Stay ConnectedThe Daily Gardener is a weekday podcast celebrating garden history, literature, and the small botanical stories that shape how we garden today.
Each episode follows an “on this day” format, uncovering the people, plants, books, and moments that have quietly influenced gardens across time.
New episodes are released Monday through Friday, and each show features a thoughtfully chosen garden book.
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Today we celebrate one of my favorite botanical painters. We'll also learn about a botanist who was one of the first female plant pathologists. We'll hear some thoughts on the humble dandelion. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a fun fiction book that incorporates masterful recipes, mystery, secrets, conflict, and the garden. And then we'll wrap things up with a story about a beloved Louisiana garden expert. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart To listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to "Play the latest episode of The Daily Gardener Podcast." And she will. It's just that easy. The Daily Gardener Friday Newsletter Sign up for the FREE Friday Newsletter featuring:
Plus, each week, one lucky subscriber wins a book from the Grow That Garden Library™ bookshelf. Gardener Greetings Send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes, and so forth to Jennifer@theDailyGardener.org Curated News The Transformation of a Yorkshire Garden | House & Garden | Caroline Beck Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and original blog posts for yourself, you're in luck. I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. So, there's no need to take notes or search for links. The next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community where you'd search for a friend... and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events January 14, 1825 On this day, King Charles X honored the Belgian botanical illustrator Pierre-Joseph Redouté with the Legion of Honor. Redouté was born into a Flemish family of painters. His family made a living by creating paintings for the home and for the church. Today, Redouté is one of the most renowned flower painters of all time - he's a personal favorite of mine. And I love the stories about Redouté. One time when he was serving as an official royal draftsman, Redouté was summoned to appear before Queen Marie Antoinette. I like to imagine the excitement this caused - especially since the Queen sent her request around midnight. When Redouté appeared, the Queen asked him to paint her a cactus. She was exerting her control; Redouté needed to prove that the reports of his talent were real. He passed the test. Redouté was also a favorite of Josephine Bonaparte. In fact, Redouté's paintings of Josephine's flowers at Malmaison are among his most beautiful works. And Redouté's work earned him a nickname; the Raffaele of flowers. Today, Redouté is best known for his paintings of lilies and roses (roses were his specialty). Now, if you'd like to really treat yourself or get a special gift for a gardener in your life, you should check out the book by Werner Dressendorfer called Redouté: Selection of the Most Beautiful Flowers. This large coffee table book was released in September of 2018. As one of the most beautiful books I've ever seen, Dressendorfer's book features 144 paintings by Redouté that were published between 1827 and 1833. And I must confess that this gorgeous book is one of my favorite books in my Botanical Library. Now when this book first came out, it retailed for $150. Last year, after mulling it over for a long time - mainly because of the price, I got myself an excellent used copy for $65. Today new and used copies of Redouté: Selection of the Most Beautiful Flowers by Werner Dressendorfer are being sold on Amazon for between $350 and $900. January 14, 1865 Today is the anniversary of the death of the Belgian botanist, mycologist, and one of the first women plant pathologists, Marie-Anne Libert. Born in 1782, Marie-Anne was the twelfth of thirteen children in her middle-class family. Her parents immediately recognized her intellect, and they sent her to school in Germany when she was 11 years old. In addition to her general love of learning, Marie-Anne was fascinated by the natural world. So, Marie-Anne began botanizing, and she learned to classify her own specimens. Since most references available to her were written in Latin, Marie-Anne mastered Latin - all on her own. Now, Marie-Anne specialized in cryptograms - plants with no true flowers or seeds like ferns, mosses, liverworts, lichens, algae, and fungi ("fun-GUY"). And it was Marie-Anne's maniacal focus on cryptograms that paved the way for her to meet with top botanists of her day like Alexander Lejeune and Augustin Pyramis de Candolle. Today Marie-Anne Libert is remembered as the botanist who first identified the cause of "late blight" in potatoes. Thirty years later, Anton de Bary would continue where Marie-Anne left off - when he proved that potato blight - or late blight disease - is caused by a fungus-like organism that spreads rapidly in warm, humid weather. Blight can show up in the foliage of potatoes and outdoor tomatoes, and it will eventually cause the breakdown of the entire plant - including the potatoes and tomatoes. Informed gardeners can prevent late blight by strategically planting potatoes in a breezy spot - leaving plenty of space between plants. Potato plants can also be treated with a fungicide to ward off blight. As with tomatoes, it's important to rotate crops to prevent the build-up of the disease in the soil. Unearthed Words To many homeowners, the dandelion is little more than a prolific, pesky weed. However, this abundant yellow-flowering plant provides not only beauty but also food, drink, medicine, and even inspiration for poetry. Perhaps no one has praised the dandelion better than Wallace Nutting, the noted turn-of-the-century photographer and author. "The dandelion is the greatest natural agent of decoration in our part of America," he wrote in Connecticut Beautiful in 1923. "In some fields, it is so abundant that there is no more than enough grass visible to give it a setting... It is so thoroughly at home that we feel it to be the most prominent and persistent native American, whatever its origin. Coming as it does in the early spring, it clothes an entire landscape with its gorgeous color and rejoices the heart of man... It is our tulip in the grass." Among our thousands of species of wildflowers, the common dandelion may be the most common; probably, its only close competitor is the common chickweed. Not only are its numbers great, but its flowering season is one of the longest of any of our plants. I have seen plants blooming in every month of the year in Connecticut, though finding one in January or February is rare. — Jack Sanders, Hedgemaids and Fairy Candles, Common Dandelion Grow That Garden Library A Taste for Nightshade by Martine Bailey This book came out in 2016, and this is a fiction book. In this book, Martine writes a thrilling historical novel set in Manchester in 1787. The book incorporates recipes, mystery, secrets, and conflict between two naïve young women named Grace and Mary. This book was Martine's second book titled after a garden flower - her debut novel was the culinary-themed An Appetite for Violets. When Martine isn't writing books, she's an amateur cook who won the Merchant Gourmet Recipe Challenge and was a former Dessert Champion. Hence, the recipes in her books are amazing and a tasty treat to accompany her historical research. This book is 464 pages of revenge, rogues, recipes, and riveting plot points. You can get a copy of A Taste for Nightshade by Martine Bailey 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 14, 2001 On this day, The Times out of Shreveport, Louisiana, published a story by Margaret Martin about garden expert Joe White: "Northwest Louisiana gardeners call Joe White when they had a question. Want to know about pests, soil, or dying plants? Joe is only a phone call away... for a few more weeks. Joe is retiring. Joe has been an area agent… for the LSU Agricultural Center/Extension Service since 1972. It was two days after high school graduation when Joe decided what he wanted to do with his life. Joe said, "I enjoyed very much working with plants. It occurred to me early on that horticulture had a way of touching everybody's life." Joe was fresh from an LSU-Baton Rouge Ph.D. horticulture program when his job was created at the request of the city of Shreveport, and he was hired. He holds a B.S. in agricultural science from Tennessee Tech University and an M.S. in horticulture from the University of Tennessee. The area was lucky to get him. "His knowledge of horticulture is just astounding," said Dan Gill, with whom he co-wrote Louisiana Gardener's Guide. "He makes me chuckle. I can't remember a conversation I've had with him that I haven't chuckled." Joe founded a Cooperative Extension newsletter that he still edits called Pickles, Peaches, and Pansies. Joe educates through the Master Gardeners Program and Barnwell Horticultural Programs. When Joe first arrived, he received from 12,000 to 14,000 calls a year and visited homes and farms to help with soil problems and identify plants and their problems. Media work diminished the calls to 5,000 to 6,000 a year. Joe's biggest challenge? He chuckled and said: "The one thing and this is crazy, but the one thing I seem unable to convince people to do is plant strawberries in the fall rather than in the spring! I've been harping on this for 28 years, and people still insist on planting them in the spring." How has horticulture and gardening changed in 28 years? "More and more people can afford mechanical things like tillers... We learned more about fertilizers. We now have the slow-release types. In the case of native plants, people are searching for plant materials without having to protect from pests by using chemicals. And I think people are more diet conscious, and herbs are an alternative." His best advice to novice gardeners: "Get good sound information from a reliable source. Follow guidelines for cultural practices for planting and use recommend varieties for the crops. Remember, the All-American varieties have been tested nationwide and have met requirements to be elevated to that level. Ask friends or neighbors what they have grown successfully, what particular variety. That is usually pretty reliable information." Joe White at a Glance FAVORITE KIND OF GARDEN: Informal Southern style. FAVORITE PUBLIC GARDENS: Longwood Gardens, Kennett Square, Pa., the summer estate of the DuPont family. "I was most impressed with it, the extensiveness of it. And the many different ornamentals, fruits and vegetables and including a huge indoor area that is landscaped. You'd think you were in the middle of Florida. There is a special children's garden. It was breathtaking." TOOLS HE FEELS ARE INDISPENSABLE FOR A NOVICE GARDENER: "There are three: hoe, shovel, and rake." Joe gardens, growing mostly vegetables and fruit trees, also some natives, and annuals. He ticks off the wide range of vegetables he raises: "Definitely tomatoes, hot and sweet peppers, okra, onions, sometimes some sweet potatoes, sometimes Irish potatoes, kale, cabbage, radishes, sometimes beets, broccoli, cauliflower, occasionally some squash, sometimes cantaloupe and sometimes watermelons." He grows a hardy tangerine, apples, and pears, if he can beat the squirrels to them, muscadines, grapes, pomegranates, and figs. And even Joe White sometimes has problems with his garden. He said: "I am very human. That kind of helps me to identify with people when they come in with a problem. I don't know but that helps communication." For Joe, leaving is bittersweet. "I love what I do. I really never feel like I am coming to work. I come to serve." Thanks for listening to The Daily Gardener. And remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."
Today we celebrate a man who was regarded as the most revered British field-botanist of his time. We'll also learn about the botanist who considered China to be his real home. We'll hear thoughts on holly and ivy from one of my favorite gardeners. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book of Sunday poems inspired by the natural world. And then we'll wrap things up with the woman who wrote a book called Garden Cinderellas - what an excellent title. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart To listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to "Play the latest episode of The Daily Gardener Podcast." And she will. It's just that easy. The Daily Gardener Friday Newsletter Sign up for the FREE Friday Newsletter featuring: A personal update from me Garden-related items for your calendar The Grow That Garden Library™ featured books for the week Gardener gift ideas Garden-inspired recipes Exclusive updates regarding the show Plus, each week, one lucky subscriber wins a book from the Grow That Garden Library™ bookshelf. Gardener Greetings Send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes, and so forth to Jennifer@theDailyGardener.org Curated News Experts Predict Gardening Trends for 2021 | Candide | Marc Rosenberg Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and original blog posts for yourself, you're in luck. I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. So, there's no need to take notes or search for links. The next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community where you'd search for a friend... and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events January 13, 1834 Today is the birthday of the botanist and former Keeper of the Herbarium at the Royal Botanic Garden Kew, John Gilbert Baker. Regarded as the most-revered British field botanist of his time, John had a profound understanding of plants and an earnest desire to preserve them. Professionally, John was referred to as J.G. Baker. The scope of his work brought him into contact with an incredible span of plant species. In addition to his impressive collecting, John identified ten plant families, and he wrote helpful handbooks on plant groups, like the Amaryllidaceae ("am-ah-rilla-DAY-see-ee"), the Bromeliaceae ("bro-mee-lee-AYE-see-ee), the Iridaceae ("eye-ri-DAY-see-ee"), the Liliaceae ("lil-ee-AY-see-ee"), and the ferns. And in addition to all of that, John described and developed the very first key for the Hemerocallis or the daylily. And, here's a little fun fact about John: He once met Beatrix Potter (who was an amateur botanist in her own right in addition to being an author). And, as luck would have it, Beatrix wrote about meeting John in her journal on May 19, 1896 - although it didn't seem like she was very impressed with him. She wrote, "We met Mr. Baker... A slim, timid-looking old gentleman with a large thin book under his arm and an appearance, of having been dried in blotting paper under a press." John was mentored by the botanist Hewett Cotrell Watson. Hewett was a few generations older than Darwin, and he was one of the first botanists to research plant evolution. And it was Hewett's work that paved the way for a new science now known as ecology. In his old age, Hewett burned all of his botanical correspondence. But thankfully, John persuaded him not to burn his herbarium. And so, upon his death, Hewett Cotrell Watson left his house and his land - as well as his books and botanical collections - to the person he thought would most-appreciate them: his protégé, John Gilbert Baker. In 1899, John was awarded the Gold Medal of the Linnean Society. Eight years later, he received the Veitch Memorial Medal. Both of these awards were well-deserved. Today, Wikidata has several pages of data devoted to the plants named by John. It's an impressive list. Conversely, John Gilbert Baker is honored by many plant names, including the Iris bakeriana. January 13, 1884 Today is the birthday of the eccentric Hawaiian-based botanist, anthropologist, and explorer Joseph Francis Rock. Joseph was born in Austria but ended up immigrating to the United States before eventually settling in Hawaii, where he was beloved. In fact, Joseph became Hawaii's first official botanist. Joseph started teaching as a Botany professor at the University of Hawaii in 1911, and he also served as a botanist for the Hawaiian Territorial Board of Agriculture. After working for 13 years in Hawaii, Joseph left to explore China - and that quest would become his primary passion. It was 1920 before Joseph left Honolulu for China for the very first time. And when he traveled, Joseph always carried a copy of David Copperfield to remind him of his own terrible childhood. And although Joseph knew he was beloved in Hawaii, he always said that he considered China to be his "real" home. In fact, when comparing China to the rest of the world, Joseph said China was better since it was the place, "where life is not governed by the ticking of the clock but by the movement of celestial bodies." In total, Joseph spent much of his adult life - more than 20 years - in southwestern China. And often, Joseph was the very first explorer to enter these interior locations that he visited. In fact, there were many times when Joseph became so embedded in the country that his peers would go too long without hearing from him, and they would begin to think that Joseph must have died. How would they ever find him? Many could only guess that his body was probably somewhere in the Tibetan or Yunnan ("YOU-nan") mountains. Yet, thankfully, Josephalways turned up. And it's important to note - especially when you consider how much Joseph traveled - that Joseph never traveled alone. When Joseph explored, he always went with a large party comprised of two dozen mules, 20 men, and an escort of nearly 200 soldiers for protection against bandits. And as for his personal effects, get this: Joseph brought a folding bed, a table and chairs, a full set of silverware and china to dine on, an Abercrombie & Fitch canvas bathtub for hot baths, and a hand-cranked phonograph so he could listen to his favorite music: opera. Now, when he returned to Hawaii, Joseph recounted many hair-raising stories from his time in China. There was this one time when Joseph had collected plants along the base of Mount Gongga ("Gan-GAH") in China's Tibetan Borderland. Now, Mount Gongga is known as "The King of Sichuan ("SITCH-ooh- an") Mountains. Joseph incorrectly predicted it was the tallest mountain in the world (but it's actually the 41st-tallest). Well, one spring, Joseph had an especially great time collecting around the base of Mount Gongga. So, naturally, he wanted to visit it again. But, when he returned in the fall, Joseph and his party were halfway up Mount Gongga when a runner reached them with a letter from the tribal King. Apparently, after Joseph's first collecting trip, a severe hail storm had destroyed the fields. The tribe blamed the catastrophe on Joseph's mountain botanizing, which they believed offended the god of the mountain. And the King's letter warned that Joseph and his party were in danger of being attacked and killed by the tribe if they continued up the mountain. So, the King requested that Joseph abort the trip - which he did. Years later, even after being kicked out of the country, Joseph wrote, ''I want to die among those beautiful mountains rather than in a bleak hospital bed all alone.'' In addition to plants, Joseph had a knack for languages. He cataloged and transcribed Chinese manuscripts and actually wrote a dictionary of one of the tribal languages. He had an enormous intellect and was multi-talented. In addition to being a botanist and a linguist, Joseph was regarded as a world-expert cartographer, ornithologist, and anthropologist. Now, from a gardening standpoint, it was Joseph Rock who brought blight-resistant Chestnut trees to America. Naturally, he had sourced them in China. The Chestnut is in the same family as the Oak and, today, there are nine species of chestnut in the Northern Hemisphere. The four main species of Chestnut (Castanea spp.) are European, Chinese, Japanese, and American chestnuts. Depending on the species, Chestnut trees can live to be hundreds of years old. And Chestnuts are unique in that they have very little protein or fat. Instead, Chestnuts are carbohydrates, and they are the only nuts that contain vitamin C. And there's one additional plant that I always associate with Joseph Rock: the Rhododendron. Joseph Rock also brought American gardeners more than 700 species of Rhododendron. How could we ever thank him enough for that? In fact, some of Joseph's original Rhododendron seeds were first successfully grown in the Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. And in 1903, the Rhododendron was designated the official State Flower of West Virginia. Referred to as the King of Shrubs, the word Rhododendron comes from two Greek words: "rodon," which means "rose," and "dendron," which means "tree," hence Rose Tree. And Rhododendron flowers are produced in trusses (a truss is a flower-like structure composed of many flowers). Finally, Rhododendrons are in the Ericaceae ("er-rah-KAY-see-ee") plant family, which also includes Blueberries, Cranberries, Heathers, Huckleberry, Mountain Laurels, and Trailing Arbutus. So the next time you see a Chestnut Tree or a beautiful Rhododendron, tip your hat to Joseph Rock. Unearthed Words Holly and ivy are the primary images of many Christmas cards, symbols of life carrying on when much else appears dead or has vanished beneath the frozen surface. I would almost go so far as to say they should be in every garden, but perhaps I should substitute "something evergreen" instead of being so specific. Not everyone has the room or the right conditions for large-growing evergreens. I am thinking of laurels and rhododendrons in particular. But hollies can be found in all shapes and sizes; many are plain, but no less handsome, while several are variegated. There are seven pages of holly in Messrs Hilliers' Manual of Trees and Shrubs to tempt the reader, and a walk among the Holly Collection at Kew Gardens will undoubtedly fire the imagination. Some will be difficult to obtain, but nurserymen will be pleased to propagate more unusual plants if enough of us ask for them. If you look out of your favorite window now, are you satisfied with the view? Does it lack design? Would a small-leafed, narrowly-pyramidal holly do anything for it, and how many plants can you see which remain green - or grey, or bronze - throughout the winter, furnishing the bare soil at ground level? — Beth Chatto, garden writer and gardener, Beth Chatto's Garden Notebook, January Grow That Garden Library A Small Porch by Wendell Berry This book came out in 2017, and the subtitle is Sabbath Poems 2014 and 2015. Over three decades ago, Wendell Berry started spending his Sundays in nature, when the weather allowed, "walking and wandering around familiar territory, seeking a deep intimacy only time could provide. These walks sometimes yielded poems. Each year since he has completed a series of these poems dated by the year of its composition." The New York Times bestselling author of Paddle Your Own Canoe, Nick Offerman, raved, "[Berry's] essays, poetry, and fiction have fertilized a crop of great solace in my life, and helped to breed a healthy flock of good manners, to boot." This book is 80 pages of grounded and incredibly moving poetry - inspired by the natural world. You can get a copy of A Small Porch by Wendell Berry and support the show using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for around $6 Today's Botanic Spark Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart January 13, 1974 Today is the anniversary of the death of the American botanist, garden lecturer, and garden writer Helen Morgenthau Fox. In 1928, Helen wrote a book called Garden Cinderellas: How to Grow Lilies in the Garden, and Harvard's Ernest Henry Wilson wrote the forward to this book. Helen shared two stories in this book that made me smile. First, Helen talked about researching her book at the Department of Agriculture in Washington. "In the library of the Department of Agriculture at Washington, I found all that has ever been published on Lilies to the present time. At my request, the valuable old herbals, botanies, and flower monographs were piled on my desk as nonchalantly as if they were so many newly-published novels. It was a privilege to touch the creamy rough surface of such famous old herbals as Parkinson or Clusius and read their quaint descriptions. One day I had Redouté's "Les Liliacés (The Lilies)" in my hands, and when I found it contained only a few of the true Lilies, I felt quite like the fox in the fable because the price has always kept it way out of my reach." Helen also shared that she had sent out a survey to determine which Lilies were being grown across the United States. The survey responses paved the way for Helen to make some new friends, and she shares an experience that will be familiar to most gardeners: making new friends while looking at flowers. "Sending out the questionnaire made many new friends for me, and I was delighted to come across a lady who was growing washingtonianum ("Washington-ee-AYE-num"), parryi ("PARE-ee-eye"), japonicum ("jah-PON-uh-kum" (From Japan)), brownii ("BROWN-ee-eye"), and other generally difficult Lilies very successfully in western New York. My Lily friends were most kind, and one of them telegraphed me when the neilgherrense ("Nil-guh-ree-EN-see") was in flower in his garden since he knew I had not seen it. So I traveled to Washington to look at the visitor from far away blooming as if quite at home in this strange country. There, on a broiling July day, three Lily fans generously spent hours showing their treasures and explaining to a stranger, whose only bond was a mutual love of flowers, what they had done and especially what they hoped to accomplish." Note: The Neilgherrense Lily is native to the Nilgiri hills in India. The term Nilgiri is Tamil for the Blue Mountains. The strikingly blue color of the hills is attributed to the bloom of a shrub, Strobilanthes kunthiana ("stroe-bih-LAN-theez Coon-tee-AYE-nah"). Thanks for listening to The Daily Gardener. And remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."
Full show notes at the publisherToday we celebrate a descriptive rare orchid hunter who changed the way orchids were cared for. We'll also learn about the man who was held as a prisoner at the Singapore Botanical Garden during WWII. We'll hear about the stark funeral instructions left by Carl Linnaeus. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book about botanical fraud - it's a fascinating story. And then we'll wrap things up with the long lost story of a man who didn't support a diet that included fruits and vegetables. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart To listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to "Play the latest episode of The Daily Gardener Podcast." And she will. It's just that easy. The Daily Gardener Friday Newsletter Sign up for the FREE Friday Newsletter featuring:
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 Harvesting Herbs, Healing, and How to Make the Perfect Cup of Herbal Tea | Garden Therapy | Stephanie Rose Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and original blog posts for yourself, you're in luck. I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. So, there's no need to take notes or search for links. The next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community where you'd search for a friend... and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events January 12, 1898 Today is the anniversary of the death of the 19th-century Belgian botanist, explorer, horticulturist, rare orchid hunter, and businessman Jean Jules Linden. Before he reached 20, Jean began collecting rare orchids in South America. In 1844, Jean discovered the Dendrophylax lindenii or the Ghost orchid in Cuba. But there was an aspect to Jean's work that was even more important than the orchids he collected - and that was his incredible notes about how these rare orchids grew in the wild. Jean's careful observations and detailed notes were a revelation to European collectors who could not wait to acquire the latest specimens from around the world. The little details Jean included in his notes transformed the way orchids were grown in Europe. Before Jean's work, Europe was regarded as an orchid graveyard - a place where orchids were sent to die. Initially, collectors and even trained botanists didn't fully appreciate how to care for orchids. The standard practice of the time was to treat all orchids as other tropicals: just stick them in a hothouse at high temperatures and hope they survive. Jean's work helped plant experts and orchid lovers appreciate the errors in their understanding of these plants. Jean's holistic approach to orchid collection became a benchmark for other botanists. For instance, after Jean's work, the British botanist John Lindley began including accounts of the native conditions of the plants he collected. When he returned to Brussels, Jean served as the director of the Brussels Zoo and Botanical Garden. Not surprisingly, Jean's favorite aspect of the job was horticulture. As Jean focused on expanding the gardens, he grew thousands of plants. Jean created three different types of glasshouses with his intimate knowledge of orchids - each with its own distinct temperature range - to match the various native climates Jean had noted while searching for orchids. In addition to a traditional hothouse, Jean's garden had a temperate house and a cool house. As a result of his specialized care, Jean's orchids flourished, and Jean soon had a thriving orchid business. At one point, Jean had orchid outlets in Brussels, Ghent, and Paris. And Jean's orchids won awards at exhibitions across Europe from London to St. Petersburg. Today, thanks to the BioDiversity Heritage Library, you can see digital scans of Jean Jules Linden's incredibly gorgeous lithographs from his invaluable books on orchids - Pescatorea and Lindenia. They are truly spectacular. Jean Jules Linden is remembered in many plant names, including the orchids Phalaenopsis lindenii (Orchidaceae) and Polyrrhiza lindenii (Orchidaceae). January 12, 1906 Today is the birthday of the brilliant botanist, conservationist, and mycologist Edred John Henry Corner. As a young boy, John developed a stutter - something he battled all of his life, and it was the main reason he never pursued teaching or lecturing as a career. Sadly, John attributed his stutter to his parents, who he remembered as harsh and cold. Early in his career, John was mentored by the British botanist, photographer, and botanical illustrator Arthur Harry Church. A devoted archivist, Arthur advised John, "Note everything! Draw everything! Photograph everything!" When John was 23, he seized upon an opportunity to become a mycologist and Assistant Director at the Singapore Botanical Garden. John began work in Singapore in 1929. Thirteen years later, during WWII, Singapore surrendered to the Japanese. Fortunately, John's wife and son, John Jr., who was nicknamed "Kay," were evacuated. Although John was conscripted into the Singapore Army, John's botanical work saved him from serving in the army. John had trained monkeys to collect specimens for him in the jungles when he went out botanizing. However, an unexpected attack by one of his monkeys damaged John's right arm, and it was this disability that saved John from serving in the Singapore Army. Now before the Japanese arrived in the city, looting had started. Anticipating the worst, John persuaded the Governor to allow him to bring a note to the Japanese requesting that they spare the Botanical Gardens and the Raffles Museum. John's courageous foresight helped save both of these scientific treasures. As fate would have it, the Japanese man in charge of Singapore was an avid amateur botanist who was determined to maintain the Botanical Garden. For the remaining three years of WWII, John was kept on as a civil prisoner at the Botanical Garden, where he was allowed to work with careful supervision. Unfortunately, this unlikely scenario caused some folks to falsely label John, a traitor. Nevertheless, John continued his work. During his time in Singapore during the Great War, John botanized, worked on his own theories regarding plants and evolution, and wrote a great deal about his discoveries and life in Singapore. John also studied palm trees, developed his theory of forest evolution, and began to study the microscopic structure of seeds. John even managed to produce a flora of Singapore. In hindsight, John's work during this trying time was foundational to his professional development. Two decades later, John's popular textbook The Life of Plants was released in 1964. As a best-seller, The Life of Plants featured John's brilliant writing in addition to his own drawings and photography (he had followed his mentor, Arthur Church's advice). John's book was translated into French, German, Italian, and (ironically) Japanese. After the war, John did not stay in Singapore. Instead, John found himself in South America, studying the rain forest on behalf of UNESCO. A pioneer of conservation, John helped ensure that large areas of tropical forest were protected. In 1949, John returned to Cambridge. A year later, it was clear: John's marriage was over. As Kay turned 19, John rejected his son, and as a result, John never saw Kay again. However, in a final touching gesture, John left a suitcase that was clearly labeled "For Kay, wherever he might be." After John died, the suitcase was delivered to Kay. As it turns out, the suitcase contained letters, photos, and other artifacts that Kay eventually pieced together to create a captivating memoir of his father's life and their relationship. Kay's book, My Father in his Suitcase: In search of E.J.H. Corner, the relentless botanist, was released in 2013. Copies are difficult to find - but there are still a few on Amazon and through private sellers. Unearthed Words Linnaeus was a modest man and stipulated rules for his funeral arrangements: "Entertain nobody ...and accept no condolences." But when he died in January 1778, his instructions were ignored. Even the King of Sweden came to pay his respects at the funeral of the man who gave a name to the onion and to every other plant in the world. — Bill Laws, Fifty Plants That Changed the World, Onion (Allium) Grow That Garden Library A Rum Affair by Karl Sabbagh This book came out in 2016, and the subtitle is A True Story of Botanical Fraud. In this book, Karl tells the story of the eminent British botanist John Heslop Harrison who always went by Jack. "Jack proposed a controversial theory: that vegetation on the islands off the west coast of Scotland had survived the last Ice Age. Jack's premise flew in the face of what most botanists believed - that no plants had survived the 10,000-year period of extreme cold. But Jack had proof - the plants and grasses found on the isle of Rum. What Jack didn't anticipate, however, was an amateur botanist called John Raven, who boldly questioned Jack's theory. This is the story of what happened when a tenacious amateur set out to find out the truth and how he uncovered a most extraordinary fraud." This book is 288 pages of an informative and amusing true story of botanical intrigue. You can get a copy of A Rum Affair by Karl Sabbagh and support the show using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for around $9. Today's Botanic Spark Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart January 12, 1823 Today is the birthday of the 19th-century American physician and the inventor of the Salisbury steak James Henry Salisbury. James began thinking critically about diet after serving as a doctor in the Civil War. He started to believe that diarrhea and dysentery could be solved by consuming only coffee and beefsteak. After the war, James refined his thinking around food. Believing that vegetables and starchy foods became toxic inside the body and that the structure of teeth proved humans were designed to be mostly carnivorous, James became even more zealous about advising people to eat mostly meat. And so, James recommended limiting vegetables, fruit, starches, and fats to only one-third of the diet. In 1888, James introduced his Salisbury Steak - deep-fried or boiled ground beef with onion, flavored with seasoning and covered with gravy or brown sauce. Along with drinking hot water as a cleanse, James advised eating his Salisbury Steak three times a day and his diet became known as the Salisbury diet. Today, with his anti-vegetable views, James is probably rolling over in his grave to see more people than ever trying their hand at gardening. So this spring, as you're eagerly sowing that row of radish, carrots, or peas, remember to raise a trowel to ol' James Salisbury - and keep on planting. Thanks for listening to The Daily Gardener. And remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."
Today we celebrate the founder of the influential Curtis Botanical Magazine. We'll also learn about the traditional start of the agricultural year. We'll hear about a beautiful plant called Wintersweet from one of my favorite gardeners. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book about home through the eyes of a passionate plantsman. And then we'll wrap things up with a fun story about a young botanist and disciple of Carl Linnaeus. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart To listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to "Play the latest episode of The Daily Gardener Podcast." And she will. It's just that easy. The Daily Gardener Friday Newsletter Sign up for the FREE Friday Newsletter featuring:
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's Resolutions for the Regenerative Grower | Modern Farmer | Lindsay Campbell Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and original blog posts for yourself, you're in luck. I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. So, there's no need to take notes or search for links. The next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community where you'd search for a friend... and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events January 11, 1746 Today is the birthday of the botanist, entomologist, and founder of the influential Curtis Botanical Magazine, William Curtis. William had started life as an apothecary, but in short order, he discovered that it could not hold his interest. Sir James Edward Smith recalled that William loved being a naturalist more than working in the city. He wrote, "The Apothecary was soon swallowed up in the botanist, and the shop exchanged for a garden!" William was a founder of the Linnean Society, and he also authored a book about the botany of London called Flora Londiniensis. In 1779, William transformed his Lambeth garden into the London Botanic Garden. William wanted his garden to be a place where visitors could learn all about plants and their uses - not just for food - but in medicine and cooking as well. William was, at heart, a pragmatist. When William heard from visitors that they needed a resource to help grow the plants they were acquiring, William came up with the idea for his magazine. On February 1, 1787, the very first Curtis Botanical magazine was published, "for the... ladies, gentlemen, and gardeners ... who wish to become scientifically acquainted with the plants they cultivate." The Curtis Botanical Magazine made William wealthy, and he often remarked that it had brought him "pudding and praise." As for William's magazine, the reason it was so successful is that, early on, William vowed to provide his readers with helpful illustrations. Hence, William brought in incredible artists, like James Sowerby, and they helped ensure the magazine's success. In addition to his legacy left by his garden, flora, and magazine, the genus Curtisia honors William Curtis. January 11, 1850 Today is the birthday of the American pioneer botanist, plant pathologist, and mycologist, Joseph Charles Arthur. Known for his work with a group of plant fungus known as rusts, Joseph became the first department chair for Botany and Plant Pathology at Purdue University. Joseph held the chair position for half a century. During his time at Purdue, Joseph built a repository of over 40,000 rust specimens. Although Joseph kept these rust specimens at Purdue, he felt the collection belonged to him because he paid for them with his own personal funds. Despite Joseph's private investment, Purdue insisted the collection belonged to the University. So, in the middle of the night, Joseph packed up his entire herbarium - cabinets and all - putting everything into moving vans. In a single night, the entire Arthur herbarium was moved into Joseph's house. After a long standoff, an agreement was reached, and Purdue paid Joseph $1,450 - a paltry 3 cents per specimen - for the magnificent Arthur herbarium. And here's a fun side note about Joseph Charles Arthur: In addition to his work in botany, Joseph was a musician. In 1902, in happier times at the University, Joseph wrote the music for a school song called Vive Purdue. January 11, 2021 It's official; the holidays are truly over - today is Plough Monday. Plough Monday is regarded as the traditional start of the agricultural year and the official end to the holiday season. Plough Monday is always the first Monday after the 12th night of Christmas, and in the not-too-distant past, Plough Monday represented the day that men officially went back to work. Plough Monday has agricultural etymology - it was the day that farmers returned to their fields after Christmas break. And, on Plough Monday, farmers would bring their ploughs to church so that they could be blessed. Unearthed Words One day 27 years ago, long before I became an enthusiastic gardener, my husband came home with a bush of wintersweet, given to him by an old lady from her garden. [The woman] said it would not flower for seven years and then forever after would do so generously. She was right. I always appreciate its wonderful scent and bring small sprigs indoors on Christmas day and all through January. Slowly it has been growing over one of our drawing-room windows, which is now completely covered. The decision has been made; it must be pruned down to windowsill level. So I have been cutting long luxurious branches covered in buds and open flowers, and we have reveled in the fragrance of the rather sinister waxy yellow and red flowers. Will it flower next year after such drastic pruning? Only time will tell, and I hope that the kind old lady, now dead, will intercede for us and it. — Rosemary Verey, gardener and garden writer, A Countrywoman's Year, January Grow That Garden Library A Place to Call Home by James Farmer This book came out in 2017, and the subtitle is Timeless Southern Charm. In this book, interior and garden designer James Farmer of Perry, Georgia, takes us on a tour of eleven incredible Southern homes. Alongside the gorgeous photography, James shares charming personal stories. This is one of my favorite decorating books because James has such reverence for both home and garden. As the best-selling author of A Time to Plant, a James Farmer interior always incorporates natural and floral elements. Layered with rugs, art, collections, and florals, James makes warm and inviting interiors. This book is 208 pages of beautiful interiors with timeless Southern charm styled by a garden living and entertaining expert. You can get a copy of A Place to Call Home by James T. Farmer and support the show using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for around $24. Today's Botanic Spark Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart January 11, 1732 Today is the birthday of the Swedish-speaking Finnish explorer, naturalist, botanist, and an apostle of Carl Linnaeus, Peter Forsskål ("Pee-ah-tur Forsh-COOL"). Peter was the naturalist on the Royal Danish Expedition to Arabia. During his short lifetime, Peter identified a large number of species. Peter's plant descriptions were thorough and detailed, showing his sensitivity to Arabic culture and language. Sadly, Peter died of malaria in 1763 in Yemen. In fact, almost all the members of this expedition tragically died on the trip. Out of mourning for his young student, Linneaus named Forsskaolea tenacissima ("Forsh-COOL-ee-ah Ten-ah-CY-uh-mah") to honor Peter. Linnaeus said this plant, a member of the non-stinging nettles genus, was as stubborn and persistent as Peter himself. Thanks for listening to The Daily Gardener. And remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."
Today we celebrate the avid gardener who transformed the gardens at what was once the largest private residence in the United States. We'll also learn about the man who created many new citruses through hybridizing. We'll hear some January advice from a Dig For Victory brochure from WWII. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a fun fiction book set on an English estate called Winterfold. And then we'll wrap things up with the story of the man behind the Wagner Tree. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart To listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to "Play the latest episode of The Daily Gardener Podcast." And she will. It's just that easy. The Daily Gardener Friday Newsletter Sign up for the FREE Friday Newsletter featuring:
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 Three Friends of Winter Tour | Snug Harbor Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and original blog posts for yourself, you're in luck. I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. So, there's no need to take notes or search for links. The next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community where you'd search for a friend... and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events January 8, 1828 On this day, Eliza Ridgely married her fifth cousin and son of a Maryland Governor, John Carnan Ridgely. The couple lived on the Hampton Plantation built by John's great-uncle Charles Ridgely III in 1790. After construction, it was the largest private residence in the United States. Eliza was the third mistress of Hampton and an avid gardener. During the decades following their marriage, Eliza and John had five children, and Eliza spent a great deal of time improving Hampton's gardens and landscape. In 1859, the horticulturist Henry Winthrop Sargent wrote that "[Hampton] expresses more grandeur than any other place in America." He was not a fan of that grandeur - Henry preferred a more natural garden landscape. Hampton's garden landscape history dates back to the late 1780s when Captain Charles Ridgely acquired an Irish-born gardener and indentured servant named Daniel Healy. Daniel oversaw the Great Terrace's creation with its winding path and the 80x50-foot parterres that make up Hampton's Falling Gardens. Eliza left her mark on the gardens at Hampton by doing something completely different. She fell in love with the Victorian garden trend of "carpet bedding," which leveraged plant colors to create designs - like diamonds or circles. Other plants just provided contrasting colors. In his book, The Garden Triumphant, David Stuart said, "In the early Victorian bedding system, plant individualities were of no importance, each individual [plant] merely yielding the color of its flowers to the general show… The obsession with 'show' with plants merely as a 'blaze of colors' was all." Regarded as an accomplished gardener and horticulturist, Eliza had grand garden dreams. She installed extensive gardens, and her love for carpet bedding would have been a radical departure from gardening etiquette of the time. Because, before this trend, it was considered poor taste to plant a plant next to another one of the same color and variety. That was a big no-no. In fact, in 1839, Henry Winthrop Sargent issued another dig at Eliza's formal gardens when he said, they"quite disturb one's ideas of republican America." He was definitely not a fan. Over 4,000 acres surrounded Hampton House, and Eliza had more than enough room to develop impressive greenhouses, which along with the lavish gardens, were tended by slaves. And many people who tour Hampton today are surprised to learn that. They were not aware that slavery existed as far north as Maryland. During their marriage, Eliza and John loved to travel, and on their journeys through Europe and Asia, Eliza collected exotic trees and plants for her Hampton gardens. Eliza's love of citrus trees led to creating an orangery to help her citrus collection survive the harsh Baltimore winters. Eliza Ridgely added specimen trees to Hampton's formal landscape. Today a Lebanon Cedar stands on the mansion's south lawn of the Great Terrace. And Ridgely family history says that Eliza brought the exotic tree to Hampton as a little seedling in a shoebox from the Middle East. Eliza also selected the white and pink Saucer Magnolias that bloom in the spring and the magnificent fan-leafed ginkgo at the corner of the house. But, the oldest trees on the property are catalpas that predate the home. And although they are quite common now, Eliza brought urns to Hampton. Made of Italian marble, Eliza's fashionable urns surrounded the mansion. Now during Eliza's lifetime, the urns would have been called "vases," and they were meant to add classical beauty to the garden. In 1854, American Farmer Magazine wrote that Eliza's gardens expressed "more grandeur than anything in America." The magazine also admired her irrigation system, saying that, "a reservoir at the mansion… radiates to different sections of the garden where hydrants are placed, and by a hose, the entire garden can be watered at pleasure. Last summer, when all other places in the neighborhood were dry and barren, the flower garden at Hampton presented a gorgeous array of bloom… Petunias, Verbenas, Geraniums, and other summer flowering plants, looked as though they lacked no moisture there." With the end of slavery after the Civil War, the Hampton estate fell into decline as the family struggled to maintain it. A little while later, Eliza died at the age of 64. She was buried in the family cemetery on the estate. Today the Hampton estate is a National Historic Site. And if you go to visit it someday, it's worth noting that the plants today are different. Many of the plants that are on the property need to be deer-resistant. The famous portrait of the long-necked Eliza Ridgely standing beside her harp was painted by Thomas Sully - it hangs today in the National Gallery of Art. January 8, 1892 Today is the birthday of the agricultural botanist and plant wizard Walter Tennyson Swingle. Walter was a very popular botanist during his lifetime. Walter introduced the Date Palm to California, and he created many new citruses through hybridizing. In 1897, Walter made the first man-made cross of a Bowen Grapefruit and a Dancy Tangerine in Eustis, Florida. In 1909, Walter created the Limequat, a cross between the Key Lime and the Kumquat. That same year, Walter created the Citrangequat, a trigeneric citrus hybrid of a Citrange and a Kumquat. Walter developed the Citrange, a combination of the Sweet Orange and the trifoliate orange, as he was attempting to breed an orange tree that could withstand colder weather. Walter was born in Pennsylvania. He knew all about cold weather. His family quickly moved to Kansas, where Walter was home-schooled and ultimately educated at Kansas State Agricultural College. In short order, Walter began working for the government at the United States Bureau of Plant Industry in the Department of Agriculture. And the USDA immediately put him to work, sending him to nearly every country in the world. Walter brought Egyptian Cotton to Arizona and Acala Cotton to California. However, Walter's most significant accomplishment was the introduction of the Date Palm to America. The Date Palm was something swingle discovered during a visit to Algeria. And this is how we know how clever Walter was - he was indeed intelligent and observant because he noticed that Algeria's climate and soil mirrored that of California. In fact, Walter was optimistic about the Date Palm's chances in California right from the get-go, writing: "No heat is too great and no air too dry for this remarkable plant, which is actually favored by a rainless climate and by hot desert winds. The Date Palm can withstand great alkali quantities in the soil- more than any other useful plant… It is probably the only profitable crop that can succeed permanently.' Now when the Date Palm arrived in California, the Coachella Valley was identified as the perfect spot to grow them. By 1920, over a hundred thousand pounds of Dates were grown in California. Thanks to Walter Swingle, Dates are one of California's main exports. Today, the total value of the Date crop is approaching $100 million every single year. Unearthed Words January is a time when you should be thinking and planning, ordering your seed potatoes, vegetable seeds, fertilizers, and so on, and making sure that your tools are in good order and that you are ready to begin gardening in real earnest next month, or as soon as local conditions will let you. — Ministry of Agriculture, "Dig For Victory" Pamphlet, January 1945 Grow That Garden Library A Place For Us by Harriet Evans This book came out in 2015, and this is a best-selling fiction book. I bought this book a few years ago when I saw the beautiful alliums on the cover - I love alliums - and along with many of my fiction favorites, the cover is incredibly appealing to gardeners. A Place for Us is, "an engrossing novel about a woman who, on the eve of her eightieth birthday, decides to reveal a secret that may destroy her perfect family." Kirkus Reviews wrote: "From an English estate called Winterfold, Martha Winter sends out invitations for her 80th birthday party with a puzzling statement: 'There will be an important announcement. We ask that you please be there.' Only her husband, David, a well-known cartoonist, knows what this announcement might be. The Winters have been fixtures in their Somerset village for 45 years, raising their three children, Florence, Bill, and Daisy. Told from the perspectives of various family members as they receive Martha's invitations, it's clear this family's story is full of unanswered questions." This book is 448 pages of a heartwarming, true-to-life family saga - the perfect book to blissfully carry you away this winter. You can get a copy of A Place For Us by Harriet Evans (and enjoy the beautiful cover) and support the show using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for around $2. Treat yourself! Today's Botanic Spark Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart January 8, 2000 Today is the anniversary of the death of a leading botanist in the study of ferns, Warren "Herb" Wagner, Jr. Herb was the founder of modern systematics for plants and animals. Biologists still use "Wagner trees" to classify plants and animals based on presumed phylogenetic relationships and evolutionary history - DNA hard at work! Herb Wagner once said, "Deer in the winter are nature's closest thing to actual zombies. They chew everything in their path." Thanks for listening to The Daily Gardener. And remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."
Today we celebrate an American poet, essayist, and editor who is often remembered in a photograph where she is dressed as Saint Barbara with a laurel wreath around her head. We'll also learn about the woman who started a flower club that offered rare and exotic plants to Swedish homemakers during World War II. We'll hear about the enticing words used to describe the gorgeous plants in garden catalogs - they work so well on gardeners. We Grow That Garden Library™ with an old book by a stylist who loves to incorporate nature into her interior designs. And then we'll wrap things up with a cheery story about the man who saw life through rose-colored glasses—chin up. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart To listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to "Play the latest episode of The Daily Gardener Podcast." And she will. It's just that easy. The Daily Gardener Friday Newsletter Sign up for the FREE Friday Newsletter featuring:
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 Beautiful Bark on Deciduous Trees | Fine Gardening | Kristin Green Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and original blog posts for yourself, you're in luck. I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. So, there's no need to take notes or search for links. The next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community where you'd search for a friend... and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events January 7, 1861 Today is the birthday of the American poet, essayist, and editor Louise Imogen Guiney. Louise was the daughter of a Tipperary-born Civil War General named Patrick Guiney. And after living in constant pain from his war injuries, Louise's father died when she was 16. But her dad's bravery and morality helped to shape Louise's work. As her family struggled to make ends meet, Louise worked several jobs. In 1894, she ended up working for her local post office in Auburndale, Massachusetts. She was the postmistress. And when locals protested her appointment because she was Catholic, her friends responded to the backlash by buying so many stamps that Louise kept her job and actually even got a raise. I think of that little incident when I read a poem often attributed to Louise - but its origins remain uncertain. The foolish fears of what may come, I cast them all away Among the clover-scented grass, Among the new-mown hay; Among the hushing of the corn, Where drowsing poppies nod. Ill thoughts can die, and good be born, Out in the fields of God. During Louise's early life in Boston, she lived on Pinckney Street. And that street served as a hub for creatives like Louisa May Alcott, Nathaniel Hawthorne, the Thoreau family, and the publisher Elizabeth Peabody. Imagine living there... Louise's work was featured in popular magazines like Harper's and The Atlantic Monthly. And has she matured in her adulthood, Louise fell in love with England's history and she made repeated trips there before permanently moving to the country in the early 1900s. In one of her beautiful pieces of correspondence, Louise was asked if her poem A Song Of The Lilac could be set to music - and it was. It's a charming verse that goes like this: And when by night the May wind blows The lilac-blooms apart, The memory of his first love Is shaken on his heart. Today if you search for Louise online, you'll see beautiful images of her dressed as Saint Barbara with a laurel wreath around her head and, in some photos, someone faintly penciled a halo above her head. January 7, 1898 Today is the birthday of the Swedish botanist and children's book author Vivi Laurent-Täckholm. During World War II, Vivi started a flower club that offered rare and exotic plants to Swedish housewives. Vivi's club debuted several popular houseplants, including pothos and two types of Plectranthus, green-leafed and variegated. As Plectranthus australis grew in popularity, thanks to Vivi's flower club, it became known as Swedish Ivy. The genus name, Plectranthus, refers to the spur-shaped flowers and comes from the Greek words for spur and flower: plectron and anthos. And if you've never seen a Swedish Ivy flower, don't worry - the little flowers aren't particularly showy. But it sure is a thrill to get your Swdish Ivy to bloom - I've had that pleasure - and I hope someday you will be able to enjoy it as well. The species name (australis) means southern and refers to its native home of South Africa. Although it is neither Swedish nor an ivy, the stems trail, and it does resemble an ivy. With its square stems, it is easy to tell that Swedish Ivy is a member of the mint family, and it is also related to the coleus. Now, I always like to recommend Swedish Ivy as a perfect first houseplant for beginners. I love to grow it in a tall or cylindrical planter - or a hanging basket. And if you want to try to grow Swedish Ivy - it's pretty simple. Swedish Ivy thrives in bright indirect light. Now, the key here is the words indirect light - don't put it in full sun, or the leaves will burn. And if your Swedish Ivy looks leggy, it needs more light. If your Swedish Ivy has yellow leaves, it's probably overwatered. In fact, it's better to keep your Swedish Ivy on the dry side than too wet. So think about all of that and if you have some issues with your Swedish Ivy - you're going to need to change the way you're taking care of it. All that said, I like to give my Swedish Ivy a spa day every so often. I think that a lovely shower in the sink with a dollop of Dawn dish soap helps to keep my Swedish Ivy dust-free and also keeps pests away, as well as providing more humidity - which they love. Finally, don't be afraid to prune your Swedish Ivy. You can prune it back to 6-inch stems. I always think about it as giving my Swedish Ivy a haircut. You don't just let these plants grow on into infinity - they'll always look better with a little pruning and shaping - just like your hair does after a fresh cut. Then, put the cuttings into a vase of water. In a few weeks, the cuttings will be rooted, and then you can just pop them into the soil and you'll have a whole new plant. You can also use this method to make your plant fuller and more robust-looking - especially if you have a new plant. You can always add more rooted cutting to fill the plant in. It's one of Swedish Ivy's best features - they are so easy to root from cuttings. Now, if you love the green-leaved Swedish Ivy, you would probably also enjoy the sister species of this plant. There is a variegated version with white-edged leaves. I especially love that in a bright-colored pot, something orange or purple, or chinoiserie. Then there's another species - the Argentatus - that features bright, silvery leaves. This one is really fun and I love telling people that it's a sister to the Swedish Ivy because they often don't believe it. And then finally, Amboinicus - the Cuban or Caribbean oregano species - has big, soft green leaves. It's very friendly and you get a bonus with it: a powerful oregano fragrance. I love that in the kitchen. Wouldn't that be lovely in a pot on your kitchen counter? Unearthed Words Since before Christmas, I have been nibbling, in odd moments, at my new catalog. I try to write word pictures of plants, which might make them irresistible. When I began the nursery twenty years ago, I issued a very small list with descriptions of plants, as I saw them, in place of photographs which I could not have afforded. My catalog has grown with the nursery over the years, but there are still no pretty pictures. I have not actually gone into the cost because, while I know they might help some readers, I myself, deep down, do not want to change. I am very attracted by good photographs in other catalogs, but I find I easily forget them. It is the difference between watching television and listening to a good radio play. I can take the works of the best writers and gardeners, such as Vita Sackville-West, Graham S. Thomas, or Christopher Lloyd, to bed and be lost till midnight, reading their thoughts and seeing their plants and gardens as a musician hears music reading a score. — Beth Chatto, garden writer and gardener, Beth Chatto's Garden Notebook, January Grow That Garden Library A Passion for Detail by Charlotte Moss This book came out in 1991, and it's an oldie but goodie. In this book, Charlotte shares her interior design's beauty, which often includes elements from the natural world. To Charlotte, much of our spaces' visual appeal can be found in the little details - and the same is true with our gardens. In Charlotte's book, gardeners will be inspired by the variety of objects Charlotte displays - from dried flowers and vases to specimen plants and vintage pots. Charlotte encourages us to see the beauty in everyday items and incorporate things that bring us the most pleasure - even if those items are traditionally used outdoors in the garden. This book is 192 pages of inspiration courtesy of Charlotte Moss, incorporating rustic whimsy and romance in the little details that create gorgeous rooms. You can get a copy of A Passion for Detail by Charlotte Moss 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 7, 1927 Today is the anniversary of the death of the American lyricist and columnist for the Atlanta Constitution, Frank Lebby Stanton. A son of the south, Frank was influenced by hymn-writers like Isaac Watts and Charles Wesley. Extraordinarily popular during his lifetime, Frank's charming and straightforward verse evoked a feeling of nostalgia and sentiment. For instance, Frank wrote the words for the Tin Pan Alley hit song, "Mighty Like a Rose." Among Frank's many famous verses is this one: So many creeds like the weeds in the sod – so many temples, and only one God. And Frank's most famous four-lined verse is also a favorite of gardeners - and it is inscribed on his Atlanta tombstone: This world we're a'livin' in Is mighty hard to beat. You get a thorn with every rose. But ain't the roses sweet? Thanks for listening to The Daily Gardener. And remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."
Today we celebrate a botanist regarded as the "Father of Paleobotany" - the study of ancient plants that uses plant fossils. We'll also learn about the guitarist who went on a self-imposed 30-year exile - spending most of his time painting and gardening. We hear some thoughts on growing poisonous plants. We Grow That Garden Library™ with one of my favorite garden poetry books - I always carry it with me. And then we'll wrap things up with a great article that helps us identify trees in winter - no small task. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart To listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to "Play the latest episode of The Daily Gardener Podcast." And she will. It's just that easy. The Daily Gardener Friday Newsletter Sign up for the FREE Friday Newsletter featuring:
Plus, each week, one lucky subscriber wins a book from the Grow That Garden Library™ bookshelf. Gardener Greetings Send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes, and so forth to Jennifer@theDailyGardener.org Curated News The Best Indoor Plants for any Purpose | Garden Design | Anne Balogh Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and original blog posts for yourself, you're in luck. I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. So, there's no need to take notes or search for links. The next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community where you'd search for a friend... and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events January 6, 1761 Today is the birthday of the Bohemian theologian, mineralogist, geognost, entomologist, and botanist. Kaspar Maria von Sternberg Remembered as one of the most important natural scientists of the first half of the 19th century, Kaspar is regarded as the "Father of Paleobotany." In 1818, Kaspar founded the National Museum in Prague. Today, the botanical genus Sternbergia honors Kaspar Sternberg. Sternbergia is a genus of plants in the Amaryllis family and comprises eight recognized species of flowering bulbs that look like Crocus. The most popular Sternbergia is the lutea, a garden favorite described by Clusius in 1601. White Flower Farm describes Sternbergia lutea this way: "These lovely, fall-flowering bulbs are Crocus look-alikes with bright yellow blooms. The foliage appears with the yellow flowers in fall and persists until spring. Bulbs multiply freely where they are happy—in a hot, sunny, very well-drained spot. Add a bit of lime to sweeten the soil, and planting will quickly fill out. Try pairing with one of the glorious blue flowers of fall, such as Caryopteris or Salvia, for a heavenly contrast. A member of the Amaryllis family, so the bulbs are essentially pest free, resistant to deer and voles. Heirloom, pre-1601. 10 per sq. ft." January 6, 1946 Today is the birthday of the guitarist, singer, songwriter, and co-founder of Pink Floyd, Syd Barrett. After his immense success with Pink Floyd, Syd released two solo LPs and then disappeared into a self-imposed 30-year exile where he spent most of his time painting and gardening. Before his life with Pink Floyd, Syd attended the Camberwell Art School. One of the pieces he created was a beautiful watercolor - a delicate-looking still life of a dried flower bouquet. In 2006, Syd died of cancer at the age of 60. Before he died, Syd was a patient at Addenbrooke Hospital in Cambridge. In 2017, his friend, the sculptor Stephen Pyle, and a garden designer named Paul Harrington were planning to install the Syd Barrett Garden at Addenbrooke. Stephen's sculpture for the garden depicts Syd riding his bicycle - hands-free - with a guitar in one hand and artist brushes in the other. Unearthed Words The year 1967 started with an all-out alert on the danger of poisonous plants. On January 6th, the Times published a story about a lecture on the subject by John M. Kingsbury, the author of a useful small book titled Deadly Harvest: A Guide to Common Poisonous Plants. At a very early age, I remember, I was to recognize what plants are to be avoided completely. At a very early age, I remember, I was taught how to recognize and stay away from deadly nightshade, poison ivy, and poison sumac. (I was, just as early, taught the delights of chewing tender young checkerberry leaves and sassafras root.) To me, it would be ridiculous, though, not to grow monkshood, foxglove, hellebore, larkspur, autumn crocus, poppies, lilies of the valley, buttercups, and many other flowers now present in my borders just because they have some poison in them. — Katharine S. White, gardener and garden writer, Onward and Upward in the Garden Grow That Garden Library A Nature Poem for Every Night of the Year by Jane Hunter This book came out in 2020, and like the companion book, A Nature Poem for Every Day of the Year, this book is one of my favorites. In this book, Jane has gathered a beautiful and soothing collection of poetry inspired by the natural world and perfect for bedtime reading. "Now more than ever, we need something to comfort and distract us from the cares of everyday life. Keep this beautiful book by your bedside and enjoy a dreamy stroll through the natural world and its wonders every evening, just before you go to sleep. All the great time-honored poets are here—William Wordsworth, John Keats, Emily Dickinson, Robert Bridges—along with some newer and lesser-known voices. The verses reflect and celebrate the changing seasons: read Emily Brontë on bluebells in spring and Edward Thomas's evocative "Adlestrop" in summer, and then experience golden autumn with Hartley Coleridge and visit John Clare's "Copse in Winter." Stunningly illustrated with seasonal scenes, this wonderful anthology will delight you for years to come." This book is 496 pages of soothing bedtime poetry inspired by the natural world. You can get a copy of A Nature Poem for Every Night of the Year by Jane Hunter and support the show using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for around $23 Today's Botanic Spark Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart January 6, 1996 On this day, The News and Observer out of Raleigh, North Carolina, shared an article called The Naked Secrets of Trees in Winter by Lee Reich. Here's an excerpt: "Trying to identify leafless trees during the winter is a nice game to play alone or with a companion." Lee reminds us that trees like the Paper Birch are easy to spy because of their peeling white bark. And the Catalpa tree is another easy one - with its long brown pods. And the Pin Oak (Quercus palustris) is fun to spy: the lower branches droop downward, midlevel branches are horizontal, and upper limbs turn upward. That said, most trees are challenging to identify this time of year. Lee suggests using some expert books that guide you through tree identification steps, such as Fruit Key & Twig Key to Trees and Shrubs by William Harlow or Winter Tree Finder by May Theilgaard and Tom Watts. Now, one of the first steps in tree identification is to look at the buds' arrangement on new twigs. Are the buds "opposite" - meaning, are they in pairs on opposite sides of each twig? Well, that narrows things down a bit because few deciduous trees have opposite buds. So, think about your Ashes, Dogwoods, Maples, and Horse Chestnut - they're the most common trees with opposite buds. Are the buds "alternate" - meaning that they are single and separated from each other along the length of the stem. Another question to ask is, "What is the shape of the buds?" Flowering Dogwood buds look like small buttons capping short stalks. The Pawpaw has velour-like brown buds. And finally, think about twig color and bark. They can both provide more clues. The Boxelder (Acer negundo) has purple twigs with a cloudy coating. The American hornbeam has smooth blue-gray bark with ripples like muscle. Thorns can provide identification clues as well. Common trees with thorns are the black locust, honey locust, hawthorn, or wild plum. And fruits and nuts provide another clue for tree identification. Finally, Lee writes, "Still at a loss for a tree's identity? Break off a twig and make a slanting cut to expose the pith. Chambered rather than continuous pith characterize black walnuts and butternuts. Butternut trees have chocolate-brown pith, and black walnut trees have toffee-brown pith. The taste of a twig sometimes is the giveaway. Black cherry will taste like bitter almond, and yellow and river birch will taste like wintergreen. There is one more handy identifier. Deciduous trees are supposed to be leafless now, but a few leaves often hang on well into the winter. They will be dead dry and twisted but often still "readable." Not only that, but those on oaks and beeches are so reluctant to fall that one can spot these species even at some distance by their skirt of dry leaves." Thanks for listening to The Daily Gardener. And remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."
Today we celebrate an iconic tree of England - a holy tree with biblical and cultural significance. We'll also learn about a botanist whose last name is similar to the surname of Carl Linnaeus's in-laws - and that has caused some confusion over the years. We'll take a look back at some unflattering words about the winter garden from a man who was a close personal friend of Nathaniel Hawthorne. We'll hear a little secret to making Hyacinths look fabulous when forcing Hyacinth Bulbs indoors. We Grow That Garden Library™ with one of my favorite books - part of a new set that features garden poetry. And then we'll wrap things up with the wassailing of apple trees - a delightful ceremony that takes place on the 12th night of Christmas (that would be tonight.) Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart To listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to "Play the latest episode of The Daily Gardener Podcast." And she will. It's just that easy. The Daily Gardener Friday Newsletter Sign up for the FREE Friday Newsletter featuring:
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 Make a White Berry Wreath | Better Homes & Gardens | BH&G Crafts Editors Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and original blog posts for yourself, you're in luck. I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. So, there's no need to take notes or search for links. The next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community where you'd search for a friend... and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events January 5, 1786 On this day, a winter-blooming hawthorn- the iconic Glastonbury Thorn - blossomed. In all previous years, the beautiful Glastonberry Thorn, Crataegus monogyna 'Biflora' ("Cra-TAY-gus Mon-uhj-EYE-ah") had flowered on Christmas Day. But by 1786, Britain had adopted the Gregorian calendar, which affected the bloom time, and so the tree bloomed eleven days past schedule. Unlike other hawthorns, the Glastonbury Thorn miraculously flowers twice a year. The first bloom occurs in winter around Christmas time, which is why it has long been considered sacred. The second flush occurs in spring around Easter - hence the name 'biflora.' And every Christmas, a budded branch is sent to the Queen. Legend has it that the original plant - widely called the holy thorn - was planted in Somerset, more than 2000 years ago, by the Uncle of Jesus Christ, Joseph of Arimathea. And so the legend says that after the crucifixion, Joseph visited the area and pushed his walking staff into the ground where it rooted and became the holy thorn. In 1986, the Glastonbury Thorn was featured on a beautiful Christmas stamp. But the recent history of the tree is not so happy. In 2010, vandals removed almost every branch from the Glastonbury Thorn. Thankfully, Kew's arboretum team arrived in time to take cuttings from some of the damaged branches. With the help of these skilled arborists, the mother tree was replaced, and sister trees were planted in other secret locations throughout England. January 5, 1780 Today is the anniversary of the death of the English academic, attorney, politician, and gardener, who sat in the House of Commons, Robert More. A passionate amateur botanist, the botanist Philip Miller, named the plant genus Morea ("Mor-AY-ah") in honor of Robert More. But later, Carl Linnaeus altered the spelling to Moraea ("mor-ah-EE-uh") to honor his wife's maiden name. And in 1803, the Belgium painter Pierre-Joseph Redouté created one of the most beautiful early illustrations of Morea. Morea is a rare and delicate plant in the Iris family. Moreas are not as hardy as the common iris. And instead of growing from rhizomes or bulbs, Moreas grow from corms. Unlike bulbs, corms are a little different because they don't have a bulb's layered scales. Corms produce little cormlets that can be broken away from the parent plant for propagation. Familiar plants that grow from corms include gladiolus and crocus. Like bulbs, corms thrive in nutrient-rich, well-draining soil. Most corm perennials prefer sunny locations and when you plant them, make sure to plant them with the pointed side up at a depth about four times the size of the corm - that's a good rule of thumb. In case you're wondering, you can find Morea in some specialty bulb catalogs. January 5, 1874 On this day, the English merchant and author Henry Arthur Bright recorded a rather bleak comment about winter gardens in his famous book called Year in a Lancashire Garden. "A 'winter garden' is generally nothing more than a garden of small evergreens, which, of course, is an improvement on bare soil, but which is in itself not singularly interesting." Unearthed Words The January 1860 garden column of the famous fashion magazine the New Monthly Belle Assemblee recommended the Hyacinth Bottle and Flower Support as being ideal for growing [Hyacinths] indoors. The slender bottle with bulbous base was nothing new; hyacinths were often grown in water, not soil, in these small glass vases, which usually came in a variety of colors from cranberry red to cobalt blue, but the supporting wire was an innovation, designed to support the stem with its heavy bloom and keep it all neat and tidy. — Mandy Kirkby, gardener and garden writer, A Victorian Flower Dictionary Grow That Garden Library A Nature Poem for Every Day of the Year by Jane Hunter This book came out in 2018, and it's one of my favorite books. In this book, Jane has selected 365 of the most beautiful poems ever written. "From William Wordsworth's springtime daffodils and Christina Rossetti's birdsong to John Keats's autumnal odes and Longfellow's "Woods in Winter," these poems pay tribute to the beauty of nature and the changing seasons. Works from such beloved writers as William Blake, Robert Burns, Emily Dickinson, Ralph Waldo Emerson, John Keats, Amy Lowell, and Shakespeare take you through the year, along with 12 evocative black-and-white line drawings. Enjoy Thomas Hardy's "Birds at Winter Nightfall," Robert Frost's "Spring Pools," Rudyard Kipling's "The Glory of the Garden," Elizabeth Jennings's "Song at the Beginning of Autumn," and many more." I carry this beautiful book around in my backpack, and I refer to it all the time. This book is 496 pages of inspiring poems about the natural world curated for every day of the year. You can get a copy of A Nature Poem for Every Day of the Year by Jane Hunter and support the show using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for around $16. Today's Botanic Spark Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart In England, tonight, there's an ancient custom - an old pagan ritual - that involves waking up the apple cider trees with wassailing on the 12th night of Christmas. The written folklore around wassailing says that if you wassail apple trees on January 5th, the 12th day after Christmas, you'll reap a bountiful harvest in the year. Apples fall under the rose plant family, which also includes other fruits like peaches, pears, plums, and cherries. Now, Cider apples are not great eating apples. They tend to be small, not especially attractive, and bittersweet - which may be why Benjamin Franklin famously said, "It's bad to eat apples. It is better to turn them all into cider." If you've ever bobbed for apples and wondered why apples float - it's because they're made up of 25 percent air. Thus it takes roughly 36 apples to make a single gallon of apple cider. And do you store your apples in a bowl on the table? If so, bear in mind that apples can ripen up to ten times faster when stored at room temperature instead of being kept in the fridge. Although it takes most apple trees on average four to five years to produce fruit, an average tree yields 840 pounds of fruit once they start producing. Now wassail means "good health," and by wassailing the trees, you wish for good tree health, fertility, and productivity. Tonight's wassail tradition involves many elements. There's someone dressed as a Green Man - a man of the earth - who usually leads the festivities. There's the crowning of a King and Queen of the wassail. Then the King and Queen lead the wassailers to the orchard or a special apple tree. At the tree, cider is poured on the soil around the tree, a symbolic return of the fruit's blessing. Then, bread is dipped in cider and left on the branches for the robins and other creatures in nature. Then toasting the tree with a traditional song that goes: Old apple tree we wassail thee And hope that thou will bear For the Lord doth know Where we shall be Come apples another year. For to bloom well And to bear well so merry let us be Let every man take off his hat And shout out to the old apple tree. For to bloom well And to bear well so merry let us be Let every man take off his hat And shout out to the old apple tree. Chant: Old Apple tree, we wassail thee, And hope that thou will bare Hatfuls! Capfuls! Three-bushel bagfuls! And a little heap under the stairs! Hip Hip Hooray! Hip Hip Hooray! Hip Hip Hooray! Then there's the clanging of pots and pans, hooting and hollering, and shooting off cap guns and shotguns to scare away all the evil spirits - the final step in a thorough wassail of an apple tree. Thanks for listening to The Daily Gardener. And remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."
Today we celebrate an English botanist who discovered which way sap flows in plants. We'll also learn about a female Dutch botanist who fought for equity and is now remembered as a trailblazer. We'll remember a thoughtful and witty garden writer whose only book became a garden classic. We hear some thoughts on the garden in winter from one of my favorite authors. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book that shares the story of the French naturalist and medical doctor Aimé Bonpland ("bon-plon"). And then we'll wrap things up with a little garden trivia in honor of National Trivia Day. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart To listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to "Play the latest episode of The Daily Gardener Podcast." And she will. It's just that easy. The Daily Gardener Friday Newsletter Sign up for the FREE Friday Newsletter featuring: A personal update from me Garden-related items for your calendar The Grow That Garden Library™ featured books for the week Gardener gift ideas Garden-inspired recipes Exclusive updates regarding the show Plus, each week, one lucky subscriber wins a book from the Grow That Garden Library™ bookshelf. Gardener Greetings Send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes, and so forth to Jennifer@theDailyGardener.org Curated News Invasive Species Spotlight: Garlic Mustard | Washington Gardener | Jacqueline Hyman Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and original blog posts for yourself, you're in luck. I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. So, there's no need to take notes or search for links. The next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community where you'd search for a friend... and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events January 4, 1761 Today is the anniversary of the death of the English clergyman, botanist, and physiologist Stephen Hales. Stephen applied himself to many different areas of science. Stephen spent most of his life studying tree sap and blood flow. Do you know the direction sap flows in a plant? Stephen figured this out - it flows upward - and he also examined other fascinating aspects of plants like the sap's pressure, the pressure roots exert on sap, and how fast shoots and leaves grow. He also demonstrated that plants absorb air. Stephen's curiosity about sap and blood flow led him to become the first person to measure blood flow, blood volume, and blood pressure. Stephen was always thinking about the forces around us - from our internal blood pressure to external air pressure. It's not surprising that Stephen became curious about air quality and whether improved airflow could help fight typhus. And so, Stephen invented a ventilator to purify stale air. Stephen's device was essentially large bellows that had to be moved by hand, but they were still effective and were used in ships, prisons, and mines. And there was another use for Stephen's ventilator: it also preserved and dried food. In the twilight of his life, Stephen had royal visitors. Frederick, Prince of Wales, and his wife, Princess Augusta, both stopped by to discuss gardening and botany. And it was Stephen Hales who gave Princess Augusta advice on the creation of Kew Gardens. Today, Stephen is remembered in the genus for the snowdrop tree, the Halesia carolina. And since 1927, the Stephen Hales Prize is awarded to a scientist who made an outstanding contribution to plant biology science. January 4, 1883 Today is the birthday of a Dutch plant pathologist and the first female professor in the Netherlands, Johanna Westerdijk, who went by "Hans." In 1906, Johanna completed her thesis on the regeneration of mosses, and she was hired to be the director of a major botanical institute at the ripe old age of 23. By 1917, Johanna became the first female professor in the Netherlands. During her tenure, Johanna supervised 56 doctoral students - half of them women - and she strongly believed in equal opportunities for women. She once said, "I strive for a genuinely equal division of men and women in high positions." To illustrate how her peers perceived Johanna during her lifetime, check out this excerpt from The Lincoln Star Journal from October 29, 1914. Johanna had traveled to America to visit the Missouri Botanical Garden, and the article was titled, "Woman Botanist Who Smokes and Drinks Publicly." "A famous woman botanist, who both drinks and smokes In public, is now in the United States. Doctor [Charles] Bessey of the State University met her in St. Louis a short time ago. The name of the peculiar woman is Doctor Johanna Westerdtjk, and she is in charge of the pathological laboratories in Amsterdam. "She was quite enraged because botanists did not pay quite as much attention to her in St. Louis as she thought she deserved," said Doctor Bessey. "She insists that women should have the same rights as men and is in rebellion against American conventions. In large hotels, wherever it is permissible, she stays up late and drinks and smokes In the lobby." Doctor Bessey has a picture of all the botanists in attendance at the Missouri Botanical Gardens' anniversary. There is Miss Johanna Westerdijk, cigarette in hand. She appears to be the only one of any of the men or women in the picture who is smoking. Doctor Bessey believes that there is little danger of the learned doctor coming as far as Lincoln on her American travels." Joanna led an all-female team of scientists who identified the fungus that caused Dutch Elm disease. Joanna's Dutch Elm Committee was a group she formed on her own to fund additional research for elm disease. Johanna was a pioneer in plant pathology and fungi, and her system is still used to classify species. Today Johanna is remembered for some great quotes: "Both work and play are needed to create a beautiful mind." and "Even fungus dies from a dull and monotonous life." Today, at the university, there's a wall showing the photos of all the professors of her time - all men, of course - and right there, in the lower bottom left frame, is a painting of Johanna. And almost four years ago, on February 12, 2017, the Fungal Biodiversity Centre Institute was renamed the Westerdijk Institute in honor of Joanna. She served as the Institute's Director for over fifty years. Today, the Westerdijk Institue is the largest microbial, fungal resource center in the world. January 4, 1918 Today is the birthday of the American writer and gardener Eleanor Perenyi. We lost Eleanor in 2009, at the age of 91. Her book, Green Thoughts, is widely considered to be a classic of garden writing. Sadly, it was Eleanor's only book. Eleanor wrote about working in her Connecticut garden, and she was not a fan of rock gardens, chemical pesticides, or petunias. She once called petunias, "as hopelessly impractical as a chiffon ball dress." And her book Green Thoughts gives us many more witty quotes and sayings from Eleanor. Here are a few of my favorites: "A little studied negligence is becoming to a garden." "The double hoops for peonies are beyond-description maddening to unfold and set in place. Two people are needed, one of them with better control of his temper than I have." "I ordered a modern purple martin house myself and proceeded to construct a dreadful object: unpainted, it looked like a cheap motel; painted blue and white, it looked like a cheap Greek motel and had to be thrown out." "A killing frost devastates the heart as well as the garden." And finally, here's a quote for gardeners who are too hard on themselves. Eleanor recognized that this happens - quite a bit. "It takes a while to grasp that not all failures are self-imposed - the result of ignorance, carelessness, or inexperience. It takes a while to grasp that a garden isn't a testing ground for character and to stop asking, "What did I do wrong?" Maybe nothing." Unearthed Words I have had to enjoy the winter garden vicariously, with the help of books. The best for this purpose I've found is Elizabeth Lawrence's new one. Gardens in Winter (Harper), which has allowed me to share the delights of the author's garden in Charlotte, North Carolina, as well as the gardens and woods she knows from her wide reading. Miss Lawrence is a classicist and can cite Virgil and the English poets as freely as she does Gertrude Jekyll and Jane Loudon. In this volume, she leads us most often to the English garden of Canon Henry Ellacombe, from whose two books In a Gloucestershire Garden (1896) and In My Vicarage Garden (1902) she often quotes. She also takes us to Walden Pond and Concord, in the winter sections of Thoreau's Journal. In North Carolina, Miss Lawrence says, there are two springs—the first in autumn, just after the killing frosts, and then the true spring, which starts on St. Valentine's Day—but she reminds us that it was Thoreau who wrote, "All the year is a spring," and her book seems to prove this to be true, even in the North. She has collected winter-garden notes and-flowering dates from her network of correspondents all over the United States and shares these with her readers. Though we Northerners will envy her her iris and camellias in November, her roses and hardy cyclamens in December, and her violets and hoopskirt daffodils in January, she shows us that all winter, even in the most frigid and unlikely spots, there are flowers or shrubs in bloom or, at the very least, in fruit, if we look for them carefully. — Katharine S. White, gardener and garden writer, Onward and Upward in the Garden, Grow That Garden Library A Life in Shadow by Stephen Bell This book came out in 2010, and the subtitle is Aimé Bonpland in Southern South America, 1817–1858. In this book, Stephen shares the story of the French naturalist and medical doctor Aimé Bonpland, one of the most important South American scientific explorers in the early nineteenth century. Working alongside Alexander von Humboldt, Aimé later conducted his own research and went much farther south than Humboldt. Stephen outlines Aimé's movements through Argentina, Paraguay (where he was imprisoned for nearly a decade), Uruguay, and south Brazil. By exploring the interior of South America, Aimé's experience is a unique account of the natural world - along with the social and economic circumstances of the era. Stephen's well-researched book is no longer in print, but you can still find rare copies online. This book is 336 pages of fascinating history, showing Aimé Bonpland's life in rich detail. You can get a used copy of A Life in Shadow by Stephen Bell 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 Today is National Trivia Day, and in honor of that, I thought I'd close today's show with some Garden Trivia with you. Questions: Are Almonds in the rose family? What is the world's tallest tree? In the 1600s, what flower had the most value? Where was the Poinsettia discovered? What is the largest flower in the world? Answers: Yes - along with apples, peaches, pears, cherries, raspberries, strawberries, and more The coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) The Tulip. In the 1600s in Holland, tulips were worth more than gold and caused the crash of the Dutch economy. The craze was called tulip mania or tulipomania. Mexico. In 1825, the first U.S. minister to Mexico, Joel Poinsett, introduced the plant to America. The titan arum (Amorphophallus titanium) Thanks for listening to The Daily Gardener. And remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."
Full show notes at the publisherToday we'll celebrate a Scottish baker and botanist who left a charming collection behind as his legacy - and I must say, he had a head full of dark hair reminiscent of Beethoven. We'll also learn about the White House's first Christmas tree and the adorable grandchild who thoroughly enjoyed it. We'll recognize the work of a woman who envisioned a world where women were taught horticulture without threatening jobs for male gardeners. We hear a delightful poem called Jack Frost - it's adorable. We Grow That Garden Library™ with about celebrity gardens - and these folks are major trendsetters in the world of fashion and interior design. And then we'll wrap things up with a few versions of The Gardener's Night Before Christmas - maybe they will inspire you to write one of your own. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart To listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to "Play the latest episode of The Daily Gardener Podcast." And she will. It's just that easy. The Daily Gardener Friday Newsletter Sign up for the FREE Friday Newsletter featuring: A personal update from me Garden-related items for your calendar The Grow That Garden Library™ featured books for the week Gardener gift ideas Garden-inspired recipes Exclusive updates regarding the show Plus, each week, one lucky subscriber wins a book from the Grow That Garden Library™ bookshelf. Gardener Greetings Send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes, and so forth to Jennifer@theDailyGardener.org Curated Garden News Brooklyn Botanic Garden in 1918: A Time of Pandemic, War, and Poverty | Brooklyn Botanic Garden | Kathy Crosby Facebook Group I share all of my curated news articles and original blog posts with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. So, there's no need to take notes or search for links. The next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community where you'd search for a friend... and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events December 24, 1866 Today is the anniversary of the death of the Scottish geologist, botanist, and baker Robert Dick. The artist Joanne B. Kaar recently created a replica of Robert's moss box to honor his work. This was a little box that Robert used to carry moss back to his bakery. Now Joanne's moss box features fold-down flaps with delightful discoveries that call to mind the spirit of Robert Dick. And I share a video of Joanne's marvelous creation in the Facebook Group for the show. So if you want to check it out, it's a masterpiece, and it's a thrill to see that video. I followed up with Joanne, and when I emailed her, I asked for her insights on Robert. And Joanne replied with a lovely interview she did back in 2017. Here's an excerpt: "Wearing a swallowtail coat, jeans, and a chimney-pot hat, Robert Dick often had children following him from his bakery in Thurso, as they were curious to know what he was doing on his walks. He was not only a baker but also a renowned self-taught botanist, a geologist, and a naturalist. Interested in entomology, he collected moths, beetles, butterflies, and bees. To bring the samples home he pinned them to the inside of his hat." She continues, "Dunnet Head was one of his favorite places to walk, describing it as having a forest of ferns. Dunnet Head Lighthouse was built in 1831, an event Robert Dick must have witnessed. Robert Dick saved old letters, envelopes, newspapers, and documents to keep his collection of small plants and mosses in. His herbarium collection is now in Caithness Horizons Museum, Thurso, and contains around 3,000 specimens." Now when I was researching Rober,t I stumbled on an old document by Sir Roderick Murchison, the Director-General of the Geographical Society. Roderick delivered a wonderful speech at Leeds in September 1858, where he mentioned meeting the multi-talented baker Robert Dick. "In pursuing my research in the Highlands… it was my gratification.. to meet with a remarkable man in the town of Thurso, named Robert Dick, a baker by trade. I am proud to call him my distinguished friend. When I went to see him, he spread out before me a map of Caithness and pointed out its imperfections. Mr. Dick had traveled over the whole county in his leisure hours and was thoroughly acquainted with its features. He delineated to me, by means of some flour which he spread out on his baking board... its geographical features. (How clever of Robert to use flour to show the topography of the county!) Here is a man who is earning his daily bread by his hard work; who is obliged to read and study by night; and yet who can instruct the Director-General of the Geographical Society. But this is not half of what I have to tell you of Robert Dick. When I became better acquainted with this distinguished man and was admitted into his sanctum—which few were permitted to enter—I found there busts of Byron, of Sir Walter Scott, and other great poets. I also found books, carefully and beautifully bound, which this man had been able to purchase out of the savings of his single bakery. I also found that Robert Dick was a profound botanist. I found, to my humiliation, that this baker knew infinitely more of botanical science—ay, ten times more—than I did; and that there were only some twenty or thirty British plants that he had not collected… These specimens were all arranged in most beautiful order, with their respective names and habitats." After Robert's death on this day in 1866, a memorial obelisk was installed to honor him in the Thurso Cemetery. Today, the curator at Caithness Horizons Museum, Joanne Howdle, has digitalized the precious Robert Dick Herbarium. December 24, 1889 On this day, the White House's first Christmas tree was set in place to delight "Baby McKee," the favorite grandson and namesake of President Benjamin Harrison. A 1967 article from the Indianapolis Star said, "There had never been a Christmas tree in the White House before. Some people thought the whole thing pretty frivolous but President Harrison was adamant and set the gardeners to finding the just-right tree. It was to be tall and full and round like the trees he had had when he was a boy and found oranges and nuts in the toes of his stockings." All through Christmas Eve afternoon, the White House gardeners worked to set the tree in place in the library over the Blue Room. No one was permitted to decorate the tree; that honor was reserved for the president and his wife. However, history tells us that the gardeners all stayed to watch. After dinner, President Harrison and first lady Caroline Scott Harrison decorated the tree with fat ropes of tinsel and old-fashioned candles. The President crowned the tree with a large star, and the first lady "stretched and stooped to fill the branches with presents." The Harrison White House at Christmas was the picture of a classic Victorian holiday scene. One can almost imagine the scene that day - with Baby McKee or little Benjamin - his wispy blond hair, sailor hat, and long white hand-tucked dress imitating the President as he walked the library with his lamb on wheels behind him. Benjamin was also quite taken with his jack-in-the-box. December 24, 1936 Today is the anniversary of the death of the influential English gardening author and instructor, Frances Garnet Wolseley. A lifelong single lady, Frances devoted herself to gardening and gardening education. In 1902, on her thirtieth birthday, Frances created the Glynde College for Lady Gardeners on her father's garden in East Sussex. Although her classes had only around a dozen students, Frances managed to attract some famous students included Gertrude Jekyll, Ellen Willmott, and William Robinson. And online, there's a fantastic picture of Frances that shows her mowing a lawn with a push and pull mower with the help of one of her students - they're both standing on either side of this thing - it took two people to run it. It's hard to believe, but in the early 1900s, pictures of women mowing were being shown in advertisements for lawnmowers - they were trying to appeal to women to mow the lawn. In her 1908 book, Gardening for Women, Frances wrote, "It must be borne in mind that horticulture is still a comparatively new profession for women and that unless those who enter it strive to give full time and application to learning its details they cannot hope to be successful ...they should spare no pains to gain a complete education, for only then … can they expect remuneration." Unearthed Words Someone painted pictures on my Windowpane last night — Willow trees with trailing boughs And flowers, frosty white, And lovely crystal butterflies; But when the morning sun Touched them with its golden beams, They vanished one by one. — Helen Bayley Davis, American poet and writer, Jack Frost Grow That Garden Library Gardens of Style by Janelle McCulloch This book came out in 2018, and the subtitle is Private Hideaways of the Design World. In this book, Janelle takes us to visit the inspiring private gardens of celebrated fashion and design tastemakers. Thanks to Janelle's work, we can understand how these beautiful sanctuaries - these gardens - have influenced creative work and life. Throughout history, Mother Nature has been a frequent source of inspiration in fashion and design. Fashion designers like Christian Dior to have used gardens and botanicals in their collections. Like us, these designers and their interior design counterparts find that gardens restore their creativity and revitalize their energy. Janelle's book takes us, "from the lush foliage of the Dominican Republic to the graceful flowerbeds of America's East Coast, the charming roses and clipped boxwood of England's country manors, and the patterned parterres of France's enchanting Provence region—Gardens of Style illustrates the symbiotic relationship between horticulture and haute couture and between nature's beautiful forms and those found in interior design. For instance, the garden of former Hermès designer Nicole de Vésian (duh-VAY-zee-an) is a sublime weave of patterns and textures, while the garden of Christian Dior features many of the roses that inspired his glamorous gowns." This book is 240 pages of beautifully photographed gardens to delight and inspire, along with stories that show the connection between trendsetters and their horticultural havens - it's a beautiful coffee table book. You can get a copy of Gardens of Style by Janelle McCulloch and support the show using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for around $14. Today's Botanic Spark Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart Over the years, newspapers have shared a parody of The Night Before Christmas, written by Charles and Janice Jensen in the 1960s. The original version first appeared in the New York Times, and as I share it with you, you'll realize how far we've come since the 1960s in terms of our daily gardening practice. I'll share this version first, and then I have another version written in the 1980s - twenty years later. The Jensen version goes like this: Twas the night before Christmas and all through the yard The branches were bare and the ground frozen hard. The roses were dormant and mulched all around To protect them from damage if frost heaves the ground. The perennials were nestled all snug in their beds While visions of 5-10-10 danced in their heads. The new planted shrubs had been soaked by the hose To settle their roots for the long winters doze. And out on the lawn, the new-fallen snow Protected the roots of the grasses below. When what to my wondering eyes should appear But a truck full of gifts of gardening gear. Saint Nick was the driver, the jolly old elf And he winked as he said, I'm a gardener myself. I've brought wilt-proof, rootone, and B-nine, too. Father can try them and see what they do. To eliminate weeding, I've brought 2-4-D, And to battle the bugs, 5 percent DDT. To seed your new lawn, I've a patented sower; And since it will grow, here's a new power mower. For seed planting days, I've a trowel and a dibble. And a roll of wire mesh if the rabbits should nibble. For the feminine gardener, some gadgets she loves, Plant stakes, a sprinkler, and waterproof gloves; A chemical agent for her compost pit, And for enjoying the flowers, a flower arranging kit. With these colorful flagstones, lay a new garden path. For the kids to enjoy, a new bird feeder and bath. And last, but not least, some well-rotted manure. A green Christmas year-round, these gifts will ensure. Then jolly St. Nick, having emptied his load, Started his truck and took to the road. And I heard him exclaim through the engines loud hum: Merry Christmas to all and to all a green thumb! Well, things have changed a lot since the 1960s. So if you were a little shocked by what you heard in that version, that was standard gardening protocol for that decade. By 1987, Carolyn Roof in Paducah, Kentucky, had written her own version for gardeners in her garden column. Here's an excerpt from hers: Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the garden not a creature was stirring, not even a wren. The work tools were hung in the tool shed with care, in hope that springtime soon would be there. The flowers were mulched all snug in their bed, while visions of show winners danced in my head. And Richard in his blanket and I with the cat had settled down for a long winter's chat. When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter, I sprang from the chair to see what was the matter. Away to the window, I flew like a flash, tore open the drapes and threw up the sash. When what to my wondering eyes should appear, but a miniature UPS truck and eight tiny gardeners, With a little old driver so lively and quick, I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick. More rapid than eagles his workers they came, and he whistled and called them by name. Now Shepard, Now Appleseed, Now Thompson and Morgan, On Wayside, On Burpee, On Parks and Starks. As the dry leaves that before the wild tornado fly when they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky. So on to the patio, the gardeners flew with a truck full of tools, plants, and flowers, too. And then in a twinkling, I heard by the glade, the digging and planting of each little blade. As I drew in my head and was turning around, past the sliding glass door, he came with a bound. He was dressed all in grubbies, mud boots on his feet, and his clothes were all soiled with mulches and peat. A bundle of tools, plants, and bulbs were on his back, and he looked like a nurseryman opening his pack. He spoke not a word but went on with his work, and landscaped the yard, then turned with a jerk. He sprang to his truck, to his team gave a whistle, and away they all drove like the down of a thistle. But I heard him exclaim as he drove out of sight, "Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night." However, my favorite ending is from the first poem. Here's how the Jensens ended their poem: And I heard him exclaim through the engines loud hum: Merry Christmas to all and to all a green thumb! Thanks for listening to The Daily Gardener this year. Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. And remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."
Full show notes at the publisher
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