The Daily Gardener

Have you ever used a knife as a garden tool? Serrated knives are my favorite. The word serrated has latin origins meaning "saw shaped"; think of the serrated edges of Maple leaves. If you are a thrift shopper, at Goodwill, they keep most of the donated knifes in a case at the front of the store. You can just ask to see if they have any serrated knives - they are so handy in the garden for weeding and working with difficult spaces like between pavers or even just wearing out the root systems of weeds through continuous chopping above ground. Brevities #OTD Today is National Pick Strawberries Day Last year, instead of annual hanging baskets, I installed hanging strawberry baskets over my herb garden. They turned out great and it was fun to harvest (and eat) strawberries as I worked in the garden. There is undeniably something extra special about the taste of a sun-warmed strawberry picked straight off of the vine. Between me and my student gardeners, there weren't many strawberries left to bring in the house. Still, it was a fun alternative to an annual basket and I think I'll do it again this year. Strawberries are members of the rose family and they are unique in that their seeds are on the outside of the fruit. In the late 18th century, the first strawberries were grown in France. It's sweet to read early newspaper accounts of strawberries during the 1800s. In 1843 the New York daily Herald announced that the first strawberries went to Pattinson's on the corner of Ann and Nausau, and they reported that they were as red as the last day. It also noted that strawberries were selling in Baltimore at $.03-$.06 a quart for the best; While green peas were abundant - selling for two shillings a peck. Twenty years later, the first strawberries were announced in this adorable newspaper account out of Columbus Ohio - from the Daily Ohio Statesman, on May 27, 1864. Here's what it said: "The first strawberries of the season were visible to the naked eye and Charlie Wagner's show window yesterday– a window, by the way, in which everything new in the fruit line is always first seen in Columbus." Finally, news of the first strawberries of the season were shared with excitement in the 1800s and the early part of the 1900s. In an article in The Woodstock Mercuryout of Woodstock ,Vermont on July 27, 1854, strawberries made the list of a notable firsts that bring joy to life: "First things are good or bad, as it may happen or as you take them. The first shad or the sleighing, the first strawberries or first child, the first kiss of love or first pair of whiskers, these may be ranged among the primordial delights." #OTD On this day in 1902, America lost one of its most prominent horticulturalists – Horatio Hollis Hunnewell. Hunnewell was staggeringly wealthy. He was a railroad financier. But he also had a lifelong love of nature and gardening. When Hunnewell purchased over 40 acres of land along the eastern and southern shores of Lake Waban ("Wah-bin"), he built a magnificent estate there. He had married Isabella Pratt Wells and he decided to call his impressive home Wellesley in honor of his wife's maiden name Wells. When it came time for the nearby town and college to settle on a name, they also selected the name Wellesley after conferring with Hunnewell who was the most generous benefactor of the town. The Hunnewell estate was so large, that when the Hunnewell children grew up, seven of the nine had homes built on the property - right next to their parents original home. Aside from the impressive homes, Hunnewell added many magnificent features to the estate including a pinetum with over 325 specimen to conifers. Hollis Honeywell made the following remark in 1899 In reference to his trees,"No Vanderbilt, with all his great wealth, can possess one of these for the next 50 years, for could not be grown in less time than that." And, Hunnewell also installed the very first topiary Garden in America at Wellesley. He referred to it as the Italian Garden and it was ideally situated along the shore of Lake Waban. When it came to the Topiary Garden, Hunnewell went all out. Whenever he had guests, Hunnewell would have them hop aboard a large authentic Italian Gondola boat complete with an authentically dressed gondola man. After they would glide up to the Topiary Gardens, they would stop to take a tour. Hunnewell's shores rivaled that of Lake Como in northern Italy. It's difficult to fathom how much attention this one-of-a-kind garden received from the public. Thousands of visitors from all over the country came to Wellesley just to see the topiary garden firsthand. Many more took in its beauty through photographs and engravings published in the most popular periodicals of the time. To this day — a century and a half later — the Hunnewell topiary garden is among the most spectacular sites in the region. There are a few notable tidbits related to Honeywell that bear mention. The first is that Hunnewell and his friend Nathaniel Thayer Jr. are credited with bringing the game of tennis to America. The second Is that Honeywell was the first person to cultivate and popularize rhododendrons In the United States. #OTD On this day in 1913, the first Chelsea Flower Show was held in Chelsea General Hospital. Originally called the Royal Horticultural Society's Great Spring Show, it was first held in 1862, at the RHS garden in Kensington. #OTD On this day in 2003, garden designer Paul Martin won a silver medal at London's Chelsea Flower Show. His garden was called 'Lazy Salad Days'.Martin featured 25 varieties of salad plants in a five by four-and-a-half metre garden space, which also incorporated two tasteful wooden-slatted loungers. Martin beat 11 other competitors to get the silver medal and was the only Irish exhibitor at Chelsea that year. Unearthed Words : Song on May Morning by John Milton, 1608 - 1674 Now the bright morning-star, Day's harbinger, Comes dancing from the East, and leads with her The flowery May, who from her green lap throws The yellow cowslip and the pale primrose. Hail, bounteous May, that dost inspire Mirth, and youth, and warm desire! Woods and groves are of thy dressing; Hill and dale doth boast thy blessing. Thus we salute thee with our early song, And welcome thee, and wish thee long. Today's book recommendation: Wild Fruits: Thoreau's Rediscovered Last Manuscript Hardcover by Henry David Thoreau and edited by Bradley P. Dean Thoreau's Walden (1854) is regarded both as a masterpiece of American prose and as a forerunner of modern environmentalism. Its author spent much of the 1850s learning what botany could teach him about the New England woods he chronicled. Thoreau brought that knowledge to bear on this sometimes very beautiful essay about plants, fruits and nuts, left incomplete at his death in 1862 and here printed for the first time. Thoreau's Walden (1854) is regarded both as a masterpiece of American prose and as a forerunner of modern environmentalism. Its author spent much of the 1850s learning what botany could teach him about the New England woods he chronicled. Thoreau brought that knowledge to bear on this sometimes very beautiful essay about plants, fruits and nuts, left incomplete at his death in 1862 and here printed for the first time. Thoreau's brief preface to Wild Fruits begins where Walden left off: ""What are all the oranges imported into England to the hips and haws in her hedges?" This book is arranged by fruit: beginning with elm-fruit (""most mistake the fruit before it falls for leaves, and we owe to it the first deepening of the shadows in our streets""), and proceeds through several dozen entries to sassafras, skunk cabbage, strawberries, cranberries, juniper berries and, finally, "winter fruits." Today's Garden Chore If you don't know where to start, focus on the edges of your garden. Tidying up the edges is a quick way to get an instant, positive, cleaned-up look to the garden. Once the edges are addressed, you can begin to move back into the beds where your work may not be as noticeable but it is just as important. Something Sweet Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart In the Spring of 1848, botanist Ludwig Leichhardt and a small group of explorers began what was to be a two to three year expedition across Australia. Shortly thereafter, the entire party vanished with barely a trace. Known as the 'Prince of Explorers', Leichhardt was 35 when he was lost to time. Two years before his death, on this day in 1846, Leichhardt wrote a letter to his botanist contact and friend M. Durando, of Paris. Leichhardt's letter conveys the extreme difficulties and dangers faced by the early plant explorers. He wrote, "My dear friend, You have, no doubt, noticed and regretted my long silence. There was no post to bring me your letters in the wilderness of Australia, through which I was endeavoring to penetrate in a North West direction, nor to carry those epistles which I should have enjoyed to address to you. Thank God, my efforts have met with success, and I was preserved in the hours of danger... You may easily suppose that I lost no opportunity of making botanical collections... But you must bear this in mind, my good friend, ... it was not my lot to travel all at my ease... On the contrary, I was compelled to do everything; I was alike leader of the party and bullock driver, and I had to load and unload three beasts of burthen, often several times in the day. All the cares of such a position were laid upon me ; mine were the anxieties during the hour of difficulty and peril. To arrange our camp, deal out provision, kill the bullocks, and mend the harness, to compile the log and day-book of our route, to determine the latitude and longitude, and to keep nightly watch, all these various and ever-recurring occupations devolved upon me. .... Gladly would I have made drawings of my plants, and noted fully all particulars of the different species which I saw ; and how valuable would such memoranda have been... [as] four of my pack-horses having been drowned. Botanical and geological specimens thus abandoned—how disappointing! From four to five thousand plants were thus sacrificed... I hope my next expedition will be a famous one for botany... Oh, that my friend Durando could accompany me! When I come home, I trust to be laden like a bee ; for the northwest is the district in which to look for a remarkable Flora, where the Australian types are blended with those of India... I hear that Humboldt has at length published his Cosmos, but I have not seen the book. You perceive that I use the English language for my letter ; the long period of bush-life has rendered my French very rusty; but when I return from my next trip, I trust to regain my fluency in that noble language. My journal of the journey to Port Essington is now in hand, and will be completed, I expect, in eight weeks more. Ludwig Leickhardt Thanks for listening to the daily gardener, and remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."

Are you feeling it yet? The urge to get going in the garden? I was reading a book from 1915 about spring, it started this way, "If you are not dead, you will feel the sap start within you..." Everyone comes to the garden in their own time. If you're not yet ready to put your pots together or take on gardening the way you did last year, that's completely fine. Sometimes the seasons of our lives, don't align with the seasons of the year. In seasons of loss or grief or depression, we can lose time. We can be out of sync. If that is happening to you this season, please know it is ok to take a break. Instead, enjoy the beauty around you in ways that feel right to you... until you feel the sap start within you again... Brevities #OTD Today in 1510, Italian Renaissance master Sandro Botticelli died. His painting Allegory of Abundance or Autumn is one of his most elaborate and detailed drawings and it depicts an abundance of flowers and fruits. #OTD Today in 1874, the horticultural hornet, George Glenny died. He was 83 years old. Glenny was an opinionated gardener. Known for his sharp tongue and difficult personality, he was called the horticultural hornet by Will Tjaden. He was critical of John Claudius Loudon, Joseph Paxton, and Joseph Harrison. And yet, he was benevolent; assisting the efforts of numerous charities and causes during his time; including the Duke of York Column in London. Glenny started the Horticultural Journal, which was followed in 1837 with the first garden newspaper, The Gardeners' Gazette. These early accomplishments brought Glenny much satisfaction; he knew his work was taken to heart by his readers and his suggestions were being acted upon. As the editor of his paper wrote, "There will be few to deny that his vigorous pen has contributed as much as, that of any single writer to the great and ever-increasing popularity of gardening amongst the people." Through it all, Glenny was a devoted garden writer; sharing his knowledge of gardening with the people, week in and week out, through the very first gardening column and through numerous other articles and writings. His books were affordable; anyone could buy them - and they did. During the Victorian age Glenny was an active contributor to garden literature. No doubt Glenny's advice was swirling about in the heads of many new gardeners. #OTD Today in 1934, The Times Herald out of Port Huron Michigan, shared quite the article about Plant Exploration. With the onset of commencement season, The USDA Would receive an annual batch of letters asking about "agricultural exploring as a career, what the job Is, how to qualify, and what the future prospect are". The article shared that answers to those questions would be spelled out this way: "Knowles A. Ryerson, formerly in charge of the plant exploration before his promotion to Chief of the Bureau of Plant Industry, recognizes such ambition as the natural outcropping of adventurous spirits, and he sympathizes with the boy whose mind is turning that way. An agricultural explorer has to be a natural plant lover and must have studied botany and other plant subjects, and must have worked with plants in the field and garden. In addition, he must have a good general education as well as sound technical knowledge. He must have certain other Indispensable qualities - robust health and a good sense of humor. He must not only stand hard traveling in rugged countries day after day, but must be able to go to bed on an empty stomach after a trying day's work and sleep on a rough box without feeling abused. "I see no Indication that plant exploration will become unnecessary, but every indication that the requirements for plant exploration will continue to become even more exacting. I would not want to discourage any boy from the effort, but there is no denying that it would-be Plant Hunter has a man-sized job ahead of him if he is to prepare himself to qualify for one of the relatively few openings." #OTD Today is the birthday of Bernadette Cozart born in 1949. Cozart was a professional gardener and urban gardening advocate. She founded the greening of Harlem coalition in 1989. Her efforts transformed Harlem, bringing flower gardens and green spaces. It was Bernadette Cozart who said, "Instead of taking children on field trips to see farms and gardens, why not bring nature into the community? I don't think it's fair that they should have to go outside the community to have that experience of seeing things grow." #OTD Today in Lafayette Colorado, the Colorado School of Clinical Herbalism starts their Rocky Mountain Field Botany Certificate Course. Designed to provide a thorough introduction to field botany, positive plant identification, wild-crafting ethics, and Sustainable harvesting and preservation techniques, this year they will have an additional focus on wild edible plants. #OTD Today in New Zealand, there is a one-day interactive workshop open to anyone interested in learning more about the concept of market gardening, creating one for personal food production, or setting one up as a business. The workshop is sponsored by the Green Cauldron Farm and presented by a range of industry experts including internationally renowned bio-intensive gardening educator and restoration grazing consultant Jodi Roebuck from Roebuck Farm. This is a unique opportunity to hear and learn from industry leaders about how to start and operate a successful market garden, with the workshop conducted on the 105-acre Green Cauldron Farm, set in the beautiful Tyalgum ("Tal-gum") hills just one hour from the Gold Coast and nestled in the shadow of Mt Warning. The brainchild of Katie and James Geralds, the farm was established as a research and development hub to realise their goal of innovative and sustainable use of harvests from around the region. It already produces a range of fresh produce supplied to some of the best-known restaurants in South East Queensland and a range of pantry preserves highlighting Australian native ingredients. Unearthed Words: May and the Poets by James Henry Leigh Hunt A poem naming a handful of the poets to have written about Maytime There is May in books forever; May will part from Spenser never; May's in Milton, May's in Prior, May's in Chaucer, Thomson, Dyer; May's in all the Italian books:— She has old and modern nooks, Where she sleeps with nymphs and elves, In happy places they call shelves, And will rise and dress your rooms With a drapery thick with blooms. Come, ye rains, then if ye will, May's at home, and with me still; But come rather, thou, good weather, And find us in the fields together. Today's book recommendation: "The Golden Circle" (1977) by Hal Borland This is a book of writings for children, arranged by months of the year. I love these month-by-month books. The drawings in this book are outstanding. Mr. Borland won the John Burroughs Medal, considered the country's highest award for nature writing, in 1968. Two of his books, "Sundial of the Seasons" (1964) and "An American Year" (1973), are collections of his editorials. His other books include "A Place to Begin: The New England Experience" (1976). Today's Garden Chore It's another Photo Friday in the Garden. Today take pictures of all the trees in your garden. Trees provide your garden with tremendous structure and a ceiling - making your space seem more intimate. Something Sweet Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart After researching George Glenny, I came across his obituary which appeared in Lloyd's weekly newspaper ten days after his passing. It talked about how for 25 years, Mr. Glenny's Garden article had faithfully appeared in the paper. In fact, he had sent his last column to the editor only a day or two before his death. Glenny had titled his article "A Few Words For Myself". But, then, he must've had a change of heart because he had crossed that out. Whatever new title he thought would be better never made it onto the page. His readers no doubt were moved by his recollections - especially since they them with the knowledge that Glenny was gone. Here's what he wrote about his life: "Sixty-seven years ago I had a very fine collection of auriculas and of twenty rows of tulips, and visited several good amateur cultivators, from whom I received great encouragement and occasionally presents of flowers and plants. I cultivated my stock at Hackney. I was soon old enough to attend floral meetings, and there were plenty of them at Bethnal-green, Hoxton, Islington, Hackney, and other suburban localities. And from observation of the doings of the most successful amateurs I had become a very successful grower of the auricula, the tulip, ranunculus, polyanthus, and other florists' flowers. I had learned something from everybody and took many prizes. I then, at the earnest request of some real friends of floriculture, wrote treatises upon all the flowers I had cultivated, and they were all founded on my own practice." Thanks for listening to the daily gardener, and remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."

Do you know what to look for on a plant tag? The first major thing I look at is growing zone. Often the plant tag will give a range for the growing zone like 5-9 or 3-7. This is why knowing your growing zone is key. If you don't know, you just need to ask someone at the garden center -they should know what growing zone you are in. Now, as an experienced gardener, let me tell you what happens to me a few times every summer. I see a plant at my garden center. I fall in love with it. I look at the tag and whaddya know - it's not for my zone. So, I put it back. If it's not for my zone, it will not be able to handle the winter temperatures here. I really don't like it when garden centers pass these plants off to unsuspecting gardeners. We've all done this - bought a plant that won't survive over winter because we forgot to check the tag. Sometimes, when I do catch a plant that is being sold that is not for my zone, I channel my inner gingerbread man - "ha ha ha- you can't catch me!" So know your zone... and check those plant tags for growing zones. Brevities #OTD It's the birthday of Luigi Fenaroli born today in 1899. Fenaroli Is known for his book Flora of the Alps and Other Mountains, as well as his work on chestnut varieties. #OTD On this day in 1901 The botanist Charles Theodore Mohr wrote a letter expressing his relief at completing his major work – a book called Plant Life of Alabama. "With the completion of this life work, a big weight has been lifted off my shoulders and I feel free to take on other tasks. As long as there is work, I will go to Tuscaloosa to the Herbarium which I helped start 20 years ago. Completing my work on the herbarium is my botanical goal for the remainder of my life." Mohr wrote those words two months before his death. At the time his book was published he was seventy seven years old. Mohr spent decades gathering the information and plant specimens for his work. He was a trained pharmacist and one of Alabama's first botanists. Born in Germany and educated in Stuttgart, 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. 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). 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 If you're in Winnipeg today between 11:30 and 12:30 you should head down to the University of Winnipeg and grab yourself some free seedlings as part of the 4th annual biology department plant giveaway. The fruiting and flowering plants have been cared for and grown by students in the biology department. Some of the plants you can expect to find at the giveaway: -tomatoes -cucumbers -nasturtiums -sunflowers Unearthed Words Here's a poem called May from the lyrical poet, Sara Teasdale "The wind is tossing the lilacs, The new leaves laugh in the sun, And the petals fall on the orchard wall, But for me the spring is done. Beneath the apple blossoms I go a wintry way, For love that smiled in April Is false to me in May." Today's book recommendation: Wild at Home: How to style and care for beautiful plants by Hilton Carter Make your home a healthier and more beautiful place to be with Hilton Carter's inspirational ideas. "Hilton Carter's love for plants is infectious... His lush and exuberant displays are inspiring reminders that plants can be so much more than neat little containers on a window sill." Carter is a plant stylist. Take a tour through Hilton's own apartment and other lush spaces, filled with a huge array of thriving plants, and learn all you need to know to create your own urban jungle. As the owner of over 200 plants, Hilton feels strongly about the role of plants in one's home—not just for the beauty they add, but for health benefits as well: 'having plants in your home not only adds life, but changes the airflow throughout. It's also a key design element when styling your place. "For me, it wasn't about just having greenery, but having the right variety of greenery. I like to see the different textures of foliage all grouped together. You take a fiddle leaf fig and sandwich it between a birds of paradise and a monstera and…. yes!' You will be armed with the know-how you need to care for your plants, where to place them, how to propagate, how to find the right pot, and much more, and most importantly, how to arrange them so that they look their best. Combine sizes and leaf shapes to stunning effect, grow your own succulents from leaf cuttings, create your own air plant display, and more. Currently Hilton has over 300 plants in his home and studio, creating what many would call an urban jungle. Today's Garden Chore: Plant some fall bloomers in the back of your border. Think Asters, sedums, sunflowers, zinnias and so forth. Fall bloomers can be tall and leggy. They often benefit from growing up through a cage or being staked. If you place them at the back of the garden, the shorter plants in the front can help support it and hide the late-bloomer and it's supports until it is ready to shine. Something Sweet Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart #OTD It's the anniversary of The Floral Emblem selection for the state of Kentucky; they selected the Goldenrod in 1926. It had been the Bluegrass but Kentucky gardening clubs felt it wasn't representative of the whole state. Alabama and Nebraska also picked the native goldenrod to be the State Flower. Goldenrod has a lot of haters; many people confuse it for ragweed. I hate to even say that - because I think that makes people think they must look similar. That's just not true. Yet, once you see them individually - you could never confuse them. Ragweed's flowers are green and not eye-catching while goldenrod's are golden and very pretty. I saw an infographic a few years ago that said, "Goldenrod Warning: if I'm here, so is ragweed. Stay indoors! Achoo!" This would be the same as saying, The black eyed-susans are blooming. So is ragweed. The Joe Pye Weed is blooming. So is ragweed. So are all the late summer bloomers - echinacea, Helenium, oriental lily, asters, balloon flowers, sedums, tickseed, autumn crocus, japanese anemones, blue mist shrub, hydrangeas, the list goes on and on. The genus name Solidago is taken from the Latin "in solidum ago vulnera" and meaning to "I make wounds whole." Native Americans and Herbalists recognize the curative power of goldenrod. It's an early autumn bloomer goldenrod is an important food source for honey bees and it is a fantastic cut flower. Botanical painter Anne Ophelia Todd Dowden who painted the goldenrod with minute detail said, "Abundant it may be, but repugnant it is not." Thanks for listening to the daily gardener, and remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."

Plant height is one of the factors often indicated on plant tags. But mature height often takes ten years - especially if you're talking about trees and shrubs. Most plants benefit from some amount of pruning - in which case their height can be controlled. BTW, Bamboo is the fastest growing plant on the planet. It can grow 3 feet in just 24 hours. Brevities #OTD President Abraham Lincoln created the U.S. Department of Agriculture today in 1862. When Lincoln signed the bill, he was bombarded with advice about who should be the first Commissioner of Agriculture. Perhaps he should choose the editor of a Farm magazine? Perhaps a scientist would be best? Maybe a simple pragmatist? A man named Isaac Newton - a direct descendant of Sir Isaac Newton - got the job. Newton was born in Burlington County, New Jersey on March 31, 1800. He had set up an impeccable farm in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, near Philadelphia. Newton's farm was a model for others; efficient, orderly; and productive. After advocating for farmers for over two decades, Newton was picked to be the chief of the agricultural section of the Patent Office. A master relationship builder; every week Newton sent butter from his dairy farm to the White House. It wasn't long before Newton, and his entire family became friends with the Lincolns. That's why when it came time for Lincoln to make the appointment for commissioner of the USDA, Newton had a firm lock on the job in Lincoln's mind. When he was appointed, Isaac Newton, quoted Jonathan Swift saying, "It should be the aim of every young farmer to do not only as well as his father, but to do his best: to make two blades of grass grow where but only one grew before." Newton brought the same high standards and efficiency he had cultivated for his farm to the USDA. Three years after his appointment, on the evening of April 15, 1865, around 10:30 PM, it was Isaac Newton who had rushed over to the White House, and informed the doorkeeper, Thomas Pendall, that President Lincoln had been shot. In his account of the incident, the doorkeeper said Newton was a bosom friend the president. Sadly, Newton experienced a severe case of sunstroke while surveying the experimental farm in Washington, D.C. The incident debilitated him for a year before he passed a way. He died in office at the age of 67 in 1867 after serving for four years. #OTD On this day, Governor David B. Hill signed a law creating the Adirondack and Catskill Forest Preserve; ensuring the land "be forever kept as wild forest lands." The previous year, Charles Sprague Sargent had been appointed to lead a three-member committee to investigate the Adirondack wilderness. Thanks to the Sargent commission, the area was preserved and Sargent's team created two historically important maps of the Adirondacks. On the 1890 map, Forest areas were outlined in red and the park was outlined in blue. Today, the "blue line" is a term used to mean boundaries of the Adirondack and Catskill Parks. And, if you get a chance to check out the original map, you'll see that the blue ink has turned almost black -after a century of aging. The park land around the Adirondack and Catskill has expanded over the years. Today, the two parks combined comprise more than 6,000,000 acres; larger than Yellowstone, Yosemite, Glacier, Grand Canyon, and Great Smoky Mountains National Parks combined. #OTD An article called "The Prettiest Wild Flowers." by Ettie C. Alexander was featured in the San Francisco Call, May 15, 1898. In the article, Ettie shared her magnificent experiences collecting wildflowers around San Francisco before the turn-of-the-century. In the span of a decade, Ettie had noticed a remarkable decline in the quantity and quality wildflowers in the area. Here's her comment about the California Cream Cups - an Annual herb in the poppy family found mainly in California. She said, "Nine years ago, cream cups grew in great profusion all around San Francisco. The most beautiful ones that I have ever seen were near Holy Cross Cemetery. I have picked dozens of them in former years as large as a dollar. But now you can scarcely find a plant, and the blossoms are small and of an inferior quality. A great many other varieties of flowers that once were plentiful have disappeared entirely." In the article, it said that Alexander's wildflower collection was the best in the state of California. And Alexander, had teamed up with a chemist; and had worked to refine a process – a preservative – that would help the wild flowers retain their fresh-picked, original color. Alexander's process worked remarkably well. Yet, sadly she never disclosed her formula to the public. Two side comments about Alexander are worth sharing;: First, Alexander was never able to find a process to preserve the brilliant color of the poppy for more than two years. Second, in all of her works she's known simply as E C Alexander. I had to do a great deal of sleuthing just to discover that her first name was Ettie. Unfortunately, there's next to nothing written about her. It seems, for now, the rest of her story is lost to the ages. #OTD Today, the New Orleans Museum of Art will unveil its 6.5-acre Sculpture Gardenexpansion. The beloved Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden has earned awards from both the American Society of Landscape Architects, as well as the American Institute of Architects. It's home to dozens of primarily 19th and 20th century sculptures from around the world, valued at more than $25 Million. The new expansion includes an installation of 26 new pieces of art, 65 new trees, 475 shrubs, 1.7 acres of groundcovers, 1.13 acres of open lawn, and 9.35 acres of aquatic planting; as well as the creation of an indoor sculpture pavilion and an outdoor amphitheater with beautiful, grass-stepped seating. Sounds amazing! Unearthed Words The world lost the poet Emily Dickinson on this day in 1886. Every year, the Emily Dickinson Museum in Amherst hosts A poetry walk to mark the anniversary of the poets death. This year the walk takes place on Saturday, May 18 From 10:30 AM to 12 PM. The walk begins on the homestead lawn and proceeds through Amherst - stopping at Important historical sites that were significant to Dickinson. The walk ends at her grave in West Cemetery. At the cemetery, you can join in the traditional light hearted lemonade toast to the poet and also read a favorite Dickinson poem or memory of Emily Dickinson. Here's one of Emily's poems - we'll take a second to toast her... Perhaps you'd like to buy a flower? But I could never sell. If you would like to borrow Until the daffodil Unties her yellow bonnet Beneath the village door, Until the bees, from clover rows Their hock and sherry draw, Why, I will lend until just then, But not an hour more! Emily grew up gardening. She would help her mother with their large edible and ornamental garden. The flower garden became Emilys responsibility when she got older. She planted in a carefree cottage garden style. After Emily died, her sister Lavinia took over the garden. Emily's niece and editor Martha Dickinson Bianchi recalls: "All [Lavinia's] flowers did as they liked: tyrannized over her, hopped out of their own beds and into each other's beds, were never reproved or removed as long as they bloomed; for a live flower to Aunt Lavinia was more than any dead horticultural principle." Today's book recommendation: Ina Coolbrith: The Bittersweet Song of California's First Poet Laureate by Aleta George I discovered Ina Coolbrith when I was researching Ettie Alexander. Ettie's book on wildflowers included some poems by Coolbrith. Coolbrith was the niece of THE Joseph Smith of the Mormon Church. She became California's poet laureate. In post-Gold Rush San Francisco, she was known as the pearl of her tribe, a tribe that included Bret Harte, Mark Twain, and John Muir. Jack London and Isadora Duncan considered her their literary godmother, and John Greenleaf Whittier knew more of her poems by heart than she did his. Today's Garden Chore : Top-dress your raised beds with a couple inches of organic compost. After a season of rest, I start planting season off by adding nutrients back into my beds where I grow my edibles. When I harvest my spring crops, I'll add even more compost to keep the soil nutrient rich throughout the summer. Something Sweet Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart #OTD Today in 1869 Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton founded the National Woman Suffrage Association in New York. As part of her rhetoric to fight for the right to vote, Elizabeth Cady Staton used the metaphor of the original garden when she said, "Eve tasted the apple in the Garden of Eden in order to slake that intense thirst for knowledge that the simple pleasure of picking flowers and talking to Adam could not satisfy." Thanks for listening to the daily gardener, and remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."

Most gardeners share a common secret: they never feel like they know enough about gardening to call themselves an expert. If you feel this way after years of gardening, you're not alone. Over two centuries ago, Thomas Jefferson sent a letter to his friend, the painter Charles Wilson Peale. He's lamenting the limitations of his garden at Monticello. He concludes with one of my favorite garden quotes of all time: "But tho, an old man, I am but a young gardener." Brevities #OTD It's the birthday of Mary Delany Born today in 1700. Mary Delany led an extraordinary life. The family had forced her to marry a very old man when she was 17. He was an alcoholic. To make matters worse, when he died, he forgot to include her in his will. Despite her lack of inheritance, Mary realized that, as a widow, she had much more freedom than she had as a single young lady. In society, she could do as she pleased. Love came knocking on her door in June 1743 when she married a doctor named Patrick Delany - an Irish clergyman. Her family wasn't thrilled with the idea of her getting married again. But, Delaney did it anyway. She and Patrick moved to Dublin where Delaney had a home. They both shared a love for gardening. When Patrick died, Mary was widowed again; this time at the age of 68. But Mary's life was not over. She hit it off with Margaret Bentinck. Bentinck was the Duchess of Portland, and together they pursued botanical activities. They loved to go out into the fields and collect specimens. It was thanks to the Duchess that Mary got to know Joseph Banks and Daniel Solander. When Mary was in her early 70s, she took up decoupage - which was all the rage at the time - and she created marvelous depictions of flowers. Today, historians believe Mary probably dissected plants in order to create her art. Botanists from all over Europe would send her specimens. King George the Third and Queen Charlotte were her patrons. They ordered any curious or beautiful plant to be sent to Delaney when in blossom so she could use them to create her art. Her paper mosaics, as she called them, were made out of tissue paper. She created almost 1000 pieces of art between the ages of 71 and 88. If you ever see any of her most spectacular decoupage pieces, you'll be blown away at the thought of them being made from tiny pieces of tissue paper by Mary Delany in the twilight of her life in the late 1700s. #OTD Today in 1796 Edward Jenner injected his gardener's son with cowpox. The boy's name was James Phipps. James was eight years old. Jenner injected him with fluid from a cowpox blister from a milkmaid named Sarah Nelmes and she had contracted cowpox from a cow named Blossom. In the late 1700s, people thought the folks who took care of cows and had been infected with cowpox, would then not be able to catch smallpox. What Edward Jenner essentially did was to vaccinate James against smallpox. The word vaccinate is from the Latin word for cow. #OTD It's the birthday of John Alexander Montgomery Cushnie, born today in 1943. Cushnie was a landscape designer, writer, and broadcaster. He was a tall, good-looking Irishman. Listeners were often surprised to see how handsome he was after just listening to his voice on the radio for so many years. Cushnie became a household name in England once he became a regular panelist on the show gardeners question time for 15 years. Cushnie was 66 years old when he appeared on the show for his final broadcast right before Christmas. He was enjoying his first week of retirement when it was cut short by his sudden death from a heart attack on New Year's Eve In 2009. On the show, Cushnie cultivated a wicked sense of humor. He was not a fan of poinsettias. He reacted to a discussion about dogs peeing in the garden by saying, "The dog is simply marking his territory... the only thing [the urine of] a male dog will not kill is a lamppost." When asked about lawn damage by playing children, John said let the children play, they aren't young for long. Many times, his ultimate response to a problem posed by a gardener would simply be - "just dig it up". Unearthed Words It's the birthday of Harold Glenn Borland Born today In 1900. Borland was known as the chronicler of the seasons. He went by Hal, and he was a naturalist as well as the writer. Borland wrote an editorial column in the New York Times for 35 years. His last column appeared the day before he died in 1978. He never signed his work, but everyone knew it was written by Borland. Like John Burroughs, Borland had sympathy for and simple communion with the natural world. His writings reflected his essence. Here's a sample of springtime according to Borland: "The violets will come, in their own time. That is all that was written in the sky by Friday's equinox. The sun's summons will not be answered overnight, but the answer is inevitable. The first hungry bee at the first crocus hums of June, and the first green leaf forecast cool summer shade. All is in order. Spring is the earth's commitment to the year." And here are some of Borland's most famous sayings: "No winter lasts forever; no spring skips its turn." "April is a promise that May is bound to keep" "If you would know strength and patience, welcome the company of trees." "Knowing trees, I understand the meaning of patience. Knowing grass, I can appreciate persistence." "You fight dandelions all weekend, and late Monday afternoon there they are, pert as all get out, in full and gorgeous bloom, pretty as can be, thriving as only dandelions can in the face of adversity." Today's book recommendation: Mrs. Delany: Her Life and Her Flowers by Ruth Hayden In 1980, a descendant of Mary Delany's sister Anne, Ruth Hayden, published a book on Delany's work: Mrs. Delany and Her Flower Collages, which was reissued in 2000 as Mrs. Delany: Her Life and Her Flowers (British Museum Press). Today's Garden Chore - Yesterday, we talked about herbs that grow in shade, but shade can also be used to slow down growth of some herbs and plants that grow quickly - the ones that can get away from you. Think about basil or swiss chard. I always plant these in my southern kitchen garden - but I plant a few backup containers on the east and west sides of my house. It will grow slower there; that means I can be more leisurely about harvesting there. Something Sweet Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart When I was researching Borland, I came across this little passage he wrote about Podophyllum peltatum the Mayapple. "In a painful time of my life I went often to a wooded hillside where May apples grew by the hundreds, and I thought the sourness of their fruit had symbolism for me. Instead, I was to find both love and happiness soon thereafter. So to me, [the May apple] is the mandrake, the love symbol, of the old dealers in plant restoratives." Mayapple is in the barberry family. These plants contain a toxin used to treat the plantar wart. The May apple also goes by other common names like American mandrake, wild mandrake, and ground lemon. Today, this native perennial is grown as ornamental plants for its attractive foliage and flowers which bloom in May. It bears an egg-shaped fruit whose common name is "Mayapple", "love apples" or "American mandrake." Folklore says the mandrake root is an aphrodisiac. According to Emma Darwin's diary, Charles Darwin started taking 'pod.', an extract or resin from the root of Podophyllum peltatum or Mayapple, on 24 March 1864 - probably using it for his stomach troubles since it was a purgative. But take heed—mandrake is poisonous. Thanks for listening to the daily gardener, and remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."