush, [William] transferred the pollen of one gorgeous flower to another. The seed pod of the fertilized flower would contain a quarter million seeds, a few hundred thousand of which would be planted and half of them would bloom nine years after spring. Because the modern orchid grower studies the ancestry of his plants... [William] can predict their possible forms and colorings and qualities. But exactly what will happen, [William] must wait nine years to learn. Until recently the orchid breeder could count upon no more than five percent of selected seeds surviving to germinate. Now the famous Cornell University method has raised the life expectancy of orchid seeds to 50 percent. With this method seeds are sown in a propagating jelly, which looks like library paste. It is composed of chemicals, salts and nutrients made from seaweed. [Each year, William] will cross but one, possibly two, pair. [William] will save perhaps 10,000 to 20,000 seeds and plant half of them… Five flasks filled with the Cornell agar jelly [are] sufficient to fill a small orchid house with bloom. [And] Each flask [is corked with cotton and covered with a glass and] hold[s] [between] 500 to 1,000 seeds, fine as star dust, In ten months flecks of green appear on the thick, white gelatine within the flask. Minute seedlings are ready for the outside world, where, for eight or nine years more, they must face the hazards of life. Drafts, germs, insects, diseases, changes in temperature, careless hands would destroy them. Little pots filled with a special orchid moss, known as Osmunda fiber, are prepared, perhaps 10 or a dozen, for the benches of the private orchid house. The grower transfers the bits of green, washing off the jelly, scattering the thousands of seedlings, like chopped parsley, over the smooth, spongy surface of the moss. Years pass. The infant plants are moved from the nursery to less crowded quarters. Weak individuals are discarded. Finally, each survivor stands alone in a pot, guarded, sprayed, scrubbed with soap, watered and fed, by day and by night, in controlled degrees of heat and humidity." Before Anna died, she made arrangements for her orchid collection in the event of her death. And in April of 1953, Anna's entire orchid collection - all 600 of them - to the Belle Isle Conservatory owned by the city of Detroit. Built in 1904, the domed conservatory had gradually deteriorated. Without Anna's gift and the commitment of 450,000 to renovate and improve the wooden structure with aluminum beams, the 50-year-old glass-domed building would have likely met its end. The very month Anna's orchids were gifted, the conservatory was renamed as The Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory. Today the Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory is the oldest continually-running conservatory in the United States - and people just refer to it as the Belle Isle Conservatory. March 5, 2012 Today The Akron Beacon Journal shared a story about some of the wealthiest women in Akron Ohio during the Victorian era. One of the women profiled was the gardener, composer, songwriter, and philanthropist Idabelle Firestone. As you might have suspected, Idabelle was the wife of rubber baron Harvey Firestone. In 1929, Idabelle generously started the Idabelle Firestone School of Nursing at Akron City Hospital with a founding donation of $400,000. A lover of gardens and gardening, David Burpee of Burpee Seed fame even named a marigold in Idabelle's honor. Idabelle incorporated gardens and nature into her musical compositions. Ida even wrote a song called "In My Garden," which starts out with someone missing their sweetheart and then ends with this verse: A garden sweet, A garden small, Where rambler roses Creep along the wall. Where dainty phlox and columbine Are nodding to the trumpet vine. And now each flower is sweeter dear I know it's just because at last you're here. Idabelle was a kind woman and a reporter once wrote, "Idabelle Firestone doesn't need a grand mansion to be a lady. She'd be a lady in a shack." Unearthed Words [March is] the watching month, the month in which to watch the ground for the bright spears of green of daffodil and iris, and for the bloom of species tulips; for the snowdrop, the earliest crocus, the color in the stem of shrub and tree. [And] the first injunction for every month of the year should really be this: keep a garden notebook. If this has not been started in January, then this is the time to buy the book and make the first entries. — Mrs. Francis King (aka Louisa Boyd Yeomans King), The Flower Garden Day by Day, March 1 and March 2 Grow That Garden Library Floral Cocktails by Lottie Muir This book came out in 2019, and the subtitle is 40 fragrant and flavourful flower-powered drinks. In this book, Lottie helps us learn to take flowers from the edge of the glass as a garnish and make them the star of the show - the main focus for gorgeous and flavorful libations and beverages. Lottie's recipes include a heady honeysuckle syrup, a fabulous raspberry and scented geranium drink, a lavender gin, a nasturtium rum, a gorse flower syrup, and a rose petal vodka, just to name a few. Lottie was the perfect author for this book because she is the creator of The Midnight Apothecary pop-up, a unique cocktail bar set in a roof garden in London. Lottie's creativity with flowers has evolved into glorious cocktail creations for gardener mixologists. This book is 64 pages of plant-powered cocktails created to delight your senses and feature your favorite blossoms from your own home garden. You can get a copy of Floral Cocktails by Lottie Muirand support the show using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for around $5 Today's Botanic Spark Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart March 5, 2017 On this day The Herald-Palladium out of Saint Joseph, Michigan shared an article called "Flowers for the Country Border" by Maureen Gilmour. In this article Maureen shares a glimpse of farm life - a busy lifestyle where Maureen says, "With all the chores to do, few have time to sweat the details, seek perfection or create glossy magazine looks." And so, the perennials that make it on the farm are tough and dependable and require little fuss. As Maureen says, "In early farms and ranches, the first perennials [were] the stalwart wildflowers of range and prairie. Planted from gathered seed, or roots transplanted to the yard from wild stands, these big bold perennials took hold and flourished. They have proven to take the worst conditions and survive, to bring color, wildlife, and flavor, without toxicity to pets, livestock or kids." Next Maureen recommends five favorite perennials for country life: 1.Bee Balm "Monarda didyma is a vigorous North American native perennial ... In the colonies, it's foliage was an alternative to boycotted tea after the Boston Tea Party." 2. Blanketflower "Gaillardia pulchella grows low and dense, producing flowers heavily, and then self sows for many new volunteers next year. This species is not as picky about soil quality for success" 3. Purple Coneflower "Echinacea purpurea is best known as a supplement, but this is the finest native for borders." 4. Shasta Hybrids "This plant is … a curious hybrid invented a century ago by Luther Burbank. Snow white flowers of the original have many size variations, with the original proving as long-lived and resilient as many natives." 5. Fennel "This popular kitchen garden herb produces tall plants with umbelliferous flower heads that fill the air with these delicate forms late into the winter. The plants will flourish so they grow together into a dense mass. This blocks sunlight to the soil beneath so weeds are less likely to sprout." Thanks for listening to The Daily Gardener. And remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."
Today we celebrate a man who wrote the book on growing and selling orchids. We'll also learn about a very special Arbor Day to honor Luther Burbank. We hear a touching excerpt about the final days of an incredible gardener, teacher, and friend. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book about the beautiful flowers of Japan. And then we'll wrap things up with a sweet little advertisement about the Gladiolus and Dahlias - two beautiful flowers that most gardeners are ordering and shopping for this month (if they haven't already). 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 toJennifer@theDailyGardener.org Curated News 5 Perennial Herbs You Should Grow | Hunker | Michelle Miley 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 4, 1847 Today is the birthday of the German-English orchidologist and nurseryman Henry Frederick Conrad Sander. As a young man of 20 years old, Conrad met the Czech plant collector Benedict Roezl. Benedict's heart lay in exploration and acquisition; he did not enjoy the marketing and sales aspects of plant hunting. Instead, these skills were Conrad's strengths. The two men struck up a business plan that left Benedict free to explore and collect and Conrad to sell, sell, sell. Conrad set up shop in St. Albans, and Benedict was soon sending shipments of orchids from Central and South America. Benedict collected for Sander for 40 years. Even though Benedict was 6'2" tall and had that imposing iron hook for a hand, Benedict was robbed 17 times and, once, even attacked by a jaguar during his collecting days. After his quick success with Benedict, Conrad expanded his operations. Soon Conrad was managing inventory from over twenty collectors, growing orchids in over sixty greenhouses, and entertaining visitors that included Europe's top collectors and even royalty. As a result of his business success acquiring, breeding, and selling orchids, Conrad became known as the King of Orchids. Leveraging his incredible expertise, Conrad wrote a masterpiece in two volumes on every variety of orchid. The book was folio-sized, with text in three languages - English, French, and German - and the botanical drawing of orchids were life-sized. As a sign of great respect, Conrad named his book Reichenbachia in honor of the legendary orchidologist Heinrich Gustav Reichenbach. Reichenbach had named more orchids than any other person, and in his will, he asked that his herbarium be closed for 25 years to protect his work with orchids from his competitors. In turn, in 1882, Heinrich honored Sanders by naming the "Queen of Philippine Orchids" after Sanders - naming it the Vanda Sanderiana, which the locals called the waling-waling orchid. The waling-waling is considered one of the rarest, most beautiful, and most expensive orchid, and it is also one of the largest species of orchids in the world. Orchids are some of the world's oldest flowering plants, producing the world's tiniest seeds. A single Orchid seedpod can contain three million seeds! Orchids are also the largest family of flowering plants in the world. With over 25,000 species, Orchids represent about ten percent of all plant species on earth, and there are more orchids on earth than mammals and birds! Now, once they are germinated, Orchids can take five to seven years to produce a flower. And if you look at the orchid bloom closely, you'll see that the blossom, like the human face, is perfectly symmetrical, which only adds to their visual beauty. And, by the time you are buying that Orchid at Trader Joe's, it is likely already decades old. But never fear, Orchids are long-lived and can reach their 100th birthday. The vastness and complexity of orchids can be frustrating. Charles Darwin grew so discouraged writing his book about orchids that he wrote to a friend, "I am very poorly today and very stupid and hate everybody and everything." March 4, 1949 On this day, the Santa Cruz Sentinel out of Santa Cruz, California, published a lovely story about the upcoming Arbor Day celebration. The story featured a wonderful photo of a tree being pruned with the caption, "Santa Rosa Citizens To Plant Trees In Commemoration Of Birth Of Famed Luther Burbank: Nurseryman Joe Badger, who in his youth used to steal fruit from Luther Burbank's trees, prunes a flowering plum tree as Burbank's widow looks on. On Arbor Day, which this year will commemorate the 100th anniversary of the birth of the great horticulturist, this tree will be planted in Mrs. Burbank's garden at Santa Rosa, Calif, near the spot where her husband is buried. " Burbank's widow said, "No, there will be no wreath-laying on Luther Burbank's grave... Laying a wreath is only a ceremony... It doesn't make things grow." she said. Instead, she and Nurseryman Joe Badger, who as a youngster stole plums from the Burbank experimental gardens, will plant a flowering plum tree adjoining the Redwood highway, where passersby can enjoy it. "That is the way he would have wanted it without ceremony. Mr. Burbank never liked fanfare. His interest was in things alive like a tree or a plant or a flower. Or a group of school children coming to sing to him on his birthday." The flowering plum was developed by her husband. He gained world fame with his Burbank potato, his spineless cactus, and many other horticultural achievements. Her husband now lies buried under a huge Cedar of Lebanon tree in a simple unmarked grave. Beside him lies his white mongrel dog, Bonita, who was his constant companion until Burbank died in 1926. Burbank requested that no marking be placed above his burial place. Instead, he was buried beneath his Cedar of Lebanon. He, himself, had planted the seed sent by a friend in Palestine. He had said, "When I go, don't raise a monument to me; plant a tree," Unearthed Words We were not to live and practice with Alan Chadwick again until eight years later, when he returned to Green Gulch at the end of his life. Despite the unrelenting grip of his illness, Alan continued to rage against the dying of the light. He announced with dignity, "I intend to be in the garden tomorrow." "We will welcome you," I murmured… Alan never made it to the garden. Instead, we brought the garden to him. I cut armloads of fresh flowers for him every few days, winter jonquils and Korean lilac, wind-blown anemones and stiff Coral Quince that Alan recognized from his original gardens at Green Gulch, and a single blood-red poppy grown from seed gathered from the World War II battlefields of Flanders. During these months, the garden itself upwelled with a rare treasure trove of bloom, and Allen drank long draughts from the bottomless pool of flowers. — Wendy Johnson, Gardening at the Dragon's Gate, Chapter 1: Valley of the Ancestors Grow That Garden Library Flora Japonica by Masumi Yamanaka This book came out in 2017, and Masumi is an award-winning botanical artist based at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. In this book, Masumi begins by revealing the history of Japanese botanical illustration with a lovely overview of the influential botanist and illustrator Tomitaro Makino's work. Next, Masumi shares beautiful artwork that showcases the indigenous plants of Japan. Flora Japonica showcases eighty specially-commissioned paintings from thirty-six of Japan's best modern botanical artists. Daily Gardeners will love that each painting also shares detailed information about the plant's habitat and history, as well as a botanical description. This book is 240 pages of botanical art that highlights Japan's glorious and incomparable flora. You can get a copy of Flora Japonica by Masumi Yamanaka 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 4, 1956 It was on this day that the Chicago Tribune ran two advertisements for Gladiolus and Dahlias by R. H. Shumway. The Gladiolus were being sold as a rainbow mixture. 50 bulbs cost $1.00, 100 bulbs cost $1.75 and 200 bulbs cost $3.25. The Dahlias were the New Giant variety, and two bulbs cost 25 cents, and that also covered the cost of postage. Right about now is the perfect time to order Gladiolus and Dahlias. Gladiolus are the official flower of August. Gladiolus's etymology is Latin and means "little sword" in reference to the shape of the flowers. The corms have been used medicinally to help extract slivers or thorns. In cold climates, once you plant your gladiolus and enjoy their blooms in late summer, you can dig the bulbs up in the fall and store them until you can plant them again in the spring. And I'll never forget what my friend Joel Karsten, the author of Straw Bale Gardening, told me about how easy it is to plant gladiolus in conditioned straw bales. Once the flowers are done blooming in the fall, you just kick the bale over, and all the corms fall out for easy gathering. As for the beautiful Dahlia, it was originally grown as a food crop. It turns out the tubers are edible and taste a little like other root vegetables: the potato and the carrot. The Dahlia is named to honor the Swedish botanist Anders Dahl. Dahlias are in the same family as Common Daisies and Sunflowers. Dahlias come in all shapes and sizes, and some are as large as dinner plates. And, here's a little fun fact about the Dahlia: it's the official flower of the city of destiny and goodwill: Seattle. Thanks for listening to The Daily Gardener. And remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."
Today we celebrate the man who is remembered in one of the garden's sweetest summer annuals - the lobelia. We'll also learn about the man who invented the telephone - he also happened to love gardening and the natural world. We hear a great memory about rhubarb from one of my favorite garden books from 2020, and the author is an incredible artist to boot! We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book to help you develop positive, meaningful mantras in your life. And then we'll wrap things up with some little-known facts about the birth flower for March. 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 Planning and Designing a Productive Vegetable Garden | The Ukiah Daily Journal | Melinda Myers 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 3, 1616 Today is the birthday of the Flemish physician and botanist Mathias de l'Obel ("ma-TEE-us dew Lew-bell"). Mathias practiced medicine in England. And among his accomplishments, Mathias was the first botanist to recognize the difference between monocots and dicots. Today we remember Mathias de l'Obel ("LEW-bell") with the Lobelia plant. Before researching Mathias, I pronounced obelia as "LOW- beel- ya". But now, knowing the French pronunciation of his name, I will say it "LEW-beel-ya." It's a subtle little change (LOW vs. LEW), but after all, the plant is named in Mathias's honor. Now, for as lovely as the Lobelia is, the common names for Lobelia are terribly unattractive and they include names like Asthma Weed, Bladderpod, Gagroot, Pukeweed, Vomit Wort, and Wild Tobacco. These common names for Lobelia reflect that Lobelia is very toxic to eat. Despite its toxicity, Lobelia is one of the sweetest-looking plants for your summer containers. This dainty annual comes in pink, light blue, and royal blue. Personally, every year, I buy two flats of light blue Lobelias. But no matter the color you choose, lobelias are a favorite of pollinators. The delicate blossoms frequently host bees, butterflies, and moths, which only adds to their charm. March 3, 1847 Today is the birthday of the Scottish-born inventor, scientist, and engineer credited with inventing and patenting the first practical telephone, Alexander Graham Bell. In 1855, Alexander co-founded the American Telephone and Telegraph Company, known today as AT&T. And although most people know about Alexander's story with regard to the telephone, most people are unaware that Alexander had a love for gardening and the natural world. Early on in his childhood, Alexander was drawn to the natural world, and he collected botanical specimens and conducted experiments. After attending school for only five years, Alexander took personal control over his lifelong love of learning. Growing up, Alexander's best friend, Ben Herdman, was from a family who owned a flour mill. When Alexander was 12 years old, he created a device that rotated paddles equipped with nail brushes and the family used this dehusking machine in their mill operations for years. As a gesture of thanks, Ben's father made a space for the boys where they could invent to their heart's content. Now many people are unaware that Alexander's mother was deaf, and Alexander had dedicated himself to helping the deaf his entire life. As a young man, Alexander opened a school for teachers of the deaf. While he was in Boston, he even worked with a young Helen Keller. Later on, he worked with a young woman named Mabel Hubbard, who became deaf as a child from scarlet fever. After five years of courtship, Alexander and Mabel married. At the ceremony, Alex presented Mabel with a special wedding present: nearly all the shares of the stock in a company called Bell Telephone. Alexander and Mabel shared a lifelong love of gardening. The couple built a summer home in the charming village of Baddeck, Canada, in 1889. Mabel would stroll the neighborhoods and ask about the plants that were growing in the gardens. Generous and kind, Mabel donated many flowers to the people of Baddeck. Today the Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site features a lovely garden that boasts flowers, shrubs, and trees - including a magnolia which was a favorite of Mabel's. Recently Candian scientists revealed that they suspect that Alexander may have planted Heracleum mantegazzianum, commonly known as Giant Hogweed, in his garden. Even now, there remains an impressive cluster of dangerous giant hogweed near Baddeck. The sap of Giant hogweed causes sensitivity to sunlight and UV rays, which can lead to severe skin and eye problems — including blindness, which would have been very upsetting to Alexander. And, here's a little-known fact about Alexander: The gardener and children's book illustrator Tasha Tudor learned to love gardening from Alexander Graham Bell. Tasha's well-connected family had visited Alexander at his home in Maryland when he was a young single man. Tasha was five years old, and she recalled that fell in love with Alexander's roses during that first visit. Tasha always credited the vision of Alexander's rosebeds with inspiring her decision to become a gardener. Unearthed Words Every Sunday, my immediate and extended family gathered for dinner at my grandpa's house. Everyone congregated in the kitchen, and there was always a television on in the corner. There was a smiling pink plastic pig from RadioShack that sat in the refrigerator and oinked at you when you opened the door. We giggled in front of the antique glass cabinet, peeking in at the vintage salt and pepper shakers shaped like boobs that were supposed to be hidden. It felt like an adventure to explore the house and play with old decorations and trinkets. When it was summertime, we gathered on the back porch, where there were mismatched chairs and benches and another television in the corner. A baseball game was always on, and you could hear the hum and buzz of a bug zapper in the background. Rhubarb grew on a small knoll near the house. My cousin, sister, and I were told not to eat the big, broad green leaves, but we did pick and snack on the ruby-pink stalks straight from the ground, our mouths puckering from the intense sourness. — Katie Vaz ("Voz"), My Life in Plants, Rhubarb (Rheum rhabarbarum) Grow That Garden Library Find Your Mantra by Aysel Gunar This book came out in 2019, and the subtitle is Inspire and Empower Your Life with 75 Positive Affirmations. In this inspiring book with a delightful botanical cover, Aysel takes you through the steps to developing positive, meaningful mantras in your life. Now, this is not a gardening book, but it is about developing aspects of life that many gardeners seek: peace, love, happiness, and strength for your own personal journey. Aysel's book is full of beautiful illustrations and design. You'll find plenty of positivity and mindfulness. Aysel encourages us to be present, embrace love and light, choose joy, and recognizing our blessings. If you're looking for something for yourself or a friend, Aysel's book is truly a gift. This book is 144 pages of affirmations to help you be more present, free yourself from worry and anxiety, and embrace all that is good in your life - like our gardens and our many blessings - and lead a more rewarding life. You can get a copy of Find Your Mantra by Aysel Gunar and support the show using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for around $7 Today's Botanic Spark Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart The birth flower for March birthdays is the Daffodil. Daffodils are also the 10th-anniversary flower. A bouquet of Daffodils means happiness and hope, but a single Daffodil is an omen of bad luck in your future. In England, back in 1889, the Reverend George Herbert Engleheart began breeding Daffodils - some 700 varieties in his lifetime. Fans of 'Beersheba,' 'Lucifer,' or 'White Lady,' have Reverend Engleheart to thank. George spent every spare minute breeding, and his parishioners would often find a note tacked to the church door saying, "No service today, working with Daffodils." Daffodils were highly valued in ancient times because the Romans believed that the sap could be used for healing. Today we know that all parts of the Daffodil are toxic, and the sap is toxic to other flowers, which is why you must soak Daffs separately for 24 hours before you add them to a bouquet. And if you do this, don't recut the stems because that will release more sap, and then you'll have to start all over. If you're wondering, the compounds in Daffodil sap are lycorine and calcium oxalate crystals. Found in the leaves and stems of the Daffodil. the calcium oxalate crystals can irritate your skin, so be careful handling Daffodils. The toxic nature of Daffodils means that deer and other animals won't eat them - unlike other spring-flowering bulbs like tulips. And contrary to popular opinion, daffs can be carefully divided in the early spring. Once the soil has started to thaw, you can take divisions from large clumps and then pop them into new places in the garden. As long as the bulbs are carefully lifted with plenty of soil attached to the roots and promptly replanted, they will still bloom this year. Generally, it is advised to separate and move bulbs after they have bloomed, but that can push the task into early summer when there is already so much to do. Finally, there's really one poem that is regarded as the Mother of All Daffodil Poems, and it's this one. I wandered lonely as a cloud That floats on high o'er vales and hills, When all at once I saw a crowd, A host, of golden Daffodils; Beside the lake, beneath the trees, Fluttering and dancing in the breeze. Continuous as the stars that shine And twinkle on the milky way, They stretched in never-ending line Along the margin of a bay: Ten thousand saw I at a glance, Tossing their heads in sprightly dance. For oft, when on my couch I lie In vacant or in pensive mood, They flash upon that inward eye Which is the bliss of solitude; And then my heart with pleasure fills, And dances with the Daffodils. — William Wordsworth, English Romantic poet, I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud Thanks for listening to The Daily Gardener. And remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."
Today we celebrate the man who went to Mexico as an ambassador and sent back the plant that became synonymous with Christmas. We'll also learn about a gardener who worked for 50 years to create one of England's top gardens. We hear a charming account of spring's flower show. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a fantastic book for gardeners looking to ferment their harvest this year. And then we'll wrap things up with a sweet little story about the State Flower of Idaho. 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 Urban pollinators get almost all their food from backyard gardens | UPI | Brooks Hays 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 2, 1779 Today is the birthday of the physician, botanist, and American statesman, Joel Roberts Poinsett. In the 1820s, President John Quincy Adams appointed Joel to serve as a US ambassador in Mexico. Joel was introduced to a beautiful plant that the Aztecs called the cuetlaxochitl ("qwet-la-SHO-chee-til") but today it's better known as the Poinsettia. The Aztecs used to extract a purple dye from the Poinsettia, which they used for decorative purposes. Like euphorbias, the Poinsettia has a white sap that the Aztecs used that white sap to treat wounds, skin diseases, and fever which is how it got the common name "Skin Flower." The Aztecs also used the leaves of the Poinsettia to make a tea to increase breast milk in nursing mothers. In warm climates like Mexico, the poinsettia grows year-round and can grow up to 16 feet tall. In 1825, when Joel Poinsett sent clippings back home to South Carolina, botanists had new common names for the plant: "the Mexican Fire Plant" or "the Painted Leaf." The botanist Karl Wilenow ("Vill-ah-no") named the Poinsettia the Euphorbia pulcherrima. Pulcherrima means "very beautiful." And already in 1836, English newspapers were reporting about the Poinsettia in great detail: "Poinsettia Pulcherrima, the bracts which surround the numerous flowers, are of the most brilliant rosy-crimson color, the splendor of which is quite dazzling. Few, if any of the most highly valued beauties of our gardens, can vie with this. Indeed, when we take into consideration the profuse manner in which it flowers, the luxuriance of its foliage, and the long duration of the bracts, we are not aware of any plant more deserving in all select collections than this lovely and highly prized stranger." Every year, on December 12th, the day Joel Poinsett died, we celebrate National Poinsettia Day. March 2, 1875 Today is the birthday of the head gardener at Warley Place, John Jacob Mauerer. Jacob's story is intertwined with the enormously wealthy English horticulturalist Ellen Ann Willmott, who was 17 years older than him. In 1875, the year Jacob was born, Ellen's parents moved to Warley Place, a beautiful natural property set on 33 acres of land in Essex. As it turned out, Ellen lived there for the rest of her life. Every member of the Willmott family loved gardening, Ellen's parents often invited the Swiss botanist and world-renown alpine specialist Henri Corravon to be a guest in their home. When Ellen's wealthy aunt and godmother, Countess Helen Trasker, died, Ellen inherited some significant money. And when her father died, Ellen became the owner of Warley Place. With her large inheritance and the keys to the property she had grown to love, Ellen planted to her heart's content. Ellen also quickly hired over 100 gardeners to help transform Warley Place into one of the world's top botanical gardens. One time, while Ellen was visiting Henri Corravon's nursery in Switzerland, she learned that he was quite pleased with a new gardener named Jacob. After watching him work, Ellen hired him away with a promise to provide him a retirement package, which included a house to live in and a pension of £1 per week. The year was 1894, and Jacob Mauerer was 19 years old when he left Switzerland for Warley Place. Well, Ellen proved to be a hard taskmaster and a cold, unfeeling boss. She fired any gardener who was deemed responsible for allowing a weed to grow in one of her beds. And, Ellen once derided her own sex, saying, "Women would be a disaster in the border." (and by that, she meant the garden.) Ellen blew through her inheritance quickly. She used her money to set up three lavish homes - each with impressive gardens of their own: one in France, one in Italy, and Warley Place. And Ellen also funded trips for plant explorers like Ernest Henry Wilson, and in return, she not only received the latest plants, but many were named in her honor. For all her fortune and connections, Ellen died penniless and heartbroken. Ellen had been wreckless with her spending, and her personality could be distasteful, haughty, and demanding. By the mid-1900s, Ellen's top breeders began to leave Great Warley. Jacob became Ellen's most trusted employee, and he stayed on with his large family living in a building on the property called South Lodge. Today, while there are many people who long to restore Warley to its former glory, most folks forget that Ellen's Warley Place was created on the backs of men like Jacob Mauerer, who worked unbelievable hours without recognition or regard. Jacob raised his family at South Lodge in impoverished conditions on 18 shillings a week while he worked 6 days a week at Warley. To supplement the family's food, Jacob grew onions, leeks, and potatoes, and he tended to these crops in the evening after his daily job was finished. Occasionally he would find partridge eggs on the edge of the pond. The eggs were the only bonus Jacob ever received. And while Jacob could write in English very well, he had trouble speaking English. Jacob and his wife Rosina had four sons: Max, John Jacob Jr., Ernest, and Alfred. Their five daughters came next, and Jacob named them all after flowers: Rose, Violet, Lily, Marguerite, and Iris. Iris's delivery was difficult, and Rosina developed tuberculosis and died a year later. Ellen tried to find a place for Rosina to get treatment, but when she couldn't find a facility, she did nothing else to help Rosina or Jacob's family. Iris was born in May of 1917, and by the following May, Rosina died. She was just 34 years old. The most heartbreaking passages from Ellen's biography are when Audrey describes the conditions of Jacob's work. Like when botanical guests from Kew and Universities would visit. While the distinguished guests could tell that Jacob was very knowledgeable and was an excellent gardener, they couldn't understand him when he spoke during tours, and so invariably, they would just turn and leave him in the garden. All the credit for the garden would invariably go to Ellen. In fact, Gertrude Jekyll once said Ellen was, "...the greatest living women gardener on the planet." Today we know that feat was accomplished with the help of over a hundred men and by Jacob, who worked at Warley for half a century. Then there was this passage that really gives a glimpse into Jacob's life as the head gardener: "Ellen would never actually cross the threshold of South Lodge, for it would have seemed to her a very undignified thing to do. Instead, she approached as nearly as she thought she could do without loss of face, and, standing just inside the yard but not inside the bones of the little hedge which separated off the vegetable garden, she would yell "Jacob! Jacob!" in a high-pitched authoritative staccato. At whatever time of the day or night, and whether or no he was in the middle of a meal, Jacob hastened to the call: he was bred to obey, and she expected it of him." There is so little information about Jacob that I put together a family tree for his family on Ancestry. I could see that he remarried the Warley Place caretaker's daughter Maggie after losing his wife. I could see that he had died in Switzerland. What I discovered in Audrey's book was that Jacob was 69 years old when his boss Ellen Willmott died, and Audrey describes what happened next to Jacob this way: "Jacob suffered greatly from the dismembering… of the garden, he attended so faithfully… he sorrowfully packed up his beloved plants. (Apparently the whole garden was taken apart, boxed up, and shipped away.) And he had the worry of what… to do when the estate was finally sold: he saw the promise of a little house and the 1 pound per week pension which had first persuaded him to leave Geneva fading before his eyes. He saw his life's work crumble. [His] anxieties press too hard... He began to show fears of being followed and persecuted… South Lodge was sold, and Jacob and his wife had to leave. Jacob felt the need to return to his native Switzerland. There he lived with Maggie for two unhappy years of increasing mental anguish, until in the summer of 1937 he committed suicide — the bitter end of a lifetime of labor and a hard reward for a kindly and lovable man." Isn't that terribly sad? Today, Warley Place is a wild nature reserve maintained by the Essex Wildlife Trust in England. Unearthed Words The goddess spring is thought of as being truly rural, but that is a mistake. She makes her first appearance in great stoney cities like New York. When the suburban garage roof is still white with frost, and the perennial bed is a glacier, spring comes to town. Here, just around the corner from billion-dollar banks, are show windows filled with downy new-hatched chicks, and along the curb are thickets of naked young apple trees and clumps of bundled-up evergreens. Further uptown... spring hires a hall and displays... a flower show. Bless her kind heart. [And] in walk the familiar creatures loved of old, and wonderful blushing debutantes: a proud young Rose; a yellow Darwin tulip whose bulb is worth its weight in Silver; new sweet peas, showing off their lustrous frocks; dainty Primrose visitors from the old world; strange bright Gallardias from western deserts; new Gladioli from Nepal by way of Indiana; new Welsh daffodils Americanized in Virginia — all these move in spring's procession. "There is one thing about it," says spring as she mops her fevered brow... "I don't have to [market] my goods. My customers like [everything] that I display. They are already persuaded." — Leonard H Robbins, Cure It With a Garden, Spring's Fashion Show Grow That Garden Library Fermented Vegetables by Kirsten and Christopher Shockey This book came out in 2014, and the subtitle is Creative Recipes for Fermenting 64 Vegetables & Herbs in Krauts, Kimchis, Brined Pickles, Chutneys, Relishes & Pastes. In this book, Kristen and Christopher share how to make fermented foods, and with their straight-forward guidance, you'll soon realize it is the easiest and most miraculous activity you'll ever experiment with in your kitchen. The Shockey's are pros when it comes to fermenting, and they share their top recipes for fermenting 64 different vegetables and herbs. Fermentation is not a mystery, but it can be intimidating without a clear understanding. Kristen and Christopher's step-by-step directions will help you master the process of lacto-fermentation - a classic preserving method - from brine and salt to techniques and seasoning. In addition to their tried and true recipes, Kristen and Christopher add suggestions, tips, and advice for each vegetable. This book is 368 pages of fermentation basics that will help you create nutrient-dense live foods packed with vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and probiotic goodness for you and your family. You can get a copy of Fermented Vegetables by Kirsten and Christopher Shockey and support the show using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for around $12 Today's Botanic Spark Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart March 2, 1931 On this day, the Idaho State Flower was officially adopted: the Mock Orange. In the 1800s the Mock Orange was known as the Syringa. And the botanical name for Mock Orange Philadelphus Lewisii help us know that Meriwether Lewis discovered this plant on the Lewis and Clark expedition on the 4th of July in 1806. Native Americans used the straight stems of Mock Orange to make Arrows which is how it earned the common name Arrowwood. Both the leaves and the bark contain the compound saponin, which tells us that Mock Orange is a natural source of soap. Mock Oranges are a gardener's favorite shrub, thanks to their beautiful flush of late spring/early fragrant summer flowers. A 1924 article said, "The Mock Orange comes in the wake of the Lilac, a little more resplendent and more carefree... as if to ease our sense of loss for that fair daughter of the springtime." And I thought you would enjoy learning how the Mock Orange came to be the State Flower of Idaho: The story centers on a woman named Emma Sarah Edwards. Emma's father, John Edwards, had served as the Governor of Missouri. John and his wife Emma Jeanne had raised Emma in Stockton, California. As a young woman, Emma had attended an art school in New York. But, on her trip back home to California, she stopped in Boise to visit friends. Her visit ended up being a turning point in her life when she landed a job as an art teacher. To her surprise and delight, Emma won the state contest for her design of the Idaho State Seal, which Emma described this way: "The State Flower, the wild syringa, the Mock Orange grows at a woman's feet while the ripened wheat grows as high as her shoulders." Well, Emma lived the rest of her days in Idaho. And she had the distinct honor of being the only woman to design a state seal. In 1957, Emma's signature and the Mock Orange was removed from the seal when it was updated by the artist Paul Evans. But, in 1994, after a public outcry, Emma's name was restored to the state seal - along-side Paul's. However, the Mock Orange, the State Flower of Idaho, did not get put back on the seal and it remains omitted to this day. 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 the first woman to describe Fungi ("funj-eye") using the Linnaean system of classification. We'll also learn about a little-known prolific nature and floral writer from the 1800s. We hear a little recollection by a garden writer who received an armload of Forsythia from a friend named Alice, just when she needed it most. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book that encourages you to garden confidently - putting anxieties and fear behind you and creating the space of your dreams. And then we'll wrap things up with the roots of roses - they're deeper than you think. 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 30 Unique Plants That Attract Butterflies | Tree Hugger | Meghan Holmes 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 1, 1717 Today is the birthday of the German artist, children's book author, translator, editor, and pioneering female botanist Catharina Helena Dörrien ("Durr-ee-in"). Catharina was born into an intellectual family in Hildesheim, a community Southeast of Hannover. Her father, Ranier, believed that while beauty fades, ignorance can be a lifelong affliction. And so, Rainier made sure that his daughter Catharina was educated. After the death of her parents and her brother, Catharina sought work as a governess nearly 200 miles away in the town of Dillenburg. Catharina worked for the Erath ("AIR-rit") family - Anton was an attorney and scholar, and Sophie was a childhood friend to Catharina. Catharina could not have found a more like-minded household to her own family than the Eraths. Like her own parents, Anton and Sophie wanted both their sons and their daughters to be educated. Ultimately, the Eraths would become Catharina's second family. As a teacher, Catharina turned to nature to teach about all subjects and life as well. Realizing there were few resources for teaching women or children, Catharina wrote her own textbooks, which were heavily focused on botany and the natural world. It was rare enough that Catharina was teaching children and women about the natural world; it was nearly miraculous that she could research and write her own instructional guides. As the Erath children grew, Catharina was able to focus on her botanical work. Anton helped Catharina gain membership to the Botanical Society of Florence - something unheard of for women of her time. Catharina would go on to be a member of the Berlin Society of Friends of Nature Research and the Regensburg Botanical Society. During Catharina's time, Dillenburg was part of the Orange-Nassau principality, and she gradually came to the idea of creating a Flora for Orange-Nassau. Using her spare time to travel throughout the region, Catharina visited most areas at least twice to capture plant life in different seasons. During the winter months, Catharina dedicated her focus on the smallest plants: lichen, mosses, and fungi ("funj-eye"). In 1777, Catharina published her 496-page flora, which used the Linnaean system to organize and name each specimen. Catharina's flora was remarkable for the 1700s - not only for using the Linnaean system and for the inclusion of new plants and plant names but also for the sheer fact that it was the work of a woman. Catharine became the first woman to name two new fungi ("funj-eye") during the 1700s. During her fieldwork, Catharina created over 1,400 illustrations of local flora and fauna. Yet, these masterpieces never made it into her flora. Instead, Catharina's botanical art became an heirloom that was passed down through the generations of the Erath family. In 1875 a few pieces of Catharina's work were shown at an exhibition. However, fifteen years later, a large collection of paintings by a man named Johann Philipp Sandberger was bought by the Museum of Wiesbaden. Johann was a dear friend of Anton Erath's, and today, his work is considered to be copies of Catharine's original watercolor masterpieces. And yet, Sandberger's pieces are precious because they give us a glimpse of Catharine's breadth and depth of talent. Without Sandberger, all would be lost because the bulk of Catharine's work has been lost to time. The curator Friedrich von Heinbeck once said that the precision of Catharine's brush strokes was like that of an embroiderer who stitched with only the finest of thread. From a historical standpoint, Catharina became an invaluable part of Dillenburg's history when she created drawings and drafts of the destruction of Dillenburg Castle. It seems her interests extended beyond botany to the world around her. Catharina was a true Renaissance woman. Following in the fifty-year-old footsteps of botanical artists like Maria Sibylla Merian and Elizabeth Blackwell, Catharine managed to distinguish herself not only by her exquisite botanical art but also by her botanical work and in the naming two plants - two little lichens, she named major Doerrieni ("Durr-ee-en-ee") and minor Doerrieni. Over the past three decades, Catharine's life story has been rediscovered. In 2000, Regina Viereck wrote a biography of Catharina called "Zwar sind es weibliche Hände: Die Botanikerin und Pädagogin Catharina" Helena Dörrien (1717-1795) or "They are the hands of a woman" - the botanist and educator Catharina Helena Dörrien. And in 2018, Catharina's story became the subject of an elaborate musical by Ingrid Kretz and debuted in Dillenburg; it was called Catharina Dörrien - A Life Between Love and War. March 1, 1877 Today is the birthday of the children's author, volunteer, poet, and teacher Lenore Elizabeth Mulets. Born Nora Mulertz in Kansas, Lenore's mother died when she was just ten years old. Raised by her uncle's family, Lenore left for Chicago's Wheaton College to become a teacher. She found a position in Malden, Massachusetts, and then served as a YMCA canteen worker during WWI in Germany and France. I pieced together Lenore's life story by reading the letters she sent to her sister Mildred during her time in Europe. Mildred shared the letters with the local Wellington Kanas newspaper. In addition to teaching, Lenore was a marvelous children's author. Her books were always charming and uplifting. Her titles include Stories of Birds, Flower Stories, Insect Stories, Tree Stories, and Stories of Trees, just to name a few. In the preface to Flower Stories, Lenore wrote, "When the flowers of the field and garden lift their bright faces to you, can you call them by name and greet them as old acquaintances? Or, having passed them a hundred times, are they still strangers to you? In this little book of "Flower Stories," only our very familiar friends have been planted. About them have been woven our favorite poems, songs, and stories." Regarding the seeds, Lenore wrote, A wonderful thing is a seed; The one thing deathless forever; Forever old and forever new; Utterly faithful and utterly true – Fickle and faithless never. Plant lilies and lilies will bloom; Plant roses and roses will grow; Plant hate and hate to life will spring; Plant love and love to you will bring The fruit of the seed you sow. And long before Twitter, in her book Stories of Birds, Lenore wrote: Such a twittering and fluttering there was when this news came. Unearthed Words My first winter in this country was long and bitterly cold, and I was desperate for spring, which I then was used to seeing appear far earlier. One day a new friend brought me an armful of Forsythia branches still covered with half-melted snow — sensing my homesickness, she had denuded one of her bushes for me. I had nowhere cold and bright in the apartment in which we were living, so that Forsythia had to be put in a hot, unlighted hall. But this particular present came to me late in the season and at a time when Forsythia will flower even when forced under intolerable conditions. And when it last in this strange country, something came to life through my efforts. I began to feel that here was truly home. Now each year, as the Forsythia flowers again for me indoors, I remember that incident as the turning point in my feelings about this country, and I recall with deep affection the sensitivity of that friend. — Thalassa Cruso, British-American gardener, writer, TV presenter and ''the Julia Child of Horticulture", To Everything There is a Season, Alice and Forsythia Grow That Garden Library Fearless Gardening by Loree Bohl This book came out in January of 2021, and the subtitle is Be Bold, Break the Rules, and Grow What You Love. In this book, the woman behind the website, The Danger Garden, teaches us how to live on the edge and in the beds of our Gardens without fear or anxiety. Loree lives to "inspire people to look at plants differently and see their gardens through new eyes—to treat gardening as an adventure, to embrace the freedom to explore a new type of plant, and then to plant it just because they want to." The roots of horticulture in academia have provided a framework of do's and don'ts cloaked within a fortress of botanical nomenclature and complex terminology. It's no wonder gardeners feel anxious. As Loree says, "Why not surround yourself with plants you love? Who cares if they're not supposed to be planted together, might eventually crowd each other, or aren't everyone's cup of tea? It's your garden and you should love it; you should be having fun. Remember, there's always room for one more plant…" This book is 256 pages of gardening without a rulebook or guilt or all the should's and oughta's from a woman who made her garden her own way through courageous experimentation, zone-pushing, an artistic eye, and an adventurous spirit. You can get a copy of Fearless Gardening by Loree Bohl and support the show using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for around $18 Today's Botanic Spark Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart March 1, 1979 On this day, The Call-Leader out of Elwood, Indiana, published an article called The Roots Of Roses Go Back Many Years. "If you were to trace the ancestry of today's rose, you'd have enough "begats" to fill a book, maybe two! In fact, a fossilized rose found at Crooked River, Oregon, some years ago established that this particular species grew on our continent 35 million years ago. And some paleobotanists believe the rose dates back to the Cretaceous Age 70 million years ago. This would make the rose older than any known civilization ... and a forerunner of the Garden of Eden. Since 1979 has been designated "The Year of the Rose," perhaps a little rose history is in order, says John A. Wott, Purdue University extension home environment horticulturist. Briefly, all of our roses came from species. Cross-species gave us a new hybrid type of rose, and crossing of types provided another new type. Rosa gallica, the Adam of roses native to the western hemisphere, crossed with Rosa moschata begat the Autumn Damask; Rosa gallica, crossed with Rosa canina, begat the Alba, and crossed with Rosa Phoenicia begat the Damask. The Damask, crossed with Alba, begat centifolia, and on and on... All of these western hemisphere crosses yielded roses with an annual flowering, except for the Autumn Damask. In the late 1700s, botanists discovered everblooming roses growing in the gardens of the sub-tropics in China. Because of their tea-like fragrance, they became known as Tea Roses. When these tea roses were crossed with descendants of the gallica, the first result was the bourbon. And bourbon, crossed with a tea, produced hybrid perpetual. Hybrid perpetual, crossed back to tea, begat hybrid tea, and... Now for some interesting facts about roses: Did you know no rose species are native to any land areas south of the equator? Did you know the name rose appears in no fewer than 4,000 published songs? Did you know the rose is the official state flower of New York, Iowa, Georgia, and North Dakota? Did you know that in all polls ever taken to determine the most popular flower, the rose is the overwhelming favorite? Did you know the rose has been sniffed by royalty for centuries? We owe much to Empress Josephine of France for our modern-day roses… [It was Josephine who] assembled the leading hybridizers of her time and sponsored their experiments to develop new strains and varieties." 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 charming woman who became known as the Apple Blossom Lady. We'll also learn about the man who raised the best begonias in the world back in the early 1900s. We hear some thoughts on tussie-mussies. We Grow That Garden Library™ with an informative and delightful book about Fungi ("funj-eye") - and it's loaded with incredible photography. And then we'll wrap things up with a dream - an inspired horticultural vision for the botanical building in Balboa Park by the Begonia man, Alfred Robinson. 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 Foliage Plants: How To Use Green Foliage Plants In Your Garden | Gardens Illustrated | Alasdair Cameron 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 February 26, 1834 Today is the birthday of the woman who came up with the State Flower for Michigan: Anna Eliza Reed Woodcock. Born in Fitzwilliam, New Hampshire, Anna moved to Michigan after marrying her husband, David. She had a beautiful voice, and Anna was well-known in Lansing as an actress and a singer in local productions and events. On April 19, 1897, Anna clipped some branches from her flowering apple tree, loaded them up in a wheelbarrow, and then rolled them down North Capitol Avenue to the Michigan Statehouse. When she got there, Anna adorned the office of the Speaker of the House with the blooming branches. It turns out, 63-year-old Anna had been looking out her kitchen window at 309 Capital Avenue North in Lansing and was moved by the sight of her beautiful Apple tree in bloom. It suddenly occurred to her that the Apple Blossom would make a great state flower. Knowing that the Michigan Legislature would be voting on a state flower, she hoped her Apple Blossom branches would have some influence... and they did. Just nine days after wheeling her branches one block down the street to the Capital, the Michigan legislature approved the resolution making the apple blossom the State Flower, and they said, "Our blossoming apple trees add much to the beauty of our Landscape, and Michigan apples have gained a worldwide reputation." In her old age, Anna remembered, "When the selection of the State Flower was voted on, blossoms from my snow apple tree trimmed the speaker's desk at Lansing, and the vote was unanimous for the Apple Blossom." In 1930, Anna passed away in Minnesota at the age of 96. (I know this because, in researching Anna, I actually had to create a tree for her on Ancestry). Sixty years after Anna's death, the Michigan Legislature posthumously honored Anna with a title: Apple Blossom Lady. Anna's victory with the Michigan Legislature sparked a passion for Apple Blossoms in the twilight of her life. Anna began creating apple blossoms using silk ribbon, and she always took cuttings to sell for her favorite charities. Anna once said, "I feel my Apple Blossoms have taken me to the top of the world." February 26, 1942 Today is the anniversary of the death of the British-American horticulturist and founder of the California Begonia industry, Alfred D. Robinson. Along with his wife Marion, Alfred's passion was flowers. In the early 1900s, after hearing a religious leader speak about a utopian community called Lomaland, Alfred and Marion moved to Point Loma. Yet, their fresh start in Point Loma, which included buying ten acres of land, was irreparably damaged when their young daughter Lenora died of a heart issue. Losing Lenora devastated the Robinsons, and they left Point Loma and began building a new home in San Diego. As the gardens were getting established, their 15,000 square foot mansion was being built - and that mansion was called Rosecroft. The Rosecroft property became the home base for Alfred's Gegonia breeding program. And as Rosecroft's high-quality Begonias made their way to nurseries and botanists around the country, Alfred solidified his reputation as a high-quality Begonia grower. Now Alfred came up with the idea to use Lath houses for growing his begonias. Now, if you need help picturing a Lath House, imagine a pergola with sides. Webster's defines a Lath House as a structure made of laths or slats that are spaced to reduce excessive sunlight while permitting air circulation. Lath Houses are great for plants that need more shade and also protection from strong winds. In 1933, the LA Times ran a story called The Useful Lath House by Eva Dale, and in it, Eva described the Rosecroft Lath House. "Lath offers the desired protection as well as effecting a substantial saving in water. By lathing the sides and part of the roof of a garden, a barren wind-swept space can be transformed into a thing of beauty affording shelter to man and plant alike. This may be done on a grand scale, as at "Rosecroft" at Point Loma, where Alfred Robinson has about an acre under Lath, or at Whitehill, Redlands, where Clarence White has an acre and a half of sun protection; but it can also give a great deal of satisfaction when done in a very modest fashion. Mr. Robinson is an authority on Begonias and Mr. White on Roses, but they both declare that these and many other plants do infinitely better in partial shade. Mr. White says that "besides the conservation of bloom and vigor and the transpiration of water, there is also a moderation of the extremes of heat and cold." He adds that "there is less frost, and better recovery when it does penetrate." Walter Merrill, former president of the San Diego Rose Society, has varied the idea somewhat by using Bamboo instead of Lath... After a year and a half, he says he would not, for anything, return to full sun for his roses." An early Rosecroft pamphlet described their growing operation this way: "Rosecroft is on Point Loma, the head of land that forms the Northwest boundary of the Bay of San Diego California, and… enjoys the year-round mildness of climate coupled with a moist atmosphere… [which] permits the cultivation of the Begonia with a simple Lath protection. In such a shelter, Rosecroft grows… the best exposition of this family in the world. The so-called Tree Begonias attain a height of 24 ft and all sorts flourish." In 1907, Albert and Marion, along with the great Kate Sessions, formed the San Diego Floral Association, and Albert served as the first president. Two years later, the group started a little publication called California Garden… and it is still published today. And it was the botanist Charles Plumier ("Ploo-me") named the Begonia in honor of a man he much admired: Michel Bégon ("ME-shell Bay-GO-n"), a French amateur botanist. Charles discovered the Begonia growing on the island of Santo Domingo. Although they are beautiful, most Begonias have no scent. And if you've been growing Begonias in full sun, you'll immediately understand why Albert grew his under a Lath House because they really prefer part shade. In the wild, Begonias grow under filtered light. The Begonia traditionally symbolizes caution or hesitation. I always found this curious until I researched the family name Bégon, which is rooted in Old French as a slang word for a person who stuttered. I thought happened to be a meaningful coincidence - the meaning of caution or hesitation with a stutter. And you may be surprised to learn that the flowers and leaves of the Begonia are edible; some cultures around the world add begonias to salads. Finally, the Begonia is known as the flower that produces the smallest seeds. In fact, Begonia seeds are so fine that they are often compared to dust. This is why, if you grow Begonias from seed, they are often pelleted. In 1932, the California Begonia Society was formed, and in a few short years, they started a little bulletin called The Begonian. In 1935, it was Alfred Robinson that suggested the group broaden their reach - and the American Begonia Society was born. Unearthed Words A dear neighbour brought me a tussie-mussie this week. The dictionary defines tuzzy-muzzy, or tussie-mussie, as a bunch or posy of flowers, a nosegay, and then disobligingly adds that the word is obsolete. I refuse to regard it as obsolete. It is a charming word; I have always used it and shall continue to use it, whatever the great Oxford Dictionary may say; and shall now take my neighbour's tussie-mussie as a theme to show what ingenuity, taste, and knowledge can produce from a small garden even in February. — Vita Sackville West, English author and garden designer, In Your Garden, The Tussie-Mussie Grow That Garden Library Fantastic Fungi by Paul Stamets ("Stam-its") This coffee-table book came out in 2019, and the subtitle is How Mushrooms can Heal, Shift Consciousness, and Save the Planet (Official Book of Smash Hit Documentary). As Paul likes to say, "Mushrooms can heal you. They can feed you. They can kill you." And for all their power, Fungi ("funj-eye") remain misunderstood, understudied, and often just plain old ignored as an aspect of our world. This book is the result of Paul's incredible documentary called "Fantastic Fungi," It features a collection of essay contributions from doctors, explorers, and ecologists that help us better understand the magical world of Fungi. And there's a great piece of information about Fungi for gardeners to know, and that is that Fungi eat rocks. And by eating rocks, Fungi liberate the minerals from rocks and put these minerals back into the soil for plants. And when Fungi join with algae ("al-jee") they form lichens. So when you lichens, remember that marriage between Fungi and algae. Finally, Fungi are the foundation of the food web. There are more than eight miles of Fungi in a single cubic inch of soil, and all around the planet, there are gigatons of mycelium. For now, the field of mycology hasn't been a priority, and so Fungi remain an unchartered frontier. Only about 10 percent of all Fungi have been identified. With any luck, our focus on Fungi will change as we look to the future. As for gardeners, Paul is a fan of the Garden Giant Mushrooms. They are fast-growing, and they do so much for the soil. For example, Garden Giant Mushrooms can take twelve inches of wood chips and create one inch of soil in about four or five months. In a nutshell, Mushrooms begin a domino effect that starts with Fungi and ends with ecological restoration and soil expansion. Paul believes that keystone species like the Garden Giant Mushroom lead to healthier gardens and ecosystems. And fortunately for us, these Garden Giant Mushrooms can be grown virtually anywhere - from sweltering climates to very cool environments. This book is 184 pages of astounding information regarding Mushrooms and Fungi that hopefully will change your perspective, your garden – and help the planet. You can get a copy of Fantastic Fungi by Paul Stamets and support the show using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for around $24 Today's Botanic Spark Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart In researching Alfred Robinson, I ran across an article by Richard Amero that was published by the San Diego History Center. The article shares Alfred's grand dream for a large Lath House to grace the Panama-California Exposition. San Diego was the host city for this event on January 1, 1915. Alfred's idea for this Lath House met with approval, yet the actual design differed drastically from Albert's vision. Still, it is delightful to hear what Albert had in mind originally - his dream for the Botanical Building in Balboa Park: "Where was I? I had entered the garden of Eden. Palms and ferns and flowering plants and vines on all sides, sending out their delicate scents upon the night air to mingle with the odor of the moist earth and recent rain, a draught as intoxicating as champagne. Where the band played… was a great central dome, 500 feet in diameter... Up its supporting columns ran choice vines, Jasmines of such sweet savor, Begonias, and Tecomas of gaudy hue, and the curious Dutchman's Pipe. Palms from many lands and many forms lined the borders and were in beds here and there while Begonias and other foliage plants nestled at their feet. In the air hung Orchids with their strangely beautiful blossoms. From this central court ran out six great arms or aisles, and in each were ... a great family of plants. There were thousands and thousands of varieties, and each was plainly labeled. (Now we definitely know this is clearly a dream!) The lighting had been carefully planned so as not to strike the eye offensively, and the whole effect was absolutely entrancing." Thanks for listening to The Daily Gardener. And remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."
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