The Daily Gardener

We'll also learn about the botanical illustrator and collector who established a worldwide reputation for his incredible herbarium. We celebrate the great Himalayan and Alpine mountain climbing and writer - he was also a botanist. We also honor bees with today's poetry. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book gardening in a humane way - helping you create a garden that is healthy and harmonious for all living things. And then we'll wrap things up with an Ode to Basil - my favorite summer crop. But first, let's catch up on some Greetings from Gardeners around the world and today's curated news. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart Gardener Greetings To participate in the Gardener Greetings segment, send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes and so forth to [email protected] And, to listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to play The Daily Gardener Podcast. It's that easy. Curated News The hidden gardens of lockdown | The Guardian "As some of the UK's best-loved gardens prepare to reopen to the public, we ask the head gardeners what has been happening behind their closed gates." Gardener Jess Evans: "I can't lie, it's been amazing, and so peaceful," she says. "It's very easy to stick your head down and just crack on and get things done, but this has given us an opportunity to take stock and look at the garden properly." She has also enjoyed the chance to get her hands dirty. "I'm doing more outdoor work than I have done in ages. Usually, I'd be in the office at least two or three days a week, and yet now I've had the perfect excuse not to be." Hollyhocks | Gardenista "Hollyhocks are designed to give easy access to quantities of pollen, through the open funnels of the single varieties. Just watching a less svelte bee (like a bumblebee) climbing around a hollyhock illustrates how double flowers can be problematic. Aesthetically, the simple singles are very desirable but have been out-marketed by the doubles. The best way to procure singles, in the best colors, is through a generous friend." What's Green and Sings? (Click to read this original post) Alright, that's it for today's gardening news. Now, if you'd like to check out my curated news articles and blog posts for yourself, you're in luck, because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. There's no need to take notes or search for links - the next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events 1706 Today is the anniversary of the death of Leonard Plukenet, who had served as the botanist to Queen Mary II. When he died (like almost every plant-lover of his era), he left his collections and herbarium to Sir Hans Sloane, which is how his collections have become one of the oldest still existing at the Natural History Museum in England. As the royal botanist, Plukenet was an important part of botanical society during the 1600s. Along with George London and William Sherard, Plukenet assisted the zealous botanical aspirations of Mary Somerset, Duchess of Beaufort. Her next-door neighbor was Sir Hans Sloane. When she died, she, too, left her herbarium and other valuable botanical items to Sir Hans Sloane. This is how Hans Sloane became a one-man botanical repository, and that repository ultimately became the Natural History Museum. Plukenet played an unforgettable role in the history of the sacred lotus. And in 2011, Corinne Hannah wrote an exceptional piece about Plukenet's name for the sacred lotus. Here's an excerpt from Corinne's marvelous article, which appeared in the Calgary Herald. "[The] English botanist Leonard Plukenet christened the sacred lotus in 1696 as: Nymphaea glandulifera indiae paludibus gardens foliis umbilicatis amplis pediculis spinosis flore rosea-pupureo, ("nim-fay-EE-ah-gland-you-LIFF-er-AH-in-die-EE-pall-ooh-duh-bus-gardens-fol-ee-ice-umb-Bill-ah-CAY-tis-AMP-YOU-lis-ped-DIC-YOU-lis-spin-OH-sis-flora-row-SAH-poo-PURR-EE-oh") or "the marsh-loving, nut-bearing Indian water lily with large, navel-centered leaves, prickly stalks, and rose-purple flowers. Thank heavens for Carl Linnaeus and his invention of binomial nomenclature, which decreed each plant could only be identified with two names! But Linnaeus was not infallible. He, too, initially identified the sacred lotus as being closely related to the water lily family (Nymphaea). Recent genetic testing has confirmed that sacred lotus belongs to a genus unto itself, Nelumbo nucifera. This aquatic plant is not even remotely related to water lilies. In fact, it is far more closely allied to woody plants such as plane trees or banksias. " 1785 Today is the birthday of the great Sir William Jackson Hooker. Hooker was both a botanist and a botanical illustrator, and he was a great friend of Joseph Banks. Thanks to his inheritance, Hooker was wealthy; he didn't need a patron to fund his work or expeditions. Hooker's first expedition was to Iceland in the summer of 1809. The trip was actually Bank's idea. Hooker came along in order to collect specimens, as well as to trial everything he discovered. Unfortunately, during their voyage home from Iceland, there was a terrible fire. Most people don't realize it, but Hooker nearly died. Sadly, all of Hooker's work was destroyed. But it turns out, Hooker's mind was a steel trap. In a remarkable accomplishment, Hooker was able to reconstruct his discoveries and publish an account of his adventure in a book called Tour in Iceland. Over his lifetime, Hooker established a global reputation for his world-class herbarium. By 1841, he was appointed the director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Hooker elevated Kew to greatness. His leadership resulted in an expanding of the gardens from 10 to 75 acres as well as adding a 270-acre Arboretum and a museum for botany. In 1865, there was a virus going around at Kew. Everyone had sore throats. Soon, Hooker, too, became ill. He was 80 years old. The virus overpowered him, and he died. His son Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker, and outstanding botanist in his own right succeeded him at Kew. 1900 Today is the birthday of the great Himalayan and Alpine mountain climber and mountaineering writer Frank Smythe. Frank had a diverse range of interests, which he mastered - including photography, collecting plants, botany, and gardening. He is most remembered for his mountaineering and for discovering and naming the Valley of Flowers in the Western Himalayas in India. During his lifetime, Frank would go on seven expeditions to the Himalayas, where he especially enjoyed botanizing and taking pictures. In 1931, Frank stumbled on the Valley of Flowers along with two other English mountaineers after they got lost. The climbers had just finished ascending Mount Kamet, and they were looking for a place to escape bad oncoming weather. The Valley enchanted them, and the flowers made it seem like they were in a fairyland. When Smyth returned to England, he wrote a book called Kamet Conquered, and in it, he named the area the Valley of Flowers. Well, the name Frank gave the Valley caused a sensation. In one of his later books, Frank wrote about the moment he discovered the Valley: "Within a few minutes, we were out of the wind, and in the rain, which became gradually warmer as we lost height. Dense mist shrouded the mountainside, and we paused, uncertain as to the route when I heard Holdsworth, who was a botanist as well as a climbing member of the Expedition, exclaim, "Look!" I followed the directions of his outstretched hand. At first, I could see nothing but rocks. Then suddenly, my wandering gaze was arrested by a little splash of blue, and beyond it were other splashes of blue, a blue so intense it seemed to light the hillside. Holdsworth wrote: 'All of a sudden, I realized that I was simply surrounded by primulas. At once, the day seemed to brighten perceptibly. Forgotten were all the pains and cold and lost porters. And what a primula it was! Its leek-like habit proclaimed it a member of the nizalis section. All over the little shelves and terraces, it grew, often with its roots in running water. At the most, it stood six inches high, but it's flowers were enormous for its stature, and ample in number— sometimes as many as thirty to the beautifully proportioned umble and in the color of the most heavenly French blue [and] sweetly scented.' In all my mountain wanderings, I had not seen a more beautiful flower than this primula. The fine raindrops clung to its soft petals like galaxies of seed-pearls and frosted its leaves with silver. " Now you can see how Frank's writing inspired so many people to make a pilgrimage to the Valley. For the people who make the trek, the Valley of Flowers is a seven-day trip from Delhi. It is now a protected national park. As the name implies, it is a lush area famous for the millions of alpine flowers that cover the hills and slopes and nestle along icy flowing streams. Through most of the year, the Valley of Flowers remains hidden, buried under several feet of snow throughout a seven-to-eight-month-long winter. In March, the melting snow and monsoon activate a new growing season. There is a brief 3-4 month window when the Valley of Flowers is accessible – generally during the months of July, August, and September. In 1937, Frank returned to the Valley, where he especially enjoyed botanizing. He gathered specimens and seeds and documented his discoveries. The Valley of Flowers is home to over 500 varieties of wildflowers, and many are still considered rare. Along with daisies, poppies, and marigolds, there are primulas and orchids growing wild. The rare Blue Poppy, commonly known as the Himalayan Queen, is the most coveted plant in the Valley. Unearthed Words Today's poetry is all about the buzz of July: Bees. The hum of bees is the voice of the garden. — Elizabeth Lawrence, garden writer The dandelions and buttercups gild all the lawn: the drowsy Bee stumbles among the clover tops, and summer sweetens all to me. — James Russell Lowell, American Romantic poet "And pray, who are you?" Said the Violet blue To the Bee, with surprise, At his wonderful size, In her eyeglass of dew. "I, madam," quoth he, "Am a publican, Bee, Collecting the tax Of honey and wax. Have you nothing for me?" — John Bannister Tabb, American poet and priest, The Violet and the Bee Answer July— Where is the Bee— Where is the Blush— Where is the Hay? Ah, said July— Where is the Seed— Where is the Bud— Where is the May— Answer Thee—Me— ― Emily Dickinson, American poet All day the bees have come to the garden. They hover, swivel in arcs and, whirling, light On stamens heavy with pollen, probe and revel Inside the yellow and red starbursts of dahlias Or cling to lobelia's blue-white mouths Or climb the speckled trumpets of foxgloves. My restless eyes follow their restlessness As they plunge bodily headfirst into treasure, Gold-fevered among these horns of plenty. They circle me, a flowerless patch With nothing to offer in the way of sweetness Or light against the first omens of evening. Some, even now, are dying at the end Of their few weeks, some being born in the dark, Some simply waiting for life, but some are dancing Deep in their hives, telling the hungry The sun will be that way, the garden this far: This is the way to the garden. They hum at my ear. And I wake up, startled, seeing the early Stars beginning to bud in constellations. The bees have gathered somewhere like petals closing For the coming of the cold. The silhouette Of a sphinx moth swerves to drink at a flowerhead. The night-blooming moon opens its pale corolla. — David Wagoner, American poet, Falling Asleep In The Garden Grow That Garden Library The Humane Gardener by Nancy Lawson This book came out in 2017, and the subtitle is: Nurturing a Backyard Habitat for Wildlife (How to Create a Sustainable and Ethical Garden that Promotes Native Wildlife, Plants, and Biodiversity) In Nancy's words: "A humane gardener challenges herself to see the world through the eyes (and ears and noses and antennae) of other species, from the easy-to-love butterflies and birds to the more misunderstood moles and beetles and wasps and groundhogs. She appreciates all the creatures just trying to make a life outside her door, rather than applying compassion selectively to some species and not others." The book is 224 pages of valuable, inspirational, and critical information designed to help you create a garden that is healthy and harmonious for all living things. You can get a copy of The Humane Gardener by Nancy Lawson and support the show, using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for around $16. Today's Botanic Spark 2015 On this day, Leah Raup, over at the unboredhousewife.com, wrote an ode to Basil. It's a delight. Basil, sweet basil, you are a true summer treat. Straight from the plant is the only way to eat your tender green leaves on Caprese salad or penne, the uses for you are vast – they are many. In ice cream or cookies you're an unexpected flavor, you make me creative and cause me to savor the warm summer air and my bare feet in the grass. I'm pondering ways to store you when autumn comes to pass.

Today we celebrate the man remembered in the genus name for Crape Myrtle. We'll also learn about the botanist who served as the physician to George Washington. We celebrate the man remembered in the name of the largest flower in the world. And we also celebrate the practical gardener and journalist who helped change the English landscape from formal to much more relaxed and attainable for the masses. We honor the beautiful Rose, queen of the garden, with today's poetry. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book that shares "Age-Old Advice and Tips for the Garden." And then we'll wrap things up with the story of a botanist who wanted to make orchids possible to grow in the "average man's garden." But first, let's catch up on some Greetings from Gardeners around the world and today's curated news. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart Gardener Greetings To participate in the Gardener Greetings segment, send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes and so forth to [email protected] And, to listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to play The Daily Gardener Podcast. It's that easy. Curated News Quiz: Are you a flower whizz? | Kew "How clued up are you on flowers? Take our 15-question quiz to find out (scroll down for the answers). Good luck!" Hamilton For Gardeners (Click to read the Post) Alright, that's it for today's gardening news. Now, if you'd like to check out my curated news articles and blog posts for yourself, you're in luck, because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. There's no need to take notes or search for links - the next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events 1759The naturalist, and Director of the Swedish East India Company, Magnus von Lagerstrom died. In his work, Magnus was a friend and patron of Carl Linnaeus. During his travels, he supplied Linnaeus with plants, and in return, Linnaeus named the genus for Crape Myrtle after him - Lagerstroemia. Before we get into the plant details of the Crape Myrtle, we need to talk about the spelling controversy. In the South, the spelling is Crepe, as in crepe paper. This spelling supposedly came about because the flowers resemble crepe paper. But, everywhere else, it is spelled Crape like Grape. Now, botanists have recorded close to 50 known species of Crape Myrtle. Crape Myrtles are a member of the loosestrife family. Their size can vary significantly from one foot to a hundred feet tall. Crape myrtles are robust and can put up with severe growing conditions - like high heat, humidity, and drought. (Basically, what many parts of the country are putting up with right now) Their hardiness in sweltering conditions gives us a clue as to their origins; Crape Myrtles are native to the Indian subcontinent, southeast Asia, northern Australia, and parts of Oceania. In China, the Crape Myrtle is known as the "Monkey Tree." Crape Myrtle trunks are slippery, which means the monkeys have a tough time climbing them. The Chinese also called the Crape Myrtle "The Tree of 100 days" in reference to the long bloom time. Gardeners especially appreciate the Crape Myrtle's extraordinarily long bloom time. Once the plant starts blooming in the middle of the summer, it will continue to produce blossoms well into fall. Medicinally, Crape Myrtle is used for constipation. The leaves, bark, and even the blossoms are high in fiber. And, herbalists know how to make a purgative decoction with Crape Myrtle leaves. 1817 Today is the anniversary of the death of the American doctor, professor, and naturalist Adam Kuhn. Adam was exceptionally well-trained for his time. His father had been a physician - his parents were German immigrants - and Adam grew up in Germantown, Pennsylvania. At some point, his family sent him to Sweden, where he studied at Upsala University. He's believed to be the only American student of Carl Linnaeus. Linnaeus wrote to Adam's father with rare praise, saying: "[Adam] is unwearied in his studies and daily and faithfully studies materia medica with me. He has learned the symptomatic history of diseases in an accurate and solid manner. In natural history and botany, he's made remarkable progress." Linnaeus clearly liked Adam, and he named the plant Kuhnia (Kuhnia Eupatorioides), commonly known as False Boneset, in Adam's honor. Adam began teaching at the medical school of the College of Philadelphia, where he became the first professor of medicine for the 13 colonies. He's remembered for being the physician for George Washington. He's also recalled as a somewhat rigidly formal man - some historical texts have used the word "pompous" to describe him. One doctor recalled Adam this way: "He was by far the most highly and minutely furnished specimen of old-school [medicine] I have ever beheld. He wore a fashionable curled and powdered wig; his breeches were black, [he wore] a long-skirted buff or white waistcoat... He carried a gold-headed cane and a gold snuff-box; his knee and shoe buckles of the same metal. His footsteps were sternly and stubbornly regular; He entered the sick-room at a given minute and stayed a given time and never suffered deviation from his directions. [Once a nurse asked] "'Doctor, if the patient should desire toast, water or lemonade, he may have it?' [Adam] would turn and reply with oracular solemnity, 'I have directed weak sage tea. Good morning madam.'" 1826 Today is the anniversary of the death of Sir Stamford Raffles. Eight years before he died, Raffles described the Arnold's rafflesia, the largest flower in the world. "The magnificent plants have no leaves, no roots, and no stem. The entire flower measures about a yard across and weighs about fifteen pounds. And, the Rafflesia flower lasts for only a few days before it withers and dies." The Rafflesia arnoldii, commonly called the corpse lily or stinking corpse lily, is named to honor Raffles and his dear friend Dr. James Arnold, who was with him during the discovery of the plant on the island of Sumatra. Arnold was a surgeon, botanist, and a naturalist in his own right, but sadly he died shortly after seeing the bloom. The Rafflesia arnoldii was named in honor of them both (Raffles and Arnold). The Rafflesia flower is still regarded as the largest in the world. 1838 It's the birthday of the Irish practical gardener and journalist, the passionate William Robinson. A horticultural powerhouse, Robinson helped change the English landscape from formal to much more relaxed and attainable for the masses. Robinson wrote, "The Medici Gardens in Rome, [offers] clipped walls of green, formal walks, numerous statues, and the ever-present Stone Pine. It's difficult to imagine anything more monotonous or uninteresting than [this] type of garden." I always say of Robinson that his gardens were chill, but the man was hot - as in he was hot-tempered, opinionated, hoppin', and happening. He developed the practice of planting the herbaceous border, and he was an advocate for the wild garden. He wanted everyone to do their own thing in their gardens - no need for a cookie-cutter approach or formality. And, Robinson had an artistic mindset; he wanted people to be free to express themselves in their own way in their garden. Robinson was ahead of his time, as is evidenced by the fact that many of his ideas remain relevant and commonplace. In 1867, Robinson visited the gardens of France and came home to write his first gardening book. He called it Gleanings from French Gardens. (I love that title!) Robinson's work and books brought him financial security. By the age of 45, he had enough money to purchase the Elizabethan Manor of Gravetye in Sussex, along with almost two hundred acres of pasture and woodland. Now, Robinson became great friends with Gertrude Jekyll. In 1896, Jekyll offered this summary of Robinson's impact on gardening: "[Thanks to William Robinson] ... we may see how best to use and enjoy the thousands of beautiful plants that have been brought to us by the men who have given fortune, health, and often life in perilous travel that our gardens may be enriched and botanical knowledge extended. We cannot now, with all this treasure at our feet, neglect it and refuse it the gratefully appreciative use that it deserves." Unearthed Words Today's selections are all about the superstar of the July garden - the Rose. I have a garden of my own But so with Roses overgrown And Lilies, that you would it guess To be a little wilderness. — Andrew Marvell, English poet and politician I haven't much time to be fond of anything ... but when I have a moment's fondness to bestow most times ... the Roses get it. I began my life among them in my father's nursery garden, and I shall end my life among them if I can. Yes. One of these days (please God) I shall retire from catching thieves, and try my hand at growing Roses. ― Wilkie Collins, English novelist, The Moonstone The serene philosophy of the pink Rose is steadying. Its fragrant, delicate petals open fully and are ready to fall, without regret or disillusion, after only a day in the sun. It is so every summer. One can almost hear their pink, fragrant murmur as they settle down upon the grass: 'Summer, summer, it will always be summer.' — Rachel Peden, newspaper columnist Where you tend a Rose, my lad, a Thistle, cannot grow. — Frances Hodgson Burnett, English-American novelist, The Secret Garden I have a White Rose to tend In July as in January; I give it to the true friend Who offers his frank hand to me. And for the cruel one whose blows Break the heart by which I live, Thistle nor thorn do I give: For him, too, I have a White Rose. — José Martí, Cuban poet, A White Rose The Lily has a smooth stalk, Will never hurt your hand; But the Rose upon her brier Is lady of the land. There's sweetness in an Apple Tree, And profit in the Corn; But lady of all beauty Is a Rose upon a thorn. When with moss and honey She tips her bending brier, And half unfolds her glowing heart, She sets the world on fire. — Christina Georgina Rossetti, English poet, The Rose Grow That Garden Library The Gardeners' Book by Diana Craig This book came out in 2013, and the subtitle is: Age-Old Advice and Tips for the Garden In their review of this book, Amateur Gardening said, "Buried among the tongue-in-cheek tips, gardening quotations and fascinating facts aimed at making you the envy of the allotment, there are some real nuggets of information that will benefit even the most green-fingered." The book is 160 pages of tips, ideas, anecdotes, and inspiration. You can get a copy of The Gardeners' Book by Diana Craig and support the show, using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for around $12. Today's Botanic Spark 1985 Today is the 35th anniversary of the death of the botanist and Northwestern University professor Margery Claire Carlson. In 1916, Margery was the first woman to major in botany at Northwestern. Later, she earned a Ph.D. in botany, and then she became the first full-time female professor at Northwestern. During the 1930s, she was featured in many Newspapers for her work with orchids. One popular article from 1936 said that Margery was working on making orchids possible to grow in the "average man's garden." Two years later, another article shared her unique approach to raising orchids in bottles. Margery trialed different ways of feeding the orchids, growing them specific food-based cultures like carrots, beets, tobacco, sugar, or beef extracts. Margery and her partner Kate Staley went on several expeditions together to South and Central America. Margery's obituary said the two were used to traveling, "by ox, truck, and airplane through and over dense jungles." Margery was always on the lookout for orchids and other rare species. In 1948, on one expedition alone, she gathered over 4,000 specimens and discovered 15 new plant species. Margery commented that during her many travels, she was never afraid of snakes because they made so much noise cutting through the jungle with their machetes that they scared the snakes away. Margery was born and raised in Illinois. Her parents, John and Nellie, helped chart her destiny. They named her after the Marguerite Daisy.

Today we celebrate what I'm calling Dependence Day for Gardeners. We'll also learn about the gutta-percha pioneer - it's a fascinating story. We celebrate the California botanist who is remembered with a plant name and the name of a Canyon - and she was a tremendous conservationist. We also celebrate a botanist who is a sentimental favorite of mine - she died while collecting samples in the Western Himalayas almost eighty years ago today. We honor National Meadows Day - an annual celebration of the wildflower meadows of England - with some poetry. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a fiction book that was the Winner of the Man Asian Literary Prize, and the main character finds "solace among the jungle-fringed tea plantations of [the] Cameron Highlands," and she also meets some incredible gardeners. And then we'll wrap things up with the flowers for the birthday of President Calvin Coolidge - in 1924 one newspaper headline said, "Cal's Cool and 52". But first, let's catch up on some Greetings from Gardeners around the world and today's curated news. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart Gardener Greetings To participate in the Gardener Greetings segment, send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes and so forth to [email protected] And, to listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to play The Daily Gardener Podcast. It's that easy. Curated News Just moved? Build a Temporary Garden at Your New Home by Shawna Coronado "It's a smart plan to set up a temporary garden at your new home when you have just moved because you don't really understand the "lay of the land" in your garden yet. Understanding your garden takes at least a year. A YEAR!?!?! Yes. A year. An example of this is that the sunshine changes throughout your garden. In the winter, you might have the direct sun in some places, creating micro-climates, while in the summer, you could have the opposite. Understanding your sun, water, and other conditions on your property take a while." No Independence Day for Gardener (Click here to read my original blogpost) Alright, that's it for today's gardening news. Now, if you'd like to check out my curated news articles and blog posts for yourself, you're in luck, because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. There's no need to take notes or search for links - the next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events 1804 Today is the birthday of the gutta-percha pioneer Henry Bewley who was born on this day in Dublin, Ireland. A trained chemist, Bewley began work manufacturing soda water. Bewley's work with soda got him in touch with Charles Hancock, who was eager to develop a stopper for bottles. Hancock's solution came to him in the form of gutta-percha - a tough, rubber-like substance that had been discovered in the sap of Malayasian trees and brought to England in the mid-1840s. After Hancock showed Bewley the gutta-percha, he set about inventing the machine that would extrude the gutta-percha into tubing, which would ultimately find a purpose in dentistry and as an insulator for electrical wiring. Although their partnership would not last, Bewley and Hancock formed the Gutta Percha Company in London on February 4, 1845. Twenty years later, Bewley's company was swept up in the merger that created The Telegraph Construction and Maintenance Company. Until the mid-1900s, it was gutta-percha that protected the transatlantic cables used for communication. The resin from gutta-percha was used to make all kinds of items like buckets and mugs, soles for shoes, bands for heavy equipment, buoys, and so forth. Early on, the uses for gutta-percha seemed endless - but its original use as tubing (thanks to Bewley) was vital for scientists and engineers working with wiring, liquids, and gases. Gardeners owed a debt of gratitude to Bewley. His gutta-percha tubing was perfect for this in-demand item called a garden hose. I thought you might enjoy hearing a little excerpt from this 1854 advertisement for gutta-percha. It features a testimony from a Mr. J. Farrah, the gardener to a successful attorney who lived on the estate known as Holderness House near Hull. "I have 400 feet of your gutta-percha tubing in lengths of 100 feet each [and I have used them] for the past 12 months for watering these gardens, and I find it... better than anything I have ever yet tried. The pressure of the water is very considerable, but this has not the slightest effect on the tubing. I consider this tubing to be a most valuable invention for gardeners, as much as it enables us to water our gardens in about half the time and with half the labor formerly required." 1976 On the 4th of July in 1976, a very hot day to go hiking, botanist Mary Dedecker made her way back to a spot in the desert of California where she had discovered a new plant earlier in June of that same year. When DeDecker reached the shrub, she was stunned. She remembers seeing the plants in full bloom - a gold profusion - and fondly recalled, "It was just golden. All over the dark cliffs, these golden bunches of this shrub." Mary and her husband, Paul, lived in Independence for over five decades. Paul's job brought them to the town. Mary remembered, "It was a different world up here. My husband would fish in the Alpine lakes of the High Sierra, and I would sketch and make notes on plants. There was virtually no literature on the flora of the eastern Sierra." Mary and Paul's DeDeckera shrub became the only species in the brand new Dedeckera genus, which was the first newly discovered genus in California in almost three decades. The DeDecker's shrub, the Dedeckera eurekensis, is a member of the buckwheat family and is commonly referred to as July gold. It's a rare plant and is only found in California's Inyo and White Mountains. These mountains are remote, but they were well-known by Paul and Mary, who loved to explore the desert and found it utterly enchanting. They lived to see the naming of Dedeckera Canyon, which was a unique honor. Believe it or not, there is a rule that geographic locations cannot be named after living people. In this case, the canyon was officially named after the Dedeckera plant genus named for Mary and Paul - but it clearly honored the couple all the same. It was a sneaky way to get around the rules. As a little girl, Mary learned to garden from her dad, who encouraged her to grow things. Her training as a botanist and her love of nature gave her the drive to search the desert floor on countless hikes in order to collect and catalog over 6,000 plant species. It's no wonder then that Mary successfully fought to preserve the Eureka Dunes, which are adjacent to the northwest corner of Death Valley. In Mary's lifetime, she was able to stop off-road vehicles from destroying the dunes. Regarding her three-decades-long fight, she said, "It was terribly frustrating. I was sick as I went out and watched [off-road vehicle users] tear up the place, spinning out the plants and seedlings, destroying animal habitats. They would be all over the dunes having the time of their lives, so unaware of the damage to the delicate and unique ecosystems. . . ." Much of her work involved researching the flowers of the dunes. Thanks to Mary, the Dunes became part of the over 500 nationally recognized natural landmarks in the United States. Mary DeDecker witnessed many impressive desert blooms during her lifetime. The beauty of the desert and the miraculous desert plant life never failed to hold her attention. Among her many published works, Mary was perfectly suited to write two books on California's desert flora. Today young botanists may be surprised to learn that Mary never received any formal training. Yet, Mary credited the help of countless botanists and the desert itself as her teachers. Through her devotion and fieldwork, Mary came to be regarded as one of the nation's top experts on plants of the northern Mojave Desert and Owens Valley. There is an interesting side note to Mary's story. In 1945, while on one of her desert hikes, Mary discovered the remains of a Japanese-American named Matsumura who had left the internment camp at Manzanar to go fishing with friends. He had been missing for one month when Mary discovered him. Authorities buried him in that spot, and then slowly, the world forgot about his resting place. For decades, people attempted to relocate his burial spot without any luck. His grave remained lost to time until it was re-discovered in 2019. 1939 The English botanist Lady Joan Margaret Legge ("LAY-gee") died after she slipped and fell while collecting samples in the Western Himalayas at Valley of Flowers in India. When she died, Lady Joan was 54 years old and unmarried, and the youngest daughter of the sixth Earl of Dartmouth. In addition to enjoying botany, Lady Joan served the poor through her local church. In 1922, she was nominated for Sheriff of Staffordshire county, but her dad disqualified her on the grounds that she owned no property. Before traveling to the Valley of Flowers, Lady Joan had spent the previous three years tending to her sick father. Then, she had spent the winter before her trip battling pneumonia. Although some of her friends were against her going to India, Lady Joan was eager to go, and many remarked that it was her first real holiday in ten years. The Valley of Flowers was an exciting destination. It had only just been discovered in 1931 - eight years before Lady Joan's visit. Three English mountaineers had stumbled on the Valley after getting lost. The Valley enchanted them, and the flowers made it seem like they were in a fairyland. One of the climbers was a botanist named Frank Smythe. He wrote a book called Kamet Conquered, and in it, he named the area the Valley of Flowers. The Valley of Flowers is a seven-day trip from Delhi. It is now a protected national park. As the name implies, it is a lush area famous for the millions of alpine flowers that cover the hills and slopes and nestle along icy flowing streams. Throughout most of the year, the Valley of Flowers remains hidden, buried under several feet of snow throughout a seven-to-eight-month-long winter. In March, the melting snow and monsoon activate a new growing season. There is a brief 3-4 month window when the Valley of Flowers is accessible – generally during the months of July, August, and September. The Valley of Flowers is home to over 500 varieties of wildflowers, and many are still considered rare. Along with daisies, poppies, and marigolds, there are primulas and orchids growing wild. The rare Blue Poppy, commonly known as the Himalayan Queen, is the most coveted plant in the Valley. Lady Joan ended up traveling to the Valley of Flowers as a direct result of Frank Smythe's book. Smythe's work inspired many, and it attracted the attention of Edinburgh's Royal Botanic Garden, and they sponsored Lady Joan's trip. After arriving in the Himilayas, Lady Joan was accompanied by guides and porters. As she made her way over the lower foothills, she collected alpine specimens. On the day she died, Lady Joan was traversing the slopes of Khulia Garva, which still attracts tourists. After she fell, her porters recovered her body. They buried her in the Valley at the request of her older sister, Dorothy. All of Lady Joan's belongings were packed up and sent home to England. The following summer, in 1940, Dorothy visited her sister's grave and placed a marker over the spot where she had been buried. Today, Lady Joan's marker is visited by tourists, and it includes poignant words from Psalm 121: I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills From whence cometh my help Unearthed Words Today in the UK, it's National Meadows Day - an annual celebration of the wildflower meadows of England. Each year, the event takes place on or around the first Saturday of July. So, in tribute, here are little poems about meadows. How does the Meadow flower its bloom unfold? Because the lovely little flower is free down to its root, and in that freedom bold. — William Wordsworth, English Romantic poet In the meadow - what in the meadow? Bluebells, Buttercups, Meadow-sweet, And fairy rings for the children's feet In the meadow. In the garden - what in the garden? Jacob's Ladder and Solomon's Seal, And Love-Lies-Bleeding beside All-Heal In the garden. — Christina Georgina Rossetti, English poet, In The Meadow - What In The Meadow? Rose! We love thee for thy splendor, Lily! For thy queenly grace! Violet ! For thy lowly merit, Peeping from thy shady place!

But mine airy, woodland fairy, Scattering odors at thy feet, No one knows thy modest beauty, No one loves thee, Meadow-Sweet! — Charles MacKay, Scottish poet, Meadow-Sweet

The Meadow-Sweet was uplifting Its plumelets of delicate hue, The clouds were all dreamily drifting Above the blue. On the day when I broke from my tether And fled from the square and the street Was the day we went walking together In the meadow, sweet.

The Meadow-Sweet with its clover And bright with Its buttercups lay; The swallows kept eddying over, All flashing and gay. I remember a fairylike feather Sailed down your coming to greet, The day we went walking together In the meadow, sweet. Ahl the Meadow-Sweet! and the singing Of birds in the boughs overhead l And your soft little hand to mine clinging, And the words that you said When bold in the beautiful weather I laid my love at your feet, The day we went walking together

In the meadow, sweet. — Francis Wynne, Irish poet, Longman's Magazine, Meadow-Sweet In summer fields the Meadow-Sweet Spreads its white bloom around the feet Of those who pass In love or play The golden hours of holiday; And heart to answering heart can beat Where grows the simple Meadow-Sweet Embosomed in some cool retreat The long seed grasses bend to meet The stream that murmurs as it flows Songs of forget-me-not and rose; The filmy haze of noon-tide heat Is faint with scents of Meadow-Sweet. Ah, Love ! do you know Meadow-Sweet? Does some pale ghost of passion fleet Adown this dreary lapse of years, So void of love, so full of fears? Some ancient far-off echo greet The once loved name of Meadow-Sweet — William Leonard Courtney, English author and poet, Meadow-Sweet Grow That Garden Library The Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng This book came out in 2012, and it won the Man Asian Literary Prize. Kirkus Reviews said, "The unexpected relationship between a war-scarred woman and an exiled gardener leads to a journey through remorse to a kind of peace. After a notable debut, Eng (The Gift of Rain, 2008) returns to the landscape of his origins with a poetic, compassionate, sorrowful novel set in the aftermath of World War II in Malaya…Grace and empathy infuse this melancholy landscape of complex loyalties enfolded by brutal history, creating a novel of peculiar, mysterious, tragic beauty." The book is a 4.5 star rated book on Amazon. It is 352 pages - and the perfect summer read for gardeners. You can get a copy of The Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng and support the show, using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for around $3. Today's Botanic Spark 1924 President Calvin Coolidge is the only American President to have been born on the 4th of July and celebrated his 52nd birthday at the Whitehouse. To mark the occasion, he received a nearly 6-foot-tall floral arrangement from the Florist Telegraphers Association. The president was born at Plymouth, Vermont. Newspapers pointed out that while he was turning 52, the country was turning 148. One newspaper headline said, "Cal's Cool and 52". The Wilkes-Barre Record reported: "The President made no unusual observance of his birthday but joined with the nation in the July Fourth celebration. He spoke [in the] morning before the National Education Association. Later in the day, he planned to board the Presidential yacht (Mayflower) for a cruise down the Potomac. There were no White House guests, although the two sons of the President and Mrs. Coolidge, John and Calvin, Jr, were at home. E. T. Clark, private secretary to the president, said more than 46,000 cards and letters of congratulation had been received." Today, if you google "Calvin Coolidge 1924 birthday", you can see him standing on the south lawn next to the very large floral arrangement that was delivered to the White House. Three days after his birthday, Coolidge and his family suffered a personal tragedy. His younger son and namesake, Calvin Jr., developed an infected blister. He died on July 7 from sepsis. Although Coolidge became depressed, the public voted him into office, and he won a three-way race and the popular vote by 2.5 million votes over his two opponents' combined totals.

Today we officially welcome the Dog Days - they start on this day and last for the next 40 days. We'll also learn about the Landscape Architect who invented the term "landscape architecture." We celebrate the market gardener from Isleworth, who exhibited the first large-scale cultivated strawberry at the Royal Horticultural Society on this day over two hundred years ago. We also celebrate one of America's best-known florists. We honor the life of the English poet William Henry Davies - he loved the natural world, especially birds and butterflies. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book about flowers - their "History, Culture, Biology, and How They Change Our Lives." And then we'll wrap things up with the story of a preeminent botanist and plant explorer with the USDA. But first, let's catch up on some Greetings from Gardeners around the world and today's curated news. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart Gardener Greetings To participate in the Gardener Greetings segment, send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes and so forth to [email protected] And, to listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to play The Daily Gardener Podcast. It's that easy. Curated News 5 ways to adopt a more water-efficient approach to gardening 1. Install a water butt 2. Switch to watering plants in the morning 3. Don't water your lawn 4. Use a watering can 5. Train your plants to drink more slowly by giving them less Let the Dog Days Begin (Click to read this original post) Alright, that's it for today's gardening news. Now, if you'd like to check out my curated news articles and blog posts for yourself, you're in luck, because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. There's no need to take notes or search for links - the next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events 1796 The Landscape Architect Gilbert Laing Meason was born. Laing Meason was a friend of Sir Walter Scott, and he invented the term' landscape architecture' in his 1828 book, "The Landscape Architecture of the Great Painters of Italy." Not many copies of his book were printed, but somehow the prolific garden author, John Claudius Loudon, secured a copy. He shared the term with American horticulturist Andrew Jackson Downing, who, in turn, shared it with Frederick Law Olmsted. And Olmsted was the first professional to describe himself as a 'landscape architect,' and he is regarded as the founder of landscape architecture. Now, Meason was very balanced in his perspective on architecture. He valued both function and beauty. In terms of his property, Meason was a romantic, and his personal estate was known as Lindertis House. It is no surprise that he surrounded it with ornate gardens. Over time though, the cost of maintaining the elaborate gardens, in addition to the household management of the estate as a whole, brought Lindertis to total financial ruin. Today, barely a trace of the mansion exists. When Meason died, he had no idea that his notion of 'landscape architecture' would be his legacy. 1806 On this day, Michael Keens, a market gardener from Isleworth, exhibited the first large-scale cultivated strawberry at the Royal Horticultural Society. Now when it came to strawberries, Michael combined two crucial variables: flavor and appearance. It's hard to imagine, but large garden strawberries, as we know them today didn't exist before the 1800s. In his wonderfully illustrated book, The Complete Strawberry, Stafford Whiteaker takes us through the strawberry's development over the past two hundred years; sharing how strawberries were harvested from the foot of the Andes and brought to France by a French spy named Amédée François Frézier. Frézier's strawberry story is one of triumph. He cared for five little strawberry plants from the Andes during the six-month journey home to France, and he shared his own precious supply of water with the strawberries to keep them alive. And, in a strange coincidence, Frézier's surname is derived from Fraise - the French word for strawberry. It seems that Frézier's ancestor, Julius de Berry, had presented the French Emperor with a gift of strawberries, and in return, he was honored with the name Frézier as his gift. For clarification, the name "strawberry" does not refer to mulching the berries with straw. Instead, it is from the Old English term straw, which means "to spread' referring to the way the runners grow. On 30 Apr 1859, The Preston Chronicle and Lancashire Advertiser offered a little advice about growing Keen's strawberries, saying, "For edgings, nothing is more profitable than parsley or a line of Keens's seedling strawberry." 1939 On this day, the Asbury Park Press reported that Lambertus Bobbink, one of the country's best-known florists, was honored at the New York Botanical Gardens. In fact, the author, Pearl Buck, was there to dedicate a rose garden and unveil a plaque to Bobbink that read: "Lambertus C. Bobbink, a great rosarian whose counsel and generosity helped to make this garden possible for the enjoyment of all." Bobbink immigrated to the United States from Holland in 1896. He purchased a few acres of land in Rutherford, New Jersey. In 1898, Frederick Atkins, an English nurseryman, became Bobbink's partner in the business, forming Bobbink and Atkins, one of the world's largest horticultural organizations at the time. Both Bobbink and Atkins had homes on Herrick Street, which was just around the corner from their business on Paterson Avenue. The two florists accomplished some significant milestones together: In 1911, Bobbink & Atkins successfully grew the first crop of Hybrid Tea Roses in the United States. Twenty-four years later, in 1935, Bobbink introduced the Azalea Rutherfordiana. Now, this azalea didn't memorialize a person, but a place - Bobbink's adopted hometown, Rutherford, New Jersey. Unearthed Words Today is the birthday of the English poet William Henry Davies. Davies loved the natural world, especially birds and butterflies. George Bernard Shaw was a fan of his work, and he wrote the preface of Davies' autobiography. Here are a few of his poems: When I can hear the small woodpeckers ring Time on a tree for all the birds that sing ; And hear the pleasant cuckoo, loud and long? The simple bird that thinks two notes a song. — William Henry Davies, English poet, April's Charms And here are butterflies: poor things Amazed with new-created wings; They in the air-waves roll distressed Like ships at sea; and when they rest They cannot help but open and close Their wings, like babies with their toes. — William Henry Davies, English poet, Newcomers A week ago I had a fire To warm my feet, my hands, and face; Cold winds, that never make a friend, Crept in and out of every place. Today the fields are rich in grass, And buttercups in thousands grow; I'll show the world where I have been-- With gold-dust seen on either shoe. Till to my garden back I come, Where bumble-bees for hours and hours Sit on their soft, fat, velvet bums, To wriggle out of hollow flowers. — William Henry Davies, English poet, All in June Grow That Garden Library The Reason for Flowers by Stephen Buchmann This book came out in 2016, and the subtitle is: Their History, Culture, Biology, and How They Change Our Lives The author Amy Stewart said, "Do flowers need a reason? In The Reason for Flowers, Stephen Buchmann reminds us that flowers exist for more than just beauty and fragrance. They are miniature chemical factories, wireless signal stations, the inspiration for artists, and—of course—sustenance for the most important creatures living on the planet. In short, flowers run the world. Stephen Buchmann is a gifted storyteller and a curious scientist who is intrigued by the dazzling and intricate world of flowers. Thanks to this delightful new book, you will be, too." The book is 252 pages of flower history, science, and culture - and it's all enthusiastically simplified and shared for us to enjoy. For plant geeks, it is utterly fascinating. You can get a copy of The Reason for Flowers by Stephen Buchmann and support the show, using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for around $4. Today's Botanic Spark 1993 On this day, newspapers reported on the first recipient of the Richard Evans Schultes Award: Calvin R. Sperling. Sperling was a preeminent botanist and plant explorer with the USDA. As for Schultes, he was a Harvard University professor and widely recognized as the father of ethnobotany. Schultes once offered my favorite definition of Ethnobotany. You hear that term thrown around a lot, but not everyone knows what it means. Schultes said, "Ethnobotany simply means someone who is investigating plants used by primitive societies in various parts of the world." And, Schultes praised Sperling's work while he was alive, saying: "Calvin Sperling is one of the foremost ethnobotanists today, due to his consistent excellence in field research and to his extensive work to conserve biological diversity and to improve crop plants worldwide." An article about Sperling in the Star Tribune said, "Sperling traipsed over mountain slopes [in the Soviet Union] in search of wild apricot trees. He had expected to find about twenty forgotten varieties. Instead, he brought back nearly fifty different specimens. Sperling recalled, 'I found some incredible ones with traits we've never known before..." [Like] tolerance for frosts and freezing that may allow apricots to be grown in areas with harsh winter climates.'" Great discovery. And, great work by a great botanist - Calvin R. Sperling.

Today we celebrate a female botanist who fought to get recognition for women by the Linnaean Society. We'll also learn about the German poet who loved trees. We'll celebrate the Welsh garden-marker extraordinaire and also one of the all-time greats - a botanist from California. And, we'll also honor the life of The Bird Woman of Ellsworth, who helped us to better understand birds and their individual uniqueness. We will also celebrate the month of July with some poetry. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book about gardening in shade. (Shade gardens don't have to be dark and boring.) And then we'll wrap things up with the story of an attempted murder that happened during a commemoration ceremony for one of Vienna's beloved botanists. But first, let's catch up on some Greetings from Gardeners around the world and today's curated news. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart Gardener Greetings To participate in the Gardener Greetings segment, send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes and so forth to [email protected] And, to listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to play The Daily Gardener Podcast. It's that easy. Curated News Barcelona Opera House Opens With Packed Audience — of Plants "As lockdown measures lift in Spain, Barcelona's opera house recently played to a sold-out crowd of some very unorthodox music lovers. On Monday, a string quartet at the Gran Teatre del Liceu opera house in Barcelona did a performance in front of 2,292 plants, CNN reported." You Can't Plant Flowers If You Haven't Botany (Click to read my original post) Alright, that's it for today's gardening news. Now, if you'd like to check out my curated news articles and blog posts for yourself, you're in luck, because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. There's no need to take notes or search for links - the next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events 1846 The British naturalist, and women's rights activist, Marian Farquharson was born. As a botanist, Marian had specialized in ferns and mosses. As an activist, it took Marian and other women four years of petitioning the all-male Linnaean Society to finally allow women to become members. In 1904, when the issue was put to the vote, 83% of the Society voted to allow women members. But then a great injustice happened. When the first fifteen women were nominated to the Society, Marian Farquharson was overlooked. It took four more years for Marian to be elected to the Society, and it finally happened in March 1908. This moment happened to come at a difficult time for Marian. In fact, she was too ill to attend the Society's meeting to officially sign the register. Four years later, Farquharson died from heart disease, in Nice, in 1912. 1877 Today we wish a happy heavenly birthday to Herman Hesse, who was a German poet, novelist, and painter. He won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1946. Hesse had a special appreciation for trees, and I thought I'd share some of his thoughtful and reverent prose with you today: "Trees are sanctuaries. Whoever knows how to speak to them, whoever knows how to listen to them, can learn the truth." "A tree says: A kernel is hidden in me, a spark, a thought, I am life from eternal life. The attempt and the risk that the eternal mother took with me is unique, unique the form and veins of my skin, unique the smallest play of leaves in my branches and the smallest scar on my bark. I was made to form and reveal the eternal in my smallest special detail." 1893 The Welsh landscape gardener, architect, and author, Ralph Hancock, was born. Hancock was a garden-maker extraordinaire, and he created several famous Gardens across Wales, England, and the United States. One of his most famous works was the rooftop garden at the Rockefeller Center in New York. Hancock designed his rooftop garden in 1934, and it was cutting-edge at the time. In an interview, Hancock predicted: "The days of penthouse gardening in boxes are over - and miles and miles of roof space in every metropolis in this country remain to be reclaimed by landscape gardening." (Well, it's 2020, and Hancock's vision has yet to be realized. There's still plenty of concrete jungle to conquer, although the pandemic has turned more people than ever into gardeners, most rooftops go underutilized. But I have to say that it is refreshing that so many people are gardening now. Even my own mother is gardening - and giddily reporting on her progress - so there's that.) Now, Hancock's rooftop garden at Rockefeller Center was called The Garden of Nations, and it featured gardens for eight different countries around a central, old English tea house and cottage garden. It was quite something to behold. To create it, Hancock's Garden of Nations required 3,000 tons of earth, 100 tons of natural stone, and 2,000 trees and shrubs. They all had to be hauled up there, and there's plenty of stories about how they used the service elevator in the building or a massive block and tackle pulley system that was erected on the side of the building. It was a herculean effort. But, he finally finished it. And Hancock's 11th floor Garden of Nations officially opened on April 15, 1935. Nelson Rockefeller was there to see it - as well as students from Bryn Mawr College. The young women from Bryn Mawr arrived in costume representing the various nations. In the archives, there are beautiful photos of these young women - like the one of Nancy Nichol wearing a kimono in the Japanese garden. 1908 The great woman botanist and Californian Kate Brandegee wrote her husband, Townshend, who she lovingly called Townie. On this day in 1908, Kate was 64, and though she and Townie often botanized together, Kate was not afraid to go explore alone. She let Townie know in this letter that: "[next Monday] I am going to Eldorado County to walk from Placerville to Truckee - I may be gone two weeks. …" Well, that would have been a 52 mile trip by foot. She was no slacker. Kate and Townie's love story is one of my favorites. They found each other late in life, and they made up for lost time, and they were very affectionate with each other. Their botanical legacy is secure; after the San Francisco earthquake, they replaced the ruined botanical Library and specimens with their own personal collection. And Kate personally mentored many young botanized, including her backfill: the impressive Alice Eastwood. 1917 The Bird Woman Of Ellsworth, Cordelia Stanwood, went into a swamp at twilight and reported, "The black flies crawled over my face like so many bees. I could not stand still." It was just one of many times Cordelia would find herself in an uncomfortable position for the sake of pursuing her passion for ornithology. Her photograph the birds were handpicked by the great Edward Howe Forbush to be featured in his masterpiece Birds of Massachusetts. In general, her bird photography was par excellence. Cordelia's "Six Little Chickadees" is regarded as her finest piece. The photo shows six Little Chickadees separated into two groups of three, and they're all sitting perched on the same little branch. Like a litter of puppies, each chickadee had its own characteristics - proving what Cordelia had already observed firsthand; that a single batch of chickadees contained many variances in the chicks in terms of size, features, etc. 2018 NASA' sECOSTRESS berthed at the space station. ECOSTRESS's mission was to measure the temperature of plants in space - helping researchers determine how much water plants use and how drought affects plant health. Unearthed Words This week, we are still welcoming the new month of July. Here are some poems about this hot and stormy month. Then followed that beautiful season, Called by the pious Acadian peasants the Summer of All-Saints! Filled was the air with a dreamy and magical light; and the landscape Lay as if new - created in all the freshness of childhood. — Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, American poet and educator In July month one bonny morn, When Nature's rokelay green Was spread over like a rigg of corn To charm our roving evening. — Robert Fergusson, Scottish poet, Leith Races A ghost is roaming through the building, And shadows in the attic browse; Persistently intent on mischief A goblin roams about the house. He gets into your way, he fusses, You hear his footsteps overhead, He tears the napkin off the table And creeps in slippers to the bed. With feet unwiped he rushes headlong On gusts of draught into the hall And whirls the curtain, like a dancer, Towards the ceiling, up the wall. Who is this silly mischief-maker, This phantom and this double-face? He is our guest, our summer lodger, Who spends with us his holidays. Our house is taken in possession By him, while he enjoys a rest. July, with summer air and thunder- He is our temporary guest. July, who scatters from his pockets The fluff of blow-balls in a cloud, Who enters through the open window, Who chatters to himself aloud, Unkempt, untidy, absent-minded, Soaked through with smell of dill and rye, With linden-blossom, grass and beet-leaves, The meadow-scented month July. — Boris Pasternak, Russian poet and writer, July Grow That Garden Library Glorious Shade by Jenny Rose Carey This book came out in 2017 of this year, and the subtitle is Dazzling Plants, Design Ideas, and Proven Techniques for Your Shady Garden. Jenny Rose Carey is a renowned educator, historian, and author, and the senior director at the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society's Meadowbrook Farm in Jenkintown. In their review of this book, Gardens Illustrated said, "A practical guide to maintaining a shade garden with a useful calendar of seasonal tasks, plant directory, and inspiring design ideas." This book is 324 pages of plants, ideas, and tips - all shared with today's shade gardener in mind. And, I love what it says in the front flap of this book - "Most gardeners treat shade as a problem to solve." This is sooo true. But Jenny, and many experienced shade gardeners, know that shade gardens don't have to be dark and boring. In fact, once you've mastered shade gardening, you'll wonder why you ever doubted the beauty and serenity of these cool, relaxing, and colorful spaces. You can get a copy of Glorious Shade by Jenny Rose Carey and support the show, using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for around $8. Today's Botanic Spark 1932 On this day in 1932, the Sydney Morning Herald shared a harrowing story of attempted murder at a commemoration ceremony for a botanist. It turns out, a botanist named Richard Wettstein had been responsible for the Botanical Garden of the University of Vienna. A year after Wettstein's death, the new head of Vienna University, a Dr. Able, had just unveiled a statue of Wettstein. Dr. Able had just finished giving his speech in praise of Wettstein when suddenly, an old professor named Karl Schneider pushed through the crowd and shouted, "At last we settle an old score!" Luckily, Karl's revolver shot went wide. Dr. Able was not harmed (and neither was the statue of Wettstein), and the Mayor of Vienna grabbed old Karl before he could shoot again. Now, all this excitement was a far cry from the persona of the botanist Richard Wettstein - who was known for his polite, controlled, and courteous demeanor. And here's a little-known fact about the botanist Richard Wettstein: he was an excellent speaker. On more than one occasion, the speaking skills of this Vienna botanist led him to be considered by those in powerful positions in government to be a potential contender for the president of Austria.

Today we welcome the new month - July - and we remember the first meeting of the Vale of York Field Naturalists Club. We'll also learn about the Illinois State Flower, which was adopted on this day. We'll usher in the new month with some July poetry. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book about how gardens and growing food help people maintain their culture. It's a personal favorite of mine. And then we'll wrap things up with a newspaper story from 1932 called "Plant Explorer Finds Adventure." But first, let's catch up on some Greetings from Gardeners around the world and today's curated news. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart Gardener Greetings To participate in the Gardener Greetings segment, send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes and so forth to [email protected] And, to listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to play The Daily Gardener Podcast. It's that easy. Curated News Before & After: An Urban Oasis - Flower Magazine Dwight Brown of Father Nature Landscapes wanted to honor his client's wishes for a garden that would remind him of his European travels. Brown aged the exterior with a creeping fig (Ficus pumila) for a climber on the side of the house. He also added an Oakland holly, a 'Shi-Shi Gashira' camellia, and a shaped boxwood hedge that edged a gorgeous group of 'Limelight' hydrangea. Brown says, "Much like English ivy, the creeping fig with boxwoods, mondo grass, and hydrangeas helped create the classic cottage look I wanted. We love working edibles into the ornamental landscape. Our goal was to bring back memories of the homeowner's travels to Europe, especially Italy..." Welcome July in the Garden Welcome July and all that you may bring us! For gardeners, July hosts a riot of color in our gardens. History tells us that many flowers have claimed to be the birth flower for the month of July - which, by the way, the Roman Senate named to honor Julius Caesar by. In China, July's birth flower is, fittingly, the water lily. In the rest of the world, other top July blooms for the month include the Larkspur, the Delphinium, the Sweet Pea, and the Rose. Thinking about all of these gorgeous summer blossoms that claim July's top spot reminded me of a sweet verse from the Maud poem by Tennyson. It goes like this: She is coming, my dove, my dear; She is coming, my life, my fate; The red rose cries, "She is near, she is near;" And the white rose weeps, "She is late;" The larkspur listens, "I hear, I hear;" And the lily whispers, "I wait." — Alfred Lord Tennyson, English poet, Maud (Part I) The Rose, the Larkspur, and the Lily; many of July's favorite flowers are in that little verse. Truly, July is a month of abundance and extremes. On the one hand, there's the heat, and on the other, there are the storms. In 2001, the year my daughter was born, it was mighty hot in Minnesota - well over 100 degrees for weeks on end. As a result, she ended up wearing all of the ridiculous outfits people tend to give you when you have a little baby girl; things like little halter tops and itty bitty bikini tops, teeny tiny little skorts and sundresses. Now, I always preferred to have my babies properly covered - dressed in layers and bundled. But the summer Emma was born, I changed my tune. Suddenly those little outfits seemed mighty appropriate, and I have many pictures of her - san's blankets and sweaters - keeping cool in her summer barbie-inspired clothes. In reality, the average temperature in most places in America during the month of July is a very pleasant 70 degrees. That said, just don't ask about the range - which can vary wildly. And, July is traditionally known as the month to make hay. It's been called Haymonth or Maed month, referring to haymaking and the flowering of the meadows. By July, most gardens are set, and gardeners tend to get their work done in the mornings when it is cooler and less buggy. Still, experienced gardeners know that July's biggest challenge, outside of the heat, is thunderstorms. I remember the summer a dear friend of mine had a garden tour planned for the middle of July. Sadly, it was a tour that never happened. The night before her big day, a huge storm whipped through the area, taking down trees and pelting the garden with hail. There was nothing to do but clean up. And I remember sitting on her patio after we had righted her table and chairs eating one of the little radish and cucumber sandwiches that were supposed to be for the guests that day. That day was as sour as the lemonade we sipped in the chopped salad that was my friend's garden. It's no wonder that the folk sayings of July reflect her temperature extremes. For example: If the first of July be rainy weather, 'Twill rain more or less for four weeks together. Despite the storms, we seem to remember mainly the heat of July and the vibrant blooms in the garden. It's a glorious month for ornamentals and cut flowers. One of my personal favorites is Martagon Lilies. Martagon Lilies are in peak right now in most gardens. They bring the most beautiful architectural aspect and form to the garden; they are so exquisite. Offering a Turk's cap-style bloom, Like many plants, Martagon colonies get better and better with age. Martagons like rich soil and they will be grateful for a dusting of lime every year. And here's a gentle reminder to divide your Flag Iris after they finish blooming. Regular division can re-invigorate your iris and promote healthy new growth. The saddest thing in the garden is to lose your Iris because you failed to divide them. Experienced gardeners know that the best time to divide flag iris is immediately after flowering. Once again, as I like to say, "Prune-time follows bloom-time" - or in this case, division follows bloom-time. In any case, the end of any bloom-time is usually your cue to act - so get going! With the Iris, you'll want to lift out the whole clump with a pitchfork and use a sharp knife to separate any new rhizomes. Finally, don't forget that flag irises need full sun. So if you don't have them situated properly, stage a relocation immediately. Alright, that's it for today's gardening news. Now, if you'd like to check out my curated news articles and blog posts for yourself, you're in luck, because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. There's no need to take notes or search for links - the next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Today's Important Events 1871 The Yorkshire Herald reported the first meeting of the Vale of York Field Naturalists Club. On that day, the weather was very poor. Still, almost fifty ladies and gentlemen left the Society's Rooms in Micklegate to travel in three four-horsed carriages to go to Rivaulx ("ree-VOH") Abbey. Once they arrived at the Abbey, the group then broke into small parties made up of geologists, botanists, and entomologists, and then they went out and explored the valley by the Abbey. "The geologists were interested in the sections laid bare in the quarries, and many interesting and beautiful fossils were found. [Meanwhile], the botanists collected:

• Saxiraga tridaclylitet (nailwort)
• Helianthemum vulgare (rock rose)
• Cuscuta Epithymum (clover dodder)
• Aquilegia vulgaris (columbine)
• Atropa Belladonna (belladonna or deadly nightshade)
• Polypodium Phegopterit (northern beech fern)
• P. Dryoplerit (oak fern)
• Scolopendrium vulgare (hart' s-tongue fern)

At six o'clock the party sat down to dinner at the Crown Hotel, Helmsley, which was served in Mr. and Mrs. Cowen's usual substantial style… the Rev. Vice-President Rowe addressed those assembled on the advantages of natural history and the beauties and history of the Abbey. (Rowe was also the hon. secretary of the Architectural Society). It was arranged that the next monthly field day should be held at Bolton Abbey and Woods. They then left for home, after a most agreeable day, which left everyone with the feeling that this the first excursion of the club was a great success." 1908 Illinois adopted the Violet as its State Flower. As with many State Flowers, Illinois decided to let the school children of the state vote to decide the state flower. The purple Violet received 15,591 votes, and the wild rose came in second with 11,903 votes. The children also decided on the state tree, and they selected the white oak. Meanwhile, newspapers were running a piece that blared the headline, "The Reign of the Violet is Over." It said this: "Strange and unbelievable, but a fact, nevertheless, violets are no longer fashionable. Gardenias, Orchids, and American Beauty Roses are as much in evidence as ever, but the reign of the Violet is temporarily over. It is true that a large bunch of deep purple violets relieved by a single mauve orchid, a deep pink rose, or a single wax-like gardenia is still an acceptable gift, but it is not the gift that is so frequently chosen this year, as a small cluster of gardenias or even of two or three exquisitely beautiful orchids… Roses are much in favor at the moment... A new flower hailing from Paris is the pink American Beauty, and well does it deserve the name... The color is an adorable shade of shell pink, and for all decorative purposes, this flower has already a firmly established place in fashion's regard.... One cannot but regret the sense of chivalry of a generation back when etiquette demanded that flowers always be sent to a hostess before even the least formal entertainment, and when a debutante [would rather] stay at home than go to a ball without ... [a] little bouquet of flowers." 1910 The Allentown (Pennsylvania) Democrat paper reported that Joseph Hooker was 93 years old. Here's what it said: "Sir Joseph Hooker, the world-famous botanist, received a personal note of congratulations from King George today on the occasion of his ninety-third birthday. Sir Joseph, who is still remarkably active for a man of his great age, has had a long and brilliant career in his chosen field of science. As early as 1839, he accompanied the expedition of Sir James Ross to the Antarctic region. Later he conducted scientific expeditions to many parts of the world… In the course of his active career, he rendered invaluable services to the British arts, manufacturers and commerce by promoting an accurate knowledge of the floras and economic vegetable products of the various colonies and dependencies of the empire." Unearthed Words As I mentioned earlier in the show, July is the month of heat and storms, and that is reflected in a number of poems. In scorched July The storm-clouds fly. — Christina Georgina Rossetti, English poet, The Months If the first of July be rainy weather, It will rain, more or less, for four weeks together. — John Ray, English naturalist and writer, English Proverbs When storms finally break through the July heat, there is also the immeasurable pleasure that accompanies the deluge: the smell of rain. A break in the heat away from the front no thunder, no lightning, just rain, warm rain falling near dusk falling on eager ground steaming blacktop hungry plants Thirsty turning toward the clouds cooling, soothing rain splashing in sudden puddles catching in open screens that certain smell of summer rain. — Raymond A. Foss, American poet, Summer Rain This poem perfectly captures the ferocity of summer storms in the garden: The rain to the wind said, 'You push, and I'll pelt.' They so smote the garden bed That the flowers actually knelt, And lay lodged--though not dead. I know how the flowers felt. — Robert Frost, American poet, Lodged The July rains encourage special summer blooms. Hot July brings cooling showers, Apricots, and gillyflowers. — Sara Coleridge, English author, The Garden Year If you are wondering what gillyflowers are, you are not alone. Gillyflowers was a term that often referred to plants from the mustard family like the wallflower, carnation, clove pink, or white stock. Gilly is derived from the Latin and Greek words for clove. Grow That Garden Library The Earth Knows My Name by Patricia Klindienst This book came out in April of 2007, and the subtitle is: Food, Culture, and Sustainability in the Gardens of Ethnic Americans Patricia Klindienst is a master gardener and an award-winning scholar and teacher. She lives in Guilford, Connecticut, and teaches creative writing each summer at Yale University. Patricia Klindienst went to many different gardens - urban, suburban, and rural - in order to write this book. She had seen an old family photo of her Italian immigrant family and was inspired not only to learn about her ancestor's struggle to adapt to America, but also eager to hear stories from other families. The jacket to Patricia's book reminds us that, "As we lose our connection to the soil, we no longer understand the relationship between food and a sense of belonging to a place and a people." How do gardens and growing food help people maintain their culture? This is the question Patricia explores in her book. Vegetables, fruits, and flowers provide so much more than sustenance, food, and beauty. They convey who and where we are and what we are about. In her review of this book, the author Deborah Madison said, "We who are far removed from our own immigrant roots will do well to study these eloquent stories and learn from them. Patricia Klindienst has given us nothing less than a great gift." The book is 208 pages of ways we can connect to the earth - all shared with today's gardener in mind. You can get a copy of The Earth Knows My Name by Patricia Klindienst and support the show, using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for around $3. Today's Botanic Spark 1932 Newspapers worldwide ran a fascinating article about the botanist Frank Kingdon-Ward titled "Plant Explorer Finds Adventure." "Captain Frank Kingdon-Ward, tall, well-built son of Britain, probably one of the world's most noted plant seekers... has journeyed all over the world in search of rare flowers, has led a life as exciting as any explorer and has given the world some of its most beautiful and rare blooms. Now In his late 40's, he is tanned from the winds and suns of tropical India, Asia, and the forbidden land of Tibet. He has collected flowers from the heights of the Himalayas, and from the depths of marshy Indian -jungles. His last expedition occurred In 1931. On it, he discovered a new pass into Tibet 35,000 feet above sea level, through an out-flung range of the Himalayas. His efforts in prying through thick jungles and climbing high mountains were rewarded in the discovery of a new species of slipper orchid, said to be worth about $500. On another of his Tibetan expeditions, he discovered the blue poppy, a flower that is sought by all Horticulturists in this country and obtained by few. To give an idea of the trying conditions under which he labored, consider that he discovered a new river, the Nam-Tamai, the lost source of the Irrawaddy, which no white man in 2,000 years of civilization had found. All along this river, through virgin forest, he and his small band trudged, meeting wild beasts and hostile bands of natives… He located a people … known only as...the Darus. These people had never seen a white man before Kingdon-Ward arrived. One of the most unusual plants he ever discovered was the rare Nomocharis farreri, a beautiful flower of China. This plant was found by accident and during the height of a violent rainstorm. The flower itself Is rose pink outside and dappled with royal purple inside. Each stem, from 12 to 15 inches in height, bears one, two, or three of the flowers, which grow as large as teacups. The flower which Captain Kingdon-Ward prizes most of all is the Campanula Calicola, "perhaps the most beautiful rock plant I discovered." It was found growing in limestone cliffs and is adaptable lo rock gardens. The Orient is rich in flowers. That land has given us many of our choice blooms. Roses come from India and China; pinks, carnations, and daffodils from Asia Minor; and numerous rare orchids come from the wilds of Tibet. Captain Kingdon-Ward describes a land of rare rhododendrons vividly in a book he wrote on his adventures in China and Asia. "You may wander for days ankle-deep through a chromatic surf of rhododendrons, rose pink, ivory white, lavender, plum purple, crimson and amber yellow. They are woven into carpets of queer design and ample pile, or form tuffets, or hassocks or mere tangles, mats, or brooms. "They spread and sprawl everywhere, bushy and twigulous, all; looming Into flower together; still looking across the dark ocean of moorland, you see the billowy hills crested with color; and, where escarpments break the even roll, the plant growth surges high up the rocks. It Is western Szechwan - the Tibetan marshes - [and] home of the 'Lapponicum' rhododendrons.

Today we celebrate the French botanist and explorer who christened the Begonia, the Magnolia, and the Fuchsia. We'll also learn about one of the best and earliest botanical collectors and artists in Holland - and she was a woman to boot. We celebrate the American naturalist born into one of our country's botanical founding families. We also celebrate the life of one of America's greatest garden writers, Louise Beebe Wilder. We honor the life of a Spanish artist who equated his work as a painter and sculptor to that of a gardener. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book about Gardening in Your Front Yard - it's packed with ideas and projects for big and small spaces. It's an idea that is gaining popularity and acceptance thanks to stay at home orders and physical distancing - one of the few positive effects of dealing with the pandemic. And then we'll wrap things up with a delightful dessert that continues to impress, and that is having it's a special day today - and we've been making and enjoying it in this country for well over 100 years now. But first, let's catch up on some Greetings from Gardeners around the world and today's curated news. Subscribe Apple|Google|Spotify|Stitcher|iHeart Gardener Greetings To participate in the Gardener Greetings segment, send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes and so forth to [email protected] And, to listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to play The Daily Gardener Podcast. It's that easy. Curated News The 7 Best Indoor Herb Gardens by Scarlett James | Bustle "Fresh herbs are an undeniable delight, even if you don't channel Ina Garten on a daily basis. But they often end up half-used or forgotten in the back of the fridge. The best indoor herb gardenwill bring bold, fresh flavor to your kitchen in just the amount you need." Garden Shopping in the Produce Aisle Did you know that you can regrow or grow many items from your produce aisle in the supermarket? It's true. Two of the many gardening books I brought with me to the cabin when I came up here to quarantine were No-Waste Kitchen Gardening: Regrow Your Leftover Greens, Stalks, Seeds, and More by Katie Elzer-Peters and Don'tThrow It, Grow It!: 68 windowsill plants from kitchen scraps by Deborah Peterson With seeds being harder and harder to source, these books are a great reminder that we shouldn't be tossing out our kitchen scraps — we can use them to grow! Right now, thanks to books like these, I'm growing onion, garlic, spring onions, carrots, and even radish greens - all of them from food scraps. What's more, I'm discovering that the possibilities are really endless. You'll be amazed at all of the options for utilizing pieces and parts of produce from the grocery store to regrow food you never thought possible. This practice of growing and gardening from produce scraps is a great way to reduce food waste and even help your family to understand the power of gardening and the powerful cycle of growing and harvesting. Botany really is an exciting and wonderful area of science that you can easily study in your own kitchen. Alright, that's it for today's gardening news. Now, if you'd like to check out my curated news articles and blog posts for yourself, you're in luck, because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. There's no need to take notes or search for links - the next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events 1646 Today is the birthday of the French priest and botanist Charles Plumier. He was born in Marseille. Regarded as one of the most important botanical explorers of his time, Plumier served as a botanist to King Louis XIV of France, and he traveled many times to the New World documenting many plant and animal species. During his third expedition to the Greater Antilles, Plumier discovered the Fuchsia triphylla on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola (Haiti and the Dominican Republic), and he named the fuchsia plant after the 16th-century German botanist Leonhart Fuchs. Sometimes Charles Plumier is referred to as the Father of the Fuchsia. Also known as ladies eardrops, the Fuchsia has colorful upside-down blossoms that hang from the stems. That drooping habit is reflected in the Irish name for Fuchsia - Deora Dé - meaning God's Tears. The fruit of all the species of Fuchsia is edible. Although many Fuschia fruits are bland and have a bad aftertaste, the Fuschia variety splendens has flavorful fruit and can be used to make jam. In addition to the Fuchsia, Plumier discovered and named both the Begonia and the Magnolia. Plumier named the Begonia after Michel Begon, who was the governor of the French Antilles for three years from 1682 to 1685. In fact, it was Begon who recommended Plumier for the position of plant collector in the Caribbean to King Louis XIV. Plumier named the Magnolia for the botanist Pierre Magnol - Magnol introduced the concept of plant families. The plant names Fuschia, Begonia, and Magnolia first appeared in Plumier's 1703 book called Nova Plantarum Americanarum Genera. Plumier drew the plants and animals that he discovered, and his drawings were quite good. In fact, Plumier's illustrations of fish were featured in a book by Professor Ted Pietsch called Charles Plumier and His Drawings of French Caribbean Fishes. And, Carl Linnaeus used Plumier's work to make a wallpaper for his home. Today, Plumier is remembered by the genus Plumeria. A tropical, the Plumeria grows in shrubs & trees. Plumeria is sometimes called by the common name frangipani. This is because an Italian Marquis named Frangipani used Plumeria blossoms to create a perfume that was used to scent gloves during the 16th century. 1704 Today is the anniversary of the death of the inspiring female Dutch collector, paper artist, illustrator, and horticulturist, Agnes Block. A Dutch Mennonite, Agnes first married a silk merchant named Hans de Wollf. His income made it possible for Agnes to pursue her many passions. The Dutch poet Joost van den Vondel praised her illustrations and art, while the Dutch artist Jan Weenix forever captured the image of Agnes and her second husband, also a silk merchant, in their outdoor courtyard at their place called Vijverhof. Agnes had purchased Vijverhof, which was located just outside Amsterdam, after the death of her first husband. She had married again when she was 45. At Vijverhof, Agnes collected curiosities, and she installed gardens that were filled with rare and novel plants. Indeed, the many exotics plants and various elements of her garden - like the arbors - became the primary subjects of many pieces of her work. Also, Agnes commissioned some of the top botanical artists of her time to capture the beauty of the plants and insects at Vijverhof. In fact, history tells us that her gardens were so impressive that they even made royalty jealous. During her lifetime, Agnes was able to experiment and work in an area that was mostly reserved for men. Today, most gardeners are surprised to learn that it was Agnes Block who successfully grew the first pineapple in Europe in 1687 - thanks to her hothouses. In a nod to her accomplishment, when Jan Weenix painted Agnes in her garden, he made sure to include the tropical pineapple. Sadly, Block's work was lost to time, but many famous painters captured aspects of her gardens at Vijverhof - including the great Maria Sybilla Merian. 1739 Today is the birthday of the naturalist William Bartram. In 1775, when he was 36 years old, William Bartram left Charleston, South Carolina, on horseback to explore the Cherokee Nation near Franklin, North Carolina. In addition to his botanical discoveries, Bartram was a student of all aspects of the natural world. His prose was eloquent, as is evident in this passage about traveling through a terrible storm as he began to make his way up the Jore Mountains. "It was now after noon; I approached a charming vale... Darkness gathers around, far distant thunder rolls over the trembling hills; ...all around is now still as death, ... a total inactivity and silence seems to pervade the earth; the birds afraid to utter a chirrup, ...nothing heard but the roaring of the approaching hurricane; ...now the lofty forests bend low beneath its fury,... the face of the earth is obscured by the deluge descending from the firmament, and I am deafened by the din of thunder; the tempestuous scene damps my spirits, and my horse sinks under me at the tremendous peals, as I hasten for the plain. I began to ascend the Jore Mountains, which I at length accomplished, and rested on the most elevated peak; from whence, I beheld with rapture and astonishment, a sublimely awful scene of power and magnificence, a world of mountains piled upon mountains." 1938 Today is the anniversary of the death of one of America's greatest Garden writers and one of the 20th century's most famous horticulturists, Louise Beebe Wilder. Louise was born into a wealthy family in Baltimore. After marrying an architect named Walter Wilder, they bought a country place - a 200-acre estate in Pomona, New York; they called BalderBrae. Louise set about adding fountains, terraces, arbors, walled gardens, and pathways. Her book called "My Garden" shared Louise's experiences learning how to garden at BalderBrae, where one of her first flower beds was bordered with clothespins. At BalderBrae, Louise and Walter created a garden and a stone garden house that was made famous in Louise's book "Color in My Garden" - which came out in 1918 and is generally regarded as her best work. In the book, Louise was the first garden writer to write about gray as a garden color. Louise was also the first person to write about Moonlight Gardens, and she wrote about looking at plants under the light of the Moon. After World War I, Walter and Louise settled in suburban Bronxville, New York. Louise created a personal Eden on a single acre of land complete with stone pillars and a long grape arbor. It was here that Louise began rock gardening. After 1920, most of her garden writing focused on rock gardening. Louise inspired both women and men to rock garden. By 1925, Louise founded a local Working Gardeners Club in Bronxville, and she also had steady work as a garden designer and as a garden writer. Her experiences gave her material for her writing. Louise included so many people from Bronxville in her writing that her columns were referred to by locals as "a Bronxville Family Affair." In all, Louise wrote eleven books about gardening. Her voice is pragmatic and pointed, which is why they were popular; gardeners appreciated her no-nonsense advice. For instance, Louise was not a fan of double flowers. In her book, "The Fragrant Path" from 1932, she wrote: "Some flowers are, I am sure, intended by a wise God to remain single. The hyacinth doubled, for instance, is a fat abomination." Louise wrote for a number of publications, and her writing was published in many prominent periodicals like the Journal of The Royal Horticultural Society of England and the New York Times. House and garden alone published close to a hundred and fifty articles by Louise. Many of Louise's columns were collected and published as books. A year before she died, Louise was honored with the Gold Medal for Horticultural Achievement from the Garden Club of America. It was the pinnacle moment in her career, and it came as Louise and her children were still grieving the loss of her husband. In the Spring of 1934, Walter had committed suicide after a long battle with mental illness. Louise wrote prolifically about gardening and plants. Her experiences resulted in increasing the awareness of different plant species, gardening practices, and she helped shape the gardens of her time. Louise gave us many wonderful garden quotes. On Snowdrops: "Theirs is a fragile but hardy celebration…in the very teeth of winter." On Rosemary, "It makes a charming pot plant, neat, svelte, with its dark, felt-lined leaves held sleek against its sides. The smell… is keen and heady, resinous, yet sweet, with a hint of nutmeg." On Roses: "Over and over again, I have experienced the quieting influence of rose scent upon a disturbed state of mind." On gardening: "In the garden, every person may be their own artist without apology or explanation. Each within their green enclosure is a creator, and no two shall reach the same conclusion." Louise is buried with her parents in lot 41 in Lakeside Cemetery in Wakefield, Massachusetts. It was a shock to read that her grave is unmarked and to see that it is completely unadorned - without any flowers - nor does it rest under the shade of a tree. 1893 Today is the birthday of the Spanish painter and artist Joan Miró Born in Barcelona, Miró's surrealist art left a mark on the world. Gardeners will especially enjoy his 1918 work called The Vegetable Garden with Donkey and his 1919 work called "Vines and Olive Trees." Miró's biography was subtitled I Work Like a Gardener, and it captured his thoughts about his art and his work: "More important than a work of art itself is what it will sow. Art can die; what matters is that it should have sown seeds on the earth… It must give birth to a world." Miró recognized that sculpture was most at home in the natural world. Gardeners love to incorporate sculpture and art into the garden. Regarding sculpture, Miró said, "Sculpture must stand in the open air, in the middle of nature." And, it was Joan Miró who said, "I think of my studio as a vegetable garden, where things follow their natural course. They grow, they ripen. You have to graft. You have to water... I work like a gardener or a winegrower." Unearthed Words Here are some very true words about this time of year - which can be a mix of hurry up and waiting as the weather evens out. The first day of spring is one thing, and the first spring day is another. The difference between them is sometimes as great as a month. — Henry Van Dyke, American author and clergyman The early mist had vanished, and the fields lay like a silver shield under the sun. It was one of the days when the glitter of winter shines through a pale haze of spring. — Edith Wharton, American novelist and designer A sap run is the sweet goodbye of winter. It is the fruit of the equal marriage of the sun and frost. — John Burroughs, American naturalist and writer The sun was warm, but the wind was chill. You know how it is with an April day. When the sun is out, and the wind is still, You're one month on in the middle of May. But if you so much as dare to speak, a cloud comes over the sunlit arch, And wind comes off a frozen peak, And you're two months back in the middle of March. — Robert Frost, American poet, Two Tramps in Mud Time, 1926 In the spring I have counted one hundred and thirty-six different kinds of weather inside of four and twenty hours. — Mark Twain, American writer and humorist Poets and songwriters speak highly of spring as one of the great joys of life in the temperate zone, but in the real world, most of spring is disappointing. We looked forward to it too long, and the spring we had in mind in February was warmer and dryer than the actual spring when it finally arrives. We'd expected it to be a whole season, like winter, instead of a handful of separate moments and single afternoons. — Barbara Holland, American author, Endangered Pleasures I wonder if the sap is stirring yet, If wintry birds are dreaming of a mate, If frozen snowdrops feel as yet the sun And crocus fires are kindling one by one: Sing robin, sing: I still am sore in doubt concerning spring. — Christina Rossetti, English Poet Grow That Garden Library Gardening Your Front Yard by Tara Nolan This book came out in March of this year, and the subtitle is: Projects and Ideas for Big and Small Spaces - Includes Vegetable Gardening, Pollinator Plants, Rain Gardens, and More! The author Julie Bawden Davis said, "I recommend Gardening Your Front Yard to anyone looking to create an eye-catching and inviting front yard. The book promises to inspire nonstop ideas for making your front yard a living masterpiece." The book is 208 pages of ideas and projects - all shared with today's gardener in mind. This is Tara's second book - she also wrote Raised Bed Revolution - and in her new book, we learn about transforming our front yards from wide-open lawns to endless possibilities. Tara's book takes you on a tour of options for repurposing and leveraging the potential of the land that lies between your home sweet home and the sidewalk or the street. Tara shares projects and troubleshooting advice - helping you navigate some challenges you may face as you transform your space. The upshot is that your front yard can go from producing a single crop - grass - to becoming a multi-crop vital and verdant living space that can greatly enhance your life. You can get a copy of Gardening Your Front Yard by Tara Nolanand support the show, using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for around $20. Today's Botanic Spark Today is National Pineapple Upside Down Cake Day. We celebrate it every year on the 20th of April. This cake became popular in America until after 1903. The cakes were traditionally made in cast iron skillets. Pineapple Upside Down Cake is a very satisfying dessert that you can enjoy with a cup of coffee. If you'd like to make one, line the bottom of a cake pan with pineapple rings and then place a cherry in the center of each ring followed by a butter and sugar mixture. Finally, the cake batter is poured over the pineapples and baked. The best part happens when the cake is done. That is when the pan is turned upside down onto a platter, revealing a masterpiece that is both amazing and delicious. Don't forget, if you save the top slice with the foliage still attached, you can turn that top piece into a very attractive houseplant.

Today we celebrate the German artist who painted botanicals with extraordinary detail. We'll also learn about the botanist who left his mark on the anatomy of the human eye. We celebrate the Spanish botanist who spent his life in Columbia, where, among other things, he studied the cinchona tree and used the quinine to treat malaria. Today's Unearthed Words feature words about April. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book that will help you become more self-sufficient one square foot at a time. And then we'll wrap things up with a celebration of the California State Flower. But first, let's catch up on some Greetings from Gardeners around the world and today's curated news. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart Gardener Greetings To participate in the Gardener Greetings segment, send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes and so forth to [email protected] And, to listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to play The Daily Gardener Podcast. It's that easy. Curated News Vegetable Seeds Are the New Toilet Paper by Alex Robinson | Modern Farmer "...Home gardeners are preparing to grow their own vegetables in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. Starting around March 16, online seed stores saw a huge spike in orders for vegetable seeds, as fears emerged that the pandemic could threaten food security. The increase in demand was so dramatic for Wayne Gale and his Canada-based business, Stokes Seeds, that they temporarily closed down their online store for home gardeners, in order to ensure they could fill all of their requests for commercial growers. Gale's business received around 1,000 orders from home gardeners during the weekend before March 16, a period of time it would usually receive around 350 such orders. "And this is not our peak season. Usually, our peak season is the second week of February," Gale says. Ken Wasnock, the CEO of Harris Seeds, says that the majority of his company's new demand has come from urban areas. The company has seen high volumes of sales to neighborhoods in New York City, where historically it hasn't sold much seed. Wasnock says earlier in the spike, a lot of the orders were coming from doomsday preppers, who purchased sprouting kits that don't require natural light. In the weeks since, he's seen an increase in children's gardening products, as parents try to plan activities and projects. Wasnock says that a high percentage of seeds people are buying are organic. Some of the more popular types of vegetable seeds ordered have included squash, zucchini, tomatoes, and beans." Dreams For Your 2020 Garden It's decision time in the garden. What will your projects be this year? Often, we have no idea if our dreams for our gardens will come true. Gardeners may dream bigger dreams than emperors, but we can often get stuck, too. We put plants in the wrong spot. We buy the wrong thing. We spend too much money. We overdo. But, every now and then we get it completely right. I waited for years to put paths in around my front garden. Why did I wait so long? No reason, really. But, once it was in, I knew it was the perfect thing my garden had been missing. Up at the cabin, we had a sprinkler system installed. The soil here is sandy, and without regular watering, the plants would really struggle. After getting some ¼" tubing stubbed up to the deck, I've waited a year to install a kitchen garden on my deck. This spring, that's my big dream. I'll share the elevated bed system I selected and the evolution of this garden in upcoming Episodes. Whatever you're dreaming of and planning for your garden this season, I hope you get it completely right and that your dream comes true. Alright, that's it for today's gardening news. Now, if you'd like to check out my curated news articles and blog posts for yourself, you're in luck, because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. There's no need to take notes or search for links - the next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events 1528 Today is the anniversary of the death of the German painter, engraver, printmaker, mathematician, and theorist from Nuremberg, Albrecht Dürer. Dürer's work was extraordinary, and by the time he was in his 20's, he was already quite famous. While he was known for his calm demeanor and introversion, his work conveyed profound emotion. During Dürer's lifetime, explorers were collected exotic plants and bulbs and bringing them home to the Old World, where they caused a sensation. The botanical focus began to shift away from plants as medicine to plants as ornamentation and beauty. Dürer was not immune to the artistic perspective on plants, and his work captured plants with an incredible amount of detail that was unmatched by previous drawings. If you're looking for bunny art, you should check out Dürer's watercolor called Young Hare. It's a beautiful piece, remarkable for its accuracy and realism. One of Dürer's most famous pieces is called The Great Piece of Turf (German: Das große Rasenstück), which he created in 1503. This watercolor shows a grouping of natural plants as Dürer had observed them in nature. There is a grass that has gone to seed, plantain, and dandelion. From a botanical art standpoint, Dürer's Turf is a masterpiece, highly regarded for the realistic depiction of plants living together in community. 1759 Today is the anniversary of the death of Johann Zinn, who died young at the age of 32. Still, Zinn accomplished much in his short life, and he focused on two areas of science: human anatomy and botany. From an anatomy standpoint, in his early twenties, Zinn wrote an eye anatomy book and became the first person to describe the anatomy of the Iris in the human eye. There are several parts of the eye named in his honor, including the Zinn zonule, the Zinn membrane, and the Zinn artery. It's fitting that Zinn wrote about the Iris - which of course, is also the name of a flower - and so there's some charming coincidental connection between his two passions of anatomy and botany. In Greek mythology, Iris was a beautiful messenger - a one-woman pony express - between the Olympian gods and humans. Iris was the personification of the rainbow. She had golden wings and would travel along the rainbow carrying messages from the gods to mortals. In the plant world, the Iris is a genus with hundreds of species and is represented by the fleur-de-lis. When Zinn was 26 years old, he became director of the University Botanic Garden in Göttingen (pronounced "Gert-ing-en"). He thought the University was going to put him to work as a professor of anatomy, but that job was filled, and so botany was his second choice. Nonetheless, he threw himself into his work. When Zinn received an envelope of seeds from the German Ambassador to Mexico, he described the blossom in detail, and he published the first botanical illustration of the Zinnia. He also shared the seeds with other botanists throughout Europe. Like most botanists in the 1700s, Zinn corresponded with Linnaeus. No doubt Zinn's work as a bright, young garden Director and the fact that he tragically died young from tuberculosis, spurred Linnaeus to name the flower Zinn received from Mexico in his honor. And so, Zinn lives on in the name Zinnia - a favorite flower of gardeners, and for good reasons: They come in a variety of vivid colors, they can be direct sown into the garden, they attract pollinators like butterflies, and they couldn't be easier to grow. And, if meditation is something you struggle with, you can still become a Zinn Master, if you enjoy growing Zinnias. :) And, I'd like to think Zinn would be pleased to be remembered by the Zinnia because, like the Iris, the Zinnia has a connection to the eyes. We've all heard the phrase beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Well... in the case of the Zinnia, the Aztecs were clearly not a fan. In fact, the Aztecs had a word for Zinnia, which basically translated to the evil eye or eyesore. The Aztecs didn't care for the zinnia flower - but don't judge them because it was not the hybridized dazzling version we've grown accustomed to in today's gardens. (You can thank the French for that!) The original plants were weedy-looking with an uninspired, dull purple blossom. This is why the blossom was initially called the crassina, which means "somewhat corse" before Linnaeus changed the name to remember Zinn. Over time, the gradual transformation of zinnias from eyesores to beauties gave Zinnias the common name Cinderella Flower. And here's a little factoid: the Zinnia is Indiana's state flower. I like to imagine when it came time for Indiana legislators to vote in favor of the Zinnia, Zinn was looking down from heaven and smiling as he heard these words: "All in favor of the zinnia, say aye." 1732 Today is the birthday of the Spanish priest, botanist, and mathematician José Celestino Mutis. Recognized as a distinguished botanist in his home country of Spain, Mutis was the architect of the Royal Botanical Expedition of the N. Kingdom of Granada (what is now Columbia) in 1783. For almost 50 years, Mutis worked to collect and illustrate the plants in Colombian lands. Given that he spent most of his lifetime in Colombia, it's not surprising that Mutis was able to leave a lasting legacy. He created an impressive library complete with thousands of books on botany and the natural world. He also built a herbarium with over 24,000 species. At the time, only Joseph Banks had a herbarium that rivaled Mutis, and Banks had more resources and more support from the English government. One of the most important aspects of Mutis' work was studying the Cinchona tree (Cinchona officinalis), which became an effective cure for yellow fever or malaria. The Cinchona tree grows in the cloud forests of Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru. The Bogota Botanical Garden became Mutis' base of operations, and it was the place where the Cinchona was studied. The bark of the cinchona tree contains quinine, which became the basis for a number of medicines that are used to treat malaria. During Mutis's lifetime, it was thought that Cinchona had the potential to cure all diseases. Naturally, the Spanish crown was highly motivated to develop their understanding of the Cinchona, and they encouraged Mutis to continue to collect and study it. In fact, Mutis used his medical knowledge to establish inoculation as a means of preventing smallpox, and he is credited with one of the first smallpox vaccination campaigns in Colombia in 1782. In addition to his medicinal work, Mutis founded the Bogota Astronomical Observatory and supported the work of Carl Linnaeus. He sent thousands of specimens back to Spain, where they remain at the Madrid Botanical Garden. During his time in Columbia, Mutis collected over 24,000 plant specimens. Mutis approached the job of documenting the flora of Granada in a unique way; he accomplished his mission by enlisting others. He skillfully set up a large studio as a space to get the plants captured through art. During his time in Columbia, Mutis worked with over 40 local Creole artists. He recruited them and trained them. He brought them to the studio where they could work all day long in silence. In short, Mutis set up a botanical production machine that was unsurpassed in terms of the output and the level of excellence for the times. At one point, Mutis had up to twenty artisans working all at one time. One artist would work on the plant habit while another would work on specific aspects or features. The Mutis machine created over 6,500 pieces of art - including botanical sketches and watercolors painted with pigments made from local dyes, which heightened their realism. On the top of the Mutis bucket-list was the dream of a Flora of Bogata. Sadly it never happened. Mutis died in Columbia in 1808. He is buried at the University of Rosario in Santa Fe, Argentina, where he taught as a professor. Eight years after his death, the King of Spain ordered all of the output from the Mutis expedition to be shipped back home. All the work created by the Creole artisans and the entire herbarium were packed into 105 shipping crates and sent to Spain where they sat and sat and sat and waited... until 1952 when a handful was used in a large folio series. Then the Mutis collection waited another 60 years until 2010 when they were finally exhibited at Kew. Today, the thousands of pieces that make up the Mutis collection are housed at the Botanical Garden in Madrid, Spain. The pieces are significant - mostly folio size - and since they haven't seen much daylight over the past two centuries, they are in immaculate condition. The old 200 pesos banknote in Colombia bears the portrait of Mutis, and the Bogota Botanical Garden honors the work of Mutis with his name. And, the plant genus Mutisia was created by the son of Carl Linnaeus and is dedicated to José Celestino Mutis along with other flora species, such as Aegiphila mutisi and Duranta mutisii (Verbenaceae), Aetanthus mutisii (Loranthaceae), among others. Unearthed Words Here are some thoughts on spring. The roofs are shining from the rain, The sparrows twitter as they fly, And with a windy April grace The little clouds go by. Yet the back yards are bare and brown With only one unchanging tree-- I could not be so sure of spring Save that it sings in me. — Sara Teasdale, American lyric poet, April If spring came but once a century instead of once a year, or burst forth with the sound of an earthquake and not in silence, what wonder and expectation there would be in all hearts to behold the miraculous change. — Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, American poet & educator "The seasons, like greater tides, ebb, and flow across the continents. Spring advances up the United States at the average rate of about fifteen miles a day. It ascends mountainsides at the rate of about a hundred feet a day. It sweeps ahead like a flood of water, racing down the long valleys, creeping up hillsides in a rising tide. Most of us, like the man who lives on the bank of a river and watches the stream flow by, see only one phase of the movement of spring. Each year the season advances toward us out of the south, sweeps around us, goes flooding away to the north." — Edwin Way Teale, naturalist, and author, North With the Spring Grow That Garden Library Square Foot Gardening Third Edition by Mel Bartholomew In All-New Square Food Gardening, 3rd Edition, the best-selling gardening book in North America is relaunched and updated for the next generation of gardeners and beyond. As you might imagine, Mel's book is very popular right now with the COVID-19 pandemic causing a resurgence in gardening and self-sufficiency. Since Square Foot Gardening was first introduced in 1981, the revolutionary new way to garden developed by Mel Bartholomew has helped millions of home gardeners grow more fresh produce in less space and with less work. Now, based mostly on the input and experience of these millions, the system has been even further refined and improved to fully meet today's changing resources, needs, and challenges. With over 150 new photos and illustrations, this new edition makes it easier than ever to achieve nearly-foolproof results in virtually any situation: 100% of the produce; 20% of the water; 5% of the work. Perfect for experienced Square-Foot-Gardeners or beginners, the original method created by Mel has not changed in any significant way with this new 3rd Edition of All New Square Foot Gardening. It remains: build a box; fill it with Mel's Mix; add a grid. But along with the classic steps, you will find some exciting and compelling new information, such as:

• Adding trellises and archways
• Substituting with new materials
• Adding automatic watering systems
• "Thinking Outside the Box" with creative configurations and shapes
• Square Foot Gardening in dense urban areas with little or no yard
• Square Foot Gardening with kids

You can get a used copy of Square Foot Gardening Third Edition by Mel Bartholomew and support the show, using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for under $25. Today's Botanic Spark Every year since 2010, April 6 is California Poppy Day celebrating the California State Flower. Poppy Day is celebrated in California schools, where activities are planned to showcase the flower along with other native plants. The botanist Sara Allen Plummer Lemmon created the 1903 piece of legislation that nominated the golden poppy (Eschscholzia californica) as the state flower of California. The botanical name honors Johann Friedrich Von Eschscholz, who served as a doctor and surgeon onboard the Rurik world expedition in 1815. In 1817, when the Rurik ended up in the San Francisco Bay area, the ship's botanist Adelbert von Chamisso ("Sha-ME-So") discovered the California poppy, which he named Eschscholzia californica after his friend Johanns Friedrich Von Eschscholz. Finally, in an article in the San Francisco Call, May 15, 1898, called "The Prettiest Wild Flowers," Ettie C. Alexander shared her magnificent experiences collecting wildflowers around San Francisco before the turn-of-the-century. The article said that Ettie's wildflower collection was the best in the state of California. Incredibly, Ettie had teamed up with a neighbor who was a chemist, and together they had worked to refine a process – a preservative – that would help her fresh-picked wildflowers retain their fresh-picked, original color. Ettie's process worked remarkably well. Yet, she was never able to find a process to preserve the brilliant orange color of the poppy.

Today we celebrate the birthday of a Russian Count who funded an expedition that led to the discovery of the California poppy. We'll also learn about one of the country's most beloved naturalists. We celebrate the life of the second woman to be professionally employed as a botanist in the United States. She died 100 years ago today. We also celebrate a nurseryman whose passion for plants was sparked with the gift of a Fuschia. Today's Unearthed Words feature words about rainy, windy April. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book about a little cottage that you might find inspiring as you spruce up your own nest this season. And then we'll wrap things up with a little poem about trillium - which is also known as Wake Robin. But first, let's catch up on some Greetings from Gardeners around the world and today's curated news. Subscribe Apple|Google|Spotify|Stitcher|iHeart Gardener Greetings To participate in the Gardener Greetings segment, send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes and so forth to [email protected] And, to listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to play The Daily Gardener Podcast. It's that easy. Curated News Gardening for Resilience By Lysa Myers "If you've ever tried to grow a garden, you'll know that your first efforts are seldom as successful as you'd hope. Conditions are seldom ideal, no matter how carefully you plan. You will mess up seemingly simple things; even experts do. However, there are ways to approach gardening that will improve your ability to weather those mistakes. Good soil is crucial Dirt is dirt, right? Sadly, no. If I had it to do over again, I'd have spent that first year amending the heck out of the soil. Choose some plants for quick wins Grab something quick like an herb garden, a planted lettuce bowl, or a strawberry planter from your local gardening center, so you can get those first nibbles right away. There's a psychological factor to getting an immediate reward that will help you be more resilient in the face of inevitable garden setbacks. Look for what grows well in your area Not all plants grow well everywhere. Some of the things that struggle in your climate might surprise you. It certainly did me! Grow plants you love to eat Whatever happens with our current crisis, I hope that more people take up gardening as a means of self-care and... I also hope that if this sort of advice can help make early gardening experiences more enjoyable, more people will take this on as a long-term hobby or lifestyle change rather than a stop-gap measure. I want you to love working with plants as much as I do!" Today's to-do is to add a magnifying glass to your garden tote. The best gardeners throughout our history have looked closely at their plants - often using magnifiers of some fashion. Get up close and personal with your plants and increase your intimacy with your garden by looking at it through the lens of a magnifying glass. Now's the perfect time to add one to your garden tote. As with every garden tool - you won't use it if it's not handy. Alright, that's it for today's gardening news. Now, if you'd like to check out my curated news articles and blog posts for yourself, you're in luck, because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. There's no need to take notes or search for links - the next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events 1754 Today is the birthday of a man who was the foreign minister of Russia, Count Nikolay Rumyantsev. In 1815, he funded the round the world scientific voyage of the Rurik which included the poet and botanist Adelbert von Chamisso ("Sha-ME-So") and a doctor/surgeon named Johann Friedrich von Eschscholtz. Two years later, in 1817, the Rurik ended up in the San Francisco Bay area where it planned to reprovision. During their stay in San Francisco, Chamiso discovered the California poppy, which he named Eschscholzia californica after his friend Johanns Friedrich Von Eschscholzia. In 1903, the botanist Sarah Plummer Lemmon put forth a successful piece of legislation that nominated the golden poppy (Eschscholzia californica) as the state flower of California. And here's what the botanist Alice Eastwood once said about the poppy: "The Eschscholzia so glows with the sunbeams caught in its chalice that it diffuses light upon the other flowers and the grass. This poppy will not shine unless the sunbeams on it, but folds itself up and goes to sleep." 1837 Today is the birthday of the Naturalist, poet, and philosopher John Burroughs (books by this author) was born on a dairy farm in Roxbury, outside of Boston on this date in 1837. He was sent to the local school, where his desk was next to that of Erie Railroad Robber Baron, Jay Gould (the son of a nearby neighbor). When Burroughs struggled in school, Gould would bail him out. Called "John o' Birds" for his special admiration for birds, Burroughs loved the natural world. One of the four vagabonds (a reference to an annual camping group that included Harvey Firestone, Henry Ford, and Teddy Roosevelt) Burroughs drove a Ford which was an annual present from Henry Ford. John Burroughs wrote about what he knew and loved best: the land around his homes in the Catskills of upstate New York. The area included a stream called "The Pepacton" - today it is known as the "East Branch of the Delaware River". Burroughs was great friends with Walt Whitman (Books by this author) whom he loved dearly. Of Whitman, Burroughs reflected: "[Meeting] Walt was the most important event of my life. I expanded under his influence, because of his fine liberality and humanity on all subjects." Here's a fun fact: Whitman gave Burroughs a little marketing advice on his first book, Wake-Robin. Burroughs recalled "It is difficult to hit upon suitable titles for books. I went to Walt with Wake-Robin and several other names written on paper. '"What does wake-robin mean?" he asked "It's a spring flower,' I replied. "Then that is exactly the name you want." Here's the beginning of "Wake-Robin by John Burroughs" "Spring in our northern climate may fairly be said to extend from the middle of March to the middle of June… It is this period that marks the return of the birds…. Each stage of the advancing season gives prominence to certain species, as to certain flowers. The dandelion tells me when to look for the swallow, the dog-tooth violet when to expect the wood thrush, and when I have found the wake-robin in bloom I know the season is fairly inaugurated. With me this flower is associated, not merely with the awakening of Robin, for he has been awake some weeks, but with the universal awakening and rehabilitation of Nature." Wake-robin is the common name for trillium. Trilliums are in the Lily Family and they carpet the forest floor in springtime. They have a single large, white, long-lasting flower that turns pink as it matures. One last memorable fact about Trilliums. Most of the parts of the plants occur in threes: 3 broad flat leaves, 3 petals to a flower, and three sepals (the part that enclosed the petals, protects them in bud, and supports them in bloom). During Burroughs' time, The Tennessean and other newspapers advertised "English Wake-Robin Pills: the Best Liver and Cathartic Pills in Use!" and they were 25 cents per box. Burroughs died at the age of 84 years - fourteen more than the biblical allotment of man. He was on his way back to the Catskills after undergoing abdominal surgery in California. Burroughs just wanted to see home one more time. Burroughs' nurse and biographer were with him as he made the trip by train. After a restless attempt at sleeping, he asked: "How near home are we?" Told the train was crossing Ohio, Burroughs slumped back and passed away. In 1937, the 100th anniversary of Burrough's birthday celebration was held at Hartwick College in New York. Music was furnished by the college a cappella choir who sang Burrough's favorite song, "Lullaby" by Brahms. Supreme Court Justice Abraham Kellogg presented this tribute: "When the trees begin to leaf and the birds are here when the arbutus, laurel, and wildflowers are blooming and nature is clothing herself with beauty and grandeur, turn ye to your library and in a restful attitude read 'Pepacton' and you will acquaint yourself as never before with John Burroughs, the scientist, the naturalist, the poet, and the philosopher." It was John Burroughs who said, "Most young people find botany a dull study. So it is, as talk from the textbooks in the schools; but study by yourself in the fields and woods, and you will find it a source of perennial delight." 1920 Today is the anniversary of the death of the botanist Kate Brandegee. Kate was the third woman to enroll at Berkely's medical school and the second woman to be professionally employed as a botanist in the US. After getting her MD at Berkley, she found starting a practice too daunting. Thankfully, Kate's passion for botany was ignited during med school. She had learned that plants were the primary sources of medicine, so she dropped the mantle of a physician to pursue botany. Five years later, she was the curator of the San Francisco Academy of Sciences herbarium. While Kate was at the academy, she personally trained Alice Eastwood. Later, when Kate moved on, Alice was ready to take her place - Kate was a phenomenal mentor. During her time at the academy, in surprise development at the age of 40, Kate had "fallen insanely in love" with plantsman Townshend Brandegee. Equally yoked, their honeymoon was a 500-mile nature walk - collecting plant specimens from San Diego to San Francisco. The couple moved to San Diego where they created a herbarium that was praised as a botanical paradise. The collecting trips - often taken together, but sometimes individually, would be their lifelong passion - and they traveled through much of California, Arizona, and Mexico at times using the free railroad passes afforded to botanists. Despite poor health, Kate loved these experiences. In 1908, at the age of 64, she wrote Townshend a letter, "I am going to walk from Placerville to Truckee (52 miles!)" In 1906, when the Berkeley herbarium was destroyed by an earthquake, the Brandegees single-handedly restored it by giving the school their entire botanical library (including many rare volumes) and their plant collection which numbered some 80,000 plants. Thanks to Townshend's inheritance, the couple was financially independent, but they were also exceptionally selfless. The Brandegee's followed their plants and books to Berkley where Townshend and Kate worked the rest of their lives pro bono. Botanist Marcus Jones said of Kate, "She was the one botanist competent to publish a real [book about the native plants of California]." But Kate had delayed writing this work. Kate was 75 when she fell on the University grounds at Berkeley - she broke her shoulder. Three weeks later, she died. 1909 Today is the birthday of Graham Stuart Thomas. GST was fundamentally a nurseryman and he lived a life fully immersed in the garden. His passion was sparked at a young age by a special birthday present he was given when he turned six: a beautiful potted fuchsia. In 2003. his gardening outfit - including his pants, vest, and shoes - as well as a variety of his tools (including plant markers and a watering can) were donated to the Garden Museum. GST was best known for his work with garden roses and his leadership of over 100 National Trust gardens. He wrote 19 books on gardening. Ever the purposeful perfectionist, he never wasted a moment. What do folks have to say about GST on social media? Here's a sampling:

• Pachysandra ground cover - A GST classic!
• My mom gave me a Graham Stuart Thomas for my first gardening book, so very special
• Our best selling plant of 2015? At number 1 (drum roll) - Eryngium Graham Stuart Thomas.
• Flower spike on yucca in a border. GST used them as punctuation marks in design.
• Love being married to someone who knows what I mean when I say, "Bring me Graham Stuart Thomas"

Unearthed Words April cold with dripping rain Willows and lilacs brings again, The whistle of returning birds, And trumpet-lowing of the herds. — Ralph Waldo Emerson, American essayist and poet Oh, how fresh the wind is blowing! See! The sky is bright and clear, Oh, how green the grass is growing! April! April! Are you here? — Dora Hill Read Goodale, American poet and teacher A SENSITIVE PLANT in a garden grew, And the young winds fed it with silver dew, And it opened its fan-like leaves to the light, And closed them beneath the kisses of night. The snowdrop, and then the violet, Arose from the ground with warm rain wet, Then the pied wind-flowers and the tulip tall, And narcissi, the fairest among them all, And the hyacinth, purple and white and blue, Which flung from its bells a sweet peal anew And the jessamine faint, and the sweet tuberose, The sweetest flower for scent that blows; And all rare blossoms from every clime,— Grew in that garden in perfect prime. And the sinuous paths of lawn and of moss, Which led through the garden along and across, Some open at once to the sun and the breeze, Some lost among bowers of blossoming trees, The plumèd insects swift and free, Like golden boats on a sunny sea, Laden with light and odor, which pass Over the gleam of the living grass; And Spring arose on the garden fair, Like the Spirit of Love felt everywhere; And each flower and herb on Earth's dark breast Rose from the dreams of its wintry rest." — Percy Bysshe Shelley, English romantic poet, The Sensitive Plant Grow That Garden Library The Bee Cottage by FrancesSchultz The subtitle to this lighthearted book is "How I Made a Muddle of Things and Decorated My Way Back to Happiness" and the book was published in 2015. This book was inspired by Frances's popular House Beautiful magazine series on the makeover of her East Hampton house that she calls Bee Cottage. Frances had intended this book to be a decorating book, but it evolved into so much more. It's a memoir combining beautiful photos of Bee Cottage inside and out - and a compelling personal story - Frances's story. This book is perfect for this time of year when we're trying to come up with all kinds of ideas for our home and garden. It's loaded with inspiring images and snapshots. In this book, Frances shared what she learned during all her renovations of Bee Cottage. We get a sneak peek into how she decided each area of the house and garden would be used and furnished. From a personal standpoint, Frances came to discover that, like decorating a home or planting a garden, our Lives must adapt to who we are and what we need along the way. And, I love this little poem that Frances uses to start out her book - along with a picture of one of her garden gates it's got a little bee cut out at the top of it.) The poem goes like this: He who loves an old house Never loves in vain, How can an old house, Used to sun and rain, To lilac and to larkspur, And an elm above, Ever fail to answer The heart that gives it love? Next, Frances shows a picture of her cottage before it became Bee Cottage. " It was a little run-down but it had curb appeal but not much love". And she wrote, "I felt a bit that way myself." And here's the how the story of Bee Cottage starts: "I'd planned to make Bee Cottage the perfect place to begin my second marriage. I'd bought it with my fiance's Blessing. It was great for us and for his two sons. Though the house was old and needed work, I relished the prospect. if only I'd been as optimistic about the marriage, but the story of Bee Cottage begins, I'm sorry to say, with heartbreak. After the wedding invitations were sent, after gifts received, after the ridiculously expensive dress made, after deposits paid, after a house bought... I called it off. I wish I could say he was a jerk and a cad, but he wasn't. He was and is a great guy. The relationship failed because we were just not a fit. And there I was with a house and the dawning that everything I had dreamed it would be would now be something else entirely." And that is the beginning of the Bee Cottage story. This is a great and light-hearted book for this time of year as you're making plans for your own nest. If you're looking for a nice escape from the heaviness of this time we're living through, this book would be an excellent choice. It's lovely. You can get a used copy of The Bee Cottage by Frances Schultz and support the show, using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for under $4. Today's Botanic Spark In honor of John Burroughs' first book, Wake-Robin, I found a little-known poem by Rebecca Salsbury Palfrey Utter (Books by this author) called The Wake-Robin. Rebecca was a descendant of Gene Williams Palfrey who served with George Washington and served as ambassador to France. When she was 28, she became the wife of a Chicago minister named David Utter. Thereafter, Rebecca worked beside David as a missionary and she coined the now-popular term "Daughter of the King" in one of her more popular poems. Here's The Wake-Robin by Rebecca Salsbury Palfrey Utter. THE WAKE-ROBIN (or trillium) When leaves green and hardy From sleep have just uncurled — Spring is so tardy In this part of the world — There comes a white flower forth, Opens its eyes, Looks out upon the earth, In drowsy surprise. A fair and pleasant vision The nodding blossoms make ; And the flower's name and mission Is "Wake, robin, wake !" But you're late, my lady, You have not earned your name ; Robin's up already, Long before you came. You trusted the sun's glances, To rouse you from your naps; Or the brook that near you dances At spring's approach, perhaps ; Your chamber was too shady, The drooping trees among ; Robin's up already, Don't you hear his song? There he sits, swinging, ' In his brown and scarlet cloak, His notes like laughter ringing ; Tis plain he sees the joke. "Accidents will happen," Laughs robin loud and clear ; "If you think to catch me napping, Wake earlier next year!"

Today we celebrate the discovery and naming of the state of Florida. We'll also learn about one of the best botanical illustrators ever born as well as the man who introduced goldfish to Holland. We celebrate the publication of the first successful agricultural journal. Today's Unearthed Words feature words about April. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book about trees that was released a year ago today - and it won the Pulitzer Prize in fiction. And then we'll wrap things up with the fascinating story of the German artist who found surreal inspiration in the natural world. But first, let's catch up on some Greetings from Gardeners around the world and today's curated news. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart Gardener Greetings To participate in the Gardener Greetings segment, send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes and so forth to [email protected] And, to listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to play The Daily Gardener Podcast. It's that easy. Curated News Derek Jarman's Prospect Cottage saved for the nation "The success of the campaign will enable Art Fund to purchase Prospect Cottage from the Keith Collins Will Trust and to fund a permanent public program, the conservation and maintenance of the building, its collection, its contents, and its renowned garden. Before Art Fund's appeal, Prospect Cottage had been at risk of being sold privately, its contents dispersed, and artistic legacy lost. Art Fund's director Stephen Deuchar announced today that the appeal to save artist and filmmaker Derek Jarman's Prospect Cottage for the nation has successfully reached its £3.5-million target in just ten weeks, with a final total of £3,624,087. Over 8,100 donations have been made by the public – nearly 2,000 of them in the past week alone, despite the significant changes happening to people's lives - and further funding has come from leading charities, trusts, foundations, and philanthropists. The campaign was supported by major grants of £750,000 from the National Heritage Memorial Fund, £500,000 from Art Fund and £250,000 from the Linbury Trust, as well as significant support from the Luma Foundation, the Roger De Haan Charitable Trust, the John Browne Charitable Trust, and the Ampersand Foundation. Tilda Swinton said, 'When Derek initiated the project of making of this little house on the shingle the unique and magically empowering space it has come to be, not only for him but for so many of us, it was at a time of intense uncertainty and fragility in his own life. That our casting the net of our appeal to keep this project alive has coincided with the phenomenal global challenge to the community with which we are currently faced - and that that net has still come in so full of bounty - has only served to prove how invaluable this vision of future is to us all." Goals For Your 2020 Garden What are you curious about in your garden? What are you hoping to learn this season? How will your gardening change during the pandemic? Your greatest accomplishment might be the result you didn't plan to learn. Maybe you've always been a flower gardener, but this year you feel compelled to grow some edibles, and you discover the joy of growing your own garlic. Last year, you grew your own tomatoes to great success and ended up sharing some with neighbors. This year you want to help out the food shelf. Maybe you didn't like pulling weeds for your mom, but now with the pandemic, you suddenly find that tending to the yard is calming and anchoring. Now you want to have a garden of your own. Our gardens are classrooms. And those classrooms are filled with many teachers or Upah Gurus. Upah Guru is the Hindu word for the teacher next to you at any moment. The Upah Gurus in your garden this year might be the seeds you just ordered, a mystery plant that you inherited, the hydrangea that refuses to flower, the rose that won't give up. This year, they say there will be more new gardeners than ever as a result of the COVID-19 restrictions. Calling All Gardeners: Share Your Expertise

• Don't consider yourself an expert? Think again.

One of the things that can happen to gardeners is that we can underestimate our own expertise or experience in the garden. But any experience is helpful to a gardener just starting out. To new gardeners, you can be a gardening Upah Guru.

• New Gardeners Need Encouragement

Remind new gardeners that their primary job this year is to simply be a good student of gardening. They don't need to get straight A's in the garden. Let them know that no one is putting that pressure on them to replace the produce section of the grocery store. One of the biggest commitments new gardeners can make is simply to learn more about gardening. Encourage them to focus on the teaching - whether that is from books or podcasts or neighbors - because the teaching is what makes us better gardeners.

• The Benefits of Gardening go beyond food: physical, mental, spiritual

Any gardener knows that being active in the garden is a form of exercise - just like walking, running, or playing basketball. It is legit exercise. As a pastime or a passion, gardening is a return to nature. It is connection with the natural world. It is grounding, and it is centering. It is good for us, physically and emotionally. After Walt Whitman suffered a debilitating stroke, he recovered by spending time in nature. The two years he spent walking the woods were his primary therapy, and he forever credited nature with his recovery. This is why I end every episode with, "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day." It's not just a slogan. I really believe those words. Alright, that's it for today's gardening news. Now, if you'd like to check out my curated news articles and blog posts for yourself, you're in luck, because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. There's no need to take notes or search for links - the next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events 1513 Juan Ponce de León claims new land for Spain. He names his discovery La Florida; in a nod to the Easter Season, which the Spaniards called Pascua Florida (Festival of Flowers). 1647 Today is the birthday of a female botanical illustration powerhouse - Maria Sibylla Merian. She was born on April 2, 1647. As a frame of reference, Isaac Newton was only a few years older than her. Unlike Newton, Merian's work was largely forgotten. However, over the past century, her work has made its way to us. Merian has the "it" factor. In 2011, Janet Dailey, a retired teacher, and artist from Springfield, Illinois, became so captivated by Merian's life story that she started a Kickstarter campaign to follow Merian's footsteps to the mecca of her best work - Surinam, in South America. In 2013, Merian's birthday was commemorated with a "Google Doodle." Merian would have delighted in our modern-day effort to plant milkweed for the Monarchs. The concept that insects and plants are inextricably bound together was not lost on Merian. In her work, she carefully noted which caterpillars were specialists - meaning they ate only one kind of plant. (You can relate to that concept if your kid only wants to eat Mac and cheese; they aren't picky - they're specialists.) Before all these social media and high tech, drawings like Merian's were a holy grail for plant identification. One look at Merian's work and Linneaus immediately knew it was brilliant. Merian helped classify nearly 100 different species long after she was gone from the earth. To this day, entomologists acknowledge that the accuracy in her art is so good they can identify many of her butterflies and moths right down to the species level! Between 1716 and 1717, during the last year of her life, Merian was visited multiple times by her friend, artist Georg Gsell - and his friend Peter the Great. Oh, to be a fly on the wall for THAT meetup. Gsell ended up marrying Merian's youngest daughter, Dorothea Maria, and Peter the Great ended up with 256 Merian paintings. In fact, Peter the Great so loved these pieces that when Merian died shortly after his last visit, he immediately sent an agent to buy all of her remaining watercolors to bring them home to St. Petersburg. Here's a fun story for you. On the Maria Sibylla Merian Society website, the feature a video that shows writer Redmond O'Hanlon flipping through an original Merian folio (with gloveless hands!) Now O'Hanlon is a scholar and explorer himself. He is known for his journeys to some of the most remote jungles of the world. At one point in the video, he becomes speechless. Then, he just lets out this big sigh and says, "It's so simple. Without the slightest doubt, she is - she was the greatest painter of plants and insects who ever lived... I mean just between you and me, she's the greatest woman who ever lived. You can keep Catherine the Great. Maria Sybilla Merian is the real heroine of our civilized time." 1711 Today is the birthday of the Dutch naturalist and pond-owner-extraordinaire Job Baster. Baster was one of the first Dutch nature researchers to use a microscope to look at flora and fauna. He wrote down his findings in a book. He also wrote an excellent translation of Philip Miller's work on horticulture. In 1758, Baster was given a beautiful property loaded trees and two large ponds. He called it Zonnehof (Sunshine Farms). As a new pond owner, Baster decided to try his hand at breeding Goldfish. A versatile scientist, Baster exchanged letters with leading biologists of his time, and the first twelve fish arrive thanks to a contact in England. Unfortunately, all the goldfish die. The following year, Baster gets eighteen more fish. Two die, but the rest survive. Thirteen years later, Baster owned more than a thousand goldfish. When Baster died, an inventory of his estate showed that all of his goldfish had been sold - raising over seven hundred guilders (not a small amount at the time). That's Job Baster, the man who introduced goldfish to the Dutch. Baster also drew goldfish and then hand-colored the images. I've seen these images, and I'm telling you they have that iridescence that makes them look like someone just laid out real goldfish on the page - they are that life-like after all this time. Baster had a large collection of shells. At the time, adhering shells to furniture was a fad in Europe. Baster took the fad and ran with it, covering a buffet with European and Tropical shells. At the bottom of the buffet are the coat of arms of Baster (jumping greyhound) and his wife Jacoba Vink (climbing lion) - all made out of shells. After seeing the Baster buffet at the Royal Zeeland Society of Sciences, one sightseer commented, "one can almost hear Baster's wife, who donated the piece to the museum after his death, saying, "Job, will you do something with all those shells!" To honor Baster's work with mollusks, there is a floating snail named for Baster, and the Dutch Malacological Association's scientific journal "Basteria" is a nod to this versatile explorer of the natural world. 1819 Today the first successful agricultural journal, American Farmer, was published in Baltimore. Unearthed Words Here are some poignant words about this time of year. April comes like an idiot, babbling, and strewing flowers. — Edna St. Vincent Millay, American lyrical poet, and playwright A gush of bird-song, a patter of dew, A cloud, and a rainbow's warning, Suddenly sunshine and perfect blue– An April day in the morning. ― Harriet Prescott Spofford, American writer Tis spring-time on the eastern hills! Like torrents gush the summer rills; Through winter's moss and dry dead leaves The bladed grass revives and lives, Pushes the moldering waste away, And glimpses to the April day. — John Greenleaf Whittier, American Quaker poet Three things a wise man will not trust, The wind, the sunshine of an April day, And woman's plighted faith. — Robert Southey, English poet The children with the streamlets sing, When April stops at last her weeping; And every happy growing thing Laughs like a babe just roused from sleeping. — Lucy Larcom, American teacher, author, and poet She waits for me, my lady Earth, Smiles and waits and Sighs ; I'll say her nay and hideaway, Then take her by surprise. — Mary Mapes Dodge, American children's author Oh, the lovely fickleness of an April day. — William Hamilton Gibson, American illustrator, author, and naturalist Grow That Garden Library The Overstory by Richard Powers It's hard to believe that this book was published on this day already a year ago in 2019. This book won the Pulitzer Prize in fiction. It's a New York Times bestseller. The author Ann Patchett said, "The best novel ever written about trees, and really just one of the best novels, period." The book is 512 pages of stories or more precisely fables - all told with trees in mind. This is Richard's 12th novel, and in it, we learn about trees and their world - that is just as big as ours - just as interconnected and creative and responsive and powerful. Yet many of us are oblivious to trees and what they have to tell us about the world we share together. You can get a used copy of The Overstory by Richard Powers and support the show, using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for under $14. Today's Botanic Spark 1891 Today is the birthday of the German Dadaist & Surrealist Max Ernst. He sketched the gardens at Bruhl castle - the castle in his home town. In fact, some of his most beautiful works involved flowers, forests, suns, birds, and gardens. Max had no formal training. Yet, he created a technique called Frottage or texture rubbings or rubbing on paper - and he used plants or the texture of wood planks and other items in the house to create some wonderful artwork. He also created grattage or scraping paint across the canvas to reveal the imprints of the objects placed beneath it. At one point in his life, he lived with the surrealist painter Leonara Carrington who once reflected on their relationship with the natural world. Gardeners will be able to relate to the Max and Leonara drawing Inspiration from the garden in the early morning: "We went down into the silent garden. Dawn is the time when nothing breathes, the hour of silence. Everything is transfixed, only the light moves." Ernst once remarked: "Art has nothing to do with taste. Art is not there to be tasted." Ernst was not comfortable with his fame. He once lamented, "He, who would rather have a single wild strawberry, than all the laurels in the world."