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 the Father of Paleobotany and the botanical illustrator honored by King Charles X. We'll learn about the botanical painter who got sick of painting flowers (he'd painted 800 of them) and the botanical illustrator who worked for Curtis's Botanical Magazine and Kew Gardens. Today's Unearthed Words feature the hidden (and often unappreciated) transformations happening in our garden during January. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book that helps us understand plant physiology through an intimate and entertaining memoir. I'll talk about a garden item that can help you propagate your house plants, and then we'll wrap things up with the birth flowers of January. But first, let's catch up on a few recent events. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart Curated Articles Horniman Museum's gardener Wes Shaw - Gardens Illustrated Horniman Gardens, Forest Hill, London - Spotlight: Wes Shaw "The last place that blew me away was GARDENS BY THE BAY in Singapore. Amazing conservatories, landscaping & planting - taking horticulture to a new level. While I was there, I saw gardeners abseiling down the side of green walls and volunteers using tweezers to pick over the beds. Gardens should continuously change and evolve. I never see the point of keeping something looking the same as it did at some point in the past. What's the next big project task you'll be tackling in the garden? We are planning a Winter Garden for an area of the Horniman Gardens that needs a bit of a refresh." High Society: The Expert's Guide To Alpines Here's a great post from @AlysFowler featuring Richard Wilford - an alpine lover and head of design and collection support at the Royal Botanic Gardens @KewGardens. "What Richard doesn't know about alpines isn't worth knowing. 'We've got a very tall house to grow some very small plants' he jokes. Alpines are surprisingly easy and hardy and perfect for tricky corners and small plots. As their name suggests, alpines are from areas of high elevation, so they love full sun, cool roots, and cold nights." Check out Richard Wilford's Five Easy Alpines: Sempervivum: will grow on sunny rocks, cracks in walls, and stony places. Put a little compost into the niches first, then nudge them in. Alpine pinks Dianthus alpinus: a tiny mat-forming evergreen with bright pink flowers. It likes free-draining conditions and suits pots, gravel path edges, and window boxes. Erinus alpinus, or alpine balsam: forms neat rosettes of narrow leaves and loves crevices. Campanula cochlearifolia (fairy thimbles or ear leaf flowers): Nodding blue flowers - Keep its feet well-drained. Phlox douglasii: A low-growing perennial - it grows in dry woodlands. It needs a dry winter, but good drainage and a sheltered spot by a wall will work. Now, if you'd like to check out these curated articles for yourself, you're in luck, because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. There's no need to take notes or search for links - the next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events 1801 Today is the birthday of the French botanist and the Father of Paleobotany Adolphe-Théodore Brongniart ("Bron-yahr"). Adolphe-Théodore was born in Paris. His father, Alexander, was a geologist. There's no doubt his father's work helped Adolphe-Théodore become a pioneer in the field of paleobotany. A paleobotanist is someone who works with fossil plants. Plants have been living on the planet for over 400 million years. So, there are plenty of fossil plants to study and catalog. As one of the most prominent botanists of the 19th century, Adolphe-Théodore worked to classify fossil plant forms, and he did so even before Charles Darwin. Adolphe-Théodore's work provided content for his book on the history of plant fossils in 1828. Adolphe-Théodore published his masterpiece when he was just 27 years old. Adolphe-Théodore's writing brought him notoriety and gave him the moniker "Father of Paleobotany." He was also called the "Linnaeus of Fossil Plants." Adolphe-Théodore was not so much a fossil plant discover as he was a fossil plant organizer. He put fossil plants in order and applied principles for distinguishing them. In 1841, at the age of 40, Adolphe-Théodore received the Wollaston Medal for his work with fossil plants. It is the highest award granted by the Geological Society of London. It must have made his father, Alexander, very proud. Adolphe-Théodore was a professor at the Paris Museum of Natural History. He was the backfill for Andre Michaux, who had left to explore the flora of North America. Adolphe-Théodore's wife died young. They had two boys together, and when Adolphe-Théodore died, he died in the arms of his eldest son. 1825 King Charles X honored the Belgian botanical illustrator Pierre-Joseph Redouté with the Legion of Honor. To this day, Redouté is one of the most renowned flower painters of all time. Redouté was born into a Flemish family of painters. Growing up, his family supported themselves by creating paintings for the home and for the church. Redouté was an official court draftsman to Queen Marie Antoinette. One evening around midnight, she summoned him to appear before her, and she asked him to paint her a cactus. She was exerting her control; she wanted to see if Redouté was as talented as was reported. (He was.) Redouté also became a favorite of Josephine Bonaparte. Redouté's paintings of her flowers at Malmaison are among his most beautiful works. Today, Redouté is best known for his paintings of lilies and roses. Roses were his specialty. And, Redouté's work earned him a nickname; he was known as "the Raffaele of flowers.". Now, if you'd like to really treat yourself or get a special gift or a gardener in your life, you should check out the book by Werner Dressendorfer called Redouté: Selection of the Most Beautiful Flowers. This is a large coffee table book. It is probably one of the most beautiful books I've ever seen; again, it's called Redoute: A Selection of the Most Beautiful Flowers. This book came out in September of 2018, and I finally just got myself a copy of it after mulling it over for over a year. the book features 144 paintings by Redouté that were published between 1827 and 1833. it's is truly one of my favorite books in my Botanical Library. When this book first came out, it retailed for $150. You can get new copies of Redouté: Selection of the Most Beautiful Flowers by Werner Dressendorfer and support the show - using the link in Today Show notes for $83. I managed to get an excellent used copy for $65. But, as I said, this is an investment piece, and it's also extraordinarily beautiful. I guarantee if you have this book sitting out, your visitors will be sure to comment, and they probably won't be able to resist looking through the beautiful paintings. Glorious. 1836 Today is the birthday of the botanical painter Henri Fantin-Latour (Fahn-tahn Lah-tur"). It's kind of humorous to me that we end up discussing Henri Fantin-LaTour today - right after Pierre Joseph Redoute - because Henri painted flowers as well. But, unlike Pierre Joseph Redoute, Henri got so sick of painting flowers that he could find no joy in doing it for the end of his career. All together, Henry painted well over 800 pictures of flowers over 32 years between 1864 and 1896. By the end of his career, the entire genre of still life flower painting was life-draining to him. He despised it. Yet, it's how he made a living, and many of his paintings bought to be displayed in homes. The painter James Whistler talked up Henri's work so much that his flower paintings were quite famous in England. In fact, during his lifetime, he was better known in England as a painter than he was in his native France. Henri also painted portraits, as well as group portraits of Parisian artists, and he even painted imaginative compositions. He enjoyed painting portraits and his other creative work more than painting flowers. But, it was always the flower paintings that sold, and so he kept painting them to support himself. 1892 Today is the anniversary of the death of the exceptionally talented Scottish botanical illustrator Walter Hood Fitch. He was 75 years old. Fitch was one of the most prolific botanical artists of all time. His illustrations were stunning, and he used vivid colors for his work. In 1834, Walter began working for William Hooker. Hooker was the editor of Curtis's Botanical Magazine. Walter's very first published plate was of a Mimulus Rose. He didn't know it then, but it was one down, and he had over 2,700 more to go. Hooker loved Walters's work because his paintings reflected the way the plants appeared in real life; they weren't fanciful or embellished, yet they were beautiful. In short order, Walter became the sole artist for the magazine. When Hooker became the director of Kew, the promotion meant moving to London. He talked Walter into moving, too. Pretty soon, Walter was not only making illustrations for the magazine but for everything published at Kew. At the end of his career, around the age of 60, Walter got into a disagreement with William Hooker's son, Joseph Dalton Hooker, over his pay. Walter left his post at Kew and became a freelancer. During his lifetime, Walter created over 12,000 illustrations that found their way to publication in various works. Unearthed Words There is a famous saying, slow as molasses in January. We often think nothing is happening in our gardens during the winter, As Alfred Austin said in his poem, Primroses (Primula vulgaris): Pale January lay In its cradle day by day Dead or living, hard to say. But this belief that January is a dead time in the garden… well, nothing could be further from the truth. Today's Unearthed Words are all about the productivity that takes place in our gardens in January. January is the quietest month in the garden. ... But just because it looks quiet doesn't mean that nothing is happening. The soil, open to the sky, absorbs the pure rainfall while microorganisms convert tilled-under fodder into usable nutrients for the next crop of plants. The feasting earthworms tunnel along, aerating the soil and preparing it to welcome the seeds and bare roots to come. — Rosalie Muller Wright, Editor, Sunset Magazine Nature looks dead in winter because her life is gathered into her heart. She withers the plant down to the root that she may grow it up again, fairer and stronger. She calls her family together within her inmost home to prepare them for being scattered abroad upon the face of the earth. — Hugh Macmillan, Scottish Minister & Naturalist, 1871 Over the land freckled with snow half-thawed The speculating rooks at their nests cawed And saw from elm tops, delicate as flower of grass, What we below could not see, Winter pass. — Edward Thomas, British Poet "You think I am dead," The apple tree said, "Because I never have a leaf to show- Because I stoop, And my branches droop, And the dull gray mosses over me grow! But I'm still alive in trunk and shoot; The buds of next May I fold away- But I pity the withered grass at my root." "You think I am dead," The quick grass said, "Because I have parted with stem and blade! But under the ground, I am safe and sound With the snow's thick blanket over me laid. I'm all alive, and ready to shoot, Come dancing here- But I pity the flower without branch or root." "You think I am dead," A soft voice said, "Because not a branch or root I own. I have never died, but close I hide In a plumy seed that the wind has sown. Patient, I wait through the long winter hours; You will see me again- I shall laugh at you then, Out of the eyes of a hundred flowers." — Edith Matilda Thomas, American Poet Grow That Garden Library A Garden of Marvels by Ruth Kassinger The subtitle to this book is: How We Discovered that Flowers Have Sex, Leaves Eat Air, and Other Secrets of Plants This book came out in April of 2015. Ruth Kassinger didn't always have a green thumb. in this book, she'll tell you that until she completely understood how plants actually worked, she couldn't know precisely what they needed. Her story starts this way, "This book was born of a murder, a murder I committed." The victim - it turns out-was a beloved kumquat tree. Ruth had decided to prune it. Her efforts made the tree turn brittle and brown. It made her wonder: Why did the kumquat die when a rose bush and a crepe myrtle that was pruned the very same way were both thriving? The dilemma is what made Ruth begin a quest to understand more about plant physiology. This book is part memoir and part science-class. Ruth writes with a friendly voice. This book is a beautiful way to learn basic botany - the marvel of flowers, roots, stems, and leaves. While we're learning botany from Ruth, we also get to know her personal stories. Ruth shares how she learned to become a better gardener. Initially, Ruth made the same mistakes we all make: over-watering, under fertilizing, making untrue assumptions about what plants need. You can get a used copy of A Garden of Marvels by Ruth Kassinger and support the show, using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for under $5. Great Gifts for Gardeners 3-Bulb Vase (Plant Terrarium) with Wooden Stand Retro Wooden Frame -3 Glass Plant Vases - for Desktop Rustic wood and vintage design, these decorative glass vases are perfect for propagating plants like hoya, pathos, Swedish Ivy, etc. It is a gorgeous plant prop for your home. The frame is made of natural wood, mottled surface; three bulb vases are made of High boron silicon heat resistant glass. The wooden stand size : 5.5"H x 11" W x 4" D; Each vase : 3.74 H x 2.75 W; Opening – 1 inch Diameter. Perfect for the desktop, in office, or home. Accessories complete- Easy to set up - ready for water (the hexagon screwdriver and screws are included). Today's Botanic Spark January's birth flowers are the carnation and snowdrop. Let's take a moment to celebrate both. Carnations Carnations are some of the world's oldest flowers. They have been cultivated for over 2000 years. The Greeks and Romans used them and garlands Carnations are part of the Dianthus family. Their Latin name is Dianthus caryophyllus. The etymology of the word Dianthus is from two Greek words. Dios means Divine, and Anthos means Flower. And, the translation of dianthus means "Flower of the Gods." Carnations have different meanings based on their color. White carnations symbolize good luck and pure love. Pink carnations represent admiration, and a dark red carnation represents affection and love. Snowdrops January's other birth flower is the Snowdrop (Galanthus). Snowdrops were named by Carl Linnaeus, who gave them the Latin name Galanthus nivalis, which means "milk flower of the snow." Snowdrop is a common name. They were also known as Candlemas Veils because they typically bloom around Candlemas or February 2nd. Snowdrops are an indicator flower signaling the transition from winter into spring. Thus, the meaning of a Snowdrop blossom is Hope. The word Galanthophile is the name given to people who love snowdrops. And here's a Fun Fact: a substance extracted from snowdrops is used to treat Alzheimer's Disease.
Full show notes at the publisherToday we celebrate the woman who has been called the greatest painter of plants and insects who ever lived and the birthday of a man who is remembered in the name of one of the most ubiquitous garden plants. We'll learn about an Austrian-American plant explorer who grew to feel his "real" home was in China, and we'll learn about today's tradition: Plough Monday - the first Monday after the 12 days of Christmas. Today's Unearthed Words feature sweet poetry from a little-known woman who lived in Concord Massachusetts; she was a suffragist, animal rights activist, and American poet. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book that helps us turn our gardens into a sanctuary for restoration and healing. I'll talk about a simple garden item that serves a great purpose and looks great with a simple terra cotta pot, and then we'll wrap things up with an article from the 1930s about how to propagate a popular houseplant through air layering. But first, let's catch up on a few recent events. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart Curated Articles Around the World in Rare and Beautiful Apples - Gastro Obscura Here's a post about William Mullan, who takes gorgeous photos of Rare and Beautiful Apples. His images will open your eyes to the wider spectrum of varieties of the fruit known as apples. The giants of Cornell - Cornell College Here is an excellent post - actually, it's a "Tree-tise." Professor of History Catherine Stewart visited eight trees on the hilltop at Cornell College & wrote about each- imagining what they might tell us if they could speak. Her words appear with each tree. Catherine's post features the Cottonwood, the Redbud (Cercis spp.), the Blue Spruce, Larches, Magnolia, Ginkgo, and White Ash. Here's one of her entries. It is for the Blue Spruce: Botanical name: Picea pungens ("Pie-SEA-ah PUN-gins"). Locations: Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial is west of King Chapel. A second blue spruce that has been noted for its size is in front of Armstrong Hall. Identification: The blue spruce has a pyramidal shape with horizontal, dense branches with sharp blue needles. The bark is silver, grey, and brown with vertical scales. Known for: Providing homes to wildlife in the winter. Then Catherine writes: Most likely to assist you with time travel if you look long enough, and lean in, and breathe in the elixir of its scent. Take a moment and "Tree-t" yourself - by reading this wonderful article. Now, if you'd like to check out these curated articles for yourself, you're in luck, because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. There's no need to take notes or search for links - the next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events 1717 Today is the anniversary of the death of the naturalist and botanical illustrator Maria Sibylla Merian. She was born on April 2, 1647. As a frame of reference, Isaac Newton was only a few years older than her. Unlike Newton, Merian's work was largely forgotten over time. However, during the past century, her work has made its way to us. In 2011, Janet Dailey, a retired teacher, and artist from Springfield, Illinois, became so captivated by Merian's life story that she started a Kickstarter campaign to follow Merian's footsteps to the mecca of her best work - Surinam, in South America. And, in 2013, Merian's birthday was commemorated with a "Google Doodle." Merian would have delighted in our modern-day effort to plant milkweed for the Monarchs. The concept that insects and plants are inextricably bound together was not lost on Merian. In her work, she carefully noted which caterpillars were specialists - the ones that ate only one kind of plant. (You can relate to that concept if your kid only wants to eat Mac and cheese; Hey - they aren't picky - they're specialists.) For centuries, drawings like Merian's were a holy grail for plant identification. One look at Merian's work, and Linneaus immediately knew it was brilliant. Merian helped classify nearly 100 different species long after she was gone from the earth. To this day, entomologists acknowledge that the accuracy in her art is so good they can identify many of her butterflies and moths right down to the species level! Between 1716 and 1717, during the last year of her life, Merian was visited multiple times by her friend, artist Georg Gsell - and his friend Peter the Great. Oh, to be a fly on the wall for THAT meetup. Gsell ended up marrying Merian's youngest daughter, Dorothea Maria, and Peter the Great ended up with 256 Merian paintings. In fact, Peter the Great so loved Merian's paintings, that when she died shortly after his last visit, he quickly sent an agent to buy up every one of her remaining watercolors. The agent was on the case. He bought her entire collection and then promptly brought all of them back to St. Petersburg where they remain to this day. 1761 Today is the anniversary of the death of the Austrian botanist and physician Nicolaus Thomas Host. Host was the physician to the Austrian emperor in Vienna. The genus Hosta was named for Host by Austrian botanist Leopold Trattinnick in 1812. Hostas were brought to Europe by the Dutch nurseryman Philipp Franz Von Siebold. He had visited Japan and brought specimens back to his Leiden Nursery. This is why Hosta Sieboldiana is a famous prefix to so many hosta varieties. Hostas are dependable and tough. They are undemanding herbaceous perennials that give us lush greenery in shady spots. Hostas belong to the Asparagaceae family along with Asparagus, Agave, Lily of the Valley, Sansevieria, Yucca, and Hyacinth. The common name for hosta is plantain lilies - they used to belong to the lily family. Nicholas Host died in 1834. 1884 Today is the birthday of the renowned Austrian-American botanist and explorer Joseph Rock. Joseph was born in Austria but ended up immigrating to the United States and eventually settled in Hawaii, where he was beloved. Joseph became Hawaii's first official botanist. He started teaching as a professor of Botany at the University of Hawaii in 1911. he also served as a botanist for the Hawaiian territorial Board of agriculture. He served in these capacities during his first 13 years in Hawaii and then got about the business of exploring China, which was his primary passion. He left Honolulu in 1920. He always said that he considered China to be his "real" home, "Where life is not governed by the ticking of the clock but by the movement of celestial bodies." Joseph spent much of his adult life - more than 20 years - in southwestern China. There were many instances where he was the first explorer to enter many of the locations he visited. Joseph became so embedded in the country that there were many times that his counterparts in other parts of the world thought that he might have died in the Tibetan or Yunnan ("YOU-nan") mountains. After World War II, Joseph had to be evacuated by plane from the Yunnan province. Joseph recounted many hair-raising stories from his time in China. One time he had collected plants along the base of Mount Gongga ("Gan-GAH") in China's Tibetan Borderland. Mount Gongga is known as "The King of Sichuan ("SITCH-ooh- an") Mountains. One spring, Joseph had great luck collecting around the base of Mount Gongga. When he returned in the fall, Joseph asked the tribal King for permission to go as far as the foot of the peak. Halfway up Mount Gongga, a runner caught up to Joseph and his guides with a letter from the King. Apparently, after their first collecting trip, a severe hail storm had destroyed the fields of the tribe that lived near the mountain range. The tribe blamed the catastrophe on Joseph Rock and his party. They believed that the deity of the mountains was not pleased; the tribe considered the mountains to be sacred. If Joseph and his party were to continue up the mountain, they would certainly be killed. The King requested that Joseph abort the trip - which he did. 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, he was a linguist. He was also regarded as a world-expert cartographer, ornithologist, and anthropologist. From a gardening standpoint, it was Joseph Rock who first introduced blight-resistant Chestnut trees to America. He had sourced them in China, and he also brought us more than 700 species of rhododendron. Some of his original rhododendron seeds were successfully grown in the Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. How could we ever thank him enough for that? In the year before Joseph died, he was granted an honorary doctor of Science degree from the University of Hawaii. He died at the age of 79. 2020 Well, it's official, the holidays are over - today is Plough Monday. Plough Monday is regarded as the traditional start to 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 it represented "men's work". For centuries, Plough Monday represented the day that agricultural workers returned to the fields after resting over the Christmas season. On Plough Monday, farmers would bring their ploughs to church so that they could be blessed. Unearthed Words 1847 Today is the birthday of the suffragist, animal rights activist, and American poet Hannah Rebecca Hudson. Not much is known about the life of Hannah Hudson, but gardeners love her poetry. Hannah's beloved poem called "April," was featured in The Atlantic Monthly, April 1868: "April has searched the winter land And found her petted flowers again She kissed them to unfold her leaves, She coaxed them with her sun and rain, And filled the grass with green content, And made the woods and clover vain." — Her crocuses and violets Give all the world a gay "Good year." Tall irises grow tired of green, And get themselves a purple gear; — She fills the dusk of deepest woods With vague sweet sunshine and surprise, And wakes the periwinkles up To watch her with their wide, blue eyes. — And when she sees the deeper suns That usher in the happy May, She sighs to think her time is past, And weeps because she cannot stay; So leaves her tears upon the grass, And turns her face and glides away. In 1874, when she was 27, Hannah published a book of her original poetry. Hannah was a charter member of the Woburn Women's Club. At the age of 74, Hannah died sitting at her aunt's kitchen table in Woburn, Massachusetts. Hannah is buried at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Concord, Massachusetts. Grow That Garden Library Creating Sanctuary by Jessi Bloom This book is a favorite of mine. Rosemary Gladstar, the herbalist and author, said this about Jessi's book: "In this beautiful, inspiring, and practical book, we are invited to look deeply at the landscape around us and create sacred respites from our busy worlds." Creating Sanctuary is about creating a garden that will nourish your spiritual and emotional well-being. Jessi's beautiful book is chock full of ideas. She will help you discover ways to have a deeper connection with your garden. You'll discover the powerful and beneficial properties of plants, and learn how to incorporate nature-based routines and rituals. With the help of Jessi's book, you can turn your garden into a sanctuary - a place of true restoration for your mind, body, and soul. Jessi's book came out in November of 2018. You can get a used copy of Creating Sanctuary by Jessi Bloom and support the show, using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for under $10. Great Gifts for Gardeners 6 Pack of Plant Saucers - 2.5 Inch Bamboo Round Plant Saucer $9.99 Bamboo (Bambuseae)
You can get this 6 pack of bamboo plant saucers and support the show using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for under $10. Today's Botanic Spark 1935 Today the Pittsburgh Press shared a story about how to propagate a Rubber Plant. "Yes, you can get a new rubber plant by air-layering the old. To do this, a V-shaped cut is made in the branch, almost severing it. The cut should be made near the growing tip. A wedge is then inserted to keep the cut open. Bind the wound all around with sphagnum moss, tying with raffia or cord. Keep this bandage quite moist, never allowing it to dry out, and keep the plant in a warm place. In a month or six weeks, small white roots will appear. Then the new plant is cut from the parent and planted in a pot of Its own without removing the moss bandage. The place where it is cut from the large plant may be rubbed with a little dry sulfur, and it will quickly heal. The young plant in a five or six-inch pot should be kept shaded for a week when it may be brought into the light and watered. January to May is the time of the year most seasonable for this work, but it may be done with varying success the year-round." Rubber Plants (Ficus elastica) are a popular ornamental houseplant plant from the Ficus genus. For gardeners looking for a tree-type plant species with attractive large foliage, the Rubber Plant is an excellent choice. It is also a great low-light specimen. Water your rubber plant once a week and clean leaves monthly.
Today we celebrate the 17th-century renegade who wanted medicine through herbs to be accessible to the people and the Anniversary of the day Indian tea became available for sale in England. We will learn about the American landscape gardener whose superpower was framing a view and the English sculptor who famously said I am the landscape. Today's Unearthed Words feature words from Henry David Thoreau - It turns out it was super cold 164 years ago today. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book that features a beloved poet gardener or gardener poet - whichever you prefer. I'll talk about a garden item that encourages experimentation and facilitates some indoor growing fun in your kitchen, and then we'll wrap things up with the first full moon event in 2020. It's happening today. But first, let's catch up on a few recent events. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart Curated Articles Winter Gardens | Flower Magazine The article features a beautiful, quiet winter garden with Charlotte Moss. A photo shows an urn standing like a sentry in the after-the-snowfall stillness of New York's Gramercy Park. "Reduced to a skeletal state, a garden in winter gives our imaginations an opportunity to explore those possibilities. It allows our eyes the chance to be a paintbrush devising new color schemes and filling in borders. On the other hand, we may choose to simply enjoy the bones of the pleached hedge, the peeling bark of the crape myrtle, remnants of bittersweet, and viburnum berries. Early morning walks reveal piles of oak leaves silver-plated with frost and holly trees standing boastful and defiant in a blaze of color." 'Forgotten' elm tree set to make a comeback - BBC News Good news for Elm trees. Karen Russell says, "With the right people in the right place and the funding, we can put elm back in the landscape. Mature specimens have been identified that are hundreds of years old, and have mysteriously escaped the epidemic. And a new generation of elm seedlings are being bred, which appear to be resistant to the disease." "More than 20 million trees died during the 1960s and 1970s from Dutch elm disease. In the aftermath, the elm was largely forgotten, except among a handful of enthusiasts who have been breeding elite elms that can withstand attack." Elm Facts: Known for its beauty, the elm has been captured in paintings by the likes of John Constable, while Henry VIII's warship, lost in 1545, was built partly from elm. Signs of Dutch elm disease include dead leaves on the tree, yellowing or other discoloration in autumn or spring and wilting leaves and young shoots Dutch elm disease is caused by a fungus spread by a bark beetle. Now, if you'd like to check out these curated articles for yourself, you're in luck, because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. There's no need to take notes or search for links - the next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events 1654 Today is the anniversary of the death of the English physician, botanist, and herbalist Nicholas Culpeper. Culpepper was a non-conformist, and he was also a business owner. Ten years before his death, he found a spot in East London and open the doors to his own apothecary. Culpeper catered to the needs of the people. He took medical books that were written mainly in Latin and translated them into English. the masses were grateful. The medical community wasn't excited about this, and neither were the universities who had a monopoly on training doctors and holding medical information for their paying students. Culpeper wrote one of the first books about the medicinal use of herbs. It was comprehensive and helpful, and for years, it was a sought-after resource. The book was initially known as the English physician, but in the ensuing years, it became known as The Complete Herbal or Culpeper's Herbal. For each herb and plant he featured, Culpeper provided both the Latin and the common name. He also told people where to find the plant, when it flowered, the astrological connections, and how the plant could be used medicinally. Culpeper provided this information for almost 400 different herbs and plants - and in so doing, he revolutionized the medical world. 1839 Today is the day that Indian tea became available to the British people. Unlike the tea from China, Britain was entirely in charge of Indian tea - from the planting to the exportation - and as a result, Indian tea was cheaper than tea from China. The Brits went wild for it, and they drank tea every day. It wasn't long before tea became the official national drink of England. Of course, none of this would have happened without Robert Fortune. Fortune drew the attention of The British East India Company, and they sent him to China. Fortune had a particular mission: get tea plants and figure out how to make tea for drinking. The English only knew what the final tea product looked like - they had no idea how it was made. Fortune traveled to China incognito, dressed like a Mandarin. He had shaved the front of his head, and he had extensions sewn into the remaining hair on the back of his head - so he looked like he has this amazingly long ponytail. Then, he hired guides to do the talking for him. Since there was no national language, Fortune successfully flew under the radar of the emperor. Once in China, Fortune immediately began visiting tea plantations. He learned the methods and ways of harvesting tea plants to make tea. He learned that green tea and black tea come from the same plant; it's the processing method that makes different teas. Thanks to the Wardian case, Fortune was able to ship live plants to India. All told, Fortune managed to smuggle out 20,000 tea plants to India. He even managed to get some of the Chinese tea farmers (with their tools) to leave China and help set up tea production in India. Sara Rose, one of the authors who has written a biography on Fortune, said that what Fortune accomplished was no less than the most significant single act of corporate espionage in the history of the world. Today, China is still the top tea producer with over 2.4 million tons of production. Followed by India at a little less than half and then Kenya, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam make up the next spots. So, tea being grown outside of China is a direct result of Robert Fortune and India, as the number 2 tea producer in the world (behind China) was a feat that was accomplished in less than two centuries. And, again, it wouldn't have happened without Robert Fortune. 1839 Today the American horticulturist and landscape gardener Henry Winthrop Sargent married Caroline Olmsted. A little over a year after marrying Caroline, Henry Winthrop (who was fabulously wealthy) bought a twenty-acre estate that overlooked the Hudson River. He christened it Wodenethe - a marriage of two old Saxon terms Woden (pronounced Woe-den) and ethe, which stands for woody promontory ( promontory is a point of high land that juts out into the sea or a large lake; a headland.) Henry Winthrop's most considerable influence was his friend Andrew Jackson Downing. One historian wrote, "Had there been no Downing, there would have been no Wodeneth." Downing was a renowned landscape designer, horticulturist, and writer, and his botanic garden was just across the river from Wodenethe. In addition to Downing's guidance, Henry Winthrop had vision and courage - two characteristics that are often found in master Landscape Designers. One of his first actions at Wodenethe was to remove trees and foliage that obstructed scenic vistas - that's a scary proposition for many gardeners. Yet, Henry Winthrop was exacting when it came to vistas. This skill in framing a scene was Henry Winthrop's superpower, and he even created windows for his home that were shaped to maximize the view to the outside. One story about Henry Winthrop's exceptional ability to create a view involves his son, Winthrop. One time a woman visited the Sargents, and when she looked out the window, she noticed little Winthrop out on the lawn. Henry Winthrop had created the view to look like the lawn extended out to the Hudson, creating a sense that there was a sharp dropoff - almost like the lawn ran out to the edge of a cliff. Concerned for Winthrop, the lady visitor commented something to the effect of how SHE wouldn't let her own children play so close to that dropoff. Well, after that visit, Henry Winthrop would often have little Winthrop go out to the lawn with a fishing pole and pretend to fish off the edge. In reality, he was sitting a good mile away from the water's edge - quite safe on the flat earth. But, Henry Winthrop's masterful vista created an artful and beautiful illusion. 1903 Today is the birthday of the British sculptor Dame Barbara Hepworth. Barbara drew inspiration from nature, the shoreline, and the landscape., she was one of the most influential figures in the creation of Abstract Art in Britain. In 1949, Barbara left London went to St Ives. For 26 years, she lived & worked at Trewyn studios, and she considered finding the studio 'a sort of magic.' Barbara died in an accidental fire at her Trewyn Studios at the age of 72. She had been smoking in her bed. You can still see the scorch marks at Trewyn. A year after her death, her Trewyn studio became the Barbara Hepworth Museum. Following her wishes, both the Museum & Sculpture Garden opened to the public in 1976. People who visit the garden are stunned by the beauty, peace, and tranquility. Barbara would be pleased that people often describe Trewyn as a magical place. It's a beautiful mix of art and nature. To see her working studio is absolutely incredible; it's an extraordinary place. It was Barbara Hepworth who famously said, "I, the sculptor, am the landscape." "In the contemplation of nature, we are perpetually renewed." Unearthed Words 1856 Today Henry David Thoreau wrote in his diary: "-2 degrees at breakfast time, but this has been the coldest night probably. You lie with your feet or legs curled up, waiting for morning, the sheets shining with frost about your mouth. Water left by the stove is frozen thickly, and what you sprinkle in bathing falls on the floor ice. The house plants are all frozen and soon droop and turn black. I look out on the roof of a cottage covered a foot deep with snow, wondering how the poor children in its garret, with their few rags, contrive to keep their toes warm. I mark the white smoke from its chimney, whose contracted wreaths are soon dissipated in this stinging air, and think of the size of their wood-pile, and again I try to realize how they panted for a breath of cool air those sultry nights last summer. Realize it now if you can. Recall the hum of the mosquito." Grow That Garden Library Emily Dickinson's Gardens by Marta McDowell Before Marta's latest book on Emily Dickinson, she wrote this book. As Marta points out at the beginning of this book, Emily Dickinson was a gardener. She grew up in a family of gardeners. Emily herself would send bouquets to friends, and she often slipped little flowers in two envelopes alongside her nearly 1,000 letters to friends and family. Most people think of Emily as a poet or writer; they don't think of her as a gardener. The fact that Marta has written two books about Emily Dickinson's gardening passion is a clue to how vital the activity was in her life. This first book of Marta's is a sentimental favorite of mine. And I love that book is arranged by season. In the section on Winter, Marta talks about the final years of Emily's life, which were a winter of loss. Her father died and then her mother. Emily referred to her house as a House of snow. Emily wrote, "I wish, until I tremble, to touch the ones I love before the hills are red - are gray - are white - are 'born again'! If we knew how deep the crocus lay, we never should let her go!" You can get a used copy of Emily Dickinson's Gardens by Marta McDowell and support the show, using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for under $10. Great Gifts for Gardeners Back to the Roots Organic Mushroom Farm Grow Kit, Harvest Gourmet Oyster Mushrooms In 10 days for $15.99 Back to the Roots is on a mission to undo food. In a college class, they learned mushrooms could grow entirely on spent coffee grounds. After watching hours of how-to videos & turning our fraternity kitchen into a big science experiment, they eventually decided to give up our corporate job offers to become full-time mushroom farmers instead. What started as curiosity about urban farming has turned into a passion for undoing food & reconnecting families back to where it comes from. Grow delicious, gourmet oyster mushrooms right out of the box in just ten days! Just add water and watch them double in size each day. Perfect for tacos, pizza, soups, and salads. This kit has been ranked among top Holiday Gifts, Gardening Gifts, Teachers Gifts & Unique Gifts. It comes READY TO GIFT in beautiful packaging & will be sure to be THE gift of the year. Go ahead & treat yourself or a loved one today! EVERYTHING INCLUDED: Simply mist your kit with water, and you'll have gourmet oyster mushrooms in 10 days! Great gift for kids, teachers, foodies & gardeners - no green thumb needed! Includes spray bottle, Mushroom Discovery Book & STEM curriculum online. MADE IN THE USA & 100% GUARANTEED TO GROW: All Back to the Roots Indoor Gardening Kits are backed by this promise – if your kit doesn't grow as described, we'll replace it free of charge or provide a 100% refund. The Organic Mushroom Growing Kit works year 'round in any city - Spring, Summer, Fall, or Winter! Just place the box near a window with indirect light, mist twice a day, and you'll see delicious, beautiful mushrooms growing within a week! Today's Botanic Spark Today we celebrate the first full moon of the year, also known as the Wolf Moon. The Wolf Moon can be seen rising on the horizon, although it reaches peak fullness at 2:21 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. Today's Wolf Moon will experience a partial lunar eclipse that will last four hours and five minutes. The lunar eclipse will only be visible from Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia. India will have the best view. January's moon is called the Wolf Moon - supposedly because wolves are hungry and more vocal in January. They often howl more frequently during the winter months.
Full show notes at the publisherToday we celebrate an incredible woman, a true pioneer of Canada and a writer and botanical illustrator. We'll learn about one of the most dedicated and famous bryologists, and she helped establish the New York Botanical Garden. Today's Unearthed Words feature wonderful thoughts on the gardener's favorite winter reading material - seed catalogs. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book that helps us Garden through the back half of our lives. I'll talk about a garden item that will brighten up a corner in your cozy winter home and then we'll wrap things up with the most charming, memorable, and heartbreaking story, and I'm so glad I stumbled on it, and I am so excited to share it with you. But first, let's catch up on a few recent events. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart Curated Articles Japan's winter peonies (kan-botan) - IKIDANE NIPPON Check out Japan's winter peonies. They aren't allowed to flower in the Spring/Summer and are forced to bloom in winter. Each peony is covered with a little straw tent. Kan-botan (寒牡丹) or Fuyu-botan (冬牡丹) means "winter peonies." Andre Baranowski's Garden Wild - Flower Magazine New Book: Andre Baranowski's Garden Wild. One garden features Jorge Sánchez - who transplanted stumps of slash pines from Florida and added mosses. Ingenious. Now, if you'd like to check out these curated articles for yourself, you're in luck, because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. There's no need to take notes or search for links - the next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events 1802 Today is the birthday of the Canadian-English writer and botanical illustrator Catherine Parr Traill - she was such an amazing woman. When Catherine was 30 years old, she was newly married, and she immigrated with her husband to Canada. Her family wasn't thrilled about any of it. They didn't approve of her choice and husband, and they certainly didn't like the idea of her leaving England. Yet, there she was in a boat on the river to Peterborough when she saw some Cardinal Flowers growing along the riverbank. Catherine was enthralled. The flowers in Canada were drastically different from those she'd grown up with, and her passion for wildflowers would help sustain her during the hardships of settling in the Wilds of Canada. Catherine ultimately became known as the botanist of the Backwoods. Although she had never formally studied botany, her accomplishments were quite extraordinary. Catherine published a book called Canadian wildflowers. Her niece took care of the illustrations. The book was helpful and beautiful. It was bound together in a large folio with colored plates, which is now regarded as a rare and valuable antique book. One of the reasons the book is now so rare is that back in the mid-to-late 1800s, the book was used to decorate homes. Young mothers and wives would tear out the beautiful large hand-colored plates and frame them Dash, probably displaying them in their parlors or bedrooms. Settling in the Backwoods of Canada nearly broke her husband. Clearing the land was backbreaking work the weather Dash, especially during the winter, was incredibly harsh, and for the first three years, there was nothing to harvest. Although they were landowners, there was little labor around to help. One of their homes was destroyed in a fire, and another was seized by the bank to pay off debt. It was Catherine's General optimism and enthusiasm for the outdoors that carried her family through the hardest years. In all, Catherine spent 65 years in Canada. She raised nine children. Experts agree that her best work was a book called Backwoods of Canada that was intended to be a handbook for emigrating women. Catherine's tone was cheerful and direct. Her entire life, Catherine was incredibly observant and resourceful, and she pulled those skills together as she created the content for her writing. Despite all the terrible hardships she and her family endured, Catherine was a prolific writer, and she always stayed sweet. Catherine died in her home at the age of 98. 1857 Today is the birthday of the famous bryologist Elizabeth Gertrude Knight Britton. Elizabeth married the botanist Nathaniel Lord Britton. She was a teacher, and he was a professor of botany at Columbia University. Together, they helped create the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx. Their primary source of Inspirationtion was Kew Gardens in London. Elizabeth was a bryologist. Bryology is the study of mosses. The root, bryōs, is a Greek verb meaning to swell and is the etymology of the word embryo. Bryology will be easier to remember if you think of the ability of moss to expand as it takes on water. Uniquely skilled for her time, Elizabeth Britton was intelligent, resourceful, and not afraid to speak her mind. The author Elizabeth Gilbert used the real-life Elizabeth Gertrude Britain as the inspiration for the heroine and her novel The Signature of All Things. In researching Britton, Gilbert read through many of her letters and correspondence. Gilbert said that "In one of her letters, a fellow botanist had sent her a species of moth he thinks he has discovered and wants to name after himself. But Britain replied something like, 'Do your research, my friend; I've got 20 of these in my cabinet already.'" Elizabeth Britton was also dedicated to conservation. In 1902, Elizabeth helped found the Wildflower Preservation Society of America. 2004 Today the Beatrix Farrand Society purchased the Garland Farm under the mission "to foster the art and science of horticulture and landscape design, with emphasis on the life and work of Beatrix Farrand." The goal was to preserve Garland Farm and Beatrix Farrand's final garden. Beatrix was a landscape gardener and landscape architect in the United States. 1969 Forty-Nine years ago today "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" by Marvin Gaye hit the #1 spot on the charts. It stayed there for seven weeks. Unearthed Words Today's Unearthed Words are all about seed catalogs. If you are a new gardener, welcome to the joy of curling up on the couch with a cup of coffee and a notebook and a seed catalog. If you're a veteran gardener, you got this down. In either case, you'll enjoy these verses and poems on a gardener's favorite Winter activity: going through seed catalogs. There are two seasonal diversions that can ease the bite of any winter. One is the January thaw. The other is the seed catalogs. — Hal Borland Aside from the garden of Eden, man's great temptation took place when he first received his seed catalog. — Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, 1807-1882, American poet For gardeners, this is the season of lists and callow hopefulness; hundreds of thousands of bewitched readers are poring over their catalogs, making lists . . . , and dreaming their dreams. — Katharine White, "A Romp in the Catalogues," The New Yorker, 1958, collected in Onward and Upward in the Garden, 1979 I read [garden catalogs] for news, for driblets of knowledge, for aesthetic pleasure, and at the same time, I am planning the future - so I read in dream. — Katharine White, in The New Yorker, March 1, 1959, collected in Onward and Upward in the Garden I have seen women looking at jewelry ads with a misty eye and one hand resting on the heart, and I only know what they're feeling because that's how I read the seed catalogs in January. — Barbara Kingsolver, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, 2007 I don't believe the half I hear, Nor the quarter of what I see! But I have one faith, sublime and true, That nothing can shake or slay; Each spring I firmly believe anew All the seed catalogs say! — Carolyn Wells Grow That Garden Library The Lifelong Gardener by Toni Gattone The subtitle to this book is: Garden with Ease and Joy at Any Age. Carl Honoré, the author of In Praise of Slowness, said this about Toni's book: "The secret to making the most of later life is to keep doing what you love. With practical advice and gentle inspiration, Gattone shows us how gardening can work for people of any age." As a Master Gardener, Toni teaches people how to garden all the time. One of the things she started noticing is that the majority of her students are seniors. As a senior herself, Toni quickly learned that adaptive gardening is a vital practice for people who want to continue to work in their Gardens as they age. As Toni says "My Generation, the Boomers, doesn't want to give up the things we love just because we're getting older. Never give up is our motto. My purpose for writing this book is to share what I've learned about how to keep gardening even when your back or knees are screaming at you." And Toni offers ten adaptive gardening rules to live by. I won't read all 10 of them to you, but I'll share a few to help you get the gist
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Today's Botanic Spark Today's profile of Catherine Parr Traill is quite something, and I ran across an adorable story when I was researching her (it's a little heartbreaking as well). As I mentioned earlier, Catherine and her husband, Thomas, faced extraordinary challenges as settlers in the Backwoods of Canada. Whatever loveliness or dear possession they had brought with them from England ended up either ruined or sold or lost to them - one by one - in their great effort to survive. At one point, the only thing Catherine had left was her prized possession of silver spoons. They had been in her family for generations. One day, Catherine realized her spoons were gone. Distressed and alarmed, Catherine discovered that her young son Willie admitted he had taken them, and he had planted them in the garden. When she asked him why he said he wanted to get "more poons" (he couldn't say his s's properly). In any case, the entire family went out into the garden and searched and searched - but never found the silver spoons. But, I'm betting that every time Catherine worked in the garden, she was hopeful that she might run across them.
Today we celebrate the ending of the 1675 coffee shop ban in England and the birthday of a man who devised his own theory of evolution independently of Charles Darwin. We'll learn about one of the fiercest Dutch conservationists and the nurseryman who created the world's most excellent arboretum. Today's Unearthed Words feature fabulous one-liners about January. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book that helps us grow houseplants - the official greenery of January and February. I'll talk about a garden item that can help you relax, and then we'll wrap things up with the birthday of a plant wizard who brought the date palm to California. But first, let's catch up on a few recent events. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart Curated Articles Gardens: dogwood days | Dan Pearson | Life and style | The Guardian Great post from @thedanpearson about Dogwood & this helpful tip: "Cornus takes easily from hardwood cuttings. Save prunings and plunge a few pencil-thick lengths into the ground by your mother plant. They will be rooted and ready to lift within a year." Top 5 flower trends for 2020, according to Serenata Flowers From @HouseBeautiful We can expect to see more warm palettes and soft neutrals in bouquets. "One particular shade, known as 'neo-mint,' is described as an 'oxygenating, fresh tone,' and expected to be seen much more throughout 2020. Now, if you'd like to check out these curated articles for yourself, you're in luck, because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. There's no need to take notes or search for links - the next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events 1676 On December 23, 1675, King Charles II issued a proclamation suppressing Coffee Houses in England. The edict lasted 16 days. The public response was so negative that he revoked it on this day, January 8, 1676. 1823 Today is the birthday of the British naturalist Alfred Wallace. Wallace developed his theory of natural selection quite independently of Charles Darwin - although he did send his theory to Darwin. Wallace's work prompted Darwin to get serious about publishing his 20-year-old idea. In 1858, both Wallace and Darwin's work was presented to the Linnaean Society. Wallace published a remarkable book called The Malay Archipelago. The book is considered a classic and covers the flora, fauna, and folks native to the area - now known as Malaysia and Indonesia. Wallace wrote, "Nature seems to have taken every precaution that these, her choicest treasures, may not lose value by being too easily obtained." Wallace has been obscured by Darwin over the course of history. Yet, when he died at the age of 91, his obituaries praised him as an extraordinary figure. One obituary said, "He was one of the greatest and brightest and clearest thinkers of his age...of one thing I am certain, and that is that never has anybody come more fully within my favorite description of a great man, namely, that 'he is a combination of the head of a man and the heart of a boy.'" A forthcoming children's book about Wallace is titled Darwin's Rival: Alfred Russel Wallaceand the search for evolution by Christian Dorian. 1945 Today is the anniversary of the death of the Dutch conservationist and botanist Jac P Thijsse. Jac founded the Society for the Preservation of Nature Monuments in Holland. His 60th birthday present was a wildlife garden in Bloemendaal near Haarlem. After WWI, a Dutch food company by the name of Verkade (vare-Kah-dah) ask Jac to create some album books on the Flora of the Netherlands. Essentially, the books became a collector series Album with empty spots for photo cards, which were distributed individually with the biscuits. The Dutch would buy their biscuits, and then they would place the card in the space designed for it in the book. These albums were quite trendy among the Dutch and today sell for hundreds to thousands of dollars apiece today on auction websites. Today in the Netherlands, there is a college named after Jac, and he always makes the top 100 Dutchman's list. 1985 Today is the anniversary of the death of conservationist and plantsman Harold Hillier. In 1864, Hilliard's grandfather Edwin began the family Nursery. His son was supposed to take over the family business, but he died during the war, and so it fell to Edwin's grandson Herald to continue his legacy. Harold immediately set about creating a public garden and arboretum alongside the nursery. The site was already home to some magnificent trees - some of which were at least 200 years old. In an article from 2019, it was revealed that the Hillier Arboretum is home to the largest collection of Champion Trees in all of Britain and Ireland with a whopping total of 611 followed by Kew Garden with 333 Champion Trees. Champion Trees fit into three categories being either the largest, the finest, or the rarest of their species. Today the Hillier Nursery is putting together a Champion Tree Trail throughout the Arboretum so that visitors can walk to each of the Champion tree specimens. Among some of the Champion Trees are specimen eucalyptus from Australia, rare pine trees from Mexico, and Sequoias from North America. The Hillier Arboretum really began as a propagation holding place for the nursery. If a tree needed to be propagated, the nursery workers would just go out to the Arboretum and take a scion wood or seeds from the tree there. Similarly, if the nursery received some incredible rootstock or seed, they would sell most of it but hold some back for the Arboretum. Today the 180-acre Arboretum is entirely separate from the nursery, and it features about 42,000 plants across 1200 taxa. the Arboretum features 11 National Plant Collections and has magnificent specimens of witch hazel and oak. Hillier died just six days after his 80th birthday. Harold spent his entire life working to save rare and endangered trees and shrubs from Extinction. In 1978 he gifted the Hillier Arboretum with thousands of specimens in plants. When asked by a reporter for his opinion on plant conservation, Hillier famously replied, "While others are talking about it, I am doing it, roots in the ground, planting, planting, planting." Unearthed Words Today's Unearthed Words are incredible and unforgettable onliners about January. January brings the snow, Makes our feet and fingers glow. — Sara Coleridge, English author "Come, ye cold winds, at January's call, On whistling wings, and with white flakes bestrew The earth." — John Ruskin, an English art critic, and thinker "Let us love winter, for it is the spring of genius." — Pietro Aretino ("Pee-et-tro Air-ah-TEE-no"), Italian author O, wind, If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind? — Percy Bysshe Shelley, Romantic poet In seed-time learn, in harvest teach, in winter enjoy. — William Blake, English poet When one reads a poem in January, it is as lovely as when one goes for a walk in June. — Jean-Paul Friedrich Richter, German writer "Nothing is as easy to make as a promise this winter to do something next summer; this is how commencement speakers are caught." — Sydney J. Harris, Chicago Journalist Grow That Garden Library Houseplants by Lisa Steinkopf The resurgent interest in houseplants is due primarily to Millennials who are filling every nook and cranny in their homes with houseplants. Those smart millennials! If you (like so many millennials) are filling your house with houseplants - especially during the winter season when they add so much - humidity, green, a touch of the outdoors, and clean air. One of the things I appreciated the most about Lisa's book is that she divided the 125 houseplants featured in her book into three helpful categories - Easy to Grow, Moderately Easy-to-Grow, and Don't-Try-This-at-Home-It's-A-Waste-of-Money-and-Time-and-You-Really-Need-That-New-Pair-of-Shoes. Just kidding. It's actually just called Challenging to Grow. (Which doesn't sound so bad now, does it? Still - be careful here.) Now, guess which one Lisa and I spent the most time talking about when we chatted a while back? You're right, again - the easy-to-grow category. Why? Because that's where the sweet spot is. These plants give the best return on investment of your time and money. These are also the plants that will provide you with the most personal satisfaction. Here's what you are going to love about Lisa's book: she's down-to-earth, and she's a conscious competent - she knows how to teach houseplants to anyone (even those without green thumbs!) I'm also betting she must be an incredibly wonderful mom and wife because her understanding family has made room for over 1,000 houseplants thriving under Lisa's care and supervision. This book came out in 2017. You can get a used copy of Houseplants by Lisa Steinkopf and support the show, using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for under $14. Great Gifts for Gardeners Coloring Fibonacci in Nature by Art Therapy Lab Assembled here is a collection of outline illustrations inspired by the Fibonacci number sequence found in nature. They appear everywhere in nature, from the leaf arrangement in plants to the pattern of the florets of a flower, the bracts of a pinecone, or the chambers of a nautical shell. The Fibonacci Sequence applies to the growth of every living thing, including a single cell, a grain of wheat, a hive of bees, and even all of mankind. You can get the coloring book and support the show, using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for under $20. Today's Botanic Spark 1892 Today is the birthday of the agricultural botanist and plant wizard Walter Tennyson Swingle. Swingle was a very popular botanist during his lifetime. He made the news for several remarkable achievements in the world of horticulture. He introduced the Date Palm to California. He created many new citruses through hybridizing. In 1897, Swing made the first man-made cross of a Bowen grapefruit and a Dancy tangerine in Eustis, Florida. In 1909, Swingle created the limequat, a cross between the key lime and the kumquat. That same year, Swingle created the Citrangequat, which is a trigeneric citrus hybrid of a citrange and a kumquat. Swingle developed the Citrange, a combination of the sweet orange and the trifoliate orange. He was attempting to breed an orange tree that could withstand colder weather. Swingle was born in Pennsylvania. His family quickly moved to Kansas, where he was home-schooled and ultimately educated at Kansas State Agricultural College. In short order, Swingle began working for the government at the United States Bureau of Plant Industry in the Department of Agriculture. The USDA immediately put him to work, sending him to nearly every country in the world. Swingle brought Egyptian Cotton to Arizona and Acala Cotton to California. However, Swingle'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. Swingle was intelligent and observant, and he noticed that the climate and soil in Algeria mirrored that of California. Swingle was optimistic about the Date Palm's chances in California right from the get-go, writing: "No heat is too great and nor air too dry for this remarkable plant, which is actually favored by a rainless climate and by hot desert winds. It is also shown that the date palm can withstand great quantities of alkali in the soil- more than any other useful plant…It is probably the only profitable crop that can succeed permanently.' 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. Today, Dates are one of California's main exports. The total value of the Date crop is approaching $100 million every single year.
Today we celebrate the wealthy Dutch banker who bought enough plants to fill a book for a young Carl Linnaeus and a royal gardener who is an ancestor of Princess Diana. We'll learn about the man who started the first seed company in America and the German botanist buried in the Botanical Garden he curated during his lifetime. Today's Unearthed Words feature words for children about January. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book written by a beloved Washington DC garden columnist. I'll talk about a garden item that I use all the time in my potting shed and around my garden (so many uses!), and then we'll wrap things up with the New Zealand gardener, who is featured in one of my all-time favorite garden photos. But first, let's catch up on a few recent events. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart Curated Articles Gardening: Going blue for 2020 The Pantone color of the year for 2020 is Classic Blue. Here's a great post from Nancy Szerlag Detroit News who suggests blue options for the garden: "If I were to look for that color to use in the garden, my first thought would be a Delphinium. Nigella 'Miss Jekyll' produces exquisite quarter-sized blue flowers on 15-inch plants in full to part sun in late spring or early summer. They are said to reseed annually, so I'm hoping a one-time planting of seed will do the job. A favorite blue flowering shrub of mine is Proven Winners Color Choice 'Blue Chiffon' Rose of Sharon. In full sun, it will climb to 10 feet and be covered in lovely anemone-like blossoms for several weeks in summer." Paris in Bloom - Flower Magazine Here's an excerpt from Georgianna Lane's new book Paris in Bloom. Georgianna's charming images of parks, gardens, shops, and architectural motifs are a vision of Romance and Spring - the perfect gift for Valentine's Day. Now, if you'd like to check out these curated articles for yourself, you're in luck, because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. There's no need to take notes or search for links - the next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events 1685 Today is the birthday of the wealthy Dutch banker and a director of the Dutch East India Company George Clifford III. Clifford loved gardens and had a passion for plants and plant collecting. His work with the Dutch East India Company had made him quite wealthy, and he could afford to purchase the latest plants discovered from around the world in the early 1700s. Clifford invited a young Swedish naturalist to come and stay at his estate. Over two years from 1736 to 1738, Carl Linnaeus helped Clifford with his plant inventory, and he cataloged his vast herbarium. Clifford's estate gave Linnaeus a treasure trove of botanical specimens, which became the subjects of a book - his early Botanical Masterpiece called Hortus Cliffortianus. The book is essentially an inventory of Clifford's plant collection. Today Clifford's herbarium is housed at the National History Museum in London. 1715 Today is the anniversary of the death of Mary Somerset, Duchess of Beaufort ("BOH-fert"). She was an avid gardener and botanist. She survived two husbands and had eight children. After she was widowed a second time, she focused all of her discretionary effort on gardening. The best horticultural minds of her time helped Mary with her efforts: George London, Lenard Plukenet, and William Sherard. Her next-door neighbor was Sir Hans Sloane, and when Mary died, she (like almost every plant-lover of her era) left her herbarium and other valuable botanical items to him. This is how Hans Sloane became a one-man Botanical Repository. Among Mary's many descendants are Princess Diana and the genus Beaufortia was named in her honor by Robert Brown. 1784 Today, David Landreth started the first American commercial seed business in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. David and his family immigrated to Montreal from England in 1780. Four years later, David relocated his family to Philadelphia and named the company simply David Landreth. David was one of the first nurseries to propagate seeds from the Lewis and Clark expeditions. He introduced the Mexican Zinnia in 1798, the garden tomato in 1820, the 'Landreths' Extra Early' pea in 1822, and the 'Bloomsdale' spinach in 1826. His son, David Jr, took over the business after his death. David Jr. was one of the founding members of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, which started in 1827. Today the Landreth Seed Company is the fifth oldest corporation in America. 1848 Today is the birthday of the German botanist and curator of Berlin Botanical Garden, Ignatz Urban. He helped catalog the Flora of the Caribbean and Brazil. In 1986, Urban's tombstone was moved to the Botanical Garden he helped relocate during his tenure. He lies alongside other well-known botanists in Berlin. Unearthed Words Today's Unearthed Words were written to delight little ears, which makes them timeless in my book. The theme, of course, is January. Little January Tapped at my door today. And said, "Put on your winter wraps, And come outdoors to play." Little January Is always full of fun; Until the set of sun. Little January Will stay a month with me And we will have such jolly times - Just come along and see. — Winifred Marshall Gales, Abolitionist & Author, January The sun came out, And the snowman cried. His tears ran down on every side. His tears ran down Till the spot was cleared. He cried so hard That he disappeared. — Margaret Hillert, American author, poet, and educator, January Thaw January opens The box of the year And brings out days That are bright and clear And brings out days That are cold and grey And shouts, "Come see What I brought today! — Leland B. Jacobs, Poet & Literature Professor at Ohio State, January In January it's so nice while slipping on the sliding ice to sip hot chicken soup with rice. Sipping once Sipping twice. — Maurice Sendak, American illustrator, and writer of children's books (Where the Wild Things Are), In January Grow That Garden Library The Essential Earthman by Henry Clay Mitchell Mitchell was a garden columnist for the Washington Post, and this book was the sharing of the many posts featured in his column. As a writer, Mitchell was down-to-earth and funny. As a gardener, Mitchell was down-to-earth and funny. This is why, for me, his book is a personal favorite. Here is an excerpt regarding his suggested New Year's Resolutions for gardeners: "The days are now at their shortest, and the gardener should keep it in mind that his ill humor and (as it may be) gloominess is directly linked to this nadir of the year. All that is necessary is to hold on until spring or a few sunny days, which will surely come in January, February, March, April, or May at the latest. Meanwhile, several activities will help the gardener keep cheerful.
You can get a used copy of Mitchell's book and support the show, using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for around $3. Great Gifts for Gardeners RETON 20 PCS Black Color Heavy-duty Steel S-hooks for Plants, Towels $7.99
Today's Botanic Spark 1983 Today is the anniversary of the death of New Zealand botanist Eliza Amy Hodgson. Hodgson specialized in liverworts. Liverworts are nonvascular plants like mosses. Without a vascular system, mosses and liverworts don't get very big. These are tiny plants to be sure, and worts are considered one level simpler than mosses. They grow flat on the ground and have large leaf-like structures. Like mosses, worts thrive in moist areas. The word "wort" means "little plant, herb or root" (St. John's Wort, Pennywort, lungwort, and Bladderwort.) Long ago, herbalists likely thought one of the liverworts resembled a liver - and so used it as a medicine for liver ailments. Thus, the word liverwort means a "liver-like small plant." Now, the reason I chose Eliza Amy Hodgson to close the show today is that she is often shown in a photo, standing in front of a flower border with green foliage and white blossoms. The only problem with the photo is that Eliza is wearing a green hat along with a green dress that is covered in white leaves, which turns the photo into a bit of a Where's Waldo - and it makes sweet Eliza look like her head is floating above the Landscape. So, here's a thank you to dear Eliza - who gives us the good reminder never to have your clothes blend in too much with the garden - lest you, in an odd way, become part of the garden itself.
Today we celebrate the one of the 19th century's top orchidologist and the birthday of a man who used his wealth to purchase an American garden treasure. We'll learn about one of the most prolific female plant collectors and the florist who shocked London with her floral displays. Today's Unearthed Words feature a beloved American poet and children's book author celebrating her 93rd birthday. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book that helps us grow edibles indoors - a great topic for January. I'll talk about a garden item that can help define the look of your garden space, and then we'll wrap things up with the birthday of a master storyteller who incorporated descriptions of real and fictitious plants in his landscapes. But first, let's catch up on a few recent events. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart Curated Articles How to make a small garden feel more spacious | Blog at Thompson & Morgan "If you can hone down the style of your space in terms of colors & style, keep the number of different materials used to a minimum and pare down your planting palette, you'll find the overall look is more coherent and pleasing to Colombian Botanist Risking His Life To Preserve Nature's Memory | @IBTimes From @IBTimes The botanist Julio Betancur is a 59-year-old, a biologist, university professor and "collector of bromeliads -- which include the pineapple, Spanish moss and queen of the Andes -- says it's worth taking the risks so his country can 'know about' its biodiversity. "Every time I take a botanical sample it's like writing a page in the book of our forests," he said. In the future, once the vegetation has disappeared from somewhere, people "will know what species lived there at a certain time and with that will reconstruct the natural history of this territory." Now, if you'd like to check out these curated articles for yourself, you're in luck, because 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 and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events 1796 Today is the birthday of the Scottish artist, naturalist, and ornithologist William MacGillvray. He once walked 838 miles from Old Aberdeen to London in order to visit the natural history museum there. Along the way, MacGillvray documented all the flora and fauna he encountered. You can read about it in a book by Dr. Robert Ralph called A Walk to London. It's a brilliant read. (Btw, In his journal, MacGillvray also kept a tally of all the whiskeys he drank on the way to London!) At the bottom of every day he would right his miles walked that day, the total miles walked, and the number of whiskies drank. Here's one humorous account from September 11, 1819: "As I have no Botanical accounts for my readers tonight I shall try to patch up a story somehow or other...My readers will recollect that I came here on a dark night, wet and weary. At the door I met a woman of whom I am required if I might stay all night. Like other honest women of her kind she thought fit to scrutinize my exterior in order to regulate her conduct by the result. So a candle was held to my face, and adore then opened for me. The results of my examination was not favorable to me as I was informed that I would be obliged to sleep with a man to whom she pointed in bed, and as I grumbled told me to reconsider the matter." MacGillvray was a Professor of Natural History at the University of Aberdeen from 1841 until his death. He founded the Zoology Museum, which still houses some of his specimens. The MacGillvray warbler is named after MacGillvray. 1884 Today is the anniversary of the death of the Austrian botanist and monk Gregor Mendel. He pioneered the study of heredity when he gave peas a chance. In all seriousness, he discovered the basic principles of heredity through experiments with peas in his garden at the Augustinian monastery he lived in at Brno in the Czech Republic. During a seven-year. In the mid-1800s, Mendel grew nearly 30,000 P plants Dash taking notes of their height and shape and color. This work resulted in the laws of hereditary heredity. And Mendel came up with genetic terms that we still use today like dominant and recessive genes. 1896 Today is the birthday of the botanist and prolific plant collector Charles Austin Gardner. Gardener was born in England, but his family immigrated to Australia in the early 1900's. Gardener had a tremendous love for plants and landscape painting. During his 20s he received painting intruction and encouragement from the Landscapeape painter JW Linton and the wildflower painter Emily Pelloe. He created a impressive herbarium with Nearly 10,000 specimens specimens from all over Australia. He helped start the Western Australian naturalist Club. And although he had become a repository for information about Western Australian Flora, he never did publish a book on the Flora of Western Australia. in part because he didn't work well with other botanists it is much more of an individual list. He received a number of honors and medals for his work but Macho his much of his information about Australian plant geography and distribution and plant biology was lost when he died. Today in Tammin in Western Australia, there is a Charles Gardner Memorial that is surrounded by over 50 species of native wildflowers. There's also a Charles Gardner National Park I was named in his honor. 1945 Today is the 75th birthday of the American botanist Alwyn Howard Gentry. Gentry's life was tragically cut short when his plane crashed in fog into a forested mountain during a treetop survey in Ecuador. At the time, Gentry was just 48 years old and he was at the peak of his career Dash A towering figure in tropical biology and ranking among the world's leading field biologist. He also was the senior curator at the Missouri Botanical Garden. Theodore Parker the third was also on the plane with Gentry. Parker was a world expert ornithologist. Parker's fiance survived the crash and she told a reporter that Gentry and Parker had survived the crash but without immediate medical attention and remaining traps in the wreckage of the plane they died the following morning. Gentry and Parker both died doing what they loved Gentry recognized the powerful pull of the rainforest, writing: "The Amazon is a world of lush green vegetation and abundant waters, has inspired naturalists, fortune hunters, dreamers, explorers and exploiters" According to conservation International Gentry had collected more specimens then any other living botanist at the time. A staggering 70000 plants. To this day, botanist ReliOn Gentry's Guide to the Woody plants of Peru for understanding neotropical and tropical plants. Unearthed Words Here are some verses about the beginning of the new year: January is here, with eyes that keenly glow, A frost-mailed warrior striding a shadowy steed of snow. — Edgar Fawcett, American poet (1847-1904) Janus am I; oldest of potentates; Forward I look, and backward, and below I count, as god of avenues and gates, The years that through my portals come and go. –Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, American poet (1807–82) Time has no divisions to mark its passage, there is never a thunder-storm or blare of trumpets to announce the beginning of a new month or year. Even when a new century begins it is only we mortals who ring bells and fire off pistols." — Thomas Mann, The Magic Mountain Anyone who thinks that gardening begins in the spring and ends in the fall is missing the best part of the whole year. For gardening begins in January with the dream. — Josephine Nuese Grow That Garden Library A Garden Miscellany by Suzanne Staubach The subtitle to this book is: Turn Your Home Into a Year-round Vegetable Garden - Microgreens - Sprouts - Herbs - Mushrooms - Tomatoes, Peppers & More. Great Gifts for Gardeners baotongle 100 pcs Plant Clips, Orchid Clips Plant Orchid Support Clips Flower and Vine Clips for Supporting Stems Vines Grow Upright Dark Green $6.49 These clips are high quality. .They are non-toxic and eco-friendly. You can use it for outdoors and indoors plant. They are suitable for small and medium sized plants. These plant clips hold stems and delicate flowers securely, non-slip, provide great and steady support for plants to grow upright and towards sunlight. Can be used to tomato support, orchid, vine or seedlings. Just clip the stem to bamboo stakes, tomato cage or anything that can provide support. Today's Botanic Spark 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, Sid released to 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 he'd attended the camberwell art school and one of the pieces he is still remembered for is a still life of dried flowers that he had created with watercolor. Sid died of cancer at the age of 60 In 2006. Before he died, Sid was a patient at Addenbrooke's hospital in Cambridge. In 2017, following his death his friend the sculptor Stephen Pyle and a garden designer named Paul Harrington were working to install the Syd Barrett Garden at the hospital. Stephen's sculpture of Sid shows him riding on his bicycle - hands-free - with a guitar in one hand and artist brushes in the other
Today we celebrate the one of the 19th century's top orchidologist and the birthday of a man who used his wealth to purchase an American garden treasure. We'll learn about one of the most prolific female plant collectors and the florist who shocked London with her floral displays. Today's Unearthed Words feature a beloved American poet and children's book author celebrating her 93rd birthday. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book that helps us grow edibles indoors - an excellent topic for January. I'll talk about a garden item that can help define the look of your garden space, and then we'll wrap things up with the birthday of a master storyteller who incorporated descriptions of real and fictitious plants in his landscapes. But first, let's catch up on a few recent events. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart Curated Articles Dead rats, putrid flesh and sweaty socks: rare orchid gives botanists a first whiff | Environment | The Guardian The orchid – Bulbophyllum phalaenopsis – is in bloom for the first time in a glasshouse at @Cambridge_Uni Botanic Garden. The orchid's natural habitat in western Papua New Guinea, where it grows at altitudes of around 500 meters, is under threat. Amaryllis: how to grow this festive houseplant - The English Garden The English Garden @tegmagazine shared this great post about growing Amaryllis. If you are hesitant to try growing it - don't be. They are lovely & "It's very straightforward to coax them from a bulb into a towering plant producing colorful trumpets of flowers." After the flowers have faded, cut back the flower stalk to the base. Continue to water and give the bulb an occasional feed – the leaves will continue to grow. Now, if you'd like to check out these curated articles for yourself, you're in luck, because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. There's no need to take notes or search for links - the next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events 1823 Today is the birthday of the orchidologist Heinrich Gustav Reichenbach. The orchidologist Frederick Sander wrote a masterpiece on every variety of orchid, and he named it Reichenbachia in honor of Heinrich Gustav Reichenbach. In 1882, Heinrich honored Sanders by naming the "Queen of Philippine Orchids" after Sanders - naming it the Vanda Sanderiana, which the locals call the waling-waling orchid. The waling-waling is considered one of the rarest, most beautiful, and most expensive orchid, and it is also one of the largest species of orchids in the world. Heinrich's father was also a botanist, and Heinrich grew up helping his father with his work. Heinrich grew up fully appreciating the competitive aspects of the flower business. During his lifetime, Heinrich was one of the top orchid collectors in the world. Heinrich named more orchids than any other person, and in his will, he asked that his herbarium be closed for 25 years to protect his work from his competitors. 1856 Today is the birthday of Augustus Van Wickle - the man who established the Blithewold ("Blithe-wald") Mansion and Estate in the 1890s. Augustus was born into a well-to-do family who had a coal-mining business. As he took over the reins, Augustus turned the company into a stunning success and Augustus became enormously wealthy. When Augustus purchased Blithewold from a family with the last name of Gardner, it was so that he could have a home on the water that could accommodate docking his new steam yacht named Marjorie after his only child. Blithewold would be a summer residence for Augustus and his family. The following summer, Augustus' wife, Bessie, hired the landscape designer John DeWolf to design the grounds of Blithewold - which had previously been used for farming. Three years later, in the Spring of 1898, Augustus and Bessie learned they were expecting another child. They had been trying for fourteen years, and the baby was due in November. Sadly, midway through Bessie's pregnancy, on June 8th, Augustus died. He accidentally shot himself during a skeet-shooting trip with his buddies. His last words were, "Don't tell Bessie." Today, Augustus & Bessie's 33-acre estate, known as Blithewold, is considered an American garden treasure. It's one of the top gardens in New England, and Trip Advisor gives it a nearly-perfect rating, saying: "[Blithewood is] an exceptional collection of rare and unusual plants, specimen trees, an accessible greenhouse, and whimsical stonework [that all] project a character that is romantic, fresh and inspiring - and unique to Blithewold." And, the estate is drop-dead gorgeous. Btw, After Augustus died, Bessie gave birth to a healthy baby girl with dark eyes and black hair. She named her Augustine, and she was stunningly beautiful, and she charmed everyone who knew her during her 78 years on this earth. 1873 Today is the birthday of the botanist and prolific plant collector Mary Strong Clemens. When she was 19 years old, she married a minister named Joseph Clemens. Joseph was a chaplain in the United States Army, and he served in the Philippines, and later in France - during World War I. Mary was a maniacal plant collector, and wherever Joseph was stationed, she would collect plants. A faithful pastor's wife, sometimes Mary, would offer lessons on biblical scripture or sing hymns in exchange for lodging. The years spent in the Philippines were particularly productive for Mary. When Joseph retired, he became Mary's assistant, and they worked together as a team. They had a system worked out; Mary collected the plants, and Joseph processed them - he dried them and then boxed them up for shipping. Joseph and Mary traveled the world together, spending time in Asia, between the first and second world wars. By 1935, they were in New Guinea. Joseph ate some food that was contaminated by wild boar meat. The food poisoning was too much for his system, and he died on January 21st, 1936. This past year, the New Zealander citizen scientist, Siobhan Leachman (pronounced "Sha-vonne"), stumbled on a specimen of a tree that Mary had collected six days after her husband died. In the lower left-hand corner of the specimen sheet is a label titled Flora of New Guinea. Mary labeled it M. clemensiae. There, in her own handwriting, Mary wrote: "It was under this tree that my soul companion for over 40 years of wedded life, bade me farewell for the higher life." 1960 Today is the 40th anniversary of the death of the florist Constance Spry. In 1929, Constance - who went by Connie - unveiled her first floral shop window display, and she shocked London by using hedgerow flowers. Ever the trailblazer, Connie began creating flower arrangements for dinner parties. Her work made her an immediate hit with the socialites of her time. Her success led her to go into business, and she opened a flower shop as well as a flower-arranging school. Connie designed the flowers for the coronation of H.M. The Queen in 1953. During WWII, Connie gave lectures encouraging people to grow their own food. A June 20, 1945 article on Connie from the Corsicana Daily Sun out of Texas, said: "Constance Spry, the English woman who not only arranges and sells flowers - but also grows them - carried on all through the blitz. On one occasion, a bomb struck her house - it trembled - the roof sagged, but the building held, and Constance went right on working. At the corner of Berkeley Square, in the most elegant district of London, lives Constance Spry with her flowers... [and her] new-kind of flower shop. There is a bridal department and a department for boutonnieres and corsages, a department for fresh flowers, one for trimming on hats, and a department for day and evening dresses. In her greenhouse, Constance cultivates some rare and exotic beauties. They are used to decorate the homes and tables of clients, and they are also sent to recreation homes for soldiers - spreading joy to many." 1993The American science fiction television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine premiered. The show gave us 176 episodes over seven seasons. The episode, called "The Wire," included a botanical riff on the famous catchphrase "I'm a doctor, not a…" when Dr. Julian Bashir said: "I'm a doctor, not a botanist." Unearthed Words 1926 Today is the birthday of the American poet and children's book author Joan Walsh Anglund. Anglund wrote these lovely garden-inspired words: A bird doesn't sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song… Friendship is like a rose... opening one petal at a time, only as it unfolds... day by day, it reveals its true beauty. A leaf is a letter from a tree That writes, in gold, "Remember me!" Grow That Garden Library Indoor Kitchen Gardening by Elizabeth Millard The subtitle to this book is: Turn Your Home Into a Year-round Vegetable Garden - Microgreens - Sprouts - Herbs - Mushrooms - Tomatoes, Peppers & More. This book came out in 2014 and was named one of the "Best Garden Books of 2014" by the Chicago Tribune. Elizabeth teaches you how to grow edibles inside your own home, where you won't have to worry about seasonal changes or weather conditions - but you do need to make good plant choices and create the right environment. Elizabeth owns Bossy Acres, a 100-member community-supported farm in Minnesota that provides produce to members and area restaurants. Elizabeth also leads workshops on vegetable and herb gardening - so she knows of what she writes. One reviewer wrote: "I bought this book after I borrowed my daughter's copy and tasted the peas sprouts and broccoli sprouts she has been growing. They are delicious and help us to eat organic and local even in the winter in New England. I already have light stands and am very excited about starting sprouts in a few days. I have read most of the book, and love how specific the directions are." Hands-on experience, easy to understand directions, and matter of fact guidance - that's Elizabeth Millard. You can get a used copy of Indoor Kitchen Gardening and support the show, using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for under $7. Great Gifts for Gardeners Good Directions 804PR Landing Duck Cottage Weathervane, Polished Copper with Roof Mount Weathervanes are more than just decoration. They can pay homage to the essence of your garden, your location, your family, and so forth. They add character and charm to any garden shed or outbuilding. At our cabin, I bought a copper mallard duck for my garden shed because the house is on a lake that is home to so many birds and waterfowl. Today, I've included a link to the Landing Duck Cottage Weathervane in Polished Copper I bought last summer. It's from a company called Good Directions, and they sell such quality products. Today's Botanic Spark 1892 Today is the birthday of J. R. R. Tolkien. Gardeners will appreciate the Flora of Middle-Earth: Plants of J. R. R. Tolkien's Legendarium by Walter S. Judd and Graham A. Judd. The natural landscape is a major part of Tolkien's work. When Tolkien created Middle-Earth, he was incredibly detailed about the plant life; "in total, over 160 plants are explicitly mentioned and described… Nearly all of these plants are real species, and many of the fictional plants are based on scientifically grounded botanic principles." The father-and-son author team is Walter Judd and Graham Judd. Walter is a Distinguished Professor Emeritus in the Department of Biology at the University of Florida, and Graham Judd has a Master's in Printmaking and teaches at Augsburg College and Minneapolis College of Art and Design. NPR's review of this book says "Moved by Tolkien's passion for plants, the retired botany professor (Walter) spent years cataloging every plant that appeared in his writing, eventually compiling a list of 141 different species. He teamed up with his son, Graham, a professional illustrator. And together, they embarked on a quest to transform that list into a botanical guide to Middle Earth."
Today we celebrate the Feast Day of a gardener Abbott and an important day in the life of the Father of Taxonomy. We'll learn about the man who planted the first pineapple in Hawaii on this day in 1813 and the botanist who shared a train with a President during his honeymoon to the Santa Catalina Mountains. Today's Unearthed Words feature garden-inspired New Year's poetry from an artist and writer whose life has been obscured by time. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book that is trendy and handy and all about the greenery of January - Houseplants. I'll talk about a great garden item to help your potting bench stay a little more organized, and then we'll wrap things up with the story of the couple who discovered the winter home of our most beloved butterfly. But first, let's catch up on a few recent events. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart Curated Articles Backyard of the Week: Woodland Garden With Scandinavian Roots @Houzz Excellent design ideas from @Houzz featuring Amy Martin Landscape Design: clean, organic lines set the tone for the sloped yard. The hardscapes act as mini retaining walls. The grade was dealt with without a single retaining wall. It is gorgeous!!! The idea was to deal with the grade without making a highly structured terraced retaining wall," Martin says. They regraded the yard, filling and sloping it to make navigating it easier and more comfortable. AD100 Landscape Designer Louis Benech Infuses a Normandy Retreat with Memories of Long Island Great Post by @ArchDigest featuring Landscape Designer Louis Benech: "For me, the garden is like walking into a dream, and my dreams are memories from other countries. I am more attached to the garden than to the house." Now, if you'd like to check out these curated articles for yourself, you're in luck, because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. There's no need to take notes or search for links - the next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events 827 Today is the anniversary of the death of Saint Adelard (pronounced Alard) of Corbie - a patron saint of gardeners - who died on this day in 827. Adelard was related to Charlemagne; they were first cousins. In addition to serving as the Abbott of the Abbey, Adelard was also the gardener. Today, on St. Adelard's Feast Day, Adelard is remembered in church iconography working in his garden while his Abbott's crown is shown resting on the ground beside him. 1735 Today Carl Linnaeus went a-courting. He briefly visited an 18-year-old woman named Sara Lisa Morraea in full Lapp costume. He returned the next day and spent the entire day with Sara Lisa and her family. By the end of the month, his friends were betting bottles of wine that there would be a baptism within the next four years. Sara Lisa was from a wealthy family. Her father was a doctor, and he agreed to allow Linnaeus to have her hand, once he had established himself. Linnaeus would return three years later. Carl Linnaeus and Sara Lisa were married on June 26, 1739. Fourteen years later, on May 1st, 1753, Linnaeus published his masterpiece Species Plantarum and changed plant taxonomy forever. Linnaeus is known as the Father of Taxonomy; his naming system is called binomial nomenclature. Binomial means "two names" which in the naming game includes the plant's genus (which is capitalized or could be abbreviated by its first letter) and species or specific epithet (which is all lowercase and can be abbreviated sp.) If you have trouble remembering taxonomy, I like to think of it as the given name and surname of a person, but in reverse order. The names that Linnaeus assigned live on unchanged and are distinguished by an "L." after their name. And, it was Linnaeus himself who said: "God created, Linnaeus ordered." The national flower of Sweden is the Linnaea (Linn-ee-ah) Borealis or the Twinflower; After naming over 8,000 plants, the Twin Flower was the lucky plant to which Linnaeus gave his name. And, it was Linnaeus' favorite plant. Linnaea is the genus. Borealis is the species, and it references where it is found (Borealis means northern). As for the story of how Linnaeus named it after himself, he was persuaded to do so by a Dutch botanist - his great friend, Jan Frederik Gronovius. Twinflower belongs to the honeysuckle family. It's a sweet tiny plant, offering a faint scent of vanilla. 1813 The first pineapple was planted in the kingdom of Hawaii by the Spaniard and botanist Don Francisco de Paula Marin. The Hawaiian word for pineapple translates to "foreign fruit." By the time Marin was in his early twenties, he had already made his way to Honolulu, Hawaii. It would be his home for the rest of his life. Marin became a friend and advisor to King Kamehameha I, who consolidated all the Hawaiian Islands during his rule. Marin served in the Kamehameha Dynasty in various capacities all through his life, but he is best remembered for his work in horticulture. Two years after planting the first pineapple, Marin planted the first Hawaiian vineyard using vines of the Mission grape. And, in 1817, with the approval of King Kamehameha, Marin planted the first coffee seeds in Hawaii. Marin is remembered as Hawaii's Original Farmer. 1831 Today is the birthday of the botanist John Gill ("J.G.") Lemmon. Lemmon and his wife, Sara Plummer Lemmon, were both botanists. Although Sara partnered equally with her husband on their botanical work, their papers were always published with the credentials "J.G. Lemmon & Wife." The Lemmons had found each other late in life in California. They had both suffered individually during the Civil War. John was taken prisoner at Andersonville. He barely survived, and his health was impacted for the rest of his life. Sara had worked herself ragged. She tended wounded soldiers in New York while teaching full time. In 1881, the Lemmons took a honeymoon trip to Arizona. They called it their "botanical wedding trip." The Lemmons rode a train to Tucson along with another passenger - President Rutherford B. Hayes. When they arrived in Tuscon, the Lemmons immediately set off for the Santa Catalina Mountains. In Elliot's History of Arizona, there are some recollections of the Lemmon's time in the mountains that illustrate their fortitude and bravery: "The Lemmons often sat on the stone porch of their cave and dug the thorns and spines out of their hands and feet." Once, they saw, " . . . a lion so large he carried a huge buck away without dragging feet or antlers." When the Lemmons returned to Tucson unsuccessful and discouraged, they were told to meet a rancher named Emerson Oliver Stratton. Thanks to Stratton, they were able to ascend the Catalinas from the backside. When they arrived at the summit, Stratton was so impressed with Sara's drive and demeanor he named the mountain in her honor - Mount Lemmon. Sara was the first woman to climb the Catalinas. Twenty-five years later, in 1905, the Lemmons returned to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary. When they climbed the Catalina's in celebration, Stratton was again at their side, helping them retrace the steps of their "botanical wedding trip" to the top of Mount Lemmon. 1899 The first issue of the New England Botanical Club's journal, Rhodora, was published. The first editor was Dr. Benjamin Robinson of Harvard University. Robinson served as an assistant to Sereno Watson and succeeded him as the curator of Gray Herbarium at Harvard University. From the Rhodora website, "Rhodora is a journal of botany devoted primarily to the flora of North America. It has been in publication continuously since 1899. This peer-reviewed quarterly comprises 400-500 pages per year. Members of the New England Botanical Club receive the journal with their annual membership." Individual membership (in the USA & International) is $50. Unearthed Words The artist and writer Minnie Aumônier ("o·mo·nyé") wrote some of the most beautiful verses about the garden and about ringing in the new year. Although little has been written about Minnie's life, she was part of an artistic family. Her father, William, founded the Aumonier Studios in 1876, an architectural sculpture firm in London. Her Uncle James was a painter. Minnie wrote: "Pure as the joy a garden gives, the memory of a true friend lives. And like a garden, through the changing year is ever lovely, ever fresh and dear." and "The Old Year passes into the New, and gladness fills all the earth for the joyous awakening of bud and blossom is at hand." Grow That Garden Library Leaf Supply by Lauren Camilleri and Sophia Kaplan The subtitle to this book is A Guide to Keeping Happy House Plants, and it came out in April of 2018. I ran across this book in a gift store over Christmas break, and I absolutely love it. The cover is gorgeous! Btw, Leaf Supply is the name of their book as well as their Sydney-based houseplant-delivery company. Leaf Supply is a beautiful, practical, and offers advice for choosing and caring for over 100 easy-to-find houseplants. And, Lauren and Sophia recommend houseplants over giving fresh flowers as a gift. Of course, everyone loves receiving fresh flowers. But houseplants are a gift that has staying power. More than a plant guide, Lauren and Sophia give inspiring plant styling advice - choosing pots, making the most of your indoor greenery, plus advice on pet-friendly (as well as harmful) plants for your home. Great Gifts for Gardeners Colonial Tin Works Three Bin Desk Organizer by Colonial Tin Works I got this little tin desk organizer for my potting shed, and I love it. It is perfect for gathering up all the small odds and ends that manage to find their way onto my workbench. This little organizer will save gardeners time from hunting for bits and bobs. I love the compact size, the patina of the tin, and the cute hardware and label holders.
Today's Botanic Spark 1975 The naturalist Kenneth C. Brugger ("Brew-ger") and his then-wife, Cathy Trail, discovered the first winter refuge of monarch butterflies in Mexico. Kenneth had been born in Kenosha, Wisconsin, in 1918. After serving in World War II, Kenneth began working for Jockey International - the company known for making underwear. Kenneth was mechanically inclined, and he ultimately became Jockeys Chief Engineer. Kenneth was credited with many of Jockey's innovations. He even invented a machine that minimized shrinkage in the fabric of the underwear. It was called a compactor. During the 1960s, Kenneth moved to Mexico. There, Kenneth met his future wife, Cathy. In 1972, Kenneth read an advertisement that had been placed in a Mexico City newspaper by the Canadian zoologist husband-and-wife team of Fred and Norah Urquhart ("Irk-Heart"). The Urquharts had followed the monarchs as far as Texas. Fred and Norah believed that the butterflies ended up settling somewhere in Mexico - but they needed help, which was the reason they placed their advertisement in search of citizens to help their research. Luckily, Kenneth and Cathy answered the advertisement. Kenneth was an avid amateur naturalist, and Cathy was a native Mexican. She knew the country, understood the culture and the people, and she was fluent in Spanish. Together, Kenneth and Cathy ultimately became paid assistants of the Urquharts. Finally, on this fateful day in 1975, Kenneth and Cathy completed the work began by Fred and Norah 38 years earlier when they discovered the winter home of the monarch butterfly in the mountains of Mexico. Twenty months later, in August of 1976, Kenneth and Cathy's discovery made the cover of National Geographic magazine. The image showed a picture of Cathy - covered in monarch butterflies. She was 26 years old. In the years since the discovery, Kenneth and Cathy separated and then divorced. Cathy changed her name to Catalina and moved to Austin, Texas. She tells people, "I'm not a scientist… I'm a gardener that likes insects." Kenneth died at the age of 80 in 1998. Kenneth and Cathy's quest was part of an IMAX movie called Flight of the Butterflies. There is one touching fact worth mentioning about Kenneth's personal story. His Wikipedia entry says that he couldn't fully appreciate the beauty of witnessing the monarchs at their winter home; Kenneth was colorblind.
Show Notes Today we celebrate the Chelsea Physic Garden Curator who was partly responsible for the British Fern Craze and the botanical illustrator whose art ended up on South African currency. We'll learn about the man who discovered the virus researching tobacco plants and the English architect who partnered with Gertrude Jekyll to design Country Estates. Today's Unearthed Words feature garden-inspired poetry from the English gardener and writer Thomas Moore. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book that will make you feel like you've made a garden friend. I'll talk about a great garden item that is made from repurposed weapons. and then we'll wrap things up with the origin story of the Kent mango. But first, let's catch up on a few recent events. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart Curated Articles The Herbs of Christmas by Mother Earth Living @mthrearthliving "Learn which herbs help welcome us into the holiday season The botanical trappings of the season have proven astoundingly consistent throughout the past several thousand years." Naturally, they discussed the holly and the ivy and the poinsettia. But, they also discussed the mistletoe. They explained: "Mistletoe called for a gesture of conciliation—usually a kiss. Under the original rules, a berry must be picked for each kiss." After all the berries were removed, the sprig was taken down and replaced with a new one. Superglue plant and 'miracle berry' among 2019's new finds by @dpcarrington @guardian As we welcome the new year, here's a nod to a handful of the plant discoveries made in 2019. @Kew scientists officially named 102 plants & 8 fungi in 2019 - including a shrub that oozes superglue and cancer-fighting fungi. A new species of Snowdrop was spotted on #Facebook! Now, if you'd like to check out these curated articles for yourself, you're in luck, because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. There's no need to take notes or search for links - the next time you're on Facebook, just search for Daily Gardener Community and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events 1887 Today is the anniversary of the death of the gardener, naturalist, and Chelsea Physic Garden curator Thomas Moore. Before Moore worked at Chelsea Physic Garden @ChelsPhysicGdn, he spent four years at Fraser's Lea Bridge Nurseries, Leyton from 1839-1842. Moore wrote several books on horticulture - many reflected his lifelong passion for ferns. In 1848, the year he started at Chelsea Physic Garden, he wrote the 'Handbook of British Ferns.' His maniacal focus on ferns led to the creation of a Fernery in the garden and inspired the Victorian Fern craze or "Pteridomania". Twelve years after his first book on ferns, his love was still going strong and he wrote British Ferns and Their Allies in 1869. Thomas is remembered for these wonderful quips like: "The soul cannot thrive in the absence of a garden," or "Garden as though you will live forever." My favorite Thomas Moore quote is about rosemary. He wrote, "As for rosemary, I let it run all over my garden walls...because it is the herb sacred to remembrance and to friendship." 1895 Today is the birthday of the South African botanical artist Cythna Letty. Letty's mom was a painter and she gave Cythna her first lessons on painting and sketching. As a small girl, she began creating a book that illustrated all of the flowering plants of her homeland. It took her a lifetime to finish the work and it was finally published in 1962. Letty captured the wildflowers of Africa with detail and grace. She worked for the Botanical Institute in the Department of Agriculture in South Africa. Based in Pretoria. In the 1960s as South Africa moved from the English sterling system, Cythna's work was selected for three coins in South African currency. The 10-cent coin featured the Aloe, the 20-cent featured the Protea which was the National Flower of South Africa. And the 50-cent flower featured the Agapanthus. Cythna wrote poetry as well. She once wrote: "I hitched my wagon to a daisy Direction vague and destination hazy But, could any star have guided me more exactly to where I most dearly loved to be?" 1931 Today is the anniversary of the death of the botanist Martinus Beijerinck (pronounced "by-a-rink"). Beijerinck searched for the reason tobacco plants were dying. In his research, Beijerinck ground up some diseased tobacco leaves and then pressed the juices through a bacteria filter. He was utterly shocked when the filtered, bacteria-free liquid still spread the disease. After reviewing his experiment, Beijerinck concluded that a "contagious living fluid" was the culprit. It was a disease-carrying micro-organism that was smaller than bacteria and he called it a virus, the Latin word for poison." Today, two of the most common viruses are the flu and the common cold. 1944 Today is the birthday of the English Architect Sir Edwin Lutyens ("Lutchins"). Edwin went by Ned. When Ned was almost forty, he was hired to work on a house for the great garden designer and horticulturist Gertrude Jekyll. It was the beginning of a professional collaboration and friendship that had profound effects on the English country garden. Jekyll and Ned created some of the greatest Edwardian gardens in the world. Lutyens reflected on the work of a garden designer when he wrote: "No artist has so wide a palette as the garden designer, and no artist is in greater need of discretion and reserve." When Jekyll introduced Ned to the founder of Country Life Magazine, Edward Hudson, she created another invaluable source of synergy for his work. Hudson greatly admired Ned's work and he became a vital patron. He regularly shared Ned's work in his magazine, he commissioned Ned to design numerous jobs for his many homes, and he even had Ned design the new office space for the magazine. The home Lutyens designed for Hudson known as Deanery Garden is arguably his best country home. It's now owned by Led Zepplin guitarist Jimmy Page. Unearthed Words After researching the Chelsea Physic Garden curator Thomas Moore for today's show, I thought you'd enjoy a few of his delightful poems. In 1805, Moore was inspired by a rose specimen called 'Old Blush' and wrote a poem called The Last Rose of Summer: Tis the last rose of summer, Left blooming alone; All her lovely companions Are faded and gone. Moore wrote this verse about the tuberose also known as a Night Violet or Dame's Violet (Hesperis matronalis): The tuberose, with her silvery light, That in the gardens of Malay Is called the Mistress of the Night, So like a bride, scented and bright; She comes out when the sun's away. And, here's a lovely verse from Moore about Jasmine (Jasminum officinale): From plants that wake when others sleep, from timid jasmine buds that keep their odor to themselves all day, but when the sunlight dies away let the delicious secret out to every breeze that roams about. Grow That Garden Library Potted and Pruned: Living a Gardening Life by Carol J. Michel The subtitle to Carol's book is Living a Gardening Life and it came out in February of 2017. Potted and Pruned won the 2018 Garden Media Awards Gold Medal for Best Overall Book. As someone who has a large garden library, one of the things I love about Carol's delightful little book, Potted and Pruned, aside from the title and all the wonderful stories inside, is the cover - it's a verdant green. Is there any other color more suited to a garden book? I think not. Yet, you wouldn't believe how few garden books are actually green nowadays. Beautiful green books like Carol's are wonderful to have out during the holidays. But all year long, Carol's book is really the perfect book to have by the bed in a guest room or at the cabin or just on an end table because it's short and sweet - just 144 pages; and best of all, it is heartwarming. To read Carol's book is to feel like you've made a garden friend. Carol's the kind of gardener that can laugh at her garden mistakes and she makes you feel like making mistakes is as natural as the garden itself. After all, how else are we to learn? In her book, Carol has written 36 wonderful stories for gardeners. You'll feel like you're right beside her in her garden called May Dreams where some of her plants prove frustrating, where the weeds want her full-time attention and where new rare plants are always welcome. You'll find inspiration as you read about how Carol handles drought or her practical pieces of advice that are sprinkled throughout the book. Carol's Book reminded of the book Gardener's BedTime Stories - only shorter, sweeter, and more relatable. You can dip in and out of her stories and then drift off to dreamland where you'll hopefully dream of your garden - your happy place. Great Gifts for Gardeners Here's a very unique gift for gardeners; it's the Garden Mattock from Raw Tools. Raw Tools makes garden tools from guns, in the spirit of beating swords into plowshares. The mattock is a double-sided tool that meets a variety of needs when caring for your garden. It offers a hoe on one side and a fork on the other. The tool is made from about 5" of a rifle barrel. Every barrel gives us a different tool. Each is one of a kind and made by hand. The handle is 14″-18″, the hoe and fork are 6″-8″. You can check out their amazing work here. Today's Botanic Spark 1933 On this day the Kent Mango (Mangifera indica) is planted on land belonging to Leith Dunlop Kent in Coconut Grove, Florida. Kent was just a kid when he was given a little Brooks Mango seedling for Christmas. Six years later, Kent's tree produced its first crop of mangos. The tree was a prolific and consistent producer. Kent brought some of the mangos to the Florida Mango Forum and the Kent Mango became a vital part of the commercial mango industry in Florida. By 1950, Kent was elected president of the Florida Mango Forum. And, here's a caution for gardeners when it comes to mangos. People can have a sensitivity to the peel and milky sap of the plant. It turns out that the substance, urushiol ("u-ROO-she-ol"), is also found in poison ivy, sumac, and poison oak.
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