The Daily Gardener

Are you growing Gladiola? The plants are also sometimes called the Sword Lily. Gladiola is Latin for a small sword. In Victorian times, the Gladiola meant, "You pierce my heart." And the next time you see a Gladiola, take a closer look: Members of this family produce parts in multiples of three. There are three sepals, colored to look like petals, and three true petals, and three stamens. Brevities #OTD It was on this day in 1923 that the botanist Edwin Way Teale married Nelly Imogene Donovan. The two had met while Teale was at College. After they married, they moved to New York so that Teale could continue his education at Columbia University. Teale's first job was writing for the magazine Popular Science. On the side, he began taking pictures and specializing in nature photography. When Teale was 42, he left Popular Science to become a freelancer. By 1943, his book By-ways to Adventure: A Guide to Nature Hobbies won the John Burroughs Medal for distinguished natural history writing. During World War II, Teale's son, David, was killed in Germany. The couple began traveling across the country by automobile. The trips help them cope with their grief. The trips became not only a catharsis but also an integral part of Teale's writing. Their 1947 journey, covering 17,000 miles in a black Buick, following the advance of spring, led to Teale's book north with the spring. Additional road trips lead to more books: Journey Into Summer, Autumn Across America, and Wandering Through Winter. Wandering Through Winter won the Pulitzer Prize in 1966. And, it was Edward Way Teale who said: For man, autumn is a time of harvest, of gathering together. For nature, it is a time of sowing, of scattering abroad. Any fine morning, a power saw can fell a tree that took a thousand years to grow. "Nature is shy and noncommittal in a crowd. To learn her secrets, visit her alone or with a single friend, at most. Everything evades you, everything hides, even your thoughts escape you when you walk in a crowd." "Our minds, as well as our bodies, have need of the out-of-doors. Our spirits, too, need simple things, elemental things, the sun and the wind and the rain, moonlight, and starlight, sunrise and mist and mossy forest trails, the perfumes of dawn, and the smell of fresh-turned earth and the ancient music of wind among the trees." #OTD And today is the birthday of the botanist Franklin Hewitt Perrin who is born in London on this day in 1927. In 1962, Perrin, along with Max Walters, wrote The Atlas of the British Flora, which some called the most important natural history book of the 20th century. It was Franklin Perrin who devised the Dot Map. He was an outstanding field botanist with a phenomenal memory for plants. Perrin was the best kind of botanist, possessing the eagerness of an amateur and the training of a true professional. Perrin had obtained his Ph.D. in Cambridge. When Max Walters, the director of the University herbarium, invited him to map the distribution of all the wildflowers trees and ferns of England and Ireland, Perrin said, "yes." Planning and leading groups of experts on remote field trips by bicycle, train, or on foot, was Perrin's favorite thing to do. Walters and Perrin successfully mapped all of Britain's plants in under five years. Unearthed Words "The English winter, ending in July To recommence in August." - Lord Byron Today's book recommendation: The Garden Chef: Recipes and Stories from Plant to Plate For many people, gardens are just extensions of the kitchen. Today restaurants are utilizing rooftop gardens for growing herbs and spices, and larger plots allow for cultivating vegetables along with fruit trees. The garden chef offers more than 100 gardens focused recipes, and it shares how 40 of the world's top chefs grow and cook with produce directly from their garden. The book offers stories along with the recipes for folks to enjoy reading cookbooks. It also gives tips for gardeners showing how the smallest space can grow Something delicious to eat. Today's Garden Chore Try using a strawberry jar to plant herbs. One of the best things about strawberry jars is that they can be brought into the house for winter, and the leaves of your herbs can be snipped off whenever you need them. And it has a minimal footprint. If you're going to plant in a strawberry jar successfully, make sure you fill it with a mixture of potting soil and plenty of perlite. Then, you can add the herbs that you like: basil, parsley, apple mint, and lemon time, for instance. Something Sweet Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart And it was on this day in 1950 that The Ithaca Journal out of Ithaca New York published a question from a reader. The reader wanted an answer to this question: Please list a few plants that are named for people. Here is the answer: The poinsettia was named 'for Joel R. Poinsett, a famous statesman. Wisteria is named in .honor of Caspar Wistar, a distinguished physician and scientist of Philadelphia. Leonard Fuchs, a German botanist, discovered the 'plant known as fuchsia, while William Forsyth, a Scotch botanist, is responsible for the name of forsythia. The name of Louis Antoine de Bougainville, a French soldier, and explorer, is perpetuated in the bougainvillea. The paulownia is named for the Grand Duchess Anna Pavlovna, daughter of Czar Paul I. Thanks for listening to the daily gardener, and remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."

Did you know that poppies were Christopher Lloyd's his favorite flower? In his short essay about poppies, he introduces 'Goliath' poppies which grow to 4 feet tall and offer the largest blooms of any poppy. Lloyd wrote about the blooms saying, "They are rich crimson, which is as exciting as scarlet. In choosing plant neighbors to vie with it, I have been best pleased with an equally bright and pure yellow giant buttercup. Ranunculus acris 'Stevenii.' It is, however, shocking to discover that there are some gardeners (and non -gardeners) of congenitally weak and palsied constitution who do not like strong colors and who even pride themselves, as a class apart, on their good taste. The good-taste brigade can only think comfortably in terms of color harmonies and of soft and soothing pastel shades." Oh, how it pains the heart to be called out by Christopher Lloyd, doesn't it? Well, even though he thinks we're too meek when it comes to color in the garden, we are in violent agreement when it comes to procurement. You'll love this little snippet about how he came to own the poppy "Beauty Queen": "I took a fancy to 'Beauty Queen' in a friend's garden in Scotland in June, when it was flowering, and received permission to take a piece. When you see a plant that you must have, the answer to the question "Would you like some at the right time? should be "I'd rather have it now," right time or not. Otherwise, the right time will surely slip by, the transference of the coveted piece from central Scotland to the south of England (or from California to Maine) will be in convenient, and all you'll have is a gnawing gap in the pit of your wish-world." Brevities #OTD It was on this day in 1703 that Daniel Defoe was made to stand in the pillory in front of the temple bar. The pillory was basically a stockade; the hands and head would be caught between two large beams of wood. It was a horrible punishment. It was usually reserved for the most hideous crimes. When Dafoe was convicted of sedition, the crowds did their best to show their support; they threw flowers at his feet instead of mud. The image of Defoe standing with his head and hands in the stocks surrounded by an adoring audience was memorialized in an 1862 painting. In 1830, a biography of Defoe said that the stocks were adorned with garlands and that drinks were provided to celebrate Dafoe's release. #OTD It's the birthday of Mary Vaux Walcott born in Philadelphia today in 1860. Gardeners know Walcott for her work as a botanical illustrator; she created meticulously accurate watercolors of plants and flowers. She is known as the "Audobon of botany". Walcott became an illustrator one summer after being challenged to paint a rare blooming Arnica. Although her effort was only a modest success, it encouraged her to pursue the art. In that pursuit, she met Charles Doolittle Walcott. They were both doing fieldwork in the Canadian Rockies and they found they were equally yoked. They married the following year. At the time, Charles was the secretary of the Smithsonian; that's how Walcott came to develop the Smithsonian process printing technique. Walcott created hundreds of illustrations of the native plants of North America. Her five volume set entitled North American Wildflowersshowcases the stunning beauty of everyday wildflowers, many of which are at peak bloom right now. In addition to her work as a botanist, Mary was a successful glacial geologist and photographer. She was the first woman to summit a peak over 10,000 feet in Canada when she tackled Mount Stephen. Today Walcott even has a mountain named after her in Jasper - Mount Mary Vaux. #OTD Today's the anniversary of the death of Richard Morris Hunt who was an American architect during the gilded age. Gardeners know Hunt for his collaborations with the Frederick Law Olmsted. They worked together on the Vanderbilt mausoleum and the Chicago world's fair. Their ultimate collaboration occurred in Asheville, North Carolina, where they worked together to design the gardens, house, and manor village for the Biltmore estate. Hunt is often recognized as theDean of American Architecture. He was the first American trained at the prestigious Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris. Although Hunt and Olmsted had history, they clashed over Hunt's design for the southern entrance to Central Park. Hunt had won the competition to design it, but Olmsted and Vaux balked when they saw Hunt's glorious plan. For the main entrance at Fifth Avenue, Hunt had designed what he called the Gate of Peace. It included a circular fountain within a square parterre. The most magnificent part of his plan, was a semi circular terrace with a 50 foot column featuring a sailor and a Native American holding up the cities arms. At the base of the column was to be a monument to Henry Hudson. It involved a pool of water featuring Neptune in his chariot and Henry Hudson standing on the prowl of a ship. On the back side, there was a memorial to Christopher Columbus. Thinking the public would embrace his grand vision, Hunt made the decision to promote his designs for the park all on his own. But Hunt did not appreciate Vaux's is power. Although privately Vaux said that Hunt's plans were "splendid and striking"; publicly he told a friend they were, "what the country had been fighting against... Napoleon III in disguise all over. Vaux summarized that Hunt's designs were, "not American but the park was." Ironically, in 1898, a memorial was erected in Central Park to honor Richard Morris Hunt. The memorial is located on the eastern perimeter of the park and it was created by the same man who created the monument to Abraham Lincoln in the Lincoln Memorial: Daniel Chester French. When he was alive, Hunt wanted to elevate the publics taste in design and the arts, but he was also flexible enough to meet them where they were. It was Richard Maurice Hunter who said, "The first thing you've got to remember is that it's your clients' money you're spending. Your goal is to achieve the best results by following their wishes. If they want you to build a house upside down standing on its chimney, it's up to you to do it." #OTD It was on this day in 1972 that the horticulture program at the Smithsonian Gardens was established by Sydney Dylan Ripley who was the secretary of the Smithsonian. An American ornithologist and conservationist, as a child Ripley had been inspired by the area around the Louvre in France. He had hoped to make the Smithsonian a bustling area with activities for visitors and tourists. The purpose for the establishment of the horticultural services division was to provide landscaping in and around the Smithsonian museums. In 2010, the horticultural program was renamed the Smithsonian Gardens to recognize the role that the gardens play in the visitor experience. Unearthed Words Here's a poem by Robert Frost called 'Lodged'. This is a short garden poem. In six little lines, Frost connects himself to the flowers in the flowerbed, pelted by wind and rain; yet through it all, managing to survive. The rain to the wind said, 'You push and I'll pelt.' They so smote the garden bed That the flowers actually knelt, And lay lodged--though not dead. I know how the flowers felt. Today's book recommendation: Gardenista: The Definitive Guide to Stylish Outdoor Spaces by Michelle Slatalla Slatella's book was named "the best gift book for gardeners" by the New York Times book review. The book was put together by the team responsible for Gardenista and Remodelista. It's chockfull of hundreds of design tips and easy DIY's. It features 100 classic garden objects and a landscape primer with tips from the pros. It's a fantastic resource for folks hoping to get Garden Design 101 tips from the best and most creative in the business. Today's Garden Chore Check for overcrowding and overall areas of meh. Garden chores tend to get pushed aside this time of year. But it's worth spending a little time this week looking closely at the overall appearance of your beds, borders and containers. Take your camera with you to document what you see. If the beds are both crowded and unattractive, you'll probably need to do a bit of pruning and transplanting to whip those beds into shape for the remainder of the season. Something Sweet Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart Today is National Avocado Day. Avocado is a fruit and it was originally called an alligator pear by Sir Hans Sloane in 1696. And, Guinness has the largest avocado recorded at 5 pounds 6 1/2 ounces. Don't forget that the skin of an avocado can be toxic to cats and dogs - but the flesh of an avocado is actually higher in potassium than bananas. Now, the next time the price of avocados gets you down, remember that avocados are harvested by hand. Pickers need to use a 16-foot pole to reach the hanging fruit. And, finally, here's a little fun fact about avocados: The conquistadors used avocado seeds to write. It turns out, the avocado seed produces a milky liquid that changes to the color red when exposed to air. Thanks for listening to the daily gardener, and remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."

Have you tried growing Castor Bean? It's one of Michael Pollen's favorite plants. Check out the way he starts his article on the plant called, "Consider the Castor Bean" : "Pretty they are not, but a garden can labor under a surfeit "sur·fuht" of prettiness, be too sweet or cheerful for its own good. Sometimes what's needed in the garden is a hint of vegetal menace, of nature run tropically, luxuriantly amuck. For this I recommend the castor bean." While most of us have heard of castor oil (extracted by crushing and processing the seeds), growing the castor bean plant can be a new adventure for gardeners. The castor bean plant is the only member of the genus Ricinus communis and belongs to the spurge family. Unlike other members of the euphorbia family, castor bean does not have that milky latex sap, the sap of castor bean is watery. The giant, tropical leaves and peculiar seed pods make the plant an exotic addition to your garden. A native plant from Ethiopia, castor bean can grow to 40 feet tall when it can grow year round. For most gardeners who grow castor bean as an annual in a single season, castor bean will grow quickly and vigorously but it will only reach about 8-10 feet. If you grow castor bean, you need to be aware that the seeds are extremely poisonous. If you have kids around, keep plants out of reach and eliminate seeds altogether by cutting off the flowering spike. As you probably suspected from the latin name, the toxin in castor seeds is ricin (RYE-sin), one of the world's deadliest natural poisons. During the Cold War, the Bulgarian journalist, Georgi Markov, was killed when an umbrella rigged as a pellet rifle, shot a small BB into his leg as Markov stood in line at a bus stop. After he died in 1978, Scotland Yard investigated and found the BB; it was the size of a pinhead and it had been drilled with two holes producing an X-shaped cavity and the holes had been packed with ricin. The holes had been coated with a sugary substance which trapped the ricin inside the BB. The coating was designed to melt at body temperature, at which time the ricin was free to be absorbed into the bloodstream and kill him. Despite their unnerving history, castor beans are still good garden plants. They look beautiful with cannas, bananas and elephant ears for a tropical garden. They make a wonderful backdrop for grasses. And, they shine at the back of the flower border where they create a magnificent screen in no time. Castor Beans do best in full sun and they don't like wet feet - so plant them high and dry or in well drained locations. Brevities #OTD It's the birthday of Emily Brontë who was born on this day in 1818. Brontë wrote: Reason, indeed, may oft complain For Nature's sad reality, And tell the suffering heart, how vain Its cherished dreams must always be; And Truth may rudely trample down The flowers of Fancy, newly-blown. #OTD It's the birthday of Ellis Rowan, who was a well-known Australian artist and botanical illustrator, born on this day in 1848. In a 1994 newspaper article, Sarah Guest described Rowan this way: "She was an explorer. She set off alone at 68, for Papua New Guinea - who died in 1922. She dyed her hair red; had a face-lift; left her husband (the suggestion is that she was bored); was a member of one of Victoria's great pastoralist families; was a much-admired, prolific, technically proficient and joyous painter of plants and birds; and a conservationist she campaigned to stop the slaughter of birds for the decoration of ladies' hats... in her day she was known as "Australia's brilliant daughter" which, indeed, she was." Rowan discovered painting after her botanist husband. Frederick. encouraged her to develop a talent. Rowan developed her passion into her profession and it led her into unknown parts of Australia. During the first World war Rowan was living in New Guinea. At one point, she painted 45 of the 62 known species of birds of paradise. As a woman living during the mid-1800s, Rowan minded the dress code of her era. Wherever she went, whether on an exploration or back at home, she was always impeccably dressed; wearing heavy ankle length dresses, high collars with full sleeves - complete with crinolines, corsets, whalebone stays, and a hat. Just before Rowan died, the federal parliament in Australia debated whether to buy 1,000 of her paintings despite the Australian artist and novelist, Norman Lindsay, who called her work vulgar art. Lindsey didn't think wildflowers were worthy of subjects of real art. Ultimately, the paintings were purchased for $5000 . They are now part of Australia's national library. #OTD And it was on this day in 1901 that the General assembly of Arkansas selected the apple blossom as the floral emblem. This selection was not without controversy. The Floral Emblem Society, led by Mrs. Ed Barton, had supported the apple blossom. The Arkansas Federation of women's clubs wanted the passion flower. The disagreement between the two groups became known as the battle of the blooms. Barton became a one woman crusader for the apple blossom; writing articles and memos to newspapers - even personally mailing letters to affluent citizens. Whenever she mailed anything, she included a promotional pamphlet that she had created praising the apple blossom. In an ingenious move, she not only promoted the apple blossom, but she also dissed the passion flower; saying it was, "as pretty as a non-native of Arkansas", and saying that it would "grow anywhere the farmers hoe let it." Ouch. When the legislature was set to vote, Barton appeared at the capital wearing ... wait for it.... a bright apple red dress. And, she pulled a Martha Stewart and personally gifted every lawmaker with an apple and a note that said, "These are the results of our beautiful apple blossoms. But, what is the result of a passion flower? A dried shriveled pod." Indeed. Unearthed Words "Ah, summer, what power you have to make us suffer and like it." - Russel Baker "Dirty hands, iced tea, garden fragrances thick in the air and a blanket of color before me, who could ask for more?" - Bev Adams, Mountain Gardening Today's book recommendation: Gertrude Jekyll at Munstead Wood by Martin Wood and Judith Tankard Gertrude Jekyll was one of the most influential garden designers of the early 20th century. This wonderful book explores her life and work at the home she created for herself at Munstead Wood in England. The book is a fantastic collection of all things Jekyll; her writings and photographs, as well as personal accounts from friends and acquaintances. Today's Garden Chore When you are done harvesting blackberries or boysenberries, it is time to do a little housekeeping. Cut this years fruit bearing canes back to the ground and tie up the new green canes to take their place. Once all the fruiting has finished, you can begin to trim back your blackberries and boysenberries. The canes that just produced the fruit will start to dry and become woody and brown. Now, is the time to cut them right back to the ground. While you're at it, cut back any diseased or damaged canes. Next, look for anything that is too long or out of control. Try to make your plants have a nice, pleasant form. Take the new canes and train them where you want them to go. Make sure to spread them out so that they get good airflow. Remember, taking the time to do this right now will make them easier to pick from next season Thornless varieties make the job of pruning blackberries and boysenberries much easier. Don't forget: The fruit grows on new wood. And be sure to remove all dead or broken limbs - and suckers as well. Something Sweet Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart It was on this day in 1932 that Walt Disney premiered his first academy award winning animated cartoon. The short was called"Flowers and Trees" and it was the first cartoon to use technicolor. Flowers and Treeswas supposed to be a black-and-white cartoon, but Walt Disney decided it would make the perfect test film for the new technicolor process. The vivid colors of the natural world were the perfect subject for a technicolor production Meanwhile the Mickey Mouse short features were judged to be successful enough; they remained in black-and-white until 1935. Flowers and Treespremiered at the Chinese theater in Los Angeles on this day and won the Academy award for animated short subject. In the movie, the trees and flowers are anthropomorphized; they wake up at the beginning of the day and begin lifting their heads and stretching. In the short, a beautiful lady tree is wooed by suitor; while an evil old leafless tree attempts to steal her away. The two trees dual and when the old tree loses the battle, he sets the forest on fire. The plants in the natural world work together to put the fire out. The two trees end up happily together and they get engaged in the final seconds of the movie. The lady tree is presented a ring made from a curled up caterpillar. As the trees embrace, the bellflowers begin to play the wedding march and the other flowers dance around the hugging trees. Thanks for listening to the daily gardener, and remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."

Do you have children or grandchildren? A Peter Rabbit Garden is a lovely idea for you to consider. Of course, Peter Rabbit is the creation of Beatrix Potter, who was a noted botanist and mycologist. (A mycologist studies fungi). Potter's garden was located at Hill Top Farm. In making your Peter Rabbit garden, you could add a little wooden fence or a little stone wall around the perimeter. Inside, use the herbs and perennials featured in the books: Herbs include: Mint, Chamomile, Lavender, Parsley, Sage, Thyme, Rosemary, Lemon Balm, and Tansy. Edibles include Lettuce, Beets, Radish, Rhubarb, Onions, and Strawberry Then add Pansies, Roses, and Pinks. Brevities #OTD On this day in 1810, Thomas Nuttal, just 24 years old, jumped in a birch bark canoe with Aaron Greely, the deputy surveyor of the territory of Michigan, and they paddled to Mackinac Island arriving two weeks later on August 12. Nuttal spent several days on Mackinac. He was the first true botanist to explore the flora of Michigan, and certainly of Mackinac Island. Nuttal immediately set about collecting and writing detailed accounts of the flora he discovered. He documented about sixty species - about twenty were previously unknown. One the new Mackinac discoveries was the dwarf lake iris (Iris lucustris), which became the state wildflower of Michigan. #OTD It's the birthday of Edith Coleman, an Australian naturalist and a prolific writer, who was born on this day in 1874. Until recently little was known about Coleman. The author, Danielle Claude wrote a book about Coleman called The Wasp and the Orchidwhich explored how Coleman went from being a housewife until the age of 48 and then transformed into one of Australia's leading naturalists. Coleman had a special appreciation for orchids. Beginning in January 1927 one of her daughters told her that she had seen a wasp entering the flower of the small tongue orchid backwards. The odd behavior was something both Coleman and her daughter would see repeatedly over the next few seasons. The behavior was is perplexing; especially after Coleman dissected the plants and discovered that they were male. Coleman continued to study their behavior and she finally discovered that the wasp was fertilizing the orchid. The orchid uses this stealth pollination strategy Called pseudo-copulation to trick the mail wasps into thinking they are meeting with a female wasp. By getting the males to enter the plant, the plant is able to be pollinated. Coleman became the first woman to be awarded the Australian natural history medallion. Coleman will forever be remembered for her groundbreaking discovery about orchid pollination #OTD And it's the anniversary of the death of Ryan Gainey the landscape designer extraordinaire who died on this day in 2016. Gaineydied trying to save his beloved Jack Russell terrier's jellybean Leo and baby Ruth from a fire at his home. Neither he nor his dogs survived. When I came to landscape design, Gainey was completely self-taught. In the wonderful documentary about his life called "The Well-Placed Weed: The Bountiful Life of Ryan Gainey." (btw I shared it in the FB group so check it out) In the documentary Gaineyasked the filmmaker, "I've had a wild life. Do you know why?" His reply was simple and 100% Gainey: "I created it." Gaineypurchased a home in Decatur Georgia that used to be the site of Holcomb Nursery. He removed many of the green houses behind his home but kept the low brick walls that had served as the foundation for the greenhouses. The result was that Gaineyinstantly had a series of garden rooms that he could decorate and design to his hearts content. Over the course of his career, Gaineybecame friends with other notable designers and gardeners like Rosemary Verey and Penelope Hobhouse. Gainey loved Verey; they had a special bond. He loved the Camellia japonica. Gaineys gardens looked effortless with things spilling over and nestled in a way that made them look like they had been in the garden for decades. It was Gainey who said, "Where lies the genius of man? It is the ability to control nature... but for one purpose only; and that is to create beauty." 148 days before Gaineypassed away, an enormous white oak fell over and crushed his house. Gainey considered the tree to be the soul of his life. #OTD It was on this day in 1931 that newspapers were reporting that Louis Schubert and August Rosenberg had the distinction of being the first recipients of a patent for a plant. The patent was conferred for the first ever-blooming rose, which they named "The New Dawn." The patentable feature was for its ever-blooming aspect. The new rose was described as identical with the Dr. Van Fleet climbing rose, except that instead of blooming once each year it bloomed successively like the ever-blooming tea roses. The plant patent act was signed by president Hoover May 23, 1930. The patent for New Dawn was assigned shortly after President Herbert Hoover signed the the bill. A plant patent gives the exclusive right to reproduce, use or sell an invention or discovery throughout the United States for a period of 17 years. Unearthed Words "Hot July brings cooling showers, Apricots and gillyflowers." - Sara Coleridge, Pretty Lessons in Verse "A swarm of bees in May is worth a load of hay. A swarm of bees in June is worth a silver spoon. A swarm of bees in July is not worth a fly." Today's book recommendation: The Education of A Gardener by Russell Page Russell Page is one of the legendary gardeners and landscapers of the twentieth century. First published in 1962, this book shares his charming anecdotes and timeless gardening advice. Today's Garden Chore Now is a great time to deal with your Iris. When your irises finish blooming, cut off the dead flower stalks; but not leaves. Iris use their swords, the green leaves, to nourish rhizomes for the following year. Since they are semi dormant, you can divide them now if necessary. Replant them as soon as possible and remember to cut off about two-thirds of the foliage to compensate for root loss. Simply cut the leaves in a fan shape and enjoy more iris next year. Something Sweet Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart On this day, in 1951, the botanist Charles Clemon Deam replied to an inquiry about the honeysuckle. Deam wrote: "That [plant's] name is to me the same as a red flag to a bull. I cannot tell you in words how I regard this vine. Your question is does it propagate from seed. I do not believe it does. ... I have never heard a good word for it. . . . All that I can say affirmatively is that it is no good for anything." In concluding this condemnation of the honeysuckle he twice suggests that some of the new "insecticides" might kill it. Thanks for listening to the daily gardener, and remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."

Have you tried to propagate roses through cutting? Maybe you want to pass along an old rose from a friend or simply make more of your own. You can take a cutting of your rose, which is also called a slip. When it comes to selecting the right stem, I look for a long, young shoot. These new shoots are about the diameter of a pencil and have grown from spots I have pruned earlier in the year – which is another benefit of pruning. Now these shoots are pretty easy to spot; they are usually a little lighter in color and they are super vigorous. Anyway, you want to cut one long shoot down low and then make your hardwood slips from that one long shoot. If you look at the long stem you just cut, you'll notice that, at the top, the stem is pliable; meaning you can bend it quite easily. But as you go further down the stem, you'll begin to notice that the soft, pliability goes away and all you're left with is what we call hardwood. That's where you will take your cuttings. From one long stem I can usually get three or four 5 to 7 inch cuttings. So, bottom line; Don't take your cutting from a stem that is bendable. Now when you make your slips, use something sharp – it can be a knife or a pruner. For the bottom of the cutting, cut straight across - right below a bud(where the leads to connect to the stem.) For the top of your slip, cut at an angle - right above a bud. Using those bud connection points as guides for cutting is important because this is where loads of non-determinant cells like to hang out. That means the plants can leverage them to make roots or shoots, depending on what it needs to do to survive. Pretty cool, huh? Then, I just strip the leaves off from the lower 4 inches of the stem, leaving just one or two leaf clusters at the tip. Then, I trim some of the bark from the bottom inch or so of the cutting; making it rather squarish (like a mint stem), and then I dip that into rooting powder. Finally, place the bottom 3-4 inches of the cutting into well drained potting soil in the ground and cut and cover the slip with a mason jar. Brevities #OTD It's the birthday of Roland Hallet Shumway who was born on this day in 1842. A pioneering seedsman out of Rockford, Illinois, Shumway always went by his initials of R.H. The RH Shumway Seed Company became the worlds largest mail-order seed company; their "Marketmore" seeds or especially popular. Famous Shumway Seed customers included Bing Crosby and Perry Como. When Shumway was 19, he enlisted in the army to serve in the Civil War. He contracted bronchitis and became totally deaf during his service. Once Shumway was asked how he would like to be remembered. He gave a three word response: Good Seeds Cheap. Shumway said that he wanted to make sure, "that good seeds were within the reach of the poorest planters" As with any venture, sweat equity drives success. Shumway said, "From the beginning of the new year, until after spring planting, my industrious employees work 16 hours a day, and myself and my family 18 or more hours per day. Are we not surely knights at labor? How can we do more? Do we not deserve the patronage of every planter in America ?" #OTD It's the 120th anniversary of the 14-week botanical expedition through Yellowstone led by the botanist Aven Nelson. Aven had hired a student named Leslie Goodding to be the chore boy for $10 per month. The group assembled at the University of Wyoming where Nelsen had been hired to teach. Leslie remembered the excitement on campus at the prospect of going on the trek, saying, "Some three or four months were to be spent in Yellowstone park collecting plants… Many students… were anxious to accompany Dr. Nelson on [the] expedition, and were willing to work for nothing just to see the Park… This was in the days when autos were much like hen's teeth and trips through the Park by stage were expensive." (Note: The euphemism "hen's teeth" refers to something being exceptionally rare; since hens have no teeth, it implies that something is so scarce it is virtually nonexistent. So, during the time of this expedition – no vehicles.) In addition to Leslie, another botany student named Elias Nelsen, (no relation to Aven), joined the group. Anyway, on this day in 1899, Leslie and Elias, had gone collecting near an area called Artist Paint Pots; it's a dangerous area with over 50 springs, geysers, vents and mud pots. Geothermal features are some of the most dangerous natural features in Yellowstone, but people often fail to realize that fact. To this day, park rangers rescue one or two visitors, who fall from boardwalks or wander off designated paths and punch their feet through thin earthen crust into boiling water. Yet, drawn by curiosity, Elias ignored the warning signs and went off the path. Suddenly, he found himself with one leg sunk into boiling hot mud. He managed to free himself and Aven's wife did what she could with soda and flour to bandage his wounds, and the doc at the nearest town recommend Elias return home for treatment. Despite the challenges posed by Yellowstone, Aven Nelsen and his team collected roughly 30,000 specimens although only about 500 species were represented. Nelson had purposely gathered 20 -30 duplicates per species because he correctly assumed that institutions and collectors would want specimens from Yellowstone. Today, Nelson is remembered as the Father of Wyoming Botany, but his greatest legacy is the Rocky Mountain Herbarium created from Nelson's collection of Yellowstone plants. Unearthed Words Here's a few verses about July from a poem by Ruth Pitter called The Diehards from her wonderful book called "The Rude Potato." "We go in withering July To ply the hard incessant hoe; Panting beneath the brazen sky We sweat and grumble, but we go." Today's book recommendation: The Rude Potato by Ruth Pitter As a gardener herself, Ruth had a personal knowledge of flowers. She loved gardening and she wrote her poetry when she finished her chores and her gardening. The Rude Potato is a very witty entertaining collection of poems about gardens and gardeners. Today's Garden Chore How to Garden through the dog days of summer by working early and staying cool. For many of us, the dog days of summer can be a time when we take a break from gardening. To avoid the high temps, potential sunburn, and bug bites, I go out in the morning, work for no more than a two hour stint and wrap up no later than 10am. For self-care, I set up a sports umbrella for shade and I bring a large fan around with me to stay cool. The fan also keeps the bugs at bay; mosquitos especially are not good fliers. Something Sweet Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart #OTD Today is the birthday of Winthrop Mackworth Praed - Praed was an English writer and politician remembered for his humorous verse. He wrote, "I remember, I remember how my childhood fleeted by. The mirth of its December, and the warmth of its July." Praed's home had a fine grove. He had an orangery and beautiful grounds overlooking a harbor. Praed tragically died at 37 from tuberculosis. For many years, his fans enjoyed this little story about him: "A man want to a bookshop and asked, "Have you Browning?" And the clerk replied, "No we cant sell him. People say they can't understand him." Then the customer asked, "Have you Praed?" And the clerk said, "Yes, we've prayed and we can't understand him. Thanks for listening to the daily gardener, and remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."

Are you growing Cleome? My daughter just had her senior pictures taken and I took some cuttings from the garden for her to hold during her photo shoot. For one of the pictures, I had her hold just one large white blossom in her hands. It looked like a giant puffball and it had a very etherial quality about it Cleome is beautiful - but it is also sticky - so keep that in mind if you handle it. I know some gardeners have no trouble sowing cleome directly into their gardens, but some gardeners complain that it can be an inconsistent germinater. I like to sow cleome right now since the seeds like strong light to get going. Sometimes cleome can benefit from staking - so keep that in mind as well. And, if you are planning a cutting garden, it is hard to beat cleome. The blooms are a show-stealer in any arrangement. Brevities #OTD The Botanic garden at Oxford, also known as the Physic Garden, was founded on this day in 1632. The garden is the oldest in England. When the garden was founded,the ground where the garden stands had been raised to protect it from floods. During the founding ceremony, dignitaries of the University walked in a procession from St. Mary's church to the garden. Mr. Edward Dawson, a physician, and Dr. Clayton, the Regius Professor of Medicine, each gave a speech and a stone was placed in the garden gateway by the Vice-Chancellor himself. #OTD Today is the birthday of William Forsyth who was born on this day in 1804. Forsyth was a Scottish botanist. He trained as a gardener at the Physic Garden and was an apprentice to Philip Miller, the chief gardener. In 1771, Forsyth himself took over the chief gardening position. Three years later, he built one of the very first rock gardens with over 40 tons of stone collected from the land around the Tower of London and even some pieces of lava imported from Iceland. The effort was noted for posterity, the garden was a bust. Forsyth was also the founding member of the Royal Horticultural Society. The genus, Forsythia, is named in his honor. #OTD The English poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge died on this day in 1834. Along with his friend, William Wordsworth, he helped found the Romantic Movement in England and was a member of a group called the Lake Poets. In his poem called Youth and Age, Samuel Taylor Coleridge wrote, "Flowers are lovely; Love is flower-like; Friendship is a sheltering tree;" #OTD On this day in 1938, Canadian Naturalist Charles Joseph Sauriol ("Sar-ee-all") wrote about sharing his garden with a toad. He wrote, "One particular toad has taken quite a fancy to the Wild Flower garden. His den is alongside the Hepatica plant. There he sits half buried, and blinks up at me while I shower water on him." Unearthed Words Here are a few English proverbs about July: "If the first of July be rainy weather, It will rain, more of less, for four weeks together." "The glowing Ruby should adorn Those who in warm July are born, Then will they be exempt and free From love's doubt and anxiety." Today's book recommendation: The Fragrant Path by Louise Beebe Wilder This is a wonderful guide to the cultivation of scented flowers. The newly revised edition includes modern varieties as well. The late Louise Beebe Wilder is that rare figure, a garden writer from another era (she was born in 1878). Her books continue to be published because they are so charming and contain a wealth of horticultural knowledge. Today's Garden Chore Go to a local farmers market - not for the produce - for the knowledge. The growers at the farmer's market have an expertise about growing that is often an untapped resource. Plus, the growers are so generous with Information. It's always a pleasure to talk to someone who has first-hand knowledge about growing plants. Something Sweet Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart Today in 1874, the The Opelousas Courier shared a wonderful story called "A Case of Floral Offerings." The story was from Berlin, it told of an actress who was playing the role of a female Hamlet. She wanted to have bouquets and wreaths thrown to her at the end of her performance. When a man told her that the flowers would cost $20, the actress said that it was too much for one night. But, the gentleman had an idea. He said, twenty dollars would be sufficient for two nights. And he explained how it would work. He said, "Today, I and my men, will throw the bouquets to you from the first tier. After the performance is over, I shall take the flowers home with me in a basket [and] put them in water... Tomorrow night [we will toss them at your feet again]. No one in the audience will know that the bouquets have been used before." The actress liked to the man's ingenious plan and paid the sum he had demanded. Thanks for listening to the daily gardener, and remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."

Are you a fan of basil? A few years ago, I produced an entire long-format show about basil for the Still Growing podcast. It was Episode 573, and I called it Basilmania. At one point or another, we've all needed an introduction to basil and to pesto. So, if you've never grown basil, or smelled basil, or tasted it, or cooked with basil - I want to introduce you to it. I'd love it if someday you look back and say - yeah that Basilmania episode on Still Growing - that's what made me want to give basil a try. If you're an experienced basil gardener, you also it because I take you through some of the amazing varieties of basil - just know that there are over a hundred - (and I give you some ideas for what you can do with them).

From a growing standpoint, I share how to grow it from seed, how to propagate it (it's so easy - its insane), offer some basic cultivation tips, and provide answers to some common questions about problems folks can have growing basil. I also tell you about harvesting and storing all of your green gold - your basil leaves.

And then I wrap up with my favorite part of growing basil - eating it. I'll share my pesto tips and give you some pretty amazing recipes that may or may not incorporate pesto. Whew! So, check it out on my blog or on your favorite podcast player just search for the word Basilmania (SG573) and the Still Growing podcast episode should pop right up. Brevities #OTD It's the birthday of Benning Wentworth who was born on this day in 1696. Wentworth was the colonial governor of New Hampshire from 1741 to 1766. Wentworth is important to North American gardeners, because Wentworth had brought the lilac along with other trees and shrubs when he immigrated to America from England. In 1750, the first lilac was planted at the Wentworth home. In 1919, it was adopted as the New Hampshire State Flower because lawmakers felt it was,

"symbolic of the hardy character of the men and women of New Hampshire; the granite state."

#OTD It's the birthday of one of the man who created the Missouri Botanical Gardens also known as "Shaw's Garden," or "Hank's Garden" - I'm talking about none other than the great Henry Shaw who was born on this day in 1800. Shaw is easily in the top ten of any list of great American botanical philanthropists. Shaw is commemorated on the St. Louis Walk of Fame with this epitaph: Henry Shaw, only 18 when he came to St. Louis, was one of the city's largest landowners by age 40. Working with leading botanists, he planned, funded and built the Missouri Botanical Garden, which opened in 1859. Shaw donated the land for Tower Grove Park and helped with its construction. He wrote botanical tracts, endowed Washington University's School of Botany, helped found the Missouri Historical Society, and gave the city a school and land for a hospital. Of Shaw's gifts, the Botanical Garden is best-known. Said as early as 1868 to have "no equal in the United States, and, indeed, few anywhere in the world." In addition to the Botanical Garden, Shaw built the Linnean House in 1882. It is the oldest continuously operated public greenhouse west of the Mississippi River and was originally designed to be an orangery; a place to overwinter citrus trees, palms and tree ferns. And, there's a little story I love that reveals Shaw's regard for the plants in his garden. It was posted in the St. Louis Star and Times on April 5, 1933 "Mr. Shaw was escorting a lady through his gardens, pointing out objects of interest. The visitor said: " I cannot understand, Sir, how you are able to remember all of these difficult names." He replied, with a courtly bow, "Madame, did you ever know a mother to forget the names of her children? These plants and flowers are my little ones." #OTD Today in 1938, The Miami News posted an article about pigeon peas. The article begins this way, "If English peas don't suit your palate, plant pigeon peas. The suggestion is that of a Miami pioneer, Charles F. Sulzner, who through the years has pointed out to newcomers the advantages of growing tropical fruits and vegetables, often of a type requiring no painstaking cultivation... Pigeon peas, as Sulzner demonstrated in his spacious grounds at 236 S. W. Second St grow on trees, and may be had by the simple process of picking. Pigeon peas make a lovely and distinct addition to the edible garden. The cultivation of the pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan), can be traced back more than 3,500 years. Other common names include: Congo pea, Angola pea and red gram. In Barbados, pigeon pea was used to feed pigeons. Gardeners who love growing peas in the spring, may thoroughly enjoy growing pigeon pea in the summer. It's a hardy perennial that can produce multiple harvests during the season. The sweet, fresh green peas are technically beans. They can be eaten fresh when green or dried. The dried beans need to be soaked before boiling. Pigeon peas have a nutty taste and crisp texture. The entire pod may be eaten. As a bonus, the yellow-red flowers attract flocks of hummingbirds and the plants are also nitrogen-fixers and enrich the soil. Unearthed Words Here's a poem from John Clare called July: "Loud is the summer's busy song The smallest breeze can find a tongue, While insects of each tiny size Grow teasing with their melodies, Till noon burns with its blistering breath Around, and day lies still as death." Today's book recommendation: Planting in a Post-Wild World: Designing Plant Communities for Resilient Landscapes Hardcover by Thomas Rainer and Claudia West Rainer and West offer strong voices in ecological landscape design. The book is about how plants fit together in the wild and how we can use that understanding in garden design and plantings. The benefits of this kind of planting method are much more management and less maintenance in addition to more diversity and density in our plantings. Rainer and West have grown increasingly frustrated by the fact that traditional horticultural plantings really didn't provide the set of tools to give clients ecosystems that also offer year-round beauty. By keying in on the way plants behave in the wild; grasping concepts like density and diversity, the authors believe they have extracted some design principles and real-world solutions for gardeners Today's Garden Chore Try designing a Clock Garden. The floral clock garden originated with Linnaeus, an 18th century Swedish botanist. He hypothesized that flowers could predict time based on when they opened and closed. You could make your clock garden much more simple by creating wedges based on color or by season: spring, summer, and fall bloomers. Something Sweet Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart On this day in 1975, the Green Bay Press-Gazette a little ad for their "Dial-A-Garden-Tip." Readers could simply dial a number at any time and hear a taped garden message. Here were the topics posted in the paper: July 17 Russian olive diseases. July 18, 19, 20 Dutch elm disease. July 21 How to blanch vegetables. July 22 Growing cauliflower. Julu 23 Birch borer. July 24 Training young trees. Thanks for listening to the daily gardener, and remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."

Today, Catholics honor St. Phocas the Gardener who lived in Turkey during the third century. A protector of persecuted Christians, Phocas grew crops in his garden to help feed the poor. Phocas is remembered for his hospitality and generosity; his garden played an important part in living both of those virtues. When Roman soldiers were sent to kill him, they could not find shelter for the night. Naturally, when Phocas encountered them, he not only offered them lodging, but a meal made from the bounty of his garden. During the meal, Phocas realized they had come for him. While the soldiers slept that night, he dug his own grave and prayed for the soldiers. In the morning, Phocas told the soldiers who he was and the soldiers, who could conceive of no other option, reluctantly killed him and buried him in the grave he had dug for himself. Although gardening can be a solitary activity, may we follow in the footsteps of Phocas the gardener, using our gardens to connect us to others through generosity and hospitality. Brevities #OTD Today is the birthday of Frances Ropes Williams, born on this day in 1883. Williams had a shady garden in Winchester, Massachusetts. And, what is the most-used plant by shade gardeners? Hostas. That's right. And, Williams had an appreciation for hostas before they became widely used in the United States. A graduate of MIT, Williams was lucky enough to get the chance to work with Warren H. Manning, the famous Boston landscape architect, for a little over two years. Williams stopped working to marry Stillman Williams. But sadly, he died after almost twenty years of marriage, leaving Frances with four young children - two boys and two girls. Williams and her family loved the outdoors. When the kids were little, Williams made them one of the very first playsets. When the children were grown, Williams found purpose in her garden and she zeroed in on her hostas. She became known for hybridizing them and she even wrote about them for various botanical magazines. Williams discovered the hosta that would be named for her honor quite by happenstance. She had visited her daughter in college in New York, and she stopped by Bristol Nurseries in Connecticut on her way home. Nestled in a row of Hosta sieboldiana,was a hosta that had a yellow edge. Williams bought it and continued to grow it in her garden. Years later, Williams hosta ended up in the hands of Professor George Robinson at Oxford. Williams had labeled the plant FRW 383. When the professor couldn't remember what Williams had labeled the plant, he simply called it hosta Frances Williams. Williams work with hosta helped the newly-formed American Hosta Society. After she died in 1969, a hosta garden was planted in her memory at MIT. #OTD It's the anniversary of the death of John Goldie who died on this day in 1886. Goldie was a Scottish-born botanist and author. He led an extraordinary life. He started out as an apprentice at the Glasgow Botanic Garden. As a young man, another botanist bumped him off what was to be his first plant exploration. However the botanical gods were smiling on him. The expedition was doomed when most of the party died from coast fever along the Congo River. Two years later, William Hooker encouraged Goldie to travel to North America. He started in Montreal and made his way down the Hudson River to New York. He wrote that he carried as many botanical specimens "as his back would carry." Goldie returned to the Glasgow Botanic Gardens and for five years, he trained an eager young apprentice and fellow Scottsman named David Douglas. When Douglas met an early death, Goldie planted a Douglas-Fir next to his house to remember his young friend. After Goldie discovered the giant wood fern, Hooker called it Dryopteris goldieana in his honor and it earned the name Goldie's woodfern. Goldie worked tirelessly and he recorded a total of fourteen plant species previously unknown to science. Unearthed Words Here's a poem from Raymond A. Foss called Summer Rain "A break in the heat away from the front no thunder, no lightning, just rain, warm rain falling near dusk falling on eager ground steaming blacktop hungry plants thirsty turning toward the clouds cooling, soothing rain splashing in sudden puddles catching in open screens that certain smell of summer rain." Today's book recommendation: The Living Landscape: Designing for Beauty and Biodiversity in the Home Garden Hardcover by Rick Darke and Douglas W. Tallamy What if you're looking for a landscape that's not only beautiful, functional and productive, but also nourishes and fosters wildlife. That's the aim of The Living Landscape. Darke and Tallamy describe how plants can be used for multiple uses in the garden. Today's Garden Chore Buy a bolt of wedding tulle. Wedding tulle is the perfect protector for you summer crops and ornamental from Japanese Beetles and other ravenous insects. It's attractive and inexpensive; the perfect combination. You can get 600 feet of wedding tulle on Amazon for just $15.00 using the link in today's show notes. Something Sweet Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart Since we are in full-on-pesto-making mode, I wanted to share a recipe that I discovered on called Tarragon & Cashew Pesto from Dunk and Crumble. Cashew Tarragon Pesto 1 large bunch fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped 4 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh tarragon 1/2 cup raw cashews zest from 1 lemon juice from 3 lemons a handful of lemon balm or lemon verbena stripped from the stems 1 garlic clove, peeled 1/3 cup olive oil 3 tablespoons lemon vinegar or chive herbal vinegar salt and freshly ground black pepper Directions: Toast cashews in a dry pan over medium heat until lightly brown and fragrant. Allow to cool slightly. Purée parsley, tarragon, nuts, lemon and lemon juice, lemon herbs and garlic in a food processor. Add the olive oil, vinegar, and a bit of salt and pepper, and blend until a coarse paste forms. Add a few tablespoons of warm water to thin the sauce to desired consistency, and adjust seasoning to taste. Use as a sandwich spread, atop a bowl of hot pasta, or alongside roasted chicken. Makes about 3 cups pesto. Thanks for listening to the daily gardener, and remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."

Have you ever tried drying flowers? Successfully drying one of your favorite flowers is such a joy. Some flowers actually look even better when they are dried. There are many options for drying flowers; air drying is the simplest. Then, of course, there's pressing. If you've never tried sand drying a bloom, you should give it a shot. Just fill a microwave-safe container with a layer of silica sand. Put the bloom on top of the sand and then bury the bloom in sand. Place the bloom along with a cup of water in the microwave. Heat in microwave in 30 second increments. Your flower should be dried in 2-3 minutes. Brevities #OTD On this day in 1842, Asa Gray arrived at Harvard. He didn't have to start teaching until the following spring. Gray wasn't a great speaker, but he was respected by his peers and his students for his knowledge. #OTD It's the anniversary of the death of the physician and botanist Hugh Algernon Weddell who died on this day in 1877. Weddell specialized in South American flora and he collected specimens there for five years. Before he left Paris, Weddell was asked to look into the Cinchona, or "fever bark" tree. Cinchona is the source of quinine. Weddell did the job. He found multiple regions where the tree grew. In addition, he discovered fifteen species of the genus Cinchona (Rubiaceae). Weddell returned to Paris with the seeds and they were germinated in the botanical garden there. Weddell's seeds helped establish the Cinchona forests that were brought to Java and other islands in the East Indies. #OTD It's the birthday of Cornelius Herman ("Neil") Muller, the American botanist and ecologist, who was born on this day in 1909. Muller pioneered the study of allelopathy "uh·lee·luh·pa·thee." Allelopathy occurs when one plant species releases chemical compounds that affect another plant species. Most Gardeners know that the black walnut is an example of allelopathy. In addition to the leaves, black walnut trees store allopathic chemicals in their buds, in the hulls of the walnuts, and in their roots. #OTD Today in 1938, the St. Cloud Times ran a story about Miss Louise Klein Miller. Miller, at the age of 84, was retiring as supervisor of Cleveland's Memorial Gardens - after supervising them for over a quarter of a century. The first woman to attend Cornell University's school of forestry, Miller became the landscape architect for Cleveland schools; she was the only female landscape architect working in a large city school system. Collinwood is a neighborhood on the east side of Cleveland. On Ash Wednesday, March 4, 1908 the Collinwood school fire became one of the country's biggest tragedies. The school had only two exits, the construction created a chimney effect; the school became a fire trap. Almost half of the children in the building died. In 1910, Louise Klein Miller planned the Memorial Gardens to honor the 172 children, 2 teachers and 1 rescuer who died in in the blaze. The year before, in 1909, the Ohio General Assembly passed legislation that, "a memorial should stand in perpetuity to honor those who lost their lives in this school fire tragedy." The memorial is comprised of a large square planting bed is rimmed 3.5 foot walls made of concrete that are tiled. The plantable area of the memorial measures roughly 20' x 40'. There's also a deep bench around the perimeter and the walls are slanted to make seating more comfortable. The down side, is that the bench and the scale of the raised bed make access to the planting area is sometimes very challenging. During Miller's era, students grew flowers in a school greenhouse for the Memorial. Over the span of 70 years, the garden fell into neglect. 2018 was the 110th Anniversary of the Collinwood School Fire; there have been a few attempts to make sure the that garden continues to be a meaningful memorial. The struggle to maintain the Memorial continues. In July of 1910, there was an article in the Santa Cruz newspaper that described the new memorial garden - which at the time included a large lily pond: "There was a poet who said he sometimes thought that never blows so red the rose as where some buried Caesar bled; That every hyacinth the garden wears, drops in her lap from some once lovely head. Then there will never be lilies so fair as those that will bloom in the lily pond that is to be on the site of the Collinwood school." Unearthed Words "Our fear of death is like our fear that summer will be short, but when we have had our swing of pleasure, our fill of fruit, and our swelter of heat, we say we have had our day." - Ralph Waldo Emerson Today's book recommendation: Secret Gardens of the Cotswolds by Victoria Summerley This gorgeous book features 20 special British gardens and people who own and manage them. The book is photographed by Hugo Rittson-Thomas and written by Victoria Summerley, both of whom live in this part of England. Their combined knowledge and love of these gardens shines through in their depictions of each garden and the families blessed to call them part of their home. Beginning with the book cover, the pictures are gorgeous and the garden stories include their fascinating pasts as well as the recent story of the each property. This is a lovely book. Today's Garden Chore Prepare a spot in your garden shed, garage, pantry, or kitchen for drying flowers. Repurpose pot rack or do something simple like string some twine between some eye hooks. Sometimes just creating a space can inspire you to take some cuttings and bring beautiful blooms indoors. One of my favorite pictures from my garden is a simple row of hydrangea cuttings drying upside down in my kitchen. Bliss. Something Sweet Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart While researching Louise Klein Miller, I ran across a delightful story about her time teaching horticulture: Miller had been telling a crowd of pupils about the different insects that arrack plants, and warned them especially against the malevolent San Jose scale. She suggested that they go to tho school library and get a book about it and read of Its habits and the remedy for checking its career.

One young woman went to the librarian the next morning, and said she wanted something about the San Jose scale.

Without even looking up from her desk, the Librarian said, "Go to the music department." Thanks for listening to the daily gardener, and remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."

What's the Difference Between Oregano and Marjoram? If you've grown both, you know they look quite similar and they are often confused for one another. But, when it comes to flavor and taste, it is easy to tell them apart. Oregano tends to be earthy, pungent, and spicy. It can easily overpower the other flavors in a dish. To subdue the pungency, cooks recommend using the dried form of oregano. On the other hand, marjoram is more mild. Use that alliteration to help you remember, Mild Marjoram. Marjoram's flavor is more refined; it's floral and woodsy. Because marjoram is sweeter and milder, chefs recommend using fresh marjoram instead of dried marjoram for cooking. Brevities #OTD It's the birthday of the naturalist, botanist, ornithologist, prizewinning horticulturist, painter, archaeologist, historian, author of six books and a proud daughter of the great state of Louisiana: Caroline Dormon. Her friends called her "Carrie." Carrie was a tiny woman; she was also a powerhouse; she formed her own opinions and ideas about the natural world and she always wore dresses; she thought pants were quite scandalous. Carrie was born at her family's summer home called Briarwood. In the 1920's at Briarwood, Carrie built a writing cabin she called Three Pines because of the trio of tall pines around it. Carrie told her friends it was a place for daydreams. In the 1950's, a second cabin was built at Briarwood. Carrie liked to take the screens off the windows every spring so wrens could build nests inside. At Briarwood, Carrie installed trails through the woods, planted hundreds of plants and she even installed a reflecting pool for "Grandpappy" - her favorite tree on the property. Grandpappy is a longleaf pine and he's still alive today. Grandpappy is estimated to be over 300 years old. There's a story about Grandpappy that Carrie used to share with visitors. Once a forester wanted to "core" Grandpappy to determine a more exact age for the tree. Carrie stopped him and said, "It's none of your business how old Grandpappy is, or how old I am for that matter." #OTD On this day in 1920, John Macoun, one of Canada's leading botanists, passed away. He was 90 years old. Here's a little story he shared about Macoun's early life, growing up in Ireland: "We had a garden well fenced in, she encouraged us to spend our idle time in it... I seemed to prefer taking an old knife and going out to the fields and digging up flowers and bringing them in and making a flower garden of my own. I only remember primroses and the wild hyacinth. Another characteristic was the power of seeing. I could find more strawberries and more birds' nests ... than any other boy." After arriving in Canada, Macoun had started out as a farmer. In 1856, he became a school teacher; partly to nourish his nearly "obsessive" interest in botany, but also to find a more balanced life. Macoun wrote that before teaching, "I never had had more than one holiday in the year and that was Christmas Day. [My brother] Frederick and I might take a day's fishing in the summer, but an eight-mile walk and scrambling along the river was not very restful." Within five years, Macoun had begun regular correspondence with prominent botanists like Asa Gray and Sir William Hooker. In Macoun's autobiography, there are many touching passages about his love of botany. Here's a little glimpse into how he cultivated his own understanding of plants: "I would take a common species of roadside or garden plant of which I knew the name and then immediately endeavor to work out its correct name from the classification. The Mullein was the species that I took first. I found it more difficult than I had thought on account of its long and short stamens, but I soon came to understand the arrangement of the stamens and pistils so well that most plants could be classified by their form alone." Once, Macoun was approached by his future father-in-law, who was a bit skeptical of Macoun's prospects. Macoun wrote, " Simon Terrill, who was a well-known Quaker in that district, ... found me with a plant in my hand and said : "John, what dost thee ever expect to make out of the study of botany? I told him that I did not know but that it gave me a great deal of pleasure." Unearthed Words Flowers reflect the human search for meaning. Does not each of us, no matter how our life has gone, ache to have a life as beautiful and true to itself as that of a flower? Philip Moffitt Today's book recommendation: The Wild Garden by William Robinson Rick Darke updated this garden classic. At the time when Robinson first published the book, his natural vision for gardens was considered revolutionary. Today, we regard it as standard gardening. In addition to the complete original text and illustrations from the 1895 edition, this expanded edition includes material from Rick Darke the esteemed photographer and landscape consultant. Like Robinson, Darke seeks to show wild gardening in a modern context. The result is even more inspiration for today's wild gardens. Today's Garden Chore Schedule some time to visit public gardens. This is a great activity to help inspire you to make some garden changes. And, if you're on vacation, make sure to include some public gardens. Something Sweet Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart Today is the birthday of Landscape Architect Robert Fenton who was born in 1933. Fenton was a Harvard grad and he settled down in Pennsylvania. While researching Fenton, it was impossible to avoid all the newspaper articles that covered a disagreement Fenton had with the city of Pittsburgh. In 1965, Fenton was a young, 32-year-old Landscape Architect with an office at 6010 Centre Avenue. Newspaper accounts said he had wanted to, "spruce up what he called a drab neighborhood in the East Liberty section." After trying for weeks to get permission from the City Forester Earl Blankenship, Fenton went ahead and planted the tree. Fenton told reporters that planting the tree was in line with President Johnson's thinking on beautification and that, "If you try to get anything doen through the city you get, "no, no, no." So we decided to break up the sidewalk and put it in... hoping no one would notice. Unfortunately, the installation accidentally took out a parking meter. Newspaper accounts shared that, "In the dead of night, Fenton brought in a high lift, a 15-ton truck and five men. The tree he had selected was a beauteous 25-foot ash with a five-inch base and it cost Fenton $110 (in 1965). The city departments took umbrage at Fenton's actions. After two weeks of discussions, the City Attorney David Stahl said the tree was cut down and hauled away by City Forester Earl Blankenship in the middle of the night. Fenton came to work and was shocked to discover the tree gone; cut down to the ground. Just days earlier, Fenton had told town reporters that, "I think it's going to be so difficult to remove the tree that the city will let it stay and merely warn me not to let it happen again." Newspaper accounts of this story were super punny: Tree Goes, City Barks Citizen on a Limb Poetic Tale of a Tree Somehow Lacks Meter A Tree Grew In...Violation 'Woodman Spare That Tree' Cry of Architect Falls on Deaf Ears City Thinks Meter Lovelier Than Tree Want Meter There and No Shady Deal Today, if you look at the same spot on Google Earth, whaddya know? There's a tree growing in front of the building... but no meter. Thanks for listening to the daily gardener, and remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."