The Daily Gardener

Do you change the oil in your window boxes and containers every spring?

You really don't need to - I don't. Here's what I do:

I remove about a quarter to a third of the soil in my containers, and I put it in my potting soil bin.

Then, I add a little perlite and compost to the original container, and that's it.

Any extra potting soil that I have leftover in my bin, I use for new containers.

Brevities

#OTD It was on this day in 1869 that the botanist Edwin Hunt collected the last known specimen of Arethusa bulbosa in the old Oriskany swamp in New York.

Arethusa bulbosa is known as Dragon's Mouth Orchid, and it is found in the eastern and central parts of the United States and Canada, from South Carolina to Saskatchewan. One of Hunt's former students shared his recollections of his teacher:

"Mr. Hunt was an expert in the preparation of his botanical specimens. Hunt was ever-guarded in his knowledge of locality. He did not believe in sharing it if he thought someone would exhaust it. He knew only too well how many years of patient industry he had spent on his collection."

And then he recalled:

"We journeyed many miles together and he always seemed 2 inches taller when we got into the woods. He was a very rapid walker and when on a botanical excursion, it was a difficult matter to keep up with him. I have a faint but pleasant recollection of running at his heels for a distance of 12 miles."

The Crataegus huntiana is named in memory of Edwin Hunt.

#OTD On this day in 1871, James Weldon Johnson was born.

He's the lyricist of the song "Lift Every Voice and Sing."

He had a summer home known as Five Acres, and he had a little writing cabin on a hill above a brook. Johnson was a founder and member of the Harlem Renaissance, and he wrote most of his famous works like God's Trombone and his autobiography Along This Way in his writing cabin on the hill.

Johnson also loved poetry. Here are some excerpts from his Venus in a Garden:

But the fair Venus knew

The crimson roses had gained their hue

From the hearts that for love had bled;

And the goddess made a garland

Gathered from the roses red.

#OTD It was on this day in 1879 at the Botanical Gardens of Berlin, a monument of the late eminent botanist, Alexander Braun, was unveiled.

Professor Adler did the granite pedestal. The bust of the Braun was said to be an excellent likeness. Braun was a botanist from Bavaria. He researched the morphology of plants.

#OTD It was on this day in 1916, a photograph of Nellie McClung was taken with fellow suffragist Emmeline Pankhurst.

Nellie McClung earned Canadian women the right to vote.

Today you can explore Nellie's home and garden in Calgary.

Although she is perhaps best known for her social activism, being an author was her "day job." Nothing inspired her more than her garden

Her first book was called "Sowing Seeds in Danny." It has been compared to L.M. Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables. Both books were immediate best-sellers in Canada.

#OTD It was on this day in 1934 that the University of Wisconsin's Arboretum was officially dedicated.

The idea had first occurred in 1853, to Wisconsin's early naturalist, Increase Lapham.

The University didn't actually begin purchasing land for the Arboretum until 1932. The following year, William Longenecker was hired to be the executive director, and Aldo Leopold, who has been a professor of wildlife ecology, was made research director.

Unearthed Words

Emily Dickinson wrote today's poem in the fall of 1877.

She, like most gardeners, was reflecting the seasons, and she made some observations about critical growing times during the year.

Dickinson never wrote a poem strictly about June, but she loved to reach back to June in her poems about Autumn.

To Dickinson, June was sweeter and best appreciated through the amber lens of Fall.

"Summer has two Beginnings --

Beginning once in June --

Beginning in October

Affectingly again --

Without, perhaps, the Riot

But graphicker for Grace --

As finer is a going

Than a remaining Face --

Departing then -- forever --

Forever -- until May --

Forever is deciduous

Except to those who die --"

And here's a quote from my friend and fellow podcaster, Joanne Shaw, who said this one year ago:

Today's book recommendation: The Plant Hunters: The Adventures of the World's Greatest Botanical Explorers by Carolyn Fry

Most of the plants in our gardens are not native to our region. Although we take their accessibility and ubiquity for granted, we owe a debt to the naturalists and explorers who traveled in search of these unusual plants and then brought them back along with fantastic stories.

Carolyn is the former editor at Geographical; The magazine of the Royal Geographical Society.

Today's Garden Chore

Attend to your geraniums.

Regular deadheading prevents disease and increases flower production.

Be sure to remove the entire flower stalk after the flowers fade.

Also, remove yellowing or dry leaves from the plants.

It's quite normal for the lower leaves of geraniums to turn yellow as they age.

To help reduce yellowing, try to increase the amount of sun if you can (full sun is best) and start fertilizing.

If your geranium gets leggy, prune it back a bit to encourage branching.

Something Sweet

Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart

When I was researching Edwin Hunt, I came across an article that told how Professor Hunt was collecting flowers for the Hungarian Revolutionary Lajos Kossuth.

Kossuth was lamenting yet another political disappointment, and he told Hunt how he had turned to nature:

In this sadness of my poor distressed heart, I was longing for some consolation. And the words of Chateaubriand came to my mind:

"Happy those who love nature, her they shall find, and shall not find but her in the days of adversity."

And so I turned to that sole consoler who never disappoints and never deceives.

The study of nature confirmed me In what my heart was longing to hope.

A mild ray of peace and consolation fell on my sad soul as the cooling balm falls on the burning wound.

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

Are you planning to grow Sunflowers this year? Five years ago, Hans-Peter Schiffer toppled the Guinness World Record for third year in a row - growing a sunflower that was 30'1" tall! Over atthe Facebook group for the show, you can check out a time lapse video of sunflowers growing from seed to seed heads; just search for The Daily Gardener Communitythe next time you're in Facebook and request to join. Brevities #OTD It's the birthday of Harriet Beecher Stowe board on this day in 1811. Stowe is best known as the author of Uncle Tom's Cabin. When Stowe met Pres. Abraham Lincoln, he greeted her by saying, "So you're the little woman who started this great war." During the Victorian era, the language of flowers was all the rage. Stowe used that language in Uncle Tom's Cabin. Her use of roses connotes both tragedy and Tom's loving nature. Ferns are a sign of both fortitude and memory. The most important flowers in the story are the brilliant scarlet geranium and one single white Japonica; Red and white conveyed suffering and purity. The character Topsy has the purity of a small child, but as a slave, she was forced to endure the beatings and punishments by her master. Uncle Tom's Cabin was a sensation. During its first year in print, it sold a record 200,000 copies. One year after it's publication, Eva became one of the most popular names for baby girls; Eva was the name of the beloved slave girl in Stowe's novel. #OTD It's the birthday of garden author Ruth Stout, born on this day in 1884. Ruth wrote a number of garden books including the No Work Garden and Gardening Without Work. Here's a sampling of her famous prose: "If you have the soul of a gardener, not for anything would you work with gloves on." "I read somewhere that a shallow pan of beer put into a garden at night will do away with slugs. (Whether they are dead or just dead-drunk in the morning, I don't know.) I wrote this to one inquirer and he answered: 'I'm certainly not going to carry beer out to the garden for slugs. If they want beer they can come in the house and ask for it, like everybody else.'" "If 'heartache' sounds exaggerated then surely you have never gone to your garden one rare morning in June to find that the frost, without any perceptible motive, any hope of personal gain, has quietly killed your strawberry blossoms, tomatoes, lima and green beans, corn, squash, cucumbers. A brilliant sun is now smiling at this disaster with an insensitive cheerfulness as out of place as a funny story would be if someone you loved had just died." #OTD It was on this day in 1922 that Pres. Harding's voice was heard on the radio. Just the year before, Pres. Harding and his wife had opened the grounds to the White House. The Harding enjoyed throwing garden parties; especially for veterans. During one event in the garden, in October 1921, Marie Curie visited the garden at the White House. She presented Pres. Harding with one gram of radium worth half a million Swedish kroner. Unearthed Words #OTD We celebrate the prose of Gilbert Keith or G.K. Chesterton, who died on this day in 1936. He was a British author creator of father Brown a fictional Roman Catholic priest and amateur detective of Chesterton's short stories. Known as the "prince of paradox", Chesterton is supposed to have handled episodes of writer's block by firing arrows from his window into the garden. From the Father Brown series, here's an excerpt from "The Secret Garden"... "The garden was large and elaborate, and there were many exits from the house into the garden. But there was no exit from the garden into the world outside; all round it ran a tall, smooth, unscalable wall with special spikes at the top; no bad garden, perhaps, for a man to reflect in whom some hundred criminals had sworn to kill" Here's a bit of philosophy from Chesterton: "When your father told you, walking about the garden, that bees stung or that roses smell sweet, he did not talk of taking the best out of his philosophy. When the bees stung you, you did not call it an entertaining coincidence; when the rose smell sweet you did not say, 'My father is a rude barbaric symbol enshrining (perhaps unconsciously) the deep delicate truth that flowers smell.' No, you believed your father because you had found him to be a living fountain of facts, a thing that really knew more than you; a thing that would tell you to truth to-morrow as well as to-day." Today's book recommendation:In Bloom: Growing, Harvesting and Arranging Flowers All Year Round by Clare Nolan In this gorgeous book, Clare Nolan shares her top tips for growing a bountiful harvest and styling spectacular homegrown arrangements. Clare expertly guides you through the entire process - from choosing the best plants to laying out your cutting garden. She even wrote an entire chapter on arranging - breaking down the secrets to styling flowers to maximum effect in your home. Today's Garden Chore It's another Photo Friday in the Garden. Today take close-ups of your succulents. You'll be glad to have this group of photos for an indoor project during the winter. Turning your photos into art. Succulents are everywhere and there's nothing better than having art hanging on the wall or in a picture frame that captures the beauty of your own garden! Something Sweet Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart Pineapple Flowers Take a pineapple and thinly slice it. Place the slices on a the cookie sheet and then slowly dry them in an oven. In 8 to 10 minutes, the slices will bloom into delicate pineapple flowers. They're adorable little garnishes to delight your guests. Thanks for listening to the daily gardener, and remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."

My aunt Debbie in Des Moines sent me some fantastic pictures of a great portable elevated plantar idea. She was at Lowes and they had taken two old Weber grills and had spray-painted them different colors. Then, they turned them into planters. In between the two of them they placed a bench. What a great idea. Fantastic idea a great way to repurpose old grills turn them into elevated bed that you could use for annuals - which is what they did. In my case, I'm thinking it is a fun way to have a small edible or herb garden - right by your grill! Brevities #OTD It's the birthday of Martha Washington, born on this day in 1731. The kitchen garden at Mount Vernon was said to have been Martha Washington's personal pride. Surrounded by 4-inch-brick walls her garden was protected and it also enjoyed a bit of a microclimate. In addition to the walls, there were pear trees and apple trees that lined the walkways and provided a windbreaker for the vegetables. There was even a cistern placed in the center of the garden; providing the garden with a steady supply of water. One expert stated, "Mrs. Washington had a passion for gardening and her summer residence at the Hasbrouck house allowed her to indulge in it." One admirer said, "Under her skillful hands, bloomed a garden like the desert of the Scriptures." #OTD It was on this day in 1832 that George Thurtell held his impressive ranunculus show. It was said that Thurtell had exhibited between 700 and 800 blooms; including 360 varieties. They were preeminent in beauty, variety, color, form, and size. Fourteen years after his ranunculus show, Thurtell was fined for horse-whipping a journalist on April 30, 1846. Two years later, he pled guilty to stealing from a house where he was living as the gardener. He was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment and he died serving his sentence. #OTD It was on this day in 1833 David Douglas' luck ran out. On the Rocky Island of the Fraser river at Fort George Canyon, Douglas's canoe was smashed into bits and Douglas himself barely escaped alive. All of Douglas's work: his specimens and all of his writings - covering the years from 1829 to 1833 - were lost to time. Before losing all of his work, in the spring of that year, Douglas had written a friend: "We can be carried into regions where we contemplate the most glorious workmanship of nature and where the dullest imagination becomes excited." Unearthed Words Here's The Rose Treeby William Butler he who was born on this day in 1865. 'O words are lightly spoken,' Said Pearse to Connolly, 'Maybe a breath of politic words Has withered our Rose Tree; Or maybe but a wind that blows Across the bitter sea.' 'It needs to be but watered,' James Connolly replied, 'To make the green come out again And spread on every side, And shake the blossom from the bud To be the garden's pride.' 'But where can we draw water,' Said Pearse to Connolly, 'When all the wells are parched away? O plain as plain can be There's nothing but our own red blood Can make a right Rose Tree.' Here's a sweet diary entry for today by Canadian Naturalist Charles Joseph Sauriol ("Sar-ee-all") who wrote these words on this day in 1938. "A beautiful June day. The kind of day which has made June's reputation…. Tonight I finished my flower beds entirely…. How pleasant it is to water from a hose, when one has known the effort of hauling water pail by pail." Today's book recommendation: The Flower Fix: Modern arrangements for a daily dose of nature by Anna Potter (Author), India Hobson (Photographer) The Flower Fix was a new book out in May of this year. Potter arranges easy to find seasonal blooms, along with found items such as twigs and dried fruit. And, she uses all kinds of containers. Potter is a florist at Swallows and Damsons. You can get your daily flower fix with her inspiring arrangements. Today's Garden Chore Sow Love-in-a-Mist or Nigella in your garden. It's one of my favorite flowers and I know I'm not alone; it is such a romantic blossom. It's a member of the Buttercup family. Although it comes in white and pink and lavender most gardeners are blown away by the blue version of love of Love-in-a-Mist. It's a favorite with pollinators and it's self-seeding - which, if you're lucky, will bring you more love in the mist through the years. Something Sweet Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart It was on this day in 1831 that the scientist James clerk Maxwell was born. Maxwell is remembered for his formulation of the classical theory of electromagnetic radiation. In 1922 but Albert Einstein visited the University of Cambridge his host announced that he is done great things because he stood on Isaac Newton shoulders. Einstein replied "No, I don't. I stand on the shoulders of Maxwell." In 1879 Maxwell wrote a letter to his friend William Thompson. It's a letter gardeners can delight in: Peacocks as Gardeners. We got our original stock from Mrs McCunn, Ardhallow. At that time (1860), the garden there was the finest on the coast and the peacocks sat on the parapets & banks near the house. Mr. McCunn was very fond of his garden and very particular about it, but he also cared for his peacocks... Whenever he went out, he had bits of bread and such for them. Mrs. Maxwell (my wife) always gets the peacocks to choose the gardener and they have chosen one who has now been seven years with us. The peacocks will eat the young cabbages, but the gardener tells them to go... They find it pleasanter to be about the house and to sit on either side of the front door. Mrs Maxwell will not send them unless on consideration they would be acceptable. Thanks for listening to the daily gardener, and remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."

Fragrance in the garden... The most fragrant blossoms include:

• Cheddar pinks (a member of the carnation family)
• Lavender
• Peony
• Gardenia
• Honeysuckle
• Hyacinth
• Lilac
• Mock Orange
• Daphne
• Bee balm

Brevities #OTD On this day, in 1805, Meriwether Lewis was just one day away from reaching the Great Falls of Missouri. He wrote his own brief description of a species that was previously unknown to science. He wrote, "The narrow leafed cottonwood grows here in common with the other species of the same tree with a broad leaf." Wonder if he saw all the cottonwood seeds floating through the air... #OTD It was a little over 200 years ago today, in 1817, that a forest ranger, named Karl Freiherr von Drais,invented the first bicycle. #OTD And it's the anniversary of the death day of Edward Newman who was an English entomologist, botanist, and writer. Newman wrote, An Illustrated Natural History of the British MothsIn 1869. He also enjoyed writing poetry. Just as the butterfly, child of an hour, Flutters about in the light of the sun, Wandering wayward from flower to flower, Sipping the honey from all, one by one; So does the fanciful verse I've created Love amongst the experts in Science to roam, Drinking their spirit without being sated, Bringing the sweets of their intellect home. #OTD It was on this day, in 1948, that the Michigan Botanical Club adopted its name. It wasn't agreed upon very easily. The Board of Directors and the executive committee couldn't agree. They decided to hold a vote. The choices included:

1. The Michigan Association for Native Plants Protection
2. The Michigan Wildflower Association
3. The Michigan Native Plant Society
4. The Michigan Botanical Club

Although the rest of the state voted unanimously for the Michigan Botanical Club, the strong-willed southeastern chapter had taken a poll and they wanted the name The Michigan Wildflower Association. The matter was finally settled when the general membership voted. It's been The Michigan Botanical Club ever since. #OTD And it was on this day in 1918 that the botanist Frank Nicholas Meyer was buried in Shanghai. Six days later, his family, back home in the Netherlands, learned of his death. At the beginning of June, Meyer had traveled to Shanghai by way of Japanese riverboat on the Yangtze River. He was last seen leaving his cabin on the evening of June 1; then he simply disappeared. His body was found in the river four days later. Meyer was just 43 years old when he either fell over board or was murdered. In either case, his legacy continues; not only in the plants he introduced (like the Meyer Lemon), but also, in the magnificent photographs that he took in China. Unearthed Words Here are some short sayings about June: "If a June night could talk, it would probably boast it invented romance." - Bern Williams "Spring being a tough act to follow, God created June." - Al Bernstein "What is one to say about June, the time of perfect young summer, the fulfillment of the promise of the earlier months, and with as yet no sign to remind one that its fresh young beauty will ever fade." - Gertrude Jekyll, On Gardening "June is bustin' out all over." - Oscar Hammerstein II, 1945 Today's book recommendation: Sex, Botany, and Empire: The Story of Carl Linnaeus and Joseph Banks by Patricia Fara Fara said, "Banks provided a marvelous illustration of how science and the British Empire grew rich and powerful together." Fara reveals how Enlightenment botany, under the veil of rationality, manifested a drive to conquer, subdue, and deflower―all in the name of British empire. Linnaeus trained his traveling disciples in a double mission―to bring back specimens for the benefit of the Swedish economy and to spread the gospel of Linnaean taxonomy. Based in London at the hub of an international exchange and correspondence network, Banks ensured that Linnaeus's ideas became established throughout the world. As the president of the Royal Society for more than forty years, Banks revolutionized British science, and his innovations placed science at the heart of trade and politics. He made it a policy to collect and control resources not only for the sake of knowledge but also for the advancement of the empire. Although Linnaeus is often celebrated as modern botany's true founder, Banks has had a greater long-term impact. It was Banks who ensured that science and imperialism flourished together, and it was he who first forged the interdependent relationship between scientific inquiry and the state that endures to this day. Today's Garden Chore Add perlite to your soil. Get a big bag of perlite like this oneand add it to the soil in your containers. Seasoned gardeners swear by perlite. If you want soilthat has good aeration, water retention and drainage, try adding,the mineral, perlite. A naturally occurring mineral, perlite has a neutral pH level; so it won't change the soil in that way. It's incredibly porous and it contains little pockets of space inside for air. It can also retain some amount of water while allowing excess to drain away. (I get huge bag of perlite every year from Amazon. I'll put a link to that in today's show notes.) Something Sweet Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart On this day in 2016, the Shady Acres Herb Farm closed in Chaska Minnesota after 39 years. Shady Acres was the placeto go for plants and herbs for almost 4 decades. Shady Acres was owned and operated by Theresa and Jim Mieseler since the mid 70s. Theresa has started out with the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. She been put in charge of the herb garden she recalled telling her boss, "I don't know what an herb is..." Seven years later, Jim and Theresa started Shady Acres Herb Farm with seedlings grown in Dixie cups in their basement. Over time, they cultivated and sold over 600 varieties of culinary herbs and vegetables. Since the closing of their farm, Shady Acres has been moving in a different direction. They're now committed to teaching others about growing plants and they do that in their monthly newsletter. You can check out their website at Shadyacres.com Thanks for listening to the daily gardener, and remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."