The Daily Gardener

Have you tried growing the herb chervil? Chervil tastes similar to tarragon - it's sometimes called gourmet parsley. It has a wonderful fern-like leaf which turns red in the fall which is another plus. August is a wonderful time to sow chervil - so keep that in mind. The 1884 Dictionary of English Names of Plants lists chervil as "the shepherd's clock'' because the blossoms open at five in the morning and then close up around eight in the evening. The word chervil is derived from a Greek word meaning "the herb of rejoicing'' or "the cheer leaf." Brevities #OTD It's the birthday of the English naturalist, Gilbert White, who was born on this day in 1720. White kept a journal for almost three decades where he recorded observations of his garden. It was eventually published as a Calendar of Flora and the Garden, followed by the Naturalist's Journal. People immediately recognized White had a gift for observation and for describing with vivid clarity the goings-on in the natural world. Here's a little of what he wrote in his journal on this day in 1781; his 61st birthday: "Farmers complain that their wheat is blited. In the garden at Dowland's,... stands a large Liriodendrum tulipifera, or tulip-tree, which was in flower. The soil is poor sand; but produces beautiful pendulous Larches. Mr R's garden, ... abounds in fruit, & in all manner of good & forward kitchen-crops. Many China-asters this spring seeded themselves there... some cucumber-plants also grew-up of themselves from the seeds of a rejected cucumber thrown aside last autumn. Mr R's garden is at an average a fortnight before mine." #OTD Today is the anniversary of the death of the author and gardener Jane Austen. Austen loved gardens. She had a heart for ornamentals, herbs, and kitchen gardening. Her family always had a garden - growing their own food and beautifying their homes with flowers. In every single one of her books, Austen included gardens. We know from Austen's letters to her sister, Cassandra, that gardens brought her joy and they were also regulating. In 1807, she wrote about the redesign of her garden: "I could not do without a syringa... We talk also of a laburnum. The border under the terrace wall is clearing away to receive currants and gooseberry bushes, and a spot is found very proper for raspberries." In 1814, she wrote about the garden outside her rented room, "The garden is quite a love... I live in the room downstairs, it is particularly pleasant...opening upon the garden. I go and refresh myself every now and then, and then come back to Solitary Coolness." #OTD It was on this day in 1863 that the father of American landscape architecture, Frederick Law Olmsted, walked the battlefield of Gettysburg, just 15 days after the battle. Olmsted was the General Secretary of the United States Sanitary Commission (USSC) - overseeing the support of sick and wounded soldiers of the United States Army during the Civil War. At times, Olmsted personally treated the battlefield wounds of soldiers. Olmsted was handpicked for the job thanks to his success in designing and overseeing New York City's Central Park, one of the country's largest public works projects. A week after the battle at Gettysburg, Olmsted arranged for 40 tons of supplies to flow into Gettysburg every day - bringing in items like surgeon's silk, fans, butter, shoes, and crutches. By July 18, the scene had settled down enough that Olmsted could walk the fields of Gettysburg. In Martin's biography of Olmsted, he shared that Olmsted, "was struck by the scale of the place; everything had happened across distances far greater than he had supposed." Ever attuned to the landscape, Olmsted also noted that, "The hills were gentle and rolling, so very out of kilter with the carnage that was everywhere still in evidence... Olmsted came across spent shells and twisted bayonets, broken-down wagons and half-buried dead horses. Particularly touching, to Olmsted, was the random strew of Union and Confederate caps, often together on the ground, shot through with bullet holes." Unearthed Words Recently, I've started collecting cuttings from my garden to make my own potpourris and sachets. Here's a quote from Eleanor Sinclair-Rhode about this lovely garden pastime: "No bought potpourri is so pleasant as that made from ones own garden, for the petals of the flowers one has gathered at home hold the sunshine and memories of summer, and of past summers only the sunny days should be remembered." Today's book recommendation: A Southern Garden by Elizabeth Lawrence As much as I love to garden, there are days when it's just too hot or humid to go out there. I draw the line when sweat starts to trickle into my eyeballs - then it's time to call it a day. Lawrence's Southern Garden is a classic. This is Lawrence's personal experience with gardening - my favorite kind of gardening book. Although Lawrence's growing zone isn't always applicable to where you might be gardening, I guarantee you'll learn something. Her writing about gardens and gardening is conversational, thoughtful and charming. Today's Garden Chore Do a summer check of all your irrigation systems and repair anything broken. I sooo wish I would have done this last summer. By the time I discovered a leak, we had a big water problem to address. In the garden, too much water can be just as harmful as too little. Throw in temperature extremes, and you have a perfect storm - inviting many other problems. Something Sweet Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart On this day in 1908, Maxfield Parrish Print, called The Botanist, appeared on the cover of Colliers Magazine. The image shows a full-length profile of a man wearing a long botanical green coat. In his raised right hand he is holding a plant and in his left hand he is clutching a magnifying glass while a few open reference books are tucked under his arm. He has a specimen case slung over his back. The classic image was made into poster-sized prints in the 1970's. Thanks for listening to the daily gardener, and remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."

The Daylilies are blooming their little hearts out right now. Daylilies are in the genus Hemerocallis which has about 15 species of daylilies. They are not part of the Lilium genus, which is the genus for true lilies. The name Hemerocalliscomes from the Greek words ἡμέρα (hemera) "day" and καλός (kalos) "beautiful". Especially in China, the daylily symbolizes motherhood. Their name alludes to the flowers which typically last no more than 24 hours (about a day or so). Daylily flower stems are called "scapes" and as one fades, the next one on the scape opens, keeping daylilies blooming for weeks or even months. Daylilies have been dubbed the 'perfect perennial' because their wonderful features: they are pretty low maintenance, beautiful colored blooms, tremendous drought tolerance, and they can grow in most zones. Brevities #OTD On this day in 1850, The Sydney Morning Herald shared an advertisement from plantsman John McMahon. McMahan advertised that he had put together a catalogue of nearly 2000 species of plants. For his customers, McMahon assured that, "Plants securely packed for long journeys, glazed plant cabins prepared, and filled with rare plants for transmission to Europe." #OTD Today is the anniversary of the death of botanist Charles Theodore Mohr who died on this day in 1901. Charles Mohr was one of Alabama's first botanists. He was born in Germany and educated in Stuttgart - he was a trained pharmacist. Mohr traveled the world before settling in Alabama. He collected in Surinam, emigrated to the United States in 1848, took part in the California gold rush, lived briefly Mexico, Indiana, and Kentucky. Mohr spent decades gathering the information and plant specimens for his work. In 1857 he started Chas. Mohr & Son Pharmacists and Chemists in Mobile, Alabama. His personal herbarium specimens were donated to the University of Alabama Herbarium (15,000 specimens) and the United States National Herbarium (18,000 specimens). When Mohr's book on the plants of Alabama was published, he was seventy seven years old. The following plants are named for Charles Theodore Mohr: Andropogon mohrii (Hack.) Hack ex Vasey Mohr's bluestem Grass family Aristida mohrii Nash Mohr's threeawn Grass family Eupatorium mohrii Greene Mohr's thoroughwort Aster family Marshallia mohrii Beadle & F.E. Boynt. Mohr's Barbara's buttons Aster family Rudbeckia mohrii Gray Mohr's coneflower Aster family Silphium mohrii Small Mohr's rosinweed Aster family Tephrosia mohrii (Rydb.) Godfrey pineland hoarypea Pea family Quercus mohriana Buckl. Ex Rydb. Mohr oak Oak family #OTD The poet, George William Russell who went by the pseudonym AE, died on this day in 1935. Russell attended the Metropolitan School of Art, in Dublin. There he met the poet William Butler Yeats Russell became the editor of The Irish Homestead. His popular quotes include the following: "Our hearts were drunk with aa beauty our eyes could never see." "You cannot evoke great spirits and eat plums at the same time." #OTD Today is the anniversary of the death of one of the 20th century's leading landscape architects; Sir Geoffrey Jellicoe. Jellicoe was multi-talented, but his true passion was landscape and garden design, which he described as "the mother of all arts". He was a founder member of the Landscape Institute. Over his 70-year career, Jellicoe designed more than 100 landscapes around the world. Jellicoe designed the John F Kennedy memorial site by the River Thames in Berkshire. Jellicoe's final and most ambitious project was the Moody Gardens in Galveston, Texas. Jellicoe imagined a design where visitors could walk through the history of landscape, from the Garden of Eden and the gardens of ancient Egypt, to a design inspired by Thomas Mann's novel The Magic Mountain (1924). As the Moody Garden website acknowledges, "It was the culminating work of his design career but has not, as yet, been implemented. We live in hope." Jellicoe's favorite garden was the gardens he designed in Hemel Hempstead. Jellicoe designed the Hemel Hempstead Water Gardens to improve the quality of life for the townspeople. Jellicoe designed a canal with dams and little bridges to take visitors from the town parking lot to shopping. Jellicoe designed the canal after seeing one of Paul Klee's paintings of a serpent. Jellicoe said, "The lake is the head and the canal is the body," wrote Jellicoe in his book Studies in Landscape Design. "The eye is the fountain; the mouth is where the water passes over the weir. The formal and partly classical flower gardens are like a howdah strapped to its back. In short, the beast is harnessed, docile, and in the service of man."

Unearthed Words Here's a poem from Niels Mogens Boedecker, who was an illustrator and author of children's books. "Mosquito is out, it's the end of the day; she's humming and hunting her evening away. Who knows why such hunger arrives on such wings at sundown? I guess it's the nature of things."

Today's book recommendation: A Year in Trees by J. C. Raulston and Kim Tripp

Raulston and Tripp point out that just, "40 species of shrubs and trees make up 90 percent of the landscape plantings in the U.S." The book is divided into four parts corresponding to the seasons. Tripp honed her craft at Harvard's Arnold Arboretum and she wrote weekly articles for the North Carolina State University Arboretum in Raleigh. Those articles became the backbone for 150 profiles of trees, shrubs, and vines. Tripp featured plants are pretty low maintenance and reliable. This is a terrific resource featuring some under-used, but amazing, trees.

Today's Garden Chore It's time to set appointments on your calendar to accomplish your bigger garden to-dos before the summer comes to a close. Sometimes it helps to calendarize the garden jobs that seem a little overwhelming or that require extra help or resources. There's no time like the present to line up a contractor, some volunteers, or good friends and get the job done. Plus, it will make next year in the garden so much more enjoyable. I hate to bring this up, but here's an eye-opening fact: there are just 46 days to Labor Day. Time's a wasting...

Something Sweet Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart

On this day 1891, The Great Bend Weekly Tribune reported that, "Will Ferger's night blooming cereus unfolded its loveliness last night. Quite a number witnessed the blooming of this rare plant, and many have envied its owner." The night blooming cereus, one of the most unique desert plants, is a member of the cactus family. Native to Arizona and the Sonora Desert, the plant is also commonly called the Queen of the Night or the Princess of the Night. The cereus is generally grown as a houseplant and it often is a pass-along plant - passed on from friends and family. As a plant, it's can be a bit of a mess. It's generally rather untidy and unruly. But it can be pruned without hurting the cactus. To create more of the Cereus night blooming cactus, just pot up the cuttings. Just keep in mind that the night-blooming Cereus won't flower until it is four to five years old. The number of blooms increase as the plant ages. But once it blooms, the white flower is truly incredible. It's almost 7 inches in diameter and smells divine. The flowers start to bloom at 9 or 10 p.m. and are fully open by midnight. The morning sun will cause the petals fall off and die.

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

Did you know Tarragon is an artemisia? Like all plants in the Artemisia genus, Tarragon is gray and silvery. Artemisia's were sacred to Artemis and there are over 180 species - all of them ornamental, most are medicinal, and of course, a small few are culinary. Tarragon is quite agraceful plant when it is fully grown. Never demanding, Tarragon can stand some shade and a heavier soil. French tarragon has a subtler aroma and flavor compared to Russian tarragon.Tarragon has its own peculiar sweet taste recalling anise. Tarragon is an integral part of dijon mustard. Tender, fresh stems of Russian tarragon can be cooked and consumed as asparagus. The tea stimulates the appetite, especially when it has been lost because of illness. Drinking the tea before bedtime is helpful because Tarragon compounds are mildly anesthetic and sedative. The tea can also help with hyperactivity. And, here's something valuable to remember about tarragon: the flowers generally do not produce viable seed. So, tarragon propagates via root cuttings, rhizome sprouts and stem division. As an example, the French tarragon commercial growers dig it upin the fall after all the foliage has been harvested. Then they cut the roots into short pieces. Brevities #OTD It's the birthday of Camille Corot born in 1796 in Paris. Corot was a French painter, famous for his landscapes and he inspired the landscape painting of the Impressionists. Corot's quotes about painting are inspiring to gardeners. Here's a little sample of his inspiring perspective on the natural world: "Beauty in art is truth bathed in an impression received from nature. I am struck upon seeing a certain place. While I strive for conscientious imitation, I yet never for an instant lose the emotion that has taken hold of me." Here are some of Corot's words about the end of the day: "...everything is vague, confused, and Nature grows drowsy. The fresh evening air sighs among the leaves - the birds, these voices of the flowers are saying their evening prayer." Imagine sitting beside Corot as he wrote, "I hope with all my heart there will be painting in heaven." Gardeners would reply, "I hope there is a garden." #OTD Today in 1907, Orville Redenbacher, was born. Redenbacher was a U.S. agricultural scientist and the co-creator of a new hybrid of popcorn called "snowflake." It was lighter and fluffier than traditional popped kernels and Redenbacher became a household name with his commercials for his popcorn. To this day, Orville Redenbacher is the number one selling popcorn in the world. Nebraska produces more popcorn than any other state in the country. Unearthed Words Rachel Peden was a popular environmentalist, newspaper columnist, and author. Peden had a profound appreciation for the minutia in the natural world and she was very funny. She wrote, "The serene philosophy of the pink rose is steadying. Its fragrant, delicate petals open fully and are ready to fall, without regret or disillusion, after only a day in the sun. It is so every summer. One can almost hear their pink, fragrant murmur as they settle down upon the grass: 'Summer, summer, it will always be summer.'" Today's book recommendation: Good Planting by Rosemary Verey Verey is regarded as the "Queen of the Traditional English Country Garden." Verey was known for creating gardens with a amix traditional elements and beautiful plantings. The gardens she created are timeless. Verey's practical reference book covers planting throughout the seasons. This book is a classic for your garden library. The best part about this book is that it offers advice for successful planting and utilizing difficult areas of the garden. Today's Garden Chore Get serious about planting blueberries. Blueberries provide more than just fruit; they can be an effective screen, they can add greenery to the walls of your house. They provide massive interest during three seasons in the garden: In spring, the beautiful white flowers to kick off the growing season, there's blue berries during the summer (of course), and they offer gorgeous fall coloring. Don't forget that blueberries need full sun. They require acidic soil. Blueberry plants grow slowly and reach full size in 8 to 10 years. Something Sweet Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart Today in 1987, The Indianapolis Star announced that the biography of Charles Clemon Deam, the legendary turn-of-the-century Indiana botanist and author had been published. The book was written by Robert C. Kriebel, editor of the Lafayette Journal and Courier. Charlie Deam was a self-taught botanist and served as state forester for Indiana. In his home herbarium, Deam kept a loaded pistol in his desk drawer One time, Deam and a guest were discussing something about taxonomy. Suddenly, Deam quickly opened the drawer, pulled out the gun, and fired two or three shots through the open window making some disparaging comments about the "canine ancestry of a rabbit" which had been terrorizing his garden. Thanks for listening to the daily gardener, and remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."

Let's start today off by talking briefly about bolting cilantro. Why does cilantro bolt and how should you address it? You can help delay when cilantro will bolt by planting it in part shade instead of full sun and keeping the plant cool and moist. Heat is a stressor and sensing it's own mortality, cilantro will bolt quickly in hot weather. You can also buy a slow-bolt cilantro variety and harvest the leaves more often to keep the stalks under control. Brevities #OTD It's the birthday of the English architect, Inigo Jones; born today in 1573. Jones introduced classical Roman architecture and the Italian Renaissance to Britain. He left his mark on London by his design of buildings, such as the classically styled Queen's House for James' queen, Anne of Denmark. Sadly, Anne died after work on the building started. It took another 15 years before it was finished; It was presented to queen Henrietta Maria. Inspired by an Italian palace, it caused a sensation when it was revealed. Today, gardeners remember that Jones designed the layout for Covent Garden square. The Duke of Bedford asked Jones to build a residential square using the Italian piazza for Inspiration. The Duke felt he had to include a church, but he told Jones to put up something simple like a barn.Jones' famous response was that the Duke would have "the finest barn in Europe". Covent Garden square became the chief produce market for Londoners. #OTD It's the anniversary of the death of the botanist John Wilson who died on this day in 1751. It was Wilson who first attempted a systematic arrangement of the plants of Great Britain in the English language. From an occupational standpoint, Wilson was a shoemaker and then a baker. There is a little story that is often told about Wilson - although it's veracity has been questioned. Apparently Wilson was so intent on the pursuit of botany, that he was tempted to sell his cow in order to by a book written by the Scottish botanistand taxonomist Robert Morison. The transaction would have caused Wilson's financial ruin had a neighbor lady not purchased the book for him. And there was one other story that reveals Wilson's self-taught expertise and personality. Wilson had traveled to the county of Durham where he met a man who enjoyed growing rare plants. The man challenged Wilson to a contest of skill. The man thought himself superior to Wilson and when he could not stump him with the names of the rarities in his garden. Wilson turned about and grabbed a wild herb which the man simply dismissed as a weed. But, Wilson stated that a weed was a term of art, not a production of nature: adding, that the explanation proved his antagonist to be a gardener, not a botanist. And so, the contest ended. #OTD It's the birthday of William Robinson, originator of the Herbaceous border and advocate for the wild garden, who was born on this day in 1838. Robinson helped change the English landscape from formal to much more relaxed and attainable for the masses. Robinsons work and books brought him financial security. By the age of 45, he had enough money to purchase the Elizabethan Manor of Gravetye in Sussex, along with almost two hundred acres of pasture and woodland. In 1896, Gertrude Jekyll offered this summary of Robinson's impact on gardening: "[Thanks to Robinson] ... we may see how best to use and enjoy the thousands of beautiful plants that have been brought to us by the men who have given fortune, health and often life in perilous travel that our gardens may be enriched and botanical knowledge extended. We cannot now, with all this treasure at our feet, neglect it and refuse it the gratefully appreciative use that it deserves." Unearthed Words Today is the birthday of Almira Hart Lincoln Phelps who was born on this day in 1793. Phelps wrote about nature and her textbook, Familiar Lectures on Botany, was first published in 1829. Phelps taught at Amherst Academy and her textbook was undoubtedly known and used by Emily Dickinson who was a student there. The following quotes show us that she was hip to the idea of mindfulness over 200 years ago. Here's what she wrote: "So, in the physical world mankind are prone to seek an explanation of uncommon phenomena only, while the ordinary changes of nature, which are in themselves equally wonderful, are disregarded." "How often are the beauties of nature unheeded by man, who, musing on past ills, brooding over the possible calamities of the future, building castles in the air, or wrapped up in his own self-love and self-importance, forgets to look abroad, or looks with a vacant stare." "Each opening bud, and care-perfected seed, Is as a page, where we may read of God." Today's book recommendation: Classic Garden Design by Rosemary Verey Rosemary Verey's book Classic Garden Design (1984) gives us a glimpse of how much she learned from various gardens of the past, with their topiary, knot gardens and box-edged beds. All are incorporated in her Barnsley garden, providing a formal structure, softened by roses and herbaceous perennials, which adds interest even in the wintertime. Of course, one can't forget that it was Rosemary Verey who introduced and popularized the potager You can get used copies of this book on Amazon, with the link above in the show notes for less than $6. Today's Garden Chore Incorporate perennial sweet pea into your garden. Sweet peas are some of the most romantic flowers. While the sweet pea is considered an annual, there are a few perennial cultivars, but just keep in mind that they lack the honeyed fragrance. Thomas Jefferson liked to grow this heirloom vine, also called everlasting pea. The vines can grow 9 to 12 feet tall and will offer up clusters of small white and pink blossoms. Everlasting sweet peas are an effortless cut flower; they practically arrange themselves. Something Sweet Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart When I was researching William Robinson, I came across many different accounts of a story from his early days in horticulture. Robinson was working on the estate of an Irish baronet. One cold night, the fires for keeping the greenhouses warm failed - the reason is unclear. Whatever the particulars, whether he argued with his boss, forgot to tend the fire, or acted in revenge, the result was that the tender plants in the greenhouse died. That night, Robinson walked all the way to Dublin which he did not reach until the following morning. When he arrived in Dublin, he asked Dr. David Moore, head of the botanical garden, what he should do. Moore must have liked Robinson, because he offered him a job on the spot - but not with the greenhouses. Instead, he was put in charge of herbaceous plants - plants that are hardy, die back in the winter and return in the spring after their season of rest. These plants also included the English wild flowers. In any case, the truth remains that Robinson forever after did not care for greenhouses and he did not allow them at Gravetye Manor. Thanks for listening to the daily gardener, and remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."

In China, July is the month of the lotus. Recently I shared a video in the Facebook Group for the Showfrom the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburghwhich shows Senior Horticulturist, Pat Clifford, teaching their intern Hazel, how to remove the older leaves of the Giant Water Lily so the pond does not get overcrowded. Using a pitchfork, Pat carefully folds the large lily pad first in half, then quarters, and then once more. Then he stabs the large folded pad with the pitchfork, hoists it in the air to let the water drain out and then flops the beast down on the edge of the pond. The camera zooms in to reveal the most savage thorns that grow on the underside of the lily pad and all down the stem of the plant. It was so surprising to see how viscous the thorns are - rivaling the thorniest rose. Brevities #OTD It's the anniversary of the day that Captain Cook arrived in England in 1771. He had successfully led that first voyage to Australia. But, neither Cook, nor his botanist Joseph Banks, realized that the quartz reef where they planted the British Flag contained gold. The area would remain untouched by Europeans for almost two more decades. And, Cook's ship, the Endeavor, had somehow managed to survive the trials of sailing on the Great Barrier Reef and River. Before he sailed for England, Cook worried the Endeaver wouldn't make it around the Cape of Good Hope. In a fateful decision, Cook had brought the ship to Batavia, a Dutch colony, in order to fortify his ship. Batavia was a dangerous place. Malaria and dysentery were rampant. As a result of his stop in Batavia, Cook lost a staggering 38 members of his crew. The botanists, Banks and Solander, managed to survive the stop, although at one point they were both gravely ill. Even as they battled back from illness, they still went out to collect specimens. So, on this day, in 1771, Cook and Banks and Solander make it home to England. 365 days later, Cook would be setting sail once more, but this time Banks would not be going with. Instead, a German, Johann Reinhold Forster and his son Georg—would be the botanists for his next big adventure. #OTD Today, in 1835, Charles Darwin wrote a letter to his friend John Stevens Henslow. He wrote: "In a few days time the Beagle will sail for the Galapagos Islands. I look forward with joy and interest to this, both as being somewhat nearer to England and for the sake of having a good look at an active volcano." Throughout his life, Darwin exchanged letters with Henslow, professor of Botany and Mineralogy at Cambridge University, Their correspondence was a powerful influence on Darwin; helping to shape his thinking about the natural world. And, it was thanks to Henslow that Darwin received the invitation to join captain Robert FitzRoy on the HMS Beagle. Henslow had written a letter recommending Darwin for the journey because of his like-able personality. When they were young, Henslow and Darwin had walked the Cambridgeshire countryside together. Their walks inspired Darwin to study the natural world and to travel. Once Darwin was part of team Beagle, Henslow presented Darwin with a copy of Humboldt's Narrative, an account of Humboldt's travels in South America. In it, Henslow had inscribed these words: "J. S. Henslow to his friend C. Darwin on his departure from England upon a voyage around the World. 21st Sept. 1831." Darwin treasured this gift above all others and at his death, the book was safely brought to Cambridge University Library where it remains to this day. Unearthed Words #OTD It's the birthday of Henry David Thoreau, born on this day in 1817. National Simplicity Day is observed on July 12th in his honor. Thoreau was an advocate for living a life of simplicity. Thoreau said all of these things: "If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer." "The question is not what you look at, but what you see." "Though I do not believe that a plant will spring up where no seed has been, I have great faith in a seed. Convince me that you have a seed there, and I am prepared to expect wonders." "Gardening is civil and social, but it wants the vigor and freedom of the forest and the outlaw." Today's book recommendation: Gardens Are for People by Thomas Church Church is one of the most influential American landscape architects of the twentieth century. Church's ideas on the 'modern' landscape revolutionized residential landscape design; changing the look of the suburban back yard. His notion that the suburban backyard should be an extension of the house, essentially creating an outdoor room, was revolutionary. Gardens Are for Peoplecontains the essence of Thomas Church's design philosophy and much practical advice. His four design principles include: • Unity • Function • Simplicity • Scale The book is loaded with photographs of some of the 2,000 gardens designed by Church. It was Thomas Church who said: "When your garden is finished I hope it will be more beautiful that you anticipated, require less care than you expected, and have cost only a little more than you had planned." Today's Garden Chore Propagate pelargoniums through cutting. If you've never taken cuttings of your pelargoniums before, you will be delighted with the results. Pelargoniums are also known as cranesbills or hardy geraniums. All you need to do is snip off short lengths of your favorite pelargonium, remove any leaves from the lower part of the stem that will get pushed into your growing medium, dip the stem in some rooting powder, and then place it in the pot. Pelargoniums root so easily - you'll have many new plants in just a few weeks. Something Sweet Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart Over the years, people have left their hearts in San Francisco. The author Rudyard Kipling said, "San Francisco has only one drawback – 'tis hard to leave." Paul Kanter of Jefferson Airplane, said, "San Francisco is 49 square miles surrounded by reality." Ashleigh Brilliant, author and cartoonist, said, "There may not be a Heaven, but there is San Francisco." The writer William Saroyan said, "If you're not alive, San Francisco will bring you to life." During this week in 1969, newspapers across the country were sharing this little snippet about San Francisco. "San Francisco was originally known as Yerba Buena. Spanish for "good herb," a small mint-like plant early explorers found." Thanks for listening to the daily gardener, and remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."

It's National Rainier Cherry Day. Rainier cherries were bred at Washington State University by crossing Vans and Bings. They are one of the most delicate and challenging cherries to grow because of one big drawback: their thin red-yellow skin. This makes them super sensitive to the elements and they bruise easily. Even if a grower can address these challenges, they still must contend with the birds. Birds LOVE Rainiers and can eat as much as 1/3 of the cherry crop before the harvest arrives. Watch what happens if you add a few Rainier Cherries to your bird feeder. Brevities #OTD Today in Fettercairn Scottland in 1857, the amateur botanist David Prain was born. He would ultimately become the Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens of Calcutta and Kew. Prain was sent to Calcutta in 1887 to be the curator of the herbarium. He researched Indian hemp, followed by other crops like wheat, mustards, pulses and indigo for the Bengal government. Prain's most important work involved Cinchona plantations. The bark of cinchona trees contains quinine which is used to treat malaria. In Prain's obituary, it said that he set up a system to send every village in India quinine through the local post offices thereby saving unnumbered lives. During Prain's directorship at Kew, the medicinal garden was installed at Cambridge Cottage and the Japanese gateway was acquired for the 1910 Japan-British exhibition. Prain also reinstated the Kew Bulletin. Prain's biggest professional challenge at Kew came not from a plant, but a person. William Purdom was a sub-foreman at Kew and he was passionate about making sure that the garden staff was being treated fairly. The discord stemmed from some of the gardeners at Kew discovering that their positions were only temporary. Having wages well below market levels didn't help either. Even though all of this was set in place before Prain assumed the directorship, it fell to him to fix everything. Prain's humble origins gave him a heart for his workers and he did his best to remedy the situation. Despite Prain's reasonable efforts to mediate the situation, Purdom made it personal. Prain finally forced the issue basically saying that it was either him or Purdom. In a magnanimous gesture, Prain worked to get Purdom a spot on the expedition to China by Harry Veitch and the Arnold Arboretum. Today, history looks back at Prain with admiration, that he could recognize the talents of an employee, even while disagreeing with him - and all the while acting with fairness and integrity. #OTD Today in 1941 the Amarillo Daily News ran an article featuring Charles Sumner Lambie who was a Denver area civil engineer by day and a rare orchid breeder by night. Lambie grew up in Pittsburgh tending the family garden. He later married Margaret McCandless and together they raised nine children. As his engineering firm became successful, Lambie's wife said he turned to the hobby of raising orchids as a means of relief from the stresses of his job. Mr. Lambie shared an upside that he discovered about greenhouse gardening: He no longer suffers from hay fever as he did when he gardened outside. After sharing the various types of orchids grown by Lambie, the article shared Lambie's method for documenting his plants. Here's what it said: "Mr. Lambie has a card index file ... on each plant. Here is a simple entry from the card of C. Talisman: "L.O. Talisman: 6 inches, December 1938, Christmas; Winter Bloomer, October to early summer, variable. Flowers large, Sepals and petals – Light to dark rose. Lip, dark rich crimson; Throat purple with yellow – gold veins." Mr. Lambie puts a protective canopy over the orchids when they are in bloom and he sprays them several times a day.

When Mr. Lambie leaves town on business, Mrs. Lambie makes sure that the orchids are watered several times today.

As the reporter for the story was leaving, Mrs. Lambie showed him a small orchidAnd shared that Mr. Lambie was given the orchid when he subscribed to an orchid magazine. The orchid is called the Charles Lambie Rittenberry orchid named for their grandson and of course it receives "very careful attention" she added with a smile. #OTD On this day in 1950, a very unusual dwarf Amaryllis species was collected in Peru by the eminent botanist, Dr. Ramon Ferreyra, July 11, 1950, and was sent to Dr. Hamilton P. Traub in the United States. Unfortunately, the bulbs experienced frost while they were being shipping in the mail. Some of the bulbs were totally destroyed, the surviving bulbs all had been damaged. It took almost 18 months for Dr. Traub to nurse the frosted plants back to health. In recognition of his patience and skill, the Amaryllis was named Hippeastrum traubii.

Unearthed Words Here's a sweet diary entry from 1938 for today by Canadian Naturalist Charles Joseph Sauriol ("Sar-ee-all") shared by the Toronto Archives on their fabulous twitter feed - which is a wonderful thing to follow: "I find it hard to come in from the flower borders. My Pansies are a garden of enchantment in themselves. People who love Pansies should grow them from seed. I took the advice and I have never had such a profusion of bloom and of so many colors." Today's book recommendation: Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers, and Bamboos by Graham Stuart Thomas Graham Stuart Thomas introduces this essential, comprehensive reference of wood plants this way: "All through my life I have been discovering plants; I do not mean going out into the wilds of other countries and bringing back new treasures for our gardens. I am no dauntless traveler. But, I remember the thrill of my first winter as a student at the Cambridge University botanic Garden of sniffing for the first time the delectable scent of winter sweet and the winter flowering honeysuckles, and learning how to distinguish them from each other... I can claim to have grown, either directly or by proxy perhaps three quarters of the shrubs in this book; anymore have been observed to write about." Of his book,Thomas differentiates from others he has read on the subject: "My book is designed to help the reader consider the arrangements of his garden as a whole, And to furnish the different rooms with plants." Graham Stuart Thomas helps gardeners relate to shrubs through characteristics such as size, evergreen or deciduous, color of flower, scent, season of flowering, autumn color, methods of propagation are all given in an ingenious Line of Facts for easy reference. Lively short descriptions of the characters of each plant help amateurs and professionals alike choose what to grow and what to avoid.

Today's Garden Chore Deadhead to encourage more blooms What happens if you don't deadhead? You might miss out on valuable time that your plant could use to create that second flush of blooms. Plants to deadhead include: coreopsis, blue and white clips, geraniums, and dianthus. Another reason is to encourage more blooms the following year. Dead flower heads become seed pods and that takes energy from the plant. So be sure to deadhead peonies, roses, iris and lilies. As a general rule, when any plant looks leggy, it will benefit from deadheading or plain ol' pruning.

Something Sweet Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart #OTD Today in 1936, the Danish botanist Clarence Henry Dennesen celebrated his 103rd birthday. Dennesen was once an internationally recognized authority on botany and he led an amazing life. He was captain under Christian IX in Denmark's war with Germany, was wounded In battle and captured by the enemy, was shipwrecked on the Isle of Crete and sailed around Cape Hope. After the adventurous days of the soldier and sailor, he became a professor at the Copenhagen School of Botany and among his pupils were a little princess who later became Queen Alexandria, mother of King George of England, and a little prince who later became King Constantine of Greece. The newspaper reported that, "the men's Bible class of St. John's Lutheran Church, in Jacksonville Florida, had planned a surprise birthday party, but the jolly old Dane wink as he hinted it is hard to surprise the man who is been around for 103 years." Dennesen immigrated to America in 1881 and lived to be 111 years old.

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

Are you growing parsley? I do. But, I generally only plant the flat leaf variety - since the curly leaf parsley is used mainly as a garnish. Parsley is a member of the Umbelliferae family, which also includes celery, carrots, dill, cilantro, caraway, cumin, and the poisonous hemlock. Brevities #OTD On this day in 1838, the botanist Asa Gray resigned from the Wilkes Expedition. Gray was frustrated by all of the delays. He also disagreed with Captain Charles Wilkes. Gray and Wilkes disagreed about the Latin descriptions of the new taxa. In addition, Wilkes wanted to work with Americans only. Gray recognized that the work could not be done with his usual level of excellence unless European herbaria and experts were included. Instead, Gray accepted a position at the University of Michigan. But, before he could officially start, Harvard wooed him away. Gray established the science of botany and guided American botany into the international arena. It was Asa Gray who said, "Natural selection is not the wind which propels the vessel, but the rudder which, by friction, now on this side and now on that, shapes the course." #OTD Today in 1949, a 79 year old botanist, Dr. Melville Thurston Cook, his wife, and their pilot were rescued by an Air Force helicopter after a week in the Alaskan wilderness. Cook reported they survived on 90 dozen eggs after their plane was forced down in the rugged Brooks Mountain range. As luck would have it, the 1,080 eggs were aboard the plane as cargo. Cook shared their ingenuity with the world; telling how they had not lacked for variety in their preparation of the eggs, enjoying fried eggs, boiled eggs, poached eggs, scrambled eggs, shirred eggs and omelet. Naturally, when he wasn't eating eggs, Dr. Cook collected specimens. Dr. Cook, who would be 80 in September, and his wife had been vacationing in Alaska. In newspaper accounts he said he never doubted the party would be saved. But the crash had impacted their priorities. Following the accident, Cook and his wife moved to be closer to their children. One of their four kids followed Cook's footsteps to become a plant pathologist; Dr. Harold T. Cook. Before the accident, Cook was finishing up his career by working as visiting part-time professor of plant pathology at Louisiana State University. During his prime, Cook had gone botanizing with Nathaniel Lord Britton and Elizabeth Gertrude Britton in Puerto Rico. He had also worked with Henry Allan Gleason at the New York Botanical Garden. #OTD Back in 1977, Ethan Allen and Elvin McDonald of House Beautiful (ww.housebeautiful.com) gave a presentation called "Decorating with Plants." McDonald revealed many new decorating-with-plant ideas. Keep in mind, this was three decades before Instagram. Otherwise, McDonald would have no doubt share photos of the over 300 plants in his apartment. In the newspaper promotions for his presentation, McDonald was quoted as saying, "Take a pill if you will I say take a plant to cope with everyday stress." #OTD A 1983 newspaper headline on this day in The Town Talk in Alexandria, Louisiana said, 'Rare Plant Halts Road Work'. Turns out, a $15 million highway widening project near College Station was stopped because it threatened a tiny, rare, and unusual orchid plant. The Spiranthes parksii (ii = "ee-eye"), also known as Navasota Ladies' Tresses because it grew along the Navasota River, is only 6 inches tall with white blooms. First discovered in 1945 and described by Donovan Stewart Correll in his 1950 book, Native Orchids of North America North of Mexico, It became the 54th U.S. plant species to be classified as endangered. #OTD In 1988, British plant explorer Roy Lancaster revealed that a thriving black market for plants was threatening rare Chinese orchids. In the same way an art collector might buy stolen works of art underground, elite plant collectors are the wealthy clients of orchid smugglers. Lancaster shared the plight of Paphiopedilum armeniacum which was discovered in 1980, but was 100 percent harvested from the world in 1983. In just three short years, the plant had gone from discovery to presumed extinction! Unearthed Words Here's a poem by Theodore Roethke called Transplanting. Roethke said he wrote the poem from the perspective of "a very small child: all interior drama; no comment; no interpretation." Watching hands transplanting, Turning and tamping, Lifting the young plants with two fingers, Sifting in a palm-full of fresh loam,-- One swift movement,-- Then plumping in the bunched roots, A single twist of the thumbs, a tamping and turning, All in one,Quick on the wooden bench, A shaking down, while the stem stays straight, Once, twice, and a faint third thump,-- Into the flat-box it goes, Ready for the long days under the sloped glass: The sun warming the fine loam, The young horns winding and unwinding, Creaking their thin spines, The underleaves, the smallest buds Breaking into nakedness, The blossoms extending Out into the sweet air, The whole flower extending outward, Stretching and reaching. Today's book recommendation: Perennial Garden Plants by Graham Stuart Thomas Hailed as a classic from its first publication, Perennial Garden Plants describes over 2,000 species along with practical information on planting, seasonal flowering, color, propagation and cultivation as well as on the origins of plants. Of this book Graham Stuart Thomas said, "I have tried to be truthful, concise and at the same time appetizing; Appetizing because it is my desire to encourage you to grow these lovely things; the smaller ones among them maybe called garden toys, while many of the larger kinds are plants of great personality. To whichever class they belong they are growing things, of a beauty unsurpassed among the passive things of this world and worthy of our reverence and awe, to be treasured and enshrined in our gardens." Today's Garden Chore Plant Your Shade Trees Wisely. Today's chore was featured inThe South Bend Tribune out of South Bend, Indiana on this day in 1952. Here's what it said, "Don't plant plant your shade tree so that It shades your neighbor's yard Instead of your own. If you set the tree on the eastern border of your property, it will shade your neighbor's yard instead of your own garden during the hottest part of the day, in the afternoon. ...Consider your plantings as a permanent investment in beauty and comfort that is worth real thought." Something Sweet Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart Today in 1966, the New York Daily News shared the TV listing for 9pm: a repeat episode of Bewitched starring Elizabeth Montgomery and Dick York. In the episode, rare black Peruvian roses robbed Samantha of her witching powers and gave her little green square spots on her face. Aunt Clara remembers that the Peruvian black rose was used to drive witches out of Peru. She sends Darrin off to gather items for the antidote that she will brew: bat wings, porpoise milk, eye of newt and an ostrich feather. Luckily for Samantha, Aunt Clara said that she could only get Peruvian black rose sickness once. Thanks for listening to the daily gardener, and remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."

Here's a little primer on mulch placement. Keep mulch away from the bases of plants and trees. Trees can be harmed or killed by mulching too heavily around the trunk. Perennials and other plants can be smothered or damaged by heavy mulch around the crown as well. Mulch is a wonderful tool in the garden, but it pays to pay attention to placement. Brevities #OTD Today in 1926, the Green Bay Press-Gazette posted an article titled, "Ice Cream Grown on Vine in yard of Former Kentuckian." The article was about the fabulous Colonel Henry Wallace Johnston who, until the age of 50, had operated a hardware store in Lebanon, Kentucky. At midlife, he moved to Homestead Florida. And, in 1912, Johnston created a 20 acre estate called Palm Lodge Tropical Grove. He even liked to dress the part; wearing a tropical outfit complete with a white helmet and looking as if he had just finished playing Jumanji. Known as the Wizard of Palm Lodge or Florida's Burbank (a nod to California's Luther Burbank ), Johnston began adding over 8,000 incredible specimens of tropical fruits and flowers, many of them not found anywhere else in America. Palm Lodge gained him widespread recognition. And, although Johnston never traveled outside the US, he was a natural marketer. Stories about Johnston include the following: He coined the name "lipstick tree". Rarest among his plants was a flower that produces a perfume called the "Scent of Lilith." Johnston grew the Dumb Cane tree or dieffenbachia from Cambodia. He would tell folks that if they bit into the leaves, their tongue would be paralyzed for six weeks. Harvey Firestone and Henry Ford brought back rubber plants from Madagascar, but only Colonel Johnston's plants survived. Johnston's Palestine tree fruit was wrapped in cellophane while on the tree to protect against insects. The fruit was used in religious rituals by rabbis. Johnston's gingerbread palm's fruit tasted of gingerbread. Johnston furnished almost all of the tropical exhibit for the state of Florida at the Chicago World's Fair. All of Johnston's plants were grown from seed. Johnston also produced nearly 300 different types of fruits and jellies all packaged on site. One of Johnston's specialties was the cultivation of the aloe vera plant. He grew a 15 acre aloe field and by 1920 was regularly harvesting the leaves and bringing them to Miami, individually wrapped to stop the spines from making the jelly ooze out. And yes, one of Johnston's plants was something he called "the ice cream vine," botanically known as the monstera deliciosa. The fruit resembles a large ear of corn minus the husk and tastes like a combination of banana, strawberry and pineapple. Johnston's lodge was a Florida showplace and there was no charge for admission. Homestead's chamber of commerce showed that 30,000 people, including botanists, visited the lodge every year. One day, after 2,000 guests had been received, the register revealed that Henry Ford had passed unnoticed in the crowd. #OTD On this day in 1941 a Soviet court sentenced the prominent Russian botanist Nikolay Vavilov to death by firing squad. Vavilov never faced the firing squad. Instead, he died of starvation in a Soviet prison two years after receiving his sentence. #OTD Today in 1942, newspapers announced the retirement of George Shull. An Ohio farm kid, Shull was the noted botanist who taught at Princeton University for 27 years. His work resulted in a $150M increase in the value of US corn as a result of his crossing pure line varieties with self-fertilized corn. Shull's hybrid yielded 10 to 40 percent more than ordinary corn. Shull never made a penny from his creation. Unearthed Words Here's a poem from Emily Dickinson called Answer July. In the poem, Dickinson speaks to July directly and July responds by pointing out that the hot summer is the fulfilled promise of spring. Answer July – Where is the Bee – Where is the Blush – Where is the Hay? Ah, said July – Where is the Seed – Where is the Bud – Where is the May – Answer Thee – Me – Today's book recommendation: Lives of the Trees: An Uncommon History by Diana Wells Wells investigates the names and meanings of trees, sharing their legends and lore. As Wells says, "Our long relationship with trees is the story of friendship. The human race, we are told, emerged in the branches of trees and most of us have depended on them ever since for food, shade, shelter, and fuel." Today's Garden Chore Incorporate a wheelbarrow garden into your garden plans. Take an old wheelbarrow, drill some drainage holes in the bottom (very important!) and up-cycle it into a beautiful, portable planter that is perfect for flowers, herbs, and small edibles. Something Sweet Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart Today in 1963 the Marvel comic botanist Samuel Smithers became Plantman when lightening struck his plant ray gun, giving it the power to control and animate all plant life. Plantman dueled with the Human Torch in the botanical garden and lost. He was taken to prison. In his final storyline, Plantman transformed into a giant plant monster and attacked the city of Los Angeles in retaliation for humans polluting the world. In his final moments, Plantman was defeated by Ironman. Here's one of Plantman's more popular lines: "Do not speak to the Plant Man of power! Mine was the genius that gave the semblance of life to unthinking plant tissue! There can be no greater power than that!" Thanks for listening to the daily gardener, and remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."

Have you checked to see if there is an herb society near you? Herb societies offer gardeners what I call next-level understanding of plants. Aside from parsley, oregano, and thyme, you'll probably be surprised by the sheer number of plants that fall into the herbal category; plants like bronze fennel, red-veined sorrel, lovage, tansy and sweet cicely. Brevities #OTD On this day in 1878 the American botanist Forrest Shreve was born. We owe such a debt of gratitude to Shreve. He was THE preeminent botanist of North American deserts during the first half of the Twentieth Century. Shreve worked out of a laboratory in Tucson, Arizona. The lab was ideally situated for Shreve's field research of the western United States and northern Mexico. Shreve relished telling the origin story of his lab: "Of course you are familiar with the story of Andrew Carnegie," he began, "the immigrant boy who became one of America's richest steel magnates and who left a fortune "to encourage in the broadest and most liberal manner investigation, research, and discovery, and the application of knowledge to the improvement of mankind." Before he died Carnegie had established an institution which divided its scientific investigations into twelve departments in widely separated parts of the country. The Desert Laboratory became one of the outposts of the Division of Plant Biology. The total Carnegie benefaction totaled about $25,000,000." In July of 1908, Shreve ascended the Santa Catalina Mountains for the very first time. His party rode on horses to climb the 6,000 feet from Mount Lemmon's desert base to the summit which is 9,100 feet above sea level. During that climb, Shreve noticed what he called, "a continually shifting panorama of vegetation". Shreve's astuteness helped him realize the most amazing aspect of desert mountains; changes in vegetation are compressed into a few thousand feet of elevation - started with desert scrub, then grassland, then oak woodland... and followed by pine-oak woodland and forest, then pink forest, montane fir forest, and finally subalpine forest. Shreve's mastery of the North American Desert allowed him to describe and define, with precision, the four distinct desert regions of the United States. Today, each year, in Shreve's honor, the Forrest Shreve Student Research Award ($1000-2000) is given to support ongoing research of the hot deserts of North America. #OTD Today in 1901, the world lost Eva Reed, a botanist, author, and librarian with the Missouri Botanical Gardens . In a tragic accident, Reed had been sketching on the tracks of the Burlington railway, near Louisiana, Missouri, when she was run over and instantly killed by a passenger train. Several years earlier, she had become almost totally deaf as the result of a fever. #OTD Today in 1934, Leonard Cockayne passed away. Cockayne was 79 years old and is considered New Zealand's greatest botanist. Cockayne was born in England and was raised in home that encouraged the exploration and appreciation of the natural world. As a child, Cockayne loved pressing flowers. In addition to Cockayne, both his brother and sister were great gardeners. In 1879, Cockayne left England and made his way to New Zealand. Dominion became his home for the remainder of his life. Ever modest, Cockayne once sent a letter to Kew along with a small parcel of seeds. He attached a little note which said, "I may say I am not a nursery gardener but merely a private individual who spends his whole time in the study of botany." In recognition of his 30 years of tireless work in New Zealand, Cockayne won the Darwin metal. During his career, Dr. K Richter von Goebel and John Paulus Lotsy, two distinguished botanists from the UK, visited him in New Zealand. Those visits where true highlights for Cockayne and they inspired him to continue his work. When he died, Cockayne was buried at the open-air museum he founded, which is serves as lasting memorial.vFrom his grave, one can see the native vegetation which had captured his heart, as well as the heights which bear his name. #OTD Today we wish Monty Don a happy birthday! Don is an English television presenter, writer and speaker on horticulture, best known for presenting the BBC television series Gardeners' World. Over the past year, Don wrote Japanese Gardens: a journey by Monty Don and Derry Moore, the complement to the BBC2 series. In this personal and lyrical exploration of both the traditional and the modern aspects of Japanese gardening, Monty Don guides us through the history and beauty of Japanese gardens throughout the spectacular changing seasons. Unearthed Words National Meadows Day took place over the weekend in the UK - and it is an annual celebration of the wildflower meadows of England. Each year, the event takes place on or around the first Saturday of July. So, in tribute, here's a little poem about the Meadow Sweet by Charles MacKay: ROSE ! we love thee for thy splendor, Lily ! for thy queenly grace ! Violet ! for thy lowly merit, Peeping from thy shady place ! But mine airy, woodland fairy, Scattering odors at thy feet, No one knows thy modest beauty, No one loves thee, Meadow-Sweet ! Today's book recommendation: A Sense of Place: The Life and Work of Forrest Shreve by Janice Emily Bowers This first in-depth study of Shreve's life and work. It is a beautifully written account of Shreve's career. The author shares a friend's description of Shreve, which compares him to a desert, "in his patience and his detachment, and like the desert, he put on a good display when he flowered." On writing about the desert, Shreve noted, "The most significant lesson that the desert dweller can learn from a familiarity with its plant and animal life is to regard himself not as an exile from some better place but as a man at home in an environment to which his life can be adjusted without physical or intellectual loss.'" Today's Garden Chore Stop fertilizing in hot weather. Heat is a stressor for most plants and they will do better without having to contend with fertilizer while they are trying to survive the hottest part of the summer. Think about fertilizing as a shoulder season activity - spring and fall. The temps are cooler and water is generally more plentiful. As always, after you fertilize, make sure to water your garden well. Something Sweet Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart From an article in the Vicennes Sun from this week in 1965, here's a little footnote to history... It was about 140 years ago that the town of Hindustan , lndiana, was abandoned by its residents because of a plague of "milk fever." This disease occurs after milk cows have eaten Wild Snakeroot. A few years ago a botanist [shared] that the Hindostan neighborhood still is the best place in the Midwest to collect Wild Snakeroot for laboratory work." Wild or White snakeroot is a problem for livestock if they consume it. All parts of the plant are toxic. Transferring the toxin through cow's milk is a concern for humans; t his is known as milk sickness. In the early 1800's, milk sickness resulted in the death of thousands of people; the most famous person to die from it was Abraham Lincoln's mother in 1818. Thanks for listening to the daily gardener, and remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."

Sometimes the plant gods smile on you with a clearance sale featuring something truly spectacular like Japanese Forest Grass or in this case, Hakonechloa 'All Gold'. My local Lowes was clearancing them for $3 a pop - and it was just what the plant doctor ordered to dress up our cabin up north. In 2009, my garden idol, Margaret Roach tweeted, "Another plant I cannot garden without: Hakonechloa 'All Gold.' Solid gold in the shade." She's right. Brevities #OTD On this day in 1796, Gilbert Laing Meason was born. Laing Meason was a friend of Sir Walter Scott and he invented the term 'landscape architecture', in his 1828 book on The Landscape Architecture of the Great Painters of Italy. Not many copies of his book were printed, but somehow the prolific garden author, John Claudius Loudon, . secured a copy. He shared the term with American horticulturist Andrew Jackson Downing, who, in turn, shared it with Frederick Law Olmsted. Olmsted was the first professional to describe himself as a 'landscape architect', and he is regarded as the founder of landscape architecture. Meason was very balanced in his perspective on architecture. He valued both function and beauty. In terms of his own property, Meason was a romantic and his personal estate was known as Lindertis House. It is no surprise that he surrounded it with ornate gardens. Over time, the cost of maintaining the elaborate gardens in addition to the household management of the estate as a whole brought Lindertis to total financial ruin. Today, barely a trace of the mansion exists. When Meason died, he had no idea that his notion of 'landscape architecture' would be his legacy. #OTD Today in 1806, Michael Keens, a market gardener from Isleworth, exhibited the first large-scale cultivated strawberry combining flavor and appearance, at the Royal Horticultural Society. It's hard to imagine, but large garden strawberries didn't exist prior to the 1800s. In his wonderfully illustrated book, The Complete Strawberry (Century Books, 1985), Stafford Whiteaker revealed the modern strawberry's development over the last two centuries; sharing how plants were harvested from the foot of the Andes and brought to France by a French spy named Amédée François Frézier (1682- 1773). Frézier cared for five plants during the six-month journey home by sharing his own precious supply of water. In a strange coincidence, Frézier's surname is itself derived from fraise, the French word for strawberry. It turns out, his ancestor, Julius de Berry, presented the Emperor with a gift of strawberries and was honored with the name of his gift.

For clarification, the name ''strawberry'' does not refer to mulching the berries with straw. Rather, it is from the Old English term straw which means ''to spread' referring to their runners grow. On 30 Apr 1859, The Preston Chronicle and Lancashire Advertiser, offered a little advise about growing Keen's strawberries, saying, "For edgings for these nothing is more profitable than parsley or a line of Keens's seedling strawberry." #OTD It was on this day in 1939, that The Asbury Park Press, reported that Lambertus C. Bobbink, one of the country's best known florists, was honored at the New York Botanical Gardens. The author, Pearl Buck, was there to dedicate a rose garden and unveil a plaque to Bobbink that read, "To honor Lambertus C. Bobbink, a great rosarian whose counsel and generosity helped to make this garden possible for the enjoyment of all." Bobbink immigrated to the United States from Holland in 1896. He purchased a few acres of land in Rutherford, New Jersey, and in 1898 Frederick L. Atkins, an English nurseryman, became his partner in the business forming Bobbink and Atkins; one of the worlds largest horticultural organizations at the time. They both made their homes on Herrick Street, around the corner from their business on Paterson Avenue. In 1911, Bobbink & Atkins successfully grew the first crop of budded Hybrid Tea Roses in the United States and they hybrid tea roses to this country. In 1935, Bobbink introduced the Azalea Rutherfordiana in 1935 which memorialized Rutherford, his hometown.

Unearthed Words Today is the birthday of the English poet, William Henry Davies. Davies loved the natural world, especially birds and butterflies. George Bernard Shawwas a fan of his work and he wrote the preface of Davies' autobiography. Here are a few of his poems: " When I can hear the small woodpeckers ring Time on a tree for all the birds that sing ; And hear the pleasant cuckoo, loud and long? The simple bird that thinks two notes a song." "And here are butterflies : poor things Amazed with new-created wings; They in the air-waves roll distrest Like ships at sea ; and when they rest They cannot help but ope and close Their wings, like babies with their toes." Today's book recommendation: Grow in the Dark by Lisa Eldred Steinkopf Lisa Eldred-Steinkopf is known as the Houseplant Guru and this is her latest book. She's putting thespotlight on 50 of the best houseplants you can grow in dim or dark areas. Having a south-facing window doesn't always guarantee you the best light to grow plants—especially if your window faces an alley or a tree-lined street. What's the point of growing an urban jungle if tall buildings are blocking all your sunshine? This compact guide, designed to look as good on your shelf as it is useful, will help you learn how to make the most of your light so you can reap the physical and emotional benefits of living with plants. Detailed profiles include tips on watering your plants just right, properly potting them, and troubleshooting pests and diseases. You'll also learn which plants are safe to keep around your pets. Whether you live in a shady top-floor apartment or a dungeon-y garden level, this book will help you grow your plant collection to its healthiest for its Instagram debut. Today's Garden Chore Plant Hakonechloa 'All Gold' in your garden. All Gold is grass perfection. Graceful, tactile, and easy. As its name suggests, Hakonechloa 'All Gold' is bright, golden and beautiful. Plant it next to anything red or purple-leafed and you'll have something amazing in your garden. The best part about Hakonechloa is that it prefers part shade and why not? It brings plenty of sunshine all on its own. Something Sweet Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart It was on this day in 1993, that newspapers reported on the first recipient of the Richard Evans Schultes Award. The honor went to a preeminent botanist and plant explorer with the U. S. Department of Agriculture's Agriculture Research Service: Calvin R. Sperling. Schultes was a Harvard University professor and widely recognized as the father of ethnobotany. As Schultes once said, "Ethnobotany simply means someone who is investigating plants used by primitive societies in various parts the world." Schultes praised Sperling: "Calvin Sperling is one of the foremost ethnobotanists today, due to his consistent excellence in field research and to his extensive work to conserve biological diversity and to improve crop plants worldwide." Sperling was selected to receive the award by an international committee established by the award's sponsor, The Healing Forest Conservancy in San Francisco. An article about Sperling in the Star Tribune, said, "Sperling traipsed over mountain slopes [in the Soviet Union] in search of wild apricot trees. He had expected to find about 20 forgotten varieties. Instead, he brought back nearly 5O different specimens. "I found some incredible ones with traits we've never known before..." [Like] tolerance for frosts and freezing that may allow apricots to be grown in areas with harsh winter climates." Thanks for listening to the daily gardener, and remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."