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
Are you a fan of basil? A few years ago, I produced an entire long-format show about basil for the Still Growing podcast. It was Episode 573, and I called it Basilmania. At one point or another, we've all needed an introduction to basil and to pesto. So, if you've never grown basil, or smelled basil, or tasted it, or cooked with basil - I want to introduce you to it. I'd love it if someday you look back and say - yeah that Basilmania episode on Still Growing - that's what made me want to give basil a try. If you're an experienced basil gardener, you also it because I take you through some of the amazing varieties of basil - just know that there are over a hundred - (and I give you some ideas for what you can do with them).
From a growing standpoint, I share how to grow it from seed, how to propagate it (it's so easy - its insane), offer some basic cultivation tips, and provide answers to some common questions about problems folks can have growing basil. I also tell you about harvesting and storing all of your green gold - your basil leaves.
And then I wrap up with my favorite part of growing basil - eating it. I'll share my pesto tips and give you some pretty amazing recipes that may or may not incorporate pesto. Whew! So, check it out on my blog or on your favorite podcast player just search for the word Basilmania (SG573) and the Still Growing podcast episode should pop right up. Brevities #OTD It's the birthday of Benning Wentworth who was born on this day in 1696. Wentworth was the colonial governor of New Hampshire from 1741 to 1766. Wentworth is important to North American gardeners, because Wentworth had brought the lilac along with other trees and shrubs when he immigrated to America from England. In 1750, the first lilac was planted at the Wentworth home. In 1919, it was adopted as the New Hampshire State Flower because lawmakers felt it was,
"symbolic of the hardy character of the men and women of New Hampshire; the granite state."
#OTD It's the birthday of one of the man who created the Missouri Botanical Gardens also known as "Shaw's Garden," or "Hank's Garden" - I'm talking about none other than the great Henry Shaw who was born on this day in 1800. Shaw is easily in the top ten of any list of great American botanical philanthropists. Shaw is commemorated on the St. Louis Walk of Fame with this epitaph: Henry Shaw, only 18 when he came to St. Louis, was one of the city's largest landowners by age 40. Working with leading botanists, he planned, funded and built the Missouri Botanical Garden, which opened in 1859. Shaw donated the land for Tower Grove Park and helped with its construction. He wrote botanical tracts, endowed Washington University's School of Botany, helped found the Missouri Historical Society, and gave the city a school and land for a hospital. Of Shaw's gifts, the Botanical Garden is best-known. Said as early as 1868 to have "no equal in the United States, and, indeed, few anywhere in the world." In addition to the Botanical Garden, Shaw built the Linnean House in 1882. It is the oldest continuously operated public greenhouse west of the Mississippi River and was originally designed to be an orangery; a place to overwinter citrus trees, palms and tree ferns. And, there's a little story I love that reveals Shaw's regard for the plants in his garden. It was posted in the St. Louis Star and Times on April 5, 1933 "Mr. Shaw was escorting a lady through his gardens, pointing out objects of interest. The visitor said: " I cannot understand, Sir, how you are able to remember all of these difficult names." He replied, with a courtly bow, "Madame, did you ever know a mother to forget the names of her children? These plants and flowers are my little ones." #OTD Today in 1938, The Miami News posted an article about pigeon peas. The article begins this way, "If English peas don't suit your palate, plant pigeon peas. The suggestion is that of a Miami pioneer, Charles F. Sulzner, who through the years has pointed out to newcomers the advantages of growing tropical fruits and vegetables, often of a type requiring no painstaking cultivation... Pigeon peas, as Sulzner demonstrated in his spacious grounds at 236 S. W. Second St grow on trees, and may be had by the simple process of picking. Pigeon peas make a lovely and distinct addition to the edible garden. The cultivation of the pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan), can be traced back more than 3,500 years. Other common names include: Congo pea, Angola pea and red gram. In Barbados, pigeon pea was used to feed pigeons. Gardeners who love growing peas in the spring, may thoroughly enjoy growing pigeon pea in the summer. It's a hardy perennial that can produce multiple harvests during the season. The sweet, fresh green peas are technically beans. They can be eaten fresh when green or dried. The dried beans need to be soaked before boiling. Pigeon peas have a nutty taste and crisp texture. The entire pod may be eaten. As a bonus, the yellow-red flowers attract flocks of hummingbirds and the plants are also nitrogen-fixers and enrich the soil. Unearthed Words Here's a poem from John Clare called July: "Loud is the summer's busy song The smallest breeze can find a tongue, While insects of each tiny size Grow teasing with their melodies, Till noon burns with its blistering breath Around, and day lies still as death." Today's book recommendation: Planting in a Post-Wild World: Designing Plant Communities for Resilient Landscapes Hardcover by Thomas Rainer and Claudia West Rainer and West offer strong voices in ecological landscape design. The book is about how plants fit together in the wild and how we can use that understanding in garden design and plantings. The benefits of this kind of planting method are much more management and less maintenance in addition to more diversity and density in our plantings. Rainer and West have grown increasingly frustrated by the fact that traditional horticultural plantings really didn't provide the set of tools to give clients ecosystems that also offer year-round beauty. By keying in on the way plants behave in the wild; grasping concepts like density and diversity, the authors believe they have extracted some design principles and real-world solutions for gardeners Today's Garden Chore Try designing a Clock Garden. The floral clock garden originated with Linnaeus, an 18th century Swedish botanist. He hypothesized that flowers could predict time based on when they opened and closed. You could make your clock garden much more simple by creating wedges based on color or by season: spring, summer, and fall bloomers. Something Sweet Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart On this day in 1975, the Green Bay Press-Gazette a little ad for their "Dial-A-Garden-Tip." Readers could simply dial a number at any time and hear a taped garden message. Here were the topics posted in the paper: July 17 Russian olive diseases. July 18, 19, 20 Dutch elm disease. July 21 How to blanch vegetables. July 22 Growing cauliflower. Julu 23 Birch borer. July 24 Training young trees. Thanks for listening to the daily gardener, and remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."
Today, Catholics honor St. Phocas the Gardener who lived in Turkey during the third century. A protector of persecuted Christians, Phocas grew crops in his garden to help feed the poor. Phocas is remembered for his hospitality and generosity; his garden played an important part in living both of those virtues. When Roman soldiers were sent to kill him, they could not find shelter for the night. Naturally, when Phocas encountered them, he not only offered them lodging, but a meal made from the bounty of his garden. During the meal, Phocas realized they had come for him. While the soldiers slept that night, he dug his own grave and prayed for the soldiers. In the morning, Phocas told the soldiers who he was and the soldiers, who could conceive of no other option, reluctantly killed him and buried him in the grave he had dug for himself. Although gardening can be a solitary activity, may we follow in the footsteps of Phocas the gardener, using our gardens to connect us to others through generosity and hospitality. Brevities #OTD Today is the birthday of Frances Ropes Williams, born on this day in 1883. Williams had a shady garden in Winchester, Massachusetts. And, what is the most-used plant by shade gardeners? Hostas. That's right. And, Williams had an appreciation for hostas before they became widely used in the United States. A graduate of MIT, Williams was lucky enough to get the chance to work with Warren H. Manning, the famous Boston landscape architect, for a little over two years. Williams stopped working to marry Stillman Williams. But sadly, he died after almost twenty years of marriage, leaving Frances with four young children - two boys and two girls. Williams and her family loved the outdoors. When the kids were little, Williams made them one of the very first playsets. When the children were grown, Williams found purpose in her garden and she zeroed in on her hostas. She became known for hybridizing them and she even wrote about them for various botanical magazines. Williams discovered the hosta that would be named for her honor quite by happenstance. She had visited her daughter in college in New York, and she stopped by Bristol Nurseries in Connecticut on her way home. Nestled in a row of Hosta sieboldiana,was a hosta that had a yellow edge. Williams bought it and continued to grow it in her garden. Years later, Williams hosta ended up in the hands of Professor George Robinson at Oxford. Williams had labeled the plant FRW 383. When the professor couldn't remember what Williams had labeled the plant, he simply called it hosta Frances Williams. Williams work with hosta helped the newly-formed American Hosta Society. After she died in 1969, a hosta garden was planted in her memory at MIT. #OTD It's the anniversary of the death of John Goldie who died on this day in 1886. Goldie was a Scottish-born botanist and author. He led an extraordinary life. He started out as an apprentice at the Glasgow Botanic Garden. As a young man, another botanist bumped him off what was to be his first plant exploration. However the botanical gods were smiling on him. The expedition was doomed when most of the party died from coast fever along the Congo River. Two years later, William Hooker encouraged Goldie to travel to North America. He started in Montreal and made his way down the Hudson River to New York. He wrote that he carried as many botanical specimens "as his back would carry." Goldie returned to the Glasgow Botanic Gardens and for five years, he trained an eager young apprentice and fellow Scottsman named David Douglas. When Douglas met an early death, Goldie planted a Douglas-Fir next to his house to remember his young friend. After Goldie discovered the giant wood fern, Hooker called it Dryopteris goldieana in his honor and it earned the name Goldie's woodfern. Goldie worked tirelessly and he recorded a total of fourteen plant species previously unknown to science. Unearthed Words Here's a poem from Raymond A. Foss called Summer Rain "A break in the heat away from the front no thunder, no lightning, just rain, warm rain falling near dusk falling on eager ground steaming blacktop hungry plants thirsty turning toward the clouds cooling, soothing rain splashing in sudden puddles catching in open screens that certain smell of summer rain." Today's book recommendation: The Living Landscape: Designing for Beauty and Biodiversity in the Home Garden Hardcover by Rick Darke and Douglas W. Tallamy What if you're looking for a landscape that's not only beautiful, functional and productive, but also nourishes and fosters wildlife. That's the aim of The Living Landscape. Darke and Tallamy describe how plants can be used for multiple uses in the garden. Today's Garden Chore Buy a bolt of wedding tulle. Wedding tulle is the perfect protector for you summer crops and ornamental from Japanese Beetles and other ravenous insects. It's attractive and inexpensive; the perfect combination. You can get 600 feet of wedding tulle on Amazon for just $15.00 using the link in today's show notes. Something Sweet Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart Since we are in full-on-pesto-making mode, I wanted to share a recipe that I discovered on called Tarragon & Cashew Pesto from Dunk and Crumble. Cashew Tarragon Pesto 1 large bunch fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped 4 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh tarragon 1/2 cup raw cashews zest from 1 lemon juice from 3 lemons a handful of lemon balm or lemon verbena stripped from the stems 1 garlic clove, peeled 1/3 cup olive oil 3 tablespoons lemon vinegar or chive herbal vinegar salt and freshly ground black pepper Directions: Toast cashews in a dry pan over medium heat until lightly brown and fragrant. Allow to cool slightly. Purée parsley, tarragon, nuts, lemon and lemon juice, lemon herbs and garlic in a food processor. Add the olive oil, vinegar, and a bit of salt and pepper, and blend until a coarse paste forms. Add a few tablespoons of warm water to thin the sauce to desired consistency, and adjust seasoning to taste. Use as a sandwich spread, atop a bowl of hot pasta, or alongside roasted chicken. Makes about 3 cups pesto. Thanks for listening to the daily gardener, and remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."
Have you ever tried drying flowers? Successfully drying one of your favorite flowers is such a joy. Some flowers actually look even better when they are dried. There are many options for drying flowers; air drying is the simplest. Then, of course, there's pressing. If you've never tried sand drying a bloom, you should give it a shot. Just fill a microwave-safe container with a layer of silica sand. Put the bloom on top of the sand and then bury the bloom in sand. Place the bloom along with a cup of water in the microwave. Heat in microwave in 30 second increments. Your flower should be dried in 2-3 minutes. Brevities #OTD On this day in 1842, Asa Gray arrived at Harvard. He didn't have to start teaching until the following spring. Gray wasn't a great speaker, but he was respected by his peers and his students for his knowledge. #OTD It's the anniversary of the death of the physician and botanist Hugh Algernon Weddell who died on this day in 1877. Weddell specialized in South American flora and he collected specimens there for five years. Before he left Paris, Weddell was asked to look into the Cinchona, or "fever bark" tree. Cinchona is the source of quinine. Weddell did the job. He found multiple regions where the tree grew. In addition, he discovered fifteen species of the genus Cinchona (Rubiaceae). Weddell returned to Paris with the seeds and they were germinated in the botanical garden there. Weddell's seeds helped establish the Cinchona forests that were brought to Java and other islands in the East Indies. #OTD It's the birthday of Cornelius Herman ("Neil") Muller, the American botanist and ecologist, who was born on this day in 1909. Muller pioneered the study of allelopathy "uh·lee·luh·pa·thee." Allelopathy occurs when one plant species releases chemical compounds that affect another plant species. Most Gardeners know that the black walnut is an example of allelopathy. In addition to the leaves, black walnut trees store allopathic chemicals in their buds, in the hulls of the walnuts, and in their roots. #OTD Today in 1938, the St. Cloud Times ran a story about Miss Louise Klein Miller. Miller, at the age of 84, was retiring as supervisor of Cleveland's Memorial Gardens - after supervising them for over a quarter of a century. The first woman to attend Cornell University's school of forestry, Miller became the landscape architect for Cleveland schools; she was the only female landscape architect working in a large city school system. Collinwood is a neighborhood on the east side of Cleveland. On Ash Wednesday, March 4, 1908 the Collinwood school fire became one of the country's biggest tragedies. The school had only two exits, the construction created a chimney effect; the school became a fire trap. Almost half of the children in the building died. In 1910, Louise Klein Miller planned the Memorial Gardens to honor the 172 children, 2 teachers and 1 rescuer who died in in the blaze. The year before, in 1909, the Ohio General Assembly passed legislation that, "a memorial should stand in perpetuity to honor those who lost their lives in this school fire tragedy." The memorial is comprised of a large square planting bed is rimmed 3.5 foot walls made of concrete that are tiled. The plantable area of the memorial measures roughly 20' x 40'. There's also a deep bench around the perimeter and the walls are slanted to make seating more comfortable. The down side, is that the bench and the scale of the raised bed make access to the planting area is sometimes very challenging. During Miller's era, students grew flowers in a school greenhouse for the Memorial. Over the span of 70 years, the garden fell into neglect. 2018 was the 110th Anniversary of the Collinwood School Fire; there have been a few attempts to make sure the that garden continues to be a meaningful memorial. The struggle to maintain the Memorial continues. In July of 1910, there was an article in the Santa Cruz newspaper that described the new memorial garden - which at the time included a large lily pond: "There was a poet who said he sometimes thought that never blows so red the rose as where some buried Caesar bled; That every hyacinth the garden wears, drops in her lap from some once lovely head. Then there will never be lilies so fair as those that will bloom in the lily pond that is to be on the site of the Collinwood school." Unearthed Words "Our fear of death is like our fear that summer will be short, but when we have had our swing of pleasure, our fill of fruit, and our swelter of heat, we say we have had our day." - Ralph Waldo Emerson Today's book recommendation: Secret Gardens of the Cotswolds by Victoria Summerley This gorgeous book features 20 special British gardens and people who own and manage them. The book is photographed by Hugo Rittson-Thomas and written by Victoria Summerley, both of whom live in this part of England. Their combined knowledge and love of these gardens shines through in their depictions of each garden and the families blessed to call them part of their home. Beginning with the book cover, the pictures are gorgeous and the garden stories include their fascinating pasts as well as the recent story of the each property. This is a lovely book. Today's Garden Chore Prepare a spot in your garden shed, garage, pantry, or kitchen for drying flowers. Repurpose pot rack or do something simple like string some twine between some eye hooks. Sometimes just creating a space can inspire you to take some cuttings and bring beautiful blooms indoors. One of my favorite pictures from my garden is a simple row of hydrangea cuttings drying upside down in my kitchen. Bliss. Something Sweet Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart While researching Louise Klein Miller, I ran across a delightful story about her time teaching horticulture: Miller had been telling a crowd of pupils about the different insects that arrack plants, and warned them especially against the malevolent San Jose scale. She suggested that they go to tho school library and get a book about it and read of Its habits and the remedy for checking its career.
One young woman went to the librarian the next morning, and said she wanted something about the San Jose scale.
Without even looking up from her desk, the Librarian said, "Go to the music department." Thanks for listening to the daily gardener, and remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."
What's the Difference Between Oregano and Marjoram? If you've grown both, you know they look quite similar and they are often confused for one another. But, when it comes to flavor and taste, it is easy to tell them apart. Oregano tends to be earthy, pungent, and spicy. It can easily overpower the other flavors in a dish. To subdue the pungency, cooks recommend using the dried form of oregano. On the other hand, marjoram is more mild. Use that alliteration to help you remember, Mild Marjoram. Marjoram's flavor is more refined; it's floral and woodsy. Because marjoram is sweeter and milder, chefs recommend using fresh marjoram instead of dried marjoram for cooking. Brevities #OTD It's the birthday of the naturalist, botanist, ornithologist, prizewinning horticulturist, painter, archaeologist, historian, author of six books and a proud daughter of the great state of Louisiana: Caroline Dormon. Her friends called her "Carrie." Carrie was a tiny woman; she was also a powerhouse; she formed her own opinions and ideas about the natural world and she always wore dresses; she thought pants were quite scandalous. Carrie was born at her family's summer home called Briarwood. In the 1920's at Briarwood, Carrie built a writing cabin she called Three Pines because of the trio of tall pines around it. Carrie told her friends it was a place for daydreams. In the 1950's, a second cabin was built at Briarwood. Carrie liked to take the screens off the windows every spring so wrens could build nests inside. At Briarwood, Carrie installed trails through the woods, planted hundreds of plants and she even installed a reflecting pool for "Grandpappy" - her favorite tree on the property. Grandpappy is a longleaf pine and he's still alive today. Grandpappy is estimated to be over 300 years old. There's a story about Grandpappy that Carrie used to share with visitors. Once a forester wanted to "core" Grandpappy to determine a more exact age for the tree. Carrie stopped him and said, "It's none of your business how old Grandpappy is, or how old I am for that matter." #OTD On this day in 1920, John Macoun, one of Canada's leading botanists, passed away. He was 90 years old. Here's a little story he shared about Macoun's early life, growing up in Ireland: "We had a garden well fenced in, she encouraged us to spend our idle time in it... I seemed to prefer taking an old knife and going out to the fields and digging up flowers and bringing them in and making a flower garden of my own. I only remember primroses and the wild hyacinth. Another characteristic was the power of seeing. I could find more strawberries and more birds' nests ... than any other boy." After arriving in Canada, Macoun had started out as a farmer. In 1856, he became a school teacher; partly to nourish his nearly "obsessive" interest in botany, but also to find a more balanced life. Macoun wrote that before teaching, "I never had had more than one holiday in the year and that was Christmas Day. [My brother] Frederick and I might take a day's fishing in the summer, but an eight-mile walk and scrambling along the river was not very restful." Within five years, Macoun had begun regular correspondence with prominent botanists like Asa Gray and Sir William Hooker. In Macoun's autobiography, there are many touching passages about his love of botany. Here's a little glimpse into how he cultivated his own understanding of plants: "I would take a common species of roadside or garden plant of which I knew the name and then immediately endeavor to work out its correct name from the classification. The Mullein was the species that I took first. I found it more difficult than I had thought on account of its long and short stamens, but I soon came to understand the arrangement of the stamens and pistils so well that most plants could be classified by their form alone." Once, Macoun was approached by his future father-in-law, who was a bit skeptical of Macoun's prospects. Macoun wrote, " Simon Terrill, who was a well-known Quaker in that district, ... found me with a plant in my hand and said : "John, what dost thee ever expect to make out of the study of botany? I told him that I did not know but that it gave me a great deal of pleasure." Unearthed Words Flowers reflect the human search for meaning. Does not each of us, no matter how our life has gone, ache to have a life as beautiful and true to itself as that of a flower? Philip Moffitt Today's book recommendation: The Wild Garden by William Robinson Rick Darke updated this garden classic. At the time when Robinson first published the book, his natural vision for gardens was considered revolutionary. Today, we regard it as standard gardening. In addition to the complete original text and illustrations from the 1895 edition, this expanded edition includes material from Rick Darke the esteemed photographer and landscape consultant. Like Robinson, Darke seeks to show wild gardening in a modern context. The result is even more inspiration for today's wild gardens. Today's Garden Chore Schedule some time to visit public gardens. This is a great activity to help inspire you to make some garden changes. And, if you're on vacation, make sure to include some public gardens. Something Sweet Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart Today is the birthday of Landscape Architect Robert Fenton who was born in 1933. Fenton was a Harvard grad and he settled down in Pennsylvania. While researching Fenton, it was impossible to avoid all the newspaper articles that covered a disagreement Fenton had with the city of Pittsburgh. In 1965, Fenton was a young, 32-year-old Landscape Architect with an office at 6010 Centre Avenue. Newspaper accounts said he had wanted to, "spruce up what he called a drab neighborhood in the East Liberty section." After trying for weeks to get permission from the City Forester Earl Blankenship, Fenton went ahead and planted the tree. Fenton told reporters that planting the tree was in line with President Johnson's thinking on beautification and that, "If you try to get anything doen through the city you get, "no, no, no." So we decided to break up the sidewalk and put it in... hoping no one would notice. Unfortunately, the installation accidentally took out a parking meter. Newspaper accounts shared that, "In the dead of night, Fenton brought in a high lift, a 15-ton truck and five men. The tree he had selected was a beauteous 25-foot ash with a five-inch base and it cost Fenton $110 (in 1965). The city departments took umbrage at Fenton's actions. After two weeks of discussions, the City Attorney David Stahl said the tree was cut down and hauled away by City Forester Earl Blankenship in the middle of the night. Fenton came to work and was shocked to discover the tree gone; cut down to the ground. Just days earlier, Fenton had told town reporters that, "I think it's going to be so difficult to remove the tree that the city will let it stay and merely warn me not to let it happen again." Newspaper accounts of this story were super punny: Tree Goes, City Barks Citizen on a Limb Poetic Tale of a Tree Somehow Lacks Meter A Tree Grew In...Violation 'Woodman Spare That Tree' Cry of Architect Falls on Deaf Ears City Thinks Meter Lovelier Than Tree Want Meter There and No Shady Deal Today, if you look at the same spot on Google Earth, whaddya know? There's a tree growing in front of the building... but no meter. Thanks for listening to the daily gardener, and remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."
Have you tried growing the herb chervil? Chervil tastes similar to tarragon - it's sometimes called gourmet parsley. It has a wonderful fern-like leaf which turns red in the fall which is another plus. August is a wonderful time to sow chervil - so keep that in mind. The 1884 Dictionary of English Names of Plants lists chervil as "the shepherd's clock'' because the blossoms open at five in the morning and then close up around eight in the evening. The word chervil is derived from a Greek word meaning "the herb of rejoicing'' or "the cheer leaf." Brevities #OTD It's the birthday of the English naturalist, Gilbert White, who was born on this day in 1720. White kept a journal for almost three decades where he recorded observations of his garden. It was eventually published as a Calendar of Flora and the Garden, followed by the Naturalist's Journal. People immediately recognized White had a gift for observation and for describing with vivid clarity the goings-on in the natural world. Here's a little of what he wrote in his journal on this day in 1781; his 61st birthday: "Farmers complain that their wheat is blited. In the garden at Dowland's,... stands a large Liriodendrum tulipifera, or tulip-tree, which was in flower. The soil is poor sand; but produces beautiful pendulous Larches. Mr R's garden, ... abounds in fruit, & in all manner of good & forward kitchen-crops. Many China-asters this spring seeded themselves there... some cucumber-plants also grew-up of themselves from the seeds of a rejected cucumber thrown aside last autumn. Mr R's garden is at an average a fortnight before mine." #OTD Today is the anniversary of the death of the author and gardener Jane Austen. Austen loved gardens. She had a heart for ornamentals, herbs, and kitchen gardening. Her family always had a garden - growing their own food and beautifying their homes with flowers. In every single one of her books, Austen included gardens. We know from Austen's letters to her sister, Cassandra, that gardens brought her joy and they were also regulating. In 1807, she wrote about the redesign of her garden: "I could not do without a syringa... We talk also of a laburnum. The border under the terrace wall is clearing away to receive currants and gooseberry bushes, and a spot is found very proper for raspberries." In 1814, she wrote about the garden outside her rented room, "The garden is quite a love... I live in the room downstairs, it is particularly pleasant...opening upon the garden. I go and refresh myself every now and then, and then come back to Solitary Coolness." #OTD It was on this day in 1863 that the father of American landscape architecture, Frederick Law Olmsted, walked the battlefield of Gettysburg, just 15 days after the battle. Olmsted was the General Secretary of the United States Sanitary Commission (USSC) - overseeing the support of sick and wounded soldiers of the United States Army during the Civil War. At times, Olmsted personally treated the battlefield wounds of soldiers. Olmsted was handpicked for the job thanks to his success in designing and overseeing New York City's Central Park, one of the country's largest public works projects. A week after the battle at Gettysburg, Olmsted arranged for 40 tons of supplies to flow into Gettysburg every day - bringing in items like surgeon's silk, fans, butter, shoes, and crutches. By July 18, the scene had settled down enough that Olmsted could walk the fields of Gettysburg. In Martin's biography of Olmsted, he shared that Olmsted, "was struck by the scale of the place; everything had happened across distances far greater than he had supposed." Ever attuned to the landscape, Olmsted also noted that, "The hills were gentle and rolling, so very out of kilter with the carnage that was everywhere still in evidence... Olmsted came across spent shells and twisted bayonets, broken-down wagons and half-buried dead horses. Particularly touching, to Olmsted, was the random strew of Union and Confederate caps, often together on the ground, shot through with bullet holes." Unearthed Words Recently, I've started collecting cuttings from my garden to make my own potpourris and sachets. Here's a quote from Eleanor Sinclair-Rhode about this lovely garden pastime: "No bought potpourri is so pleasant as that made from ones own garden, for the petals of the flowers one has gathered at home hold the sunshine and memories of summer, and of past summers only the sunny days should be remembered." Today's book recommendation: A Southern Garden by Elizabeth Lawrence As much as I love to garden, there are days when it's just too hot or humid to go out there. I draw the line when sweat starts to trickle into my eyeballs - then it's time to call it a day. Lawrence's Southern Garden is a classic. This is Lawrence's personal experience with gardening - my favorite kind of gardening book. Although Lawrence's growing zone isn't always applicable to where you might be gardening, I guarantee you'll learn something. Her writing about gardens and gardening is conversational, thoughtful and charming. Today's Garden Chore Do a summer check of all your irrigation systems and repair anything broken. I sooo wish I would have done this last summer. By the time I discovered a leak, we had a big water problem to address. In the garden, too much water can be just as harmful as too little. Throw in temperature extremes, and you have a perfect storm - inviting many other problems. Something Sweet Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart On this day in 1908, Maxfield Parrish Print, called The Botanist, appeared on the cover of Colliers Magazine. The image shows a full-length profile of a man wearing a long botanical green coat. In his raised right hand he is holding a plant and in his left hand he is clutching a magnifying glass while a few open reference books are tucked under his arm. He has a specimen case slung over his back. The classic image was made into poster-sized prints in the 1970's. Thanks for listening to the daily gardener, and remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."
The Daylilies are blooming their little hearts out right now. Daylilies are in the genus Hemerocallis which has about 15 species of daylilies. They are not part of the Lilium genus, which is the genus for true lilies. The name Hemerocalliscomes from the Greek words ἡμέρα (hemera) "day" and καλός (kalos) "beautiful". Especially in China, the daylily symbolizes motherhood. Their name alludes to the flowers which typically last no more than 24 hours (about a day or so). Daylily flower stems are called "scapes" and as one fades, the next one on the scape opens, keeping daylilies blooming for weeks or even months. Daylilies have been dubbed the 'perfect perennial' because their wonderful features: they are pretty low maintenance, beautiful colored blooms, tremendous drought tolerance, and they can grow in most zones. Brevities #OTD On this day in 1850, The Sydney Morning Herald shared an advertisement from plantsman John McMahon. McMahan advertised that he had put together a catalogue of nearly 2000 species of plants. For his customers, McMahon assured that, "Plants securely packed for long journeys, glazed plant cabins prepared, and filled with rare plants for transmission to Europe." #OTD Today is the anniversary of the death of botanist Charles Theodore Mohr who died on this day in 1901. Charles Mohr was one of Alabama's first botanists. He was born in Germany and educated in Stuttgart - he was a trained pharmacist. Mohr traveled the world before settling in Alabama. He collected in Surinam, emigrated to the United States in 1848, took part in the California gold rush, lived briefly Mexico, Indiana, and Kentucky. Mohr spent decades gathering the information and plant specimens for his work. In 1857 he started Chas. Mohr & Son Pharmacists and Chemists in Mobile, Alabama. His personal herbarium specimens were donated to the University of Alabama Herbarium (15,000 specimens) and the United States National Herbarium (18,000 specimens). When Mohr's book on the plants of Alabama was published, he was seventy seven years old. The following plants are named for Charles Theodore Mohr: Andropogon mohrii (Hack.) Hack ex Vasey Mohr's bluestem Grass family Aristida mohrii Nash Mohr's threeawn Grass family Eupatorium mohrii Greene Mohr's thoroughwort Aster family Marshallia mohrii Beadle & F.E. Boynt. Mohr's Barbara's buttons Aster family Rudbeckia mohrii Gray Mohr's coneflower Aster family Silphium mohrii Small Mohr's rosinweed Aster family Tephrosia mohrii (Rydb.) Godfrey pineland hoarypea Pea family Quercus mohriana Buckl. Ex Rydb. Mohr oak Oak family #OTD The poet, George William Russell who went by the pseudonym AE, died on this day in 1935. Russell attended the Metropolitan School of Art, in Dublin. There he met the poet William Butler Yeats Russell became the editor of The Irish Homestead. His popular quotes include the following: "Our hearts were drunk with aa beauty our eyes could never see." "You cannot evoke great spirits and eat plums at the same time." #OTD Today is the anniversary of the death of one of the 20th century's leading landscape architects; Sir Geoffrey Jellicoe. Jellicoe was multi-talented, but his true passion was landscape and garden design, which he described as "the mother of all arts". He was a founder member of the Landscape Institute. Over his 70-year career, Jellicoe designed more than 100 landscapes around the world. Jellicoe designed the John F Kennedy memorial site by the River Thames in Berkshire. Jellicoe's final and most ambitious project was the Moody Gardens in Galveston, Texas. Jellicoe imagined a design where visitors could walk through the history of landscape, from the Garden of Eden and the gardens of ancient Egypt, to a design inspired by Thomas Mann's novel The Magic Mountain (1924). As the Moody Garden website acknowledges, "It was the culminating work of his design career but has not, as yet, been implemented. We live in hope." Jellicoe's favorite garden was the gardens he designed in Hemel Hempstead. Jellicoe designed the Hemel Hempstead Water Gardens to improve the quality of life for the townspeople. Jellicoe designed a canal with dams and little bridges to take visitors from the town parking lot to shopping. Jellicoe designed the canal after seeing one of Paul Klee's paintings of a serpent. Jellicoe said, "The lake is the head and the canal is the body," wrote Jellicoe in his book Studies in Landscape Design. "The eye is the fountain; the mouth is where the water passes over the weir. The formal and partly classical flower gardens are like a howdah strapped to its back. In short, the beast is harnessed, docile, and in the service of man."
Unearthed Words Here's a poem from Niels Mogens Boedecker, who was an illustrator and author of children's books. "Mosquito is out, it's the end of the day; she's humming and hunting her evening away. Who knows why such hunger arrives on such wings at sundown? I guess it's the nature of things."
Today's book recommendation: A Year in Trees by J. C. Raulston and Kim Tripp
Raulston and Tripp point out that just, "40 species of shrubs and trees make up 90 percent of the landscape plantings in the U.S." The book is divided into four parts corresponding to the seasons. Tripp honed her craft at Harvard's Arnold Arboretum and she wrote weekly articles for the North Carolina State University Arboretum in Raleigh. Those articles became the backbone for 150 profiles of trees, shrubs, and vines. Tripp featured plants are pretty low maintenance and reliable. This is a terrific resource featuring some under-used, but amazing, trees.
Today's Garden Chore It's time to set appointments on your calendar to accomplish your bigger garden to-dos before the summer comes to a close. Sometimes it helps to calendarize the garden jobs that seem a little overwhelming or that require extra help or resources. There's no time like the present to line up a contractor, some volunteers, or good friends and get the job done. Plus, it will make next year in the garden so much more enjoyable. I hate to bring this up, but here's an eye-opening fact: there are just 46 days to Labor Day. Time's a wasting...
Something Sweet Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart
On this day 1891, The Great Bend Weekly Tribune reported that, "Will Ferger's night blooming cereus unfolded its loveliness last night. Quite a number witnessed the blooming of this rare plant, and many have envied its owner." The night blooming cereus, one of the most unique desert plants, is a member of the cactus family. Native to Arizona and the Sonora Desert, the plant is also commonly called the Queen of the Night or the Princess of the Night. The cereus is generally grown as a houseplant and it often is a pass-along plant - passed on from friends and family. As a plant, it's can be a bit of a mess. It's generally rather untidy and unruly. But it can be pruned without hurting the cactus. To create more of the Cereus night blooming cactus, just pot up the cuttings. Just keep in mind that the night-blooming Cereus won't flower until it is four to five years old. The number of blooms increase as the plant ages. But once it blooms, the white flower is truly incredible. It's almost 7 inches in diameter and smells divine. The flowers start to bloom at 9 or 10 p.m. and are fully open by midnight. The morning sun will cause the petals fall off and die.
Thanks for listening to the daily gardener, and remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."
Did you know Tarragon is an artemisia? Like all plants in the Artemisia genus, Tarragon is gray and silvery. Artemisia's were sacred to Artemis and there are over 180 species - all of them ornamental, most are medicinal, and of course, a small few are culinary. Tarragon is quite agraceful plant when it is fully grown. Never demanding, Tarragon can stand some shade and a heavier soil. French tarragon has a subtler aroma and flavor compared to Russian tarragon.Tarragon has its own peculiar sweet taste recalling anise. Tarragon is an integral part of dijon mustard. Tender, fresh stems of Russian tarragon can be cooked and consumed as asparagus. The tea stimulates the appetite, especially when it has been lost because of illness. Drinking the tea before bedtime is helpful because Tarragon compounds are mildly anesthetic and sedative. The tea can also help with hyperactivity. And, here's something valuable to remember about tarragon: the flowers generally do not produce viable seed. So, tarragon propagates via root cuttings, rhizome sprouts and stem division. As an example, the French tarragon commercial growers dig it upin the fall after all the foliage has been harvested. Then they cut the roots into short pieces. Brevities #OTD It's the birthday of Camille Corot born in 1796 in Paris. Corot was a French painter, famous for his landscapes and he inspired the landscape painting of the Impressionists. Corot's quotes about painting are inspiring to gardeners. Here's a little sample of his inspiring perspective on the natural world: "Beauty in art is truth bathed in an impression received from nature. I am struck upon seeing a certain place. While I strive for conscientious imitation, I yet never for an instant lose the emotion that has taken hold of me." Here are some of Corot's words about the end of the day: "...everything is vague, confused, and Nature grows drowsy. The fresh evening air sighs among the leaves - the birds, these voices of the flowers are saying their evening prayer." Imagine sitting beside Corot as he wrote, "I hope with all my heart there will be painting in heaven." Gardeners would reply, "I hope there is a garden." #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. Unearthed Words Rachel Peden was a popular environmentalist, newspaper columnist, and author. Peden had a profound appreciation for the minutia in the natural world and she was very funny. She wrote, "The serene philosophy of the pink rose is steadying. Its fragrant, delicate petals open fully and are ready to fall, without regret or disillusion, after only a day in the sun. It is so every summer. One can almost hear their pink, fragrant murmur as they settle down upon the grass: 'Summer, summer, it will always be summer.'" Today's book recommendation: Good Planting by Rosemary Verey Verey is regarded as the "Queen of the Traditional English Country Garden." Verey was known for creating gardens with a amix traditional elements and beautiful plantings. The gardens she created are timeless. Verey's practical reference book covers planting throughout the seasons. This book is a classic for your garden library. The best part about this book is that it offers advice for successful planting and utilizing difficult areas of the garden. Today's Garden Chore Get serious about planting blueberries. Blueberries provide more than just fruit; they can be an effective screen, they can add greenery to the walls of your house. They provide massive interest during three seasons in the garden: In spring, the beautiful white flowers to kick off the growing season, there's blue berries during the summer (of course), and they offer gorgeous fall coloring. Don't forget that blueberries need full sun. They require acidic soil. Blueberry plants grow slowly and reach full size in 8 to 10 years. Something Sweet Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart Today in 1987, The Indianapolis Star announced that the biography of Charles Clemon Deam, the legendary turn-of-the-century Indiana botanist and author had been published. The book was written by Robert C. Kriebel, editor of the Lafayette Journal and Courier. Charlie Deam was a self-taught botanist and served as state forester for Indiana. In his home herbarium, Deam kept a loaded pistol in his desk drawer One time, Deam and a guest were discussing something about taxonomy. Suddenly, Deam quickly opened the drawer, pulled out the gun, and fired two or three shots through the open window making some disparaging comments about the "canine ancestry of a rabbit" which had been terrorizing his garden. Thanks for listening to the daily gardener, and remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."
Let's start today off by talking briefly about bolting cilantro. Why does cilantro bolt and how should you address it? You can help delay when cilantro will bolt by planting it in part shade instead of full sun and keeping the plant cool and moist. Heat is a stressor and sensing it's own mortality, cilantro will bolt quickly in hot weather. You can also buy a slow-bolt cilantro variety and harvest the leaves more often to keep the stalks under control. Brevities #OTD It's the birthday of the English architect, Inigo Jones; born today in 1573. Jones introduced classical Roman architecture and the Italian Renaissance to Britain. He left his mark on London by his design of buildings, such as the classically styled Queen's House for James' queen, Anne of Denmark. Sadly, Anne died after work on the building started. It took another 15 years before it was finished; It was presented to queen Henrietta Maria. Inspired by an Italian palace, it caused a sensation when it was revealed. Today, gardeners remember that Jones designed the layout for Covent Garden square. The Duke of Bedford asked Jones to build a residential square using the Italian piazza for Inspiration. The Duke felt he had to include a church, but he told Jones to put up something simple like a barn.Jones' famous response was that the Duke would have "the finest barn in Europe". Covent Garden square became the chief produce market for Londoners. #OTD It's the anniversary of the death of the botanist John Wilson who died on this day in 1751. It was Wilson who first attempted a systematic arrangement of the plants of Great Britain in the English language. From an occupational standpoint, Wilson was a shoemaker and then a baker. There is a little story that is often told about Wilson - although it's veracity has been questioned. Apparently Wilson was so intent on the pursuit of botany, that he was tempted to sell his cow in order to by a book written by the Scottish botanistand taxonomist Robert Morison. The transaction would have caused Wilson's financial ruin had a neighbor lady not purchased the book for him. And there was one other story that reveals Wilson's self-taught expertise and personality. Wilson had traveled to the county of Durham where he met a man who enjoyed growing rare plants. The man challenged Wilson to a contest of skill. The man thought himself superior to Wilson and when he could not stump him with the names of the rarities in his garden. Wilson turned about and grabbed a wild herb which the man simply dismissed as a weed. But, Wilson stated that a weed was a term of art, not a production of nature: adding, that the explanation proved his antagonist to be a gardener, not a botanist. And so, the contest ended. #OTD It's the birthday of William Robinson, originator of the Herbaceous border and advocate for the wild garden, who was born on this day in 1838. Robinson helped change the English landscape from formal to much more relaxed and attainable for the masses. Robinsons work and books brought him financial security. By the age of 45, he had enough money to purchase the Elizabethan Manor of Gravetye in Sussex, along with almost two hundred acres of pasture and woodland. In 1896, Gertrude Jekyll offered this summary of Robinson's impact on gardening: "[Thanks to Robinson] ... we may see how best to use and enjoy the thousands of beautiful plants that have been brought to us by the men who have given fortune, health and often life in perilous travel that our gardens may be enriched and botanical knowledge extended. We cannot now, with all this treasure at our feet, neglect it and refuse it the gratefully appreciative use that it deserves." Unearthed Words Today is the birthday of Almira Hart Lincoln Phelps who was born on this day in 1793. Phelps wrote about nature and her textbook, Familiar Lectures on Botany, was first published in 1829. Phelps taught at Amherst Academy and her textbook was undoubtedly known and used by Emily Dickinson who was a student there. The following quotes show us that she was hip to the idea of mindfulness over 200 years ago. Here's what she wrote: "So, in the physical world mankind are prone to seek an explanation of uncommon phenomena only, while the ordinary changes of nature, which are in themselves equally wonderful, are disregarded." "How often are the beauties of nature unheeded by man, who, musing on past ills, brooding over the possible calamities of the future, building castles in the air, or wrapped up in his own self-love and self-importance, forgets to look abroad, or looks with a vacant stare." "Each opening bud, and care-perfected seed, Is as a page, where we may read of God." Today's book recommendation: Classic Garden Design by Rosemary Verey Rosemary Verey's book Classic Garden Design (1984) gives us a glimpse of how much she learned from various gardens of the past, with their topiary, knot gardens and box-edged beds. All are incorporated in her Barnsley garden, providing a formal structure, softened by roses and herbaceous perennials, which adds interest even in the wintertime. Of course, one can't forget that it was Rosemary Verey who introduced and popularized the potager You can get used copies of this book on Amazon, with the link above in the show notes for less than $6. Today's Garden Chore Incorporate perennial sweet pea into your garden. Sweet peas are some of the most romantic flowers. While the sweet pea is considered an annual, there are a few perennial cultivars, but just keep in mind that they lack the honeyed fragrance. Thomas Jefferson liked to grow this heirloom vine, also called everlasting pea. The vines can grow 9 to 12 feet tall and will offer up clusters of small white and pink blossoms. Everlasting sweet peas are an effortless cut flower; they practically arrange themselves. Something Sweet Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart When I was researching William Robinson, I came across many different accounts of a story from his early days in horticulture. Robinson was working on the estate of an Irish baronet. One cold night, the fires for keeping the greenhouses warm failed - the reason is unclear. Whatever the particulars, whether he argued with his boss, forgot to tend the fire, or acted in revenge, the result was that the tender plants in the greenhouse died. That night, Robinson walked all the way to Dublin which he did not reach until the following morning. When he arrived in Dublin, he asked Dr. David Moore, head of the botanical garden, what he should do. Moore must have liked Robinson, because he offered him a job on the spot - but not with the greenhouses. Instead, he was put in charge of herbaceous plants - plants that are hardy, die back in the winter and return in the spring after their season of rest. These plants also included the English wild flowers. In any case, the truth remains that Robinson forever after did not care for greenhouses and he did not allow them at Gravetye Manor. Thanks for listening to the daily gardener, and remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."
In China, July is the month of the lotus. Recently I shared a video in the Facebook Group for the Showfrom the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburghwhich shows Senior Horticulturist, Pat Clifford, teaching their intern Hazel, how to remove the older leaves of the Giant Water Lily so the pond does not get overcrowded. Using a pitchfork, Pat carefully folds the large lily pad first in half, then quarters, and then once more. Then he stabs the large folded pad with the pitchfork, hoists it in the air to let the water drain out and then flops the beast down on the edge of the pond. The camera zooms in to reveal the most savage thorns that grow on the underside of the lily pad and all down the stem of the plant. It was so surprising to see how viscous the thorns are - rivaling the thorniest rose. Brevities #OTD It's the anniversary of the day that Captain Cook arrived in England in 1771. He had successfully led that first voyage to Australia. But, neither Cook, nor his botanist Joseph Banks, realized that the quartz reef where they planted the British Flag contained gold. The area would remain untouched by Europeans for almost two more decades. And, Cook's ship, the Endeavor, had somehow managed to survive the trials of sailing on the Great Barrier Reef and River. Before he sailed for England, Cook worried the Endeaver wouldn't make it around the Cape of Good Hope. In a fateful decision, Cook had brought the ship to Batavia, a Dutch colony, in order to fortify his ship. Batavia was a dangerous place. Malaria and dysentery were rampant. As a result of his stop in Batavia, Cook lost a staggering 38 members of his crew. The botanists, Banks and Solander, managed to survive the stop, although at one point they were both gravely ill. Even as they battled back from illness, they still went out to collect specimens. So, on this day, in 1771, Cook and Banks and Solander make it home to England. 365 days later, Cook would be setting sail once more, but this time Banks would not be going with. Instead, a German, Johann Reinhold Forster and his son Georg—would be the botanists for his next big adventure. #OTD Today, in 1835, Charles Darwin wrote a letter to his friend John Stevens Henslow. He wrote: "In a few days time the Beagle will sail for the Galapagos Islands. I look forward with joy and interest to this, both as being somewhat nearer to England and for the sake of having a good look at an active volcano." Throughout his life, Darwin exchanged letters with Henslow, professor of Botany and Mineralogy at Cambridge University, Their correspondence was a powerful influence on Darwin; helping to shape his thinking about the natural world. And, it was thanks to Henslow that Darwin received the invitation to join captain Robert FitzRoy on the HMS Beagle. Henslow had written a letter recommending Darwin for the journey because of his like-able personality. When they were young, Henslow and Darwin had walked the Cambridgeshire countryside together. Their walks inspired Darwin to study the natural world and to travel. Once Darwin was part of team Beagle, Henslow presented Darwin with a copy of Humboldt's Narrative, an account of Humboldt's travels in South America. In it, Henslow had inscribed these words: "J. S. Henslow to his friend C. Darwin on his departure from England upon a voyage around the World. 21st Sept. 1831." Darwin treasured this gift above all others and at his death, the book was safely brought to Cambridge University Library where it remains to this day. Unearthed Words #OTD It's the birthday of Henry David Thoreau, born on this day in 1817. National Simplicity Day is observed on July 12th in his honor. Thoreau was an advocate for living a life of simplicity. Thoreau said all of these things: "If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer." "The question is not what you look at, but what you see." "Though I do not believe that a plant will spring up where no seed has been, I have great faith in a seed. Convince me that you have a seed there, and I am prepared to expect wonders." "Gardening is civil and social, but it wants the vigor and freedom of the forest and the outlaw." Today's book recommendation: Gardens Are for People by Thomas Church Church is one of the most influential American landscape architects of the twentieth century. Church's ideas on the 'modern' landscape revolutionized residential landscape design; changing the look of the suburban back yard. His notion that the suburban backyard should be an extension of the house, essentially creating an outdoor room, was revolutionary. Gardens Are for Peoplecontains the essence of Thomas Church's design philosophy and much practical advice. His four design principles include: • Unity • Function • Simplicity • Scale The book is loaded with photographs of some of the 2,000 gardens designed by Church. It was Thomas Church who said: "When your garden is finished I hope it will be more beautiful that you anticipated, require less care than you expected, and have cost only a little more than you had planned." Today's Garden Chore Propagate pelargoniums through cutting. If you've never taken cuttings of your pelargoniums before, you will be delighted with the results. Pelargoniums are also known as cranesbills or hardy geraniums. All you need to do is snip off short lengths of your favorite pelargonium, remove any leaves from the lower part of the stem that will get pushed into your growing medium, dip the stem in some rooting powder, and then place it in the pot. Pelargoniums root so easily - you'll have many new plants in just a few weeks. Something Sweet Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart Over the years, people have left their hearts in San Francisco. The author Rudyard Kipling said, "San Francisco has only one drawback – 'tis hard to leave." Paul Kanter of Jefferson Airplane, said, "San Francisco is 49 square miles surrounded by reality." Ashleigh Brilliant, author and cartoonist, said, "There may not be a Heaven, but there is San Francisco." The writer William Saroyan said, "If you're not alive, San Francisco will bring you to life." During this week in 1969, newspapers across the country were sharing this little snippet about San Francisco. "San Francisco was originally known as Yerba Buena. Spanish for "good herb," a small mint-like plant early explorers found." Thanks for listening to the daily gardener, and remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."
It's National Rainier Cherry Day. Rainier cherries were bred at Washington State University by crossing Vans and Bings. They are one of the most delicate and challenging cherries to grow because of one big drawback: their thin red-yellow skin. This makes them super sensitive to the elements and they bruise easily. Even if a grower can address these challenges, they still must contend with the birds. Birds LOVE Rainiers and can eat as much as 1/3 of the cherry crop before the harvest arrives. Watch what happens if you add a few Rainier Cherries to your bird feeder. Brevities #OTD Today in Fettercairn Scottland in 1857, the amateur botanist David Prain was born. He would ultimately become the Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens of Calcutta and Kew. Prain was sent to Calcutta in 1887 to be the curator of the herbarium. He researched Indian hemp, followed by other crops like wheat, mustards, pulses and indigo for the Bengal government. Prain's most important work involved Cinchona plantations. The bark of cinchona trees contains quinine which is used to treat malaria. In Prain's obituary, it said that he set up a system to send every village in India quinine through the local post offices thereby saving unnumbered lives. During Prain's directorship at Kew, the medicinal garden was installed at Cambridge Cottage and the Japanese gateway was acquired for the 1910 Japan-British exhibition. Prain also reinstated the Kew Bulletin. Prain's biggest professional challenge at Kew came not from a plant, but a person. William Purdom was a sub-foreman at Kew and he was passionate about making sure that the garden staff was being treated fairly. The discord stemmed from some of the gardeners at Kew discovering that their positions were only temporary. Having wages well below market levels didn't help either. Even though all of this was set in place before Prain assumed the directorship, it fell to him to fix everything. Prain's humble origins gave him a heart for his workers and he did his best to remedy the situation. Despite Prain's reasonable efforts to mediate the situation, Purdom made it personal. Prain finally forced the issue basically saying that it was either him or Purdom. In a magnanimous gesture, Prain worked to get Purdom a spot on the expedition to China by Harry Veitch and the Arnold Arboretum. Today, history looks back at Prain with admiration, that he could recognize the talents of an employee, even while disagreeing with him - and all the while acting with fairness and integrity. #OTD Today in 1941 the Amarillo Daily News ran an article featuring Charles Sumner Lambie who was a Denver area civil engineer by day and a rare orchid breeder by night. Lambie grew up in Pittsburgh tending the family garden. He later married Margaret McCandless and together they raised nine children. As his engineering firm became successful, Lambie's wife said he turned to the hobby of raising orchids as a means of relief from the stresses of his job. Mr. Lambie shared an upside that he discovered about greenhouse gardening: He no longer suffers from hay fever as he did when he gardened outside. After sharing the various types of orchids grown by Lambie, the article shared Lambie's method for documenting his plants. Here's what it said: "Mr. Lambie has a card index file ... on each plant. Here is a simple entry from the card of C. Talisman: "L.O. Talisman: 6 inches, December 1938, Christmas; Winter Bloomer, October to early summer, variable. Flowers large, Sepals and petals – Light to dark rose. Lip, dark rich crimson; Throat purple with yellow – gold veins." Mr. Lambie puts a protective canopy over the orchids when they are in bloom and he sprays them several times a day.
When Mr. Lambie leaves town on business, Mrs. Lambie makes sure that the orchids are watered several times today.
As the reporter for the story was leaving, Mrs. Lambie showed him a small orchidAnd shared that Mr. Lambie was given the orchid when he subscribed to an orchid magazine. The orchid is called the Charles Lambie Rittenberry orchid named for their grandson and of course it receives "very careful attention" she added with a smile. #OTD On this day in 1950, a very unusual dwarf Amaryllis species was collected in Peru by the eminent botanist, Dr. Ramon Ferreyra, July 11, 1950, and was sent to Dr. Hamilton P. Traub in the United States. Unfortunately, the bulbs experienced frost while they were being shipping in the mail. Some of the bulbs were totally destroyed, the surviving bulbs all had been damaged. It took almost 18 months for Dr. Traub to nurse the frosted plants back to health. In recognition of his patience and skill, the Amaryllis was named Hippeastrum traubii.
Unearthed Words Here's a sweet diary entry from 1938 for today by Canadian Naturalist Charles Joseph Sauriol ("Sar-ee-all") shared by the Toronto Archives on their fabulous twitter feed - which is a wonderful thing to follow: "I find it hard to come in from the flower borders. My Pansies are a garden of enchantment in themselves. People who love Pansies should grow them from seed. I took the advice and I have never had such a profusion of bloom and of so many colors." Today's book recommendation: Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers, and Bamboos by Graham Stuart Thomas Graham Stuart Thomas introduces this essential, comprehensive reference of wood plants this way: "All through my life I have been discovering plants; I do not mean going out into the wilds of other countries and bringing back new treasures for our gardens. I am no dauntless traveler. But, I remember the thrill of my first winter as a student at the Cambridge University botanic Garden of sniffing for the first time the delectable scent of winter sweet and the winter flowering honeysuckles, and learning how to distinguish them from each other... I can claim to have grown, either directly or by proxy perhaps three quarters of the shrubs in this book; anymore have been observed to write about." Of his book,Thomas differentiates from others he has read on the subject: "My book is designed to help the reader consider the arrangements of his garden as a whole, And to furnish the different rooms with plants." Graham Stuart Thomas helps gardeners relate to shrubs through characteristics such as size, evergreen or deciduous, color of flower, scent, season of flowering, autumn color, methods of propagation are all given in an ingenious Line of Facts for easy reference. Lively short descriptions of the characters of each plant help amateurs and professionals alike choose what to grow and what to avoid.
Today's Garden Chore Deadhead to encourage more blooms What happens if you don't deadhead? You might miss out on valuable time that your plant could use to create that second flush of blooms. Plants to deadhead include: coreopsis, blue and white clips, geraniums, and dianthus. Another reason is to encourage more blooms the following year. Dead flower heads become seed pods and that takes energy from the plant. So be sure to deadhead peonies, roses, iris and lilies. As a general rule, when any plant looks leggy, it will benefit from deadheading or plain ol' pruning.
Something Sweet Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart #OTD Today in 1936, the Danish botanist Clarence Henry Dennesen celebrated his 103rd birthday. Dennesen was once an internationally recognized authority on botany and he led an amazing life. He was captain under Christian IX in Denmark's war with Germany, was wounded In battle and captured by the enemy, was shipwrecked on the Isle of Crete and sailed around Cape Hope. After the adventurous days of the soldier and sailor, he became a professor at the Copenhagen School of Botany and among his pupils were a little princess who later became Queen Alexandria, mother of King George of England, and a little prince who later became King Constantine of Greece. The newspaper reported that, "the men's Bible class of St. John's Lutheran Church, in Jacksonville Florida, had planned a surprise birthday party, but the jolly old Dane wink as he hinted it is hard to surprise the man who is been around for 103 years." Dennesen immigrated to America in 1881 and lived to be 111 years old.
Thanks for listening to the daily gardener, and remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."
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