The Daily Gardener

How's your garden doing? Is there something blooming that is stealing your heart? In my garden, I'm especially enjoying the Yellow wax-bells or Kirengeshoma palmata ("kih-ren-gesh-OH-mah palm-AY-tah"). Heidi Heiland installed these for me last summer during my garden renovation. They are right up by my front door in a North-facing garden - and I see them every day as I go in and out the front door. I have to say that this plant has slowly won my heart. All season, I watched this perennial grow into a clump of maple-leaves (the leaves look just like the maple tree but smaller and a lighter green.) Then as August comes on, you begin to see these pendulous pale yellow buds. They are quite enchanting and they hang there through September. Fine Gardening describes the plant this way: "This hardy, clump-forming perennial bears pendulous, shuttlecock-shaped soft-yellow blossoms in late August and early September. The plant has attractive, glossy, 4- to 8-inch-long, maple-leaf-shaped leaves. Noteworthy Characteristics This unusual flowering perennial is native to mountainous areas of Japan and Korea. Survives the -20ºF winters of USDA Zone 5, as well as winters of warmer climates. Care Grow in rich, moist, acidic soil. Shelter from wind." Anyway, when you think of yellow blossoms in the garden, that spectrum of color can be pretty wide; there are so many shades of yellow. I'm personally not a fan of the super bright yellows and I end up eliminating flowers if their bloom is too jarring to my taste. But, I've decided that the soft pastel, creamy-buttery yellow of yellow wax-bells, has to be hands-down my favorite yellow in the garden. Brevities #OTD Today is the birthday of America's first pteridologist, Daniel Cady Eaton, who was born on this day in 1834. A pteridologist is a person who studies ferns. The botanist Charles Frost told a charming story about how Eaton had fallen in love with ferns after going on a walk with his fiancé. At some point on their walk, she had apparently called Eaton's attention to a beautiful fern and Eaton's desire to please her was the origin of his hyper-focus on ferns. Eaton was born in to a botanical family. His grandfather, Amos, was an American pioneer in the field of botany. Amos actually was a teacher to John Torrey. His father was also interested in collecting. For his undergraduate work, Eaton went to Yale and then received another degree at Harvard. While he was in college, he excelled in Latin and he loved and used the language for the rest of his life. Eaton studied under Asa Gray. Asa Gray would have learned about botany as a student by reading Amos Eaton's textbooks. In any case, Daniel and Asa were kindred spirits; so much so, that Eaton dedicated his work on "The Ferns of the United States of America and British North American Possessions" to his beloved instructor. #OTD Today is the birthday of the Landscape Architect Arthur Shurcliff who was born on this day in 1870. Shurcliff's path to Landscape Architecture was not clear cut. His dad had been a successful businessman. Arthur was supposed to follow in his dad's footsteps and become a Mechanical Engineer. But after receiving his degree from MIT, the field of Landscape Architecture was making waves thanks to the Olmsteds, Charles Eliot, and the Chicago World's Fair. Since no formal degree programs existed at the time, Shurcliff cobbled together his own curriculum at the Lawrence School of Science at Harvard. All his life, Shurcliff loved being outside. He loved camping and canoeing. He loved scenery. He love sketching the landscape. Looking back on his decision to pursue Landscape Architecture, Shurcliff remembered, "All led me away from mechanics toward scenery, toward planning and construction for the scenes of daily life..." In 1904, Shurcliff opened his own firm. Shurcliff designed recreational spaces in and around Boston like the Rose Garden, the Washington Garden at old North, and the park Back Bay Fens. But, Shurcliff will forever be remembered for the work he did at Colonial Williamsburg. It was the first time an entire American community was to be restored. John D. Rockefeller financed the project. Shurcliff had over 30 years of experience behind him when he officially started the project on St. Patrick's Day of that year. He didn't just bring his Landscape Architecture skills; he brought everything he had; his training in engineering, his meticulousness, and his ability to get things done through his personal clarity, energy, and charm. It took Shurcliff 13 years to finish the project. But, once it was done, Shurcliff had redefined Williamsburg; helping it to lay claim to it's past and ensuring that Colonial Revival garden design found legitimacy in 20th Century Landscape Architecture. #OTD Today in 1930, Dr. Ernest H. Wilson also known as "Chinese" Wilson spoke at a banquet room at the Hotel Bond as part of the Connecticut Horticultural Exposition. Wilson's speech drew loud applause when he predicted that people would have more and more spare time on their hands in the future. His advice on how to handle it was simple, "Teach the youth the joys of gardening." #OTD On this day in 1959, The Illustrated London Newsshared a fantastic image of Agatha Christie and her gardener holding large trophies for their entries at the Brixham Horticultural Flower Show. In the photo, Christie's gardener is grasping three trophies and Agatha, wearing a bright floral dress, looks pleased as punch to be holding a large trophy of her own. No doubt the entries were from Greenway, which Agatha described as "the loveliest place in the world". Agatha set two of her novels at Greenway; Five Little Pigs and Dead Man's Folly. Greenway was her holiday home, along the River Dart. Greenway is now managed by the National Trust. It's a great place to visit. British Heritage Travel says, "The house itself is surrounded by gardens—walled gardens, conservatories, orchards and woodland gardens. Through the spring months here on the English Riviera, the climate produces an early profusion of rhododendron, camellias and the like. The gardens at Greenway have been open to the public since 2003. They are elegant and well-tended." Unearthed Words All week long The Daily Gardener is sharing quotes from the author Beverley Nichols, who was born on Monday of this week in 1898. Nichols wrote over 60 books - but he is best remembered for his gardening books - which include not one, not two, but three trilogies. His final trilogy began with the book called Garden Open Today which was first published in 1963. This trilogy was different than his first two because this series is about imparting wisdom. By the time Nichols wrote this trilogy, he had been gardening for 30 years and he was attempting to pour all of that hard-won expertise and passion into this final series. Here's my favorite quote from Garden Open Today: "The design [a gardener] imposes must be constantly modified and sometimes totally transformed by a hand stronger than his own—the hand of Nature. Maybe the art of gardening is simply the knowledge of how to hold that hand, and how to clasp it in friendship." Today's book recommendation: Lemon Herbs by Ellen Spector Platt My yellow wax-bells reminded me to recommend this book to you guys. This lovely lemony resource came out in 2002. The book features only herbs with lemon scents and flavors - 18 of them - including lemon catmint (which I didn't realize was a thing), citronella grass, lemon eucalyptus, lemon geranium, lemon grass, lemon mint, and lemon verbena. Best of all, the book offers ideas for using them in potpourris, wreaths, and lemon-flavored recipes for salads, entrees, and desserts. Today's Garden Chore Tend to your hanging baskets to keep them looking sharp. If you didn't go with something super easy like a Boston fern, (mine are almost 3 feet across now thanks to drip irrigation), your hanging baskets could likely use a tune-up. Sometimes we forget about hanging baskets - especially if they are filled with non-stop blossoms . That said, they often benefit from a little attention this time of year. Cut them back a bit, clean up spent flowers, evaluate their appropriateness for the change of seasons. You can easily fill blank spots with transitional items to help you ease into Fall. Birds nests make awesome spot fillers. Permanent stems can add a little extra color without the work. Something Sweet Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart In 1843, the New England Farmer reported a record-sized apple from a Mr. John Waite and it definitely got their attention; weighing in at 18 ounces and measuring 14 inches in circumference. The article ended with this question posed by a Philadelphia editor: "How many such apples would it take to make a barrel of cider?" Thanks for listening to the daily gardener, and remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."

If, over the course of the summer, you found yourself driving down the road and spying a little electric blue blossom by the side of the road; chances are, you are looking at chicory. Listener Danny Perkins shared a post at the end of August sharing beautiful photos of chicory. A few years ago, I used to drive the boys into St. Paul for basketball camp and when I pulled off the free way, there it was. Chicory. Impossibly growing in between cracks in the cement along the sidewalk. I went straight to my Mac when I got home and order seeds on the spot. The blue of chicory is positively luminescent. The plant is where chicory coffee and tea come from. Listener Diane Lydic posted this: "My father use to pick it on his way home from work. He made a map of all the patches so he could remember for next year. Delicious with olive oil and vinegar with hard boiled eggs. Always a treat!" Diane's father is a man after my own heart. Anyone who makes a map of roadside patches of precious plants is a friend in my book! Brevities #OTD Today is the anniversary of the death of Rudolph Jacob Camerarius the botanist who demonstrated the existence of sexes in plants. He died in 1721. Camerarius was born in Germany. He was a professor of natural philosophy. He identified and defined the male parts of the flower as the anther and he did the same for the female part; the pistol. And, he figured out that pollen made production possible. His work was recorded for the ages in a letter he wrote to a peer in 1694 called On the sex of plants. #OTD Today is the anniversary of the death of the Spanish priest, botanist, physician, and naturalist José Celestino Mutis who spent almost 50 years in Columbia where he is regarded as a national treasure for his scientific work. In the 18th century, Columbia and the area around it was known as New Granada. Given his lifetime spent in Granada, Mutis was able to leave a lasting legacy. He created an impressive library complete with thousands of books on botany and the natural world. He also built a herbarium with over 24,000 species. Only Joseph Banks had a herbarium that rivaled Mutis; and Banks had more resources and more support from the English government. Mutis approached the job of documenting the flora of Granada in a very unique way; he accomplished his mission by enlisting others. During his time in Granada, Mutis worked with over 40 local Creole artists. He recruited them and trained them. He brought them to a studio where they could work all day long in silence. In short, Mutis set up a botanical production machine that was unsurpassed in terms of the output and the level of excellence for the times. At one point, Mutis had up to twenty artisans working all at one time. One artist would work on the plant habit while another would work on specific aspects or features. The Mutis machine created over 6,500 pieces of art; botanical sketches and watercolors painted with pigments made from local dyes which heightened their realism. On the top of the Mutis bucket-list was the dream of a Flora of Bogata. Sadly it never happened. Mutis died in Granada in 1808. Eight years later, the King of Spain ordered all of the output from the Mutis expedition to be shipped back home. All the work created by the Creole artisans and the entire herbarium were packed into 105 shipping crates and sent to Spain where they sat and sat and sat and waited... until 1952 when a handful were used in a large folio series. Then the Mutis collection waited another 60 years until 2010 when they were finally exhibited at Kew. Today, the thousands of pieces that make up the Mutis collection are housed at the Botanical Garden in Madrid, Spain. The pieces are large - mostly folio size - and since they haven't really seen much daylight over the past two centuries, they are in immaculate condition. #OTD Today is the birthday of the Harvard and Smithsonian botanist, taxonomist and plant collector Lyman Bradford Smith who was born on this day in 1904. Smith was homeschooled by his mother, but it was his mother's Aunt Cora that nurtured his love of horticulture. He went to college and pursued botany at Harvard where he found another passion: wrestling. Smith continued wrestling into his 60's. When he started his Ph.D. he attempted to focus on grasses. But that work required the use of a microscope and Smith didn't have good eye sight. It was the botanist Ivan Murray Johnston who encouraged Smith to choose Bromeliaceae because they didn't require so much microscope time. When he married his wife in 1929, their honeymoon was a tour of European herberia. When he returned home, Smith worked at the Asa Gray herbarium at Harvard. All through the Depression, Smith rode his bike to and from the Gray; 14 miles round trip. Smith began focusing on four Brazilian plant families Bromeliaceae, Begoniaceae, Velloziaceae, and Xyridaceae early in his career. Despite discouragement from older academics who felt the topic of North American Bromeliaceae was too broad for a new taxonomist, Smith proceeded anyway. His work ethic surpassed most of his peers. He was known for saying, "Press it and I'll identify it." Smith was a publishing master. He wrote extensively on his signature genera. Much of what is known about bromelaids is thanks to Lyman Bradford Smith. It is his lasting legacy. Today, twenty-one bromelaids are named in Smith's honor. 1947 brought big changes to the Smith family after an offer from the Smithsonian to be the curator of South American Plants. It was an offer that was too good to refuse - better pay, the chance to travel, and more stability. Yet, Lyman brought the same work ethic and habits to the Smithsonian - riding his bike to the Smithsonian Castle every day until his seventies. When Lyman arrived the Smithsonian he hired Alice Tangerini to be an illustrator - it's a position she still holds. Unearthed Words All week long The Daily Gardener is sharing quotes from the author Beverley Nichols. Today I'm sharing some excerpts from his fabulous book Merry Hall. Merry Hall was part of Nichol's later trilogy written between 1951 and 1956. It shares Nichols's highs and lows of renovating Merry Hall, a Georgian manor house in Surrey. Nichols lived here for ten years from 1946 to 1956. Here are two excerpts from Merry Hall: "...If you are picking a bunch of mixed flowers, and if you happen to see, over in a corner, a small, sad, neglected-looking pink or peony that is all by itself and has obviously never had a chance in life, you have not the heart to pass it by, to leave it to mourn alone, while the night comes on. You have to go back and pick it, very carefully, and put it in the centre of the bunch among its fair companions, in the place of honor." "Long experience has taught me that people who do not like geraniums have something morally unsound about them. Sooner or later you will find them out; you will discover that they drink, or steal books, or speak sharply to cats. Never trust a man or a woman who is not passionately devoted to geraniums." Today's book recommendation: Mastering the Art of Vegetable Gardening by Matt Mattus When I first saw the book Mastering the Art of Vegetable Gardening, I knew it would be amazing. Mattus is a conscious competent in the world of vegetables and his advice along with the images will make even an ornamental gardener want to grow these beautiful, common to unusual, great-tasting vegetables. Mattus will appeal to new gardeners who need a master to teach them the basics. But he'll also appeal to seasoned growers who are looking for more complex techniques or higher level insight. Mattus writes with a personable, helpful voice. He's funny and he shares great stories as well. This book could only come from someone like Matt who has grown each vegetable himself and truly loves gardening. Today's Garden Chore Prepare your cold frames, shed, and greenhouse in preparation for fall if you haven't already. Autumn sowing and growing time for late autumn greens, radishes and other shoulder-season crops is right now. Something Sweet Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart September's birthday flower is the aster. Asters offer that happy yellow face encircled with rayed petals. Asters are part of the sunflower or daisy family. The Aster is named from the Greek word for star. In the 'Language of Flowers', reflecting the changing season, it signifies 'farewell'. Farewell to the lazy days of summer, to swimming pools and picnics, and farewell to the summer harvest. There was a little anonymous poem about September and asters printed in The Bluff CIty Newsout of Kansas in 1903. Here's what it said: "September's fields are golden. Her skies are azure fair. And In her beauty holden Are gifts beyond compare. Who longs for May-time blossoms? Who cares for roses sweet? When all September's asters Are flowering at our feet." Thanks for listening to the daily gardener, and remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."

Right about now is the perfect time to get out the power washer. Clean your water features, edging, rocks, fountains, and your outdoor entertaining spaces. The reality is that once you start up that power washer, the list of things that you can clean with it goes on and on. As you're working, you invariably find more things to wash. When it comes to our maintenance free decking, I'll add a little Dawn dish soap to help release the dirt out of the grooves. And, this week and next is the exact best time of year to get your ponds netted so you can catch those falling leaves and save yourself some major cleanup. My neighbor has a huge maple tree that hangs over part of our yard. When that tree starts to let go the helicopter seeds, I'll cover some of the raised beds and planters with wedding tulle to minimize the number of baby maples growing in the garden.

I thought I'd start today's show off with a quote by Beverley Nichols from his book, Sunlight on the Lawn: "Why do insurance companies, when they want to describe an act of God, invariably pick on something which sounds much more like an act of the Devil? One would think that God was exclusively concerned in making hurricanes, smallpox, thunderbolts, and dry rot. They seem to forget that He also manufactures rainbows, apple-blossom, and Siamese kittens. However, that is, perhaps, a diversion." This quote by Nichols came to mind when I heard the wondrous story about the little tomato plant that had sprouted on a piling by the Brooklyn Bridge. It made the Nightly News after the story was first published by the New York Times on Wednesday along with a photo taken by a passerby, Matthew Frey. Paddle-boarding between Pier 1 and 2 in Brooklyn Bridge Park, Frey saw the leaves first. His incredible image of a lone tomato plant growing straight up with no supports and with one perfectly red little tomato was heartwarming. It reminded me of the Charlie Brown Christmas Tree but with only one red ornament hanging proudly in the middle of the plant. Frey, who is 54, told the times: "I'm used to seeing things grow here, but nothing as special as that... Things like that just make me happy." Beverley Nichols would have loved seeing the little tomato plant that could. To him, it would have been heaven sent - a little gift to us all from above. Brevities #OTD On this day in 1513, James IV of Scotland, along with other Flowers of the Forest, were killed in the battle of Flodden. The Scottish army led by James, was taking advantage of Henry VIII's absence in France but they were resoundingly crushed by an army organized by Katherine of Aragon, Henry VIII's 1st wife. It was the largest battle ever fought between England & Scotland, and it was a devastating defeat for the Scots who remembered the pain of an estimated 12,000 dead sons of Scotland in an old Scottish folksong called "The Flowers of the Forest." There are many variations of the lyrics that have surfaced over the years. One of the oldest verses ends this way: "'The Flowers of the Forest that fought at the foremost, The prime of the land are cold in the clay'" In 1765, the socialite Alison Cockburn wrote her own lyrics to the Flowers of the Forest. Here's the first verse: I've seen the smiling Of fortune beguiling, I've tasted her pleasures And felt her decay; Sweet is her blessing, And kind her caressing, But now they are fled And fled far away. #OTD Today is the anniversary of the death of the botanist and the incomparable botanical illustrator Georg Dionysius Ehret who died on this day in 1770. Ehret was born in Heidelberg, Germany to Ferdinand Christian Ehret, who was a gardener and also had a talent for drawing. He taught his son both skills- gardening and drawing - before he died. Ehret made his way to Regensburg. There, he met an apothecary who hired him to draw of specimens from his herbarium and garden. Ehret earnestly took on the job; drawing over 500 pieces in one year. Taking advantage of his young employee, the apothecary fired Ehret and told him he should have completed 1,000 drawings and was fired. It was basically his way of avoiding paying Ehret. After this dreadful experience, Ehret made his way to England and worked at the major botanical gardens - Including Chelsea Physic. Isaac Rand, the first director of the Chelsea Physic Garden in London, told Ehret to paint the rare plants in the garden. The uniqueness of the specimens added to the demand for Ehret's work. As a result, Ehret was on friendly terms with the plant collectors and naturalists of his time. Chelsea was formative professionally and personally for Ehret; He married the head gardener's sister-in-law, Susanna Kennet. In The Art of Botanical Illustration, Wilfrid Blunt noted that, "By the middle of the century he had become a popular figure in London society: the highest nobility in England clamored to receive instruction from him," Indeed, the wealthiest woman in England, Margaret Cavendish Bentinck, (the Duchess of Portland) gladly retained Ehret as a drawing instructor. Struck by the luminescence of his work, and ultimately she would buy over 300 of his paintings. In 1737, Ehret was hired to draw by Sir Charles Wager, First Lord of the Admiralty. In August of that year, Wagner's personal garden is where Ehret first observed the Magnolia grandiflora flowering. The bloom was so inspiring that Ehret walked for an hour each way, from Chelsea to Wagner's house (in Fulham), to see and sketch every stage of the Magnolia grandiflora; from bud to full flower. Ehret's work provided the world with the first Magnolia to be illustrated in England. Beyond his work in England, Ehret traveled throughout Europe in pursuit of his craft. He met Linnaeus in Holland when he was visiting the botanical garden in Leiden. Linnaeus taught Ehret exactly how he wanted plants to be dissected and drawn. By this time, Ehret felt that his drawings were already aligned with Linnaeus, but the calibration didn't hurt; Ehret's work made it possible for Linnaeus to show the differences between plants for his books. When Linnaeus released his catalog of rare plants, "Hortus Cliffortianus," in 1737, it featured 20 meticulous plates made by Ehret. As a result of partnering with Linnaeus, Ehret understood plant structure on a level that rivaled most botanists. Ehret's style of drawing is referred to as the Linnaean style. Ehret's father could have never predicted the impact of teaching his son both gardening and drawing; but the two skills had come together in Ehret in a very special way. One expert wrote that, "[Ehret] was the greatest artist illustrator that Linnaeus had." Today, Ehret's work is difficult to source. Given the rarity of an Ehret drawing, they are expensive to acquire; pieces generally start around $1k (if you can find one.) Just this year, the NYBG organized an exhibit called, "Georg Ehret: The Greatest Botanical Artist of the 1700s." They featured 48 Ehret watercolors and engravings. #OTD Today is the birthday of James Arnold who was born on this day in 1781 and who was the namesake for Harvard's Arnold Arboretum. The Arnold Arboretum was the very first arboretum in the United States. Arnold was born to a Quaker family in Providence Rhode, Island. In 1807, Arnold married Sarah Rotch. Had Arnold not married Sarah, there would have probably never been an Arnold Arboretum. Sarah's father was part of a wealthy whaling family. Through his marriage to Sarah, Arnold eventually became a partner in his father-in-law's business. Arnold used his wealth to buy an 11-acre estate. There he built a mansion and installed beautiful gardens and lawns. The property was so stunning, that the Arnolds opened their gardens to the public on Sundays. It was a rare opportunity. The Unitarian minister, William Potter, called the Arnold estate, "a home the most conspicuous among all our homes for culture, for hospitality, for charity." John Quincy Adams was a guest of the Arnolds in 1835 and 1843. When Arnold died in 1868, he had outlived both his wife and daughter. As part of his will, he left $100,000 in the hands of threetrustees: Francis Parker, John James Dixwell, and George Emerson. Emerson and Dixwell were essential to the founding of the Arboretum because they personally knew Asa Gray at Harvard and they also knew that Harvard wanted a Botanic Garden. When the arrangements for the arboretum were finally settled, the instructions were to collect every kind of tree and shrub that would grow outdoors in Massachusetts. In 1873, Charles Sprague Sargent was hired to be the Arnold Arboretum director - a position he would hold for over four decades. His vision combined with the stability provided by his long leadership, established a solid foundation for the Arnold Arboretum. With the gift from James Arnold, the Arboretum had the means; and with the leadership of Sargent, it had the expertise. Both were needed to create the world-class arboretum we enjoy today. Unearthed Words This week I'm going to do a special tribute to the author Beverley Nichols, who was born on this day in 1898. Nichols is remembered for his writing and his love of gardening and cats. Nichols wrote over 60 books - but he is best remembered for his gardening books. In 1932, Nichol's wrote Down the Garden Path. It became an instant best seller on both sides of the Atlantic. In the book, Nichols wrote about his 1928 purchase of a weekend retreat; a thatched cottage in the village of Glatton. Nichols knew nothing about gardening when he bought the cottage, so he shared every discovery and disaster in his books. Based on the positive response to his first book, Nichols wrote two more books on his Glatton experiences. The second book was "A Thatched Roof" (released in 1933) and the third was "A Village in a Valley" (released in 1934). The books are referred to as "The Glatton Trilogy" or "The Allways Chronicles." Here are some excerpts from Nichol's first book, Down the Garden Path: "...a cyclamen that looks like a flight of butterflies, frozen for a single, exquisite moment in the white heart of Time..." "It was not till I experimented with seeds plucked straight from a growing plant that I had my first success...the first thrill of creation...the first taste of blood. This, surely, must be akin to the pride of paternity...indeed, many soured bachelors would wager that it must be almost as wonderful to see the first tiny crinkled leaves of one's first plant as to see the tiny crinkled face of one's first child." "I had never 'taken a cutting' before… .Do you not realize that the whole thing is miraculous? It is exactly as though you were to cut off your wife's leg, stick it in the lawn, and be greeted on the following day by an entirely new woman, sprung from the leg, advancing across the lawn to meet you." Today's book recommendation: The Proven Winners Garden Book by Ruth Rogers Clausen and Thomas Christopher This book is the ultimate gardening guide for all reader levels. It is super easy to read with excellent, clear instructions. Proven Winners is known as the #1 Plant Brand - and just like their quality plants, this book does not disappoint. In this book you get three awesome things. First, Garden Plans. But, not just any garden plan; Simple Garden Plans. Plans for attracting pollinators, plans for creating the most fragrant garden, plans for an entertaining garden, and so on. Second, Clausen and Christopher have put together dozens of recipes for beautiful containers. Just like a cookbook, these recipes are proven and they are geared toward providing curb appeal, color, texture and pizzazz to everything from small spaces to the average home lot. Finally, this guide offers really helpful lessons on how to buy the best plants and also on maintenance; the aspect of gardening so many struggle with. If you are a new gardener, this book will be your bible for getting started in the right way, maximizing your effort, avoiding hours of research on plants and design; helping you achieve stunning results in a single season. Today's Garden Chore Start saving seeds and make cuttings of the plants you want to increase for next year. Focus on your top performers and sentimental favorites in order to cultivate even better stock next year. Stay active in your garden now - don't leave the best of this year's garden to history. Something Sweet Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart On this day in 1903, the Akron Beacon Journal out of Akron, Ohio announced Carnation Day. Here's what it said: "The Anniversary of President McKinley's Death Will be Noted by the Wearing of His Favorite Flower by Akron Citizens. Next Monday will be the second anniversary of the death of President McKinley, and has been called "Red Carnation day," in honor of his favorite flower. President McKinley was shot by Leon Czolgosz, in the Temple of Music at the Buffalo exposition, September 6, 1901. The shooting occurred late in the afternoon and inside of an hour, every man, woman, and child within reach of the telegraph instrument heard the sorrowful news, and were sending up prayers for the recovery of the president. After the shooting, President McKinley was taken to the home of John G. Milburn, president of the exposition company, where he lingered; while hopeful and then depressing bulletins were issued from his bedside, until finally on September 14, he passed from life. Last year the president's favorite flower was worn by hundreds in this city, and it is expected that next Monday will see nearly every one wearing the flower that usually adorned the lapel of the third martyr president." Thanks for listening to the daily gardener, and remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."

September is my favorite month for planting trees, shrubs, and perennials. The cool air makes outdoor exercise a joy and the ground temperatures add the perfect amount of warmth for plants to get established. Planting in the fall is preferred because it's the time of year when perennials experience less transplant shock. At the same time, there is still sufficient time for plants to establish their roots in the garden in time for winter. After their season of dormancy, when the ground warms again, fall-planted perennials grow and bloom more vigorously than if they were planted in the spring. Bottomline: Now is NOT the time to stop planting. It's the perfect time to get your dig on. Brevities #OTD Today is the anniversary of the death of the botanist Jean-Baptiste Van Mons who died on this day in 1842. The name of the game for Mons was selective breeding for pears. Selective breeding happens when humans breed plants to develop particular characteristic by choosing the parent plants to make the offspring. Check out the patience and fortitude that was required as Mon's described his work: "I have found this art to consist in regenerating in a direct line of descent, and as rapidly as possible an improving variety, taking care that there be no interval between the generations. To sow, to re-sow, to sow again, to sow perpetually, in short to do nothing but sow, is the practice to be pursued, and which cannot be departed from; and in short this is the whole secret of the art I have employed." Jean-Baptiste Van Mons produced a tremendous amount of new pear cultivars in his breeding program - something north of forty incredible species over the course of his lifetime. The Bosc and D'Anjou pears, we know today, are his legacy. #OTD Today is the anniversary of the day in 1847 when Henry David Thoreau left Walden Pond and moved in with Ralph Waldo Emerson in Concord, Massachusetts. His two years of simple living at Walden Pond were over. #OTD Today is the anniversary of the death of James Veitch Jr. who died on this day in 1869. Veitch was born into the famous family nursery business known the world over as Veitch Nurseries. His grandfather, John, had started the business. After growing up and learning the business from his father and grandfather, Veitch went to London to train with other nurserymen. After he quickly became a partner in the nursery, he married Harriott Gould. In addition to being a wonderful plantsman himself, James Jr. was an exceptionally bright businessman. He acquired a nursery called the Royal Exotic Nursery in London to ensure the Veitch Nursery stayed competitive and he turned Royal Exotic into the largest specialty nursery in Europe. James Veitch Jr created the RHS Fruit and Floral Committees which still exist today. His love of the plants and the business were carried on in his three sons. The oldest, John Gould Veitch, was one of the first plant hunters to visit Japan. The second son, Harry James, oversaw the business during a period of peak growth. The third son, Arthur, worked with Harry to send Plant Explorers on missions all over the globe. Of the brothers, it was the middle son, Harry, who outlived them both. His older brother John Gould died young at age 31 from tuberculosis. Harry outlived his younger brother, Arthur, who died young as well - he died after a short illness when he was just 36 years old. #OTD Today is the birthday of the Belgian botanist and dendrologist Joseph Hers who was born on this day in 1884. Dendrology is the science and study of wooded plants, like trees and shrubs, and their taxonomic classifications. Hers made his first trip to China in 1905; he was an interpreter for the Belgium ministry. He later founded organizations to promote good relations between China and Belgium. Later, Hers spent five years collecting in the north-central provinces of China from 1919-1924. The Arnold Arboretum had hired him to collect for them. As a dendrologist, Hers was especially focused on trees. The rapid rate of deforestation in China was especially alarming to Hers. Among Hers discoveries was the snakebark maple Acer tegmentosum. #OTD Today is the birthday of the British Botanist Kathleen Basford who was born on this day in 1916. As a young girl, Basford's nanny, Winny, taught her about the natural world; she learned to identify wildflower and trees. In the 1940's, Basford had three children of her own. She began gardening. When she wasn't with the children, she started breeding orchids. She became so interested in botany, she took evening classes on the subject. By the early 1950's, Basford published a paper on a fuchsia she discovered. It proved that the fuchsia had existed 20-30 million years ago - before the break-up of the continents. Her paper caught the attention of the chair of the botany department at Manchester University; a geneticist named Sydney Harland. He offered Basford a job on the spot. Later in life, Basford also wrote a book called "The Green Man." Before her book, this topic was largely unknown to the world. The Green Man, is a mythical figure - portrayed as a man with a head that sprouts leaves. It is a relic of the middle ages. Unearthed Words "It's designed to break your heart. The game begins in the spring, when everything is new again, and it blossoms in the summer, filling the afternoons and evenings, and then as soon as the chill rains comes, it stops, and leaves you to face the fall alone." - Bartlett Giamatti Today's book recommendation Montrose by Nancy Goodwin This is a book that was released in 2005 and it's still one of my favorites. Nancy Goodwin and her husband, Craufurd, searched for 10 years before finding a 61-acre property in 1977. The place had been in the Graham family for three generations. They had named it Montrose in honor of their Scottish ancestry. This book is the story of how the Goodwins transformed the property; it's a beautiful biography of the many gardens of Montrose. You can get used copies of this treasure on Amazon for $4 using the link in today's show notes. Today's Garden Chore If you live in a cold climate, late fall is a wonderful time to sow flower seeds in your garden. Sweet Alyssum, Bee Balm, Coreopsis, Delphinium, Lady's Mantle, Penstemon, and Sweet Pea are just a handful of the flowers you can sow in your fall garden. Additionally, many annuals, like cosmos, nigella, and cleome, will seed themselves after a summer in your garden. If any seeds germinate in places where you don't want them, it's pretty easy to remove them in the spring or early summer. Something Sweet Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart I was researching a family tree on Ancestry recently, and I came across this little notice in The Mower County Transcriptout of Lansing Minnesota from this in 1893. Here's what it said: "The parties who recently took flowers from the garden of Mrs. M. E. Nancarrow are known and must call and pay for them or be subjected to serious trouble." Thanks for listening to the daily gardener, and remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."

If you have struggled to grow tomatoes successfully, maybe it's time to give cucumbers a try. They are much easier to grow than tomatoes. Just add some organic matter to the soil and mulch around the base of the plant. Cucumbers benefit from support, so install a trellis for the vines to climb. That's it. The saying, "cool as a cucumber" refers to the fact that it's about 20 degrees cooler on the inside of a cucumber. And, cucumbers contain loads of nutrients like magnesium, vitamin C, and potassium. Cucumbers are 96 percent cool water. The phytochemcials in cucumbers kill the bacteria that causes bad breath. Just press a slice of cucumber to the roof of your mouth with your tongue and in 30 seconds, you'll have better-smelling breath. Brevities #OTD Today is the birthday of the first collector and cataloguer of Canadian plant specimens, Naturalist Michel Sarrazin, who was born on this day in 1659. In France, Sarrazin was a trained to be a surgeon. By the age of 25, he was appointed to help the troops headed to colonize Canada. When he arrived in Canada he tended to both the troops and civilians in Québec and Montreal. Helping sick people was dangerous work. In his early thirties Sarrazin himself became ill and in short order he returned to France to receive more training. He spent three years in France - obtaining his doctorate of medicine and finding himself spending more and more time at the Botanical Garden in Paris. It wasn't long before he met the nobleman and botanist Joseph Pitton de Tournefort. Tournefort was an excellent teacher. He was the first botanist to develop the idea of creating a genus for plants. Later, Sarrazin would report that it was Tournefort who "stimulated [his] lifelong interest in collecting and classifying [plants]". Rested, educated, and passionate about horticulture, Sarrazin returned to Canada and he kept in touch with Tournefort through correspondence. He would send back various specimens of North American plants. Tournefort, in turn, would share Sarrazin's discoveries with the Royal Academy of Science back in France. Sarrazin's most noted discover was Sarracenia purpurea, the pitcher plant - which Linneaus would name in his honor. The pitcher plant grew in wetlands, bogs and marshes around Québec. From a medicinal standpoint, the pitcher plant was discovered to be an effective against smallpox. Ever the doctor, Sarrazin had studied the powerful pitcher plant. Incredibly, it was Michel Sarrazin who first suspected that the plant actually caught insects and ate them. When he shared his thoughts in writing, the academic community rejected his theory. Nearly 200 years later, Charles Darwin would validate Sarrazin's hypothesis in his work called Insectivorous Plants. There's a fascinating side-note in the Sarrazin biography; Sarrazin was the first doctor to perform a mastectomy in North America. His patient was a 38-year-old nun and her prognosis was so grim that Sarrazin was certain she would die without the surgery. Sarrazin acted quickly, the nun recovered, and lived a full life until the age of 77. #OTD Today in 1857, Harvard botanist Asa Gray received a confidential letter from Charles Darwin. In the letter, Darwin wrote: "I will enclose the briefest abstract of my notions on the means by which nature makes her species....I ask you not to mention my doctrine." Two years later, Darwin revealed his concept of natural selection in his book, "On the Origin of Species. #OTD Today is the birthday of the botanist Katherine Warington who was born on this day in 1897. Warington was a twin in a family with five girls. After college, Warington ended up working with an entomologist who was researching the black fly. The point of the research was to make beans taste bad to the fly. Researchers took turns applying various elements to the beans and in the process, Warington discovered that Boron was essential to plant growth. Two years later, Warington published her work - amazing the scientific community at her discovery and the unlikely scenario of a scientist making a major discovery with their first research project after college. Unearthed Words "What wondrous life is this I lead! Ripe apples drop about my head; The luscious clusters of the vine Upon my mouth do crush their wine; The nectarine and curious peach Into my hands themselves do reach; Stumbling on melons, as I pass, Ensnared with flowers, I fall on grass." - Andrew Marvell, Thoughts in a Garden Today's book recommendation: Tussie-Mussies by Geraldine Laufer This book on Tussie-Mussies is subtitled The Victorian Art of Expressing Yourself in the Language of Flowers and it came out in 1993. Laufer's book does a wonderful job of explaining the art of sending floral messages. Tussie-Mussies were originally called "talking bouquets" or "word posies." She describes how to make them (it's simpler than you might think). She also shares how the meanings of herbs and flowers have changed over time. Laufer has been called a Floral Poet - and she give step-by-step instructions for how to make 60 different bouquets or tussie mussies to express love, wish someone a Happy Birthday or Congratulations, express Sympathy, and commemorate celebrations like the birth of a baby, a wedding anniversary or a family gathering. Today's Garden Chore Reconsider adding coleus to your garden. Coleus went through a resurgence a decade or so ago. For many gardeners it is a yearly addition to the garden. If you have a shady garden, coleus can add tremendous color to the garden. Nowadays, there are sun coleus that can handle sunny gardens as well. The Brazilian garden designer, Roberto Burle Marx, considered coleus a favorite. Over the years, your attraction to coleus may subside. But as with any old favorite, they can find their way back into your heart. Visit one garden with a beautiful planting of coleus, complementing the perfect perennials, and you'll be looking to add coleus back into your garden. And here's a little tip about coleus; coleus has a natural rooting hormone, so use coleus water as you would willow water or plant coleus next to other plants to help them get established. Something Sweet Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart On this day in 1882, The Ipswich Journalout of Suffolk, England, included this little snippet in an article reviewing some of the oldest tombstones in Suffolk. "In [a] secluded, unpretending graveyard, the [is an] epitaph to " Edward Ward, aged 92, who died in 1804," who, it appears, was gardener at Troston Hall for upwards of seventy years : Thus, thy long Round of Years and Toils fullfill'd Rest, Good Old Man : no more to fear or hope From the returning Seasons & their change, Till the Great Spring arrive ; & call the forth To Bloom, we trust, &; Fruits, on earth unknown. The above forcibly illustrates the long servitude prevailing in Suffolk above a century ago, for it was reckoned that the family of Wards had been employed by the same family for 200 years." Thanks for listening to the daily gardener, and remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."

I had to chuckle the other day as I was putting together my fall containers. The first thing I do when I transition from one season to another, is determine which plants are salvageable - the ones that have enough gas to go another season. One of my pots ended up being a bit of a hodgepodge. I call it my "Must Go" Container in honor of my husband's Great Aunt Lena. Here's the backstory: Great Aunt Lena would babysit my husband and his siblings when they were little. She was helping out my in-laws while they were both at work and she was famous for making a casserole at the end of the week she called "Must Go" hotdish. Phil's dad used to tell how one particular Must Go hotdish was extra memorable because when he was dishing himself up a plate, he pulled out an intact piece of pizza out of the depths of this hotdish; which no doubt was combined with a can of cream of mushroom soup. In any case, my "Must Go" container ended up being a bit of an homage to Great Aunt Lena; individually, the plants looked fine. But, put together, the effect was jumbled - a "Must Go" container if ever there was one. I'll have to redo it this weekend. Brevities #OTD Today is the birthday of the English gardener, designer, and nurseryman Henry Wise who was born on this day in 1653. One can't mention Henry Wise without talking about George London. The two worked together on gardens throughout England. The partnership began when Wise was a student of London. When Wise came of age, he became London's partner at the Brompton Park nurseries. Wise was one of the greatest gardeners and plantsmen of his time. Together, he and London became THE designers to work for over two decades until London died in 1714. Wise is remembered for being the gardener for Queen Anne, although he also managed the royal gardens during the reigns of William III and George I as well. London and Wise designed formal baroque gardens. Think - box hedges, gravel walk ways, beautiful statuary and magnificent fountains. Wise laid out the stunning avenue of Chestnut trees in England's Bushy Park as well as the walled kitchen garden made for the Duke of Marlborough in Blenheim which thrills visitors still today. #OTD Today is the birthday of the Arnold Arboretum taxonomist and dendrologist Alfred Rehder who was born on this day in 1863. A dendrologist studies trees and Rehder was the top dendrologist of his generation. Rehder learned about horticulture from his father who was an amateur gardener. He worked at a number of botanical gardens around Germany. At the turn of the 20th century, Rehder was sent to the US to study American grapes - which were resistant to phylloxera - the disease that was caused by aphids and that was threatening to obliterate wine production in Europe. There was no better place for Rehder to conduct his research than Harvard's Arnold Arboretum. It was a fortuitous assignment for Rehder who ended up meeting the director of the Arboretum - Charles Sprague Sargent. Sargent recognized Rehder's intelligence and diligence. He persuaded him to stay on and gave him the tremendous assignment of compiling a bibliography of everything written about woody plants published before 1900. It resulted in a five-volume, 3,789-page work. Rehder accomplished much during his time at Harvard. He launched a quarterly botanical publication known as the Journal of the Arnold Arboretum and he came up with a system to identify geographic zones based on the relationship between temperature and the hardiness of specific plants. Rehder's work helped establish what we know as the USDA Hardiness zone maps. #OTD Today is the birthday of Canada's first professional woman plant breeder - a woman called the "dean of hybridists" and the "Grand Lady of Canadian Horticulture" - Isabella Preston, who was born on this day in 1881. Vita Sackville-West once acknowledged, "I must confess I don't know anything about Miss Isabella Prestonof Ottawa. . ." Preston's name had become famous as the result of her lily hybrids. She bred the renowned George C. Creelman hybrid lily in 1919. Vita would have loved Preston's practical and hard-won advice. When a colleague asked Preston what she should do with her rock garden, Preston's advice was rather fascinating: "Use every bit of rock – Don't be afraid of it. Plant between, atop or along side. Presently, you will be convinced that flowers need near them the harsh stability of stone." Preston was a self-taught plant hybridizer. In 1920 she joined the Central Experimental Farm in Ottawa. For almost three decades, she endeavored to create more blooms on more disease-resistant plants. She created over 200 cultivars of six different plants including lilacs, lilies, crab apples, columbine, Siberian iris and roses. Preston Lilacs are named in her honor. Preston received many honors for her work. Unearthed Words "She had only to stand in the orchard, to put her hand on a little crab tree and look up at the apples, to make you feel the goodness of planting and tending and harvesting at last." - Willa Cather "September fattens on vines. Roses flake from the wall. The smoke of harmless fires drifts to my eyes. This is plenty. This is more than enough." - Geoffrey Hill, September Song Today's book recommendation: Gardener's Guide to Compact Plants - Jessica Walliser With space becoming a premium for urban gardens and for gardeners who want to keep their gardens more manageable, compact plants are the perfect solution. One of my favorite things about this book are the amazon options for edible plants that work in small spaces. Incorporating edibles into little spaces in your garden allows you to maximize your gardens productivity and your return on investment. In addition to edibles, Jessica offers suggestions for compact flowering and fruiting trees, as well as compact shrubs, evergreens, and perennials. Plus, Jessica shares what she calls, "The Magic 7 Maintenance Tasks" - little tips for creating a successful garden one task at a time. Today's Garden Chore Now is the time to get your order together for spring bulbs. Whether you use them for planting or forcing during the winter, you will get the best selection if you order early. Once you get them, make sure you don't plant them until the weather turns colder later in the fall. Something Sweet Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart On this day in 1938, Charles Joseph Sauriol wrote in his journal. He wrote about a common occurrence in gardens; plants growing together. He wrote: "[I] set out plantations of Thyme, Rosemary, Tarragon, Mint, Caraway, in the Wild Flower garden which now becomes a herb garden as well. This is my answer to keeping the weeds down…. My studies converge so why not the plants?" Thanks for listening to the daily gardener, and remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."

Have you ordered your spring bulbs yet? Here's a new perspective on planting spring bulbs - they're important resources for pollinators. Most gardeners think about spring flowering bulbs in terms of color - which is something we desperately need after a long winter. But spring flowering bulbs are valuable for another reason: they're an early source of nectar for pollinators. Think about planting these spring bulbs this October to help out bumblebees, native bees, and other pollinators in the early days of spring: Crocus, tulips, and daffodils are obvious choices. Other excellent spring bulb selections include options like fritillaria, grape hyacinths, winter aconites, snow drops, squill and glory of the snow (Chinodoxia). All of these bulbs can be planted now through the end of October. And don't forget you can plant early-flowering spring perennials to accompany these bulbs. Choose plants like early flowering hellebores and lungwort. Brevities #OTD On this day in 1802, a 13-year-old boy named George Thorndike, planted a tree at Bowdoin College in Maine. Thorndike was part of the first class at Bowdoin. The class was made up of 8 boys. Aside from being part of the charter class, Thorndike became an important part of the college's history. The story happened after Thorndike attended the very first service at the college chapel. As he was leaving the chapel, he spied a little acorn by the path. Thorndike knew enough about plants and trees to know that the acorn was a little out of place in the pine-laden forest around Bowdoin. Thorndike planted the acorn and the following year, it had made enough progress for Thorndike to move the sapling to the college president's garden. The year George and his class graduated, in 1806, they met under the tree to say farewell. The Thorndike Oak became an important symbol for Bowdoin College and a yearly commencement tradition; students would meet under the Thorndike Oak before the ceremony. #OTD Today is the birthday of the botanist Sara Allen Plummer Lemmon who was born on this day in 1836. Lemmon is remembered for her successful 1903 piece of legislation that nominated the golden poppy (Eschscholzia californica) as the state flower of California. Asa Gray named the genus Plummera in honor of Sara Plummer Lemmon. Plummera are yellow wildflowers in the daisy family, and they bloom from July through September in southeastern Arizona. Lemmon and her husband, John Gill Lemmon, were both botanists. Her husband always went by his initials JG. Although Sara partnered equally with her husband on their work in botany, their papers were always published with the credentials "J.G. Lemmon & Wife." The Lemmons had found each other late in life in California. They had both suffered individually during the civil war. John was taken prisoner at Andersonville. He barely survived and his health was impacted for the rest of his life. Sara had worked herself ragged nursing soldiers in New York while teaching. In 1881, when Sara was 45 years old, the Lemmons took a honeymoon trip to Arizona. They called it their "botanical wedding trip." The Lemmons rode a train to Tucson along with another passenger - President Rutherford B. Hayes. When they arrived, the Lemmons set off for the Santa Catalina Mountains. In Elliot's history of Arizona, he recounts the difficulty in climbing the mountain range: "The Lemmons often sat on the stone porch of their cave and dug the thorns and spines out of their hands and feet" And once they saw, " . . . a lion so large he carried a huge buck away without dragging feet or antlers." When they returned to Tucson unsuccessful and discouraged, they were told to meet a rancher named Emerson Oliver Stratton. Thanks to Stratton, they were able to ascend the Catalinas from the back side. When they arrived at the summit, Stratton was so impressed with Sara's drive and demeanor he named the mountain in her honor - Mount Lemmon. Sara was the first woman to climb the Catalinas. Twenty-five years later, in 1905, the Lemmons returned to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary. When they climbed the Catalina's in celebration, Stratton was again at their side; helping them retrace the steps of their "botanical wedding trip" to the top of Mount Lemmon. #OTD Today in 1893, The Times out of Philadelphia reported on a George Vanderbilt's mountain home; It said that the millionaire had transformed a forest into a blooming garden. Of course, it was describing the Biltmore - Vanderbilt's country mansion and estate. Here's what it said: "[Vanderbilt's] first step was to purchase, besides several mountains, 18,000 acres of land along the French Broad and the Swannanoa rivers. The next step ... was to restrain the natural temptation to carry out plans of his own and to employ the services of the greatest landscape artist in the country, Frederick Law Olmstead... Seven hundred men are employed, their wages running from $1 per day to the salary of $12,000 paid to the overseer. Three years ago, the work of transforming old fields, pastures and woodlands into a harmonious landscape began, and Professor Harbison.. is enthusiastic over the progress made... Boulders have been set in place, rhododendrons transplanted, and the whole is declared to be a poem in plants, trees and bowers. .. Already by the introduction of mosses and vines at the bridges portions of the place have taken on the appearance of age and the appearance of newness has been overcome." Unearthed Words "The breezes taste Of apple peel. The air is full Of smells to feel- Ripe fruit, old footballs, Burning brush, New books, erasers, Chalk, and such. The bee, his hive, Well-honeyed hum, And Mother cuts Chrysanthemums. Like plates washed clean With suds, the days Are polished with A morning haze. " - John Updike, September Today's book recommendation: Gardening with Conifers by Adrian Bloom This is such a great book. It came out in 2002. It's a fantastic resource that outlines the coniferous trees and shrubs available to North American gardeners. It also shares how to combine conifers with other plants and use them as topiary. It also offers tips on the care and propagation of conifers. And, since it's been out a while, y ou can get used copies for less than $8 using the link in today's show notes. Today's Garden Chore Prepare a spot for curing your Garlic. Garlic needs an airy, sheltered place to cure. And don't forget to order your Garlic now for planting in October. Something Sweet Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart #OTD On this day in 1968, drummer Ringo Starr rejoined the Beatles. He had quit the band two weeks earlier. The Beatles had managed to keep the news away from the press and the public. Ringo had quit after feeling like the odd man out. During his time away from the band, he wrote "Octopus's Garden" on a yacht he borrowed from his friend actor Peter Sellers. The band asked Ringo to return via a telegram. They said they loved him and thought he was the best rock n' roll drummer in the world. Ringo arrived at Abbey Road to discover his drum kit covered with flowers spelling "Welcome Back, Ringo." Thanks for listening to the daily gardener, and remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."

Now is the perfect time to play doctor in the garden. Look for the sick or injured. Look for plants that haven't thrived, plants with disease, and plants riddled with pests. You don't want to leave any diseased plants in your garden over the winter. If you are able to do only one fall garden chore, taking out the sick and infirm is what you want to do. All these babies get dug up and escorted out of my garden. Generally I say that nothing green or brown leaves the property, but these are items I don't dare chop and drop, or compost - these sick plants go out. Brevities #OTD It's the birthday of Lancelot Brown who was born on this day in 1716. Lancelot ended up at Stowe working for William Kent - the eminent painter and Landscape Architect. Stowe was commissioned in the 1730's. The garden at Stowe was a landscape garden. Lots of straight lines and formality. The garden looked like a painting with an 11 acre lake. The main area was the Elysian Fields; 40 acres featuring buildings and monuments that flank two narrow lakes called the River Styx. The monuments honored the virtuous men of Britian and Greece. The time spent with Kent at Stowe not only transformed the land, it transformed Lancelot from a gardener into a Landscape Architect. It was his big break. After Stowe, Brown traveled all over England as a freelancer. Brown' skill and his nickname came from seeing the "capabilities" of the landscape. He became so popular that everyone with means wanted a Capability Brown landscape - they craved his garden designs and garden temples. What everyone wanted was beauty and Capability delivered just that: beautiful gardens. Today, at least 20 of his gardens remain and are in the care of England's National Trust. #OTD Today is the birthday of Agoston Haraszthy who was born on this day in 1812. Haraszthy's family wasHungarian nobility. In 1840, he immigrated to the United States.Back home, Haraszthy had gotten hold of a book that reported the Wisconsin territory offered the finest land in America. So, he went there first. Since Haraszthy's dream was to make European wine in America, he quickly discovered Wisconsin was not the place for that. In short order, Haraszthy made his way to San Francisco with the gold rush. But San Francisco was not a fit with the grapes. It was foggy and cold. But then, Haraszthy found the Sonoma Valley in 1857. Sonoma Valley was called the "Valley of the Moon" by the writer Jack London and it turned out that Sonoma was the perfect place to grow purple gold. After a dozen years of searching Harazethy had found a place suitable for growing European grapes - which were more delicate and more finicky than North American wild grapes. Giddy and hopeful, Haraszethy built a white villa for his wife and six children on a property he named Buena Vista or Good View. Then he went to Europe and collected 100,000 cuttings of 300 varieties of grapes; There were the rare white grapes of the Pinot Chardonnay, the green Hungarian grape, the Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, and the white Riesling grapes of the Rhine and Moselle river region, just to name a few. There is an old saying that the God of wine, Bacchus, loved the hills. Well, Haraszethy loved them, too. He was the first vine dresser to grow his grapes on the mountain sides in California. In fact, Haraszthy brought many european growing methods to his estate - which included growing the grape plants closer together. This was something other growers found unwise. But Haraszthy knew that growing grapes in close proximity stressed the vines, which in turn, made better tasting grapes. Haraszthy also performed a green harvest - something no one had ever done before. Today the technique is known as dropping fruit which means doing an initial harvest of some of the grapes; the fewer grapes on the vine - the better the flavor of the remaining grapes. That year Haraszthy also brought in a team of Chinese laborers and they worked to dig out the first wine caves in the state. The most impressive accomplishment included a 100-feet-deep stone wine cellar built on the side of a hill. In 1863, Haraszthy incorporated his vineyard as the Buena Vista Vinicultural Society Thanks to investors, Haraszthy purchased an additional 4,000 acres making Buena Vista the second largest vineyard in the state. In 1866, a vine disease swept through the area. Haraszthy and his unique growing methods were blamed for the small tasteless grapes and the brown, dying vines. The disease was actually Phylloxera - an aphid that attacks vine roots and causes grapes to harden on the vine. It wiped out Buena Vista. Haraszthy filed for bankruptcy. With his vineyard and his reputation in tatters, Haraszthy went south to Nicaragua. He planted a large sugar plantation and he planned to make and sell rum. But, on July 6, 1869, as he was reaching for a vine and crossing a river on his property, he apparently fell and was eaten by an alligator. Today, Haraszthy is considered the father of California Vitoculture or Wine-Making. In 1946, a plaque to Haraszthy was dedicated in the plaza of Sonoma. In March 2007, Haraszthy was inducted into the Vintners Hall of Fame by the Culinary Institute of America. Unearthed Words Quinnipeague in August was a lush green place where inchworms dangled from trees whose leaves were so full that the eaten parts were barely missed. Mornings meant 'thick o' fog' that caught on rooftops and dripped, blurring weathered gray shingles while barely muting the deep pink of rosa rugosa or the hydrangea's blue. Wood smoke filled the air on rainy days, pine sap on sunny ones, and wafting through it all was the briny smell of the sea." ― Barbara Delinsky, Sweet Salt Air Today's book recommendation: Deer-Resistant Design by Karen Chapman This fantastic book came out this summer - It's a fantastic resource. If you are a deer-plagued gardener, you're going to want to get this book. Instead of relying on fencing or chemicals, Karen is proposing another way: making intentional selections for deer resistant plants. She showcases real home gardens across North America from New Jersey to Texas. Each homeowner shares their top ten deer-resistant plants. It's a book of best practices - proven selection for a lush, deer-defying garden. what a brilliant idea! Today's Garden Chore Consider installing more pathways in your garden. It's helpful to have a main walkway through the garden. Along the path you can add focal points like statuary or containers. You can add interest and intrigue with tall plants like cup plant or lovage. The paths provide structure and function in the garden. I remember when I installed a path along the garden in front of my front porch; Best thing I ever did. Something Sweet Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart Today in 1962, The Honolulu Star-Bulletin shared a story about the first tulips.

Most of us have heard this fascinating part of botanical history, but back in 1962, this story would have been a revelation to most people. Here's what it said: "The first time tulips were mentioned in Europe was in 1554, after a botanist found a few specimens near Constantinople. Six years later, another botanist brought some of the bulbs to Holland. From about 1600 to 1650, Europe underwent a 'tulip-mania," with bulbs being sold for as much as $2,200 each."

Thanks for listening to the daily gardener, and remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."

Now is the perfect time to play doctor in the garden. Look for the sick or injured. Look for plants that haven't thrived, plants with disease, and plants riddled with pests. You don't want to leave any diseased plants in your garden over the winter. If you are able to do only one fall garden chore, taking out the sick and infirm is what you want to do. All these babies get dug up and escorted out of my garden. Generally I say that nothing green or brown leaves the property, but these are items I don't dare chop and drop, or compost - these sick plants go out. Brevities #OTD It's the birthday of Lancelot Brown who was born on this day in 1716. Lancelot ended up at Stowe working for William Kent - the eminent painter and Landscape Architect. Stowe was commissioned in the 1730's. The garden at Stowe was a landscape garden. Lots of straight lines and formality. The garden looked like a painting with an 11 acre lake. The main area was the Elysian Fields; 40 acres featuring buildings and monuments that flank two narrow lakes called the River Styx. The monuments honored the virtuous men of Britian and Greece. The time spent with Kent at Stowe not only transformed the land, it transformed Lancelot from a gardener into a Landscape Architect. It was his big break. After Stowe, Brown traveled all over England as a freelancer. Brown' skill and his nickname came from seeing the "capabilities" of the landscape. He became so popular that everyone with means wanted a Capability Brown landscape - they craved his garden designs and garden temples. What everyone wanted was beauty and Capability delivered just that: beautiful gardens. Today, at least 20 of his gardens remain and are in the care of England's National Trust. #OTD Today is the birthday of Agoston Haraszthy who was born on this day in 1812. Haraszthy's family wasHungarian nobility. In 1840, he immigrated to the United States.Back home, Haraszthy had gotten hold of a book that reported the Wisconsin territory offered the finest land in America. So, he went there first. Since Haraszthy's dream was to make European wine in America, he quickly discovered Wisconsin was not the place for that. In short order, Haraszthy made his way to San Francisco with the gold rush. But San Francisco was not a fit with the grapes. It was foggy and cold. But then, Haraszthy found the Sonoma Valley in 1857. Sonoma Valley was called the "Valley of the Moon" by the writer Jack London and it turned out that Sonoma was the perfect place to grow purple gold. After a dozen years of searching Harazethy had found a place suitable for growing European grapes - which were more delicate and more finicky than North American wild grapes. Giddy and hopeful, Haraszethy built a white villa for his wife and six children on a property he named Buena Vista or Good View. Then he went to Europe and collected 100,000 cuttings of 300 varieties of grapes; There were the rare white grapes of the Pinot Chardonnay, the green Hungarian grape, the Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, and the white Riesling grapes of the Rhine and Moselle river region, just to name a few. There is an old saying that the God of wine, Bacchus, loved the hills. Well, Haraszethy loved them, too. He was the first vine dresser to grow his grapes on the mountain sides in California. In fact, Haraszthy brought many european growing methods to his estate - which included growing the grape plants closer together. This was something other growers found unwise. But Haraszthy knew that growing grapes in close proximity stressed the vines, which in turn, made better tasting grapes. Haraszthy also performed a green harvest - something no one had ever done before. Today the technique is known as dropping fruit which means doing an initial harvest of some of the grapes; the fewer grapes on the vine - the better the flavor of the remaining grapes. That year Haraszthy also brought in a team of Chinese laborers and they worked to dig out the first wine caves in the state. The most impressive accomplishment included a 100-feet-deep stone wine cellar built on the side of a hill. In 1863, Haraszthy incorporated his vineyard as the Buena Vista Vinicultural Society Thanks to investors, Haraszthy purchased an additional 4,000 acres making Buena Vista the second largest vineyard in the state. In 1866, a vine disease swept through the area. Haraszthy and his unique growing methods were blamed for the small tasteless grapes and the brown, dying vines. The disease was actually Phylloxera - an aphid that attacks vine roots and causes grapes to harden on the vine. It wiped out Buena Vista. Haraszthy filed for bankruptcy. With his vineyard and his reputation in tatters, Haraszthy went south to Nicaragua. He planted a large sugar plantation and he planned to make and sell rum. But, on July 6, 1869, as he was reaching for a vine and crossing a river on his property, he apparently fell and was eaten by an alligator. Today, Haraszthy is considered the father of California Vitoculture or Wine-Making. In 1946, a plaque to Haraszthy was dedicated in the plaza of Sonoma. In March 2007, Haraszthy was inducted into the Vintners Hall of Fame by the Culinary Institute of America. Unearthed Words Quinnipeague in August was a lush green place where inchworms dangled from trees whose leaves were so full that the eaten parts were barely missed. Mornings meant 'thick o' fog' that caught on rooftops and dripped, blurring weathered gray shingles while barely muting the deep pink of rosa rugosa or the hydrangea's blue. Wood smoke filled the air on rainy days, pine sap on sunny ones, and wafting through it all was the briny smell of the sea." ― Barbara Delinsky, Sweet Salt Air Today's book recommendation: Deer-Resistant Design by Karen Chapman This fantastic book came out this summer - It's a fantastic resource. If you are a deer-plagued gardener, you're going to want to get this book. Instead of relying on fencing or chemicals, Karen is proposing another way: making intentional selections for deer resistant plants. She showcases real home gardens across North America from New Jersey to Texas. Each homeowner shares their top ten deer-resistant plants. It's a book of best practices - proven selection for a lush, deer-defying garden. what a brilliant idea! Today's Garden Chore Consider installing more pathways in your garden. It's helpful to have a main walkway through the garden. Along the path you can add focal points like statuary or containers. You can add interest and intrigue with tall plants like cup plant or lovage. The paths provide structure and function in the garden. I remember when I installed a path along the garden in front of my front porch; Best thing I ever did. Something Sweet Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart Today in 1962, The Honolulu Star-Bulletin shared a story about the first tulips.

Most of us have heard this fascinating part of botanical history, but back in 1962, this story would have been a revelation to most people. Here's what it said: "The first time tulips were mentioned in Europe was in 1554, after a botanist found a few specimens near Constantinople. Six years later, another botanist brought some of the bulbs to Holland. From about 1600 to 1650, Europe underwent a 'tulip-mania," with bulbs being sold for as much as $2,200 each."

Thanks for listening to the daily gardener, and remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."