The Daily Gardener

Today we celebrate the woman who donated her entire orchid collection to begin the Belle Isle Conservatory. We'll also learn about a woman who Burpee honored with the naming of a Marigold. We hear an excerpt from a garden diary for this week of March. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a very delightful book that teaches how to make your own floral cocktails. And then we'll wrap things up with a little story that shares five favorite perennials for country life. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart To listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to "Play the latest episode of The Daily Gardener Podcast." And she will. It's just that easy. The Daily Gardener Friday Newsletter Sign up for the FREE Friday Newsletter featuring:

• A personal update from me
• Garden-related items for your calendar
• The Grow That Garden Library™ featured books for the week
• Gardener gift ideas
• Garden-inspired recipes
• Exclusive updates regarding the show

Plus, each week, one lucky subscriber wins a book from the Grow That Garden Library™ bookshelf. Gardener Greetings Send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes, and so forth to [email protected] Curated News 4 Things You Can Plant in March, the Very Beginning of Outdoor Gardening Season | Apartment Therapy | Molly Williams Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and original blog posts for yourself, you're in luck. I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. So, there's no need to take notes or search for links. The next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community where you'd search for a friend... and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events March 5, 1866 Today is the birthday of Anna Scripps Whitcomb. Anna was born to James and Harriet Scripps. Anna's father was an entrepreneur; he founded the Detroit News and helped found the Detroit Museum of Art. In 1891, Anna married Edgar Whitcomb and together they raised two children. The couple lived on a beautiful estate in Gross Pointe and along the way, Anna nurtured her passion for orchids. The Whitcomb property boasted two large greenhouses which were largely devoted to orchids. During the first half of the 1900s, Orchids were still very challenging to grow and they had a very poor germination rate. Anna's success with orchids was in large part thanks to her longtime gardener and propagator William Crichton who worked for Anna for almost 30 years. William often had the help of a small staff of gardeners and the team worked together to show many of Anna's orchids at the Detroit Flower Show. A charming article about Anna's orchids highlighted William's expertise this way, "With a fine brush, [William] transferred the pollen of one gorgeous flower to another. The seed pod of the fertilized flower would contain a quarter million seeds, a few hundred thousand of which would be planted and half of them would bloom nine years after spring. Because the modern orchid grower studies the ancestry of his plants... [William] can predict their possible forms and colorings and qualities. But exactly what will happen, [William] must wait nine years to learn. Until recently the orchid breeder could count upon no more than five percent of selected seeds surviving to germinate. Now the famous Cornell University method has raised the life expectancy of orchid seeds to 50 percent. With this method seeds are sown in a propagating jelly, which looks like library paste. It is composed of chemicals, salts and nutrients made from seaweed. [Each year, William] will cross but one, possibly two, pair. [William] will save perhaps 10,000 to 20,000 seeds and plant half of them… Five flasks filled with the Cornell agar jelly [are] sufficient to fill a small orchid house with bloom. [And] Each flask [is corked with cotton and covered with a glass and] hold[s] [between] 500 to 1,000 seeds, fine as star dust, In ten months flecks of green appear on the thick, white gelatine within the flask. Minute seedlings are ready for the outside world, where, for eight or nine years more, they must face the hazards of life. Drafts, germs, insects, diseases, changes in temperature, careless hands would destroy them. Little pots filled with a special orchid moss, known as Osmunda fiber, are prepared, perhaps 10 or a dozen, for the benches of the private orchid house. The grower transfers the bits of green, washing off the jelly, scattering the thousands of seedlings, like chopped parsley, over the smooth, spongy surface of the moss. Years pass. The infant plants are moved from the nursery to less crowded quarters. Weak individuals are discarded. Finally, each survivor stands alone in a pot, guarded, sprayed, scrubbed with soap, watered and fed, by day and by night, in controlled degrees of heat and humidity." Before Anna died, she made arrangements for her orchid collection in the event of her death. And in April of 1953, Anna's entire orchid collection - all 600 of them - to the Belle Isle Conservatory owned by the city of Detroit. Built in 1904, the domed conservatory had gradually deteriorated. Without Anna's gift and the commitment of 450,000 to renovate and improve the wooden structure with aluminum beams, the 50-year-old glass-domed building would have likely met its end. The very month Anna's orchids were gifted, the conservatory was renamed as The Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory. Today the Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory is the oldest continually-running conservatory in the United States - and people just refer to it as the Belle Isle Conservatory. March 5, 2012 Today The Akron Beacon Journal shared a story about some of the wealthiest women in Akron Ohio during the Victorian era. One of the women profiled was the gardener, composer, songwriter, and philanthropist Idabelle Firestone. As you might have suspected, Idabelle was the wife of rubber baron Harvey Firestone. In 1929, Idabelle generously started the Idabelle Firestone School of Nursing at Akron City Hospital with a founding donation of $400,000. A lover of gardens and gardening, David Burpee of Burpee Seed fame even named a marigold in Idabelle's honor. Idabelle incorporated gardens and nature into her musical compositions. Ida even wrote a song called "In My Garden," which starts out with someone missing their sweetheart and then ends with this verse: A garden sweet, A garden small, Where rambler roses Creep along the wall. Where dainty phlox and columbine Are nodding to the trumpet vine. And now each flower is sweeter dear I know it's just because at last you're here. Idabelle was a kind woman and a reporter once wrote, "Idabelle Firestone doesn't need a grand mansion to be a lady. She'd be a lady in a shack." Unearthed Words [March is] the watching month, the month in which to watch the ground for the bright spears of green of daffodil and iris, and for the bloom of species tulips; for the snowdrop, the earliest crocus, the color in the stem of shrub and tree. [And] the first injunction for every month of the year should really be this: keep a garden notebook. If this has not been started in January, then this is the time to buy the book and make the first entries. — Mrs. Francis King (aka Louisa Boyd Yeomans King), The Flower Garden Day by Day, March 1 and March 2 Grow That Garden Library Floral Cocktails by Lottie Muir This book came out in 2019, and the subtitle is 40 fragrant and flavourful flower-powered drinks. In this book, Lottie helps us learn to take flowers from the edge of the glass as a garnish and make them the star of the show - the main focus for gorgeous and flavorful libations and beverages. Lottie's recipes include a heady honeysuckle syrup, a fabulous raspberry and scented geranium drink, a lavender gin, a nasturtium rum, a gorse flower syrup, and a rose petal vodka, just to name a few. Lottie was the perfect author for this book because she is the creator of The Midnight Apothecary pop-up, a unique cocktail bar set in a roof garden in London. Lottie's creativity with flowers has evolved into glorious cocktail creations for gardener mixologists. This book is 64 pages of plant-powered cocktails created to delight your senses and feature your favorite blossoms from your own home garden. You can get a copy of Floral Cocktails by Lottie Muirand support the show using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for around $5 Today's Botanic Spark Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart March 5, 2017 On this day The Herald-Palladium out of Saint Joseph, Michigan shared an article called "Flowers for the Country Border" by Maureen Gilmour. In this article Maureen shares a glimpse of farm life - a busy lifestyle where Maureen says, "With all the chores to do, few have time to sweat the details, seek perfection or create glossy magazine looks." And so, the perennials that make it on the farm are tough and dependable and require little fuss. As Maureen says, "In early farms and ranches, the first perennials [were] the stalwart wildflowers of range and prairie. Planted from gathered seed, or roots transplanted to the yard from wild stands, these big bold perennials took hold and flourished. They have proven to take the worst conditions and survive, to bring color, wildlife, and flavor, without toxicity to pets, livestock or kids." Next Maureen recommends five favorite perennials for country life: 1.Bee Balm "Monarda didyma is a vigorous North American native perennial ... In the colonies, it's foliage was an alternative to boycotted tea after the Boston Tea Party." 2. Blanketflower "Gaillardia pulchella grows low and dense, producing flowers heavily, and then self sows for many new volunteers next year. This species is not as picky about soil quality for success" 3. Purple Coneflower "Echinacea purpurea is best known as a supplement, but this is the finest native for borders." 4. Shasta Hybrids "This plant is … a curious hybrid invented a century ago by Luther Burbank. Snow white flowers of the original have many size variations, with the original proving as long-lived and resilient as many natives." 5. Fennel "This popular kitchen garden herb produces tall plants with umbelliferous flower heads that fill the air with these delicate forms late into the winter. The plants will flourish so they grow together into a dense mass. This blocks sunlight to the soil beneath so weeds are less likely to sprout." Thanks for listening to The Daily Gardener. And remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."

Today we celebrate a man who wrote the book on growing and selling orchids. We'll also learn about a very special Arbor Day to honor Luther Burbank. We hear a touching excerpt about the final days of an incredible gardener, teacher, and friend. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book about the beautiful flowers of Japan. And then we'll wrap things up with a sweet little advertisement about the Gladiolus and Dahlias - two beautiful flowers that most gardeners are ordering and shopping for this month (if they haven't already). Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart To listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to "Play the latest episode of The Daily Gardener Podcast." And she will. It's just that easy. The Daily Gardener Friday Newsletter Sign up for the FREE Friday Newsletter featuring:

• A personal update from me
• Garden-related items for your calendar
• The Grow That Garden Library™ featured books for the week
• Gardener gift ideas
• Garden-inspired recipes
• Exclusive updates regarding the show

Plus, each week, one lucky subscriber wins a book from the Grow That Garden Library™ bookshelf. Gardener Greetings Send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes, and so forth [email protected] Curated News 5 Perennial Herbs You Should Grow | Hunker | Michelle Miley Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and original blog posts for yourself, you're in luck. I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. So, there's no need to take notes or search for links. The next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community, where you'd search for a friend... and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events March 4, 1847 Today is the birthday of the German-English orchidologist and nurseryman Henry Frederick Conrad Sander. As a young man of 20 years old, Conrad met the Czech plant collector Benedict Roezl. Benedict's heart lay in exploration and acquisition; he did not enjoy the marketing and sales aspects of plant hunting. Instead, these skills were Conrad's strengths. The two men struck up a business plan that left Benedict free to explore and collect and Conrad to sell, sell, sell. Conrad set up shop in St. Albans, and Benedict was soon sending shipments of orchids from Central and South America. Benedict collected for Sander for 40 years. Even though Benedict was 6'2" tall and had that imposing iron hook for a hand, Benedict was robbed 17 times and, once, even attacked by a jaguar during his collecting days. After his quick success with Benedict, Conrad expanded his operations. Soon Conrad was managing inventory from over twenty collectors, growing orchids in over sixty greenhouses, and entertaining visitors that included Europe's top collectors and even royalty. As a result of his business success acquiring, breeding, and selling orchids, Conrad became known as the King of Orchids. Leveraging his incredible expertise, Conrad wrote a masterpiece in two volumes on every variety of orchid. The book was folio-sized, with text in three languages - English, French, and German - and the botanical drawing of orchids were life-sized. As a sign of great respect, Conrad named his book Reichenbachia in honor of the legendary orchidologist Heinrich Gustav Reichenbach. Reichenbach had named more orchids than any other person, and in his will, he asked that his herbarium be closed for 25 years to protect his work with orchids from his competitors. In turn, in 1882, Heinrich honored Sanders by naming the "Queen of Philippine Orchids" after Sanders - naming it the Vanda Sanderiana, which the locals called the waling-waling orchid. The waling-waling is considered one of the rarest, most beautiful, and most expensive orchid, and it is also one of the largest species of orchids in the world. Orchids are some of the world's oldest flowering plants, producing the world's tiniest seeds. A single Orchid seedpod can contain three million seeds! Orchids are also the largest family of flowering plants in the world. With over 25,000 species, Orchids represent about ten percent of all plant species on earth, and there are more orchids on earth than mammals and birds! Now, once they are germinated, Orchids can take five to seven years to produce a flower. And if you look at the orchid bloom closely, you'll see that the blossom, like the human face, is perfectly symmetrical, which only adds to their visual beauty. And, by the time you are buying that Orchid at Trader Joe's, it is likely already decades old. But never fear, Orchids are long-lived and can reach their 100th birthday. The vastness and complexity of orchids can be frustrating. Charles Darwin grew so discouraged writing his book about orchids that he wrote to a friend, "I am very poorly today and very stupid and hate everybody and everything." March 4, 1949 On this day, the Santa Cruz Sentinel out of Santa Cruz, California, published a lovely story about the upcoming Arbor Day celebration. The story featured a wonderful photo of a tree being pruned with the caption, "Santa Rosa Citizens To Plant Trees In Commemoration Of Birth Of Famed Luther Burbank: Nurseryman Joe Badger, who in his youth used to steal fruit from Luther Burbank's trees, prunes a flowering plum tree as Burbank's widow looks on. On Arbor Day, which this year will commemorate the 100th anniversary of the birth of the great horticulturist, this tree will be planted in Mrs. Burbank's garden at Santa Rosa, Calif, near the spot where her husband is buried. " Burbank's widow said, "No, there will be no wreath-laying on Luther Burbank's grave... Laying a wreath is only a ceremony... It doesn't make things grow." she said. Instead, she and Nurseryman Joe Badger, who as a youngster stole plums from the Burbank experimental gardens, will plant a flowering plum tree adjoining the Redwood highway, where passersby can enjoy it. "That is the way he would have wanted it without ceremony. Mr. Burbank never liked fanfare. His interest was in things alive like a tree or a plant or a flower. Or a group of school children coming to sing to him on his birthday." The flowering plum was developed by her husband. He gained world fame with his Burbank potato, his spineless cactus, and many other horticultural achievements. Her husband now lies buried under a huge Cedar of Lebanon tree in a simple unmarked grave. Beside him lies his white mongrel dog, Bonita, who was his constant companion until Burbank died in 1926. Burbank requested that no marking be placed above his burial place. Instead, he was buried beneath his Cedar of Lebanon. He, himself, had planted the seed sent by a friend in Palestine. He had said, "When I go, don't raise a monument to me; plant a tree," Unearthed Words We were not to live and practice with Alan Chadwick again until eight years later, when he returned to Green Gulch at the end of his life. Despite the unrelenting grip of his illness, Alan continued to rage against the dying of the light. He announced with dignity, "I intend to be in the garden tomorrow." "We will welcome you," I murmured… Alan never made it to the garden. Instead, we brought the garden to him. I cut armloads of fresh flowers for him every few days, winter jonquils and Korean lilac, wind-blown anemones and stiff Coral Quince that Alan recognized from his original gardens at Green Gulch, and a single blood-red poppy grown from seed gathered from the World War II battlefields of Flanders. During these months, the garden itself upwelled with a rare treasure trove of bloom, and Allen drank long draughts from the bottomless pool of flowers. — Wendy Johnson, Gardening at the Dragon's Gate, Chapter 1: Valley of the Ancestors Grow That Garden Library Flora Japonica by Masumi Yamanaka This book came out in 2017, and Masumi is an award-winning botanical artist based at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. In this book, Masumi begins by revealing the history of Japanese botanical illustration with a lovely overview of the influential botanist and illustrator Tomitaro Makino's work. Next, Masumi shares beautiful artwork that showcases the indigenous plants of Japan. Flora Japonica showcases eighty specially-commissioned paintings from thirty-six of Japan's best modern botanical artists. Daily Gardeners will love that each painting also shares detailed information about the plant's habitat and history, as well as a botanical description. This book is 240 pages of botanical art that highlights Japan's glorious and incomparable flora. You can get a copy of Flora Japonica by Masumi Yamanaka and support the show using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for around $4 Today's Botanic Spark Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart March 4, 1956 It was on this day that the Chicago Tribune ran two advertisements for Gladiolus and Dahlias by R. H. Shumway. The Gladiolus were being sold as a rainbow mixture. 50 bulbs cost $1.00, 100 bulbs cost $1.75 and 200 bulbs cost $3.25. The Dahlias were the New Giant variety, and two bulbs cost 25 cents, and that also covered the cost of postage. Right about now is the perfect time to order Gladiolus and Dahlias. Gladiolus are the official flower of August. Gladiolus's etymology is Latin and means "little sword" in reference to the shape of the flowers. The corms have been used medicinally to help extract slivers or thorns. In cold climates, once you plant your gladiolus and enjoy their blooms in late summer, you can dig the bulbs up in the fall and store them until you can plant them again in the spring. And I'll never forget what my friend Joel Karsten, the author of Straw Bale Gardening, told me about how easy it is to plant gladiolus in conditioned straw bales. Once the flowers are done blooming in the fall, you just kick the bale over, and all the corms fall out for easy gathering. As for the beautiful Dahlia, it was originally grown as a food crop. It turns out the tubers are edible and taste a little like other root vegetables: the potato and the carrot. The Dahlia is named to honor the Swedish botanist Anders Dahl. Dahlias are in the same family as Common Daisies and Sunflowers. Dahlias come in all shapes and sizes, and some are as large as dinner plates. And, here's a little fun fact about the Dahlia: it's the official flower of the city of destiny and goodwill: Seattle. Thanks for listening to The Daily Gardener. And remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."

Today we celebrate the man who is remembered in one of the garden's sweetest summer annuals - the lobelia. We'll also learn about the man who invented the telephone - he also happened to love gardening and the natural world. We hear a great memory about rhubarb from one of my favorite garden books from 2020, and the author is an incredible artist to boot! We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book to help you develop positive, meaningful mantras in your life. And then we'll wrap things up with some little-known facts about the birth flower for March. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart To listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to "Play the latest episode of The Daily Gardener Podcast." And she will. It's just that easy. The Daily Gardener Friday Newsletter Sign up for the FREE Friday Newsletter featuring:

• A personal update from me
• Garden-related items for your calendar
• The Grow That Garden Library™ featured books for the week
• Gardener gift ideas
• Garden-inspired recipes
• Exclusive updates regarding the show

Plus, each week, one lucky subscriber wins a book from the Grow That Garden Library™ bookshelf. Gardener Greetings Send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes, and so forth to [email protected] Curated News Planning and Designing a Productive Vegetable Garden | The Ukiah Daily Journal | Melinda Myers Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and original blog posts for yourself, you're in luck. I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. So, there's no need to take notes or search for links. The next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community, where you'd search for a friend... and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events March 3, 1616 Today is the birthday of the Flemish physician and botanist Mathias de l'Obel ("ma-TEE-us dew Lew-bell"). Mathias practiced medicine in England. And among his accomplishments, Mathias was the first botanist to recognize the difference between monocots and dicots. Today we remember Mathias de l'Obel ("LEW-bell") with the Lobelia plant. Before researching Mathias, I pronounced obelia as "LOW- beel- ya". But now, knowing the French pronunciation of his name, I will say it "LEW-beel-ya." It's a subtle little change (LOW vs. LEW), but after all, the plant is named in Mathias's honor. Now, for as lovely as the Lobelia is, the common names for Lobelia are terribly unattractive and they include names like Asthma Weed, Bladderpod, Gagroot, Pukeweed, Vomit Wort, and Wild Tobacco. These common names for Lobelia reflect that Lobelia is very toxic to eat. Despite its toxicity, Lobelia is one of the sweetest-looking plants for your summer containers. This dainty annual comes in pink, light blue, and royal blue. Personally, every year, I buy two flats of light blue Lobelias. But no matter the color you choose, lobelias are a favorite of pollinators. The delicate blossoms frequently host bees, butterflies, and moths, which only adds to their charm. March 3, 1847 Today is the birthday of the Scottish-born inventor, scientist, and engineer credited with inventing and patenting the first practical telephone, Alexander Graham Bell. In 1855, Alexander co-founded the American Telephone and Telegraph Company, known today as AT&T. And although most people know about Alexander's story with regard to the telephone, most people are unaware that Alexander had a love for gardening and the natural world. Early on in his childhood, Alexander was drawn to the natural world, and he collected botanical specimens and conducted experiments. After attending school for only five years, Alexander took personal control over his lifelong love of learning. Growing up, Alexander's best friend, Ben Herdman, was from a family who owned a flour mill. When Alexander was 12 years old, he created a device that rotated paddles equipped with nail brushes and the family used this dehusking machine in their mill operations for years. As a gesture of thanks, Ben's father made a space for the boys where they could invent to their heart's content. Now many people are unaware that Alexander's mother was deaf, and Alexander had dedicated himself to helping the deaf his entire life. As a young man, Alexander opened a school for teachers of the deaf. While he was in Boston, he even worked with a young Helen Keller. Later on, he worked with a young woman named Mabel Hubbard, who became deaf as a child from scarlet fever. After five years of courtship, Alexander and Mabel married. At the ceremony, Alex presented Mabel with a special wedding present: nearly all the shares of the stock in a company called Bell Telephone. Alexander and Mabel shared a lifelong love of gardening. The couple built a summer home in the charming village of Baddeck, Canada, in 1889. Mabel would stroll the neighborhoods and ask about the plants that were growing in the gardens. Generous and kind, Mabel donated many flowers to the people of Baddeck. Today the Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site features a lovely garden that boasts flowers, shrubs, and trees - including a magnolia which was a favorite of Mabel's. Recently Candian scientists revealed that they suspect that Alexander may have planted Heracleum mantegazzianum, commonly known as Giant Hogweed, in his garden. Even now, there remains an impressive cluster of dangerous giant hogweed near Baddeck. The sap of Giant hogweed causes sensitivity to sunlight and UV rays, which can lead to severe skin and eye problems — including blindness, which would have been very upsetting to Alexander. And, here's a little-known fact about Alexander: The gardener and children's book illustrator Tasha Tudor learned to love gardening from Alexander Graham Bell. Tasha's well-connected family had visited Alexander at his home in Maryland when he was a young single man. Tasha was five years old, and she recalled that fell in love with Alexander's roses during that first visit. Tasha always credited the vision of Alexander's rosebeds with inspiring her decision to become a gardener. Unearthed Words Every Sunday, my immediate and extended family gathered for dinner at my grandpa's house. Everyone congregated in the kitchen, and there was always a television on in the corner. There was a smiling pink plastic pig from RadioShack that sat in the refrigerator and oinked at you when you opened the door. We giggled in front of the antique glass cabinet, peeking in at the vintage salt and pepper shakers shaped like boobs that were supposed to be hidden. It felt like an adventure to explore the house and play with old decorations and trinkets. When it was summertime, we gathered on the back porch, where there were mismatched chairs and benches and another television in the corner. A baseball game was always on, and you could hear the hum and buzz of a bug zapper in the background. Rhubarb grew on a small knoll near the house. My cousin, sister, and I were told not to eat the big, broad green leaves, but we did pick and snack on the ruby-pink stalks straight from the ground, our mouths puckering from the intense sourness. — Katie Vaz ("Voz"), My Life in Plants, Rhubarb (Rheum rhabarbarum) Grow That Garden Library Find Your Mantra by Aysel Gunar This book came out in 2019, and the subtitle is Inspire and Empower Your Life with 75 Positive Affirmations. In this inspiring book with a delightful botanical cover, Aysel takes you through the steps to developing positive, meaningful mantras in your life. Now, this is not a gardening book, but it is about developing aspects of life that many gardeners seek: peace, love, happiness, and strength for your own personal journey. Aysel's book is full of beautiful illustrations and design. You'll find plenty of positivity and mindfulness. Aysel encourages us to be present, embrace love and light, choose joy, and recognizing our blessings. If you're looking for something for yourself or a friend, Aysel's book is truly a gift. This book is 144 pages of affirmations to help you be more present, free yourself from worry and anxiety, and embrace all that is good in your life - like our gardens and our many blessings - and lead a more rewarding life. You can get a copy of Find Your Mantra by Aysel Gunar and support the show using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for around $7 Today's Botanic Spark Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart The birth flower for March birthdays is the Daffodil. Daffodils are also the 10th-anniversary flower. A bouquet of Daffodils means happiness and hope, but a single Daffodil is an omen of bad luck in your future. In England, back in 1889, the Reverend George Herbert Engleheart began breeding Daffodils - some 700 varieties in his lifetime. Fans of 'Beersheba,' 'Lucifer,' or 'White Lady,' have Reverend Engleheart to thank. George spent every spare minute breeding, and his parishioners would often find a note tacked to the church door saying, "No service today, working with Daffodils." Daffodils were highly valued in ancient times because the Romans believed that the sap could be used for healing. Today we know that all parts of the Daffodil are toxic, and the sap is toxic to other flowers, which is why you must soak Daffs separately for 24 hours before you add them to a bouquet. And if you do this, don't recut the stems because that will release more sap, and then you'll have to start all over. If you're wondering, the compounds in Daffodil sap are lycorine and calcium oxalate crystals. Found in the leaves and stems of the Daffodil. the calcium oxalate crystals can irritate your skin, so be careful handling Daffodils. The toxic nature of Daffodils means that deer and other animals won't eat them - unlike other spring-flowering bulbs like tulips. And contrary to popular opinion, daffs can be carefully divided in the early spring. Once the soil has started to thaw, you can take divisions from large clumps and then pop them into new places in the garden. As long as the bulbs are carefully lifted with plenty of soil attached to the roots and promptly replanted, they will still bloom this year. Generally, it is advised to separate and move bulbs after they have bloomed, but that can push the task into early summer when there is already so much to do. Finally, there's really one poem that is regarded as the Mother of All Daffodil Poems, and it's this one. I wandered lonely as a cloud That floats on high o'er vales and hills, When all at once I saw a crowd, A host, of golden Daffodils; Beside the lake, beneath the trees, Fluttering and dancing in the breeze. Continuous as the stars that shine And twinkle on the milky way, They stretched in never-ending line Along the margin of a bay: Ten thousand saw I at a glance, Tossing their heads in sprightly dance. For oft, when on my couch I lie In vacant or in pensive mood, They flash upon that inward eye Which is the bliss of solitude; And then my heart with pleasure fills, And dances with the Daffodils. — William Wordsworth, English Romantic poet, I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud Thanks for listening to The Daily Gardener. And remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."

Today we celebrate the man who went to Mexico as an ambassador and sent back the plant that became synonymous with Christmas. We'll also learn about a gardener who worked for 50 years to create one of England's top gardens. We hear a charming account of spring's flower show. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a fantastic book for gardeners looking to ferment their harvest this year. And then we'll wrap things up with a sweet little story about the State Flower of Idaho. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart To listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to "Play the latest episode of The Daily Gardener Podcast." And she will. It's just that easy. The Daily Gardener Friday Newsletter Sign up for the FREE Friday Newsletter featuring:

• A personal update from me
• Garden-related items for your calendar
• The Grow That Garden Library™ featured books for the week
• Gardener gift ideas
• Garden-inspired recipes
• Exclusive updates regarding the show

Plus, each week, one lucky subscriber wins a book from the Grow That Garden Library™ bookshelf. Gardener Greetings Send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes, and so forth to [email protected] Curated News Urban pollinators get almost all their food from backyard gardens | UPI | Brooks Hays Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and original blog posts for yourself, you're in luck. I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. So, there's no need to take notes or search for links. The next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community, where you'd search for a friend... and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events March 2, 1779 Today is the birthday of the physician, botanist, and American statesman, Joel Roberts Poinsett. In the 1820s, President John Quincy Adams appointed Joel to serve as a US ambassador in Mexico. Joel was introduced to a beautiful plant that the Aztecs called the cuetlaxochitl ("qwet-la-SHO-chee-til") but today it's better known as the Poinsettia. The Aztecs used to extract a purple dye from the Poinsettia, which they used for decorative purposes. Like euphorbias, the Poinsettia has a white sap that the Aztecs used that white sap to treat wounds, skin diseases, and fever which is how it got the common name "Skin Flower." The Aztecs also used the leaves of the Poinsettia to make a tea to increase breast milk in nursing mothers. In warm climates like Mexico, the poinsettia grows year-round and can grow up to 16 feet tall. In 1825, when Joel Poinsett sent clippings back home to South Carolina, botanists had new common names for the plant: "the Mexican Fire Plant" or "the Painted Leaf." The botanist Karl Wilenow ("Vill-ah-no") named the Poinsettia the Euphorbia pulcherrima. Pulcherrima means "very beautiful." And already in 1836, English newspapers were reporting about the Poinsettia in great detail: "Poinsettia Pulcherrima, the bracts which surround the numerous flowers, are of the most brilliant rosy-crimson color, the splendor of which is quite dazzling. Few, if any of the most highly valued beauties of our gardens, can vie with this. Indeed, when we take into consideration the profuse manner in which it flowers, the luxuriance of its foliage, and the long duration of the bracts, we are not aware of any plant more deserving in all select collections than this lovely and highly prized stranger." Every year, on December 12th, the day Joel Poinsett died, we celebrate National Poinsettia Day. March 2, 1875 Today is the birthday of the head gardener at Warley Place, John Jacob Mauerer. Jacob's story is intertwined with the enormously wealthy English horticulturalist Ellen Ann Willmott, who was 17 years older than him. In 1875, the year Jacob was born, Ellen's parents moved to Warley Place, a beautiful natural property set on 33 acres of land in Essex. As it turned out, Ellen lived there for the rest of her life. Every member of the Willmott family loved gardening, Ellen's parents often invited the Swiss botanist and world-renown alpine specialist Henri Corravon to be a guest in their home. When Ellen's wealthy aunt and godmother, Countess Helen Trasker, died, Ellen inherited some significant money. And when her father died, Ellen became the owner of Warley Place. With her large inheritance and the keys to the property she had grown to love, Ellen planted to her heart's content. Ellen also quickly hired over 100 gardeners to help transform Warley Place into one of the world's top botanical gardens. One time, while Ellen was visiting Henri Corravon's nursery in Switzerland, she learned that he was quite pleased with a new gardener named Jacob. After watching him work, Ellen hired him away with a promise to provide him a retirement package, which included a house to live in and a pension of £1 per week. The year was 1894, and Jacob Mauerer was 19 years old when he left Switzerland for Warley Place. Well, Ellen proved to be a hard taskmaster and a cold, unfeeling boss. She fired any gardener who was deemed responsible for allowing a weed to grow in one of her beds. And, Ellen once derided her own sex, saying, "Women would be a disaster in the border." (and by that, she meant the garden.) Ellen blew through her inheritance quickly. She used her money to set up three lavish homes - each with impressive gardens of their own: one in France, one in Italy, and Warley Place. And Ellen also funded trips for plant explorers like Ernest Henry Wilson, and in return, she not only received the latest plants, but many were named in her honor. For all her fortune and connections, Ellen died penniless and heartbroken. Ellen had been wreckless with her spending, and her personality could be distasteful, haughty, and demanding. By the mid-1900s, Ellen's top breeders began to leave Great Warley. Jacob became Ellen's most trusted employee, and he stayed on with his large family living in a building on the property called South Lodge. Today, while there are many people who long to restore Warley to its former glory, most folks forget that Ellen's Warley Place was created on the backs of men like Jacob Mauerer, who worked unbelievable hours without recognition or regard. Jacob raised his family at South Lodge in impoverished conditions on 18 shillings a week while he worked 6 days a week at Warley. To supplement the family's food, Jacob grew onions, leeks, and potatoes, and he tended to these crops in the evening after his daily job was finished. Occasionally he would find partridge eggs on the edge of the pond. The eggs were the only bonus Jacob ever received. And while Jacob could write in English very well, he had trouble speaking English. Jacob and his wife Rosina had four sons: Max, John Jacob Jr., Ernest, and Alfred. Their five daughters came next, and Jacob named them all after flowers: Rose, Violet, Lily, Marguerite, and Iris. Iris's delivery was difficult, and Rosina developed tuberculosis and died a year later. Ellen tried to find a place for Rosina to get treatment, but when she couldn't find a facility, she did nothing else to help Rosina or Jacob's family. Iris was born in May of 1917, and by the following May, Rosina died. She was just 34 years old. The most heartbreaking passages from Ellen's biography are when Audrey describes the conditions of Jacob's work. Like when botanical guests from Kew and Universities would visit. While the distinguished guests could tell that Jacob was very knowledgeable and was an excellent gardener, they couldn't understand him when he spoke during tours, and so invariably, they would just turn and leave him in the garden. All the credit for the garden would invariably go to Ellen. In fact, Gertrude Jekyll once said Ellen was, "...the greatest living women gardener on the planet." Today we know that feat was accomplished with the help of over a hundred men and by Jacob, who worked at Warley for half a century. Then there was this passage that really gives a glimpse into Jacob's life as the head gardener: "Ellen would never actually cross the threshold of South Lodge, for it would have seemed to her a very undignified thing to do. Instead, she approached as nearly as she thought she could do without loss of face, and, standing just inside the yard but not inside the bones of the little hedge which separated off the vegetable garden, she would yell "Jacob! Jacob!" in a high-pitched authoritative staccato. At whatever time of the day or night, and whether or no he was in the middle of a meal, Jacob hastened to the call: he was bred to obey, and she expected it of him." There is so little information about Jacob that I put together a family tree for his family on Ancestry. I could see that he remarried the Warley Place caretaker's daughter Maggie after losing his wife. I could see that he had died in Switzerland. What I discovered in Audrey's book was that Jacob was 69 years old when his boss Ellen Willmott died, and Audrey describes what happened next to Jacob this way: "Jacob suffered greatly from the dismembering… of the garden, he attended so faithfully… he sorrowfully packed up his beloved plants. (Apparently the whole garden was taken apart, boxed up, and shipped away.) And he had the worry of what… to do when the estate was finally sold: he saw the promise of a little house and the 1 pound per week pension which had first persuaded him to leave Geneva fading before his eyes. He saw his life's work crumble. [His] anxieties press too hard... He began to show fears of being followed and persecuted… South Lodge was sold, and Jacob and his wife had to leave. Jacob felt the need to return to his native Switzerland. There he lived with Maggie for two unhappy years of increasing mental anguish, until in the summer of 1937 he committed suicide — the bitter end of a lifetime of labor and a hard reward for a kindly and lovable man." Isn't that terribly sad? Today, Warley Place is a wild nature reserve maintained by the Essex Wildlife Trust in England. Unearthed Words The goddess spring is thought of as being truly rural, but that is a mistake. She makes her first appearance in great stoney cities like New York. When the suburban garage roof is still white with frost, and the perennial bed is a glacier, spring comes to town. Here, just around the corner from billion-dollar banks, are show windows filled with downy new-hatched chicks, and along the curb are thickets of naked young apple trees and clumps of bundled-up evergreens. Further uptown... spring hires a hall and displays... a flower show. Bless her kind heart. [And] in walk the familiar creatures loved of old, and wonderful blushing debutantes: a proud young Rose; a yellow Darwin tulip whose bulb is worth its weight in Silver; new sweet peas, showing off their lustrous frocks; dainty Primrose visitors from the old world; strange bright Gallardias from western deserts; new Gladioli from Nepal by way of Indiana; new Welsh daffodils Americanized in Virginia — all these move in spring's procession. "There is one thing about it," says spring as she mops her fevered brow... "I don't have to [market] my goods. My customers like [everything] that I display. They are already persuaded." — Leonard H Robbins, Cure It With a Garden, Spring's Fashion Show Grow That Garden Library Fermented Vegetables by Kirsten and Christopher Shockey This book came out in 2014, and the subtitle is Creative Recipes for Fermenting 64 Vegetables & Herbs in Krauts, Kimchis, Brined Pickles, Chutneys, Relishes & Pastes. In this book, Kristen and Christopher share how to make fermented foods, and with their straight-forward guidance, you'll soon realize it is the easiest and most miraculous activity you'll ever experiment with in your kitchen. The Shockey's are pros when it comes to fermenting, and they share their top recipes for fermenting 64 different vegetables and herbs. Fermentation is not a mystery, but it can be intimidating without a clear understanding. Kristen and Christopher's step-by-step directions will help you master the process of lacto-fermentation - a classic preserving method - from brine and salt to techniques and seasoning. In addition to their tried and true recipes, Kristen and Christopher add suggestions, tips, and advice for each vegetable. This book is 368 pages of fermentation basics that will help you create nutrient-dense live foods packed with vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and probiotic goodness for you and your family. You can get a copy of Fermented Vegetables by Kirsten and Christopher Shockey and support the show using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for around $12 Today's Botanic Spark Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart March 2, 1931 On this day, the Idaho State Flower was officially adopted: the Mock Orange. In the 1800s the Mock Orange was known as the Syringa. And the botanical name for Mock Orange Philadelphus Lewisii help us know that Meriwether Lewis discovered this plant on the Lewis and Clark expedition on the 4th of July in 1806. Native Americans used the straight stems of Mock Orange to make Arrows which is how it earned the common name Arrowwood. Both the leaves and the bark contain the compound saponin, which tells us that Mock Orange is a natural source of soap. Mock Oranges are a gardener's favorite shrub, thanks to their beautiful flush of late spring/early fragrant summer flowers. A 1924 article said, "The Mock Orange comes in the wake of the Lilac, a little more resplendent and more carefree... as if to ease our sense of loss for that fair daughter of the springtime." And I thought you would enjoy learning how the Mock Orange came to be the State Flower of Idaho: The story centers on a woman named Emma Sarah Edwards. Emma's father, John Edwards, had served as the Governor of Missouri. John and his wife Emma Jeanne had raised Emma in Stockton, California. As a young woman, Emma had attended an art school in New York. But, on her trip back home to California, she stopped in Boise to visit friends. Her visit ended up being a turning point in her life when she landed a job as an art teacher. To her surprise and delight, Emma won the state contest for her design of the Idaho State Seal, which Emma described this way: "The State Flower, the wild syringa, the Mock Orange grows at a woman's feet while the ripened wheat grows as high as her shoulders." Well, Emma lived the rest of her days in Idaho. And she had the distinct honor of being the only woman to design a state seal. In 1957, Emma's signature and the Mock Orange was removed from the seal when it was updated by the artist Paul Evans. But, in 1994, after a public outcry, Emma's name was restored to the state seal - along-side Paul's. However, the Mock Orange, the State Flower of Idaho, did not get put back on the seal and it remains omitted to this day. Thanks for listening to The Daily Gardener. And remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."

Today we celebrate the first woman to describe Fungi ("funj-eye") using the Linnaean system of classification. We'll also learn about a little-known prolific nature and floral writer from the 1800s. We hear a little recollection by a garden writer who received an armload of Forsythia from a friend named Alice, just when she needed it most. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book that encourages you to garden confidently - putting anxieties and fear behind you and creating the space of your dreams. And then we'll wrap things up with the roots of roses - they're deeper than you think. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart To listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to "Play the latest episode of The Daily Gardener Podcast." And she will. It's just that easy. The Daily Gardener Friday Newsletter Sign up for the FREE Friday Newsletter featuring:

• A personal update from me
• Garden-related items for your calendar
• The Grow That Garden Library™ featured books for the week
• Gardener gift ideas
• Garden-inspired recipes
• Exclusive updates regarding the show

Plus, each week, one lucky subscriber wins a book from the Grow That Garden Library™ bookshelf. Gardener Greetings Send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes, and so forth to [email protected] Curated News 30 Unique Plants That Attract Butterflies | Tree Hugger | Meghan Holmes Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and original blog posts for yourself, you're in luck. I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. So, there's no need to take notes or search for links. The next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community, where you'd search for a friend... and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events March 1, 1717 Today is the birthday of the German artist, children's book author, translator, editor, and pioneering female botanist Catharina Helena Dörrien ("Durr-ee-in"). Catharina was born into an intellectual family in Hildesheim, a community Southeast of Hannover. Her father, Ranier, believed that while beauty fades, ignorance can be a lifelong affliction. And so, Rainier made sure that his daughter Catharina was educated. After the death of her parents and her brother, Catharina sought work as a governess nearly 200 miles away in the town of Dillenburg. Catharina worked for the Erath ("AIR-rit") family - Anton was an attorney and scholar, and Sophie was a childhood friend to Catharina. Catharina could not have found a more like-minded household to her own family than the Eraths. Like her own parents, Anton and Sophie wanted both their sons and their daughters to be educated. Ultimately, the Eraths would become Catharina's second family. As a teacher, Catharina turned to nature to teach about all subjects and life as well. Realizing there were few resources for teaching women or children, Catharina wrote her own textbooks, which were heavily focused on botany and the natural world. It was rare enough that Catharina was teaching children and women about the natural world; it was nearly miraculous that she could research and write her own instructional guides. As the Erath children grew, Catharina was able to focus on her botanical work. Anton helped Catharina gain membership to the Botanical Society of Florence - something unheard of for women of her time. Catharina would go on to be a member of the Berlin Society of Friends of Nature Research and the Regensburg Botanical Society. During Catharina's time, Dillenburg was part of the Orange-Nassau principality, and she gradually came to the idea of creating a Flora for Orange-Nassau. Using her spare time to travel throughout the region, Catharina visited most areas at least twice to capture plant life in different seasons. During the winter months, Catharina dedicated her focus on the smallest plants: lichen, mosses, and fungi ("funj-eye"). In 1777, Catharina published her 496-page flora, which used the Linnaean system to organize and name each specimen. Catharina's flora was remarkable for the 1700s - not only for using the Linnaean system and for the inclusion of new plants and plant names but also for the sheer fact that it was the work of a woman. Catharine became the first woman to name two new fungi ("funj-eye") during the 1700s. During her fieldwork, Catharina created over 1,400 illustrations of local flora and fauna. Yet, these masterpieces never made it into her flora. Instead, Catharina's botanical art became an heirloom that was passed down through the generations of the Erath family. In 1875 a few pieces of Catharina's work were shown at an exhibition. However, fifteen years later, a large collection of paintings by a man named Johann Philipp Sandberger was bought by the Museum of Wiesbaden. Johann was a dear friend of Anton Erath's, and today, his work is considered to be copies of Catharine's original watercolor masterpieces. And yet, Sandberger's pieces are precious because they give us a glimpse of Catharine's breadth and depth of talent. Without Sandberger, all would be lost because the bulk of Catharine's work has been lost to time. The curator Friedrich von Heinbeck once said that the precision of Catharine's brush strokes was like that of an embroiderer who stitched with only the finest of thread. From a historical standpoint, Catharina became an invaluable part of Dillenburg's history when she created drawings and drafts of the destruction of Dillenburg Castle. It seems her interests extended beyond botany to the world around her. Catharina was a true Renaissance woman. Following in the fifty-year-old footsteps of botanical artists like Maria Sibylla Merian and Elizabeth Blackwell, Catharine managed to distinguish herself not only by her exquisite botanical art but also by her botanical work and in the naming two plants - two little lichens, she named major Doerrieni ("Durr-ee-en-ee") and minor Doerrieni. Over the past three decades, Catharine's life story has been rediscovered. In 2000, Regina Viereck wrote a biography of Catharina called "Zwar sind es weibliche Hände: Die Botanikerin und Pädagogin Catharina" Helena Dörrien (1717-1795) or "They are the hands of a woman" - the botanist and educator Catharina Helena Dörrien. And in 2018, Catharina's story became the subject of an elaborate musical by Ingrid Kretz and debuted in Dillenburg; it was called Catharina Dörrien - A Life Between Love and War. March 1, 1877 Today is the birthday of the children's author, volunteer, poet, and teacher Lenore Elizabeth Mulets. Born Nora Mulertz in Kansas, Lenore's mother died when she was just ten years old. Raised by her uncle's family, Lenore left for Chicago's Wheaton College to become a teacher. She found a position in Malden, Massachusetts, and then served as a YMCA canteen worker during WWI in Germany and France. I pieced together Lenore's life story by reading the letters she sent to her sister Mildred during her time in Europe. Mildred shared the letters with the local Wellington Kanas newspaper. In addition to teaching, Lenore was a marvelous children's author. Her books were always charming and uplifting. Her titles include Stories of Birds, Flower Stories, Insect Stories, Tree Stories, and Stories of Trees, just to name a few. In the preface to Flower Stories, Lenore wrote, "When the flowers of the field and garden lift their bright faces to you, can you call them by name and greet them as old acquaintances? Or, having passed them a hundred times, are they still strangers to you? In this little book of "Flower Stories," only our very familiar friends have been planted. About them have been woven our favorite poems, songs, and stories." Regarding the seeds, Lenore wrote, A wonderful thing is a seed; The one thing deathless forever; Forever old and forever new; Utterly faithful and utterly true – Fickle and faithless never. Plant lilies and lilies will bloom; Plant roses and roses will grow; Plant hate and hate to life will spring; Plant love and love to you will bring The fruit of the seed you sow. And long before Twitter, in her book Stories of Birds, Lenore wrote: Such a twittering and fluttering there was when this news came. Unearthed Words My first winter in this country was long and bitterly cold, and I was desperate for spring, which I then was used to seeing appear far earlier. One day a new friend brought me an armful of Forsythia branches still covered with half-melted snow — sensing my homesickness, she had denuded one of her bushes for me. I had nowhere cold and bright in the apartment in which we were living, so that Forsythia had to be put in a hot, unlighted hall. But this particular present came to me late in the season and at a time when Forsythia will flower even when forced under intolerable conditions. And when it last in this strange country, something came to life through my efforts. I began to feel that here was truly home. Now each year, as the Forsythia flowers again for me indoors, I remember that incident as the turning point in my feelings about this country, and I recall with deep affection the sensitivity of that friend. — Thalassa Cruso, British-American gardener, writer, TV presenter and ''the Julia Child of Horticulture", To Everything There is a Season, Alice and Forsythia Grow That Garden Library Fearless Gardening by Loree Bohl This book came out in January of 2021, and the subtitle is Be Bold, Break the Rules, and Grow What You Love. In this book, the woman behind the website, The Danger Garden, teaches us how to live on the edge and in the beds of our Gardens without fear or anxiety. Loree lives to "inspire people to look at plants differently and see their gardens through new eyes—to treat gardening as an adventure, to embrace the freedom to explore a new type of plant, and then to plant it just because they want to." The roots of horticulture in academia have provided a framework of do's and don'ts cloaked within a fortress of botanical nomenclature and complex terminology. It's no wonder gardeners feel anxious. As Loree says, "Why not surround yourself with plants you love? Who cares if they're not supposed to be planted together, might eventually crowd each other, or aren't everyone's cup of tea? It's your garden and you should love it; you should be having fun. Remember, there's always room for one more plant…" This book is 256 pages of gardening without a rulebook or guilt or all the should's and oughta's from a woman who made her garden her own way through courageous experimentation, zone-pushing, an artistic eye, and an adventurous spirit. You can get a copy of Fearless Gardening by Loree Bohl and support the show using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for around $18 Today's Botanic Spark Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart March 1, 1979 On this day, The Call-Leader out of Elwood, Indiana, published an article called The Roots Of Roses Go Back Many Years. "If you were to trace the ancestry of today's rose, you'd have enough "begats" to fill a book, maybe two! In fact, a fossilized rose found at Crooked River, Oregon, some years ago established that this particular species grew on our continent 35 million years ago. And some paleobotanists believe the rose dates back to the Cretaceous Age 70 million years ago. This would make the rose older than any known civilization ... and a forerunner of the Garden of Eden. Since 1979 has been designated "The Year of the Rose," perhaps a little rose history is in order, says John A. Wott, Purdue University extension home environment horticulturist. Briefly, all of our roses came from species. Cross-species gave us a new hybrid type of rose, and crossing of types provided another new type. Rosa gallica, the Adam of roses native to the western hemisphere, crossed with Rosa moschata begat the Autumn Damask; Rosa gallica, crossed with Rosa canina, begat the Alba, and crossed with Rosa Phoenicia begat the Damask. The Damask, crossed with Alba, begat centifolia, and on and on... All of these western hemisphere crosses yielded roses with an annual flowering, except for the Autumn Damask. In the late 1700s, botanists discovered everblooming roses growing in the gardens of the sub-tropics in China. Because of their tea-like fragrance, they became known as Tea Roses. When these tea roses were crossed with descendants of the gallica, the first result was the bourbon. And bourbon, crossed with a tea, produced hybrid perpetual. Hybrid perpetual, crossed back to tea, begat hybrid tea, and... Now for some interesting facts about roses: Did you know no rose species are native to any land areas south of the equator? Did you know the name rose appears in no fewer than 4,000 published songs? Did you know the rose is the official state flower of New York, Iowa, Georgia, and North Dakota? Did you know that in all polls ever taken to determine the most popular flower, the rose is the overwhelming favorite? Did you know the rose has been sniffed by royalty for centuries? We owe much to Empress Josephine of France for our modern-day roses… [It was Josephine who] assembled the leading hybridizers of her time and sponsored their experiments to develop new strains and varieties." Thanks for listening to The Daily Gardener. And remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."

Today we celebrate a charming woman who became known as the Apple Blossom Lady. We'll also learn about the man who raised the best begonias in the world back in the early 1900s. We hear some thoughts on tussie-mussies. We Grow That Garden Library™ with an informative and delightful book about Fungi ("funj-eye") - and it's loaded with incredible photography. And then we'll wrap things up with a dream - an inspired horticultural vision for the botanical building in Balboa Park by the Begonia man, Alfred Robinson. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart To listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to "Play the latest episode of The Daily Gardener Podcast." And she will. It's just that easy. The Daily Gardener Friday Newsletter Sign up for the FREE Friday Newsletter featuring:

• A personal update from me
• Garden-related items for your calendar
• The Grow That Garden Library™ featured books for the week
• Gardener gift ideas
• Garden-inspired recipes
• Exclusive updates regarding the show

Plus, each week, one lucky subscriber wins a book from the Grow That Garden Library™ bookshelf. Gardener Greetings Send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes, and so forth to [email protected] Curated News Foliage Plants: How To Use Green Foliage Plants In Your Garden | Gardens Illustrated | Alasdair Cameron Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and original blog posts for yourself, you're in luck. I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. So, there's no need to take notes or search for links. The next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community, where you'd search for a friend... and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events February 26, 1834 Today is the birthday of the woman who came up with the State Flower for Michigan: Anna Eliza Reed Woodcock. Born in Fitzwilliam, New Hampshire, Anna moved to Michigan after marrying her husband, David. She had a beautiful voice, and Anna was well-known in Lansing as an actress and a singer in local productions and events. On April 19, 1897, Anna clipped some branches from her flowering apple tree, loaded them up in a wheelbarrow, and then rolled them down North Capitol Avenue to the Michigan Statehouse. When she got there, Anna adorned the office of the Speaker of the House with the blooming branches. It turns out, 63-year-old Anna had been looking out her kitchen window at 309 Capital Avenue North in Lansing and was moved by the sight of her beautiful Apple tree in bloom. It suddenly occurred to her that the Apple Blossom would make a great state flower. Knowing that the Michigan Legislature would be voting on a state flower, she hoped her Apple Blossom branches would have some influence... and they did. Just nine days after wheeling her branches one block down the street to the Capital, the Michigan legislature approved the resolution making the apple blossom the State Flower, and they said, "Our blossoming apple trees add much to the beauty of our Landscape, and Michigan apples have gained a worldwide reputation." In her old age, Anna remembered, "When the selection of the State Flower was voted on, blossoms from my snow apple tree trimmed the speaker's desk at Lansing, and the vote was unanimous for the Apple Blossom." In 1930, Anna passed away in Minnesota at the age of 96. (I know this because, in researching Anna, I actually had to create a tree for her on Ancestry). Sixty years after Anna's death, the Michigan Legislature posthumously honored Anna with a title: Apple Blossom Lady. Anna's victory with the Michigan Legislature sparked a passion for Apple Blossoms in the twilight of her life. Anna began creating apple blossoms using silk ribbon, and she always took cuttings to sell for her favorite charities. Anna once said, "I feel my Apple Blossoms have taken me to the top of the world." February 26, 1942 Today is the anniversary of the death of the British-American horticulturist and founder of the California Begonia industry, Alfred D. Robinson. Along with his wife Marion, Alfred's passion was flowers. In the early 1900s, after hearing a religious leader speak about a utopian community called Lomaland, Alfred and Marion moved to Point Loma. Yet, their fresh start in Point Loma, which included buying ten acres of land, was irreparably damaged when their young daughter Lenora died of a heart issue. Losing Lenora devastated the Robinsons, and they left Point Loma and began building a new home in San Diego. As the gardens were getting established, their 15,000 square foot mansion was being built - and that mansion was called Rosecroft. The Rosecroft property became the home base for Alfred's Gegonia breeding program. And as Rosecroft's high-quality Begonias made their way to nurseries and botanists around the country, Alfred solidified his reputation as a high-quality Begonia grower. Now Alfred came up with the idea to use Lath houses for growing his begonias. Now, if you need help picturing a Lath House, imagine a pergola with sides. Webster's defines a Lath House as a structure made of laths or slats that are spaced to reduce excessive sunlight while permitting air circulation. Lath Houses are great for plants that need more shade and also protection from strong winds. In 1933, the LA Times ran a story called The Useful Lath House by Eva Dale, and in it, Eva described the Rosecroft Lath House. "Lath offers the desired protection as well as effecting a substantial saving in water. By lathing the sides and part of the roof of a garden, a barren wind-swept space can be transformed into a thing of beauty affording shelter to man and plant alike. This may be done on a grand scale, as at "Rosecroft" at Point Loma, where Alfred Robinson has about an acre under Lath, or at Whitehill, Redlands, where Clarence White has an acre and a half of sun protection; but it can also give a great deal of satisfaction when done in a very modest fashion. Mr. Robinson is an authority on Begonias and Mr. White on Roses, but they both declare that these and many other plants do infinitely better in partial shade. Mr. White says that "besides the conservation of bloom and vigor and the transpiration of water, there is also a moderation of the extremes of heat and cold." He adds that "there is less frost, and better recovery when it does penetrate." Walter Merrill, former president of the San Diego Rose Society, has varied the idea somewhat by using Bamboo instead of Lath... After a year and a half, he says he would not, for anything, return to full sun for his roses." An early Rosecroft pamphlet described their growing operation this way: "Rosecroft is on Point Loma, the head of land that forms the Northwest boundary of the Bay of San Diego California, and… enjoys the year-round mildness of climate coupled with a moist atmosphere… [which] permits the cultivation of the Begonia with a simple Lath protection. In such a shelter, Rosecroft grows… the best exposition of this family in the world. The so-called Tree Begonias attain a height of 24 ft and all sorts flourish." In 1907, Albert and Marion, along with the great Kate Sessions, formed the San Diego Floral Association, and Albert served as the first president. Two years later, the group started a little publication called California Garden… and it is still published today. And it was the botanist Charles Plumier ("Ploo-me") named the Begonia in honor of a man he much admired: Michel Bégon ("ME-shell Bay-GO-n"), a French amateur botanist. Charles discovered the Begonia growing on the island of Santo Domingo. Although they are beautiful, most Begonias have no scent. And if you've been growing Begonias in full sun, you'll immediately understand why Albert grew his under a Lath House because they really prefer part shade. In the wild, Begonias grow under filtered light. The Begonia traditionally symbolizes caution or hesitation. I always found this curious until I researched the family name Bégon, which is rooted in Old French as a slang word for a person who stuttered. I thought happened to be a meaningful coincidence - the meaning of caution or hesitation with a stutter. And you may be surprised to learn that the flowers and leaves of the Begonia are edible; some cultures around the world add begonias to salads. Finally, the Begonia is known as the flower that produces the smallest seeds. In fact, Begonia seeds are so fine that they are often compared to dust. This is why, if you grow Begonias from seed, they are often pelleted. In 1932, the California Begonia Society was formed, and in a few short years, they started a little bulletin called The Begonian. In 1935, it was Alfred Robinson that suggested the group broaden their reach - and the American Begonia Society was born. Unearthed Words A dear neighbour brought me a tussie-mussie this week. The dictionary defines tuzzy-muzzy, or tussie-mussie, as a bunch or posy of flowers, a nosegay, and then disobligingly adds that the word is obsolete. I refuse to regard it as obsolete. It is a charming word; I have always used it and shall continue to use it, whatever the great Oxford Dictionary may say; and shall now take my neighbour's tussie-mussie as a theme to show what ingenuity, taste, and knowledge can produce from a small garden even in February. — Vita Sackville West, English author and garden designer, In Your Garden, The Tussie-Mussie Grow That Garden Library Fantastic Fungi by Paul Stamets ("Stam-its") This coffee-table book came out in 2019, and the subtitle is How Mushrooms can Heal, Shift Consciousness, and Save the Planet (Official Book of Smash Hit Documentary). As Paul likes to say, "Mushrooms can heal you. They can feed you. They can kill you." And for all their power, Fungi ("funj-eye") remain misunderstood, understudied, and often just plain old ignored as an aspect of our world. This book is the result of Paul's incredible documentary called "Fantastic Fungi," It features a collection of essay contributions from doctors, explorers, and ecologists that help us better understand the magical world of Fungi. And there's a great piece of information about Fungi for gardeners to know, and that is that Fungi eat rocks. And by eating rocks, Fungi liberate the minerals from rocks and put these minerals back into the soil for plants. And when Fungi join with algae ("al-jee") they form lichens. So when you lichens, remember that marriage between Fungi and algae. Finally, Fungi are the foundation of the food web. There are more than eight miles of Fungi in a single cubic inch of soil, and all around the planet, there are gigatons of mycelium. For now, the field of mycology hasn't been a priority, and so Fungi remain an unchartered frontier. Only about 10 percent of all Fungi have been identified. With any luck, our focus on Fungi will change as we look to the future. As for gardeners, Paul is a fan of the Garden Giant Mushrooms. They are fast-growing, and they do so much for the soil. For example, Garden Giant Mushrooms can take twelve inches of wood chips and create one inch of soil in about four or five months. In a nutshell, Mushrooms begin a domino effect that starts with Fungi and ends with ecological restoration and soil expansion. Paul believes that keystone species like the Garden Giant Mushroom lead to healthier gardens and ecosystems. And fortunately for us, these Garden Giant Mushrooms can be grown virtually anywhere - from sweltering climates to very cool environments. This book is 184 pages of astounding information regarding Mushrooms and Fungi that hopefully will change your perspective, your garden – and help the planet. You can get a copy of Fantastic Fungi by Paul Stamets and support the show using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for around $24 Today's Botanic Spark Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart In researching Alfred Robinson, I ran across an article by Richard Amero that was published by the San Diego History Center. The article shares Alfred's grand dream for a large Lath House to grace the Panama-California Exposition. San Diego was the host city for this event on January 1, 1915. Alfred's idea for this Lath House met with approval, yet the actual design differed drastically from Albert's vision. Still, it is delightful to hear what Albert had in mind originally - his dream for the Botanical Building in Balboa Park: "Where was I? I had entered the garden of Eden. Palms and ferns and flowering plants and vines on all sides, sending out their delicate scents upon the night air to mingle with the odor of the moist earth and recent rain, a draught as intoxicating as champagne. Where the band played… was a great central dome, 500 feet in diameter... Up its supporting columns ran choice vines, Jasmines of such sweet savor, Begonias, and Tecomas of gaudy hue, and the curious Dutchman's Pipe. Palms from many lands and many forms lined the borders and were in beds here and there while Begonias and other foliage plants nestled at their feet. In the air hung Orchids with their strangely beautiful blossoms. From this central court ran out six great arms or aisles, and in each were ... a great family of plants. There were thousands and thousands of varieties, and each was plainly labeled. (Now we definitely know this is clearly a dream!) The lighting had been carefully planned so as not to strike the eye offensively, and the whole effect was absolutely entrancing." Thanks for listening to The Daily Gardener. And remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."

Today we celebrate a young botanist that wrote the first flora of Ireland at the age of 22. We'll also learn about the Father of Serbian botany. We hear words about the birds of winter - creatures that entertain us at our bird feeders and fly freely over our winter gardens. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book that has a charming title and it's all about something called Everlastings - or dried flowers. And then we'll wrap things up with a play about Australia's top gardener, and it's called Edna for the Garden. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart To listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to "Play the latest episode of The Daily Gardener Podcast." And she will. It's just that easy. The Daily Gardener Friday Newsletter Sign up for the FREE Friday Newsletter featuring:

• A personal update from me
• Garden-related items for your calendar
• The Grow That Garden Library™ featured books for the week
• Gardener gift ideas
• Garden-inspired recipes
• Exclusive updates regarding the show

Plus, each week, one lucky subscriber wins a book from the Grow That Garden Library™ bookshelf. Gardener Greetings Send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes, and so forth to [email protected] Curated News Our Garden Editor Clare Foster On The Big Gardening Trends For 2021 | House & Garden | Clare Foster Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and original blog posts for yourself, you're in luck. I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. So, there's no need to take notes or search for links. The next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community, where you'd search for a friend... and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events February 25, 1856 Today is the anniversary of the Irish botanist and horticulturist Katherine Sophia Kane. Orphaned as a little girl, Katherine was taken in by her father's older brother - her uncle - Matthias O'Kelly, and she grew up alongside her cousins. A naturalist, Uncle Matthias fostered Kate's love for the outdoors and, ultimately, her focus on botany. When Kate was 22 years old, she anonymously published a book that became the first national flora of Ireland, and it was called The Irish Flora Comprising the Phaenogamous Plants and Ferns. With the help of the National Botanic Garden's John White, Kate's little book was released in 1833, and it described not only all the Irish flowering plants but also ferns and other cryptograms. Accurate and informative, Kate's book became a textbook for botany students at Trinity College in Dublin. Three years later, in recognition of her work, Kate became the first woman to be elected to the Botanical Society of Edinburgh. The story of how Kate met her husband Robert is similar to how John Claudius Loudon met his wife, Jane Webb: through her book. In Kate's case, proofs of The Irish Flora had mistakenly made their way to Robert's desk. Curious about the work, Robert tracked down Kate's address and personally returned the proofs to her. The two were married in 1838, and they went on to have ten children. In 1846, Robert was knighted, and Kate became known as Lady Kane. An economist, a chemist, and a scientist, Robert was hired to serve as the President of Queens College. And although Kate was happy for her husband, she put her foot down and refused to move to Cork. Apparently, Kate had designed a magnificent garden with many exotics planted all around their home in Dublin, and she was loath to leave it. And so, much to the school's dismay, Robert commuted to work until the College insisted he live in Cork during the schoolyear in 1858. And here's a fun little story about Kate and Robert: as they were both scientists, Kate and Robert would send notes to each other in Greek. February 25, 1888 Today is the anniversary of the death of the famous Serbian botanist, Josif Pančić ("pahn-Cheetz") In 1874, Josif discovered the Ramonda serbica, commonly known as the Serbian phoenix flower. Like the peace lily, this flower is an excellent indicator plant and flops quite severely when dehydrated. At the same time, it has incredible abilities to revive itself with watering. In Serbia, the flower of the Ramonda serbica is associated with peace after it became a symbol of Armistice Day, which marked the end of WWI. As for Josif, he became known as the father of Serbian botany. Late in his career, Josif came up with the idea for a botanical garden in Belgrade. Built in 1874, the garden proved to be a bit of a disappointment. In no time, it was apparent that the location was poorly sited because it flooded very quickly and damaged most of the various botanical specimens. Sadly Josif never saw the new, lovelier location for the garden. Perfectly situated in the heart of Belgrade, the land was donated by the Serbian King Milan I. Unearthed Words Our feeders are only fifteen feet from the window, and binoculars bring the birds practically into my lap. The perky little Sparrow with the black dot on his fluffy breast is a Tree Sparrow, and the one with no dot is a Field Sparrow. I often mix these up. The lady Junko has touches of brown. The male is charming with his slate gray head and back and creamy undersides. The Nuthatch is another winner. He creeps cheerfully down the maple trunk headfirst. Sometimes his world is upside down, sometimes right side up. He views it with equanimity either way. With a long bill, he reaches out, quickly snatches a seed, and flies off. The markings of the Nuthatch are the essence of winter. His blues and greys are the mist that drift over the meadow and brush against Pop's Mountain at dusk. The golden tans on his underside are wisps of dried grass in the meadow, Beech leaves in the woods with sun shining on them, or last year's Oak leaves that still cling. — Jean Hersey, American writer and authors, The Shape of a Year, February Grow That Garden Library Everlastings by Bex Partridge This book came out in 2020, and the subtitle is How to Grow, Harvest, and Create with Dried Flowers. In this book, we learn so much about dried flowers from the floral artist Bex Partridge - the owner of Botanical Tales. A specialist in working with dried flowers - known as everlasting flowers - Bex inspires us to grow, harvest, and create with dried flowers. Sharing her own wisdom from working with everlastings, Bex shares her tips for incorporating dried flowers into your garden planning and home decor. Bex loves dried flowers, and she fervently believes that something magical happens to flowers when they're dried. Although their vibrancy may be slightly dulled by drying, Bex feels that ultimately drying magnifies the bloom's beauty. One tip that I learned from Bex is to target plants with woody stems because those plants tend to dry beautifully. This book is 160 pages of Everlastings - preserved flowers, preserved memories, and magnified ethereal beauty that is everlasting. You can get a copy of Everlastings by Bex Partridge and support the show using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for around $13 Today's Botanic Spark Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart February 25, 1989 It was on this day that a newspaper out of Melbourne, Australia called The Age ran a story written by Anna Murdoch about a brand new play called "Edna for the Garden," and it was all about the charismatic Australian gardener, designer, and writer Edna Walling. Here's an excerpt: "The women who created The Home Cooking Theatre Company in Melbourne [the writer, Suzanne Spunner, and director Meredith Rogers] have a [new] production, called 'Edna for the Garden,' the story of Edna Walling, one of Australia's great artists of gardening. Edna Walling, who wrote an enormous amount about her philosophy of gardening and the environment, died in 1973 in her late 70s. [Edna] devoted her passionate life to creating extraordinary gardens, mainly in Victoria, some of which are still beautifully maintained. She spent her childhood in Bickleigh, an old village in Devon, England, and came to Melbourne, aged 18, infused with the intense romanticism of the English countryside where she had watched such subtle beauties as "Wind in the Willows." [Edna's] own photographs were almost always of pathways... "She liked the idea of different areas in a garden so that you couldn't take it all in in one view." One of Edna Walling's precepts was to "always sweep up to a house in a curve, never in a straight line." People would say: 'You must have Edna for the garden.' [and that saying inspired the name for the play!] "It's only at the end of her life that you sense disappointment as she saw the sprawls of Melbourne and what was happening with conservation. Edna Walling built her own house at Mooroolbark near Croydon and then bought seven adjoining hectares and created a rural community called Bickleigh Vale, where she designed very English-looking cottages that bore no relationship to the Australian climate and environment. "The people who live there have now formed 'the Friends of Edna Walling' to protect it," Ms. Spunner says. "Some of them knew her. They talk almost as if she is still there, a kind of spirit of the garden." Finally, there was one little story that I discovered about Edna a while ago, and that was her potato-throwing technique. Edna would throw potatoes on the ground, and where they landed would dictate where the significant trees would be planted in her garden designs. Basically, this technique helped ensure a more naturalistic style as Edna was laying out gardens. And even if the potatoes would land almost on top of each other, Edna let the chips - or should I say potato chips - fall where they may. In any case, this is how Edna's gardens end up without a contrived or overly planned feeling; there's a beautiful sense of randomness to Edna's work. And it was Edna Walling who said, "There are many possible approaches to Australian garden design, and they all reflect the designer's individual response to gardens. For my part, I love all the things most gardeners abhor - like moss in lawns, lichen on trees, more greenery than color - as if green isn't a color - bare branches in winter, and root-ridden ground wherein one never attempts to dig, with a natural covering of leaves of grass or of some amenable low-growing plant. I like the whole thing to be as wild as possible so that you have to fight your way through in places." Thanks for listening to The Daily Gardener. And remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."

Today we celebrate the birthday of a man who appreciated simplicity and knew that we would, too. We'll also learn about the Indiana State Flower - it's not a native - but it sure is beautiful. We hear some words from a 1997 Garden Chore list. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a beautiful book that takes us on a tour of more than seventy English gardens and then shares the elements that make the English garden style so beloved. And then, we'll wrap things up with an old article that asked Virginians to plant more of the State Flower: the dogwood, and we'll review some little-known Dogwood facts that will make you think about this genus a little differently... Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart To listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to "Play the latest episode of The Daily Gardener Podcast." And she will. It's just that easy. The Daily Gardener Friday Newsletter Sign up for the FREE Friday Newsletter featuring:

• A personal update from me
• Garden-related items for your calendar
• The Grow That Garden Library™ featured books for the week
• Gardener gift ideas
• Garden-inspired recipes
• Exclusive updates regarding the show

Plus, each week, one lucky subscriber wins a book from the Grow That Garden Library™ bookshelf. Gardener Greetings Send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes, and so forth to [email protected] Curated News World's Largest Honey Bee Makes Rare Hallucinogenic Honey | Treehugger | Bryan Nelson Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and original blog posts for yourself, you're in luck. I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. So, there's no need to take notes or search for links. The next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community, where you'd search for a friend... and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events February 24, 1955 Today is the birthday of the founder of Apple, Steve Jobs. A lover of simplicity and elegance, Steve once said that, "The most sublime thing I've ever seen are the gardens around Kyoto." To Steve, the ultimate Kyoto garden was the Saiho-ji ("Sy-ho-jee") - and most people would agree with him. The dream-like Saiho-ji garden was created by a Zen priest, poet, calligrapher, and gardener named Muso Soseki ("MOO-so SO-sec-key") in the 14th century during the Kamakura ("Comma-COOR-rah") Period. The Saiho-ji Temple is affectionately called koke-dera or the Moss Temple - a reference to the over 120 moss species found in the garden. Steve Jobs wasn't the only celebrity to find zen at Saiho-ji - David Bowie was also a huge fan. And when it comes to design, there's a Steve Jobs quote that garden designers should pay attention to, and it goes like this: "Design is a funny word. Some people think design means how it looks. But... if you dig deeper, it's really how it works." And here's a little fun fact for gardeners: When Steve needed his garden designed at his Tudor-style home on Waverley Street in Palo Alto, he selected the great English garden designer Penelope Hobhouse to install a traditional English cottage garden - a garden she could have, no doubt, designed in her sleep. Nonplussed by the request, Penelope's son implored her to make room for the job. And when Penelope first met Steve, he made a unique first impression by rolling into the restaurant where they had agreed to meet on rollerblades. Although Penelope designed Steve's garden, she never actually saw it. Yet she did write about the project in an article for Hortus - it was called, "Malus californica: or, A New Garden for Mr. J." February 24, 2001 On this day, The Daily Journal out of Franklin, Indiana, shared an article called, Selection of State Flower Deserves Much Thought by "Bayou" Bill Scifres ("Sy-fers"). The article discusses the desire to change the State Flower of Indiana. "Well, we are at it again. Again we are embroiled in the state flower hassle, and rank-and-file legislators are telling us they have more important things to do than uproot the Peony as the state flower. Changing the state flower from the Peony to Fire Pink would be as simple as adopting either Senate Bill 57 or House Bill 2053, or both, to get the matter to the desk of the governor. But wait a minute. Is it really that simple? That cut-and-dried? Is this what we really want? Is the Fire Pink Hoosierland's best flora representative? Not native. That's the big rub proponents of the Fire Pink have with the peony. Foreigner. And they are right. Let's face it. We all are foreigners. Is it worse for a wildflower to have come from someplace else than it is for men? The thing that most concerns me is the state flower hassle revolves around the importance of nativeness. The real criteria should be the P&Ps of the issue, pulchritude, and proximity. Certainly, our state flower should be a raging beauty, but even more important, it should be accessible, very common, and be seen by many people, including non-Hoosiers who are just visiting. Fire Pink certainly is beautiful, but not so beautiful as the Cardinal Flower (also native to the state). And neither Fire Pink nor Cardinal Flower are even remotely as common as are several of the other candidates, especially the native spring beauty. Other Indiana Academy of Science candidates were White Nodding Trillium, Blue Phlox, Bluebell, Butterfly Milkweed, Bloodroot (a spectacularly beautiful flower, but not widely seen), Aster, Wood Poppy, Shooting Star, Wild Columbine, and Yellow Trout Lily." Well, this effort was unsuccessful because today, the Peony remains the State Flower of Indiana. And there are many fun facts about this beautiful plant. In addition to being the Indiana State Flower, Peonies are the flower for China where the peony is called the sho-yu, which translates to "most beautiful." When Marco Polo first spied the Peony, he wrote that the large blooms looked like "Roses as big as cabbages." As a symbol of wealth and a happy marriage, it's fitting that the Peony is the 12th wedding anniversary flower. It's also worth noting that a single peony plant could provide a century's worth of flowers. Impressively, peonies can live to be 100 years old. If you receive a bouquet of Peonies, make sure to keep the vase filled with fresh water. Peonies are thirsty cut flowers. As for Peony plants, make sure to plant them high and have plenty of patience - Peonies can be slow to get growing. If you wondered why grandma had you plant your banana peels under the Peony bushes, it's because Peonies love potassium. Potassium helps Peonies stay healthy and develop stronger stems. And if you want to help your Peony store up more energy for the following year, you can cut off the seed pods after your peony is finished flowering. Now, medicinally, Peonies were thought to help with pain, and they were used to treat everything from headaches to childbirth. And the childbirth connection to the Peony has roots in Greek mythology. The story goes like this: Asclepius was the god of healing and medicine, and he had a student named Paeon who discovered a root that could alleviate labor pain. This discovery brought Paeon notoriety, and Asclepius could not hide his jealousy, and he grew vengeful. Sensing trouble, Zeus stepped in and turned Paeon into a flower - the peony - and thereby saved his life. And to this day, Paeon, through the peony, helps ease the pain of childbirth. Unearthed Words

• Visit a greenhouse in a nearby botanic garden for an early spring.
• Go to your local bookstore to see the new spring gardening books.
• Survey your tools, prepare them for their new season, and replace any that no longer do their job.
• While your plants are still dormant, prune summer-blooming shrubs, fruit trees, grapevines, and berry bushes.

— The Gardener's Almanac, 1997, February Chores Grow That Garden Library English Gardens by Kathryn Bradley-Hole This book came out in 2019, and the subtitle is From the Archives of Country Life Magazine. In this instant classic, Kathryn shares her masterpiece that revels in the glories of English gardening. The publisher said this of Kathyrn's book, "An unprecedented in-depth look at the English garden by one of Britain's foremost garden writers and authorities… Kathryn Bradley-Hole--the longtime garden columnist for Country Life--takes a fresh look at more than seventy gardens from across England and distills the essence of what makes the English garden style so sought after. Seasonal photographs capture the gardens--some grand, some personal, some celebrated, some rarely photographed--at their finest moments, accompanied by sparkling, insightful text. Featuring photographs from the unparalleled archives of Country Life, the full story of the English garden is here, from medieval monastery gardens to the Victorians and the Arts and Crafts movement to the twenty-first century." And the Wall Street Journal review of this book said, "At a time when the very idea of travel is inconceivable, what a gift to be taken on an armchair tour of the great English gardens." This book is 492 pages of the over seventy spectacular English gardens by one of the best garden writers on the planet. You can get a copy of English Gardens by Kathryn Bradley-Hole and support the show using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for around $44 Today's Botanic Spark Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart February 24, 1957 On this day, The Times-Dispatch out of Richmond, Virginia, ran a piece by Pat Perkinson that called on all gardeners to plant the Dogwood (Cornus florida) during the Virginia State Flower Anniversary. "Aside from their significance as the state flower of Virginia, Dogwood trees also are symbolically remindful of the colonists who first found them growing so prolifically here in the 17th century. Not only did they enjoy the bushy trees, but they also put the bark to medicinal use... combatting the effects of malaria. To get an idea of the conditions preferred by Dogwood, we have only to observe the situations in which they grow in nature. As you drive along the highways you will notice that Dogwood flourish in the shade of the taller trees of the forest. Perhaps you would like to situate young trees a short distance from the house where they will be partly shaded and where they may be enjoyed from the windows." And here are some fun Dogwood facts:

• In addition to being Virginia's State Flower, the dogwood is the state tree of Virginia, Missouri, and North Carolina.
• Native Americans used the Dogwood as a phenological guide, and they planted their corn crop when the Dogwood bloomed.
• Both the roots and the bark of the Dogwood tree have been used to treat malaria.
• In Floriography ("FLOOR-EE-ah-grah-FEE") or the language of flowers, Dogwood flowers are a symbol of rebirth.
• Dogwood shrubs and trees are in the Cornus genus, and Cornus comes from the Latin Cornu, for horn, which references the dogwood being a hardwood tree.
• Many old botanical reference guides say that the tree used to be called the dagwood - as in dagger - again, another reverence to hardwood.
• Dogwood trees actually have a hard white wood that used to be harvested to make skewers for cooking. So again, this is another neat tieback to the dag or dagger reference. This is also how the Dogwood got one of its ancient common names: The Skewer-wood.
• Another ancient reference has to do with the dogwood's fruit, which used to be called dogberries. And as one might suspect, a dogberry was not all that good, and the name implied that the berry wasn't even good for a dog. Today we know that Dogwood berries can irritate a dog's tummy. In addition, handling Dogwood or touching the bark can be a skin irritant - so wear gloves when you prune. This brings me to my last point...
• As with so many flowering trees and shrubs, when it comes to the dogwood, prune time follows bloom time. Every June, after the tree has finished blooming, you can prune the tree back to encourage it to set more flower buds. Never prune your Dogwood after winter ends or before your dogwood has bloomed because then you are just removing the bracts (flowers) before they can bloom in the spring. So with Dogwoods, just remember: prune time follows bloom time!

Thanks for listening to The Daily Gardener. And remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."

Today we celebrate a woman known as the Lady of Botany, yet today few people know her life story, and fewer still appreciate her difficult professional journey. We'll also learn about another female botanist who started one of the first degreed botany programs for women in England. We hear a story about a mink who set up residence in a winter garden from an avid gardener and writer. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a delightful book about Cottage Gardening. What could be more charming? And then we'll wrap things up with the story of a dried flower expert who created everlastings for celebrities and he also shares some of his favorite flowers to preserve for long-term joy and delight. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart To listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to "Play the latest episode of The Daily Gardener Podcast." And she will. It's just that easy. The Daily Gardener Friday Newsletter Sign up for the FREE Friday Newsletter featuring:

• A personal update from me
• Garden-related items for your calendar
• The Grow That Garden Library™ featured books for the week
• Gardener gift ideas
• Garden-inspired recipes
• Exclusive updates regarding the show

Plus, each week, one lucky subscriber wins a book from the Grow That Garden Library™ bookshelf. Gardener Greetings Send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes, and so forth to [email protected] Curated News Sir Isaac Bayley Balfour (1853-1922) – An Appreciation | RBGE.org | Leonie Paterson Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and original blog posts for yourself, you're in luck. I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. So, there's no need to take notes or search for links. The next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community, where you'd search for a friend... and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events February 23, 1879 Today is the birthday of the British plant morphologist and anatomist, botanical historian, and philosopher of biology Agnes Arber. Since her father was the artist Henry Robertson, Agnes learned to draw as a child, and throughout her life, she illustrated all of her own botanical work. Agnes' mom, also an Agnes, fostered her love of plants. Mentored and befriended by the botanist Ethel Sargent, Agnes mastered the microscope. Ethel was a profound role model in Agnes' life. She not only taught Agnes her earliest lessons in botany, but she also modeled a unique approach to her work because Agnes watched Ethel successfully conduct her work in a small laboratory she had built in her home. Later, when Anges wrote her first book on her dear monocots (which are grass or grass-like flowering plants), she dedicated her work to the woman who was godmother to her only child Muriel Agnes Arber and the brightest beacon in her botanical career and: Ethel Sargent. In 1909, Agnes married a paleobotanist, Edward Alexander Newell Arber, of Trinity College at Cambridge. And it was thanks in part to Edward that Agnes moved to Cambridge from London and made a life there. Edward promised Agnes that "life in Cambridge offered unique opportunities for the observation of river and fenland plants." Despite Edward's appeal, for Agnes, Cambridge was tough. Cambridge was a much harder place for a female botanist than London - where Agnes would have had more opportunities, connections, and acceptance. Sadly, Agnes and Edward would be married for only nine years as Edward died in 1918. And so, before her 40th birthday, Agnes found herself both a widow and a single mother to six-year-old Muriel. After securing help with childcare and household duties, Agnes carried on with her botanical work - she wrote constantly, she was poorly compensated for her work, and she never re-married. A few years after Agnes arrived in Cambridge, she started working at the Balfour Laboratory, which was owned by Newnham College and was a place for teaching women. Now, the creation of this laboratory was a direct result of allowing women admittance into Cambridge. And although women could attend Cambridge, they could not go to labs or classes, and so the Balfour Lab became their only option for conducting experiments. Over the 19 years that Agnes worked at Balfour, the female students gradually disappeared as classes and lab opportunities opened up for them in botany, chemistry, geography, etc. By 1925, Newnham College was ready to sell the lab to Cambridge; they needed the cash, and it seems only Agnes needed the lab. Yet when Agnes reached out to Cambridge, both the University and the head of botany, Albert Seward, rejected her - suggesting she might seek out a space to work at the botanic garden. And so, an accomplished botanist and the widow of a Cambridge professor no less was left with nowhere to work. And so, seven years after her husband's death, Agnes, like her mentor and friend Ethel Sargent, set up a home laboratory in the back of her house over the kitchen. Agnes worked from home for the rest of her life. A lover of researching whatever captured her curiosity, Agnes allowed her intellect to veer into areas seldom explored by her botanist peers, such as history, philosophy, poetry, and art. Yet, each of these disciplines molded and refined Agnes's perspective on plant morphology, and they put her in a unique position to write her most impactful philosophical works in the twilight of her life. When it came time for Agnes to publish her final work, Cambridge snubbed her again when they declined to publish it. As per usual, Agnes persevered without the University's help. Agnes became interested in botanical history after reading the old herbals. In 1912, Agnes released a book called Herbals: Their Origin and Evolution. Agnes's work reviewed the primary herbals written for a 200 year time period between 1470 and 1670. These beautiful books formed the basis for early botanical education, and, luckily for Agnes, many were housed at Cambridge. In her book, Agnes examined how the plant descriptions and illustrations evolved over time. An instant classic, Agnes forever changed the way herbals were reviewed and written. In her philosophical work, The Mind and the Eye, Agnes argued that there was a blurred line between the science and art of botany. Botanists cannot fully capture a flower through data alone, just as the painter cannot paint all that a flower contributes to nature. Any gardener who sees their garden with their head and their heart can relate to Agnes' philosophy. When she was 67 years old, Agnes became the first female botanist to be elected as a Royal Society Fellow. Two years later, she became the first woman to receive the Linnean Society's Gold Medal for her botanical work. Known by many in her circle as the "Lady of Botany," Agnes wrote, "A record of research should not resemble a casual pile of quarried stone; it should seem "not built, but born," as Vasari said in praise of a building." Today, you can toast Agnes with a gin made in the UK. The gin is made in her honor and it's called Agnes Arber gin. And it's made with nine botanicals, including angelica, cassia, coriander, grapefruit, iris, juniper, lemon, licorice, and orange. And I think Agnes would be especially touched by the beautiful hand-drawn botanical illustrations on the label of every bottle. If ever there was a female botanist that deserved to be toasted, I believe Agnes Arber fits the bill. February 23, 1980 Today is the anniversary of the death of the British botanist and botanical pioneer Marion Delf-Smith. A botanical trailblazer, Marion started the botany program at London's Westfield (a women's college preparatory school) in 1906. To make the program a reality, Marion fundraised relentlessly, and then she bought everything the program needed to teach botany, mount specimens, store collections, and conduct fieldwork. Ultimately Westfield became one of the only places in the world where women could learn how to study botany. And in 1915, almost a decade after starting her degree program, Marion was finally able to award Bachelor's degrees in botany to her students. Sixty-Seven years after starting her botany program, Marion was honored by her students on the occasion of her 90th birthday. Marion died seven years later, on this day in 1980. She was 97 years old. And there's a lovely side note about Marion's botanical career. At one point, Marion served as an editor for a botanical comedy magazine called "The Sportophyte." Marion's poem, "A Botanical Dream," was featured in a volume of The Sportophyte, and I thought I would share some quick definitions to help you appreciate her verse. Gymnosperms produce seed cones like conifers and the Ginko. The Medullosae and Pteridosperms are extinct plants in the seed-fern group. Calamites are extinct swamp plants related to horsetails - except that they could grow as tall as a ten-story building. Cryptogams are plants that reproduce by spores (not flowers or seeds). Sphenophyllum cones would refer to the spore-filled cone of an extinct group of plants that are a sister group to modern horsetails. Finally, Palaeozoic is a reference to a long-ago era. The end of the Paleozoic period marked the most extraordinary extinction event on earth. A Botanical Dream Last night as I lay dreaming There came a dream so fair I stood mid ancient Gymnosperms Beside the Ginkgo rare. I saw the Medullosae With multipartite fronds, And watched the sunset rosy Through Calamites wands. Oh Cryptograms, Pteridosperms And Sphenophyllum cones, Why did ye ever fossilise To Palaeozoic stones? Unearthed Words The most predaceous winter visitor we have had was a mink that took up residence under the woodpile one winter. The end of the pile was only 20 feet or so from the place where the drain pipe struck out of the pond, which tends to be open even when other areas of the pond are frozen. The Mink had found the perfect carryout restaurant right across from his winter Abode. We timed him: 20 seconds from leaving the woodpile to returning with a crayfish. We never saw him return empty-handed. — Jo Busha, Time and the Garden, February Grow That Garden Library English Cottage Gardening by Margaret Hensel This book came out in 2000, and the subtitle is For American Gardeners, Revised Edition. In this book, Margaret shares everything she knows about English Cottage Gardening; and she's as charming as her topic. Margaret breaks down ten cottage gardens owned by everyday gardeners in England and America. By deliberately not focusing on estate gardens, Margaret shows Daily Gardeners how anyone can cultivate the charm of a cottage garden. With inspiring photographs, Margaret focuses on plants that are easy to grow and give the look cottage gardeners love - enchanted shapes and natural forms, gentle colors, and endearing varieties. The last section of the book shares a glossary of 76 plant recommendations, including the Latin and common names, how to use them in the garden, as well as a list of places to find old rose varieties. This book is 256 pages of an English Cottage Garden masterclass taught by a garden designer who loves to teach the most novice gardener to create enchanting gardens and vistas right outside their windows. You can get a copy of English Cottage Gardening by Margaret Hensel and support the show using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for around $10 Today's Botanic Spark Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart February 23, 1991 On this day, the Hartford Courant shared an article written by Anne Farrow called Garden of Everlasting Delights. This fantastic article features Gregg Fisk of Gregg Fisk Designs and his incredible dried arrangements and flower drying skills. Gregg's creations are truly a cut above the rest, and his celebrity clients have included Barbara Streisand and Lady Bird Johnson. And a photo of one of his swags highlights outstanding features like small flower pots, hydrangea, globe amaranth, and love-in-a-mist. Now as for Gregg's favorite plants to grow for drying, here's what Gregg suggests: "Some of the basics are globe amaranth, the everlasting signifying immortality; American statice, a ruffle-edged annual that's durable and can be grown in a variety of colors; strawflowers; asters; zinnias; heather' in several different colors; and nigella, a flower with a delicate mauve seed head and a beautiful name: love-in-a-mist. The current crop of books on growing flowers for drying also recommends hosta, the ubiquitous of shade-garden perennials; poppies, which have a globe-shaped seed case that dries easily, astilbe, ivy, baby's breath and the evocatively named money plant, which has a silvery, translucent seed case. Another must-have for the home gardener is the rose. [Gregg] recommends planting a climbing rose, sometimes called the faerie rose… [which adds] a finished, old-fashioned appearance to dried arrangements. From the herb family, [Gregg] chooses rosemary, which has a dark, blue-green needle and a wonderfully piney perfume; bay, for its fragrance; and both Silver King and Silver Queen artemisia. The artemisias, which really are silver-colored, look handsome and puffy in the garden and in dried arrangements. The bright golden florets of yarrow, a perennial grown in the earliest New World gardens, is another of the herbs he always chooses, as are the low-growing lamb's ear, which has a velvety, gray-green leaf that is soft even when dried. Often shown in herb kits for children because it is so touchable, lamb's ears are particularly pretty in wreaths with a lot of pink flowers or placed in a bowl of homemade potpourri. White lilacs can [hang-dry] easily and turn a pearlescent cream color. Hydrangeas, too, can be hang-dried and then dyed in a variety of shades. Asters, a garden classic, dry beautifully in beach sand. Experimentation teaches you a lot, [and Gregg] has found an ally in… the microwave oven. Though the procedure for drying flowers in the "mike" is more complicated than simple hang-drying methods, the results, particularly with… peonies, daffodils, marigolds, and roses, justify the effort required. The special advantage of microwave flower drying is that the delicate natural color of the bloom is preserved because the drying time is a fraction of traditional methods." Thanks for listening to The Daily Gardener. And remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."

Today we celebrate an American lyrical poet and playwright who wrote some beautiful poems about flowers. We'll also learn about the Scottish surgeon who advised using sphagnum moss to treat wounded soldiers. We hear inspiring words about Winter Aconite (Eranthis hyemalis "YER-anth-iss hy-uh-MAY-lis") We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book about medicine - herbal medicine - an invaluable comprehensive reference. And then we'll wrap things up with the story of a favorite student of Carl Linnaeus known as "the Vulture." Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart To listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to "Play the latest episode of The Daily Gardener Podcast." And she will. It's just that easy. The Daily Gardener Friday Newsletter Sign up for the FREE Friday Newsletter featuring:

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Plus, each week, one lucky subscriber wins a book from the Grow That Garden Library™ bookshelf. Gardener Greetings Send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes, and so forth to [email protected] Curated News 8 Ways To Create A Garden That Feels Like Art | Garden Design | Pam Penick Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and original blog posts for yourself, you're in luck. I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. So, there's no need to take notes or search for links. The next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community, where you'd search for a friend... and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events February 22, 1892 Today is the birthday of the American lyrical poet and playwright Edna St. Vincent Millay. Gardeners cherish Edna's verses like: April comes like an idiot, babbling and strewing flowers. I would blossom if I were a rose. I will be the gladdest thing under the sun! I will touch a hundred flowers and not pick one. However, Edna threw some shade at the very poisonous and rank-smelling Jimsonweed plant, the Thorn-apple, or Datura stramonium ("duh-too-ruh stra-MO-nee-um") in her poem "In the Grave No Flowers," writing: Here the rank-smelling Thorn-apple,—and who Would plant this by his dwelling? Well, it turns out the American botanist and geneticist Albert Francis Blakeslee was especially fond of Datura. In fact, one of Albert's friends once joked that in his life, Albert enjoyed two great love affairs — with his wife Margaret and with Datura, and in that order. Not surprisingly, Edna's verse riled Albert, and in response, he sent her a letter: "I thought I would write to you, and … answer... your question by saying that I would plant this by my dwelling and have done so for the last thirty years rather extensively. It turns out that this plant (Datura stramonium) is perhaps the very best plant with which to discover principles of heredity." Now, Datura's common name, Jimsonweed, is derived from Jamestown's colonial settlement, where British soldiers were given a salad made with boiled "Jamestown weed" or Jimsonweed. For days after eating the greens, instead of quelling the colonial uprising known as the Bacon rebellion, the British soldiers turned fools, blowing feathers in the air, running about naked, and acting entirely out of their minds. Datura's other common names, the thorn apple or the devil's apple, offer a clue that Datura is a nightshade plant. Those sinister names came about because nightshades were historically thought to be evil. In contrast, the Algonquin Indians and other ancient peoples regarded Datura as a shamanistic plant, and they smoked Datura to induce intoxication and hallucinations or visions. The etymology of the name Datura comes from an early Sanskrit word meaning "divine inebriation." February 22, 1932 Today is the anniversary of the death of the Scottish surgeon Charles Walker Cathcart. During WWI, Charles and his peer Isaac Balfour wrote a paper where they advised following the common German practice of using sphagnum moss to treat wounded soldiers. After this article, sphagnum moss was robustly harvested for wound dressings for the British Army. An article published by the Smithsonian Magazine called "How Humble Moss Healed the Wounds of Thousands in World War I" shared the history of the use of moss: "In ancient times, Gaelic-Irish sources wrote that warriors in the battle of Clontarf used moss to pack their wounds. Moss was also used by Native Americans, who lined their children's cradles and [used] it as a type of natural diaper. It continued to be used sporadically when battles erupted, including during the Napoleonic and Franco-Prussian wars. Lieutenant-Colonel E.P. Sewell of the General Hospital in Alexandria, Egypt, wrote approvingly that, "It is very absorbent, far more than cotton wool, and has remarkable deodorizing power." Lab experiments around the same time vindicated his observations: Sphagnum moss can hold up to 22 times its own weight in liquid, making it twice as absorbent as cotton." In response to Charles' advice, communities organized moss drives. A December 19, 1916 article from the Caspar Star-Tribune out of Caspar Wyoming was simply titled: Gather Moss For War Bandages. It read, "Thousands of women and children, unable to perform other war works, are daily combing the misty hills of Scotland and the Irish west coast for moss for absorbent dressings. Recently they filled an order for 20,000 bandages. The moss is wrapped in cotton gauze and applied to open wounds." Unearthed Words When the six-year-old Dorothy L. Sayers moved to her new home at Bluntisham rectory in the Fens in January 1897: As the fly turned into the drive, she cried out with astonishment, "Look, Auntie, look! The ground is all yellow, like the sun." This sudden splash of gold remained in her memory all her life. The ground was carpeted with early flowering aconites. Later, her father told her the legend that these flowers grew in England only where Roman soldiers have shed their blood, and Bluntisham contained the outworks of a Roman camp. So as early as this, and as young as she was, her imagination was caught by ancient Rome. — Roy Vickery, author and Curator of Flowering Plants at the London Natural History Museum, A Dictionary of Plant Lore, Winter Aconite (Eranthis hyemalis "YER-anth-iss hy-uh-MAY-lis") Grow That Garden Library Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine by Andrew Chevallier This book came out in 2016, and the subtitle is 550 Herbs and Remedies for Common Ailments. In this book, you really get one of the remarkable reference books of herbal remedies. The format is exact, and the information is reliable. If your looking to learn about the herbs that can help promote health and well-being, you have found a terrific resource. The instructions in this large volume are straightforward to follow, and you will be able to cultivate your own garden apothecary custom-tailored to your own health. In addition, this herbal encyclopedia is easy to use and allows you to look up information either with plant names or by ailments. This book is 336 pages of a detailed herbal reference with proven natural remedies and advice for growing herbs that will be the most helpful to you in your garden this season. You can get a copy of Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine by Andrew Chevallier and support the show using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for around $30 Today's Botanic Spark Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart February 22, 1756 Today is the anniversary of the death of the handsome and tall Swedish botanist - and a favorite student of Carl Linnaeus known as "the Vulture" - Pehr Loefling. Pehr met Carl at the University of Uppsala, where Carl was his professor. Early on, Carl dubbed Pehr his "most beloved pupil," and he even gave Pehr a nickname; the Vulture. Carl came up with the moniker after observing that Pehr had an intuitive way of finding plants and observing the most minute details of plant specimens. When Pehr wrote his dissertation called "On the Buds of Trees," his observation skills were put to use. Pehr's paper featured detailed descriptions of plants in bud in the offseason instead of in full flower during the summer. This unique perspective enabled people to identify many species in the leafless winter - something that easily confounds plant lovers - even today. When Carl felt Pehr could be a role model, tutor, and a friend to his son, he offered Pehr the chance to live with his family. Hence, Pehr continued his studies while living with the Linneaus family. After graduating, Carl recommended Pehr for an opportunity in Madrid, and this is how Pehr learned Spanish and befriended many Spanish botanists who called him Pedro. After two years of collecting over 1,400 specimens in Spain, Pehr secured a paid position on the Royal Botanical Expedition to South America with a mission of learning to cultivate a particular variety of cinnamon thought to be superior to the standard variety. By 1754, Pehr was botanizing in Venezuela with a small team that included two doctors and two artists. Pehr was just 27 years old when he died of malaria on the banks of the Caroní River at a Mission outpost on this day in 1756. He was buried beneath an orange tree. By the end of the year, over half of the expedition's men would be dead from disease compounded by hunger and fatigue. When Linnaeus shared the news about Pehr with a friend, he wrote, "The great Vulture is dead." Thanks for listening to The Daily Gardener. And remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."