Stay ConnectedThe Daily Gardener is a weekday podcast celebrating garden history, literature, and the small botanical stories that shape how we garden today.
Each episode follows an “on this day” format, uncovering the people, plants, books, and moments that have quietly influenced gardens across time.
New episodes are released Monday through Friday, and each show features a thoughtfully chosen garden book.
Copyright: Copyright ©2019-2020, Jennifer Ebeling|The Daily Gardener All rights reserved
Today we celebrate a colonial botanist who introduced nearly 200 plants to British horticulture after sourcing them from his good friend John Bartram in America. We'll also learn about the man who mastered growing the Poinsettia and established it as the official plant of Christmas. We'll hear some wonderful thoughts on the Common Daisy (Bellis perennis) from one of my favorite writers. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book about styling your home with botanicals - making your own horticultural haven. And then we'll wrap things up with the story of a woman who found her way to the best job ever: creating herb gardens. 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 New Year Plant Hunt 2021: Day One | BSBI: Botanical Society of Britain & Ireland | Louise Marsh Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and original blog posts for yourself, you're in luck. I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. So, there's no need to take notes or search for links. The next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community where you'd search for a friend... and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events January 28, 1694 Today is the birthday of a Fellow of the Royal Society, an avid gardener, and a friend to many scientific leaders in London in the mid-18th century, Peter Collinson. Peter Collinson introduced nearly 200 species of plants to British horticulture - importing many from his friend John Bartram in America. And when the American gardener John Custis learned that Peter was looking for the mountain cowslip (Primula auricula), he happily sent him a sample. Auricula means ear-shaped, and the mountain cowslip is commonly known as a bear's ear - from the shape of its leaves. And the cowslip is a spring-flowering plant, and it is native to the mountains of Europe. Custis also sent Peter a Virginia Bluebell Or Virginia cowslip (Mertensia virginica). This plant is another spring beauty that can be found in woodlands. And I have to say that the blue about Virginia Bluebell is so striking - it's an old fashioned favorite for many gardeners. The Virginia Bluebell is known as lungwort or oyster wort. And it got those rather unattractive common names because people believed the plant could treat lung disorders, and also, the leaves taste like oysters. Virginia bluebells bloom alongside daffodils, so you end up with a beautiful yellow and blue combination in the spring garden - something highly desired and gorgeous. Peter was not the only gardener in search of Virginia bluebells. Thomas Jefferson grew them at Monticello ("MontiCHELLo") and loved them so much that they were often referred to as Jefferson's blue funnel flowers. As for Peter, he once wrote, "Forget not me and my garden." Given Peter's influence on English gardens, he would be pleased to know that, after all these years, he has not been forgotten. In fact, in 2010, the author Andrea Wulf wrote about Peter in her book The Brother Gardeners: A Generation of Gentlemen Naturalists and the Birth of an Obsession - one of my favorite books by one of my favorite authors. January 28, 1895 Today is the birthday of the nurseryman known as "Mr. Poinsettia," Paul Ecke Sr. ("Eck-EE"), and he was born in Magdeburg, Germany. Paul and his family immigrated to the United States in 1906. And when Paul took over his father's nursery business located on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood in the early 1920s, the Poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima) was a fragile, outdoor, wild plant. And Paul fell in love with the Poinsettia immediately. And Paul felt that the Poinsettia was perfectly created for the holiday season because the bloom occurred naturally during that time of year. By 1924, Paul was forced out of Hollywood by the movie business, and that's when he brought his family and the nursery to San Diego County. Paul and his wife Magdalena had four children, and they purchased 40 acres of land in Encinitas("en-sin-EE-tis"). It was here that Paul would turn his passion for Poinsettias into a powerhouse. And at one point, his nursery controlled 90% of the Poinsettia market in the United States. At first, Paul raised Poinsettias in the fields on his ranch. Each spring, the plants were harvested and then loaded onto two railroad cars and sent to greenhouse growers all along the east coast. And when Paul wasn't growing Poinsettias, he was talking Poinsettias. It wasn't too long before Paul started calling Poinsettias "The Christmas Flower"; Paul was endlessly marketing Poinsettias and praising their attributes as a harbinger of Christmas. Initially, Paul worked to decrease the growing time of the Poinsettia. By getting the time to bloom down from 18 months to 8 months, Paul made it possible for the Poinsettia to be grown indoors. And after figuring out how to propagate the plant through cuttings indoors, Paul was soon able to ship Poinsettias around the world by plane. In the 1960s, Paul's son, Paul Jr., took over the business, and he cleverly sent Poinsettias to all the major television shows. When the holiday programs aired, there were the Poinsettias - in their glory - decorating the sets and stages of all the most popular TV shows. When Paul Junior learned that women's magazines did their photoshoots for the holidays over the summer, he began growing a Poinsettia crop that peaked in July. Magazines like Women's Day and Sunset were thrilled to feature the Poinsettia in their Christmas magazines - alongside Christmas Trees and Mistletoe. This venture was regarded as the Ecke family's most significant marketing success and made the Poinsettia synonymous with Christmas. Today gardeners will be fascinated to learn that the Ecke family distinguished themselves as a superior grower of Poinsettias by using a secret technique to keep their plants compact and hardy. Their solution was simple: they grafted two varieties of Poinsettias together, causing every seedling to branch and become bushy. Competitor Poinsettias were leggy and prone to falling open. Not so, with the Ecke Poinsettia. By the 1990s, the Ecke growing secret was out of the bag, and competitors began grafting Poinsettias together to compete. Today the Ecke family does not grow a single Poinsettia on their farm in San Diego County. Finally, one of Paul's Poinsettia pet peeves is the commonly-held belief that Poinsettias are poisonous. Over the years, sometimes that fear would prevent a pet owner or a young mother from buying a Poinsettia. Paul Ecke recognized the threat posed by this false belief. And so, Paul fought to reveal the truth one interview at a time. It turns out that a 50-pound child would have to eat roughly 500 Poinsettia leaves before they would even begin to have a stomach ache. Furthermore, the plant is not dangerous to pets. And here's where things get crayze: Paul would regularly eat Poinsettia leaves on camera during interviews over the holiday season to prove his point. When the Ecke nursery sold in 2012, it still controlled over half the Poinsettia market in the world. During the holiday season, roughly seventy-five million Poinsettia plants are sold - most to women over 40. Unearthed Words The daisy's genus name, Belis (martial or warlike), refers to its use by Roman doctors as a common treatment for battlefield wounds. John Gerard, the sixteenth-century herbalist and author of the first important herbal in English, wrote: "The leaves stamped take away bruises and swellings ... whereupon it was called in old time Bruisewort." But daisies weren't just popular medicine. They were also popular for making prophecies. You've certainly learned the most famous one: "He loves me, he loves me not." The last petal decides the question—but its unreliability is unfortunately notorious. You can, however, tell the seasons by the coming of daisies: It's spring in the English Midlands, and people say when you can put your foot on nine daisies. But be careful: Dreaming of daisies in spring or summer brings good luck; If you dream of them in fall or winter, however, bad luck is on the way. — Susan Wittig Albert, author, China Bayles Book of Days, January 38 Grow That Garden Library Botanical Style by Selina Lake This book came out in 2016, and the subtitle is Inspirational decorating with nature, plants, and florals. In this book, stylist Selina Lake shows, "how to tap into the current trend for bringing nature, plants, and florals into the heart of the home." Selina reviews the ingredients she uses to achieve her signature look—antique botanical prints and artworks, flower stalls, potting sheds, and houseplants. Then she shares how these items can be used to transform your home into a botanical paradise. Next, Selina shares five aspects of her botanical styling, from Vintage Botanicals and Boho Botanicals to Natural Botanicals and Tropical specimens. This book is 160 pages of Selina's innovative style tips for working with botanicals to create a modern garden ambiance in your home. You can get a copy of Botanical Style by Selina Lake 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 January 28, 1983 On this day, The Charlotte News shared an article by Edie Lowe called "Herb Garden Just Like Artwork." Here's an excerpt: "To Deborah Zimmerman designing an herb garden is like painting a picture or composing a song. "You have to orchestrate a harmonious blend of textures and colors and heights. When designing a garden, my canvas is the ground. My picture is of the finished garden. My song is the finished garden." Deborah's latest design is a formal Elizabethan herb garden in the backyard of the restored Blair-Bowden House on Poplar Street. Deborah became interested in herbs and spices about 12 years ago. "I started a little business called Helping Hand Services… planting herbs and spices in people's gardens. It started out as a means of supporting myself in school. It grew so quickly, and I enjoyed it so much. I found myself feeling here I am being creative, and I'm getting paid for it. I'm spreading beauty in yards working with plants and soil - which I love - and I'm getting paid to learn and create." Deborah is continually studying herbs and spices. She is particularly fond of designing gardens like those from the Elizabethan era in the 16th and 17th centuries. "There is not much difference in the Elizabethan gardens of the 18th century and Victorian gardens. The (main) difference is the type of herbs they favored in their gardens. The Elizabethan Gardens were more apt to have highly scented plants because of the period's sanitation problems. They would pick herbs and spread them on the walks and floors. As company came and walked on the herbs, they'd be crushed, releasing the scents. Herbs were the air fresheners of the day." Because people seldom bathed, scented herbs and spices were also worn in pomanders around their necks. The Victorian era was more sophisticated. Baths became popular. Perfumes and scented water made from herbs and spices were used. "Victorian people loved rose water. The damask rose was the popular flower then. It is the most highly scented rose there is." Deborah's 4th Ward garden, covering a 10-by-10-foot space, is fashioned with circles and diamonds inside a square. Each of the four points of the square is finished in a fleur-de-lis pattern. Deborah used creeping thyme and candytuft as a border hedge for the garden. The rest of the pattern is carried out with lavender, rosemary, lemon, verbena, aromatic herbs, clove pinks, rose geranium, basil, sage, savory, chives, coriander, and camomile. The 100-square-foot garden… will cost between $250 and $600. "The most important thing is to like what you are doing… If you are happy in your work, you tend to grow." Thanks for listening to The Daily Gardener. And remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."
Today we celebrate the writer inspired by the Oxford Botanic Garden - a place he saw every day. We'll also learn about medicine with roots in the soil in Indiana. We'll hear a lovely excerpt about a harbinger of spring: Skunk Cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus) We Grow That Garden Library™ with a fantastic book about botanical baking with a master baker. And then we'll wrap things up with the story of a surprise found in a botanist's garden. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart To listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to "Play the latest episode of The Daily Gardener Podcast." And she will. It's just that easy. The Daily Gardener Friday Newsletter Sign up for the FREE Friday Newsletter featuring:
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 Predicting the New Year's 2021 Garden Trends | Ag Week | Don Kinzler Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and original blog posts for yourself, you're in luck. I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. So, there's no need to take notes or search for links. The next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community where you'd search for a friend... and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events January 27, 1832 Today is the birthday of the English mathematician and writer Charles Lutwidge Dodgson - also known as Lewis Carroll. Lewis had worked as a librarian at Christ Church College in Oxford. His office window had a view of the Dean's Garden. Lewis wrote in his diary on the 25th of April in 1856 that he had visited the Deanery Garden, where he was planning to take pictures of the cathedral. Instead, he ended up taking pictures of children in the garden. The children were allowed in the Deanery Garden, but not in the Cathedral Garden, which was connected to the Deanery Garden by a little door. And so, it was the Oxford Botanic Garden that inspired Lewis Carroll to write Alice in Wonderland. The same garden also inspired the authors, JRR Tolkien and Philip Pullman. In Lewis Caroll's Through the Looking-Glass is this favorite passage among gardeners: "In most gardens," the Tiger-lily said, "they make the beds too soft-so that the flowers are always asleep." January 27, 1950 On this day, Science Magazine announced a brand new antibiotic made by Charles Pfizer & Company, and it was called Terramycin. Last year, when I shared this item, I don't think many of us were as familiar with the word Pfizer as we are today - living through the COVID-19 pandemic. In the 1950s, Pfizer was a small chemical company based in Brooklyn, New York. And it turns out that Pfizer had developed an expertise in fermentation with citric acid, and this process allowed them to mass-produce drugs. When Pfizer scientists discovered an antibiotic in a soil sample from Indiana, their deep-tank fermentation method allowed them to mass-produce Terramycin. Now, Pfizer had been searching through soil samples from around the world - isolating bacteria-fighting organisms when they stumbled on Terramycin. Effective against pneumonia, dysentery, and other infections, Terramycin was approved by the USDA. And the word Terramycin is created from the two Latin words: terra for earth and mycin, which means fungus - thus, earth fungus. And Terramycin made history: Terramycin was the very first mass-marketed product by a pharmaceutical company. Pfizer spent twice as much marketing Terramycin as it did on R&D for Terramycin. The gamble paid off; Terramycin, earth fungus, is what made Pfizer a pharmaceutical powerhouse. And so, there's a throughline from the vaccine we are using today, all the way back to that bacteria found in the soil in Indiana that ultimately became Terramycin. Unearthed Words In much of North America, skunk cabbage has earned the widespread reputation as the first flower of spring. It might be more accurate, however, to call it the first flower of winter. "The skunk cabbage may be found with its round green spear-point an inch or two above the mold in December," reported naturalist John Burroughs. "It is ready to welcome and make the most of the first fitful March warmth." Henry David Thoreau observed that new buds begin pushing upward almost as soon as the leaves wither and die in the fall. In fact, he counseled those afflicted with the melancholy of late autumn to go to the swamps "and see the brave spears of skunk cabbage buds already advanced toward the new year." People living in colder parts of North America have long watched for skunk cabbage as a sign of spring. The tip of the plant's spathe or sheath begins to push through the still-frosty earth and to stand tall when the first faint breaths of warmer air begin blowing. This process can occur in January with an unusually long January thaw—a "goose haw," as some New Englanders call it—or it can happen as late as March. — Jack Sanders, Hedgemaids and Fairy Candles, The First Flower of Winter Grow That Garden Library Botanical Baking by Juliet Sear This book came out in 2019, and the subtitle is Contemporary baking and cake decorating with edible flowers and herbs. In this book, celebrity baker Julia teaches how to make and decorate the most beautiful botanical cakes – using edible flowers and herbs to decorate your cakes and bakes. After working in the baking industry for two decades, Julia knows what flowers are edible and what flowers have great flavor. She also shares everything you need to do to work with edible flowers: "how to use, preserve, store and apply them, including pressing, drying and crystallizing flowers and petals." Julia shares 20 botanical cakes that feature edible flowers and herbs. Her creations include a confetti cake, a wreath cake, a gin and tonic cake, floral chocolate bark, a naked cake, a jelly cake, a letter cake, and more. Known in the U.K. for her beautiful bloom-covered cakes, Julia counts royalty and celebrities among her many clients. This book is 144 pages of botanical baking with edible flowers and herbs. You can get a copy of Botanical Baking by Juliet Sear and support the show using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for around $13 Today's Botanic Spark Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart January 27, 1994 On this day, The South Bend Tribune out of South Bend, Indiana, shared an article by Doug Glass called, "Botanist Finds Endangered Plant in His Garden." "For someone who makes his living studying plants, George Yatskievych is an indifferent gardener. It took [him] several months to notice that a load of topsoil delivered to his home in St. Louis was sprouting several clusters of trifolium stoloniferum, also known as Running Buffalo Clover. This native plant had all but vanished in Missouri. "I was out weeding a flower bed near this topsoil, down on my knees, when I sort of came nose to nose with these things," said George, who works at the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis. "You spend all this time and effort looking for this in nature. . . . (The discovery) was so unexpected." Yatskievych and other botanists took the six clovers found in his topsoil and began a project to reintroduce the plant to Missouri. Now, some five years after his discovery, the Missouri Department of Conservation oversees some 700 seedlings in 25 experimental plots statewide." Thanks for listening to The Daily Gardener. And remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."
Today we celebrate the Russian botanist who sought to end world hunger and created a seed bank. We'll also learn about a Landscape Architect known for her delicate illustrations and her love of realistic sculpture. We'll hear some thoughts on growing bulbs in pots by one of my favorite gardeners. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book that proves anyone can draw botanical illustrations - even me. And then we'll wrap things up with a National Seed Swap Day the Pandemic Way. 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 5 Front-Yard Landscaping Secrets | Better Homes & Gardens Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and original blog posts for yourself, you're in luck. I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. So, there's no need to take notes or search for links. The next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community where you'd search for a friend... and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events January 26, 1943 Today is the anniversary of the tragic death of the Russian botanist and plant geneticist Nikolai Vavilov. Regarded as one of the giants of plant science, Nikolai established over 400 research institutes, and he brought Russian plant explorers on expeditions to more than 50 countries around the globe. Worried about genetic erosion and destruction, Nikolai marshaled his resources toward preserving plant genetic diversity at every turn. To that end, Nikolai hoped that seed banking and his St. Petersburg seed vault would prove invaluable. The goal of ending hunger drove Nikolai, and to that end, he worked to collect specimens and run experiments in order to increase crop yields. After concluding that genetic diversity was the key to his mission, Nikoli realized that most of the world's agriculture came from eight specific regions - places with ancient roots where plants were first cultivated. Nikolai got caught up in the politics of communism when a fanatical Soviet agronomist and geneticist, Trofim Lysenko, denounced Nikolai's work as anti-communist. After being arrested in 1940, Nikolai was sent to a concentration camp at Saratov, where he eventually died of starvation on this day in 1943. He was 55 years old. Meanwhile, Nikolai's loyal team of seed collectors also faced starvation - and some starved to death - as they held up in the Russian seed bank. Despite being surrounded by many edible seeds, these valiant botanists successfully protected seeds from all over the world during the 900-day siege of St. Petersburg by German and Finish forces. Today this seed genebank is known as the Vavilov Institute of Plant Genetic Resources. January 26, 1905 Today is the birthday of the Connecticut landscape architect Eloise Ray. In Ruth Harley's book Pest-Proofing Your Garden, we get a little glimpse into Eloise's approach to gardening: "Eloise confesses that she long ago gave up her battle with the local groundhog. Over the years, she determined which plants appeal to him. Now she limits her crops to the plants the groundhog doesn't eat — tomatoes, eggplants, red and green peppers, chives, all kinds of onions and, perhaps, parsley." As a Landscape Architect, Eloise often worked with her husband, Jo Ray, who was also a Landscape Architect. Eloise was a marvelous artist, and she was known for her delicate illustrations, and she was exceptionally fond of realistic sculpture. Eloise is remembered through her gardens and estate work throughout Fairfield County, Connecticut. In 1978, the New York Times featured an interview with a 60-year-old Eloise at her Westport Home. Eloise reflected on her career, "[I started] in the heyday of the large estates of the late '20s, when we would put in gatehouses, decorative brick walls, dramatic driveways, servants' driveways, formal gardens, walks, greenhouses, and shrubs designed for intricate topiary. We would estimate the need for at least eight full‐time gardeners for most of our estates." Unearthed Words I shall never desert the bulbs, though, and last winter, I think I got more pleasure from a pot of February Gold daffodils than from anything else I raised unless it was my pots of freesias. February Gold, which is a medium-small, all-yellow narcissus of the cyclamen type, for me proved to be January Gold; it opened its first flowers on New Year's Day. That was the miracle. There is no trick to growing it in pots if one has a cool cellar, and Wayside Gardens, where I got my bulbs, says it can also be grown in bowls, like the paper-whites. — Katharine S. White, gardener and garden writer, Onward and Upward in the Garden Grow That Garden Library The Joy of Botanical Drawing by Wendy Hollender This book came out in 2020, and the subtitle is A Step-by-Step Guide to Drawing and Painting Flowers, Leaves, Fruit, and More. In this book, Wendy shows you how to, "achieve amazingly realistic and vibrant botanical illustrations, from flowers so dazzling you feel as if you might be able to smell them, to tomatoes that look as if they've just been picked from the garden." Known for her incredible botanical illustrations, Wendy shares her honed techniques through little lessons that build as your skills grow. Using colored pencils and watercolor pencils, Wendy specifically shows you how to draw a spiraling pine cone, a spiky chestnut, a fuchsia-tined radish, a graceful morning glory, and many more. Wendy writes, "I first learned botanical-illustration techniques twenty years ago. The moment I understood these techniques, a door opened for me, and I immediately fell in love with the practice of botanical drawing. Since that day, it feels like the plants are leading me along a path that I steadily follow." This book is 192 pages of inspiring botanical illustration how-to from an artist that practices with botanical subjects every single day. You can get a copy of The Joy of Botanical Drawing by Wendy Hollender and support the show using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for around $17 Today's Botanic Spark Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart Today is National Seed Swap Day - the first one we've had during a global pandemic. This year, instead of a traditional in-person seed swap, many of us will need to consider sending seeds in the mail or dropping them on the porch of a garden friend. Earlier this summer, I saw an excellent idea. A woman transformed her Little Free Book Library into a place where you can swap out seeds - a Little Seed Library. This year, if you have leftover seed after planting or when your flowers are producing seed, you can always share them in a Little Seed Library, or with a garden friend - or you can even share them with people you don't know thanks to neighborhood apps like NextDoor. And, if you feel so inclined, consider building a Little Seed Library for your front yard. I think it's such a sweet idea. I love the idea of Little Seed Libraries popping up all over the country. Thanks for listening to The Daily Gardener. And remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."
Today we celebrate a poet who loved flowers and became the beloved poet-son of a country that celebrates him still today. We'll also learn about an orchid that inspired a fabled true story about Charles Darwin. We'll hear about some fascinating vegetable history that is celebrated every year on this day. We Grow That Garden Library™ with some incredible exotic flower photography. And then we'll wrap things up with the garden and the Three R's of Renovation. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart To listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to "Play the latest episode of The Daily Gardener Podcast." And she will. It's just that easy. The Daily Gardener Friday Newsletter Sign up for the FREE Friday Newsletter featuring:
Plus, each week, one lucky subscriber wins a book from the Grow That Garden Library™ bookshelf. Gardener Greetings Send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes, and so forth to Jennifer@theDailyGardener.org Curated News How to Grow Chillies | Gardener's World Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and original blog posts for yourself, you're in luck. I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. So, there's no need to take notes or search for links. The next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community where you'd search for a friend... and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events January 25, 1759 Today is the birthday of the Scottish poet and lyricist Robert Burns. Widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland and celebrated worldwide, tonight is Burns Night. Each year Burns Night commemorates Robert, the beloved poet born into a poor Scottish family of farmers. A typical Burns Night includes live music, poetry readings of Burns masterpieces, and a traditional Scottish meal of Haggis, Neeps, and Tatties. Now, gardeners have a soft spot for Robert Burns. His 1794 poem 'Red Red Rose' starts out with the familiar verse: "O my Luve's like a red, red rose..." And gardeners have always loved Robert's poem "To a Mountain Daisy." with the line, "Sweet floweret of the rural shade! By love's simplicity betrayed" Of course, the way to end a fantastic Burns Night Celebration is to sing Robert's most famous poem, which has now been set to music: Auld Lang Syne. January 25, 1862 On this day, the English naturalist, geologist, and biologist Charles Darwin received a box of Orchids. Now after sorting through all of the flowers, one Orchid, in particular, caught Charles' attention: the Angraecum sesquipedale ("ang-GRAY-kum ses-kwah-puh-doll-lee"), commonly called Darwin's Orchid, the Christmas Orchid, the Star of Bethlehem Orchid, or the King of the Angraecums. An epiphyte (meaning a plant that grows on other plants), the Darwin Orchid, was initially discovered by the French botanist Louis-Marie Aubert du Petit-Thouars in 1798. When Charles first laid eyes on this Orchid, he suspected that a then-unknown moth with an almost 14-inch long proboscis must have co-evolved with the Orchid to pollinate it. Many people scoffed at this - a moth with a 14-inch tongue?! Sadly, Charles didn't live long enough to see his prediction come true. It wasn't until 21 years after his death, in 1903, that a moth was discovered with a proboscis that could perfectly reach the 13.5-inch nectary, and Charles's prediction was proved to be correct. Once the moth was officially discovered it was named predicata for "the predicted one" Incredibly, it took nine more decades for scientists to observe the moth pollinating the orchid. In 1992, a German entomologist named Lutz Thilo Wasserthal traveled to Madagascar, where he captured two moths. After placing the moths in a cage with the orchid, Lutz photographed them pollinating the flower - and it happened just as Charles Darwin imagined it would, after receiving the orchid on this day, over a century earlier. Unearthed Words "Neep" is the Scots term for the rutabaga, the root vegetable known as swede in Britain. Neeps and tatties (dialect for mashed potatoes) are the traditional accompaniment to haggis, served on Burns Night (January 25). Recipes vary, but butter and a little spice such as nutmeg or powdered ginger are common additions. All, of course, must be washed down with a glass of whiskey. — Lorraine Harrison, garden writer, A Potted History of Vegetables Grow That Garden Library Botanica Magnifica by Jonathan Singer This book came out in 2009, and the subtitle is Portraits of the World's Most Extraordinary Flowers and Plants. In this out-of-print book, Jonathan Singer shares 250 of his stunning photographs of rare and exotic plants and flowers "in large scale and exquisite detail, in a manner evocative of Old Master paintings." "The original edition of Botanica Magnifica, consisting of five lavishly hand-bound volumes, was limited to just ten copies, the first of which was donated to the Smithsonian Institution. Botanica Magnifica is one of the few natural history works ever to rival Audubon's magnum opus in its scope and artistry. Singer's remarkable images are bound together in this beautiful hardcover with slipcase, baby-elephant folio of Botanica Magnifica. This volume is organized into five alphabetically arranged sections, each introduced by a gatefold page that displays one extraordinary plant at a luxurious size. Each pictured plant is accompanied by a clear and accessible description of its botany, geography, folklore, history, and conservation." This book is 356 pages of one of the most impressive volumes of botanical photography ever printed. You can get a copy of Botanica Magnifica by Jonathan Singer and support the show using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for around $62 Today's Botanic Spark Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart January 25, 2002 On this day, the Vancouver Sun shared an article by Steve Whysall called Three R's Hold the Key to Garden Renovation. The three R's are: Restore, Renovate, and Revitalize. Here's an excerpt: "To pull it off, you have got to be honest. You need to look at your garden without sentiment or romanticism and admit (painful as this may be) that things have not worked out as planned and that changes are needed. For help, you could call in an expert. Someone like Nenagh McCutcheon, of Langley, is now a specialist at renovating and upgrading gardens that have gone astray. At one time, Nenagh was a copywriter in advertising… She is now one of Vancouver's ace garden designers. For example, in West Vancouver, she came to the rescue of a waterfront garden grossly overgrown by red roses and mugo pines. "Most of it had to go," says Nenagh. "To renovate, it's usually a case of digging up 80 percent of what's there, everything that can be lifted and turfing what you don't want, replanting what is worth recycling, and then bringing in new stuff." What are the signs that a garden needs a makeover? Loss of structure is the most obvious, Nenagh says. "It's a sign things are wrong when trees and shrubs are too big for their location. Or paths are overgrown. Or arbors and arches are lost under mounds of foliage. All these are symptoms that a garden has lost its identity." Loss of color is another clue. "Perhaps a tree that once had a small canopy now casts so much shade that instead of growing roses, you have to start planting hostas." Or perhaps plants that were once a comfortable distance apart have grown too close, and the effect is jarring, she says. The loss of a sense of peace and tranquility is another sign. "And, of course, there is always the fact that you may be simply bored with how your garden looks." Step one is to evaluate what plants are worth keeping. Some will be too big to move. Some can be "shovel pruned" dug up and tossed out. The next step is to prune. Intelligent pruning can change things dramatically. Not only can you end up with a more attractive plant, but the pruning will also let in more light and air so other plants can thrive. [Another step is to remove old or unwanted plants.] "When you lift plants, it gives you the opportunity to revitalize the soil. Over time old soil can become sour and compact. When you renovate, you empty the border and can bring in new soil." Thanks for listening to The Daily Gardener. And remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."
Today we celebrate a disabled botanist who felt no area could be considered fully explored. We'll also learn about the tree that honors David Douglas. We'll hear some thoughts about the future and our need to turn to nature, which will only grow in importance. We Grow That Garden Library™ with an old book that taught us how to cook with garden herbs, vegetables, and fruit. And then we'll wrap things up with a humorous story about a poet, a coachman, and street trees. 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 Lessons from Festival Beach Food Forest in Austin, Texas | Fine Gardening | Karen Beaty Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and original blog posts for yourself, you're in luck. I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. So, there's no need to take notes or search for links. The next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community where you'd search for a friend... and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events January 22, 1917 Today is the anniversary of the death of the Presbyterian minister, writer, and American botanist Ellsworth Jerome Hill. Ellsworth was born in Leroy, New York. When Ellsworth was only 20 years old, one of his knees stopped working, and a doctor suggested he study botany. So, Ellsworth would crawl from his house to the orchard, where he would pick a few flowers and then crawl back to the house to identify them. And the following year, Ellsworth, who used to canes when he walked, moved to Mississippi, where the climate was warmer. After Ellsworth met and married a young woman named Milancy Leach, she became his daily helpmate. When Ellsworth was feeling especially lame or simply lacked strength, Milancy would step in and finish the work for him. However, by the time he was 40, Ellsworth somehow put his lameness behind him. In the back half of his life, he seemed to be better able to manage his physical challenge. Thanks to Milancy's guidance, Ellsworth had learned how to cope with the symptoms. In a touching tribute to Ellsworth after his death, the botanist Agnes Chase wrote: "Most of these collections were made while Ellsworth walked on crutches or with two canes. Ellsworth told me that he carried his vasculum over his shoulder and a camp stool with his crutch or cane in one hand. To secure a plant, he would drop the camp stool, which opened of itself, then he would lower himself to the stool and dig the plant. Ellsworth recovered from his lameness but often suffered acute pain from cold or wetness or overexertion. But this did not deter him from making botanical trips that would have taxed a more robust man. In the Dunes, I have seen him tire out more than one able-bodied man." Ellsworth recognized the value in revisiting places that had been previously botanized. It was Ellsworth Jerome Hill who said, "In studying the flora of a restricted region, no matter how carefully it seems to have been explored, one is frequently surprised by new things... No region can be regarded as thoroughly explored until every acre of its wild areas at least has been examined. Some plants are so rare or local or grow under such peculiar conditions that a few square rods or even feet may comprise their range." January 22, 1927 On this day, The Placer Herald out of Rocklin, California, shared a story called "Douglas Fir Entirely Distinct Tree Species." "The Douglas fir, a native of the Northwest but now being planted extensively in the East, is becoming a famous Christmas tree. The species was named for a Scotch botanist who discovered it on an expedition in 1825, but its scientific name is Pseudotsuga, meaning "false hemlock." As a matter of fact, it is neither a hemlock nor a fir, and though it is sometimes called a spruce, It isn't that either. The tree belongs to an entirely distinct species. The tree most commonly used for Christmas trees is a real fir: the balsam - so-called because its blister-like pockets yield a resinous liquid known as Canada balsam, which is used, among other things, for attaching cover plates to microscope slides." The Douglas-fir is not a true fir, which is why it is spelled with a hyphen. Anytime you see a hyphen in the common name, you know it's not a true member of the genus. Unearthed Words Almost 40 years ago, clinical psychologist and pet therapy expert Boris M. Levinson was asked to speculate on what the human-pet world might look like in the year 2000 and beyond. Levinson turned out to be quite the soothsayer, predicting an explosion in pet acquisition thanks to the computer-driven, technological world. In January 1974, he said: "Suffering from even greater feelings of alienation than those which are already attacking our emotional health, future man will be compelled to turn to nature and the animal world to recapture some sense of unity with a world that otherwise will seem chaotic and meaningless ... in the year 2000 pets will become a very important safety valve in a sick society." — Your Brain on Nature by Eva Selhub and Alan Logan Grow That Garden Library Betty Crocker's Kitchen Gardens by Mary Mason Campbell This book came out in 1971, and the illustrations are by Tasha Tudor. This is a vintage book for the gardener cook - a 50-year-old classic with Betty Crocker recipes designed to incorporate herbs and vegetables. This book is 170 pages of adorably illustrated garden recipes. You can get a copy of Betty Crocker's Kitchen Gardens by Mary Mason Campbell and support the show using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for around $20 Today's Botanic Spark Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart January 21, 1901 On this day, The Danville News out of Danville, Kentucky, shared a story about the English Journalist, poet, and short-story writer, Rudyard Kipling. It turns out after Rudyard Kipling left Vermont, he rented a place called The Elms in the little English village of Rottingdean between 1897 and 1902. Now for some reason, Rudyard did not get along with a local bus driver named Boniface. Apparently, when Boniface would drive his bus past Rudyard's property or see Rudyard outside, he would point his whip at him and snarkily say, "Here we have Mr. Kipling, the soldier-poet." Rudyard endured this character for a while, but then Boniface had an accident right outside Rudyard's home, and his bus hit one of Rudyard's favorite trees. Upset by the damage and the character of this man, Rudyard sent Boniface a stern complaint letter. Now Boniface happened to own a local tavern called "The White Horse Inn." And after receiving Rudyard's letter, Boniface read the letter to his customers at the tavern, and while some of the customers advised ignoring the letter, one of the more wealthy customers bought the autographed letter from Kipling for 10 shillings. As for Rudyard, when he didn't hear anything back, he sent Boniface a second, more-strongly-worded, letter. Again, Boniface read the letter to his customers at the tavern. This time, one of his customers paid him a pound for the letter. After hearing nothing in days, you can imagine what happened next: Rudyard finally went to The White Horse Inn to meet Boniface in person, and he angrily asked why his letters went unanswered. Boniface smugly replied, "Why didn't I answer your letters, sir? Well, I was hoping you'd send me a fresh one every day. They pay a great deal better than driving a bus!" Thanks for listening to The Daily Gardener. And remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."
Today we celebrate one of my favorite botanists and his personal story of love and love of poetry and nature. We'll also learn about an extraordinary gardener who could grow anything - and I mean anything. We'll hear Rosemary Verey's thoughts on patterns. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a behind-the-scenes look at the 2009 White House Garden and the modern community garden movement. And then we'll wrap things up with a celebration that may drive you nuts - but we will celebrate nonetheless. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart To listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to "Play the latest episode of The Daily Gardener Podcast." And she will. It's just that easy. The Daily Gardener Friday Newsletter Sign up for the FREE Friday Newsletter featuring:
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 Hillside Landscaping Ideas | Better Homes & Gardens Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and original blog posts for yourself, you're in luck. I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. So, there's no need to take notes or search for links. The next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community where you'd search for a friend... and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events January 21, 1854 Today is the birthday of the Washington DC-based USDA botanist Erwin Frink Smith. Erwin had attempted to solve the problem of the peach yellows - a disease caused by a microorganism called a phytoplasma, and it was affecting Peach Orchards. It was called the Peach Yellows disease because the main symptom was that new leaves would have a yellowish tint. Now, if Erwin had solved the Peach Yellows' problem, he would have become world-famous - but he didn't. Years later, it was actually the botanist Louis Otto Kunkel who discovered it was a type of leafhopper that was carrying the disease. Although Erwin didn't solve the Peach Yellows problem, he was a peach of a guy. In researching Erwin, I discovered a rare combination of kindness and intellect. And Erwin was ahead of his time. Erwin developed a reputation for hiring and promoting female botanists as his assistants at the Bureau of Plant Industry in Washington DC. After giving these women tasks based on their strengths instead of their job descriptions, Erwin's team was able to work on projects that charted new territory for female botanists. The happiest day in Erwin's life was no doubt when he married the pretty Charlotte Mae Buffet on April 13, 1893. Together, Erwin and Charlotte shared an epic love for each other and for reading and poetry. Tragically, after twelve years of marriage, Charlotte was diagnosed with endocarditis. She died eight months later, on December 28, 1906. Erwin dealt with his grief by putting together a book of poetry, stories, and a biography of Charlotte. The book is called For Her Friends and Mine: A Book of Aspirations, Dreams, and Memories. Erwin wrote, "This book is a cycle of my life— seven lonely years are in it. The long ode (on page 62) is a cry of pain." There's one passage from Erwin describing Charlotte's fantastic ability to attune to the natural world, and I thought you'd find it as touching as I did when I first read it: "Charlotte's visual powers were remarkable. They far exceeded my own. Out of doors, her keen eyes were always prying into the habits of all sorts of living things... Had she cared for classification, which she did not, and been willing to make careful records, she might have become an expert naturalist. Whether she looked into the tops of the tallest trees, or the bottom of a stream, or the grass at her feet, she was always finding marvels of adaptation to wonder at... She made lists of all the birds that visited her neighborhood. She knew most of them by their songs, and some times distinguished individuals of the same species by little differences in their notes... She knew when they nested and where, how they made their nests, and what food they brought to their young. In studying birds, she used an opera-glass, not a shotgun. She was, however, a very good shot with the revolver." January 21, 1881 Today is the birthday of the incredible American gardener, plant whisperer, and horticulturist Rae Selling Berry. Almost totally deaf by the time she was an adult, Rae was an excellent lip reader, and many suspect her deafness helped her attune to plants. In the early 1900s, Rae started a new hobby: gardening. Like many gardeners, Rae began gardening with a few pots on her front porch. It wasn't long before Rae was collecting and growing rare plants - not only on her homeplace - but also on two vacant lots she rented next door. After subscribing to many English garden magazines, Rae ordered her plants and seeds from the world's best nurseries. She also subscribed to exotic plant explorations so that she could get seeds from the top explorers like George Forrest, Frank Kingdon-Ward, and Joseph Rock. Rae wanted the latest and greatest plants - and once she got them, she mastered growing them. In addition to Rhododendrons, Rae had a weakness for Primula. During her lifetime, no one grew Primulas better than Rae Berry Seling. And to illustrate just how much Rae loved Primulas, in April 1932, Rae wrote an article for The National Horticultural Magazine where she profiled the sixty-one species she grew in her gardens - the article was understatedly titled Primulas in My Garden. In 1938, Rae and her husband bought a new property in Lake Oswego, Oregon. The location of the property along a great ridge offered a number of microclimates and growing conditions. Best of all, Rae's new place included water - springs and small rivers, as well as a marsh and a wetland. Each of these features offered unique advantages as Rae picked locations to situate her incredible rare plants. Now it's often said of Rae that she was in tune with the most finicky of plants. She had an uncanny ability to understand the needs of her various plant specimens, and she put those needs ahead of design aesthetics. Her incredible Rhododendron collection grew happily in simple raised frames behind her house. And in the spring, visitors to her garden were in awe of her beds featuring great masses of blooming rhododendrons. In the 1950s, Rae received a single corm of the Chilean blue crocus (Tecophilaea cyanocrocus "tee-KO-fy-LEE-ah sy-ANN-oh-cro-cus"). Native to the Andes in Chile, this blue crocus is exceptionally rare to see in cultivation… unless you were Rae Berry. Apparently, there was one memorable spring, when seventy-five Chilean blue crocus bloomed in Rae's garden. Can you imagine? It was Rae Selling Berry who said: "You don't tell a plant where to grow; it will tell you." Unearthed Words I enjoy patterns, man-made and natural, and as soon as I start looking around me, they are everywhere. The countryside in winter has tree skeletons silhouetted against the sky — trees without leaves. One day their background is dark grey, another it is clear blue, but there is always a natural pattern of trunk and branches, a lesson in symmetry with variations. As the snow slowly melts, man-made patterns, still filled with snow, scar the fields where the wheel marks of tractors crossed the newly sown corn last autumn, sometimes straight, sometimes following the line of the walls or hedgerows. — Rosemary Verey, gardener and garden writer, A Countrywoman's Year, January Grow That Garden Library American Grown by Michelle Obama This book came out in 2012, and the subtitle is The Story of the White House Kitchen Garden and Gardens Across America. In this book, we are reminded of the wonderful kitchen garden that Michelle Obama planted on the White House's South Lawn in April of 2009. This book takes us inside the White House Kitchen Garden - from planning and planting to the final harvest. You'll learn about Michelle's worries and joys as a new gardener. Best of all, you'll get a behind-the-scenes look at the garden along with the recipes created by White House chefs. Finally, if you have an interest in putting together a school or community garden, there are plenty of tips. There are many inspiring stories of gardens from across the country, including the Houston office workers who make the sidewalk bloom; a New York City School that created a scented garden for the visually impaired; a North Carolina garden that devotes its entire harvest to those in need; and other stories of communities that are transforming the lives and health of their citizens. This book is 272 pages of gardening that stretches from the recent gardening history of the White House to the great gardening going on in communities across America. You can get a copy of American Grown by Michelle Obama and support the show using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for around $3 Today's Botanic Spark Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart January 21, 2001 Today is National Squirrel Appreciation Day, which was founded in 2001 by Christy Hargrove, a wildlife rehabilitator in Asheville, North Carolina. Christy created the special day to acknowledge that food sources for squirrels are scarce in mid-winter. Gardeners are generally of two minds when it comes to squirrels. They either don't mind them, or they really dislike them. Thanks to their tremendous athleticism, Squirrels are a challenging pest in the garden. For instance, it may seem impossible, but squirrels have a 5-foot vertical. Nowadays, their ability to leap is well-documented on YouTube. Squirrels are also excellent sprinters and swimmers. And they are zigzag masters when they run - a wicked skill that helps them evade predators. A squirrel nest is called a drey. Squirrels make their nests with leaves, and the mother lines the inside of the drey with grass. Now, as squirrels bury acorns and other seeds, they either sometimes forget or simply don't return to some of their buried food. But, lucky for squirrels, they can smell an acorn buried in the ground beneath a foot of snow. As gardeners, we should remember that squirrels perform an essential job for trees. They help the forest renew itself by caching seeds and burying them. In fact, the job that squirrels do in caching seeds is absolutely critical to some trees' survival. Thanks for listening to The Daily Gardener. And remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."
Today we celebrate the pardoned outlaw who donated the land for the Oxford Botanic Garden. We'll also learn about Carl Jr. - Linnaeus's son - Linnaeus filius, who surely felt some pressure growing up in his father's shadow. We'll hear one of my favorite letters from the garden writer Elizabeth Lawrence. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a delightful book of hope and grace for gardeners and for anyone - an excellent book for 2021. And then we'll wrap things up with the story of the first female botanist in America. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart To listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to "Play the latest episode of The Daily Gardener Podcast." And she will. It's just that easy. The Daily Gardener Friday Newsletter Sign up for the FREE Friday Newsletter featuring:
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 Jobs for January | Adventures in Horticulture | Lou Nicholls Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and original blog posts for yourself, you're in luck. I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. So, there's no need to take notes or search for links. The next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community where you'd search for a friend... and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events January 20, 1643 Today is the anniversary of the death of Henry Danvers, the 1st Earl of Danby. In 1621, Henry founded the Oxford Botanic Garden, but planting didn't start until the 1640s As a young man, Henry was an English soldier who was outlawed after killing a rival family's son. The Danvers and the Longs had feuded for generations. Along with his brother and a few friends, Henry ambushed Henry Long as he was dining at a tavern. And that's when Henry Danvers shot and killed Henry Long and became an outlaw. After the shooting, Henry and his gang fled to France, where they honorably served in the French army. Four years later, the King of France interceded on the men's behalf and secured a pardon for them. After returning to England, Henry regained favor for his service and ultimately became a Knight of the Garter and the lifelong governor of Guernsey's isle. Henry never married, but he created a lasting legacy for himself when he donated five acres of land to the University of Oxford. Henry had the flood-prone land along the river raised and enclosed with a high wall. The massive stone gateway to the garden was designed by a peer and friend to Inigo Jones, a master mason named Nicholas Stone. The Danby gateway is inscribed: Gloriae Dei opt. max. Honori Caroli Regis. In usum Acad. et Reipub. and the frieze inscription is Henricus Comes Danby D.D. 1632 - or "In honor of King Charles, for academic use and the general welfare by the Earl of Danby 1632." January 20, 1741 Today is the birthday of the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus the Younger, the son of the great Carl Linnaeus or Carl von Linné. To distinguish him from his famous father, he was referred to as Linnaeus filius, Latin for Linnaeus, the son. For botanical purposes, he is referred to with the abbreviation L.f. for Linnaeus filius. Carl Linneaus learned of his son's birth while he was away in Stockholm. He wrote a letter straight away to his wife Sara Lisa, saying: "How excited I was when I received the news I had been longing for… I kiss the gracious hand of God ... that we have been blessed with a son. Take care to avoid changes of temperature and draughts, for carelessness of that sort might harm you. I remain, my dearest wife, your faithful husband, Carl Linnaeus Greetings to my little Carl." When he was just nine years old, Linnaeus filius enrolled at the University of Uppsala and taught by great botanists like Pehr Löfling, Daniel Solander, and Johan Peter Falk. Eleven years later, Linnaeus filius backfilled his father's position as the chair of Practical Medicine at the University. Unfortunately, Linnaeus filius was resented by his peers after favoritism played a role in the promotion. At the tender age of 22, Linnaeus filius got the job without applying or defending a thesis. Twenty years later, Linnaeus filius was in the middle of a two-year-long expedition through Europe. When he reached London, Linnaeus filius became ill and died from a stroke. He was just 42 years old. Unearthed Words January 20, 1945 ... I can't imagine anything worse than a square of dogwoods back of the house. I thought your idea was that you wanted to clear that all out (except for the serviceberry, which is to one side) so you could look out of the kitchen window and up the mountainside instead of being hemmed in? If you want to put dogwoods there, I would suggest putting them to the left side (as you look up the mountainside) in a group near the fence. And not so as to hide the prettiest view of the woods, to frame it if possible. If you keep the apple tree, you might have a seat under it. ... I don't know what you mean by spider lilies, but I am sure that you won't hurt whatever they are if you take a big ball of earth and do not disturb the roots. The point is not to break them when they are growing. I feel sure that white pines will be the best and quickest screen for the pigsty. ... If you order any, be sure to have your holes all dug before they come. Dig three feet deep and four in diameter, and fill in with woods mold, and put a good mulch of leaves over it, and if you have it where you can water, I think everyone would grow soon and make a screen. Be sure to write to me before you do anything drastic. ... Bessie and I took a salad and a pan of rolls and went to have supper with your family last night. We had Blanche's walnuts for dessert. And Robert and I made Cleopatras, not so good, somehow, as the ones at Christmas. I must put the puppy to bed before he chews up all the files of Gardening Illustrated. — Elizabeth Lawrence, gardener and garden writer, letter to her sister Ann, January 20, 1945 Grow That Garden Library All Along You Were Blooming by Morgan Harper Nichols This book came out in 2020, and the subtitle is Thoughts for Boundless Living. I fell in love with this book when I saw the beautiful cover that features botanical art. With over a million followers on Instagram, Morgan's fans love her beautiful artwork and inspiring thoughts about life. This book is a fabulous collection of illustrated poetry and prose that helps you "stumble into the sunlight" and bask in the joy that is all around you. All Along You Were Blooming is a perfect gift for any occasion. This book is 192 pages of grace and hope, and artistic beauty. You can get a copy of All Along You Were Blooming by Morgan Harper Nichols and support the show using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for around $11 Today's Botanic Spark Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart January 20, 1756 On this day, Peter Collinson wrote to John Bartram about Jane Colden. "Our friend, Colden's daughter, has… sent over several sheets of plants, very curiously anatomized after [Linnaeus's] method. I believe she is the first lady that has attempted anything of this nature." Peter Collinson was one of the first botanical experts to recognize Jane Colden as the first female botanist in America. Like our modern-day plant swaps, Jane took part in something called the Natural History Circle - an event where American colonists and European collectors exchanged seeds and plants. Jane's father was the Scottish-American physician, botanist, and Lieutenant Governor of New York, Cadwallader Colden (CAD-wah-LIDDER). Aside from his political endeavors, Cadwallader enjoyed botany and practiced the new Linnaean system. A proud dad, Cadwallader wrote to his friend Jan Gronovius, "I (have) often thought that botany is an amusement which may be made greater to the ladies who are often at a loss to fill up their time… Their natural curiosity and the pleasure they take in the beauty… seems to fit it for them (far more than men). The chief reason that few or none of them have applied themselves to (it)… is because all the books of any value are (written) in Latin. I have a daughter (with) an inclination... for natural philosophy or history… I took the pains to explain to her Linnaeus's system and put it in English for her to use - by freeing it from the technical terms, which was easily done by using two or three words in the place of one. She is now grown very fond of the study… she now understands to some degree Linnaeus's characters [even though] she does not understand Latin. She has already (written) a pretty large volume in writing of the description of plants." Cadwallader gave Jane access to his impressive botanical library; he even shared his personal correspondence with her and allowed her to interact with the many botanists who visited the family's estate. In 1754 at Coldenham, when Jane was 30 years old, she met a young William Bartram who was less than half her age at just 14 years old. She also met with the Charleston plantsman Alexander Garden who was only 24 years old. In 1758, Walter Rutherford wrote to a friend after visiting the Colden home, Coldingham, and he described Cadwallader, his house, and his 34-year-old daughter Jane this way: "We made an excursion to Coldingham... From the middle of the woods, this family corresponds with all the learned societies in Europe…. his daughter Jenny is a florist and a botanist. She has discovered a great number of plants never before described and has given their properties and virtues [in her descriptions].... and she draws and colors them with great beauty… She (also) makes the best cheese I ever ate in America." Today the genus Coldenia in the borage family is named after Jane's father, Cadwallader Colden. After Jane discovered a new plant, the Coptis trifolia, she asked Linneaus to name it in her honor Coldenella - but he refused. With the common name Threeleaf Goldthread, Coptis trifolia is a woodland perennial plant in the buttercup family with glossy evergreen leaves. The long golden-yellow underground stem gives the plant the Goldthread part of its common name. Native Americans used to dig up the yellow stem and chew on it as a canker sore remedy, which is how it got its other common name: canker-root. Thanks for listening to The Daily Gardener. And remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."
Today we celebrate the self-taught botanist who saved the San Francisco herbarium. We'll also learn about the woman who helped describe the flora of Yosemite. We'll hear a little passage about the magic of light. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a magnificent new book by a modern plant master: Dan Hinckley. And then we'll wrap things up with a sudsy State Flower found in New Mexico. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart To listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to "Play the latest episode of The Daily Gardener Podcast." And she will. It's just that easy. The Daily Gardener Friday Newsletter Sign up for the FREE Friday Newsletter featuring:
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 3 Gorgeous Ways to Group Containers Together for a Lush Patio Garden | Better Homes & Gardens | Andrea Beck Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and original blog posts for yourself, you're in luck. I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. So, there's no need to take notes or search for links. The next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community where you'd search for a friend... and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events January 19, 1859 Today is the birthday of one of our botanical greats: Alice Eastwood. A self-taught botanist, Alice is remembered for saving almost 1500 specimens from a burning building following the San Francisco earthquake in 1906. Afterward, Alice wrote about the specimens that didn't make it: "I do not feel the loss to be mine, but it is a great loss to the scientific world and an irreparable loss to California. My own destroyed work I do not lament, for it was a joy to me while I did it, and I can still have the same joy in starting it again." An account of Alice's heroics was recorded by Carola DeRooy, who wrote : "On the day of the 1906 earthquake, Alice Eastwood, curator of Botany at the California Academy of Sciences, rushed straight into the ruins of downtown San Francisco as a firestorm swept toward her beloved Academy building. Arriving to find the stone steps dangerously crumbled, she and a friend nevertheless climbed the metal spiral staircase to the 6th floor with a single-minded mission: to rescue what she could of the largest botanical collection in the Western United States, her life's work. Eastwood saved 1,497 plant type specimens from the Academy but lost the remainder of the collections to the all-consuming fire. Just three days later, she joined Geologist GK Gilbert to inspect a fault trace resulting from the earthquake, north of Olema, within what is now the Point Reyes National Seashore." That moment with Gilbert at the fault line was memorialized forever in a captivating photo featuring Alice standing next to the fault line's surface ruption. Alice was 47 years old when the quake hit in 1906. After the fire, Alice set her mind to rebuilding the herbarium, and over the next four decades, she collected over 300,000 specimens. Alice retired as the curator at the age of 90. Alice was the protégée of the botanist Kate Brandegee. Dale Debakcsy created a poignant article about Alice in 2018, and he ended it this way: "In 1959, the California Academy of Sciences unveiled the Eastwood Hall of Botany, which is very nice, but I think the most fitting tribute is the naming of the Eastwoodia elegans. There is only one species in the Eastwoodia genus, and it is a sunflower, and both of those facts match so well with everything we know of Alice Eastwood that nothing more need be said." January 19, 1880 Today is the birthday of the American suffragist, fern collector, botanist, professor, and author Carlotta Case Hall. Carlotta studied botany at the University of California, Berkeley, which is how she met her husband, the botanist and professor Harvey Monroe Hall. Later, Carlotta herself became an assistant professor of botany at Berkeley. Carlotta had a passion for collecting ferns, and she wrote about them as well. Today, Carlotta is remembered in the handy little illustrated guidebook on Yosemite that she co-wrote with her husband, Harvey. The pocket-sized botanical guidebook featuring over 900 species of plants was called A Yosemite Flora: A Descriptive Account of the Ferns and Flowering Plants, Including the Trees, of the Yosemite National Park; With Simple Keys for Their Identification; Designed to be Useful Throughout the Sierra Nevada Mountains. A 1912 Book Review said this: "For the lover of the great outdoors who combines with his love of wandering a fondness for botanical research, this little book will prove a heydey companion. The book is bound in flexible sheep and is just the right size for pocket use." Today, a beautiful light green California fern, the tufted lace fern or Carlotta Hall's lace fern (Aspidotis carlotta-halliae), is named in Carlotta's honor. Unearthed Words In my climate, the hours of daylight are few, the number of sunny hours even fewer. We trudge through the gloom day after day, all through January and February. But when the sun does shine, it carries a magnificence, unlike any other time. Perhaps our gratitude for light makes it so, but I think not. — Marjorie Harris, In the Garden, The Magic of Light Grow That Garden Library Windcliff by Daniel J. Hinkley This book came out in 2020, and the subtitle is A Story of People, Plants, and Gardens. In this book, we learn about Windcliff - one of two magnificent gardens created by the plantsman, nurseryman, and plant hunter Dan Hinkley. (Dan also created Heronswood.) "These iconic gardens, and the story of how one gave rise to the other, are celebrated in Hinkley's deeply personal Windcliff. In a lively style that mingles audacious opinions on garden design with cautionary tales of planting missteps, Hinkley shares his infectious passion for plants." In these pages, you will love hearing about how Dan created Windcliff, from the exceptional plants he selected to his pragmatic garden advice. This book is 280 pages of creating a garden with a modern master who loves plants and is delighted to share his stunning garden with us. You can get a copy of Windcliff by Daniel J. Hinkley and support the show using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for around $20 Today's Botanic Spark Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart January 19, 1925 On this day, The Santa Fe New Mexican published an article called "Yucca too Much" Like a Soap Ad; Wants Cosmos For State Flower. The article featured the opinion of a woman who said, "I object to the yucca as [the State Flower] and want to correct the statement that the school children chose it because they really chose the cactus. Personally, I suggest the cosmos, now grown all over America because years ago, an old Spanish family In Albuquerque brought some seed from Spain, which was afterward sent east, propagated, and distributed all over the country. The cosmos grows everywhere in New Mexico, profusely and so far as I know has [not] been appropriated as a state flower by [any] other states." Today the New Mexico State Flower remains the Yucca Flower. As hardy plants that thrive under trying conditions, Yuccas are a common sight across the lower elevations in New Mexico. The Soaptree Yucca (Yucca elata) is the most prevalent. A member of the Agavaceae ("Ah-gah-VAY-see-ee") Family, Yuccas are commonly known as Spanish bayonet, Adam's-needle, and soapweed. A valuable plant to many native tribes of the American Southwest, all parts of the Yucca plant were used. The pointy, sharp leaves were stripped into fibers for weaving. The Apaches enjoyed eating the edible flower stalks and blooms. Most of all, the Yucca root contains the compound saponin and is a natural source of soap. In addition to the yucca, there are several saponins or "soap plants" like the Horse Chestnut, the Soap Lily, the Soapwort, and the fruit of the Buffaloberry. The New Mexico State Legislature passed legislation making the yucca the official State Flower on March 14, 1927. Thanks for listening to The Daily Gardener. And remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."
Today we celebrate the man who bought a forested property and wrote Winnie the Pooh. We'll also learn about the poet who found fame and then gardening on a grand scale. We'll hear some wonderful words about thistles. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a behind-the-scenes look at one of the World's top gardens. And then we'll wrap things up with the bizarre story of the Maple image that was used on Canadian currency. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart To listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to "Play the latest episode of The Daily Gardener Podcast." And she will. It's just that easy. The Daily Gardener Friday Newsletter Sign up for the FREE Friday Newsletter featuring:
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 Garden Short Cuts? No thanks | The Guardian | James Wong Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and original blog posts for yourself, you're in luck. I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. So, there's no need to take notes or search for links. The next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community where you'd search for a friend... and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events January 18, 1882 Today is the birthday of the English author, best known for his books about a teddy bear named Winnie-the-Pooh, Alan Alexander Milne. In 2015 the garden historian Kathryn Aalto wrote a book that explored the iconic landscape around Alan's second home, Cotchford Farm in England. Surrounded by fields and Ashdown forest, Cotchford was the perfect place for Alan's young son, Christopher Robin, to spend weekends and holidays and imagine adventures with his favorite toys Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, Eeyore, Kanga, and Roo. As an adult, Christopher later described it this way: "So there we were - in 1925 - with a cottage, a little bit of garden, a lot of jungle, two fields, a river, and then all the green, hilly countryside beyond, meadows and woods, waiting to be explored..." Finding inspiration at every turn, the group of pine trees on the other side of the main road became the fabled Six Pine Trees, and the bridge became Pooh-sticks Bridge. The trees of Ashdown forest played an important role in the Winnie-the-Pooh series. A Beech (Fagus) tree was Piglet's house. Owl's house was one of Christopher Robin's favorite trees because he could walk on one of the limbs (in the story, it said that it had its "elbow on the ground") An Alder (Alnus glutinosa) tree shaded poor Eeyore, as Pooh sat nearby on a rock. Although he lived in a large, old walnut tree, Pooh's favorite tree was naturally the "Bee Tree," the source for his precious honey. Finally, Piglet and Pooh followed the tracks of a Woozle through a thicket of Larch (Larix "LAIR-iks") trees. Larches are conifer trees like pines because they have needles instead of leaves. However, unlike pines, Larches are not evergreen; they are deciduous. So, every autumn, the needles of larches turn yellow and fall from the branches. And Larch seeds grow in cones. And here's a little fun fact about the illustrator of Winnie-the-Pooh, Ernest Howard Shepard: he drew the trees of the forest first and added the characters last to help create the feeling of the enormity of the forest. It was Alan Alexander Milne who wrote: "Flowers give a prolonged delight to all, both in the garden and out of it, and though one can buy cut flowers, one cannot buy the happiness which they give us as they grow." And he also wrote, "Weeds are flowers too, once you get to know them." Today Ashdown Forest is a protected nature area. January 18, 1936 Today is the anniversary of the death of the English journalist, short-story writer, poet, and novelist, Rudyard Kipling. One of England's most famous writers, Rudyard, purchased a property called Bateman's in East Sussex in 1902. Rudyard called it his "good and peaceable place." From the onset, Rudyard envisioned Bateman's to be preserved in perpetuity. To help ensure his vision would become a reality, Rudyard purchased 300 acres of land surrounding the property. When Rudyard became the first English writer to win the Nobel Prize for Literature, he spent all the prize-money on his garden. The gardens at Bateman are a delight. In addition to the beautiful ornamental pond and orchard, there is a pergola, a walled mulberry garden, a walk, a rose garden, a secret door, and a sundial inscribed with the words "It's later than you think." When Rudyard was alive, his garden was a favorite for his guests and visitors. The Lily Pond was a special attraction. And we get a glimpse of Rudyard's playful side, knowing that he even had a little boat that was anchored to the edge of the pond. Rudyard built the boat for his children, and they would float around the pond on imaginary adventures. And apparently, other people had adventures in Rudyard's Lily Pond, too. If you look in the Kipling family visitor's book - after some of the names - Rudyard Kipling added the letters F.I.P. for Fell in Pool. Today, as Rudyard had hoped, Bateman's is under the care of the National Trust. In 1911 Kipling wrote his famous Garden poem called, The Glory of the Garden. Our England is a garden that is full of stately views, Of borders, beds and shrubberies and lawns and avenues, With statues on the terraces and peacocks strutting by; But the Glory of the Garden lies in more than meets the eye. For where the old thick laurels grow, along the thin red wall, You'll find the tool- and potting-sheds which are the heart of all The cold-frames and the hot-houses, the dung-pits and the tanks, The rollers, carts, and drain-pipes, with the barrows and the planks. And there you'll see the gardeners, the men, and 'prentice boys Told off to do as they are bid and do it without noise ; For, except when seeds are planted, and we shout to scare the birds, The Glory of the Garden it abideth not in words. And some can pot begonias, and some can bud a rose, And some are hardly fit to trust with anything that grows; But they can roll and trim the lawns and sift the sand and loam, For the Glory of the Garden occupieth all who come. Our England is a garden, and such gardens are not made By singing:-" Oh, how beautiful," and sitting in the shade While better men than we go out and start their working lives At grubbing weeds from gravel-paths with broken dinner-knives. There's not a pair of legs so thin, there's not a head so thick, There's not a hand so weak and white, nor yet a heart so sick But it can find some needful job that's crying to be done, For the Glory of the Garden glorifieth every one. Then seek your job with thankfulness and work till further orders, If it's only netting strawberries or killing slugs on borders; And when your back stops aching and your hands begin to harden, You will find yourself a partner In the Glory of the Garden. Oh, Adam was a gardener, and God who made him see That half a proper gardener's work is done upon his knees, So when your work is finished, you can wash your hands and pray For the Glory of the Garden that it may not pass away! And the Glory of the Garden it shall never pass away! Unearthed Words Tough and durable, defiant against aggressors: the thistle embodied qualities that the Scots saw as their own, and the flower became their national emblem. There is a well-known legend of a Viking who stood on a thistle: his cry of pain alerted sleeping Scottish clansmen just in time to hold back the attack. The Order of the Thistle, a chivalric order founded by King James VII, has a famous motto: Nemo me impune lacessit or 'No one harms me without punishment' - evoking the prickly aggressiveness of the plant. — Mandy Kirby, gardener and garden writer, A Victorian Flower Dictionary, The Thistle Grow That Garden Library A Year at Kew by Rupert Smith This book came out in 2004, and it's a great way to learn about Kew. In this book, you get the chance to see what a year is like at the real Kew Garden in England. This book offers a unique, private tour of this magnificent botanical garden. You'll get to meet the world-class experts that work at Kew's greenhouses, labs, and libraries. The monthly chapters also offer a review of the flurry activities at Kew, from what is blooming and what is getting planted to the special events and exhibitions. In addition, every month, one of the curators shares their fascinating work and career at Kew. This book is 192 pages of the behind-the-scenes programs, plants, and people of Kew and would make a wonderful gift for any gardener. You can get a copy of A Year at Kew by Rupert Smith 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 January 18, 2013 On this day, Reuters published an article about the new Canadian dollar bill. The article, by Randall Palmer, was called, Canada put "wrong" Maple leaf on new Canadian 20-dollar bill. Here's an excerpt: "Canada is known for the Sugar Maple, emblazoned on its red-and-white flag, but the Bank of Canada has put what one careful botanist says is a foreign Norway Maple leaf on its new currency. The untrained eye might not at first spot the difference between the Maple leaf on the new $20, $50, and $100 bills and the North American Sugar Maple. But it is clear to Sean Blaney, a botanist who tracks plants for the Atlantic Canada Conservation Data Center in New Brunswick. "The Maple leaf (on the currency) is the wrong species," he told Reuters on Friday. Sean said the Norway Maple has more lobes or sections and has a more pointed outline than the Sugar Maple, and the lobe that rises in the center is shorter than the Sugar Maple. The Norway Maple was imported from Europe and is now also common in North America. Sean said, "It has naturalized to Canada, but it's not the grand Sugar Maple." The Central Bank said the image on the new bills was purposefully designed not to represent any specific species but rather to be a combination of various kinds. "It is not a Norway Maple leaf. It is a stylized Maple leaf, and it is what it ought to be," said Bank of Canada currency spokesman Julie Girard. She said the banknote designers created the image with the help of a dendrologist, a botanist who specializes in trees and shrubs. Blaney is not buying the explanation. "I think it's just an after-the-fact excuse," he said. "That may have been their intention, to not have it be a specific species of Maple, but they should have drawn it differently if that were the case because the Maple that they've drawn is quite clearly a Norway Maple." Thanks for listening to The Daily Gardener. And remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."
Today we celebrate living virtually - we can tour one of the world's greatest museums - which opened on this day in 1759. We'll also learn about a man who endeared himself to his countrymen when he published a book about the plant life found within sixteen miles of his hometown. We'll hear some thoughts on identifying wildlife in the winter garden. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a beautiful book that's full of incredible wisdom from a seasoned gardener and stylist. And then we'll wrap things up with the story of the woman who wrote about her garden and called herself the commuter's wife. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart To listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to "Play the latest episode of The Daily Gardener Podcast." And she will. It's just that easy. The Daily Gardener Friday Newsletter Sign up for the FREE Friday Newsletter featuring: A personal update from me Garden-related items for your calendar The Grow That Garden Library™ featured books for the week Gardener gift ideas Garden-inspired recipes Exclusive updates regarding the show Plus, each week, one lucky subscriber wins a book from the Grow That Garden Library™ bookshelf. Gardener Greetings Send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes, and so forth to Jennifer@theDailyGardener.org Curated News How to Grow and Care for Spirea Shrubs | The Spruce | Les Engels Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and original blog posts for yourself, you're in luck. I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. So, there's no need to take notes or search for links. The next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community where you'd search for a friend... and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events January 15, 1759 On this day, the British Museum opened. The British Museum was founded in 1753 when Sir Hans Hans left his entire collection to the country of England. At first glance, a personal collection doesn't sound worthy of starting a museum. But over his lifetime, Hans ended up becoming a one-person repository for all things relating to the natural world. Hans outlived many of the explorers and collectors of his day, and as they would die, they would bequeath him their herbariums and collections. So when Hans passed away, he practically had become the caretaker of the world's Natural History, aka the British Museum. Today the British Museum is the largest indoor space captured by Google Street View. Google mapped the museum in November of 2015, and so it's now available online to all of us. So, today if someone asks you what you're doing, you can say, "I'm going to tour the British Museum. What are you up to?" January 15, 1786 Today is the birthday of the British shoemaker and amateur botanist Richard Buxton. Born into poverty in Lancashire, as a young boy, Richard enjoyed picking his favorite wildflowers: Germander Speedwell, Creeping Tormentil or Cinquefoil, and Common Chickweed. Now, although it has pretty deep blue flowers, I think it's a little funny that Richard picked Germander Speedwell (Veronica chamaedrys "kam-EE-driss") because the blossoms wilt quickly after picking or cutting them - which is how it got the ironic common name "Männertreu" in Germany. "Männertreu" means "men's faithfulness." As for Creeping Tormentil or Cinquefoil (Potentilla reptans) - today, that plant is considered a lawn weed. And a clue to the medicinal power of this invasive plant is its name: Potentilla, which means "powerful, despite its small size." Finally, all species of Chickweed are in the genus Stellaria. And, the adorable little chickweed blossoms resemble carnations, which makes sense because chickweed is actually a member of the carnation family, Caryophyllaceae ("kair-ee-off-il-AYE-see-ee"). And before we get back to Richard's story, there's another great thing to know about Chickweed: it's a great plant to eat. I think of it as a spinach substitute. Nutritious and delicious, you can eat Chickweed leaves raw or in a sandwich or salad. The mild flavor is delightful - and if you're wondering what it tastes like, it's often compared to corn silk. As for Richard, he was industrious, and he taught himself to read when he was 16. Richard accomplished this herculean task with two books: The Common Spelling Book and Jones Pronouncing Dictionary. And by the age of 18, Richard became an apprentice to a shoemaker and an amateur botanist named James Heap. Together, James and Richard would botanize the countryside - looking for herbs to make drinks. After realizing a reference book would help with their foraging, Richard bought a copy of Culpeper's Complete Herbal. And when Culpepper wasn't practical enough or accurate, Richard purchased Meyrick's Herbal. For Richard, both of these books both started a lifelong pursuit for botanical knowledge. As a gardener, if you struggle with taking cuttings from your garden, you'll identify with Richard. Although most botanists collect specimens and then dry and mount them, Richard couldn't bear to cut the specimens he found in nature. Instead, Richard made all of his botanical discoveries by observing living plants and taking notes. In 1849, when Richard was 62, he endeared himself to his countrymen when he published a book called A Botanical Guide to the Flowering Plants, Ferns, Mosses, and Algae, Found Indigenous Within Sixteen Miles of Manchester. Richard's obituary in The Preston Chronicle and Lancashire Advertiser said: "This extraordinary self-taught man died at his residence… after a very short illness, in the 81st year of his age. It is now nearly twenty years since Mr. Buxton, then a maker of children's shoes wrote his "Botanical Guide." In that book, in an exciting account of himself, Richard said, "I have now reached the age of 62 years, and although by no means robust, I can yet make a ramble of thirty miles a day, and enjoy the beauties of nature with as much zest as ever I did in my life. True, the pursuit of botany has not yielded me much money, but what, in my opinion, is far better, it has preserved my health, if not my life, and afforded me a fair share of happiness." Mr. Buxton was probably the best British botanist... that Lancashire has produced, and he has been called by one of the most eminent living authorities, " a complete dictionary of English botany." Richard was a pauper all of his life. As he grew older, Richard's friends and fellow naturalists encouraged the community to help Richard by buying his book. And the geologist Edward William Binney set up a fund for Richard and ultimately ended up paying for Richard's tombstone when he died at the age of 81. And in 1914, The Guardian shared that members of a Manchester nature club were going to try to ascertain how many of the 40 plants mentioned by Buxton still existed. There was no word on the results of that endeavor. Unearthed Words The first thing I noticed as I watched my own boots sink below the blue-shadowed surface were the footprints of many other occupants of the garden. The mallard duck had left their heavy, plodding trails before flying off, hopefully, to someplace where the water is not totally frozen over - probably to the salt marshes which are not far away. The large webless prints of moorhens, setting off in determined straight lines, were everywhere. Blackbirds, thrushes, robins, and jackdaws were evident in a confused jumble of prints all around the house and buildings. I wish I could identify more of the strange little footmarks to be found in the snow. However, it is not difficult to recognize rabbits' long feet, crisscrossing an area we call 'The Wilderness,' my last two acres of uncultivated land, which is wired off from the garden with rabbit-proof netting. Here too, I saw the prints of a fox together with a continuous hollow scraped in the soft snow. It was easy to imagine him dragging his kill back to some hideaway. Wingbeats of alighting birds were left imprinted as blue-shadowed fans on the glittering whiteness. — Beth Chatto, garden writer and gardener, Beth Chatto's Garden Notebook, January Grow That Garden Library A Year at Brandywine Cottage by David Culp This book came out in 2020, and the subtitle is Six Seasons of Beauty, Bounty, and Blooms. In this book, David Culp shares a year of life at his Brandywine Cottage and generously shares how to enrich your life with the natural world - even if it's just your own backyard. David's book is organized seasonally and offers a smorgasbord of flower gardening, veggie and herb growing, floral arranging, and cooking with home-grown produce. David provides monthly tips and advice to help you experience year-round success and joy. Best of all, David's shared wisdom is practical and creative - and all are gems of conciseness and are based on his 30 years of experience. This book is 296 pages of David Culp's extraordinary life - in and out of the garden - at Brandywine Cottage. It's an inspiring read for gardeners and anyone who finds the natural world an enriching and joyful part of life. You can get a copy of A Year at Brandywine Cottage by David Culp and support the show using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for around $13. Today's Botanic Spark Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart January 15, 1906 On this day, The Nashville Banner ran a story about revealing a prolific author and nature lover's true identity. It said: "The authorship of the popular book... The Garden of a Commuter's Wife... has been as jealously guarded in this country. It can be positively stated, however, that the book [was] written by Mable Osgood Wright. Her authorship will be ...announced by the Macmillan Company on the publication of a new book in the series The Garden, You and I." A New Yorker, Mabel Osgood Wright, was a leader of the Audobon movement, a photographer, a conservationist, a native plant advocate, and an American author who wrote about gardens, nature, and birds. A nature writer, Mabel started out by submitting pieces to The New York Times and other newspapers. A decade later, she collected her articles and put them in a book called The Friendship of Nature. After her first book, Mabel produced a brand new book every single year until 1911. Some of her more famous works include Birdcraft, which came out in 1895, and Flowers and Ferns in Their Haunts, released in 1901. Mabel had a gift for writing about nature and natural sciences in a way that was relatable and struck a chord with her readers. As a talented photographer, Mabel took most of the photographs for her books. As indicated in the newspaper article above, Mabel published her best-selling book The Garden of a Commuter's Wife (1901) and its sequels, under the pseudonym "Barbara." In Mabel's book The Garden of a Commuter's Wife, the gardener was Mabel, and the Commuter was her husband, James. Mabel dedicated her book and her garden to him. Mabel was opposed to the massacre of birds to decorate women's hats. In Connecticut, Mabel created the first private bird sanctuary in the country. The sanctuary, Birdcraft, was Mabel's design. Today the six-acre Birdcraft Sanctuary is open daily, year-round, from dawn to dusk. And Mabel's beautiful Connecticut country home and garden gave her plenty of material for her books. It was Mabel Osgood Wright who said: "Let everyone who makes garden plans frequently insert the letters C.P. after them as a reminder... for Climate Permitting." Thanks for listening to The Daily Gardener. And remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."
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