The Daily Gardener

Today we celebrate the one year anniversary of the show and the man who wrote a flora of the Middle East. We'll learn about the German botanist who discovered mitosis and chloroplasts. We celebrate the 93rd birthday of an English-Australian gardener who learned to garden and survived during World War II. We'll honor the tremendous work of Kenya's garden activist and founder of the Green Belt Movement. Today's Unearthed Words feature words about April. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book that was released 16 years ago today. And then, we'll wrap things up with the fascinating story of a whiskey baron who used his wealth to create an arboretum that is home to America's largest collection of Holly trees. 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 Well, it's hard to believe that the show is already a year old. I started the show on April 1st because this month's name came from the Latin word aperio, meaning "to open [bud]," - so it was the perfect time to start something new. Plants outside and in are really beginning to grow now. Daisy and Sweet Pea are this month's birth flowers. 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 In chaotic times, gardening becomes therapy | Cleveland.com "As spring's arrival in the Northern Hemisphere coincides with government stay-at-home orders, the itch to get outside has turned backyard gardens into a getaway for the mind in chaotic times. Gardeners who already know that working with soil is a way to connect with nature say it helps take away their worries, at least temporarily. "I love to see things grow," Lindsay Waldrop said. "It's incredibly therapeutic." Families, too, are discovering that gardening gives cooped-up kids something to do, builds their self-esteem and brings variety to what has suddenly become a lot of time spent together. This home-grown attitude goes back to World War II when millions of people cultivated victory gardens to protect against potential food shortages while boosting patriotism and morale. Hollie Niblett, who lives near Kansas City, Kansas, hopes the victory gardens come back. Niblett, who has a degree in horticultural therapy, tends to a kitchen garden near her backdoor, perennial flowers, flowering trees and shrubs, and upper and lower grassy yards connected by a path through an area left in its natural condition. "There are so many things about it that feed my soul," she said. "Right now, more than anything, my garden gives me hope, gives me purpose, and provides a sense of connection to something bigger than myself." 811 - Call Before You Dig - And, right now - Don't.

• Add 811 in your phone contacts.
• Save it under "Digging."
• In the notes, add a reminder to call at least three days before you dig.

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 1838 Today is the birthday of George Edward Post. We remember George because he wrote a Flora of the Middle East. Westerners were delighted because, for the first time, it was written in English, and they could understand it. George botanized in Syria, which is where he lived most of his life. He was in Syria, serving as a missionary and doctor. In his spare time, he would be off collecting plants and working on his Flora. George was a man who had tremendous energy and stamina. He worked long hours, and many colleagues acknowledged that he accomplished more than most folks in a 24-hour period. In his personal life, it turns out that George had the ability to fall asleep quickly, which no doubt helped him recharge on-demand and as needed. One account of George's tremendous lust for life and for plant collecting relayed that he would go off into the mountains on horseback. The story goes that George was such a good horseman, he could collect specimens without getting off his horse. He was allegedly able to lean below his saddle and reach way down to cut and collect a specimen. Then, he'd just sit back up and go on his way. At the end of his life, George was aware that his body was worn out, and he said something to that effect in the days before he died. Around that same time, he received a visitor who knew just how to revive his spirits. The guest placed a few pieces of ripe wheat in his hand as a symbol of the harvest and of the specimens George had spent a lifetime studying. It also served as a reminder of the treasured bible passage: "To everything, there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted." 1805 Today is the birthday of the German botanist Hugo von Mohl. The greatest "botanist of his day," it said in one newspaper. A German botanist, he was the first to propose that new cells are formed by cell division. Mitosis was discovered by Hugo von Mohl. And, in 1837, he discovered chloroplasts - something von Mohl called Chlorophyllkörnen, which translates to "a grain a chlorophyll." Forty-seven years later, the Polish-German botanist Eduard Strasburger shortened the term Chlorophyllkörnen to Chloroplast. Von Mohl described chloroplasts as discrete bodies within the green plant cell. Today we know that chloroplasts are the food producers of the cell. Chloroplasts are only found in plant cells, and they convert light energy from the sun into sugar; so without chloroplasts, there would be no photosynthesis. In 1846, von Mohl described the sap in plant cells as "the living substance of the cell," and he also created the word "protoplasm." 1927 Today is the 93rd birthday of English-born Australian horticulturalist, conservationist, author, broadcaster, and television personality Peter Cundall. A Tasmanian gardener, Peter was the friendly host of the long-running TV show Gardening Australia - one of the first shows committed to 100% organic practices and practical advice. Peter inspired both young and old to the garden. In his epic "lemon tree episode," Peter got a little carried away and essentially finished pruning when the tree was little more than a stump. Thereafter, Cundallisation was synonymous with over-pruning. Peter learned to garden as a little boy. His first garden was a vegetable patch on top of an air raid shelter in Manchester, England. His family was impoverished. His father was an abusive alcoholic. Two of his siblings died of malnutrition. Through it all, the garden brought stability, nourishment, and reprieve. Of that time, Peter's recalls, "Lying in bed in the morning waiting for it to be light, so I could go out and get going in my garden. I used to think there was some gas given out by the soil that produced happiness." 1940 Today is the birthday of the Kenyan ecologist and first female Kenyan Ph.D. and professor Wangari Maathai ("One-Garry" - rhymes with starry - "Ma-TH-EYE") Wangari was the founder of the Green Belt Movement. She fought for environmental protection and women's empowerment by working with communities to plant "green belts" of trees. Today, the Green Belt Movement has planted "over 45 million trees across Kenya to combat deforestation, stop soil erosion, and generate income for women and their families." In 2004, Wangari became the first African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize. The Nobel committee recognized "her contribution to sustainable development, democracy, and peace." Wangari authored four books: The Green Belt Movement, Unbowed: A Memoir; The Challenge for Africa; and Replenishing the Earth. Wangari died from ovarian cancer in 2011 at the age of 71. Wangari said, "We think that diamonds are very important, gold is very important, all these minerals are very important. We call them precious minerals, but they are all forms of the soil. But that part of this mineral that is on top, like it is the skin of the earth, that is the most precious of the commons." "Using trees as a symbol of peace is in keeping with a widespread African tradition. For example, the elders of the Kikuyu carried a staff from the thigi tree that, when placed between two disputing sides, caused them to stop fighting and seek reconciliation. Many communities in Africa have these traditions." "When we plant trees, we plant the seeds of peace and hope." Unearthed Words Here are some poignant words about this time of year. The first of April is the day we remember what we are the other 364 days of the year. — Mark Twain, American writer & humorist "The first of April, some do say, Is set apart for All Fools' Day. But why the people call it so, Nor I, nor they themselves do know. But on this day are people sent On purpose for pure merriment." — Poor Robin's Almanac, 1790 The April winds are magical, And thrill our tuneful frames; The garden walks are passional To bachelors and dames." ― Ralph Waldo Emerson, American essayist and poet Men are April when they woo, December when they wed; Maids are May when they are maids, but the sky changes when they are wives. — Shakespeare, As You Like It, Act IV Scene 1 "[W] ell-apparell'd April on the heel Of limping winter treads…" — Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet, Act 1 Scene 2 Grow That Garden Library On the Wild Side by Keith Wiley It's hard to believe that this book was published on this day already sixteen years ago in 2004. The subtitle to this book is "Experiments in the New Naturalism." Keith created his own wild garden in the early 2000s after being inspired by rural England. He also discovered an entire world of influence as he studied New England roadsides, the Colorado Rockies, Swiss Alpine Meadows, and the South African savannas. In this book, Keith strives to capture "only the spirit of wild plantings and never attempt to replicate exactly any landscape or combination of plants." Keith has learned to focus on form, color, and placement of plants. His attention to detail is what makes his approach work so well. Keith was an early advocate of grouping plants into plant communities. He loves it when plants self-seed - especially when they create beauty in unanticipated ways. Keith's book shares many of his favorite plants and plant groupings. He offers tons of advice and ideas for gardens. in this book, he's hoping to inspire us to get creative, "freeing your own creative inner spirit from the straitjacket of horticultural tradition." You can get a used copy of On the Wild Side by Keith Wiley and support the show, using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for under $8. Today's Botanic Spark 1945 Today is the anniversary of the death of American businessman Isaac Wolfe Bernheim. Bernheim made a fortune selling and distilling whiskey - and in turn, he used some of his wealth to create the Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest. In 1931, the Frederick Law Olmsted firm was asked to design the park. They created roadways, paths, and natural areas, planted trees, and turned the farmland back into meadows, lawns, and forest. Sparing no expense, Bernheim provided the capital to add lakes, rivers, and ponds for "an enlivening effect." Nineteen years later, in 1950, the Bernheim Forest officially opened and was ultimately given to the people of Kentucky in trust. Bernheim is the largest privately-owned natural area in Kentucky. Today, the arboretum's holly collection is among the best in North America, with more than 700 specimens representing over 350 individual species and cultivars. Love is like the wild rose-brier; Friendship like the holly tree. The holly is dark when the rose-brier blooms, But which will bloom most constantly? — Emily Brontë, author The holly collection features 176 American Holly (Ilex opaca), 44 Japanese Holly (Ilex crenata), over 50 deciduous hollies (Ilex decidua, Ilex verticillata, Ilex serrata, and hybrids), and 19 cultivars of Inkberry (Ilex glabra) - as well as many specialty hybrids. The arboretum is also home to maples, crab apples, conifers (including dwarf conifers), oaks, buckeyes, ginkgoes, ornamental pears and dogwoods. There is also a sun and shade trail, a quiet garden, and a garden pavilion. By 1994, the State of Kentucky made Bernheim the state's official arboretum. A true visionary, Bernheim wrote that "nothing is static in this world." He appreciated that the natural world was constantly going through continuous change. He believed that people needed to spend time connecting with nature. In August of 1939, Bernheim set up some conditions for his forest in a letter to the trustees, and he proposed the following rules for the forest: No discussion of religion or politics, no trading or trafficking. . . No distinction will be shown between rich or poor, white or colored. My vision embraces an edifice, beautiful in design,... It may be made of marble or of native stone. . . . Within it, there will be an art gallery . . . . Therein there will be busts in bronze of men and women whose names have risen to places of distinctive honor in Kentucky. A museum of natural history containing specimens of every animal … of this hemisphere... . . . a tall steel pole … will float the American Flag… [and] children… will be told the story of liberty. To all, I send the invitation to come . . . to re-create their lives in the enjoyment of nature . . . in the park which I have dedicated ... and which I hope will be kept forever free.

Today we celebrate the man who invented the cottonseed huller. We'll learn about a Canadian legal eagle who loved gardening and one of Oregon's pioneer botanists. We'll celebrate the work of a female biochemist who made some remarkable discoveries about bloom color by studying snapdragons. Today's Unearthed Words feature words about March. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book that was released 11 years ago today. And then we'll wrap things up with the fascinating story of a garden activist who was teaching gardening on this day in NYC two years ago. 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 Starting Seeds: Use What You Have - Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden | Jonah Holland "If you have seeds that are less than three years old, at least some of them should be viable. You could also use avocado seeds, citrus seeds, seeds from dates. You could try anything you happen to have — peppers, squash, beans, or maybe even pineapple! Mail ordering seeds is another option. We asked our horticulturist some of their favorite seed sources, and here are a few of our favorites: Johnny's Select Seeds, White Flower Farm, Peace Tree Farm and Prairie Moon Nursery. You might even have a really fun time exploring the Seed Saver Exchange." My COVID-19 Renee's Garden Seed Order for the Cabin I share the seeds I ordered after planning to ride out the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic at the cabin. 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 1814 Today the inventor and agricultural pioneer John Lineback received a patent for the first cottonseed hulling machine. He was based in Salem, North Carolina. Today, cottonseed hullers are known as disc hullers, and they not only dehull oilseed shells like cottonseed and peanuts, but they also crush oilseeds such as soybeans. Cotton is neither a fruit or a vegetable. The fibers of the cotton plant are made of cellulose. The seed of the cotton plant attaches to the fibers after emerging from the fruit. After maturing and left to its own devices, the cotton plant seed would simply blow off the plant in the wind - which is how the plant would get distributed. Cotton seeds are exactly what you might deduce: the seeds of the cotton plant. They are egg-shaped and are 3.5-10 mm long. The Latin name for the Cotton Plant is Gossypium ("Gah-SIP-EE-UM), and the seeds are richly covered with white or rusty-colored, long, woolly hairs, called lint. It is actually the lint on the outer part of the seed that is the main product used to make cotton textiles. Lineback's machine dehulled the seeds. The hulls are the outer coverings of cotton seeds. Dehulling makes it possible to extract cottonseed oil from the seeds. The process of dehulling is pretty straight forward: after removing the lint, the hull is removed from the kernel by screening. Cottonseed hulls are fibrous, and they also get used and incorporated into food for livestock like cattle and sheep. There's one final note about whole cottonseed worth mentioning: Cottonseed is toxic to humans and most animals. 1840 Today is the birthday of William Ralph Meredith. Meredith was a Chief Justice in Ontario, and he's remembered as the founding father of workers' compensation in Ontario. His work helped shape worker's compensation for the rest of Canada and the United States. his principals regarding workers' compensation became known as the Meredith principles. The Meredith Principles allowed that workers would give up their right to sue employers in exchange for income security if they were injured at work. In turn, employers would receive business loss protection while paying for the system. Meredith came from a large family in Westminster Township in Upper Canada with eight sons and four daughters. William was the oldest boy, and all the men in the family became quite successful in the legal community. The Meredith brothers were known as 'The Eight London Merediths' - a reference to the family's London Ontario homeplace. London is just north of Lake Erie and the U.S. border. As Chief Justice, Meredith was known among his legal colleagues simply as "The Chief." And, on more than one occasion, Meredith found himself presiding over cases where the lawyers for the accused and the defense were two of his own brothers - Richard and Edmund, who was regarded as the area's top criminal attorney. All of the Meredith brothers enjoyed gardening, and Meredith was no exception. Meredith gardened on his large estate in Rosedale, Ontario, at 41 Binscarth Rd. In 1913, a Toronto newspaper ran a delightful story about Meredith, and it ended with his love of gardening, writing: "Despite his seventy-three years, Sir William is still a fine and handsome man. His favorite pastime is gardening and on his beautiful grounds in Rosedale, he spends much of his spare time. Donning a straw hat and gloves, he delights in moving about among his plants and bushes, weeding and clipping, or else to dig out dandelion roots from his lawn." 1867 Today is the birthday of an important pioneering Oregon botanist Elmer Ivan Applegate. Elmer was born near Ashland. His grandfather, Lindsey Applegate, was a wagon train leader, and he led many settlers to Oregon during the "Great Migration" of 1843. Elmer was the oldest in his family of six children. He grew up on a 5,000-acre ranch where he mastered the demands of ranch life, and it was on the ranch that Elmer discovered his love for botany. In 1895, Elmer graduated from Stanford, and after graduating, he spent time with the USDA's Frederick Colville - the botanist who, along with Elizabeth Coleman White, helped tame the wild blueberry. As one of the most prominent Oregon botanists of the 20th century, Elmer's signature work focused on trout lilies (Erythronium) "AIR-ah-THROW-KNEE-um." The trout lily is a native plant featuring nodding, freckled, yellow flowers that bloom in early spring in woodlands and on north-facing slopes. Trout lilies bloom in spring from March to May. As a spring ephemeral, they often bloom before the trees leaf out, and once the forest canopy fluffs out, the trout lily bloom disappears. At the base of the trout, lily are these mottled brown and green leaves, which inspired the name of the plant because they look like the markings on brook trout. Those spots have also inspired the name fawn lily. Trout lily is also known by common names like the dogtooth violet or the adder's tongue. The dogtooth name refers to the tuber of the trout lily which is underground. The tuber looks like a smooth, white fang. The adder's tongue refers to the curled, serpent-like, pointed leaf-tips, and the six stamens with anthers that look like fangs. Here are some fun facts about the trout lily: Trout lilies are short; they grow 6 to 8 inches tall. Young plants have only one leaf, but mature plants sport two leaves. In fact, until that second leaf appears, the plant cannot flower. Trout lily colonies are very long-lived, and some are 200 to 300 years old. Trout lily leaves and bulbs have been used for medicinal purposes, such as contraception. Mary Oliver wrote a poem called Trout Lilies: It happened I couldn't find in all my books more than a picture and a few words concerning the trout lily, so I shut my eyes, And let the darkness come in and roll me back. The old creek began to sing in my ears as it rolled along, like the hair of spring, and the young girl I used to be heard it also, as she came swinging into the woods, truant from everything as usual except for the clear globe of the day, and its beautiful details. Then she stopped, where the first trout lilies of the year had sprung from the ground with their spotted bodies and their six-antlered bright faces, and their many red tongues. If she spoke to them, I don't remember what she said, and if they kindly answered, it's a gift that can't be broken by giving it away. All I know is, there was a light that lingered, for hours, under her eyelids - that made a difference when she went back to a difficult house, at the end of the day. 1880 Today is the birthday of the biochemist Muriel Wheldale Onslow who researched flower color inheritance and pigment molecule biochemistry. Muriel was born in England and ended up marrying a fellow biochemist named Victor Onslow. Victor was actually the son of royalty - his dad was the fourth Earl of Onslow. Muriel and Victor's story is special. When Victor was a student at Cambridge, he became paralyzed from the waist down after diving off a cliff into a lake. The accident also left him with limited use of his arms and hands. Even though Victor and Muriel were married for only a little over three years before Victor's untimely death, their love was a story of mutual admiration and respect. When Muriel recorded her memoir of Victor, she wrote that he was a man of amazing courage and mental vitality; and that he was an inspiration to their peers in biochemistry. Early in her career, in 1903, Muriel became part of its genetics group working at Cambridge University, and it was here that she began studying flower petal color. Much of her research specifically focused on snapdragons which come in a range of flower colors including green, red, orange, yellow, white, purple, and pink - and now even bicolor and speckled. Muriel's work on coloration gained her worldwide recognition by 1910 she had published a whopping four papers on color inheritance in snapdragons. Snapdragons or Antirrhinum majus ("ant-er-EYE-num MAY-jus") are a beloved cottage garden flower. It's a cousin to the foxglove. Snapdragons are happiest when planted early, in cool weather. They will bloom their hearts out all summer long. Then, if you cut them back in August, you will get a second flush of color in the fall. And here are a few final notes about Muriel Whelan Onslow. Muriel was multi-talented. In addition to her scientific work, she was also an artist. Her Botanical illustrations are actually quite good, and she was often regarded as a top botanical artist among her scientific colleagues. As one of the few female scientists of her time, there are just a handful of fantastic online images of Muriel working in her laboratory. They are a must-see if you get the chance. And you might recall that a decade ago in 2010, the Royal Institution in England put on a play called blooming snapdragons. The play was about for female biochemist of the early 20th century. Naturally, one of them was Muriel Onslow. Unearthed Words Here are some poignant words about this time of year. This first poem was shared on this day in 1859. Come to the woods, where flowers bloom, The violet peeps beneath each tree, And on the wintry slope bestirs The silver-leafed Anemone. The yellow Cowslip decks the pool, And early Crowfoot lifts its shining head, The star-eyed Liverleaf looks forth From out its green and mossy bed. Lichnidia tall and Draba pure And Erythronium appear, Claytonia comes with penciled brow, The first of all the pleasant year. Wake-robin nods its snowy crest, The Blue-Bells pale, Collinsia rare, The tiny Ground Nut, Squirrel Corn, All the joyous welcome give and share. I then to nature's palace grand, All purple, yellow, green, and gold; Leaf-music, bird-songs, fill the air, The summer days, their revel hold. — Lydia A Tompkins, Come to the Woods "Indoors or out, no one relaxes in March, that month of wind and taxes; the wind will presently disappear, the taxes last us all the year." — Ogden Nash, American poet March! March! March! They are coming In troops to the tune of the wind. Redheaded woodpeckers drumming, Gold - crested thrushes behind; Sparrows in brown jackets, hopping Past every gateway and door; Finches, with crimson caps, stopping Just where they stopped before. March! March! March! They are slipping Into their places at last. . . Little white lily buds, dripping Under the showers that fall fast; Buttercups, violets, roses; Snowdrop and bluebell and pink, Throng upon throng of sweet posies Bending the dewdrops to drink. March! March! March! They will hurry Forth at the wild bugle sound, Blossoms and birds in a flurry, Fluttering all over the ground. Shake out your flags, birch, and willow! Shake out your red tassels, larch! Grass blades, up from your earth - pillow. Hear who is calling you. . . March. — Lucy Larcom, American teacher, poet, and author, March Grow That Garden Library Life List by Olivia Gentile It's hard to believe that this book was published on this day already eleven years ago in 2009. The subtitle to this book is "A Woman's Quest for the World's Most Amazing Birds." This book is a loving and beautiful biography of bird enthusiasts Phoebe Snetsinger. Phoebe was a 1950's housewife, married with four children, and an avid bird-watcher. When she got diagnosed in her 40's with incurable cancer and given less than a year to live, she started traveling the world, birding, and she never looked back. Phoebe ended up living, after her diagnosis, for another 18 years. Oliva begins this book by explaining the concept of a life list: "Bird-watching, the way most people do it, is a lot like hunting, which is why some practitioners prefer the more active sounding term "birding": you have to know where and when to look for Birds, you have to chase them down, and, when you find them, you have to figure out what species they are— often in just a second or two, before they fly away. Tate, like most birders, kept a "life list" of all the species he'd seen and identified, and he was always looking to add new ones, or "life birds." Olivia continues: "I decided to write some sort of essay on bird watching, and I called a few bird clubs near my home in Manhattan to see what they had going on. One man misunderstood and thought I was interested in joining his Club. He tried to encourage me. "Who knows?" he said. "Maybe you'll be the next Phoebe Snetsinger." the man had never met Phoebe, but he knew all about her— as most birdwatchers do, it turned out— and he told me a little. That was back in 2001, two years after her death, and I've been piecing together her life ever since." You can get a used copy of Life List by Olivia Gentile and support the show, using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for under $3. Today's Botanic Spark On this day in 2018, garden activist Karen Washington was giving a talk in New York City to help spur on the community garden movement. The theme was peace and justice. Washington has done so much for the Bronx as an Urban Gardener. She's an award-winning gardener, farmer, and co-owner of her business called Rise and Shoot Farm. It was Karen Washington who said, "If you come into the garden feeling sad, you will leave feeling happy."

Today we celebrate the man who introduced tulips to Holland and the botanist who was supposed to become Carl Linnaeus's son-in-law — but didn't. We'll also learn about the botanist who loved New Brunswick. Today's Unearthed Words feature words about winter - and bees in winter. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book that helps you recognize elements of good garden design. I'll talk about a garden item in high demand this time of year. And then we'll wrap things up with the birthday of a distinguished gardener and garden writer - and she backfilled Vita Sackville-West as the garden columnist for The Observer. But first, let's catch up on a few recent events. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart Curated Articles How to Make a Teepee for Your Climbing Beans | Mother Earth News "Use a garbage can lid, position canes at 12, 3, 6 & 9 o'clock, then fill in between. Then tie a string to the canes, near the top. Repeat for each cane until they're all secured." Dan Gill: Protect mature trees from damage during construction projects | Home/Garden | nola.com Here's a Great Post from Dan Gill: "The root system of trees is much shallower than most people imagine. The overwhelming majority of a tree's feeder roots (the roots that absorb water and mineral from the soil for the tree) are located in the upper 12 inches of soil. You can see this when a tree blows over, and the exposed root system is shallow and flat like a plate. This makes the root system far more prone to damage during construction than most people realize." Now, if you'd like to check out these curated articles for yourself, you're in luck, because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. There's no need to take notes or search for links - the next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events 1526 Today is the birthday of the Flemish botanist and founder of the Botanical Garden at Leiden, Charles de l'Écluse ("day-lay-clues"). Charles was an important 16th-century horticulturalist who, like many scientists of his time, translated his name into Latin, and was also known as Carolus Clusius. Clusius is remembered as the botanist who introduced tulips to Holland. Around 1560, Clusius wrote that the first tulips appeared in Antwerp & Mechelen ("MEK-lin"). A merchant had gotten a hold of some, and, assuming they were a new kind of onion, he ate a few of the bulbs and then planted the rest. To his surprise, the onions grew into the beautiful blooms we know today as tulips. In 1593, after a trip to Turkey, Clusius finally obtained some tulips for himself from the Ottoman Sultan Suleyman. Clusius planted them at his botanical garden at the University of Leiden in Holland. Hoping to study their medicinal properties, he was stunned when neighbors crept his garden, stole the bulbs, sold them for ridiculous sums, and launched the Dutch tulip trade. Within decades, Leiden's tulips gave rise to the Tulipmania that still fascinates garden historians to this day. Today, the tulip has become a national icon of Holland. And, one of the best places to see tulips is at the Keukenhof("GO-KEN-hof") in Lisse ("LISS-ah"), and the best time is generally about halfway through April. Not surprisingly, Clusius wrote the first major book on tulips. And, Clusius also left his mark on many flowering bulbs. He named the popular Portuguese squill, Scilla peruviana, after a ship christened 'Peru' and not Peru the country. And, Clusius planted the first Crown Imperial. One of his last major written works was a flora of Spain and Portugal that featured 233 botanical woodcuts. It was published in 1576. The tropical genus Clusia was named by Carl Linnaeus to honor Charles de l'Écluse. 1773 Today is the birthday of the Swedish-English botanist and star pupil of Carl Linnaeus, Daniel Solander. More than his protégé, Linnaeus had hopes that Solander might become a future son-in-law. From there, Linnaeus hoped he had found his successor as Professor of Botany at Uppsala. Linnaeus had a daughter named Lisa Stina. Although Solander had fallen for her, Linnaeus lined up an opportunity for Solander to be the chair of botany at St Petersburg in Russia. Linnaeus was putting Solander through the same gauntlet he had experienced before getting married: go out and establish yourself, and then come back here and settle down. Solander took Linnaeus completely aback when he wrote that he would be staying in England. Solander's letters to Linnaeus became less frequent, and Lisa Stina ended up unhappily married to a grandson of Rudbeck - the family name, after which Rudbeckia or Black-Eyed Susans (Rudbeckia hirta) are named. Although Solander dashed Linnaeus's hopes, he became a champion of botanical exploration and left his own considerable mark in the field of botany. After some time in London, Solander met Joseph Banks at the British Museum, where he was working as an Assistant Librarian. The two decided to partner-up in Captain James Cook's first circumnavigation of the globe. People often assume that Solander was younger than Banks since he was Bank's assistant. In truth, Banks was seven years younger than Solander. When the Endeavour sailed from Plymouth on August 25, 1768, Banks was 25 and Solander 32. The two botanists worked well together. Together, they collected some 800 new plants. Captain Cook honored the two men by christening Botany Bay after 'the great quantity of plants Mr. Banks and Dr. Solander found in this place.' The outer ends of the bay are Cape Solander in the southwest and Cape Bank in the Northeast. From Botany Bay alone, Solander and Banks found Acacias (uh-KAY-shahs), Eucalyptus, Grevilleas ("gruh-VILL-ee-ah"), Mimosa, and Banksia (which was, of course, named after Joseph Banks). Unlike many botanists of his time, during his three-year trip around the world, Solander did not send a single one of his discovered specimens to Linnaeus. Solander's sole devotion was to Banks. As for Linnaeus, he could often be heard referring to Solander - the pupil that got away - as "the ungrateful Solander." When the Endeavor returned to England, most people forget that half of the original crew - some 32 people - had died on the historic voyage. Miraculously, both Solander and Banks survived, and they would go on to explore Iceland together on another voyage. At home in England, Solander became Banks' secretary and librarian. In 1780, Solander agreed to help the Duchess of Portland with her enormous collections. Sadly, his work was cut short when he died from a brain aneurysm in 1782 at the age of 46. 1864 Today is the birthday of the first professor of botany at Smith College, William Francis Ganong ("GAH-nong"). Ganong's family were famous chocolate-makers. In fact, today, Ganong Chocolate is Canada's oldest independently family-operated chocolate company. Of course, William was supposed to follow in their footsteps, but he instead lost his heart to natural sciences like botany, history, and cartography. Today, the Ganong name is synonymous with the Canadian province of New Brunswick. It's not only where the chocolate company is located, but it's also where Ganong did the majority of his work. Every year, for fifty years, during the summer months, Ganong would return to New Brunswick to conduct his research In 2016, historian Ronald Rees, a retired professor, wrote a biography of Ganong. The following year, Ganong was honored for his contributions to the history and geography of New Brunswick. A statue of Ganong was erected on the banks of the St. Croix river - a place he especially loved. The statue's creator remarked, "He'll be looking up the St. Croix River, which is quite appropriate." Unearthed Words Here are some words about winter and also, Bees in Winter. "When I was young, I loved summer and hated winter. When I got older, I loved winter and hated summer. Now that I'm even older and wiser, I hate both summer and winter." — Jarod Kintz, American Author, This Book is Not for Sale "It is the life of the crystal, the architect of the flake, the fire of the frost, the soul of the sunbeam. This crisp winter air is full of it. " — John Burroughs, American Naturalist and Writer "No winter lasts forever; no spring skips its turn." — Hal Borland, American Naturalist and Writer Winter is the season in which people try to keep the house as warm as it was in the summer when they complained about the heat. — Anonymous "The queen bee alone survives. You never see her playing the vagabond in the fall. At least I never have. She hunts out a retreat in the ground and passes the winter there, doubtless in a torpid state, as she stores no food against the inclement season. " — John Burroughs, American Naturalist and Writer Seeing only what is fair, Sipping only what is sweet, Thou dost mock at fate and care, Leave the chaff and take the wheat, When the fierce northwestern blast Cools sea and land so far and fast, Thou already slumberest deep — Woe and want thou canst out-sleep — Want and woe which torture us, Thy sleep makes ridiculous. — Ralph Waldo Emerson, American Poet and Writer, The Humble Bee Grow That Garden Library Gardens in Detail by Emma Reuss The subtitle of this book is 100 Contemporary Designs. Do you ever wish you had an expert who could help you analyze the elements of a successful garden? Well, in this book, Emma Reuss is that person. Emma quickly defines the seven principals that make gardens go from meh to wow:

• Location: the spirit of a place
• Unity: using themes to unite components
• Simplicity: a fixed amount of complexity - a limited palette - to keep small spaces interesting and large places manageable
• Balance: garden elements should have the same visual weight
• Proportion: the scale of elements
• Rhythm & Repetition: re-introducing elements to promote even more unity
• Focal points: to enhance views and encourage people to move through the garden

Each of the gardens featured in the book is reviewed over four pages, which offer photos, general information, a brief essay, highlighted elements, and a bulleted list of successful design elements. If you're the kind of gardener who draws Inspiration from garden images or garden tours, this book is for you. More than anything, Emma's book is an idea book - a banquet of successfully designed gardens and unique garden elements to inspire you to dream bigger dreams than emperors - as the saying goes about the plans of gardeners. This book came out in 2014. You can get a used copy of Gardens in Detail by Emma Reuss and support the show, using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for under $15. Great Gifts for Gardeners Gardman R687 4-Tier Mini Greenhouse, 27" Long x 18" Wide x 63" High $37.86

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Today's Botanic Spark 1907 Today is the birthday of the distinguished gardener and writer Frances Perry. Born Frances Mary Everett, her mother, Isabella, took a ten-year-old Francie to see the Chelsea flower show. The experience was etched in her mind and instilled a love for flowers in Frances's heart. Frances was also influenced by her famous neighbor - Edward Augustus Bowles - who went by Gussie with his friends and family. Gussie was a plantsman and writer. He had a large garden featuring a series of garden rooms, and he also held a position on the Council of The Royal Horticultural Society. Frances would pick wildflowers and bring them to Gussie for identification. The two had a special bond. Gussie recommended Frances to the town's Nurseryman, Amos Perry Jr. The Perry nursery was started by Amos Perry Sr. and the Perry's were famous for their water and waterside gardening. Frances immediately loved working at the Perry's Hardy Plant Farm. In a short while, she was running the aquatic plant department and creating water garden exhibits for the Chelsea flower show. Amos had produced something else of interest for Frances - his son, the fern specialist, Gerald Alfred Amos Perry - who Frances described as, "a brilliant plantsman and propagator. The two were married in 1930 when Frances was just 22 years old. In three years, they had two sons - just eighteen months apart. In April of 1945, Frances and Gerald's older boy, Marcus, then 13 years old, was killed after being hit by a lorry. In a 1966 column, Frances wrote about an oriental poppy that kept an upright habit, and it had huge, orange-scarlet flowers in July and August — it was named the Marcus Perry. Amos Perry Sr. bred the poppy at the Hardy Plant Farm. In another column in April of 1990, Frances shared a tip about using poppies as cut flowers. It was something Gussie had taught her long ago: "His solution, which he taught me, was to take a large jug of very hot water into the garden late in the evening, then cut any buds which had straightened up from their normal bent position and started to show color. These were plunged practically up to their necks in the jug, then taken indoors and left until the next day to be arranged in more suitable vases." In 1954, Gussie died from a heart attack. It was May - springtime - and his ashes were scattered in his favorite part of the garden - the rock garden. The 1960s brought tremendous highs and lows for Frances. In 1964, Frances's husband Gerald died. Then, two years later, in 1966, Frances backfilled Vita Sackville-West as the gardening writer for The Observer. In addition to her column, over her long career, Frances wrote nearly twenty books. As with her first job at the nursery, Water Gardening was still considered her unique topic of expertise. Frances was dedicated to horticulture, and she experienced great success in her career. Yet, she didn't care for pandering. In I968, she became the first woman to be elected to the council of the Royal Horticultural Society. A controversy about the council not having any women had bubbled to the surface when the chair indicated that he didn't think any women existed that could meet the council's requirements. When Frances was elected, she challenged the council by writing: "If you want me because I am a woman, the answer is no. If you want me because of anything I have done in horticulture, the answer is yes." At the age of 70, Frances married Robert Edwin Hay, who went by Roy. Roy was a widower, a fellow horticulturist, journalist, and broadcaster; Frances was three years older than him. For a dozen years, Roy and Frances made a lovely pair. A life-long gardener, Roy's father, had been a royal estate gardener. Like Frances, when Roy was a boy, his father took him to see the Chelsea Flower Show. After that first visit, Roy attended every show for the next 65 years. And, Frances and Roy shared another similarity. They both won the Victoria Medal of Honor - an honor awarded to British horticulturists by the Royal Horticultural Society. Roy won in 1970, and Frances won in 1971. After Roy died in 1989, Frances lived with her younger son. In December of that same year, Frances wrote an editorial called Sowing Seeds Of Thoughts On A Cold Winter's Day. At age 82 and widowed for the second time, life's toll wormed its way into her writing; yet she faced it head-on. Frances began: "There is nothing static about a garden. All gardeners know this and are constantly devising different features. Yet it's easy to let sentiment or inertia spare plants that have long since past their prime. Too often, also, a design suited to younger gardeners sticks, even though age has made it more and more difficult to manage. On a cold winter's day, when there is not much we can usefully undertake in the garden, it is worthwhile sitting down to some constructive thinking. Which trees and shrubs have become old, misshapen, and really rather unproductive?" Over the next three years, Frances would write only a handful of articles. She was slowing down. Frances retired after 26 years with The Observer in May of 1992. Anna Pavord ("PAY-vord") was her backfill. Almost 18 months later, Frances passed away and went to that big garden in the sky.

Today we celebrate a man who wrote one of the most influential herbals in history and the French botanist who created the modern strawberry. We'll learn about the Father of Paleobotany and the sweet little Orchid known as the moccasin flower. Today's Unearthed Words feature words about winter. We Grow That Garden Library™ with the diary of a fabulous nurserywoman and garden designer. I'll talk about a garden item to get hung up on... and then we'll wrap things up with the fascinating birth flowers for the month of February. But first, let's catch up on a few recent events. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart Curated Articles Plant of the Month: The Sensitive Plant | JSTOR Daily JSTOR is a digital library for scholars, researchers, and students. Aw... it's The Sensitive Plant! Whenever you touch it, the leaves fold up like a fan along its stem. "At first glance, Mimosa pudica ("poo-DEE-cah") is a plant that most people would consider a weed. It grows close to the ground, with countless delicate leaflets, puffy pinkish balls of flowers, and small bunches of legumes. So it makes sense that Mimosa pudica would be known as the "Humble Plant," but what about its association with other names, like "Herb of Love" and "Sensitive Plant"? When Linnaeus considered what separated living from non-living things he wrote, "Stones grow; plants grow and live; animals grow, live, and feel." With the Mimosa's apparent ability to feel, many people felt that the Sensitive Plant took on animal characteristics with its strong reaction to touch. The Sensitive Plant fascinated 18th-century botanists, scientists, and poets who often compared the plant to animals because of the reaction of the plant; contracting after being touched. In 1791, Erasmus Darwin wrote about the Sensitive Plant in a poem called The Botanic Garden. Weak with nice sense, this chaste Mimosa stands From each rude touch withdraws her timid hands; Oft as light clouds o'er-pass the Summer-glade, And feels, alive through all her tender form, The whisper'd murmurs of the gathering storm; Shuts her sweet eye-lids to approaching night, And hails with freshen'd charms the rising light. Honey Plant Growth Stimulator - Using Honey To Root Cuttings This post is from Gardening Know How. "Many people have found success with using honey to root cuttings. It is, after all, a natural antiseptic and contains anti-fungal properties — allowing the little cuttings to remain healthy and strong. Some people have even added honey to willow water to aid in rooting." Now, if you'd like to check out these curated articles for yourself, you're in luck, because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. There's no need to take notes or search for links - the next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events 1515 Today is the birthday of Valerius Cordus. Cordus was the author of one of the most influential herbals in history. In fact, centuries later, the botanist Thomas Archibald Sprague re-published "The Herbal of Valerius Cordus" with his older sister, who he considered to be the best botanist in his botanist family. After the book was published, Sprague gifted her with a personal and gorgeous bound copy. He had the book dedicated to her in Latin: "M. S. Sprague praeceptrici olim hodie collaboratrici d.d. T. A. Sprague" - basically, thanking her for all that she had taught him and collaborated with him. Valerius Cordus died young, at the age of 29. He had contracted malaria. In 1544, Valerius had spent the summer botanizing in Italy with two French naturalists. At some point, he had waded into marshes in search of new plants. When he became sick a short time later, his friends brought him to Rome, and then, they continued on to Naples. When they returned for him, they found their friend, Valerius, had died. We owe a debt of gratitude to the Swiss botanist Konrad Gesner who had the sense to collect Cordus' prolific writings and preserve and publish them. One expert once said, "There was Theophrastus; there was nothing for 1,800 years; then there was Cordus." The genus Cordia is named in honor of Valerius Cordus. Cordia's are in the borage family, and many cordias have fragrant, showy flowers. Some cordias also produce edible fruits with strange and fascinating names like clammy cherries, glue berries, sebesten, or snotty gobbles. 1827 Today is the anniversary of the death of the French botanist, gardener, and professor at Versailles, Antoine Nicolas Duchesne ("do-Shane"). A specialist in strawberries and gourds, Duchesne was a student of Bernard de Jussieu at the Royal Garden in Paris. A plant pioneer, Duchesne recognized that mutation was a natural occurrence and that plants could be altered through mutation at any time. As a young botanist, Duchesne began experimenting with strawberries. Ever since the 1300s, wild strawberries had been incorporated into gardens. But, on July 6, 1764, Duchesne created the modern strawberry - the strawberry we know and love today. Strawberries are members of the rose family, and their seeds are on the outside of the fruit. Just how many seeds are on a single strawberry? Well, the average strawberry has around 200 seeds. Now, to get your strawberry plants to produce more fruit, plant them in full sun, in well-drained soil, and trim the runners. 1873 Today is the anniversary of the death of the French botanist and the Father of Paleobotany; Adolphe-Théodore Brongniart ("Bron-yahr"). Adolphe-Théodore and his wife had two sons, and when Adolphe-Théodore died, he died in the arms of his eldest son. As one of the most prominent botanists of the 19th century, Adolphe-Théodore worked to classify fossil plant forms, and he did so even before Charles Darwin. Adolphe-Théodore's work provided content for his book on the history of plant fossils in 1828. Adolphe-Théodore published his masterpiece when he was just 27 years old. Adolphe-Théodore's writing brought him notoriety and gave him the moniker "Father of Paleobotany." He was also called the "Linnaeus of Fossil Plants." A paleobotanist is someone who works with fossil plants. Plants have been living on the planet for over 400 million years. So, there are plenty of fossil plants to study and catalog. Adolphe-Théodore was not so much a fossil plant discoverer as he was a fossil plant organizer. He put fossil plants in order and applied principles for distinguishing them. In 1841, at the age of 40, Adolphe-Théodore received the Wollaston Medal for his work with fossil plants. It is the highest award granted by the Geological Society of London. The honor would have made his geologist father, Alexander, very proud. Adolphe-Théodore was a professor at the Paris Museum of Natural History. He was the backfill for Andre Michaux, who had left to explore the flora of North America. 1902 Today the Showy Lady's-Slipper became the State Flower of Minnesota. The Lady' s-Slipper Orchid was discovered in 1789 by the botanist William Aiton. The common name Lady' s-Slipper is from the unusual form of the third petal that makes that part of the bloom look like a little shoe. During his lifetime, Darwin repeatedly tried to propagate the Lady' s-Slipper Orchid. He never succeeded. Now, the growing conditions of the Lady' s-Slipper are quite particular - which is why they are almost impossible to keep in a traditional garden. It's also illegal to pick, uproot or unearth the flowers - which was a problem in the 1800s when people collected them almost to extinction. Since 1925, the Lady' s-Slipper has been protected by Minnesota state law. In the wild, Lady' s-Slippers grow in swamps, bogs, and damp woods. They take forever to grow, and they can grow for almost a decade before producing their first flower, which can last for two months in cooler weather. As long-lived plants, Lady' s-Slippers can grow as old as 100 years and grow up to 4 feet tall. To Native Americans, the Lady' s-Slipper was known as the moccasin flower. An old Ojibwe legend told of a plague that had occurred during a harsh winter. Many people died - including the tribal healer. Desperate for help, a young girl was sent to find medicine. But, the snow was deep, and in her haste, she lost her boots and left a trail of bloody footprints in the snow. Every spring, the legend was that her footprints were marked with the beautiful moccasin flower. One summer, when Henry David Thoreau came upon a red variety of Lady' s-Slipper in the woods, he wrote about it, saying: "Everywhere now in dry pitch pine woods stand the red Lady's-Slipper over the red pine leaves on the forest floor rejoicing in June. Behold their rich striped red, their drooping sack." Unearthed Words Here are some words about this time of year. The day is ending, The night is descending; The marsh is frozen, The river is dead. — Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, American poet, An Afternoon in February A man says a lot of things in summer he doesn't mean in winter. — Patricia Briggs, American Fantasy Writer, Dragon's Blood Pleasures newly found are sweet When they lie about our feet: February last, my heart First at sight of thee was glad; All unheard of as thou art, Thou must needs, I think, have had, Celandine ("seh·luhn·dine")! And long ago. Praise of which I nothing know. — William Wordsworth, English Romantic poet, To the Same Flower (In medieval lore, it was believed that mother birds dropped the juice of the celandineinto the eyes of their blind fledglings.) I was just thinking if it is really religion with these nudist colonies, they sure must turn atheists in the wintertime. — Will Rogers, American actor & cowboy The twelve months… Snowy, Flowy, Blowy, Showery, Flowery, Bowery, Hoppy, Croppy, Droppy, Breezy, Sneezy, Freezy. — George Ellis, Jamaican-born English satirical poet Grow That Garden Library Beth Chatto's Garden Notebook Beth's book was a monthly record of everything she did in her garden. Her chapters covered the garden, but also bits of her life. From a personal standpoint, Beth shared her successes as well as her failures. She was a business owner and ran a garden center, and she also showed a garden at Chelsea, which was a tremendous thrill but also an incredible amount of work. Beth gardened for over four decades, and she appreciated the time-factor of gardening and the patience required to grow a garden and grow into a good gardener. She wrote: "As certain of our plants take many years to mature, so it takes a long time to grow a genuine plantsman. Those of us who have been at it longest know that one lifetime is not half enough, once you become aware of the limitless art of gardening." Here's an excerpt from her chapter on January. Beth's talking about a mass planting of shrubs that appeared less-than-enticing in the winter landscape: "I remember several years ago… suddenly feeling very dissatisfied with a group of shrubs which had not faulted when they were full of leaf (and, for a few weeks, blossom) during the summer. But now, leafless and with nothing distinguished about their habit of growth, the whole patch looked muddled, formless and lifeless. By removing some of it, planting a holly and Mahonia among the rest together with vigorous sheaves of the evergreen Iris foetidissima ("FOY-ta-dis-EMMA")'Citrina' nearby and patches of small-leafed ivies as ground cover, the picture became much more interesting in winter and now forms a better background to the summer carnival which passes before it." In her book, Beth writes in conversation with the reader. In January, she asks: "If you look out of your favorite window now, are you satisfied with the view? Does it lack design? Would a small-leafed, narrowly pyramidal Holly do anything for it, and how many plants can you see which remain green -or grey, or bronze -throughout the winter, furnishing the bare soil at ground level?" Finally, Beth begins her chapter on February with a word about how, for many nursery owners and landscapers, this time of year can feel overwhelming as the full weight of the season's work is anticipated. Beth also acknowledged how difficult it was for her to write during the garden season. This is a common challenge for garden writers who are too busy gardening in the summer to write but then can find less inspiration to write in the winter without their gardens. "This morning, I awoke to hear the grandfather clock striking 4 a.m. and was immediately alert, all my present commitments feverishly chasing themselves through my head. Apart from a garden I have foolishly agreed to plan, there is the Chelsea Flower Show nudging more and more insistently as the weeks rush towards May. Usually, I have a nucleus of large plants and shrubs in containers that provide an established looking background. [But] the sudden severe weather in January has killed off several of my old plants. I have no frost-free place large enough to protect them all; in normal winters, a plastic-covered tunnel has been sufficient. Another commitment is this notebook, which has been fermenting in my mind for several months. I would like to write it, to record some of the ups and downs of a nursery garden, but my one fear is not finding time to write decently. Even keeping up a scrappy diary becomes difficult as the sap rises." You can get a used copy of Beth Chatto's Garden Notebook and support the show, using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for under $9. Great Gifts for Gardeners AOMGD 3 Pack Macrame Plant Hanger and 3 PCS Hooks Indoor Outdoor Hanging Plant Holder Hanging Planter Stand Flower Pots for Decorations - Cotton Rope, 4 Leg-Strings, 3 Sizes $9.89

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Today's Botanic Spark Even though roses are often associated with February (thanks to Valentine's Day), February's birth flower is not the rose. Instead, February has two birth flowers. In England, February's birth flower is the Violet, and in the United States, February is honored with the Primrose. With regard to the Violet, the plantsman Derek Jarman once wrote: "Violet has the shortest wavelength of the spectrum. Behind it, the invisible ultraViolet. 'Roses are Red; Violets are Blue.' Poor Violet — violated for a rhyme." The adorable little Violet signifies many virtues; truth and loyalty; watchfulness and faithfulness. Gifting a Violet lets the recipient know you'll always be true. Like the theme song from Friends promises, you'll always be there for them. The ancient Greeks placed a high value on the Violet. When it came time to pick a blossom as a symbol for Athens, it was the Violet that made the cut. The Greeks used Violet to make medicine. They also used Violets in the kitchen to make wine and to eat the edible blossoms. Today, Violets are used to decorate salads, and they can even be gently sprinkled over fish or poultry. Violets are beautiful when candied in sugar or used to decorate pastries. Violets can even be distilled into a syrup for a memorable Violet liqueur. Finally, Violets were Napoleon Bonaparte's signature flower. When his wife, Josephine, died in 1814, Napoleon covered her grave with Violets. His friends even referred to Napoleon as Corporal Violet. After he was exiled to Elba, Napoleon vowed to return before the Violet season. Napoleon's followers used Violet to weed out his detractors. They would ask strangers if they liked Violets; a positive response was the sign of a loyal Napoleon supporter. The other official February flower is the Primrose, which originated from the Latin word "primus," meaning "first" or "early." The name refers to the Primrose as one of the first plants that bloom in the spring. As with the Violet, the leaves and flowers of Primrose are edible and often tossed into a salad. The leaves are said to taste like lettuce. Gifting a Primrose has a more urgent - stalkerish- meaning than the Violet; a Primrose tells a person that you can't live without them. In Germany, people believed that the first girl to find a Primrose on Easter would marry that same year. And, the saying about leading someone down the Primrose path, refers to enticing someone with to do something bad by laying out pleasurable traps. The phrase originated in William Shakespeare's Hamlet as Ophelia begs her brother: Do not, as some ungracious pastors do, Show me the steep and thorny way to heaven; While like a puffed and reckless libertine, Himself, the Primrose path of dalliance treads. And, the man known as "The Daffodil King, Peter Barr, who bred over 2 million daffodils at his home in Surry and he's credited with popularizing the daffodil. Yet, when Barr retired, he went to Scotland and grew - not daffodils, but Primroses. Two years before he died, Peter Barr, the Daffodil King, mused, "I wonder who will plant my grave with Primroses?"

Today we celebrate one of Britain's great explorers and the first apple parer. We'll learn about the wonderful willow, and we'll celebrate the very first field trip of the Philadelphia Botanical Club, which happened 128 years ago today. Today's Unearthed Words feature poems from the author of Anne of Green Gables. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book that essentially offers an herb seasoning master class in between its pages I'll talk about a garden item that comes in handy for gifting natural elements from the garden along with a whole host of other uses... and then we'll wrap things up with the story of a woman who married a botanist and then wrote about her adventures with him. But first, let's catch up on a few recent events. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart Curated Articles 10 Ideas For What To Do With Broken Plant Pots | Joy Us Garden Don't toss that old, broken pot out just yet! Whether you nestle it, fill it with herbs, stack it, lay it sideways, create a layered planting, or add cacti/succulents, the options are endless! 10 Benefits of Growing Chives | Great Post @GrowForCookFerm: 10 Benefits of Growing Chives in the Spring Garden! They are perennial with a long growing season and are the perfect garnish. They also attract pollinators, have edible blossoms, tasty greens, and are high in Vitamins K & A. Now, if you'd like to check out these curated articles for yourself, you're in luck, because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. There's no need to take notes or search for links - the next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events 1779 Today is the anniversary of the death of one of the great British explorers, and he commanded a vessel called The Endeavor, Captain James Cook. At the age of 26, Cook joined the Royal Navy later than most, at the age of 26. He drew attention with his Superior map-making skills, which helped the British Launch a successful attack in Quebec. Later, when Cook took command of his own ship, he was usually accompanied by artists, scientists, astronomers, and botanists like Sir Joseph Banks - who accompanied Cook on the first successful voyage to Australia. A year later, Cook sailed again, but this time Banks would not be going. Instead, a German, Johann Reinhold Forster and his son Georg—would be the botanists for his next voyage. Cook's death on this day in 1779 in Hawaii was gruesome. Angered when Hawaiian natives stole one of his cutter ships, Cook ordered the bay sealed off. Cook went ashore at the North end of the bay and asked the King and his sons to come away as hostages. The King's wife broke down, crying and begged him not to go with Cook. The King's people suddenly rose up and defended him and threw stones at Cook. Meanwhile, on the South end of the bay, a high-ranking chief had tried to break through the barricade. Cook's men shot him. A battle started that swept up the bay just as Cook was attempting to leave the King. Cook signaled for boats to come and get them off the beach. As Cook was making his way to the shore to escape, a native clubbed him with a piece of fencing and ran off. As Cook attempted to rise, another native stabbed in the back of the neck with a dagger. Cook's head was held under the water as he was killed with clubs and stones. Afterward, the islanders prepared a Royal Funeral for him, removing his hands from his body and preserving them in salt. The rest of his body was roasted in a pit so that his bones could be picked clean. Last year, the Australian government announced they were budgeting $50 million to redevelop Cook's 1770 landing place. The plans include turning the area into a major tourist attraction and include the addition of a $3 million statue of Cook himself. Australia Treasurer Scott Morrison said it would be, "a place of commemoration, recognition, and understanding of two cultures and the incredible Captain Cook." The redevelopment is slated to be ready this year, 2020, in time to mark the 250th anniversary of the landing. 1803Today a patent for an Apple Paring Machine, was given to Moses Coates of Downington, Pennsylvania. Over the next hundred years, 150 different patents would be issued for apple parers - and most would be variations in improvements on Coates's original machine. The parer that Moses created was a cranked wooden gadget that had a metal blade and prongs that would hold the apple. If you're able to find one of Moses Coates apple parers today, you will pay between $200 and $400. Coatesville, Pennsylvania, was named by Moses Coates. And, Moses patented a number of pieces of equipment, including a machine that was used to cut straw. Before the invention of the apple parer, people used to host apple harvest festivals where are all the apples would be gathered in paired in a paring spree. All the apples would be pared by hand. The apple slices and quarters would end up and huge kettles that would have to be stirred all day - for about 8 hours. Then, when the mixture started to turn dark, biscuits would be made, and then everyone would line up for a biscuit with a slab of apple butter. 1856 Today Henry David Thoreau wrote in his journal about a natural willow hedge. "I was struck today by the size and continuousness of the natural willow hedge on the east side of the railroad causeway... Some twelve years ago, when that causeway was built through the meadows, there were no willows there or near there, but now, just at the foot of the sand-bank, where it meets the meadow, and on the line of the fence, quite a dense willow hedge has planted itself. I used to think that the seeds were brought with the sand from the Deep Cut in the woods, but there is no golden willow there; but now I think that the seeds have been blown hither from a distance, and lodged against the foot of the bank, just as the snow-drift accumulates there... They plant themselves here solely, and not in the open meadow, as exclusively as along the shores of a river. The sand-bank is a shore to them, and the meadow a lake. How impatient, how rampant, how precocious these osiers ("OH-see-ers")! They have hardly made two shoots from the sand in as many springs when silvery catkins burst out along them, and anon golden blossoms and downy seeds, spreading their race with incredible rapidity. Thus they multiply and clan together. Thus they take advantage even of the railroad, which elsewhere disturbs and invades their domains. May I ever be in as good spirits as a willow! How tenacious of life! How withy! How soon it gets over its hurts! They never despair. Is there no moisture longer in nature which they can transmute into sap? They are emblems of youth, joy, and everlasting life. Scarcely is their growth restrained by winter, but their silvery down peeps forth in the warmest days in January." Willow (Salix) trees are native to northern China. They can reproduce from seeds, broken twigs, or even leaves. A speedy grower, Willows can grow 10 feet in a single year. In the spring, weeping Willows silver-tinged green catkins appear on the branches. The fuzzy catkins that contain either male or female flowers depending on the sex of the tree. You can force cuttings of willows to bloom by bringing them indoors. The catkins will open and flower in a vase of water. Don't forget to save your willow water for rooting. Willow water contains a natural rooting hormone. A mix of 50% fresh water and 50% willow water is an excellent solution to get cuttings to root. 1892 Today the Philadelphia Botanical Club took their very first field trip to Bartram's Garden. In 1850, Andrew McCalla Eastwick (1806-1879), an engineer and the inventor of the steam shovel, bought the 46-acre Bartram estate from John Bartram's granddaughter, Ann Bartram Carr. Eastwick had banked a personal mint after building railroads for Czar Nicholas I of Russia. Unlike the fate of many old homes, Eastwick decided not to tear down the existing house. Instead, he kept the Bartram family homestead as a memorial, building his own mansion beside Bartrams. He also made sure the historic garden was kept intact. He vowed not to harm "one bush" planted by the Bartrams. In 2015, Bartram's Garden, in Philadelphia, was designated an American Society for Horticultural Science (ASHS) Horticultural Landmark. The prestigious award commemorates sites based on their historical, scientific, environmental, and aesthetic value. The award was first presented to Monticello, home of President Thomas Jefferson. Other recipients include Longwood Gardens, Missouri Botanical Garden, New York Botanical Garden, Arnold Arboretum, and Fairchild Botanical Garden. Unearthed Words Here are wintery poems from the beloved author of the Anne of Green Gables series: Frosty-white and cold it lies Underneath the fretful skies; Snowflakes flutter where the red Banners of the poppies spread, And the drifts are wide and deep Where the lilies fell asleep. — But the sunsets o'er it throw Flame-like splendor, lucent glow, And the moonshine makes it gleam Like a wonderland of dream, And the sharp winds all the day Pipe and whistle shrilly gay. — Safe beneath the snowdrifts lie Rainbow buds of by-and-by; In the long, sweet days of spring Music of bluebells shall ring, And its faintly golden cup Many a primrose will hold up. Though the winds are keen and chill Roses' hearts are beating still, And the garden tranquility In the summer days of blue All its dreamings will come true. — Lucy Maud Montgomery, The Garden in Winter Above the marge of night, a star still shines, And on the frosty hills the somber pines Harbor an eerie wind that crooneth low Over the glimmering wastes of virgin snow. Through the pale arch of orient the morn Comes in a milk-white splendor newly-born, A sword of crimson cuts in twain the gray Banners of shadow hosts, and lo, the day! — Lucy Maud Montgomery, A Winter Dawn Grow That Garden Library A Taste for Herbs by Sue Goetz The subtitle of this book is A Guide To Seasonings, Mixes, and Blends from the Herb Lover's Garden. Sue's book helps you become an herbal taste master. The preview to this book challenges us to think of this book as an herb seasoning Master Class - filled with simple secrets for capturing the power of flavor from your herb garden. And here's how Sue describes her book. She writes: In these pages, you'll find all you need to know about 20 of the most commonly used and flavor-rich herbs: how to grow them (which is easy), the best varieties to choose, what parts to use, essential information, and tips throughout. I'll take you step-by-simple-step, through harvesting, preserving the herbs, and capturing all those precious flavors. And, as promised, there are the recipes - over a hundred - showing you how to flavor, mix, mingle, and blend herbs into almost any meal. The big takeaway is that you become a creator of flavors, a master of blends, an infusion maven. And, you deepen your relationship with the plants that you bring to your table and the garden that produces them. Now, this book just recently celebrated its one-year anniversary on February 1st. You can get a used copy of and support the show, using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for under $8. 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Today's Botanic Spark 1897 Today is the birthday of the English writer Eleanor Constance Rundall Bor. Eleanor is remembered for her book "The Adventures of a Botanist's Wife" - a book I own multiple copies of - it's a favorite of mine. In 1931, Eleanor went to India, where she married her Irish botanist husband, Norman Bor. Norman became the Director of the Forest Research Institute at Dehra Dun. After establishing himself as a world authority on Asian grasses, Norman returned to England to become Assistant Director of Kew Gardens. Eleanor wrote and illustrated "The Adventures of a Botanist's Wife" about their life together in India. In 1952, the newspaper in Melbourne Australia featured Eleanor's book in an article called "On Top of the World." Here's an excerpt: SHE WORE SAND SHOES for a simple reason. They were the only comfortable shoes she could buy in Shillong and, since she was determined to miss none of the mountain trips made by her botanist husband, she accepted the shoes. Surprisingly, they proved comfortable, and, as she clambered around the incredible cliff edge paths, thousands of feet above deep Himalayan gorges, she was grateful for the firm grip of the rubber. Mrs. Bor had expected to share exciting plant discoveries and, at least, to give her name to a rare orchid. Instead, she found her husband was a specialist in grasses, and it was a new species of grass extremely rare but, to her, looking no more than a "mangy bit of fur" that finally bore her name. Once [ on a mountain] stepping from mist and snow, they saw below them, on the white mountain slopes, a blaze of rhododendrons and magnolias, and In their camp that night burned rhododendron logs. Their mountain trips were often dangerous. Mrs. Bor hated crossing the cobweb-like cane bridges strung hundreds of feet above foaming torrents. The Rupa bridge was especially terrifying, with only strands of cane for a foothold and tall hoops set a yard apart for the hands to grip. More menacing than cane bridges and cliff tracks were the insects. Wild animals were not alarming, but the hornets, centipedes, horse flies, dam dims, and above all, the leeches made camping In the Jungle foothills a nightmare. One reviewer wrote: "Here is a story told with the charm and simplicity of a life spent in the foothills of the Himalayas where Eleanor Bor and her botanist husband tramp through jungled terrain establishing friendly relations with hill tribes and villagers, discovering the enchantments of mysterious undergrowth and carrying with them the domestic problems of household pets and family happenings. Their years in the jungle, as told by the author, are those of a true traveler."

Today we celebrate the botanist who sailed with Captain James Cook on the Endeavor and the man regarded as the father of North American mycology. We'll learn about the man who patented the first practical lawnmower 198 years ago today. Today's Unearthed Words feature a poet and writer who used the names Flora or Florilla as her pseudonyms. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book about one man's adventures with bumblebees. I'll talk about a flexible and tough garden item to help you plant your seedlings, and it is reusable to boot. And then, we'll wrap things up with the story of a woman who knew the botanical world of Nantucket like the back of her hand. But first, let's catch up on a few recent events. Subscribe Apple|Google|Spotify|Stitcher|iHeart Curated Articles 2020 Wildflower of the Year – North Carolina Botanical Garden The 2020 North Carolina Wildflower of the Year: marsh-pink (Sabatia angularis "Sah-BAY-tee-ah ANG-you-LARE-iss) @NCBotGarden

• aka: rose gentian, rose pink, or bitter-bloom.
• A biennial - Native to US (South & East), Grows in low, wet meadows, woods & along roadsides.
• Marsh-pink grows best in moist soil in full to partial sun and is infrequently offered in nurseries because of its biennial habit.
• It seemingly disappears in years of drought,

Vita Sackville-West on her garden at Sissinghurst (1950) | House & Garden Wow. Great share from @_houseandgarden archive: Vita Sackville-West at Sissinghurst (1950). If you are renovating or starting from scratch - read this & be inspired! "The place had been in the market for three years since the death of the last farmer-owner... Brambles grew in wild profusion; bindweed wreathed its way into every support; ground-elder made a green carpet; docks and nettles flourished; couch­ grass sprouted; half the fruit trees in the orchard were dead; the ones that remained alive were growing in the coarsest grass; the moat was silted up and so invaded by reeds and bulrushes that the water was almost invisible; paths there were none, save of trodden mud. It had its charm. It was Sleeping Beauty's castle with a ven­geance — if you liked to see it with a romantic eye. But, if you also looked at it with a realistic eye, you saw that Nature run wild was not quite so romantic as you thought, and entailed a great deal of laborious tidying up. The most urgent thing to do was to plant hedges. We were extravagant over this, and planted yew, and have never regretted it. Everybody told us it took at least a century to make a good yew hedge, but the photographs will, I think, disprove this: the hedge is now only seventeen years old, a mere adoles­cent, and, at the end where the ground slopes and it has been allowed to grow up in order to maintain the top-level, it is 16 feet high. At the end of all this is the herb garden, which always seems to allure visitors, no doubt because it is a secret, senti­mental little place. "Old world charm" is the phrase I always expect to hear, and nine times out of ten, I get it. But, less romantic­ally, the herb garden does supply very useful things to the kitchen. One needs years of patience to make a garden; one needs deeply to love it in order to endure that patience. One needs optimism and foresight. One has to wait. One has to work hard oneself, sometimes, as I had to work hard, manually, during the war years, cutting all those hedges with shears in my spare time. I hated those hedges when I looked at my blistered hands, but at the same time, I still felt that it had been worthwhile planting them. They were the whole pattern and design and anatomy of the garden, and, as such, was worth any trouble I was willing to take." Now, if you'd like to check out these curated articles for yourself, you're in luck, because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. There's no need to take notes or search for links - the next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events 1743 Today is the birthday of Joseph Banks. Banks is best known for his study of Australian flora and fauna and his role as the botanist on board the Endeavor with Captain James Cook. When they landed in Australia, neither Cook nor Banks realized that the quartz reef where they planted the British Flag contained gold. The area would remain untouched by Europeans for almost two more decades. Before returning to England, Cook worried the Endeavor wouldn't make it around the Cape of Good Hope. In a fateful decision, Cook had brought the ship to Batavia, a Dutch colony, to fortify his boat. Batavia was a dangerous place where malaria and dysentery were rampant. As a result of his stop, Cook lost a staggering 38 members of his crew. Banks, and a fellow botanist Daniel Solander, managed to survive the stop, although, at one point, they were both gravely ill. Even as they battled back from illness, they still went out to collect specimens. As gardeners, we owe a great debt to Banks. When he returned to England, it was Joseph Banks who advised George III on the creation of the Royal Botanic Garden, Kew. And, in 1778, when Linnaeus died, his belongings went up for sale. By then, Joseph Banks was the President of the Linnean Society. Joseph acted quickly, buying everything of horticultural value on behalf of the society. Linnaeus' notebooks and specimens were on a ship bound for England by the time the king of Sweden realized Linnaeus' legacy was no longer in Sweden. He sent a fast Navy ship in pursuit of Banks' precious cargo, but it was too late. And so, Banks secured the legacy of Linnaeus, which is why Linnaeus's collection is in London at the Linnaeus Society's Burlington House. And, Banks helped spread Linnaeus's ideas across the globe, which was easier for him to accomplish since he was based in London, the hub for the science of botany. At his London residence, Banks hired the Scottish botanist Robert Brown to be his botanical librarian. The two became lifelong friends. So much so, that when Banks died in 1820, he left his home, his collections, and his library to Brown, and he also endowed him with a sizeable yearly allowance. 1780Today is the birthday of the Moravian clergyman and botanist Lewis David von Schweinitz, also known as the "Father of North American Mycology." Mycology is the study of fungi. Lewis was born in Pennsylvania, and he was a descendant on his mother's side of Count Zinzendorf - the founder of the Moravian Church. Lewis's home town of Bethlehem Pennsylvania was a Moravian settlement. When Lewis was seven years old, he was placed in a Moravian boarding school called Nazareth Hall. One of Lewis's earliest memories was visiting Nazareth Hall before attending there. He passed by one of the classrooms and saw a specimen of lichen digitatus sitting on a table, and he went to inspect it. It was Lewis's first experience with botany, and it would become his favorite subject. After completing his education, Lewis moved to Niesky, Germany, with his family. He was 18 years old. In Germany, Lewis became a pastor, got married, and studied botany in his spare time. He even managed to help his professor put together a book featuring over 1,000 different types of fungi found in Niesky. Lewis used his natural talent for drawing and painting to created watercolors of the specimens featured, and they are now digitized and available online. After many years in Germany, Lewis and his wife moved back to the United States to lead a Moravian church. They settled in Salem, North Carolina. Although the church was his primary focus, throughout his adulthood, Lewis devoted all of his spare time to the study of fungi. Between 1812 and 1821, Lewis collected in and around Salem North, Carolina. He was essentially replicating the work he had performed in Germany under the direction of his botany professor. In 1818, Lewis published his work on the fungi of North Carolina. Then, four years later, in 1822, Lewis published an even more comprehensive book featuring a staggering 3,000 species of fungi. In all, Lewis single-handedly published over 1,200 new species of fungi. When Lewis died, his enormous herbarium made its way to the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia. And here's a fun side note that pertains to Lewis Schweinitz: In 1986, botanists discovered the rare sunflower named for Lewis Schweinitz - the Schweinitz sunflower (Helianthus schweinitzii) near Rock Hill in South Carolina. The Schweinitz sunflower exists only in about a dozen little pockets around Rock Hill and Charlotte. Lewis, himself, initially discovered the Schweinitz sunflower in 1821. 1822 On this day, Jeremiah Bailey of Chester county, Pennsylvania, patented the first practical lawnmower; it had two wheels and was pulled by a horse. A person could mow up to ten acres a day with Bailey's machine. After locals trialed the device, they reported, "We consider it as one of the most complete and useful labor-saving machines for agricultural uses hitherto invented..." The first genuinely successful machine would be patented ten years later by Obed Hussey of Maryland. Unearthed Words 1825 Today is the birthday of the heartfelt American poet and writer - known at Rutland's poet and Vermont's unofficial poet laureate - Julia Dorr. As a girl, her pseudonym was Flora or Florillla. The poet William Cullen Bryant once read one of her poems and wrote to tell her how much he loved the beauty of its imagery. And Ralph Waldo Emerson visited her and included one of her poems - called Outgrown - in his book called Parnassus. As you hear today's poems, imagine Julia Dorr writing in her little study next to the parlor. She had a window by her desk that overlooked her flower garden, which she called "her refuge and her inspiration." Roly-poly honey bee, Humming in the clover, Under you, the tossing leaves And the blue sky over, Why are you so busy, pray? Never still a minute, Hovering now above a flower. Now half-buried in it! — Honeybee And all the meadows, wide unrolled, Were green and silver, green and gold, Where buttercups and daisies spun Their shining tissues in the sun. — Unanswered I know a spot where the wild vines creep, And the coral moss-cups grow, And where at the foot of the rocky steep, The sweet blue violets blow. —Over the Wall And the stately lilies stand Fair in the silvery light, Like saintly vestals, pale in prayer; Their pure breath sanctifies the air, As its fragrance fills the night. — A Red Rose Often I linger where the roses pour Exquisite odors from each glowing cup; Or where the violet, brimmed with sweetness o'er, Lifts its small chalice up. — Without and Within Plant a white rose at my feet, Or a lily fair and sweet, With the humble mignonette And the blue-eyed violet. — Earth to Earth Around in silent grandeur stood The stately children of the wood; Maple and elm and towering pine Mantled in folds of dark woodbine. — At the Gate Meadow-sweet or lily fair— Which shall it be? Clematis or brier-rose, Blooming for me? Spicy pink, or violet With the dews of morning wet, Sweet peas or mignonette— Which shall it be? Blue-bells and yellow-bells Swinging in the air; Purple pansies, golden pied; Pink-white daisies, starry-eyed; Gay nasturtiums, deeply dyed, Climbing everywhere. Life is so full, so sweet— How can I choose? If I gather this rose, That I must lose! All are not for me to wear; I can only have my share; Thorns are hiding here and there; How can I choose? — Choosing O my garden! Lying whitely in the moonlight and the dew, Far across the leagues of distance flies my heart to-night to you, And I see your stately lilies In the tender radiance gleam With a dim, mysterious splendor, like the angels of a dream! I can see the trellised arbor, and the roses crimson And the lances of the larkspurs all glittering, row on row, And the wilderness of hollyhocks, where brown bees seek their spoil, And butterflies dance all day long, in glad and gay turmoil. — Homesick My true love sent me a valentine All on a winter's day, And suddenly the cold gray skies Grew soft and warm as May! The snowflakes changed to apple blooms, A pink- white fluttering crowd, And on the swaying maple boughs The robins sang aloud. For moaning wintry winds, I heard The music sweet and low Of morning-glory trumpets Through which the soft airs blow. O love of mine, my Valentine! This is no winter day — For Love rules all the calendars, And Love knows only May! —An Answer To A Valentine Julia died just before her 88th birthday in 1913. In Evergreen Cemetery, in Rutland, Vermont, Julia shares a tombstone with her husband, Seneca. The stone features her poem "Beyond." For your understanding, a barque is a ship with three masts. Beyond the sunset's crimson bars, Beyond the twilight and the stars, Beyond the midnight and the dark, Sail on, sail on, O happy barque. Into the dawn of that Tomorrow Where hearts shall find the end of sorrow And Love shall find its own! — Beyond Grow That Garden Library A Sting in the Tale by Dave Goulson The subtitle of this book is My Adventures with Bumblebees. Dave's book is fascinating, and it will change the way you think about bumblebees. When he was a little boy, Dave became obsessed with wildlife. Although he grew up with a menagerie of pets, bumblebees were his passion. I thought you would enjoy hearing a few excerpts from Dave's book. Here's where he talks about the biology of the Bumblebee: "They have to eat almost continually to keep warm; a bumblebee with a full stomach is only ever about forty minutes from starvation. If a bumblebee runs out of energy, she cannot fly, and if she cannot fly, she cannot get to flowers to get more food, so she is doomed." Then, here's where Dave tells us what we can do to help the Bumblebee. The answer for gardeners is a pretty simple one. Dave writes: "The key to helping our rarer species to thrive is probably simply to add more flower patches to the landscape, making it a little easier for them to find food and keep their nests well provisioned." And Dave is hopeful about the future of the Bumblebee And about the impact that each of us can have on their survival. He writes: "Conserving bumblebees is something anyone can do. A single lavender bush on a patio or in a window box will attract and feed bumblebees, even in the heart of a city." And I love that Dave includes this fantastic quote from Andrew Downing, the 19th-century American horticulturist. "The music of the busy bee Is drowsy, and it comforts me; But, ah! 'tis quite another thing, When that same bee concludes to sting!" Dave's book came out in 2014. 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Today's Botanic Spark 1825 Today is the birthday of a student of Nantucket flora, the botanist Maria Louise Owen. Maria was born into a wealthy family in Nantucket. Her maiden name was Talent. When she was a little girl, Maria showed an interest in the plants growing around her home on Nantucket. The women in her family - her mother, her sisters, and her aunt - all shared in the hobby of botany. It wasn't long before Maria showed an aptitude for it. She had a superior intellect, memory, and processing skills. She had a scientific mind. After marrying a Harvard-educated doctor named Varillas Owen, the young couple settled in Springfield, Massachusetts. For more than 50 years, their home became a hub for scientists and academics. Maria loved to entertain, and she drew energy from connecting with the educated people in her area. One peer said that Maria was "easily the most cultivated and best-read woman of her time in Springfield." Maria served as the President of both the Springfield Women's Club and the Springfield Botanical Society for over a decade. A renaissance woman, Maria taught botany, French, astronomy, and geography. Although Maria enjoyed teaching all of these subjects equally, she always said that for her, happiness could be found in the study of botany. In 1882, Maria contributed to a little Nantucket guidebook. Maria's part featured a listing of all the plants on the island of Nantucket. The project was a bit retrospective for Maria since she was writing about the plants of her childhood and featuring specimens she'd collected as a young woman. Even after moving to Springfield, Maria still botanized in the area whenever she came back to Nantucket. Although she spent five decades of her adult life in Springfield, she always regarded Nantucket as her home. In 1888, Maria wrote her masterpiece - a comprehensive Flora of Nantucket, which featured almost 800 species and varieties. After her book, Maria made it a point to connect with new generations of Nantucket botanists. The young botanists were eager to make her acquaintance; Maria was a one-woman repository of all the plants of Nantucket. When the botanist Bicknell published a follow-up catalog about Nantucket in the early 1900s, he continually referred to Maria's work, which explicitly documented when and where plants were introduced. For instance, when she wrote about chicory, she said it was, "a roadside plant along the south end of Orange Street" where it had thrived for "fifty years." At the age of 87, Maria was asked about one of the plants in her flora - Tillaea. The plant was hard to find, and botanists were curious about a location for it. Maria wrote, "My patch of Tillaea... doubtless still exists, and there is a happy day in store for any botanist who sees it at just the right season." Maria died in 1907. She had moved back to Nantucket to live with her daughter. Walter Deane wrote in his Rhodora biography of Maria that she died, "...on a bright morning with the room flooded with sunshine, which she always loved, and filled with iris, columbine, and cornflowers…. She lived true to the [Latin] motto of her mother's family 'Post tenebris, speramus lumen de lumine,' which [Maria] always loved to translate, 'After the darkness, we hope for light from the source of light.'"

Today we celebrate the Dutch botanist who figured out the king bee was actually a queen and the poet gardener who preferred curves over straight lines. We'll learn about the evolutionist who started out as a staunch Christian and who once wrote, "I did not in the least doubt the strict and literal truth of every word in the Bible." Today's Unearthed Words feature thoughts about February, our shortest month. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book that is brand new - just released officially today - and it encourages you to grow your fruit and vegetables in pots. I'll talk about a garden item that is just the coolest little gadget for growing seeds. And then we'll wrap things up with the backstory on a Clematis you probably have in your garden, or your neighbor has it - or both. But first, let's catch up on a few recent events. Subscribe Apple|Google|Spotify|Stitcher|iHeart Curated Articles How to Eat Edible Flowers | FoodUnfolded How to Eat Edible Flowers? One bite at a time. "Chamomile tastes like apples; Begonia has a sharp citrus flavor, Calendula goes peppery to bitter, Daylilies - a melony, cucumber taste & Nasturtium is sweet and peppery." Penelope Hobhouse - SGD Awards 2020 Lifetime Achievement Award Winner - YouTube Take a moment & watch this - an EXCELLENT video featuring Penelope Hobhouse - (Society of Garden Designers) SGD Awards 2020 Lifetime Achievement Award Winner She says: "My feelings about good design are, first of all, the skeleton - the architecture. If you get the architecture right, you can fill it in with the plants you love. I was 82 - or something like that - when I came here. I knew it was my last garden. That's really what made me plant this as an architectural garden - with flowers in between green architecture. I only wanted plants I really loved, and that's what I've done. That's what is so lovely is living here - almost as a recluse - getting old. I think I'm very lucky people remember me at all. That's just luck and chance, I think." Sarah Morgan, SGD Chair, said: "Penelope Hobhouse has influenced and inspired garden design for decades. Self-trained in practical horticulture and design, she nevertheless forged a hugely successful career, thanks to her love and knowledge of plants and instinctive design talent." Now, if you'd like to check out these curated articles for yourself, you're in luck, because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. There's no need to take notes or search for links - the next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events 1637Today is the birthday of the Dutch biologist and entomologist Jan Swammerdam (Yahn SWAH-MER-dam). Before Jan's work, people believed that insects created spontaneously. Jan proved that insects were born from eggs laid by the female of the species and that the larva, pupa, and adult, were just different forms of the same species. After Jan dissected a female bee and discovered it had ovaries, he pronounced the head of the colony to be a queen bee "hitherto looked upon as a king." And here was Jan's description of the male bees: "[The hive] tolerates, during summer days of abundance, the embarrassing presence in the hive of three or four hundred males, from whose ranks the queen about to be born shall select her lover; three or four hundred foolish, clumsy, useless, noisy creatures, who are pretentious, gluttonous, dirty, course, totally and scandalously idle, insatiable, and enormous." Jan's description of the hive's survival abilities is still as vibrant and relevant today as it was when he wrote: "Should disaster befall the little Republic; should the hive or the comb collapse; should man prove ignorant or brutal; should they suffer from famine, from cold or disease, and perish by thousands, it will still be almost invariably found that the queen will be safe and alive beneath the corpses of her faithful daughters. For they will protect her and help her escape; their bodies will provide both rampart and shelter; for her will be the last drop of honey, the wholesomest food. Break their comb twenty times in succession, take twenty times from them their young and their food, you still shall never succeed in making them doubt of the future." 1724Today is the birthday of the poet and gardener William Mason. The Reverend William Mason was also a writer, artist, and garden designer. Mason is remembered for creating the romance of the country house garden. Here's how he did it: In 1775 at Nuneham ("NEW-Num"), near Oxford, England, Mason designed a flower garden for his friend Lord Harcourt. To many, this garden was a turning point and marked the beginning of what came to be known as romantic flower gardening. What Mason accomplished was a radical change; straight lines in borders and beds were out. Circular beds were in. With new elements in gardens like island beds, this meant that the plants were located away from the house. Instead, plantings and beds were located near outdoor garden buildings like temples, or orangeries, or a seating area. The garden at Nuneham became a model for others. Mason's creation set the trend for English gardening, and Mason broadcast his ideas about romantic gardening in a very, very long poem called "The English Garden." It was released in chunks over the span of a decade, between 1772 and 1781. Mason's target audience were the wealthy garden owners of his time. He was speaking directly to them when he wrote: "Waste is not grandeur," and "A garden is the purest of human pleasures; it is the greatest refreshment to the spirit of man." Mason made many appeals to country estate owners, but his broad message was to throw out formal gardens in favor of romantic landscapes. Now, the word romantic simply means a landscape that is wild or natural. During this time, people referred to these romantic, natural, or wild landscapes as the picturesque garden. Today, gardeners delight in this little verse from Mason's poem. It offers simple, resonate advice from William Mason to you: Take thy plastic spade, It is thy pencil. Take thy seeds, thy plants, They are thy colors. 1809Today is the birthday of the English naturalist and writer Charles Robert Darwin. Darwin was born into a large Christian family in Victorian England. His dad was wealthy; he was a doctor and an investor. For generations, Darwin's family were staunch abolitionists. Darwin's mother died when he was just eight years old. Clever and curious, he managed to find solace in learning. When he went to college at Cambridge, he was planning to be a member of the clergy. He wrote, "I did not then in the least doubt, the strict and literal truth of every word in the Bible." But then, Darwin met a man who would become his mentor and friend, John Stevens Henslow. Henslow taught botany at Cambridge, and the two men enjoyed learning from each other as they took walks in the country. Their time together inspired Darwin and helped him to focus on his specialty - the natural world. It also opened the door to a strong wanderlust - a desire to see firsthand what the world had to offer. It was thanks to his friend Henslow that Darwin received an invitation to join Captain Robert FitzRoy on the HMS Beagle. Henslow had written a letter recommending Darwin for the journey, especially endorsing his likable personality. Once Darwin was officially asked to be part of team Beagle, Henslow presented Darwin with a gift - a rare copy of Alexander von Humboldt's travels in South America. In the book, Henslow had inscribed these words: "J. S. Henslow to his friend C. Darwin on his departure from England upon a voyage around the World. 21st Sept. 1831." Darwin treasured this gift above all others, and at his death, the book was safely brought to Cambridge University Library, where it remains to this day. Darwin's five-year Journey on the HMS Beagle led him to think differently about his faith and his perspective on creation. It was October 2, 1836, before the HMS Beagle returned to England. Often, Darwin is depicted on the Beagle as an old man; but he was just 22 when he sailed away and still a young 27 when he returned with boxes full of specimens and a brain swirling with new ideas. During the revelatory trip on the Beagle, Darwin had found the building blocks to his evolutionary theory in the many fossils and diverse species he discovered on his excursions. In particular, his visit to the Galapagos Islands - which were largely untouched by man; they were pristine - was especially influential. And, although people assume that Darwin had a lightbulb moment during his time on the Beagle, his writing shows that wasn't the case. Darwin's thinking on the topic of creation and evolution matured as he grew older. Bear in mind, his paternal grandfather, Erasmus, had experienced bigtime negative backlash for his own ideas on evolution. This made Darwin cautious, and it raised the stakes for going public with his own radical thoughts. To mitigate the risk, Darwin was methodical, and he worked to make an irrefutable case for evolution. Thus, it would be another 23 years after returning to England Beagle before Darwin was ready to publish his masterpiece: Origin of Species. Now, if you ever get the chance to review the first edition online, you might be surprised to know that the word evolution isn't even mentioned. It wasn't until the 6th edition that the powerful word that became synonymous with Darwin's work was integrated into the text - evolution. Unearthed Words Here are some thoughts on February - the shortest month of the year: The February sunshine steeps your boughs and tints the buds and swells the leaves within. — William Cullen Bryant, American Romantic poet Deep sleeps the winter, Cold, wet, and grey; Surely all the world is dead; Spring is far away. Wait! the world shall waken; It is not dead, for lo, The Fair Maids of February Stand in the snow! — Cicely Mary Barker, English illustrator of fairies and flowers In tangled wreath, in clustered gleaming stars, In floating, curling sprays, The golden flower comes shining through the woods These February days; Forth go all hearts, all hands, from out the town, To bring her gayly in, This wild, sweet Princess of far Florida - The yellow jessamine. — Constance Fenimore Woolson, American novelist, and poet, (and grand niece of James Fenimore Cooper), Yellow Jessamine February is merely as long as it is needed to pass the time until March. — Dr. J. R. Stockton, Professor Emeritus of Business Statistics, University of Texas February, when the days of winter seem endless, and no amount of wistful recollecting can bring back any air of summer. ― Shirley Hardie Jackson, American writer, Raising Demons February makes a bridge, and March breaks it. — George Herbert, Welsh poet, orator, and priest Grow That Garden Library Grow Fruit & Vegetables in Pots by Aaron Bertelsen This book is hot off the shelf - brand new - just released today! Aaron Bertelsen is the gardener-cook of England's Great Dixter in East Sussex — where the kitchen garden is a central part of everything he does. In his new cookbook, Aaron shares tips and tricks for potting up vegetables and preparing recipes from Grow Fruit & Vegetables in Pots - his brand new cookbook. This is such a great topic because so many of us have gardens where space is precious and limited. Following Aaron's example, we can expand our garden pots to include plants like blueberries and eggplant. Aaron has spent many seasons at Great Dixter, and for the years, he's refined his list of go-to vegetables and the various fruit specimens that he has learned to grow in containers. Now, he's sharing that advice with all of us so that we can learn what crops will grow best in pots. As a cook, Aaron also gives us his best advice on harvesting and cooking. This cookbook features over 50 wonderful recipes. The photos of these incredible dishes are so inspiring that you'll definitely want to expand what you're growing so that you can try some of Aaron's novel food ideas. Thanks to Aaron, once again, we've learned that space is not an excuse to not garden, and it certainly isn't a barrier to creativity or variety when it comes to what we plant. We just have to think more strategically about our gardens and search more diligently for wonderful examples to follow. Aaron and Great Dixter give us a wonderful blueprint for amping up the productivity in our garden space through the use of pots and the excitement in our own small garden spaces by following Aaron's lead. You can get a brand new copy of Grow Fruit & Vegetables in Pots by Aaron Bertelsen and support the show, using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for $39.95. Great Gifts for Gardeners Esschert Design USA W4008 Secrets du Potager Paper Pot Maker $13.65 Esschert Design says: "Our Secrets du Potager line is for those who are passionate about gardening, cooking, and entertaining and have an eye for detail. This clever tool is used for making seed pots from a newspaper; it's fun. Instead of traditional flower pots made of clay or plastic, you can also use homemade, small paper pots. In no time at all, you will be able to prepare a range of paper pots. When the time comes to plant the young seedlings outside, simply put them together with the paper pot in the ground. The newspaper rots away by itself. This set contains the paper pot press and instructions on how to produce the pots."

• A clever tool for making seed pots from newspaper
• Set includes the paper pot press and instructions on how to prepare the pot

Today's Botanic Spark I thought you'd enjoy learning about the family behind the ubiquitous Jackman Clematis - it's the one with the large dark purple flowers with yellow centers. And, just an FYI, you can prune the Jackman back in the fall without hurting next year's bloom - so don't sweat it, you can't hurt it with an end of the season cleanup. 1869Today is the anniversary of the death of the English nurseryman, pomologist, florist, and Clematis hybridizer George Jackman. He died at the age of 68. With multiple George's in the family, this George Jackman was always referred to as George I. Now, George I, and his brother Henry, were born into a nurseryman's family. In 1810, their father, William, founded Jackman Nursery on 150 acres in Woking ("Woe-king"), Surrey. George I and Henry grew up learning the business alongside their dad. By 1830, Willliam had turned the business over to his sons. After a few years, Henry decided he wasn't interested in running the struggling nursery, and he left it for George I. In the fall of 1834, George married Mary Ann Freemont. He was 33 years old. In a little over three years, George II was born. The beginning of the year 1840 was a terrible time in the life of George I. He lost his wife Mary in January and his father, William, in February. In the span of twenty-five days, George I and his 3-year-old son, George II, were alone. Needless to say, the nursery became the center of their world. The start of Clematis hybridizing, began five years before George I's life took such a dramatic turn. In 1835, about 35 miles from the Jackman nursery, London's Pineapple Nursery owned by John Andrew Henderson created the first Clematis hybrid. It was called Clematis Hendersonii - no doubt, George I took notice. When George II was 13 years old, Robert Fortune brought Clematis lanuginosa ("LAN-you-jee-NO-sah") to England. Native to China, the blooms on this Clematis were larger than any ever seen before. If Clematis blossoms were going to get bigger, the lanuginosa was the linchpin. By this point, George I was employing 35 men and six boys at the Jackman Nursery. George II shadowed every aspect of the business, and he grew to be a shrewd owner/operator. As a young man, George II was energized at the thought of clematis hybridizing. When he was just 21 years old, George II crossed Fortune's lanuginosa with Hendersonii along with the climber atrorubens. In less than six months, they had 300 seedlings. and George Jackman II had an instant hit on his hands. The plant was hardy, it quickly produced long-lasting impressive flowers, and the rootstock lasted for many years. The year was 1858, and Clematis Jackmanii (ii = "ee-eye") was born. George II wrote: "Seedlings about 300 — results of hybrids: very robust growers, abundant in flower of rich deep purple and maroon." Clematis jackmanii went on to receive the Award of Garden Merit from The Royal Horticultural Society. And, George II co-authored a book with Thomas Moore, the Secretary of The Royal Horticultural Society, the book called Clematis as a Garden Flower. George II and Thomas Moore dedicated the book to HRH Princess Mary, the Duchess of Teck. The Clematis was one of her favorite flowers. When George I died on this day in 1869, he had raised his son and had turned his nursery into a success. He had served as chapelwarden for his church - the church of St. John - for over two decades. He started serving a few years after losing his wife Mary, Mrs. George Jackman. The Gardener's chronicle said he died after a gout attack and was by all accounts a "beloved… kind-hearted, genial Christian." It went on to say that his "workmen (several of whom had been [with him] for 20, 30, or 40 years)" followed his coffin to the churchyard for burial. In 1967, the Jackman Nursery was sold by a Jackman descendant, Roland Jackman.

Today we celebrate a woman who was once the wealthiest woman in England, and she happily spent a fortune on plants. We also celebrate the man who transformed his family farm into a glorious garden. And, we'll learn about the Oxford professor who is remembered by a flower known as the "Jewel of the Desert." Today's Unearthed Words feature thoughts on winter. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book that will help you develop a botanist's vocabulary. I'll talk about a garden item you can buy that I use all the time. And then, we'll wrap things up with some sweet February folklore. But first, let's catch up on a few recent events. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart Curated Articles Penelope Hobhouse wins Lifetime Achievement Award | @TEGmagazine Bravo for Penelope Hobhouse - awarded the 2020 Society of Garden Designers (SGD) Lifetime Achievement Award! Past winners: Piet Oudolf, Beth Chatto & Christopher Bradley-Hole. The award recognizes her outstanding contribution to landscape & garden design. Get inspired & grow with her many books on garden design & garden history. Fertilizer Numbers: What They Mean and How to Use Them to Grow Better Excellent Comprehensive Post on Fertilizer @savvygardening @JessicaWalliser Know Your Numbers: What they mean and how to use them to grow better! NPK stands for "nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium," the three nutrients that comprise complete fertilizers. The description of the fertilizer may not expressly say "NPK," but you will at least see a series of three numbers. How do plants use N, P, & K? Nitrogen promotes shoot & leaf growth. Adding it to a green, leafy vegetable plant, such as spinach or lettuce, makes sense. Phosphorous generates fruit, flower, & root production. It's great for root crops, like beets, carrots, and onions, as well as for encouraging flower and fruit production. Potassium affects a plant's heartiness and vigor. Now, if you'd like to check out these curated articles for yourself, you're in luck, because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. There's no need to take notes or search for links - the next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events 1715 Today is the birthday of the British aristocrat, naturalist, plant lover, and botanist Margaret Cavendish Bentinck, Duchess of Portland. Her family and friends called her Maria. Maria married when she was 19 years old. Together, she and William Bentinck had five children; one of their sons became prime minister twice. When William died after their 27th anniversary, Maria threw herself into her many passions. As the wealthiest woman in England, Maria could acquire virtually any treasure from the natural world - and she did. She cultivated an enormous collection of natural history, which was tended by two experts she hired to personally attend each item: the naturalist Reverend John Lightfoot and the Swedish botanist Daniel Solander. Maria's home in Buckinghamshire was referred to by society as the hive - it was the Hub of activity for Solander and Lightfoot and the other people who helped process her acquisitions. At one point, Maria had reached out to Captain James Cook and had secured some shells from his second expedition to Australia. Daniel Solander was focused on cataloging Maria's massive shell collection but sadly left to the work unfinished when he died in 1782. Maria had an enormous appetite for curation and collecting. In addition to her Botanic Garden on her property, Maria opened a zoo, kept rabbits, and had an aviary. A constant stream of scientists, explorers, socialites, and artists visited her to exchange ideas and to inspect her collections. And, think about the limitless ambition she must have had as Lightfoot wrote that Maria wanted, "Every unknown species in the three kingdoms of nature described and published to the world." Now, Maria had a special love for collecting plants and flowers from far off places from around the world. She retained the botanist and the incomparable botanical illustrator Georg Dionysius Ehret as a drawing instructor. Struck by the luminescence of his work, Maria bought over 300 of his paintings. Maria also became friends with the botanical artist Mary Delaney. Mary made botanical paper mosaics, as she called them. Mary was essentially creating flower specimens out of tissue paper. Mary was exacting - dissecting real flowers and then replicating what she saw with tissue paper. To gather more material for her work, Maria and Mary loved to go out into the fields and collect specimens together. As the Duchess of Portland, Maria shared her specimens with the public, and she displayed her various collections from around the globe in what she called her Portland Museum. Once, in 1800, Maria received a rose from Italy, which became known as the Portland Rose in her honor. The rose was a beautiful crimson scarlet with round petals - and it was a repeat bloomer. And, here's a fun fact: all Portland Roses were developed from that first Portland Rose - the sweet gift to Margaret Cavendish Bentinck, the Duchess of Portland. 1763 Today is the anniversary of the death of poet and landscape gardener William Shenstone In the early 1740s, Shenstone inherited his family's dairy farm, which he transformed into the Leasowes (pronounced 'lezzoes'). The transfer of ownership lit a fire under Shenstone, and he immediately started changing the land into a wild landscape - something he referred to as an ornamented farm. Shenstone wisely bucked the trend of his time, which called for formal garden design (he didn't have the money to do that anyway.) Yet, what Shenstone accomplished was quite extraordinary. His picturesque natural landscape included water features like cascades and pools, as well as structures like temples and ruins. What I love most about Shenstone is that he was a consummate host. He considered the comfort and perspective of the garden from the standpoint of his visitors. When he created a walk around his estate, Shenstone wanted to control the experience. So, Shenstone added seating, every so often along the path, to cause folks to stop and admire the views that Shenstone found most appealing. Then, he incorporated signage with beautiful classical verses and poems - even adding some of his own - which elevated the Leasowes experience for guests. After his death, his garden, the Leasowes, became a popular destination - attracting the likes of William Pitt, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin. It was William Shenstone who said, "Grandeur and beauty are so very opposite, that you often diminish the one as you increase the other. Variety is most akin to the latter, simplicity to the former." 1795 Today is the birthday of the 19th-century professor of botany at Oxford University — as well as a chemist and geologist — Charles Daubeny (dow-Ben-EE). The herbarium at Oxford is named in his honor, as is the Daubenya genus (dow-Ben-ya) in the Hyacinth family. In 1835, the genus was described by the British botanist John Lindley. Lindley named it in honor of his peer, Charles Daubeny, in recognition for his experiments in vegetable chemistry, which improved our understanding of plant physiology. Native to South Africa, up until 2000, Daubenya was thought to have a single species, Daubenya aurea or Golden Daubenya. But then, it was expanded by John Manning and Peter Goldblatt to include additional genera ("jeh·nr·uh"). These Hyacinth varieties, with the common name "Jewel of the Desert," - Daubenya - grow flat on the ground and have a single large red or yellow bloom. Growing only on the Roggeveld ("Rog-veld" Afrikaans for "rye field") mountain range in South Africa, Daubenya blooms every September. Unearthed Words Here are some thoughts on winter: Winter is a time of promise because there is so little to do — or because you can now and then permit yourself the luxury of thinking so. —Stanley Crawford, A Garlic Testament: Seasons on a Small New Mexico Farm, 1992 There are two seasons in Scotland: June and Winter. — Billy Connolly, Scottish stand-up comedian A melancholy mantle rests Upon the land, the sea. The wind in tristful cadence moans A mournful threnody. There flits no gleeful insect, No blithesome bee nor bird; Over all the vast of Nature No joyful sound is heard. In garments sere and somber Each vine and tree is clad: It's dreary-hearted winter, And all the earth is sad. — Hazel Dell Crandall, Los Angeles poet, The Lilt of the Year Go to the winter woods: listen there, look, watch, and "the dead months" will give you a subtler secret than any you have yet found in the forest. — William Sharp (pseudonym Fiona Macleod), Scottish writer and poet, Where the Forest Murmurs Grow That Garden Library A Botanist's Vocabulary by Susan K. Pell and Bobbi Angell This book came out in May of 2015, and it describes and illustrates - which is so helpful - a whopping 1300 terms. Bobbi and Susan introduce their book this way: "We have attempted to define terms used by botanists, naturalists, and gardeners alike to describe plants. The included terms mostly refer to plant structures and come from the horticultural and botanical literature and practice. Many… terms are not easily defined or illustrated. If they were, the botanical kingdom would not be as rich and engaging as it is. With infinite variety, petals and sepals sometimes adhere to each other to attract pollinators or facilitate pollination; male and female reproductive parts may fuse to form intricate unified columns; fruits have peculiar, sometimes complicated, mechanisms of seed dispersal. There are terms that apply only to a particular group of plants, such as orchids, grasses, or irises. Some apply to whole plants or ecosystems, while others are visible only under a microscope. Please wander through the book to recognize the easily applied terms and learn a few unusual ones, but also use the book as a reference when you are stumped by a field guide or a strange-looking fruit. We hope your newfound knowledge helps you gain an even greater appreciation for the world of plants." You can get a used copy of A Botanist's Vocabulary by Susan K. Pell and Bobbi Angell and support the show, using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for under $14. Great Gifts for Gardeners KINGLAKE 328 Feet Natural Jute Twine Best Arts Crafts Gift Twine Christmas Twine Durable Packing String for Gardening Applications $5.99

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Today's Botanic Spark February joined the calendar with January around 700 B.C. The etymology of the name February comes from the Latin "februa," which means "purification." February generally has 28 days, except in a leap year (like this year), in which it has 29 days. Sometimes sayings about February aren't very kind like the translation of this French saying: "February is the shortest month and by far the worst." February is National Cherry (Prunus spp.) month and National Grapefruit (Citrus × paradisi) month. Here's some folklore regarding the month of February : Married in February's sleety weather, Life you'll tread in tune together. It is better to see a troop of wolves than a fine February. If a hedgehog casts a shadow at noon, winter will return. If February gives much snow, A fine summer it doth foreshow. Fogs in February mean frosts in May. A wet February, a wet Spring.

Today we celebrate the man who suggested naming the Twinflower for Linnaeus and the botanist who gave Meriwether Lewis a crash course in botany. We'll learn about the English writer who wrote, that, "God once loved a garden we learn in holy writ and seeing gardens in the spring, I well can credit it." And we also tip our hats to the British botanist who loved the common spotted orchid. Today's Unearthed Words feature words about the white stuff covering our gardens right now: snow. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book about a family who settled in the Florida frontier. The book was honored as the "Most Outstanding Florida Historical Novel." I'll talk about a tool that will help you spruce up a number of items in your garden (I love these things!) and then we'll wrap things up with a pioneer naturalist who wrote books that became a beloved part of many modern childhoods. But first, let's catch up on a few recent events. Subscribe Apple|Google|Spotify|Stitcher|iHeart Curated Articles Alan Titchmarsh: The stunning midwinter trees whose bark is better than their bite - Country Life Here's a great post by Alan Titchmarsh in Country Life about the fabulous book Winter Gardens by Cedric Pollet. Pollet is a shutterbug who captures plants in their dormancy: "the best varieties of dogwoods, willows, maples, and birches, plus a smattering of brambles and bamboos." "We are none of us too old to discover new plants and new ways of using them." Plant health resolutions: Pippa Greenwood Botanist and broadcaster @PippaGreenwood wants to see more funding for research into pests and pathogens, and the breeding of plants better able to resist new diseases. "You could say that plant health is the most important thing – we, as the human race, cannot survive long-term without plants; in fact, we couldn't survive for long at all. Plants are fundamentally important to everything. Increased movement of people, food, and other goods has played a significant part in the spread of pests and pathogens, often with a very serious impact on plant health. Quite simply, we have to take steps to ensure plant health is seen as a top priority." Now, if you'd like to check out these curated articles for yourself, you're in luck, because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. There's no need to take notes or search for links - the next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events 1686 Today is the birthday of the Dutch botanist Jan Gronovius. Gronovius's story is inextricably bound to the Virginia botanist John Clayton. Clayton botanized Virginia. In the early 1700s, Clayton sent specimens to Gronovius both directly and indirectly through the English naturalist Mark Catesby. Gronovius was a little in over his head as he attempted to make sense of the overwhelming amount of specimens from Clayton. So, he did what most of us would do; he asked for help - and he got it from Carl Linnaeus. In a brazen move, Gronovius used Clayton's specimens and documentation to put together a Flora of Virginia in 1739. He published the work without notifying Clayton, and he certainly didn't seek his permission before he started the endeavor. Other than the Clayton situation, Gronovius is remembered for the many plants that he named. After seeing the Twinflower, it was Gronovius who suggested naming the plant after Linnaeus. Without Gronovius, Linnaeus probably wouldn't have had a plant named for him during his lifetime; Linnaeus was very modest. And, bless his heart, Gronovius was sensitive to Linnaeus's need to keep the honorary naming low key. So Gronovius wrote that, "[The Twinflower was] "a plant of Lapland; lowly, insignificant, disregarded, flowering but for a brief space - after Linnaeus who resembles it." Thus, the Twinflower is the only plant named for the Father of Taxonomy, Linnaeus, and has the botanical name is Linnea Borealis. Another plant that Gronovius named was the genus Gerbera which was named after the German botanist Traugott Gerber. Finally, in 1739, It was Gronovius, who combined the words for water and jug - hydro and angeion; put them together, and you get hydrangea, which translates to water jug. 1766 Today is the birthday of the American botanist, naturalist, and physician Benjamin Smith Barton. Barton worked as a professor of natural history and botany at the University of Pennsylvania, where he authored the very first textbook on American botany. In 1803, Barton tutored Meriwether Lewis to get him ready for the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Lewis had little knowledge of natural history and plants. Barton's expertise made it possible for him to be quite effective on the expedition. Barton was supposed to create a book describing all of the plants that were found on the expedition. But, for some reason, he never began writing. The job ultimately fell to Barton's assistant, Frederick Pursh, who ended up having a falling out with Barton. Pursh took copies of the specimens and went to England, where he found a patron and published his Flora of North America — much to the chagrin of Benjamin Smith Barton and other botanists. And, there's a fun story that came out last year, in February, about this time. And, it was about a little yellow butterfly that was found pressed between the pages of a Barton manuscript - his Flora Virginica - from 1812. It turns out that this little yellow creature was found by a library fellow named E. Bennett Jones at the American Philosophical Society as he was looking through the book. Butterfly experts felt the placement was purposeful since the butterfly was found in between the pages listed "plants beloved by pollinators - such as Monarda." After the discovery, the Barton butterfly was carefully removed and preserved in a suspended container. In a touching result, the manuscript will forever bear a butterfly-shaped stain - marking the spot where the little butterfly was pressed between its pages for over 200 years before it was discovered. 1882 Today is the birthday of the English writer Winifred Mary Letts. Gardeners love her quote on spring: That God once loved a garden, we learn in Holy writ. And seeing gardens in the Spring, I well can credit it. Winifred also wrote a poem about spring called "Spring the Cheat." This is one of many poems Winifred wrote about the Great War - WWI. Winifred wrote "Spring the Cheat" to remind people that they were not alone in their suffering. Her poem illustrates how pointless existence seems during wartime. Winifred contrasts the season of rebirth - spring (which is cyclical), with a war-induced season of loss (which usually spreads across many seasons and is especially at odds during spring). Spring the Cheat The wych-elm shakes its sequins to the ground, With every wind, the chestnut blossoms fall: Down by the stream the willow-warblers sing, And in the garden to a merry sound The mown grass flies. The fantail pigeons call And sidle on the roof; a murmuring Of bees about the woodbine-covered wall, A child's sweet chime of laughter — this is spring. Luminous evenings when the blackbird sways Upon the rose and tunes his flageolet, A sea of bluebells down the woodland ways, — O exquisite spring, all this — and yet — and yet — Kinder to me the bleak face of December Who gives no cheating hopes, but says — "Remember." 1920 Happy birthday to British botanist and former Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Jack Heslop-Harrison. He was the first Director to resign the position since its creation in 1822. In 1957, Jack wrote an article on the hybridization of the common spotted orchid. Today, at Kew, there is a marker for the spotted orchid (or the marsh orchid), Dactylorhiza X braunii ("DACK-tie-lo-RYE-zah Brawn-ee-eye); Jack's favorite flower. Unearthed Words Here are some poems and quotes about snow: "To appreciate the beauty of a snowflake, it is necessary to stand out in the cold." — Aristotle, Greek philosopher and polymath "There is no winter without snow, no spring without sunshine, and no happiness without companions." — Korean Proverb Here delicate snow-stars, out of the cloud, Come floating downward in airy play, Like spangles dropped from the glistening crowd That whiten by night the milky way. — William Cullen Bryant, American Romantic poet, The Snow-Shower "There's a silence in a snowy dawn that forces you to look anew at what has been transformed from the customary landscape of your day-to-day life. Dogwoods glisten in their silver finery; bowing fir limbs form a secret cathedral." — Nancy Hatch Woodward, American writer, Southern Snow Grow That Garden Library A Land Remembered by Patrick D Smith This book came out in 1996. A land remembered is a multi-generational saga, and it tells the story of a family who settled in the Florida Frontier and survived against all the odds and the land itself. In the story, the MacIvey family arrive by oxcart in Florida in the 1850s. Settling on the banks of the Kissimmee River, they fight off mosquitoes, floods, freezes, and rustlers. In addition to telling the story of the MacIvey family, Smith writes poignantly about another character: the Florida landscape. Specifically, Smith tells how Florida looked - when it was pristine - before the pioneers came and settled the land. Smith highlights how the Florida landscape has been irrevocably altered by development and destroyed by greed over the past two centuries. A land remembered has won many awards as a work of Florida historical fiction. This best-selling novel has been reprinted multiple times over the years. 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Today's Botanic Spark 1957 Today is the anniversary of the death of Laura Ingalls Wilder. One of the reasons so many of us have a soft spot in our heart for the Little House books is because Laura was so descriptive; she was a natural storyteller. In retrospect, I think you might be surprised by the amount of material in Laura's books devoted to the natural world - ma's gardens, the landscapes that Laura and her family experienced, and her overall reverence for life - plants, animals, and human - all of it is so cherished by Laura and her loved ones. In 2017, the author, Marta McDowell, wrote a book called The World of Laura Ingalls Wilder, and in it, she highlights the "Frontier Landscapes that Inspired the Little House books." Marta's book sheds light on Laura as a naturalist. In a blog post, she challenged us by writing: "I'd like to suggest a thought experiment. Instead of categorizing Laura Ingalls Wilder as an American children's author, think of her as a nature writer as well… Long before she was a writer, Laura Ingalls Wilder was a gardener and farmer, growing food for the table and raising crops for sale. Nature was her home, as well as little houses. Through her life and work, Wilder sowed a deep appreciation for the world outside one's own door. Her books still inspire budding naturalists to plant, preserve, and appreciate their own wilder gardens." Marta and I had a lovely chat that is featured in Episode 585 of the Still Growing podcast - if you'd like to check it out. You can get a used copy of TheWorld of Laura Ingalls Wilder by Marta McDowell and support the show, using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for under $4. In the Missouri Ruralist, Laura wrote, "The voices of nature do not speak so plainly to us as we grow older, but I think it is because, in our busy lives, we neglect her until we grow out of sympathy. Our ears and eyes grow dull, and beauties are lost to us that we should still enjoy. Life was not intended to be simply a round of work, no matter how interesting and important that work may be. A moment's pause to watch the glory of a sunrise - or a sunset - is so satisfying, while a bird song will set the steps to music all day long." In early February 1918, Laura wrote: "Now is the time to make a garden! Anyone can be a successful gardener at this time of year, and I know of no pleasanter occupation these cold, snowy days, then to sit warm and snug by the fire making a garden with a pencil, and a seed catalog. What perfect vegetables do we raise in that way, and so many of them! Our radishes are crisp and sweet, our lettuce tender and our tomatoes smooth and beautifully colored. Best of all, there is not a bug or worm in the whole garden, and the work is so easily done. In imagination, we see the plants in our spring garden, all in straight, thrifty rows with the fruit of each plant and vine numerous and beautiful as the pictures before us. How near the real garden of next summer approaches the ideal garden of our winter fancies depends upon how practically we dream and how hard we work."

Today we celebrate the botanist who served as Lieutenant Governor of New York and the first American female botanist in America. We'll learn about the man who changed agriculture forever with his invention. Today's Unearthed Words feature the English Victorian author born today. He loved geraniums. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book that features Thomas Jefferson's revolutionary garden at Monticello. I'll talk about a garden item that will heat things up... And, then, we'll wrap things up with a fantastic honor for a modern plant explorer and ethnobotanist - a daughter of the great state of Wisconsin and a senior curator of the Missouri Botanical Garden. But first, let's catch up on a few recent events. Subscribe Apple|Google|Spotify|Stitcher|iHeart Curated Articles Yes, Native Plants Can Flourish After Bushfire. But There's Only So Much Hardship They Can Take While Australian plants and ecosystems have evolved to embrace bushfires, there's only so much drought and fire they can take... Poetic Botany: A Digital Exhibition Poetic Botany: Have you explored the 'Poetic Botany' exhibition from @NYBG yet? This interactive digital exhibition illuminates the cross-section between art, science, and poetry through nine plant species. Check it out here: Now, if you'd like to check out these curated articles for yourself, you're in luck, because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. There's no need to take notes or search for links - the next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events 1688 Today is the birthday of the Scottish-American physician, Scientist, botanist, and Lieutenant Governor of New York, Cadwallader Colden (CAD-wah-LIDDER). When Colden arrived in America in 1718, he began a family dynasty that would eventually settle in Queens, New York. Aside from his political endeavors and his many interests, Colden was interested in botany and the new Linnaean system. The family lived on an estate called Coldenham, and it was often visited by famous New World botanists like John Bartram. Now, Colden and his wife had ten children, and they actively encouraged each of them to pursue their education. Colden's 5th child was a daughter named Jane. Jane was born in 1724, and she followed in her father's footsteps and is regarded to be the first American woman to have become an official botanist. Peter Collinson suspected as much when he wrote to John Bartram about Jane saying, "Our friend, Colden's daughter, has, in a scientifical manner, sent over several sheets of plants - very curiously anatomized after Linnaeus's method and I believe that she is the first lady that has the tempted anything of this nature." A proud dad, Colden wrote to his friend Jan Gronovius, "I (have) often thought that botany is an amusement which may be made greater to the ladies who are often at a loss to fill up their time… Their natural curiosity and the pleasure they take in the beauty and variety of dress seems to fit it for them (far more than men). The chief reason that few or none of them have applied themselves to (it)… is because all the books of any value are (written) in Latin. I have a daughter (with) an inclination... for natural philosophy or history… I took the pains to explained her Linnaeus's system and put it in English for her to use by freeing it from the technical terms - which was easily done by using two or three words in the place of one. She is now grown very fond of the study… she now understands to some degree Linnaeus's characters. Notwithstanding that, she does not understand Latin. she has already (written) a pretty large volume in writing of the description of plants." Cadwallader was able to give his daughter personal instruction on botany. He gave her access to his impressive botanical library; he even shared his personal correspondence with her and allowed her to interact with the many botanists that came to visit the family's estate. In 1754 at Coldenham, when Jane was 30 years old, she met a young William Bartram who was less than half her age at just 14 years old. She also met the Charleston plantsman Alexander Garden who was just 24 years old. In 1753, on the land around her family's home, Jane discovered marsh St Johnswort (Hypericum virginicum). Alexander sent it to her the following year, and Jane wanted to name it gardenia in his honor. Unfortunately for Jane, the gardenia name had been used by John Ellis, who had given the name to the Cape Jasmine. Since Ellis used the name first, Jane could not. So gardenia is reserved for the strongly scented Cape Jasmine (Gardenia jasminoides). They are fabulous cut flowers. With their beautiful foliage, they also make effective screens, hedges, borders, or ground covers. In 1758, Walter Rutherford wrote to a friend after visiting Coldingham, and he described Cadwallader, his home and his 34-year-old daughter Jane this way: "We made an Excursion to Coldingham, the Abode of the venerable philosopher Colden, as gay and facetious in his conversation is serious and solid in his writings. From the middle of the woods, this family corresponds with all the learning Societies in Europe…. his daughter Jenny is a florist in botanist. she has discovered a great number of plants never before described and his given their properties and virtues ( in her descriptions).... and she draws and colors them with great beauty… she (also) makes the best cheese I ever ate in America." As for Jane, she is most famous for her only manuscript - a work in which she described 341 plants in the flora of NY, and she illustrated all but one of the different species she described. The genus Coldenia in the borage family is named after Jane's father, Cadwallader Colden. 1804 Today is the birthday of the inventer and manufacturer John Deere. John was born in Rutland, Vermont. When he was four years old, his father returned to England to claim his inheritance. His father disappeared during that trip, and so John was raised by a single mother. As a little boy, John went to school, and at the age of 17, he became an apprentice to a blacksmith. Four years later, John set up his own shop and worked as a blacksmith for a dozen years. But in 1837, times had changed, there were many blacksmiths in the east, and John was struggling to get business. Ultimately, John was facing bankruptcy when he headed west with just $73 in his pocket. After three weeks of traveling, John made it to Grand Detour, Illinois. After settling in, he opened another blacksmith shop in Grand Detour, and seeing that his prospects for business were good, he sent word back to his wife, Demaryius Lamb, to bring their five children and join him at their new home. During his first year in Illinois, John was constantly making the same repair over and over again to the wood and cast-iron plow. The plow had worked well in the eastern part of the United States, where the soil is light and sandy. But, heavy and thick Midwestern farmland broke wooden plows. The farmers of the prairie desperately needed something more heavy-duty. So, in 1838, when he was 34 years old, John Deere developed the first steel plow and the rest, as they say, is history. Fast forward 20 years to 1858, and John Deere was building and selling more than 13,000 plows per year. Almost thirty years later, when John Deere died at the age of 82 in 1886, John's son Charles took over the business. A little over a hundred years later, in 1993, the John Deere Lawn and Garden division alone topped two billion dollars in sales. Today, the John Deere company is worth more than 53 billion dollars. Unearthed Words 1812 Today is the birthday of the English Victorian era author and social critic Charles Dickens. Charles Dickens' personal garden was called Gad's Hill Place. Every day, Charles Dickens cultivated the habit of walking the circuit of his gardens at Gad's Hill Place before sitting down to write his stories. We know from his oldest daughter Mamie that Dickens's favorite flower was the Mrs. Pollock geranium - a tricolor variety that dates back to 1858. The Mrs. Pollock geranium was bred by the Scottish gardener and hybridist Peter Grieve. It's considered a classic geranium with sharply lobed leaves that sport three colors: brick red, gold, and grass green. You've heard the saying, "not your grandmother's geranium"? Well, Mrs. Pollock could very well have been your second or third great grandmother's geranium. Dickens loved to wear geraniums in his buttonhole - and he had a steady supply. He grew them into large beds at gad's Hill, and he also grew them in his conservatory. Here are some quotes about gardens and nature from an assortment of Dickens' 15 novels and short stories: Spring is the time of year when it is summer in the sun and winter in the shade. — Charles Dickens, Great Expectations On the motionless branches of some trees, autumn berries hung like clusters of coral beads, as in those fabled orchards where the fruits were jewels... — Charles Dickens, The Life, and Adventures of Martin Chuzzlewit Around and around the house, the leaves fall thick, but never fast, for they come circling down with a dead lightness that is somber and slow. — Charles Dickens, Bleak House Facts alone are wanted in life. Plant nothing else, and root out everything else. — Charles Dickens, Hard Times The evening wind made such a disturbance just now, among some tall old elm-trees at the bottom of the garden, that neither my mother nor Miss Betsey could forbear glancing that way. As the elms bent to one another, like giants who were whispering secrets, and after a few seconds of such repose, fell into a violent flurry, tossing their wild arms about, as if their late confidences were really too wicked for their peace of mind. — Charles Dickens, The Personal History of David Copperfield Grow That Garden Library A Rich Spot of Earth by Peter J. Hatch The subtitle to this book is "Thomas Jefferson's Revolutionary Garden at Monticello." The author of this book, Peter Hatch, was responsible for the maintenance, interpretation, and restoration of the 2400 acre landscape of Monticello from 1977 until 2012. Alice Waters wrote the forward to this book. She said, "I first met Peter Hatch in 2009 when he took me around the gardens of Monticello on a crisp, sunny, autumn day. No one knows the land's story better than Peter. Thomas Jefferson's garden, Peter writes, 'was an Ellis Island of introductions, filled with a whole world of hearty economic plants: 330 varieties of 99 species of vegetables and herbs.' I'm so impressed by this biodiversity, which is exactly what our country so urgently needs right now - a vegetable garden that is, as Peter frames it, a true American garden: practical, expensive, and wrought from a world of edible immigrants." The president of the Thomas Jefferson foundation wrote this in the preface to Peters book: "Peter is a man of the earth. Annie Leibovitz Photographed his hands when she came to Monticello. For 34 years, Peter has plunged those hands into the earth on the mountainside of Monticello. Each year, coaxing, wresting, and willing an ever more copious renaissance of Jefferson's peerless garden. Monticello is Jefferson's autobiography, his lifelong pursuit, the greatest manifestation of his genius, And the only home in the united states listed on the United Nations list of World Heritage Sites. We have Peter to thank for devoting his career to the revelation of Jefferson's passion for plants and the significance of our founder's horticultural pursuit of happiness." Peter Hatch opens the book with this quote from Jefferson. It's from a letter he wrote to the Philadelphia Portrait Painter Charles Wilson Peale. Jefferson said, "I have often thought that if heaven had given me a choice of my position and calling, it should have been on a rich spot of earth, well-watered, and near a good market for the productions of the garden. No occupation is so delightful to me as the culture of the earth and no culture comparable to that of the garden. Such a variety of subjects, someone always coming to perfection, the failure of one thing repaired by the success of another, and instead of one harvest a continued one thro' the year. Under a total want of demand except for our family table I am still devoted to the garden. But tho' an old man, I am but a young gardener." Peter went on to write that, "Thomas Jefferson's Monticello vegetable garden was truly a revolutionary American garden. Many of the summer vegetables that we take for granted today — tomatoes, okra, eggplant, lima beans, peanuts, and peppers— were slow to appear in North American gardens around 1800. European travelers commented on the failure of Virginia gardeners to take advantage "of the fruitful warmth of the climate" because of the American reliance "on the customary products of Europe": cool-season vegetables. Jefferson's garden was unique in showcasing a medley of vegetable species native to hot climates, from South and Central America to Africa to the Middle East and the Mediterranean. Few places on earth combined tropical heat and humidity with temperate winters like those at Monticello. Jefferson capitalized on this by creating a south-facing terrace, a microclimate that exaggerates the summer warmth, tempers the winter cold and captures an abundant wealth of crop-ripening Sunshine. Peter's book is beautiful. It's lavishly Illustrated and the writing is engaging. The first half of the book focuses on Jefferson's gardening, and then the second half focuses on the development and the restoration of the gardens at Monticello." You can get a used copy of A Rich Spot of Earth by Peter J. Hatch and support the show, using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for under $7. 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Today's Botanic Spark 2020 Today is a big day for Dr. Jan Salick - a daughter of the great state of Wisconsin - who is being honored with the 2020 Fairchild Medal for Plant Exploration. Jan accepts her award tonight at a black-tie dinner at National Tropical Botanical Garden's (NTBG) historical garden, The Kampong, in Coconut Grove, Florida, the former residence of plant explorer Dr. David Fairchild. The following day she will present a public lecture entitled "Neither Man Nor Nature." Jan is only the second woman to receive the medal. Jan has been an ethnobotanist for over four decades. She is a Senior Curator at the Missouri Botanical Garden. Jan's Focus has been to examine the effects of climate change on indigenous people in the plants they rely on. Jan has worked all over the world. She's been to the most exotic places that you can think of: Indonesia, the Himalayas in the Amazon, in South America, etc. In 2018, the Missouri Botanical Garden tweeted: "Garden ethnobotanist Dr. Jan Salick has built a career on wanderlust." Jan says, "Don't hold back. It's out there. The whole wide world is out there." In 1916, Fairchild and his wife, Marion (the daughter of Alexander Graham Bell), purchased the property and named it The Kampong. Today, it is one of the oldest buildings in Miami-Dade County, and it is on the National Register of Historic Places. The Kampong is one of five botanical gardens that make up the National Tropical Botanic Garden, and it is the only garden located in the continental United States. Given by the National Tropical Botanical Garden, the Fairchild Medal is the highest honor that can be bestowed upon a scientist who explores remote parts of the world to discover important plants and expand our scientific knowledge and practical understanding of them. The award is named in honor of Dr. David Fairchild, one of the greatest and most influential horticulturalists and plant collectors in the United States. Fairchild devoted his entire life to searching for useful plants, and he was single-handedly responsible for the introduction of more than 200,000 plants to the United States, including pistachios, mangoes, dates, nectarines, soybeans, and flowering cherries. Anyway, congratulations to Dr. Jan Salik. She is a role model for young women, and her career is an exciting example of the wide-open field of plant exploration and botany. The world of the future needs more botanists like Jan Salick!