Stay ConnectedThe Daily Gardener is a weekday podcast celebrating garden history, literature, and the small botanical stories that shape how we garden today.
Each episode follows an “on this day” format, uncovering the people, plants, books, and moments that have quietly influenced gardens across time.
New episodes are released Monday through Friday, and each show features a thoughtfully chosen garden book.
Copyright: Copyright ©2019-2020, Jennifer Ebeling|The Daily Gardener All rights reserved
Today is National Pumpkin Seed Day. Pumpkin seeds, also known as pepitas, are native to the Americas. They were discovered by archaeologists in Mexico in caves that date back to 7,000 B.C. Today, China produces more pumpkins and pumpkin seeds than any other country. Pumpkin seeds are loaded with protein; a single cup provides 8-10 grams of protein. They are packed with nutrients and they are overall very good for your health. Next time you are whipping up a batch of protein bites; don't forget pumpkin seeds. Just mix up dates, whole nuts, chia seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, pistachios, almonds, pumpkin seeds, 1tsp cacao bio powder, 1tsp peanut butter, a handful of raisins and dried cranberries. Then press the mixture into a pan and slice into bars. Couldn't be simpler. Brevities #OTD Today is the birthday of the German botanist known as the Father of Plant Physiology, Julius von Sachs, who was born on this day in 1832. In the 1860's, Sachs tested adding a variety of nutrients to plants growing in water. He was trying to determine what plants need to live. It was early, early efforts on modern day hydroponics. In 1864, Sachs determined that blue light is the most important color for inducing phototropism in plants. Plants are generally blind to other colors; which is why you don't see plants bending toward the lamps inside your house; unless you are using grow-lights! In 1868, Sachs became Head of the botanical institute at Würzburg University. Sachs was a good friend of Frank Darwin. When Darwin needed a lab to conduct his experiments plants of growing toward light, he naturally used the world-class lab of his friend, Julius von Sachs, at Würzburg U. Sachs himself was studying how plants process light. He correctly identified that starch was a product of the sunlight process known as photosynthesis. He proved that chlorophyll in chloroplast is involved in photosynthesis. Sachs is responsible for identifying structures like the organelle and chloroplasts. Sachs used some ingenuity helped him come up with things like planter boxes with one glass side so that he could better understand the formation of roots. Using a magnifying glass, he could discern the development of root hairs and cellular protrusions. #OTD On this day in 1836, the HMS Beagle returned to England after a five year voyage around the world. It was a revelatory trip for ship's naturalist, Charles Darwin, who found the building blocks to his evolutionary theory in the many fossils and diverse species he discovered on his excursions. It would be another 23 years before he published the Origin of Species. Often, Darwin is depicted on the Beagle as an old man; but he was just 22 when he sailed away and still a young 27 when he returned with boxes full of specimens and a brain swirling with new ideas. #OTD Today is the 165th birthday of the Father of Town Planning and a botanist, Patrick Geddes, who was born on this day in 1854. Geddes accomplished much during his lifetime, despite being notoriously disorganized and easily distracted. In addition to his work in planning, Geddes was an ardent botanist and an environmentalist. People often forget that Geddes was trained most in the subjects of biology and botany; it was through that living scientific lens that he was first inclined to view the world. Geddes always conceded an undeniable truth in his work; nature is ever-changing and humans need to be in nature. Geddes had a profound appreciation and reverence for life. Like any gardener; he saw value in beauty. Geddes wrote: "No one who studies animate nature can get past the fact of beauty. It is as real in its own way as the force of gravity." When it came to planning towns, Geddes dismissed modernist plans for creating what he called "soulless suburbs and concrete slums". Instead, the ever-practical Geddes bought land in Edinburgh and created communities interwoven into the landscape. Bare spots on plans were turned into spaces for gardens. In 1918, Geddes delivered a farewell lecture to his students at Dundee. Here's is a little excerpt from this powerful speech: "How many people think twice about a leaf? Yet the leaf is the chief product and phenomenon of life. This is a green world.... and all dependent upon the leaves... The world is mainly a vast leaf-colony, growing on and forming a leafy soil, ... and we live not by the jingling of our coins, but by the fullness of our harvests. ...Growth seems slow... and people are all out for immediate results... A garden takes years and years to grow – ideas also take time to grow, and while a sower knows when his corn will ripen, the sowing of ideas is, as yet, a far less certain affair. Star-wonder, stone and spark wonder, life-wonder, folk-wonder, .... To appreciate sunset and sunrise, moon and stars, the wonders of the winds, clouds and rain, the beauty of woods and fields – here are the beginnings of natural sciences. ...[And] we must cease to think merely in terms of separated departments and faculties... So - with art inspiring industry, .... the Tree of Life thus comes into view. #OTD Today is the birthday of Martha Brookes Hutcheson who was born on this day in 1871. When she was born, Landscape Architecture was a babe as well; being a newly established professional field. Two decades later, in 1902, when Martha Brooks Hutcheson joined the ranks of the profession after graduating from MIT, she became one of America's first professional female landscape architects. Hutcheson wrote a book called "The Spirit of the Garden" (a complete copy is available online for free here).
In the book, Hutcheson poured all of her cultivated expertise; it became an instant garden classic. Hutcheson wanted Landscape Architecture concepts to be available to everyone; not just the wealthy. And, she wanted plants and trees to grace every living space; in rural areas, cities, and especially the areas surrounding schools. For half a century - until 1959, Hutcheson and her husband, William, lived at Merchiston farm. There are many native plants and water is a vital landscape element. It was Martha Brookes Hutcheson, who said: "An insight into ecology enables us to recognize plants as living things - with laws governing their needs in their associations. Without this, we recognize plants only as a florist might who fills his windows with lavish displays." Hutcheson's personal interest in ecological systems, led her to dam a small stream on her farm in order to create a cow pond which later became a round swimming pond in the center of her garden. She and her visitors swam in the pond and shared it with wildlife. Despite her struggles to break down barriers for her profession and for women, Hutcheson found comfort, "tranquility and intense personal calm" in her gardens. She wrote: "So, let us all have gardens, for we shall be but following in the footsteps of those past ages, and expressing the love of gardens that has been in our hearts for generations." Unearthed Words Today is the birthday of the American poet, Wallace Stevens, who was born on this day on this day in 1879. Stevens grew up to be an insurance agent in Hartford, Connecticut and he lived across the street from Elizabeth Park which contains one of the three largest rose gardens in the country on 102 acres of incredible beauty. You can tell from much of his poetry that Stevens was a lover of nature and gardens. Thus, an insurance man by day and a poet by night, Wallace Stevens wrote all of the following: "Perhaps the truth depends on a walk around the lake." "Death is the mother of beauty. Only the perishable can be beautiful, which is why we are unmoved by artificial flowers." "Moisture and heat have swollen the garden into a slum of bloom." "I certainly do not exist from nine to six, when I am at the office." Today's book recommendation: Heirloom Vegetable Gardening by William Woys Weaver This is an updated edition of the classic has been improved throughout with growing zones, advice, and new plant entries. Now, instead of line art, there is lush, full-color photography. At the heart of this book are the heirlooms; the living history of gardens and kitchens of our past. For many people, heirlooms are stories. They are gifts; something special to pass down through the generations. For instance, one of the heirlooms I have fallen head over heels for, is the Nanticoke Winter Pumpkin. Imagine a pumpkin almost the color of a robin's egg with crêpey looking blisters over the skin and you have something extra special from your garden for Autumn. And, that's only a taste of the marvelous plants and produce featured in this wonder new edition. It's an heirloom encyclopedia and it's a keeper. Today's Garden Chore Check your rhubarb to see if you want to make a quick last-minute division. I just did this after another visit to the cabin. I decided it would be lovely to walk out back by the lake in the early morning and cut some stalks for strawberry rhubarb muffins for a weekend brunch or for some rhubarb bars to enjoy with a cup of coffee. The point is, rhubarb can handle a division even though it's early October. Welcome to lake life rhubarb! Something Sweet Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart I ran across two old gems for you today. The first one is a saying that was published on this day in 1940 in The Phoenix Star at the beginning of a little bedtime story called "What the Old Naturalist Told". I thought it was so lovely and I couldn't find it anywhere on line - so here it is (short and sweet): A story's writ on every stone, In every stick and leaf and bone. ~ Old Mother Nature The second one is from the Chicago Tribune on this day in 1875. It was a little article, fittingly called "Sparks of Science." "Plants are tender as little children, and suffer quickly from any irregularity of diet and habit. Above all, they must not be kept awake late at night by bright gaslights burning around them. They, like human beings, need rest and sleep, and, when Nature puts out her great light with the dotting of the sun, it is time for them close their eyes and fold their leaves; or, if they do not all actually do this, they must, at least, enjoy the opportunity darkness affords ... How often the question is asked of the lady who has flourishing plants in her window: "How do you manage to make them look so well ?" "I don't know.'' is the reply; "I only do what others do," and yet she is inwardly conscious that it is the love animating her care of them that inspires their thrifty growth."
Thanks for listening to the daily gardener, and remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."
Today is International Coffee Day.
There is a legend that tells of coffee's discovery:
In Ethiopia, there was a goatherder who observed his goats didn't want to go to sleep at night after eating berries from a certain tree. After he reported this to the Abbot of a local monastery, the Abbott gathered the berries himself and then made a drink with them. The Abbott's discovered the drink kept him awake and alert for the long hours of evening prayers. The rest is history.
The coffee plant is actually a shrub. It's an evergreen that has a light gray bark and shiny, dark leaves that are five inches long. If the coffee plant wasn't pruned back, it could grow up to thirty feet tall in the wild.
It takes the coffee plant five years to be able to produce fruit. Coffee plants have an interesting life cycle; they can live to be 100 years old, but their producing years are between the ages of 7 and 20. And, the next time you think about the equator, reframe it as "The Bean Belt." Coffee plants grow best along the equator.
Brevities
#OTD Today is the anniversary of the death of the "Dean of Landscape Architects," Jens Jensen, who died on this day in 1860.
Jens Jensen was featured in The Living Green Documentary; he was an early pioneer in the conservation movement and used art as activism. He was ahead of his time.
Jensen and Frank Lloyd Wright were contemporaries.
Jensen made over 600 Landscapes and was known as the "Poet of the Prairie." The prairie was the theme of his work, and Jensen likened the prairie to the sea. He felt there was spiritualism that rose out of the long grass and that every person on earth needed the living green. He valued the natural lands, and he recognized that nature had restorative powers.
Jensen was a maker of public parks and spaces.
Later in life, Jensen moved his family into a remote part of Wisconsin called Ellison Bay, located in northern door county. Even in 2010, the population was just 165.
It was Jens Jensen who said, "Where there is forest, there is peace." and "Trees are much like human beings and enjoy each other's company. Only a few love to be alone."
#OTD Today is the birthday of California plant collector, LeRoy Abrams, who was born on this day in 1874.
Abrams was born in Sheffield, Iowa. He moved west with his parents as a small boy. As a graduate student, Abrams performed yeoman's work botanizing the area around Los Angeles. A biographical sketch of Abrams said,
"[Abrams] crisscrossed southern California in a wagon, on the back of a mule or burrow, and on foot to make field observations... and collect specimens from Santa Barbara to Yuma, from Needles to San Diego, and from the Salton Sink prior to its flooding to the summits of Old Baldy"
In 1902, Abrams published a flora of Los Angeles and Vicinity. (The vicinity included a fifty-mile radius around LA).
In 1909, Abrams married a fellow student at Stanford. Her name was Letitia Patterson; they shared everything together - especially the joys of their mountain cabin they had built with their own hands on the west side of Fallen Leaf Lake. When their only daughter died a few short years after her college graduation, they shouldered their grief together.
Abrams served as the director of the Natural History Museum at Stanford, where he taught botany for thirty-four years. He did not live to see the completion of his dream, a four-volume work called An Illustrated Flora of the Pacific States (Stanford, Stanford University Press, 1923–1960, 4 vols.). However, it was Abrams's dream to carry out; he had been inspired by the New York Botanical Garden (NYBG) and their three-volume work, An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States, Canada, and the British Possessions, by Britton and Brown.
Abrams was a loving teacher. His students called him "Father."
#OTD On this day in 1887, the botanists John and Harvey Ruth made a trip to Wyker's Island to collect fall flora.
Wyker's Island is now known as Lynn Island, in the Delaware River, Bucks County, Pennsylvania. The Ruth's rowed their own boat to the island on this day in 1887, where they discovered the island was covered with asters and butterfly weed.
#OTD On this day in 1891, the newspapers carried the obituary of the self-taught botanist and poet Cyrus M. Tracy who had died on September 29th.
Tracy was the Chair of Botany for the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy. He is remembered for his work in creating the noble forest park known as Lynn Woods. Three times the size of Central Park, Lynn Woods is a massive green space located outside of Boston. A hidden gem, Lynn Woods, enjoys less public awareness because it is not part of our National State Park system. It features a rose garden, three reservoirs, and a 48-foot-tall stone tower.
In 1850, Tracy was working to secure protection for Lynn Woods, and he formed a group called the "Exploring Circle" with four other residents; the went botanizing in the woods and then shared their discoveries with others. When Tracy wrote his Studies of the Essex Flora - a flora of the area around Boston - he recognized the immeasurable value of Lynn Woods, saying "that a district so near the metropolis" was worth protecting.
In 1891, when Lynn Woods was threatened by development, a Commission report noted Tracy's role in protecting the park:
"His call, his inner inspiration was to teach the people of Lynn that they had in the Woods "an asylum of inexhaustible pleasures." ... He led parties of enthusiastic naturalists to scenes of beauty and grandeur hitherto unseen, save by his eyes. He dedicated hilltops and glens with mystic rites."
#OTD On this day in 1916, it was State Flower anniversary day in California.
There was a program at the Native Sons Building at the University of California, featuring speakers and festivities. One hundred years earlier, the California poppy, the Eschscholzia californica, had been named by Adelbert von Chamisso in honor of his friend, Johanns Friedrich Von Eschscholz. It was both a courtesy and a quid pro quo. In turn, Eschscholz named plants for Chamisso.
Unearthed Words
"All things on earth point home in old October: sailors to sea, travelers to walls and fences, hunters to field and hollow and the long voice of the hounds, the lover to the love he has forsaken." - Thomas Wolfe, Novelist
"Trying to plan for the future without knowing the past is like trying to plant cut flowers"
- Daniel Boorstin, Historian, born #OTD in 1914
"Few things are riskier than "fine writing," but Miss Welty has never been afraid to risk it. She spoke once in a conversation about plant explorers who go to Nepal and Sikkim, risking their lives to introduce Alpine flowers to gardens. "Now that's something - discovering new primroses - that's worth taking trouble with, worth risking something for," she said. She seemed to set the plant explorers, bringing garden treasures from the Himalayas, over against the ordinary world we all live in every day."
- From an interview with American Short Story Writer and Novelist, Eudora Welty, in The Washington Post, 1972
Today's book recommendation: The Naturalist by Thom Conroy. Conroy's book is about the real-life of Dr. Ernst Dieffenbach, who died on this day in 1855. Dieffenbach was a scientist, explorer, loner, revolutionary, and outcast.
Gardeners will recognize the name Dieffenbach because of the dumb cane, or Dieffenbachia, but the plant genus is named after a different Dieffenbach - Joseph Dieffenbach (1796–1863), the head gardener of the Botanical Gardens in Vienna.
Dieffenbach was part of the New Zealand Company's 1839 colonial expedition. Once in New Zealand, Dieffenbach predicted how colonization would impact the country.
The cover of this book, The Naturalist, is one of my personal favorites. It looks marvelous on a table beside the couch or on a bedside table; plus, the story of Dieffenbach will stay with you; it's both beautiful and sad.
Today's Garden Chore
#OTD Today is October 1st, the day all Poinsettia owners are to confine their plants to complete darkness for 14 hours a day.
Place plants in a darkened closet or room (with no lights at any time) from about 5 pm to 7 am, daily, for 8 to 10 weeks. But, be sure to give your plant 10 hours of natural light daily. This change in the light will set the buds and cause bracts to color. The plant will come into full bloom in November or December.
Don't forget that the main attraction with poinsettias is not its flowers, but its leaves. In case you're wondering, the flowers are those little yellow clustered buds in the center.
Something Sweet Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart
#OTD On this day in 1945, The Morning Call out of New Jersey shared the story of Nurseryman William Hallicy.
During WWII, Hallicy had served for twenty-two months with the Seabees, the Navy's construction force.
While he was relieved to go home to Clifton, New Jersey, he faced a grim scene. Right after joining the Seabees, Hallicy's nursery had been decimated by a brush fire. There wasn't much left to come home to; just weeds and charred trees.
After he returned home and took stock of his situation, Hallicy estimated it would take him almost a decade to grow salable stock from new seedlings.
He planned to raise poultry until his nursery could produce again.
But a few days later, Hallicy and his wife were awakened early in the morning by the sound of truck motors on the front yard. Members of the North Jersey Nurseryman's Association had worked together to honor Hallicy's service with the Seabees. The newspaper said:
"Unannounced, they appeared at the Hallicy home with $2,500 worth of small trees in 15 trucks. With tractor, plow and spades, they cleared the 4-acre plot and set out the trees. In a few hours, the Hallicy Nursery was right smack back in business. Neighbor Hallicy started and gulped. He finally managed to pull himself together and serve beer. But nothing could wash down v the lump in his throat... We're getting one of our own just thinking: about his neighbors. Makes us want to go right out and buy a big block of stock in human nature, common and preferred."
This incident was so unusual that newspapers all over the country picked up the story. It even made The Reader's Digest.
Thanks for listening to the daily gardener, and remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."
I was reading in Facebook yesterday, a friend had planted all of these autumn crocus, colchicums, in her garden. Like any bulb, it takes lots of dedication to get them planted and then you have all of the anticipation - waiting to see if they come up and if they meet your expectations. Anyway, she'd invited some friends over to come and check them out. Instead of being amazed by the beautiful autumn crocus, her friends were completely taken her gorgeous hydrangea. Isn't that the way it goes? We toil in our gardens and then we invite people over to come and see it. Yet, the plants we expect others to be amazed by, the plants that have stolen our hearts, are not always the plants that are the most popular with our visitors. So, my piece of advice, if you have an affinity for autumn crocus, is don't plant hydrangea. If you do have hydrangea, only invite other gardeners over. Only gardeners will appreciate the dedication that it takes to plant colchicum. Only gardeners are sensitive to the fact that if they've been invited over to "see the colchicum", they will ooh and aah only for the autumn crocus, and offer merely a passing nod to the show-stealing hydrangea. Brevities #OTD Today is the birthday of the botanist Sarah Hynes who was born on this day in 1859, Hynes was born in Danzig, Prussia and she immigrated to Australia in the mid 1800's. After graduating from the University of Sydney, she and Georgina King brought in fresh flowers for a botanical display at the Sydney Technological Museum. This is how Haynes came to know the director of the Museum, Joseph Henry Maiden. Maiden hired Haynes as a botanical assistant and when he was promoted to be the director of the Sydney Botanic Garden, he hired Hynes to be in charge of the herbarium. Once Hynes arrived at the botanic garden, she ran into difficulties with her male bosses. She was pointing out disparities between herself and her male counterparts; she had requested better pay. In 1905, Hynes was suspended and cited for 39 counts of insubordination including the use of "unladylike" phrase "lowdown, dirty larrikin trick." Hynes stood her ground and denied the charges, which were ultimately dismissed. But, five years later, it happened again. After this suspension, Haynes had had enough; she transferred to the Department of Public Instruction. After this position, Haynes spent the rest of her professional life teaching science to high schoolers. William Fitzgerald named the (Acacia hynesiana) for her, in recognition of her work with Joseph Henry Maiden on his book Forest Flora. #OTD Today is the birthday of the botanical artist Faith Fyles who was born on this day in 1875. Fyles was trained as a botanist, but her natural artistic talent became apparent early in her career. She was the first female hired by the Canadian Department of Agriculture. In 1920, she transferred to the horticulture division where she began producing colored illustrations of plant specimens; especially fruits and ornamentals. Fyles is remembered for her work on the 1920 bulletin, Principal Poison Plants of Canada. The bulletin was prepared for farmers so that they could discern the problematic plants on their properties and avoid pasturing animals with poisonous plants. The book was offered free through the Ottawa Department of Agriculture. Over her career, Fyles had the opportunity to study art with Stanhope Forbes in England and with Rene Menard and Lucien Simon in Paris. #OTD Today is the birthday of the Mexican botanist Helia Bravo Hollis who was born on this day in 1901. Bravo Hollis was the first woman to graduate with the title of Biologist in Mexico. By the age of 29, she was named curator of the University's herbarium where she was assigned the job of studying the cactus. In 1937, Bravo Hollispublished "Las cactáceas de México", making her a leader of global cactus research. Bravo Hollis focused on cactus in and in 1951, she cofounded the Mexican Cactus Society. Six cacti species are named in her honor. In 2001, the Cactus Society had planned to celebrate her 100th birthday, but she died four days shy of the century mark. Bravo Hollis also helped found the Botanical Gardens at the National Autonomous University of Mexico. She served as the director of the Gardens throughout the 1960s. When a strike occurred, Bravo-Hollis offset the pay owed her workers with money out of her own pocket. Last year, Google commemorated the 117th birthday of Bravo Hollis with a Doodle. If you search for her online, you'll see a memorable image of Bravo Hollis, in a skirt and blazer with a knife in her hand, standing next to an Echinocactus platyacanthus, also known as the giant barrel cactus, that appears to be over 5 ft tall and just as wide; a very impressive specimen. This species is the largest barrel cacti. In Mexico, where the cactus is a native, the hairs are harvested for weaving and a traditional candy is made from boiling the pith. Today, the Helia Bravo HollisBotanical Garden, with more than 80 species of cactaceae, is found at the Biosphere Reserve of Tehuacán. Unearthed Words Today is the birthday of the American poet WS Merwin, who always went by William, and who was born on this day in 1927. In 2010, Merwin and his wife, Paula, co-founded the Merwin Conservancy at his home in Haiku, Maui. Merwin used the 19 protected acres surrounding his home to cultivate 400 different species of tropical trees; and many of the world's rarest palm trees. Merwin bought the property in 1977, and every day, he planted one tree. Merwin's story is outlined in an excellent opinion piece about Merwin that was featured in the New York Times earlier this year. "come back believer in shade believer in silence and elegance believer in ferns believer in patience believer in the rain" "Obviously a garden is not the wilderness but an assembly of shapes, most of them living, that owes some share of its composition, it's appearance, to human design and effort, human conventions and convenience, and the human pursuit of that elusive, indefinable harmony that we call beauty. It has a life of its own, an intricate, willful, secret life, as any gardener knows. It is only the humans in it who think of it as a garden. But a garden is a relationship, which is one of the countless reasons why it is never finished." "On the last day of the world I would want to plant a tree." Today's book recommendation: Planting in a Post-Wild World by Thomas Rainer and Claudia West This book came out in 2015 and the subtitle is Designing Plant Communities for Resilient Landscapes. Right from the start, one can tell that this book has a different philosophical underpinning than other books on landscape design. And, I love that they incorporate the use of the word community; Rainer and West are trying to get us to think about our gardens as communities. If we could begin to see our gardens and the plants in them in the way that Rainer and West do, we would be much more sensitive to concepts like density and diversity in our plantings. But, don't let those terms throw you; Rainer and West are all about extracting design principals that help gardeners focus on wise selections and year-round interest; all through the lens of community. If we could all do a better job of understanding the way plants behave in the wild, our gardens would benefit greatly. I love what they write in the beginning of their book because I think it sets the tone for what they are trying to accomplish: "The way plants grow in the wild and the way they grow in our gardens is starkly different. In nature, plants thrive even in inhospitable environments; in our gardens, plants often lack the vigor of their wild counterparts, even when we lavish them with rich soils and frequent water. In nature, plants richly cover the ground; in too many of our gardens, plants are placed far apart and mulched heavily to keep out weeds. In nature, plants have an order individual harmony resulting from their adaptation to a site; our gardens are often arbitrary assortments from various habitats, related only by our personal preferences.... In fact, the very activities that define gardening – weeding, watering, fertilizing, and mulching – all imply a dependency of plants on the gardener for survival. Gardeners are often frustrated when some plants spread beyond their predetermined location and surprised while others struggle to get established.... Further complication is the availability of plants from every corner of the globe... So how do we shift the paradigm, making desirable plantings that look and function sympathetically with how they evolve in nature? By observing and embracing the wisdom of natural plant communities." Today's Garden Chore Add some color to your garden with chrysanthemums. On this day in 2000, Stuart Robinson offered this advice about mums in his weekly column in the Montreal Gazette: "Before shutting things down for the winter, there are a few ways to make the fall garden look a bit nicer. Brighten up your fall flower beds with some colorful chrysanthemums. If you didn't plant any in the spring, so what. Markets and garden supply stores usually have lots of them on special at this time of the year. Buy a few of the larger pots, dig holes in the flower bed (removing a few poor-performing annuals if you have to) and just drop them in and water them well. If you do it when nobody's looking, your neighbors will never know." Something Sweet Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart As I was researching the poet William Merwin, I came across an interview with him done by Joel Whitney back in 2010. During the interview, Merwin revealed that his mother used to read him poetry and one of his early favorites was Robert Louis Stevenson's A Child's Garden of Verses. When asked about Stevenson, Merwin recalled that Stevenson had spent a great deal of time in Hawaii: "and played cards with King Kalakaua... Kalakaua cheated at cards... They obviously got along very well together, Stevenson and Kalakaua. They were playing cards one day, and Stevenson said, 'I'll beat him this time: four aces.' And Kalakaua said, 'Five kings beats it all.'" Thanks for listening to the daily gardener, and remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."
What are you doing with all of your tomatoes? A few years ago, I stumbled on Ina Garten's Recipe for Roasted Tomato Soup - it's the best roasted tomato basil soup recipe out there if you ask me! Ina's recipe calls for fresh tomatoes and herbs and she doesn't use cream or milk. Best of all, Ina's soup is rich and full of flavor. Ingredients
So that's what I do with any extra tomatoes this time of year. I'll share the recipe in today's Show Notes. Brevities #OTD On this day in 1843, the New England Farmer ran an ad about Chrysanthemums for nurseryman Joseph Breck: "The subscribers offer for sale twenty varieties of new Chrysanthemums of the most superb and rare sorts, at 50 cents per pot." #OTD Today is the birthday of Joy Morton who was born on this day in 1855. Morton's father was J. Sterling Morton, the founder of Arbor Dayand a former secretary of agriculture under President Cleveland. Not surprisingly, Joy's love of trees was instilled in him at a young age. Raised on a farm in Nebraska, Joy Morton became a powerful businessman in Chicago with his company Morton Salt. In December 1922, Joy established The Morton Arboretum - a tract of land dedicated to ongoing study of trees, shrubs, and grasses. In 1923, Morton donated his family's Ancestral home, Arbor Lodge, to Nebraska and the property became a state park and a memorial to his father. An article from the Chicago Tribune in 1926, offered a glimpse of the passion Morton felt about trees. Speaking at the Arboretum, Morton said, "I want to appeal to the gambling instinct of the American people. I want a man to come in here and say, 'What can I get out of tree planting?' I want to arouse his venturesomeness. A man old enough to think for himself comes in here and sees a group like that [pointing] group of walnuts over there which is doing so well, and then he says to himself, 'Well, how about it? What can I do now on my land that will mean something to my grandchildren thirty years hence? And, then I want him to keep looking at the walnuts, or what he likes best, until he says, I believe I'll go and do likewise.'" #OTD Today is the birthday of James Drummond Dole who was born on this day in 1877. Dole had gone to Harvard and then after graduation at the age of 22, he made his way to Hawaii in 1899. After living there two years, he honed in on growing pineapple as a business. The Smooth Cayenne strain of pineapple wasn't native to Hawaii. It was a Florida variety. Dole began growing 200 pineapple plants on 60 acres. The rest is history. Here are a few fun pineapple facts: Pineapples have Bromelain; a chemical that prevents gelatin from setting. But, once pineapple is canned, the Bromelain is destroyed, which is why you can add canned pineapple to jello. Christopher Columbus brought pineapples back to Spain from the Caribbean Island of Guadalupe in 1493. The Spanish introduced pineapples to Hawaii. Today, thanks to Dole, more than one-third of the world's commercial supply of pineapples comes from Hawaii. Unearthed Words How beautiful leaves grow old. How full of light and color are their last days. -John Burroughs Autumn arrives early in the morning but spring at the close of the day. - Elizabeth Bowen Autumn asks that we prepare for the future —that we be wise in the ways of garnering and keeping. But it also asks that we learn to let go—to acknowledge the beauty of sparseness. - Bonaro W. Overstreet Today's book recommendation: Hedgemaids and Fairy Candles by Jack Sanders This lovely little book is a personal favorite. It came out in 1995 and the subtitle is The Lives and Lore of North American Wildflowers. The hedgemaids referred to in the title is a reference to the common ground ivy, while Fairy Candles are the tall, white rockets of the native black cohosh, Cimicifuga racemosa. In the book, Author Jack Sanders explores the lives and lore of more than 80 of North America's most popular wildflowers, describing the origins of their names, their places in history and literature, what uses ancient herbalists found for them, what uses they have now, where they grow, how they reproduce, and how to grow or transplant them. You can get used copies using the Amazon link in the Show Notes for as little as $.25! Today's Garden Chore Remember the things you want to keep top of mind about this year's garden and take a few minutes to write down some notes. Aside from what you liked and what was a bust, try to put together a list of things you'd like to do in your 2020 garden. Then, get your calendar out and sync up your goals with a timeline. If you want a pond installed by your kid's graduation, you need to be making calls now. If you know you need some mulch delivered first thing next Spring, put a reminder on your calendar for the middle of April - better yet, if you know how much you need, make a note of that as well. All the minutia of our gardens that we think is unforgettable is lost to us once our lives get busy and the holidays roll around. So grab a pumpkin spice latte and your favorite notebook, and start journaling for a more strategic start in your garden next year. Something Sweet Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart Sunday is the 29th of September - also known as Michaelmas. In the middle ages in England, farmers used Michaelmas as a way to mark the change of seasons; It was time to wrap up the reaping and start getting ready for winter. And, according to folklore, bounty-thorn (the English folk-name for blackberries) need to be picked by Michaelmas because that was the day that Lucifer was expelled from Heaven. Now according to folklore, once he was cast out, Lucifer promptly fell straight into a blackberry bush. A blackberry bush would not make for a soft landing. Lucifer wasn't thrilled with it either. He supposedly cursed the blackberry fruit, making them unfit for consumption. So unless, you want to eat tainted blackberries, get them picked before Sunday. And don't forget, blackberries make a lovely pie or crumble. Thanks for listening to the daily gardener, and remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."
Right now is the perfect time to bring some nature indoors. Why buy something manufactured to look like nature, when some of the most impactful pieces can be found right in your own garden? I love to bring in some of the bird's nests from my garden. I place them on top of a stack of books, in a crystal bowl or on a bookshelf. They add wonderful, texture and interest to help ground your interior for winter. Adding leaves and berries to ledges and to your arrangements accomplishes the same thing. And, an interesting branch placed on a mantle, suspended from the ceiling or propped in the corner of a room,, adds an attractive seasonal form; a natural element, that costs nothing, but brings a part of the garden, of the woods or the forest, into your home. Brevities #OTD Today is the birthday of the Father of Plant Anatomy, Nehemiah Grew, who was born on this day in 1641. Grew was an English botanist and was the first person to illustrate the inner structures and functions of plants in all their wondrous intricacy. If you've ever seen a Nehemiah Grew drawing, you'll never forget it; you're probably able to spot them a mile away. But, if you've never seen a Nehemiah Grew drawing, imagine an etch-a-sketch drawing on steroids. The lines are impossibly thin. The level of detail is staggering. For instance, Grew's drawings of tree parts cut transversely look like elaborate Japanese fans. This is because Grew was one of the first naturalists to incorporate the microscope in the study of plant morphology. It was his use of the microscope that allowed Grew to give the first known microscopic description of pollen. Along those same lines, Grew was also the first person to analyze the ridges, furrows, grooves, and pores on human hands and feet. He published his incredibly accurate drawings of finger ridge patterns in 1684. Palm readers owe Grew a debt of gratitude. (Just kidding.... or am I?) #OTD Today is the birthday of John Chapman who was born on this day in 1774. You may never have heard of John Chapman, but you've probably heard of his nickname; Johnny Appleseed. Chapman was born in Massachusetts and the street where he was born is now called Johnny Appleseed Lane. As a young man, Chapman became an apprentice to an orchardist named Crawford. The image most of us have of Chapman, traipsing through the country planting one apple tree at a time is off base. Chapman actually traipsed through the country planting entire apple orchards, then he protected the orchard by building a fence around it, and then arranging a deal with a neighboring farmer to sell trees from the orchard in exchange for shares. It was a genius setup. During his life, Chapman had a special regard for and relationship with Native Americans who regarded him as a medicine man. At the same time, Chapman wanted early American settlers to succeed; he often acted as a one-man welcome wagon; showing up at door with a gift of herbs as a gesture of support. For his part, Chapman was an expert in more plants than just apple trees; he was one of our country's first naturalists and herbalists. Chapman used many herbs for healing like catnip, hoarhound, pennyroyal, rattlesnake weed, and dog-fennel. In fact, dog fennel (Eupatorium) was also called "Johnny weed" because Chapman planted it believing it was antimalarial. Whenever you hear Eupatorium, you can deduce that the plant is closely related to joe pye weed. Unfortunately, dog fennel was not a good thing to spread around; it's a noxious weed. The Johnny Appleseed Center on the campus of Urbana University in Urbana, Ohio holds the largest collection of memorabilia and information on Chapmen. In 1999, seedlings from the last-known surviving Johnny Appleseed tree were transplanted into the courtyard around the museum. #OTD Today is the birthday of the botanist Oakes Ames who was born on this day in 1874. What a great name for a botanist, huh? Ames was trained as an economic botanist, but his specialty was orchids. He had his own orchid collection as a kid, and you know what they say about orchid lovers; once you're hooked, you're hooked. The author, Norman MacDonald, wrote in his 1939 book The Orchid Hunters: "For when a man falls in love with orchids, he'll do anything to possess the one he wants. It's like chasing a green-eyed woman [being consumed by desire] or taking cocaine. A sort of madness..." Ames was a Harvard man; he spent his entire career there. His work on the Orchidaceae was foundational to the study of orchids. His effort culminated in a seven-volume work on the Orchid Family. For his dedication, in 1924, Ames won the gold medal of the American Orchid Society. Today, Ames is recognized for his biggest contribution to the world of orchids; the Ames Orchid Herbarium (now part of the Harvard Herbaria) featuring 3,000 flowers in glycerine, 4,000 specimens that are pickled, along with 131,000 standard specimens, in addition to a magnificent library. Unearthed Words 'I grow old, I grow old,' the garden says. It is nearly October. The bean leaves grow paler, now lime, now yellow, now leprous, dissolving before my eyes. The pods curl and do not grow, turn limp and blacken. The potato vines wither and the tubers huddle underground in their rough weather-proof jackets, waiting to be dug. The last tomatoes ripen and split on the vine; it takes days for them to turn fully now, and a few of the green ones are beginning to fall off." - Robert Finch, Nature Writer Today's book recommendation: The Pursuit of Paradise by Jane Brown Brown's book was released back in 2000. The subtitle is: A Social History of Gardens and Gardening. Brown covers the trends and beliefs about gardening through history from the water gardens of Persia to the future of gardens. The major influencers in gardening are referenced; like Capability Brown and Vita Sackville-West. The chapters are set up by the type of garden through history: from the secret garden and the military garden, to small gardens and formative gardens. If you are an explorer of garden history, this is a fantastic resource for your garden library. You can get used copies for less than $2 using the Amazon link in today's show notes. Today's Garden Chore Preserve some of your herbs in salt. Even though September is flying, the herb garden is still going strong. Preserving herbs in salt is fun and easy and a very old practice. Now, you can use salt to preserve tender herbs, like basil and cilantro, work great with a salt preservation. Jump on Amazon and order a couple boxes of kosher or sea salt - and you're all set. You have some options for using salt to preserve. The first is the layer method; just alternate layers of your herb with salt and refrigerate. The second method is to grind the herbs with the salt and then lay the mixture on a sheet pan to dry. Then pack the salt in a glass jar and refrigerate. Herbed salts make great holiday gifts and there's oodles of recipes online. Something Sweet Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart Today is the anniversary of the death of the novelist and horticulturist known as the Pink Lady Cora Older who died on this day in 1968. Before Apple became associated with Cupertino, there was Cora Older and her husband, newspaper editor, Fremont. They were part of San Francisco's high society, entertaining guests like the poet Carl Sandburg and Lincoln Steffens the muckraking journalist. Cora grew hundreds of pink roses in her garden which is how she became known as "The Pink Lady." During World War II, in August of 1942, the journalist Elsie Robinson wrote about Cora Older and the challenge faced by women dealing with the harvest alone in her column called "Listen World". I thought you would enjoy learning a little bit about Cora through this tremendous story. "Keeping the home fires burning is a cinch compared with keeping the home crops plucked these days, as those of us who have ranches and farms can testify. Where, oh where, are the hordes of jobless lads who used to come ambling around when the peach was on the bough and the berry on the thorn? I can tell you exactly where they are - Uncle Sam has gobbled them up, to the last calloused palm and freckle. So what do we do for "hired hands?" Mrs. Fremont Older knows the answer. Cora Older, widow of America's great and beloved newspaper publisher, and plenty of a writer herself, is lean, lithe and possesses enough spunk to run a dozen unions. Take this summer for instance, maybe you've been getting your suntan at the nearest beach. Not so Cora. During sizzling July and August weeks she has been climbing the hundreds of apricot and prune trees which spread across her big ranch at Cupertino, picking the fruit herself with the occasional and temperamental aid of a 64-year-old handy man. And It you don't think picking 'cots on a July afternoon is some job, you've a lot to learn, stranger. To Cora, however, there was no alternative. There was the fruit, such a harvest as the west has not seen in many a year. Golden floods of apricots, purple piles of prunes, but nary a man to pick them i n or deliver them to the dryer. So what? So if a man could climb a tree, she could. And did. Let the typewriter rest for a while, let the roses go ungathered - Cora Older was going to tackle her Victory harvest. It's an epic, that battle with heat and weariness, human cussedness and old Mother Nature. I hope she puts it into a book. Thanks for listening to the daily gardener, and remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."
If you're feeling a little glum about the end of the gardening season, here are a few activities that can help you rebalance: First, support your local farmers by shopping at a local farm stand. Often the growers will have insights on plants and practices that are applicable to your own garden. Get inspired by seeing some of the different varieties of apples, gourds, zucchinis, pumpkins, and other vegetables. Second, refresh your mulch supply. Top dressing before winter feels as good now as it does in the Spring. Your beds will benefit from the extra layer of protection and you will feel a boost from the beauty of cleaned beds. Brevities #OTD Today is the anniversary of the death of the German botanist Valerius Cordus who died on this day in 1544. Cordus was the author of one of the most influential herbals in history. In fact, centuries later, the botanist Thomas ArchibaldSprague re-published "The Herbal of Valerius Cordus" with his older sister who he considered to be the best botanist in the family. After the book was published, Sprague gifted her with a personal and gorgeous bound copy. He had the book dedicated to her in latin: "M. S. Sprague praeceptrici olim hodie collaboratrici d.d. T. A. Sprague" - basically saying that she had taught him and collaborated with him. Cordus died young, at the age of 29, likely from malaria. He had botanized in Italy over the summer of 1544 with two French naturalists. At some point, he had waded into marshes in search of new plants. When he became sick a short time later, his friends brought him to Rome and then, they continued on to Naples. When they returned for him, they found Cordus had died. We owe a debt of gratitude to the Swiss botanist Konrad Gesner who had the sense to collect Cordus' prolific writings and preserve and publish them. One expert once said, "There was Theophrastus; there was nothing for 1,800 years; then there was Cordus." The genus Cordia is named in honor of Valerius Cordus. #OTD Today is the birthday of the Landscape Gardener Edward Kemp who was born on this day in 1817. Edward Kemp was the landscape gardener and architect at Birkenhead under Joseph Paxton. He placed an ad in the Liverpool Mercury after the opening of Birkenhead, he was out of work and was offering his services, "[Edward Kemp] begs to offer his services to the Noblemen and Gentlemen in the vicinity of Birkenhead and Liverpool…The fluttering testimonials which he has received from numberless visitors to the Birkenhead park, induce him to believe that a simple reference to the past and present condition of the park …. will be sufficient to ensure for him a large and liberal patronage." Don't worry about Edward Kemp. He went on to be a leading Victorian Landscape Gardener and a successful one, at that. #OTD On this day in 1890, the Sequoia National Park was established to protect the giant Sequoia trees, among the oldest living things on earth. In 1847, Stephan Ladislaus Endlicher, a German botanist, came up with the genus name "Sequoia" after a Cherokee Chief named Sequoyah (1770-1843) who was the son of a British merchant and a Cherokee woman. Sequoyah developed an alphabet to enable his tribe's dialect to be written. In 1872, Asa Gray wrote about the sequoia and presented his work in Dubuque Iowa at the 21st annual session of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. During his presentation, Gray speculated on the origin of the trees. He offered three hypotheses:
Gray felt the last hypothesis was the one with the most merit. He expanded on this point by saying, "Research has found the fossil sequoia gigantea throughout ... Northern Europe, Iceland, Greenland, Alaska, and the Rocky Mountains. All of these fossil specimens are almost exactly the same as the " Big Trees" of today. The very slight difference can be readily explained by the modifying force of different conditions. This crucial test shows that, before man sprang from the dust of the Garden of Eden, according to Genesis, or was evolved from the ape of Northern Africa, according to Darwin, the sequoia gigantea belted Northern America, Asia, and Europe, and the islands of the Northern seas. The " Big Trees" of California are but the outlying sentinels of an army that has vanished." #OTD On this day in 1942, the newspaper in Spokane Washington had a headline that said: Noted Botanist Crosses Jungle (Takes Long Mule Route Through Tibet to Get a Few Flowers.) The article was about the botanist Francis Kingdon-Ward who had just arrived in New Delhi after a 500 hundred mile walk over mountains and through jungles to avoid the Japanese invaders of Burma. The article said this: "A thin, wiry little man in his 50s, Captain Kingdon-Ward...decided that the Japanese were getting too close for comfort so he loaded two 60-pound bags of rice on two mules... But instead of taking the short road through the Chaukan pass, [he] decided to travel the 500 mile mule trail through Tibet... He thought he might find some useful military information during his trip [and] 'besides, there is always a chance of finding some rare wild flowers on this route.' [Kingdon-Ward tramped] knee-deep in snow [and] crossed the Himalayas at the 14,500 foot pass.... [He said] "It was a pleasant walk and I collected some nice flowers....Your reward is in the finding of dazzling flowers never seen before. You know they may always blush unseen unless you manage , to take them back and make them grow where others can admire them. They are a little bit of the enchantment of Asia transplanted into England or America. It is satisfaction enough if you can feel in an industrial age like the present that you have brought home a little beauty for others to enjoy." Unearthed Words #OTD Today is the birthday of the English poet Felicia Hemans who was born on this day in 1793. She wrote this charming garden poem to honor one of her five sons on his autumnal birthday: Where sucks the bee now? Summer is flying, Leaves round the elm-tree faded are lying ; Violets are gone from their grassy dell, With the cowslip cups, where the fairies dwell ; The rose from the garden hath pass'd away Yet happy, fair boy, is thy natal day ! For love bids it welcome, the love which hath smiled Ever around thee, my gentle child ! Watching thy footsteps, and guarding thy bed, And pouring out joy on thy sunny head. Roses may vanish, but this will stay Happy and bright is thy natal day ! Today's book recommendation: Living Decor by Maria Colletti This book came out in March of 2019 - so earlier this year. The subtitle is Plants, Potting and DIY Projects - Botanical Styling with Fiddle-Leaf Figs, Monsteras, Air Plants, Succulents, Ferns, and More of Your Favorite Houseplants. Botanical styling is all the rage - even Pottery Barn is offering permanent pots and stems to help lead this trend. The blogger Kendal Morgan Hall, wrote in her review of this book: "[Living Decor] is filled with gorgeous pictures...The colour scheme in this book is vibrant. It shows how plants can warm up a minimalistic decorated living space." Kendall's review is spot on. I wanted to read a little excerpt to help you get to know the author a little better. Her name is Maria Colletti and she spent 13 years working at the New York Botanical Garden (NYBG) retail shop. Here's what she wrote in one of the first sections of her book called "Where I Found My Green Life": "In 2003 I continued my schooling it in YBG, chiseling my green skills as shop manager of the shop in the garden. I learned so much working as a garden retailer in a place that educates daily and what it means to love plants. We bought, sold, displayed, and cared for our plant inventory. We watched the garden evolve throughout the seasons, which was, on many days, just breathtaking: The white Korean dogwood trees at the entrance of the rose garden, or the perennial garden outside the Enid A. Haupt to Conservatory in summer. How lucky am I? I intended never to waste this privilege but instead utilize it to the best of my abilities. This is how I discovered my garden lifestyle and brought all the elements together." Today's Garden Chore It's time to think selectively about where and what to cut back in the garden. Long ago, I learned not to leave grasses up near the house; the base of grasses draw mice and in the Spring when you cut them down, you'll have little mice running all about. I like to get the garden in front of my porch completely clean. We pile snow there from sweeping the porch and clearing off the walks. Plus, this garden is wet in the spring - so I'd rather cut back perennials now and just let everyone do their thing in the spring, without me having to traipse through it. On the other hand, it's nice to strategically allow some perennials to remain; providing habitat for insects, food for birds, and winter interest. In addition to trees and shrubs, plants like Coneflower, sedum, Russian sage, Lovage, Aster, Sunflowers, Hydrangea, and Joe Pye weed remain intact in my garden until spring. Something Sweet Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart On this day in 1915 the newspaper out of Burlington Vermont shared a little article about September flowers; focusing mainly on the golden rod and the aster and their numerous varieties. But then it ended with these marvelous run-on sentences. Check it out: Most conspicuous among the flowers of the roadside and pasture, these last days of September, are the goldenrod and aster. [...] One need not be a botanist to find and identify either plant, for we see them on every hand, making a successful struggle for life under most adverse conditions, and giving a splendor of beauty to the dull, gray days of the fall. Its closing days show a wealth of floral loveliness that may not soon be duplicated. And this is true of the goldenrod and aster's rich relatives of the garden. The cultivated asters are a blaze of glory in countless gardens, and cannas and hardy chrysanthemums and other things aplenty show no sign of old age. Thus, latest autumn Is connected with earliest spring, for the floral succession has been unbroken, from the time when the snowdrop blossomed amid ice and snow, through a long line of flowers of every hue and shape, to this 25th of September, when the black-eyed Susans are closing their long campaign, chicory is losing its last pale blue, and the aster and goldenrod are left not exactly blooming alone but the kings of the floral world. Thanks for listening to the daily gardener, and remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."
One of my favorite shoulder season plants is my magnolia. The beautiful white blossoms in the spring and the glorious yellow leaves in the fall bookend a summer of hardy greenery. Then all winter long, the dormant flower buds will pop out adding interest and promise during those final snowstorms in late March and April. If you're looking for something that provides something new in every season, add magnolia to your list. Brevities #OTD Today is the birthday of the botanist William Herbst who was born on this day in 1833. As a child, William would accompany his father on horseback as he visited his patients across Bucks County in Pennsylvania. While his dad met with the sick in their homes, William stayed outside and passed the time collecting flora and fauna for study. When he grew older, he spent time formally studying botany, in addition to attending Medical School in Philadelphia. Although he became a doctor like his father Frederick, William Herbst was truly a botanist at heart. He developed a passion for fungi and he wrote a Fungal Flora of the Lehigh Valley in Pennsylvania in 1899. Once, after sending a specimen to his botanist friend, a Professor CH Peck, Herbst received a kind acknowledgement letter, which read in part: "That was a splendid fungus you sent me. It is an undescribed species of Sparassis. I propose to name it, with your consent, Sparassis Herbstii." In 1906, doctors were still making house-calls. Herbst died after visiting a sick patient. His obituary in The Morning Call in Allentown, PA said, "[Herbst] suffered from a fall. Leaving a sick-room to go to the bath room, he opened a stairway door by accident and plunged to the bottom in the darkness... [Then] he sank into a coma from which he did not awake. The doctor was one of the most lovable of men. He was firm and honest in his convictions ... [and] His beautiful nature was exemplified in the poem, "Welcome Spring Flowers," which "he wrote many years ago... Many a time he was asked why he did not settle in some city where his [botanical] talents would receive prompt recognition, but his answer invariably was that he could study nature better in his old home." When Herbst died, his widow donated his collection of 5,000 fungi to the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia. #OTD On this day in 1886, the botanist Wilhelm Nikolaus Suksdorf began his journey by train to Cambridge, Massachusetts to go work for Harvard's top botanist, Asa Gray. Now I know what you're thinking. This must be another story about a budding young botanist who makes his way to Harvard and then writes his ticket to success and fame. But that is not the story of Wilhelm Suksdorf. Suksdorf was born in Germany, but his family soon immigrated to Iowa. The Suksdorf's had nine children, but after their two little girls died, the Suksdorfs were a family of seven boys; often referred to as the seven Suksdorfs. (Wilhelm was number six). Wilhelm was a sickly little boy; maybe that's why he ended up being such a homebody. When his older brothers went to Ames Iowa for college, botany was part of the curriculum. (Imagine that?!) It was through his older brothers that Wilhelm learned of Asa Gray's botany manual. After he heard about it, he wanted one for himself. So, when he was twenty years old, he bought himself a copy and he used it to learn about the plants around the family's Davenport Iowa farm. After his older brothers went West to find their fortunes, it wasn't long before the entire Suksdorf family followed suit. They ended up buying land along the Columbia River in the Pacific Northwest and they settled in an area they named Bingen. Wilhelm attempted to study botany at Berkeley. But, after two years, decided to quit. Suksdorf was 26 when he left Berkeley and returned to the family farm to help his brothers with their dairy operation. Back in Iowa, the Suksdorfs had been part of a large German immigrant population. They were able continue to speak German at home on the farm and with a fair number of other German settlers in the county. But, when the Suksdorf family moved west, the dense concentration of German families did not exist. Wilhelm's lack of formal schooling and his isolation on the farm, made him uncomfortable communicating in English. As a result, much of his botanical work was written and documented in German. As fate would have it, Asa Gray's manual was not helpful with the flora in the Northwest. Botanically speaking, Suksdorf was in uncharted territory. The lack of information spurred Wilhelm to reach out to none other than Asa Gray. Gray wrote him back. Corresponding with Gray gave Suksdorf something to do outside of the farm, yet it allowed him to at stay home (where he preferred to be). Suksdorf would collect specimens and send the ones he wasn't sure of to Gray and then wait for a response as to the identification. In the beginning, Suksdorf may not have appreciated how this relationship was actually a true quid pro quo. See, Suksdorf's work was an answer to prayer for Gray who was working on a flora of North America. There was nothing Gray needed more desperately than specimens from the Northwest. In recognition for his work, Grey named a violet for Suksdorf. This was an immense honor, on Suksdorf did not expect, and it turned Suksdorf into a true Gray disciple. Things carried on this way for the next seven years until 1885 - which proved to be a dreadful year for Suksdorf. At this point, Suksdorf was a 35-year-old bachelor, living at home with his parents, working on the farm with his brothers, and botanizing when he had inclination, time, and energy. But in October of that year, both of his parents succumbed to sickness; it was something like the flu. But, they didn't bounce back. They grew sicker and sicker until on October 22, they both died. Suksdorf moved in with his younger brother, Theodore, and his wife. We don't know for sure how that went, but we do know that Suksdorf's sister-in-law attempted to get him out of his shell, out of his grief, and into the real world. By spring, she had written a letter to Dr. Asa Gray at Harvard. One can almost see her rifling through Wilhelm's correspondence to find Dr. Gray's address. She told Gray about Wilhelm's isolation, but also how kind and conscientious he was; and she wondered if there might be a museum or a botanical garden that could use some help. Asa Gray must have been moved by something; whether it was all of those specimens and letters that Suksdorf had sent over the years or the somewhat desperate plea sent by his sister-in-law, we don't know for sure. What we do know is that, in a little over two weeks, Gray had put together an offer for Suksdorf: Come to Harvard. Be my assistant. Earn $500 the first year, $600 the second year, and so on, all the way up to $1000 a year. And, Gray also offered a career path and mentorship. What was not to love? True to form, Suksdorf went and declined the offer; saying something about not wanting a life indoors doing office work You can imagine the reaction of his family. His brothers took him to task for rejecting the incredible offer. Their disappointment and frustration was made clear. In turn, Suksdorf handled it in the only way he knew how: escaping to nature... for three weeks. If nothing else, the hiatus gave Wilhelm time to think. Incredibly, when Suksdorf returned home Gray had written again, and asked him to reconsider. Whether it was Gray's persistence, his families badgering, or his self-reflection, by the end of July Suksdorf relented. And so, it was on this day, in 1886, that Suksdorf found himself boarding a train headed to Massachusetts to work with his mentor, Asa Gray. It truly was the opportunity of a lifetime. For a little over a year, Suksdorf enjoyed working directly with Gray. He had finally found a place of acceptance outside of his immediate family. But it was short-lived. Four days after Thanksgiving in 1887, Gray was at home and coming down the stairs for breakfast, when he suddenly lost control of his arm and hand. Three days later, he lost control over his speech. He languished in bed in complete silence for two months and died at the end of January on the 30th in 1888. Suksdorf had his lost his mentor and grief consumed him to the point that Gray's wife, Jane, had to send him to an institution in order to recover. When he was discharged, Suksdorf discovered that Gray's position had been filled by a man named Sereno Watson. Watson was a colder personality than Gray; he didn't see the point in coddling Suksdorf and Suksdorf could see the writing on the wall; he wasn't a fit with Watson. For a homebody like Suksdorf, the easy decision was made; he was going home. Towards the end of his botanical career, Suksdorf was a special fellow at the herbarium of Washington State University. He collected 150,000 specimens, including 70 new species, over the course of his lifetime. Many plants have been named in his honor. Today, there is a Suksdorfia chapter of the Washington Native Plant Society and it is made up ofa great group of native plant enthusiasts in the Gorge. They sponsor a number of great hikes and educational events throughout the year. Suksdorf died as the result of a tragic train accident. On Oct. 3, 1932, Suksdorf arrived at the depot in his hometown to take the train to Portland. He stepped onto the track to flag the train, but it did not stop, and Suksdorf was thrown against the wall of the depot. He was 82 years old. Unearthed Words "Youth is like spring, an over praised season more remarkable for biting winds than genial breezes. Autumn is the mellower season, and what we lose in flowers we more than gain in fruits." ~ Samuel Butler Today's book recommendation: Not Just Desserts by Susan Belsinger This sweet little cookbook came out in 2010. You can still get used copies on Amazon using the link in todays show notes. It looks like there are about thirteen used copies available for under $10. Otherwise the book is out of print and collectible copies start at close to $60. So, if you want a copy of this one, don't wait! Belsinger is a prolific food writer - she's written close to 20 cookbooks. She's also an amazing herb expert. Although this book offers mostly recipes for desserts, it also offers much more than that. Belsinger has created these sweet herbal recipes that are simple and homey - and all of them are made delicious because of the addition of herbs.
Today's Garden Chore Strategically tidy up the garden. As harvest time comes to an end, it's good to go ahead and cut down edibles and vegetable plants. I chop and drop many of my edibles to return the nutritious green matter back into the soil. And, leave the roots of healthy plants to improve the soil; plants like herbs, peppers, cucumber, beans, and so on; basically any plants that aren't diseased. Finally, consider adding a cover crop to your beds that could use a little boost; it's simple and it offers a beautiful protective, nutritious blanket over your garden.
Something Sweet Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart
On this day in 1967, the song 'Apples, Peaches, Pumpkin Pie' by Jay & The Techniques reached number 8 on the Top 40 music charts.
The lyrics are a throwback to a childhood expression, "Apples, peaches pumpkin pie Who's not ready? Holler 'I'"
When the song was pitched to the group in May of 1966, the band's drummer hung up on the suggestion. He wasn't too excited about singing about fruit and pumpkin pie.
After they recorded the song, an Atlantic City radio station featured the song in a contest and the song took off. By the fall of 1967, the band was performing the song on the Ed Sullivan Show.
If you're looking for something catchy and sweet for your fall playlist in the garden, consider adding Apples, Peaches, Pumpkin Pie. But, I'm going to warn you, if you haven't heard it before, it's a total ear worm.
Thanks for listening to the daily gardener, and remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."
Today is the first day of Autumn also referred to as the Autumn Equinox. Equinox means 'equal night'. On this day, both day and night are nearly the same length. Thereafter, the dark part of the year begins. Brevities #OTD Today is the birthday of the grandson of Genghis Khan, Kubla Khan, who was born on this day in 1215. Kubla Khan's Summer Garden at Xanadu is the subject of Samuel Taylor Coleridge's 1797 poem Kubla Khan. In Xanadu did Kubla Khan A stately pleasure-dome decree: Where Alph, the sacred river, ran Through caverns measureless to man Down to a sunless sea. So twice five miles of fertile ground With walls and towers were girdled round; And there were gardens bright with sinuous rills, Where blossomed many an incense-bearing tree; And here were forests ancient as the hills, Enfolding sunny spots of greenery. Coleridge's Kubla Kahn is regarded as one of his most important works. Coleridge said that he composed the entire poem while in a dreamlike state, drowsy from opium he had as medication. When he woke up, he remembered the entire poem and immediately set about writing it down. But then, he was interrupted by a knock at his door and he received a visitor. Sadly, when the visitor left, his perfect recollection of the poem failed him and he was only able to finish the poem in fragments. The poem begins by describing Kahn's palace and the garden contrasted with the setting of the ancient Mongolian forest. Although Coleridge wrote this poem in 1797, he didn't share it with the world until urged to do so by his friend Lord Byron. Together, Coleridge's poem and the adventurer, Marco Polo, brought world-wide attention to Kubla Kahn and his achievements. #OTD Today in 1806, Lewis and Clark returned to St. Louis after spending over two years exploring the headwaters of the Missouri River in an effort to find a route to the Pacific. They returned with their journals and with plant specimens. Here's just a handful of the plants they discovered (I picked the ones you might be the most familiar with): Snow-on-the-mountain (Euphorbia marginata) Creeping juniper (Juniperus horizontalis) False indigo (Amorpha fruticosa) Needle-and-thread grass also called porcupine grass (Hesperostipa comata) Purple coneflower (Echinacea angustifolia) Rough gayfeather also called large button snakeroot (Liatris aspera) Wild four-o'clock (Mirabilis nyctaginea) Wild rice (Zizania palustris) Wild rose (Rosa arkansana) #OTD Today is the anniversary of the death of Stuart Robertson who died on this day in 2009. Robertson was a professional gardener in Montreal, although he was born in England. In 1981, Robertson began work as a gardening columnist for the Montreal Gazette. In 1982, Robertson added the title of broadcaster to his repertoire, as a member of the show Radio Noon on CBC Radio One. Robertson also wrote two books on gardening. A passionate, leading organic gardener, his first book was Stuart Robertson's Tips on Organic Gardening, which was published in 2007. The following year, he wrote Stuart Robertson's Tips on Container Gardening. At the age of 50, Robertson learned he had non-Hodgkins lymphoma, a type of cancer of the lymph nodes. When it returned later in life, he received a bone-marrow transplant. Robertson's colleagues recall him as a gentleman; he had class, strength, and optimism. In an article announcing Robertson's passing in his hometown paper, The Gazette out of Montreal, poignantly reported: "His final column, which appeared Sept 19, read in part 'We're getting to the sad time of the year, when we have to start thinking about cooler weather and the end of the growing season.'" #OTD Today is the anniversary of the death of the botanist Ruth Patrick who died on this day in 2013 at the age of 105. Patrick was known for a little saying that went like this: you can't live a day without diatoms. Diatoms are a single-celled algae; this was Patrick's way of saying that all life is interconnected and that nature matters. Ruth Patrick understood this premise very well. She was a leading voice in the recognition that the smallest organisms, living in communities, were more reliable than an individual species as indicators of pollution. Ruth Patrick was born in Topeka, Kansas. Her father was an attorney and when he wasn't working he loved to take Ruth and her sister out into nature. The girls would collect samples from streams and ponds and then get a closer look with the brass microscope in their father's study. Later, Ruth would often say that her father had always encouraged her to leave the world a better place for having passed through it. In 1975, Patrick was the first woman elected president of the American Society of Naturalists. She worked for 80 years at The Academy of Natural Sciences. In 1996, she was awarded the country's National Medal of Science from President Bill Clinton. Unearthed Words "When the goldenrod is yellow, And leaves are turning brown - Reluctantly the summer goes In a cloud of thistledown. When squirrels are harvesting And birds in flight appear - By these autumn signs we know September days are here." - Beverly Ashour, September "The back door bangs shut! September gust." - Mike Garofalo, Cuttings:Haiku, Concrete and Short Poems Today's book recommendation: Plant Parenting by Leslie Halleck This is a new book that just came out in June of this year from Timber Press. The author, Leslie Halleck, founded Halleck Horticultural and she likes to say that when it comes to plants, people naturally feel a relationship with them. Once people fall in love with plants, they want more of them. This is where propagating becomes a useful skill to learn. Mastering propagation is a snap with Halleck's book which breaks down the different options and modern resources available to gardeners. This book offers up some pretty marvelous photos along with simple instructions. Halleck embraces the trends that are used nowadays by interior designers who incorporate plants as a way to add sculptural elements and warmth to the indoors. The images in Halleck's book are gorgeous and they feel very on trend. If you have gardeners in your life, be sure to share this lovely, friendly introduction to propagating houseplants, flowers, and vegetables. Today's Garden Chore Divide and move plants that have grown too big in your garden. After the plants in your garden have finished flowering, autumn is the best time of year to move them. Despite the cooler air temps, the ground is still warm enough to provide the right just the right environment for root growth. This year, the hostas and astilbes in my garden needed thinning. With my hostas, I just take a sharp knife or shovel and divide the hosta while it's still in the ground. Then, I just remove half the hosta and leave the other half in place; the mother plant bounces back pretty fast. For the astilbe, or any other plants with tough roots, I will dig up the whole plant and then use a serrated knife to divide the plant into sections and then replant those wherever I want them in the garden. Something Sweet Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart #OTD On this day in 1937, the Evening Report out of Lebanon, Pennsylvania reported on a rose garden in Hershey, Pennsylvania. The 12,500 rose plants of the Hershey Rose Garden were in their September glory. The rose garden was to be dedicated the following June, when its 20,000 plants would be in bloom. The garden had attracted, 125,000 visitors from Pennsylvania and ... other neighboring states since its opening in May, 1937. An unusual feature of the garden was that, instead of twenty or twenty-five roses of one variety in a bed, the plants in the Hershey Rose Garden numbered as high as 175 in a single bed. And there was a lake within the garden. It was surround with the deep orange-red Gloria Mundi, the Mermaid (with its single, pale yellow bloom), the Jacotte (with its orange bloom), and the Eblouissant (a wonderful tiny rose with double, globular flowers that had long-lasting red color and was nested in bronze foliage on a very dwarf plant). Thanks for listening to the daily gardener, and remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."
Folklore and legends are often intertwined with plants and gardens. Today, I stumbled on a Swedish Legend called "The Harvest That Never Came" and I thought you'd get a kick out of it. The story has been used in lesson plans, to teach kids problem solving. I'm going to abbreviate it a bit, but I'll share a link to a good English translation in today's show notes. A young man named Arild was the son of a Danish noble family. He had fallen in love with a girl from Sweden named Thale. But, in the midst of their romance, Denmark and Sweden declared war on each other. Arild, who served in the war as a Danish Knight, was captured by the Swedes and thrown in prison. While he was in prison, Arild received a note from Thala, his true love. "My dearest Arild, I promised to wait for you forever, but I fear I will not be allowed to. My father says you will never return, and he has chosen another man to be my husband... He has already set the marriage date. I will love you always. Your faithful Thale" Now, Arild was not about to die in prison, and he was certainly not going to lose Thale. So, he came up with an offer and he presented it to King Erik of Sweden in the form of a letter: "Your Royal Majesty, Grant me one favor. Let me go home to marry the woman I love. Then allow me to stay only long enough to plant a crop and harvest it. On my word of honor (as a knight), I will return to your prison as soon as the harvest is gathered." The King granted Arild's request and Arild married Thale. In the Spring, Arild decided on a crop and he planted the seeds placing them each of them six paces apart. In the Fall, after the Harvest season had passed, King Erik sent a messenger to summon Arild back to prison. Arild looked at the messenger with surprise, saying, "My crop is not harvested... Indeed it has not yet even sprouted!" The messenger looked perplexed and said, "Not sprouted? What did you plant?" Arild's reply revealed the cleverness of his plan: "Pine Trees." When King Erik heard Arild's story he wisely judged, "A man like that does not deserve to be in prison." "And so, Arild was allowed to remain home with his beloved Thale. And a magnificent forest stands today as a testament to his love." Brevities #OTD Today is the birthday of the botanist and physician Lorenz Scholz von Rosenau who was born on this day in 1552. The information history has preserved about Scholz gives us a rare glimpse into the botanical life of a dedicated plantsman in the 1500's. Like many early botanists, he was very well educated and he was a polyglot; reading, writing, and speaking many languages. One of the most important endeavors accomplished by Scholz was translating medical references which were written in Greek and Arabic. He took that information, along with references written by peers around Europe, and put together a reference book that combined all of the best medical information of his time. His work proved so valuable in helping to teach people about the plague, that he earned a coat of arms and nobility title, the Scholz von Rosenau" name in 1596. As for botanical activities, Scholz was way ahead of his time. He grew potatoes - a dubious activity during his day and age, and one few gardeners would have pursued - because people were afraid of night shade plants. And, Scholz had a massive garden even by today's standards - over 7 acres. I love the description of the layout for Scholz's garden: four quadrants, big central pathways, and smack in the middle of all of it was a building that historians say was used to entertain; Scholz had designed it to serve both as a dining hall and an art gallery. Clearly, Scholz was a people person and he loved entertaining his friends and family at his garden. During the growing season, Scholz would hold gatherings he called "flower festivals" in his garden to delight his friends and family. #OTD Today is the anniversary of the death of Margherita Caffi who died on this day in 1710. Caffi was an Italian painter who was able to have a long career painting still life flower & fruit compositions.The men in her family were painters, but Caffi was self-taught. A mother of four who was pursuing a craft outside of the norm for her times, Caffi had an incredible work ethic. But, her efforts paid off; Caffi achieved fame and even royal patronage during a time when female painters were not embraced. A quick Google search of Caffi will reveal that she loved tulips, roses, peonies and carnations; she loved to paint their delicate forms and felt that their tremendous colors - the soft pinks, the vibrant reds, the remarkable shades of yellow and orange - were best displayed against a dark background. Caffi's art is formal and elegant; she painted on silk, canvas and vellum. #OTD Today is the birthday of botanist and explorer Mary Sophie Young who was born on this day in 1872. In 2017, Nicole Elmer wrote a lovely profile of Young which was featured on the website for the Department of Integrative Biology at the University of Texas at Austin. Here are some highlights from Elmer's profile: When Mary Sophie was born in Glendale, Ohio to an Episcopalian minister and his wife, she was undoubtedly the answer to her parents prayers; they had already had seven boys by they time Mary Sophie was born. Growing up with brothers was formative for Young; she often said she felt that playing with them outside had made her tough and that the experience had helped her withstand the challenging conditions often faced by botanists during plant collecting expeditions. Young ended up getting her PhD from the University of Chicago. By the fall of 1910, she was on the faculty at the University of Texas; she had landed a job in the botany department. In two short years, Young was put in charge of the herbarium which already housed 2500 specimens; but had never had a curator. Young immediately set about adding to the herbarium through her collecting. Early on, as a collector in Austin, Young began publishing her work and she would often correspond with others using the simply sign-off "M.S. Young" which masked the fact that she was female. Young wrote in the manner that she spoke; very directly. To Young's delight, while exchanging letters, many people who read her prose and her initials and would incorrectly assume that she was a man. It gave her an immense feeling of satisfaction. In Elmer's post about Young, she wrote: "Young's favorite area to collect was West Texas, and she traveled there during [her] vacation[s].... [in the] the summers of 1914, 1915, 1916, and 1918... Young would hire a younger man to accompany her, usually a university student, to assist with hunting and setting up camp. Young also paid part of her expenses on these collecting trips and donated her time. While in West Texas, she collected from ferns, grasses, cacti, large trees, and sedges." Young recorded her 1914 trip in a journal. Elmer wrote that, "Young [expressed] awe at the landscape... of being in the vastness of West Texas at the turn of the century: "It's about five o'clock now. The 'lonely' time is beginning. The air is very transparent and very still and everything glistens. There is something of that uncanny fee ling of the consciousness of inanimate things." In February 1919 Young was diagnosed with advanced cancer. She died a month later at the age of 46 . She had served as curator for seven years and in that time she had added almost 14,000 specimens to the University of Texas herbarium. Today, the herbarium occupies eight floors of the Tower; an iconic part of the University of Texas Landscape. #OTD Today is the birthday of the garden writer Anna Pavord. In her 2010 book,The Curious Gardener, Pavord, culled articles from her newspaper column. Here's an excerpt: "It was at our first house and on the first patch of ground that we actually owned that I really discovered the point of gardening. It wasn't a Pauline conversion. There was no sudden, blinding vision of beauty. I didn't see myself (still don't) trolling through bowers of roses, straw hat just so, gathering blooms into a basket. Nor had I any idea at first of the immense joy of growing food. But I had at least begun to understand that gardening, if it is to be satisfying, requires some sense of permanency. Roots matter. The longer you stay put, the richer the rewards. "I also realized how completely I had missed the point as a child. Gardening was not necessarily about an end result. The doing was what mattered. At this time too, I learned about gardening as therapy." Unearthed Words "Under the harvest moon, When the soft silver Drips shimmering Over the garden nights, Death, the gray mocker, Comes and whispers to you As a beautiful friend Who remembers." - Carl Sandburg, Under the Harvest Moon Today's book recommendation: Big Dreams, Small Garden by Marianne Willburn Big Dreams, Small Garden is Willburn's Guide to Creating Something Extraordinary in Your Ordinary Space. As a columnist and Master Gardener for over 20 years, Willburn is used to talking to people who long to create the garden space of their dreams, but find that something in their circumstances is getting in the way of that dream. If that situation describes you, Willburn's guide will be your inInspiration to getting unstuck and getting the garden you are hoping for; whether that's a restful outdoor space for entertaining or a garden to supply edibles for cooking. Stop waiting for "the perfect place" and start the process of visualizing, achieving, maintaining, and enjoying your unfolding garden. Willburn gives you tips for making a sanctuary in less-than-ideal situations and profiles real-life gardeners who have done just that—including the author herself. Today's Garden Chore Pot up some herbs to bring indoors. This is an excellent weekend to pot up some of your herbs to grow through the fall and winter on the kitchen windowsill. I like to bring in mint and parsley, as well as rosemary, basil, and cilantro. And don't forget that your windowsill is a great place to sprout scallions which will happily grow in a vase of water - right next to the herbs on your windowsill. Something Sweet Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart On this day in 1910, The Rutland Daily Herald out of Vermont shared this utterly charming story about a little-known flower called the Rhodum sidus: An amusing story told by Hood describes how a country nurseryman made a large sum out of sales of a simple little flower that he sold under the name of Rhodum sidus. This charming name proved quite an attraction to the ladies and the flower became the sage of the season. It was one of those freaks of fashion for which there is no accounting. At length a botanist who found that the plant was [a common] weed requested to know where the nursery man got the name from. He elicited the following reply: "I found this flower in the road beside us, so christened it the Rhodum sidus." Thanks for listening to the daily gardener, and remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."
There's are some lines from a TS Eliot poem that go like this : Oh, Do not ask, "What is it?" Let us go and make our visit." If you've never visited your local botanic garden this time of year, you really should go. I have a friend who recently did this, and she posted amazing pictures from her visit to the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. She said this: "This is my PSA : Get yourself to the Arb ....now . Don't wait to go just to see the change in color of the trees (like everyone else ) Go now ! The colors of the flowers are crazy ! This is just a couple quick snaps with my phone ( which doesn't do justice) no filters, editing or enhancing. The colors are just THAT bright and bold . I've never gone this time of year . I go in the spring, a few times mid summer then I wait like everyone else for the leaves to change and go again. I've even gone in the winter but never late late summer /early fall . For some reason I thought there wouldn't be anything to look at. I thought the flowers would be half dead ( like my potted plants at home ) I won't make that mistake again." Brevities #OTD Today is the birthday of the botanist professor Mildred Mathias who was born on this day in 1906 in Sappington, Missouri. Mathias was a professor at UCLA for twelve years, until 1974. She also served as president of the American Society for Plant Taxonomists and the Botanical Society of America. Matthias is remembered as a pioneer in the area of ecotourism. She enjoyed bringing botanists and amateurs alike all over the world to study and discover plants. From her early days with Dr. Lincoln Constance at Berkeley, back in 1937, Matthias began to focus on Umbelliferae. The Umbelliferae ("Um-bull-iffer-EYE") is a family of aromatic flowering plants and it's commonly referred to as the carrot, or celery, or parsley family. It also includes other important herbs like Angelica and Annis Carraway, and chervil, dill, fennel, lovage, and parsnip, just to name a few. The growing habit in plants throughout the family varies. The taproots of carrot and parsnip are big enough to be harvested as food. Plants like cilantro, coriander, dill and parsley or harvested for their leaves which contain essential oils that are very aromatic. In addition, the seeds of these plants, like fennel and cumin and coriander are also harvested for cuisine. Umbelliferae prefer soil that is cool; and, they grow best in the shoulder seasons. Umbelliferae are favorites among ladybugs and parasitic wasps. The family Umbelliferae is named because of the tiny flowers that are clustered together to form in amble – a little flower overhang reminiscent of an umbrella. It's fitting then, that the Mathiasella bupleuroides is named in her honor. Mathiasella bupleuroides 'Green Dream' is native to Mexico; it was discovered in 1954. The umbelliferous flowerhead of Green Dream has these jade-green, bracts that appear from April to June. In the Fall, the flower heads turn a charming pink. Here's a fun fact; Green Dream was a bit of a sensation at Chelsea 2006. Over the course of Matthias's career she published over 100 articles and books about the Umbelliferae. Volume 26 of Madrono was dedicated to Mildred Mathias, and the tribute recognized Mathias' pioneering spirit and energy. In 1993, Mathias was honored a s the Distinguished Economic Botanist of the year. #OTD Today in 1907, Orville Redenbacher, was born. Redenbacher was a U.S. agricultural scientist and the co-creator of a new hybrid of popcorn called "snowflake." It was lighter and fluffier than traditional popped kernels and Redenbacher became a household name with his commercials for his popcorn. To this day, Orville Redenbacher is the number one selling popcorn in the world. Nebraska produces more popcorn than any other state in the country. #OTD Today is the birthday of the third son of Charles Darwin, Francis Darwin - known to his family as Frank. Francis published the results of his work with his dad in a book called The Movement of Plants. The book details their experiments which showed that young grass seedlings grow toward the light. In 1887, Frank shared a portrait of his father in a book called life and letters of Charles Darwin. The letters revealed Darwins fluid prose and clarity. Frank said that correcting his fathers proof sheets made him a better writer. There's no doubt, Frank had been taught by a master teacher and, in turn, he became a teacher as well. At Cambridge, he taught students of pure science and medicine. Frank Darwin received many honors during his lifetime including the President of the British Association in the 1908-1909 year. In 1913, he was knighted by the Queen. It was Frank Darwin who said, "The personal effect of teacher on pupil cannot be bought at a price, nor can it be paid for in any coin but gratitude. It is the possibility of earning this payment that makes the best part of a teacher's life." #OTD On this day in 1991, The New York Times printed printed an announcement about an upcoming symposium at the New York Botanical Garden (NYBG) featuring Dr. James Duke. Duke was sharing his research; the topic was plants for health and healing and their role in modern medicine. The article shared Duke's incredible personal experience using plants to promote his own good health. It said this: "Dr. James Duke is one of those rare botanists who actually eat what they preach. He loves to watch the evening primrose open within 60 seconds. But he also munches its seeds, which are high in tryptophan, an essential amino acid that can relieve pain and depression. Purple coneflowers thrive in his rather rumpled wild garden in Fulton, Md. He eats their roots to boost his immune system. To cure a cold, he mashes up the stems and leaves of forsythia. To help strengthen weak capillaries, he makes "rutinade" from violet and buckwheat flowers, lemon grass, rhubarb stalks, and herbs high in rutin (anise, camomile, mint, rosehips)." Unearthed Words "Spring flowers are long since gone. Summer's bloom hangs limp on every terrace. The gardener's feet drag a bit on the dusty path and the hinge in his back is full of creaks." - Louise Seymour Jones Today's Book Recommendation: The Backyard Homestead by Carleen Madigan In The Backyard Homestead, Carleen shows you how to produce all the food you need on just a quarter acre. Best of all, the book is loaded with ideas, illustrations, and enthusiasm. It is eye-opening to see just what can be accomplished on a standard-sized home lot. Carleen has been in garden publishing for many years, but she also lives on an organic farm outside of Boston; so she knows of what she writes. Whether your backyard ambitions are modest or you're scaling up for complete food self-sufficiency, this wonderful guide helps you learn a range of essential skills, from starting seedlings and beekeeping basics to producing and preserving your own food; all of which brings an inordinate amount of sufficiency and satisfaction. Today's Garden Chore Start moving houseplants back indoors. This way, they can adjust gradually to decreasing sun exposure and humidity. If your allergies can handle it, make the move while your windows are still open, to ease the transition. Don't forget to move your tropical houseplants indoors by the end of the month. Something Sweet Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart I recently had the opportunity to rewatch a video featuring Dr. Oliver Sacks who practiced medicine in NYC across from the New York Botanical Garden (NYBG). In the video, Sacks reflected on the garden and what it meant to him. I've cobbled together a few of his inspiring thoughts. Here's what he said: "I think of this garden as treasure. First, it's a haven. In a noisy, crowded New York, we need a haven; we wander around and time doesn't matter too much. When I worked at the hospital opposite the garden, I used to come in every day. Specifically, I would come in after seeing my patients but before writing up my notes. And, I would walk around the garden and put everything out of consciousness except the plants and the air. But, by the time I got back, the patient's story would have crystallized in my mind [and then] I could then write it straight away. But I needed this sort of incubation in the garden, and to go for a walk in the garden; that sort of thing is an essential thing for me in writing. I think nature has a healing effect; the garden the closest one can come to nature. The garden has affected me and does affect me in various ways; it's not just the pleasure of walking around but [also] the very special virtues of the library and the museum and the fact that, in some ways, this is a university as well as a garden. I just feel very comfortable in the garden and whenever people come to New York from out of town or out of the country I say let's go to the garden. I would like quote a couple of lines from a TS Eliot poem: 'Do not ask what is it, Let us go and make our visit.' And so, I think you can't really describe the garden you have to have to visit it." Thanks for listening to the daily gardener, and remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."
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