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All the Links: LINKTR.EE/BARBARAFAISON 2024 - Week 27 - Silence and Letting Go This episode is about silence and letting go. This year I have taken a few road trips. I have traveled for anywhere between 3 to 9 hours at a time and allowed myself to be in silence for at least an hour. I worked my way up to this over the years. I would immerse myself in silence. I would allow my thoughts to do what they do, go all over the place. It's a lovely reminder that I can't control everything. Lol. I started off with 10 to 15 minutes of silence and now I can go longer especially if I'm in the car alone. Within the last 30 days I've attended the funerals of my aunt, Rosa, and my cousin, Marlis. I am grateful I was able to ride down to Tampa with my brother, Tony and his wife, Patricia, both times. Sitting in the backseat very comfortably, I might add; I crocheted, read, listened to podcasts and audiobooks on the 6+ hour rides. Of course we stopped along the drive and one of our stops is Buc-ee's, if you aren't familiar, Google it. lol And after stopping in Buc-ee's, silence was just what I needed. Homegoing services or funerals, whatever you call them, are a time for reflection for me. The poem shared at my cousin's funeral on Saturday was called Let Me Go by the poet Christina Georgina Rossetti who lived in the 1800's. Tony and I both remarked after listening to the poem how much we both liked it. After asking the funeral director the name of the poem I was able to find it on Google. Thank you technology. Here it is. Let Me Go When I come to the end of the road And the sun has set for me I want no rites in a gloom filled room Why cry for a soul set free? Miss me a little, but not for long And not with your head bowed low Remember the love that once we shared. Miss me, but let me go. For this is a journey we all must take And each must go alone. It's all part of the master plan A step on the road to home. When you are lonely and sick at heart Go to the friends we know. Laugh at all the things we used to do Miss me, but let me go. When I am dead my dearest Sing no sad songs for me Plant thou no roses at my head Nor shady cypress tree Be the green grass above me With showers and dewdrops wet And if thou wilt remember And if thou wilt, forget. I shall not see the shadows, I shall not fear the rain; I shall not hear the nightingale Sing on as if in pain; And dreaming through the twilight That doth not rise nor set, Haply I may remember, And haply may forget. Leaving Florida I stopped crocheting and enjoyed looking at the scenery. The flat terrain and palm trees made me miss the colorful trees and flowers I would see along the Georgia landscape. I could feel my body relaxing as I watched the trees and water along the road. At one time silence for me felt very scary. I would dread not having something to distract me. With practice, I have learned to relish silence. In the silence, I hear the gentle whooshing of the fan as I lie in bed in the mornings before I get up. I hear the birds singing when I sit outside on my back deck. And I remind myself to be open and receptive to receive answers to questions that I may have, in the silence. I have developed an intimate relationship with silence, we are partners now on my life's journey. Take a moment to practice a little bit of silence with me. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/barbara-faison/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/barbara-faison/support
Support the podcast: patreon.com/thehemingwaylist War & Peace - Ander Louis Translation: Kindle and Amazon Print Host: @anderlouis
Christina Georgina Rossetti (5 December 1830 – 29 December 1894) was an English writer of romantic, devotional and children's poems, including "Goblin Market" and "Remember". She also wrote the words of two Christmas carols well known in Britain: "In the Bleak Midwinter", later set by Gustav Holst, Katherine Kennicott Davis, and Harold Darke, and "Love Came Down at Christmas", also set by Darke and other composers. She was a sister of the artist and poet Dante Gabriel Rossetti II and features in several of his paintings.Bio via Wikipedia See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
So beautiful that many painters sought her for a model - Christina Rossetti, sister of the famous poet, Dante Rossetti, combined with her unusual beauty a rare poetic sense. (Volume 42, Harvard Classics) Christina Georgina Rossetti born Dec. 5, 1830.
Introductory note on Christina Georgina Rossetti (The Ridpath Library of Universal Literature)
There are many things which are left behind in our life and we are not able to thank them. But sometimes we miss these things a lot. It would tell us something, share the moments we spent with them. Sometimes it is okay to remembering this because in memories we can say thank you, even apologize and doing so brings comfort to the heart.#onebreathing #onebreathinginspirationalhouse #onebreathingsanowersingh #onebreathingpodcast #sanowersingh #speakersingh #writer #quotes #thoughts #thoughtoftheday #quoteoftheday #quotespage #goodthoughts #goodquotes #inspirationalquotes #motivationalquotes #wordsoflife #wordsforlife #deepthoughts #quotecity
Today we celebrate a Swedish botanist with a famous father who observed flashes of light emitting from her nasturtiums. We'll also learn about a modern-day forest advocate and conservationist on a mission to create something he calls a primary forest in France. We’ll hear a poem about spring from the charming Christina Georgina Rossetti. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book that calls us to lead a wilder life - connecting with nature to find balance, energy, and restoration. And then we’ll wrap things up with the story of a botanist who was the inspiration for the term that I use to describe the sweet little stories I end the show with every day - botanic sparks. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart To listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to “Play the latest episode of The Daily Gardener Podcast.” And she will. It's just that easy. The Daily Gardener Friday Newsletter Sign up for the FREE Friday Newsletter featuring: A personal update from me Garden-related items for your calendar The Grow That Garden Library™ featured books for the week Gardener gift ideas Garden-inspired recipes Exclusive updates regarding the show Plus, each week, one lucky subscriber wins a book from the Grow That Garden Library™ bookshelf. Gardener Greetings Send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes, and so forth to Jennifer@theDailyGardener.org Curated News How to Propagate Your Favorite Herbs, Such as Rosemary, Mint, Basil, and More | MARTHASTEWART.COM | Caroline Biggs Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and original blog posts for yourself, you're in luck. I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. So, there’s no need to take notes or search for links. The next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community, where you’d search for a friend... and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events April 15, 1782 Today is the anniversary of the death of the Swedish botanist and the daughter of Carl Linnaeus, Elisabeth Christina von Linné, known to her family as Lisa Stina. Lisa Stina fell in love with one of her father’s star pupils, Daniel Solander. Linnaeus himself approved of the relationship. He had high hopes that Daniel might become not only his future son-in-law but also his backfill as the Professor of Botany at Uppsala. Yet after spending time in England, Daniel elected not to return to Sweden. He would never again return to his home country. Despite sending letters referring to Lisa Stina as his “sweetest mamselle,” London was too exciting, and Daniel informed Linnaeus by post that he would not be coming back. In the ensuing years, Linnaeus would often refer to Daniel, the pupil that got away, as "the ungrateful Solander." Daniel would go on to travel with Joseph Banks in Captain James Cook's first circumnavigation of the globe on the Endeavor. Back home in England, Daniel became Joseph Banks' personal secretary and librarian. But his work was cut short when he died from a brain aneurysm at the age of 46. As for Lisa Stina, she ended up unhappily married to a grandson of Rudbeck - the man for whom the Rudbeckia or Black-Eyed Susans are named. But when she was 19 (and in love with Daniel Solander), Lisa Stina published a paper about a little-known occurrence that came to be known as the “Elizabeth Linnaeus Phenomenon.” Lisa Stina had been in her family’s garden at twilight, and she had observed flashes of light coming from nasturtium flowers. She told her father that the brighter reddish blossoms were the main source of the light. In her paper, she questioned whether the light came from the flowers themselves or if the flashing was an illusion. At the time, scientists could not discern the validity of her observations, and some even dismissed her observation altogether - assuming she’d imagined it. But 150 years later, a German professor would uncover the mystery of the flashing flowers, which turns out to be an optical illusion that occurs at twilight. When the light bounces off the red color of the nasturtiums in contrast to the green leaves, the eye perceives it as a flash of light. The same effect can happen with other bright-colored flowers, like Sunflowers, Calendulas, and African Marigolds. If you want to try to replicate it, you need to try to view the blooms at sunset using your peripheral vision. The poet, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, wrote about the Elizabeth Linnaeus Phenomenon in one of his verses: 'Tis said, in summer's evening hour Flashes the golden-colored flower A fair electric flame... The etymology of Nasturtium is Latin 'nasus torsus' and means 'nose twist or nose torment.’ The word “nose” is found in many common names like the Nose Tickler due to the peppery sinus-clearing taste of the leaves. The flower tastes a bit sweeter. April 15, 1938 Today is the birthday of the French botanist, biologist, and conservationist Francis Hallé. Francis has spent over forty years studying the ecology of tropical forests and the architecture of their trees. These scientific areas of study have shaped how Francis views not only trees and forests but also our planet and the future. Atlas Obscura wrote an excellent feature article about Francis called "The Botanist Who Made Fantastical Sketches of Rain Forest Flora.” Francis’s book, The Atlas of Poetic Botany, is one of my favorites - it offers a Seussical charm thanks to Francis’s whimsical artwork. In 2018, Francis wrote, “I draw mainly to get around language difficulties. The French language is made for humans and, in a pinch, for animals, but not at all for plants. Leaving the Latin that we use to name these [plants], we lack the vocabulary to describe their way of life." As Francis likes to say, he respects the poetry of all living things - and this is a clue to the etymology of the title of Francis’s book, The Atlas of Poetic Botany. In The Atlas, Francis gives us a tour of the rainforest and the rare plant life that can be found only under the canopy of the forest’s magnificent trees. Francis introduces us to a plant with a single, enormous leaf, an invasive hyacinth, a walking tree, and a dancing vine - just to name a few. Francis also shares the history and lore of the many plants he profiles - like Queen Victoria's rubber tree and the moabi tree (the bark is believed to give the power of invisibility). Francis celebrates the wonders of the plant kingdom by sharing specimens with incredible characteristics: a flower that draws energy from trees; plants that can imitate other plants; a fern with cloning power; and a tree creates rain. And all this biodiversity is impossible without the protective covering of the rainforest. Today Francis is passionate about forests. In a recent interview this winter, Francis said, “Plants are much smarter than us... They improve their environment while we destroy ours. Humans are trees' greatest enemy. Of course… parasites kill some, that storms bring down those with weak roots and [stunted] fibers, but all this serves to improve the species, according to the laws of evolution. While we… deprive the equatorial forests of their tallest, upright trees, the most beautiful, leaving the lower trees. This madness will continue as long as there is a tree left to make money; I have no illusions.” In 2019, Francis started an 800-year rewilding project - an initiative called the Association for Primary Forest. This project aims to create a primary forest in Europe in an area that would encompass 70,000 hectares. Francis said, “I dream of a forest with zero management, like those I've had the privilege to see in the tropics. For me, a primary forest offers the ultimate biological diversity, as well as the best in planetary aesthetics." A primary forest is a forest that has not been cleared, exploited or modified in any way by man. Primary forests differ from plantation forests because plantation trees are planted to be used or harvested. In contrast, a primary forest would be planted to allow it to develop freely over millennia. Primary forests are precious spaces. According to Francis, they offer much more carbon capture than secondary forests. And Francis calls primary forests summits of biodiversity. Primary forests also offer climate regulation and replenishment of water resources - along with countless other benefits. In 2021, when Elon Musk announced his $100 million award for the best ideas to capture carbon, Francis Hallé quickly responded that his primary forest initiative was the ultimate carbon capture solution. We’ll see if Elon agrees. It was Francis Hallé who said, "I wonder if our initial relationship to trees is aesthetic rather than scientific. When we come across a beautiful #tree, it is an extraordinary thing." Unearthed Words A Robin said: The Spring will never come, And I shall never care to build again. A Rosebush said: These frosts are wearisome, My sap will never stir for sun or rain. The half Moon said: These nights are fogged and slow, I neither care to wax nor care to wane. The Ocean said: I thirst from long ago, Because earth's rivers cannot fill the main. — When Springtime came, red Robin built a nest, And trilled a lover's song in sheer delight. Grey hoarfrost vanished, and the Rose with might Clothed her in leaves and buds of crimson core. The dim Moon brightened. Ocean sunned his crest, Dimpled his blue, yet thirsted evermore. ― Christina Rossetti, English poet, A Winter Sonnet Grow That Garden Library A Wilder Life by Celestine Maddy (“Cell-ah-steen”) This book came out in 2016, and the subtitle is A Season-by-Season Guide to Getting in Touch with Nature In this book, Celestine urges us to garden with a greater purpose than simply growing plants for food and beauty. She wants us to connect with our gardens and refresh our spirits. Celestine was the founder of Wilder Quarterly - A magazine for people enthralled by the natural world. The magazine ran from 2011 to 2013. A Wilder Life is a beautiful coffee table book that offers tips for connecting with nature. Celestine’s ideas include planting a night-blooming Garden, learning to read the Stars, creating a habitat for butterflies, dying your clothes with natural dyes, building an outdoor shelter, and learning to identify insects - just to name a few. Celestine’s book and projects embraced the simple life trend that started after the year 2000. Celestine's book is divided into seasons and within each season are five main sections: growing (which covers suggested plants), cooking (a fantastic section with seasonal recipes), Home & Self Reliance, Beauty & Healing, and Wilderness (a guide to appreciating all that nature offers in the season). This book is 272 pages of restoration and connection with nature by living a wilder life. You can get a copy of A Wilder Life by Celestine Maddy and support the show using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for around $3 Today’s Botanic Spark Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart April 15, 1791 Today is the anniversary of the death of the English botanist Alexander Garden. Alexander’s story is a fascinating one - starting with the fact that he had the perfect last name for a botanist: Garden. The Gardenia flower is named for him. After immigrating from England, Alexander had settled in Charleston, South Carolina. Now, if you’ve ever wondered how I came up with the term botanic spark to describe the sweet stories that I ended the show with, it was a term I read in a letter written by Alexander Garden. One summer, Alexander found himself stuck in Charleston - while many of his botanist friends were off exploring and botanizing. In a letter to the botanist, John Bartram, Alexander wrote, "Think that I am here, confined to the sandy streets of Charleston, where the ox, where the ass, and where man, as stupid as either, fill up the vacant space while you range the green fields of Florida.” And to John Ellis, who sent Alexander detailed accounts of his botanizing, Alexander wrote: "I know that every letter which I receive not only revives the little botanic spark in my breast but even increases its quantity and flaming force." When the Revolutionary War began, Alexander sided with the British, even though he sympathized with the colonists. Alexander’s son, Alex Jr., fought against the British. As a consequence, Alexander and his son became permanently estranged. They never forgave each other. A biographical sketch of Alexander sadly reported that Alexander’s son had a little girl he had named Gardenia. But after the two men became estranged, Alexander never met his little granddaughter with the flower name that honored the botanical work of her grandfather. When the war was over, Alexander and other British sympathizers were punished. In Alexander’s case, his property was confiscated, and he was forced to leave South Carolina. After losing everything, Alexander and his wife and two daughters went to live in London, where he became vice-president of the Royal Society. He died of tuberculosis, at age 61, on this day in 1791. Thanks for listening to The Daily Gardener. And remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."
WILL YOU HELP? Each week you join us in our conversations and together we are learning how to navigate today’s changing world. For this, we are so very grateful! You make it possible to explore these challenging and soul giving topics right here on the internet. As we move to the end of the year, will you help us continue through 2021? 2 Ways to contribute: For an individual contribution at www.pottersinn.com/donate To start monthly support, visit us at www.patreon.com/pottersinn. Thank you dear friends! SHOW NOTES If there was ever a time for hope of a new beginning in the coming new year, it would be now! 2020 has been a challenge (yes, the understatement of the year), and today’s discussion is all about how we raise awareness, in our own hearts, of how God has moved in the midst of the past year. It's a practical and timely conversation The Great Annual Examen and John O’Donohue’s poem “For a New Beginning” are discussed, and we pray that this will assist you in beginning this new year with renewed hope and readiness for the New Year... and a New Beginning! ps- This is our last episode of the year, but we will be back in mid-January with all new episodes! MUSIC - IN ORDER OF AIRING Engravings II by Ira Stein & Russel Warder - from "A Winter's Solstice"(1985) Windham Hill Records In the Bleak Midwinter - written by Christina Georgina Rossetti, performed by Choir of Kings College, Cambridge A Daisy in December · with Mick McAuley & Winifred Horan, from the album Serenade MENTIONED IN PODCAST The Great Annual Examen - DOWNLOAD PURCHASE: The State of My Soul Wheel Reading & Discussion of “For a New Beginning” By John O’Donohue from To Bless the Space Between Us SUPPORT THE PODCAST Donate Here for an individual contribution or on Patreon to set up monthly support. CONTACT US podcast@pottersinn.com INTERESTED IN MORE SOUL CARE RESOURCES? Check out our recommended reading, books on spiritual growth, and our soul care blog. Want to experience soul care in person? Learn more about our soul care intensives and retreats.
So beautiful that many painters sought her for a model - Christina Rossetti, sister of the famous poet, Dante Rossetti, combined with her unusual beauty a rare poetic sense. (Volume 42, Harvard Classics)Christina Georgina Rossetti born Dec. 5, 1830.
Introductory note on Christina Georgina Rossetti (The Ridpath Library of Universal Literature)
Christina Georgina Rossetti克里斯蒂娜·罗塞蒂Remember me when I am gone away,记着我吧,要是我已经远走,Gone far away into the silent land;远远地走进了那片寂静的国土;When you can no more hold me by the hand,那时你不能再把我的手握住,Nor I half turn to go yet turning stay.我也不能半转身又回身停留。 Remember me when no more day by day记着我吧,要是你不再能够You tell me of our future that you planned:天天告诉我你设想的咱俩的前途:Only remember me: you understand只要牢记着我呵:你很清楚It will be too late to counsel then or pray.商量或祈求都太晚了,在那时候。 Yet if you should forget me for a while不过,你假如能把我一时忘掉,And afterwards remember, do not grieve:过后再记起,那么,请不要悲伤:For if the darkness and corruption leave因为,如果黑暗跟腐朽竟然会 A vestige of the thoughts that once I had,把我过去思念的痕迹留下来,Better by far you should forget and smile我多么愿意你能忘掉我而微笑,Than that you should remember and be sad.而不愿你心中铭记着我而悲哀
Christina Georgina Rossetti克里斯蒂娜·罗塞蒂Remember me when I am gone away,记着我吧,要是我已经远走,Gone far away into the silent land;远远地走进了那片寂静的国土;When you can no more hold me by the hand,那时你不能再把我的手握住,Nor I half turn to go yet turning stay.我也不能半转身又回身停留。 Remember me when no more day by day记着我吧,要是你不再能够You tell me of our future that you planned:天天告诉我你设想的咱俩的前途:Only remember me: you understand只要牢记着我呵:你很清楚It will be too late to counsel then or pray.商量或祈求都太晚了,在那时候。 Yet if you should forget me for a while不过,你假如能把我一时忘掉,And afterwards remember, do not grieve:过后再记起,那么,请不要悲伤:For if the darkness and corruption leave因为,如果黑暗跟腐朽竟然会 A vestige of the thoughts that once I had,把我过去思念的痕迹留下来,Better by far you should forget and smile我多么愿意你能忘掉我而微笑,Than that you should remember and be sad.而不愿你心中铭记着我而悲哀
Remember me when I am gone away, Gone far away into the silent land; When you can no more hold me by the hand, Nor I half turn to go yet turning stay. Remember me when no more day by day You tell me of our future that you plann'd: Only remember me; you understand It will be late to counsel then or pray. Yet if you should forget me for a while And afterwards remember, do not grieve: For if the darkness and corruption leave A vestige of the thoughts that once I had, Better by far you should forget and smile Than that you should remember and be sad.
A poem a day keeps the sadness at bay.
Christina Rossetti, in full Christina Georgina Rossetti, pseudonym Ellen Alleyne, (born Dec. 5, 1830, London, Eng.—died Dec. 29, 1894, London), one of the most important of English women poets both in range and quality. She excelled in works of fantasy, in poems for children, and in religious poetry. --Bio from Britannica.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Today we celebrate the man remembered in the genus name for Crape Myrtle. We'll also learn about the botanist who served as the physician to George Washington. We celebrate the man remembered in the name of the largest flower in the world. And we also celebrate the practical gardener and journalist who helped change the English landscape from formal to much more relaxed and attainable for the masses. We honor the beautiful Rose, queen of the garden, with today's poetry. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book that shares "Age-Old Advice and Tips for the Garden." And then we'll wrap things up with the story of a botanist who wanted to make orchids possible to grow in the "average man's garden." But first, let's catch up on some Greetings from Gardeners around the world and today's curated news. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart Gardener Greetings To participate in the Gardener Greetings segment, send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes and so forth to Jennifer@theDailyGardener.org And, to listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to play The Daily Gardener Podcast. It's that easy. Curated News Quiz: Are you a flower whizz? | Kew "How clued up are you on flowers? Take our 15-question quiz to find out (scroll down for the answers). Good luck!" Hamilton For Gardeners (Click to read the Post) Alright, that's it for today's gardening news. Now, if you'd like to check out my curated news articles and blog posts for yourself, you're in luck, because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. There's no need to take notes or search for links - the next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events 1759The naturalist, and Director of the Swedish East India Company, Magnus von Lagerstrom died. In his work, Magnus was a friend and patron of Carl Linnaeus. During his travels, he supplied Linnaeus with plants, and in return, Linnaeus named the genus for Crape Myrtle after him - Lagerstroemia. Before we get into the plant details of the Crape Myrtle, we need to talk about the spelling controversy. In the South, the spelling is Crepe, as in crepe paper. This spelling supposedly came about because the flowers resemble crepe paper. But, everywhere else, it is spelled Crape like Grape. Now, botanists have recorded close to 50 known species of Crape Myrtle. Crape Myrtles are a member of the loosestrife family. Their size can vary significantly from one foot to a hundred feet tall. Crape myrtles are robust and can put up with severe growing conditions - like high heat, humidity, and drought. (Basically, what many parts of the country are putting up with right now) Their hardiness in sweltering conditions gives us a clue as to their origins; Crape Myrtles are native to the Indian subcontinent, southeast Asia, northern Australia, and parts of Oceania. In China, the Crape Myrtle is known as the "Monkey Tree." Crape Myrtle trunks are slippery, which means the monkeys have a tough time climbing them. The Chinese also called the Crape Myrtle "The Tree of 100 days" in reference to the long bloom time. Gardeners especially appreciate the Crape Myrtle's extraordinarily long bloom time. Once the plant starts blooming in the middle of the summer, it will continue to produce blossoms well into fall. Medicinally, Crape Myrtle is used for constipation. The leaves, bark, and even the blossoms are high in fiber. And, herbalists know how to make a purgative decoction with Crape Myrtle leaves. 1817 Today is the anniversary of the death of the American doctor, professor, and naturalist Adam Kuhn. Adam was exceptionally well-trained for his time. His father had been a physician - his parents were German immigrants - and Adam grew up in Germantown, Pennsylvania. At some point, his family sent him to Sweden, where he studied at Upsala University. He's believed to be the only American student of Carl Linnaeus. Linnaeus wrote to Adam's father with rare praise, saying: "[Adam] is unwearied in his studies and daily and faithfully studies materia medica with me. He has learned the symptomatic history of diseases in an accurate and solid manner. In natural history and botany, he's made remarkable progress." Linnaeus clearly liked Adam, and he named the plant Kuhnia (Kuhnia Eupatorioides), commonly known as False Boneset, in Adam's honor. Adam began teaching at the medical school of the College of Philadelphia, where he became the first professor of medicine for the 13 colonies. He's remembered for being the physician for George Washington. He's also recalled as a somewhat rigidly formal man - some historical texts have used the word "pompous" to describe him. One doctor recalled Adam this way: "He was by far the most highly and minutely furnished specimen of old-school [medicine] I have ever beheld. He wore a fashionable curled and powdered wig; his breeches were black, [he wore] a long-skirted buff or white waistcoat... He carried a gold-headed cane and a gold snuff-box; his knee and shoe buckles of the same metal. His footsteps were sternly and stubbornly regular; He entered the sick-room at a given minute and stayed a given time and never suffered deviation from his directions. [Once a nurse asked] "'Doctor, if the patient should desire toast, water or lemonade, he may have it?' [Adam] would turn and reply with oracular solemnity, 'I have directed weak sage tea. Good morning madam.'" 1826 Today is the anniversary of the death of Sir Stamford Raffles. Eight years before he died, Raffles described the Arnold's rafflesia, the largest flower in the world. "The magnificent plants have no leaves, no roots, and no stem. The entire flower measures about a yard across and weighs about fifteen pounds. And, the Rafflesia flower lasts for only a few days before it withers and dies." The Rafflesia arnoldii, commonly called the corpse lily or stinking corpse lily, is named to honor Raffles and his dear friend Dr. James Arnold, who was with him during the discovery of the plant on the island of Sumatra. Arnold was a surgeon, botanist, and a naturalist in his own right, but sadly he died shortly after seeing the bloom. The Rafflesia arnoldii was named in honor of them both (Raffles and Arnold). The Rafflesia flower is still regarded as the largest in the world. 1838 It's the birthday of the Irish practical gardener and journalist, the passionate William Robinson. A horticultural powerhouse, Robinson helped change the English landscape from formal to much more relaxed and attainable for the masses. Robinson wrote, "The Medici Gardens in Rome, [offers] clipped walls of green, formal walks, numerous statues, and the ever-present Stone Pine. It's difficult to imagine anything more monotonous or uninteresting than [this] type of garden." I always say of Robinson that his gardens were chill, but the man was hot - as in he was hot-tempered, opinionated, hoppin', and happening. He developed the practice of planting the herbaceous border, and he was an advocate for the wild garden. He wanted everyone to do their own thing in their gardens - no need for a cookie-cutter approach or formality. And, Robinson had an artistic mindset; he wanted people to be free to express themselves in their own way in their garden. Robinson was ahead of his time, as is evidenced by the fact that many of his ideas remain relevant and commonplace. In 1867, Robinson visited the gardens of France and came home to write his first gardening book. He called it Gleanings from French Gardens. (I love that title!) Robinson's 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. Now, Robinson became great friends with Gertrude Jekyll. In 1896, Jekyll offered this summary of Robinson's impact on gardening: "[Thanks to William 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's selections are all about the superstar of the July garden - the Rose. I have a garden of my own But so with Roses overgrown And Lilies, that you would it guess To be a little wilderness. — Andrew Marvell, English poet and politician I haven't much time to be fond of anything ... but when I have a moment's fondness to bestow most times ... the Roses get it. I began my life among them in my father's nursery garden, and I shall end my life among them if I can. Yes. One of these days (please God) I shall retire from catching thieves, and try my hand at growing Roses. ― Wilkie Collins, English novelist, The Moonstone 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.' — Rachel Peden, newspaper columnist Where you tend a Rose, my lad, a Thistle, cannot grow. — Frances Hodgson Burnett, English-American novelist, The Secret Garden I have a White Rose to tend In July as in January; I give it to the true friend Who offers his frank hand to me. And for the cruel one whose blows Break the heart by which I live, Thistle nor thorn do I give: For him, too, I have a White Rose. — José Martí, Cuban poet, A White Rose The Lily has a smooth stalk, Will never hurt your hand; But the Rose upon her brier Is lady of the land. There's sweetness in an Apple Tree, And profit in the Corn; But lady of all beauty Is a Rose upon a thorn. When with moss and honey She tips her bending brier, And half unfolds her glowing heart, She sets the world on fire. — Christina Georgina Rossetti, English poet, The Rose Grow That Garden Library The Gardeners' Book by Diana Craig This book came out in 2013, and the subtitle is: Age-Old Advice and Tips for the Garden In their review of this book, Amateur Gardening said, "Buried among the tongue-in-cheek tips, gardening quotations and fascinating facts aimed at making you the envy of the allotment, there are some real nuggets of information that will benefit even the most green-fingered." The book is 160 pages of tips, ideas, anecdotes, and inspiration. You can get a copy of The Gardeners' Book by Diana Craig and support the show, using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for around $12. Today's Botanic Spark 1985 Today is the 35th anniversary of the death of the botanist and Northwestern University professor Margery Claire Carlson. In 1916, Margery was the first woman to major in botany at Northwestern. Later, she earned a Ph.D. in botany, and then she became the first full-time female professor at Northwestern. During the 1930s, she was featured in many Newspapers for her work with orchids. One popular article from 1936 said that Margery was working on making orchids possible to grow in the "average man's garden." Two years later, another article shared her unique approach to raising orchids in bottles. Margery trialed different ways of feeding the orchids, growing them specific food-based cultures like carrots, beets, tobacco, sugar, or beef extracts. Margery and her partner Kate Staley went on several expeditions together to South and Central America. Margery's obituary said the two were used to traveling, "by ox, truck, and airplane through and over dense jungles." Margery was always on the lookout for orchids and other rare species. In 1948, on one expedition alone, she gathered over 4,000 specimens and discovered 15 new plant species. Margery commented that during her many travels, she was never afraid of snakes because they made so much noise cutting through the jungle with their machetes that they scared the snakes away. Margery was born and raised in Illinois. Her parents, John and Nellie, helped chart her destiny. They named her after the Marguerite Daisy.
Today we celebrate what I'm calling Dependence Day for Gardeners. We'll also learn about the gutta-percha pioneer - it's a fascinating story. We celebrate the California botanist who is remembered with a plant name and the name of a Canyon - and she was a tremendous conservationist. We also celebrate a botanist who is a sentimental favorite of mine - she died while collecting samples in the Western Himalayas almost eighty years ago today. We honor National Meadows Day - an annual celebration of the wildflower meadows of England - with some poetry. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a fiction book that was the Winner of the Man Asian Literary Prize, and the main character finds "solace among the jungle-fringed tea plantations of [the] Cameron Highlands," and she also meets some incredible gardeners. And then we'll wrap things up with the flowers for the birthday of President Calvin Coolidge - in 1924 one newspaper headline said, "Cal's Cool and 52". But first, let's catch up on some Greetings from Gardeners around the world and today's curated news. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart Gardener Greetings To participate in the Gardener Greetings segment, send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes and so forth to Jennifer@theDailyGardener.org And, to listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to play The Daily Gardener Podcast. It's that easy. Curated News Just moved? Build a Temporary Garden at Your New Home by Shawna Coronado "It's a smart plan to set up a temporary garden at your new home when you have just moved because you don't really understand the "lay of the land" in your garden yet. Understanding your garden takes at least a year. A YEAR!?!?! Yes. A year. An example of this is that the sunshine changes throughout your garden. In the winter, you might have the direct sun in some places, creating micro-climates, while in the summer, you could have the opposite. Understanding your sun, water, and other conditions on your property take a while." No Independence Day for Gardener (Click here to read my original blogpost) Alright, that's it for today's gardening news. Now, if you'd like to check out my curated news articles and blog posts for yourself, you're in luck, because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. There's no need to take notes or search for links - the next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events 1804 Today is the birthday of the gutta-percha pioneer Henry Bewley who was born on this day in Dublin, Ireland. A trained chemist, Bewley began work manufacturing soda water. Bewley's work with soda got him in touch with Charles Hancock, who was eager to develop a stopper for bottles. Hancock's solution came to him in the form of gutta-percha - a tough, rubber-like substance that had been discovered in the sap of Malayasian trees and brought to England in the mid-1840s. After Hancock showed Bewley the gutta-percha, he set about inventing the machine that would extrude the gutta-percha into tubing, which would ultimately find a purpose in dentistry and as an insulator for electrical wiring. Although their partnership would not last, Bewley and Hancock formed the Gutta Percha Company in London on February 4, 1845. Twenty years later, Bewley's company was swept up in the merger that created The Telegraph Construction and Maintenance Company. Until the mid-1900s, it was gutta-percha that protected the transatlantic cables used for communication. The resin from gutta-percha was used to make all kinds of items like buckets and mugs, soles for shoes, bands for heavy equipment, buoys, and so forth. Early on, the uses for gutta-percha seemed endless - but its original use as tubing (thanks to Bewley) was vital for scientists and engineers working with wiring, liquids, and gases. Gardeners owed a debt of gratitude to Bewley. His gutta-percha tubing was perfect for this in-demand item called a garden hose. I thought you might enjoy hearing a little excerpt from this 1854 advertisement for gutta-percha. It features a testimony from a Mr. J. Farrah, the gardener to a successful attorney who lived on the estate known as Holderness House near Hull. "I have 400 feet of your gutta-percha tubing in lengths of 100 feet each [and I have used them] for the past 12 months for watering these gardens, and I find it... better than anything I have ever yet tried. The pressure of the water is very considerable, but this has not the slightest effect on the tubing. I consider this tubing to be a most valuable invention for gardeners, as much as it enables us to water our gardens in about half the time and with half the labor formerly required." 1976 On the 4th of July in 1976, a very hot day to go hiking, botanist Mary Dedecker made her way back to a spot in the desert of California where she had discovered a new plant earlier in June of that same year. When DeDecker reached the shrub, she was stunned. She remembers seeing the plants in full bloom - a gold profusion - and fondly recalled, "It was just golden. All over the dark cliffs, these golden bunches of this shrub." Mary and her husband, Paul, lived in Independence for over five decades. Paul's job brought them to the town. Mary remembered, "It was a different world up here. My husband would fish in the Alpine lakes of the High Sierra, and I would sketch and make notes on plants. There was virtually no literature on the flora of the eastern Sierra." Mary and Paul's DeDeckera shrub became the only species in the brand new Dedeckera genus, which was the first newly discovered genus in California in almost three decades. The DeDecker's shrub, the Dedeckera eurekensis, is a member of the buckwheat family and is commonly referred to as July gold. It's a rare plant and is only found in California's Inyo and White Mountains. These mountains are remote, but they were well-known by Paul and Mary, who loved to explore the desert and found it utterly enchanting. They lived to see the naming of Dedeckera Canyon, which was a unique honor. Believe it or not, there is a rule that geographic locations cannot be named after living people. In this case, the canyon was officially named after the Dedeckera plant genus named for Mary and Paul - but it clearly honored the couple all the same. It was a sneaky way to get around the rules. As a little girl, Mary learned to garden from her dad, who encouraged her to grow things. Her training as a botanist and her love of nature gave her the drive to search the desert floor on countless hikes in order to collect and catalog over 6,000 plant species. It's no wonder then that Mary successfully fought to preserve the Eureka Dunes, which are adjacent to the northwest corner of Death Valley. In Mary's lifetime, she was able to stop off-road vehicles from destroying the dunes. Regarding her three-decades-long fight, she said, "It was terribly frustrating. I was sick as I went out and watched [off-road vehicle users] tear up the place, spinning out the plants and seedlings, destroying animal habitats. They would be all over the dunes having the time of their lives, so unaware of the damage to the delicate and unique ecosystems. . . ." Much of her work involved researching the flowers of the dunes. Thanks to Mary, the Dunes became part of the over 500 nationally recognized natural landmarks in the United States. Mary DeDecker witnessed many impressive desert blooms during her lifetime. The beauty of the desert and the miraculous desert plant life never failed to hold her attention. Among her many published works, Mary was perfectly suited to write two books on California's desert flora. Today young botanists may be surprised to learn that Mary never received any formal training. Yet, Mary credited the help of countless botanists and the desert itself as her teachers. Through her devotion and fieldwork, Mary came to be regarded as one of the nation's top experts on plants of the northern Mojave Desert and Owens Valley. There is an interesting side note to Mary's story. In 1945, while on one of her desert hikes, Mary discovered the remains of a Japanese-American named Matsumura who had left the internment camp at Manzanar to go fishing with friends. He had been missing for one month when Mary discovered him. Authorities buried him in that spot, and then slowly, the world forgot about his resting place. For decades, people attempted to relocate his burial spot without any luck. His grave remained lost to time until it was re-discovered in 2019. 1939 The English botanist Lady Joan Margaret Legge ("LAY-gee") died after she slipped and fell while collecting samples in the Western Himalayas at Valley of Flowers in India. When she died, Lady Joan was 54 years old and unmarried, and the youngest daughter of the sixth Earl of Dartmouth. In addition to enjoying botany, Lady Joan served the poor through her local church. In 1922, she was nominated for Sheriff of Staffordshire county, but her dad disqualified her on the grounds that she owned no property. Before traveling to the Valley of Flowers, Lady Joan had spent the previous three years tending to her sick father. Then, she had spent the winter before her trip battling pneumonia. Although some of her friends were against her going to India, Lady Joan was eager to go, and many remarked that it was her first real holiday in ten years. The Valley of Flowers was an exciting destination. It had only just been discovered in 1931 - eight years before Lady Joan's visit. Three English mountaineers had stumbled on the Valley after getting lost. The Valley enchanted them, and the flowers made it seem like they were in a fairyland. One of the climbers was a botanist named Frank Smythe. He wrote a book called Kamet Conquered, and in it, he named the area the Valley of Flowers. The Valley of Flowers is a seven-day trip from Delhi. It is now a protected national park. As the name implies, it is a lush area famous for the millions of alpine flowers that cover the hills and slopes and nestle along icy flowing streams. Throughout most of the year, the Valley of Flowers remains hidden, buried under several feet of snow throughout a seven-to-eight-month-long winter. In March, the melting snow and monsoon activate a new growing season. There is a brief 3-4 month window when the Valley of Flowers is accessible – generally during the months of July, August, and September. The Valley of Flowers is home to over 500 varieties of wildflowers, and many are still considered rare. Along with daisies, poppies, and marigolds, there are primulas and orchids growing wild. The rare Blue Poppy, commonly known as the Himalayan Queen, is the most coveted plant in the Valley. Lady Joan ended up traveling to the Valley of Flowers as a direct result of Frank Smythe's book. Smythe's work inspired many, and it attracted the attention of Edinburgh's Royal Botanic Garden, and they sponsored Lady Joan's trip. After arriving in the Himilayas, Lady Joan was accompanied by guides and porters. As she made her way over the lower foothills, she collected alpine specimens. On the day she died, Lady Joan was traversing the slopes of Khulia Garva, which still attracts tourists. After she fell, her porters recovered her body. They buried her in the Valley at the request of her older sister, Dorothy. All of Lady Joan's belongings were packed up and sent home to England. The following summer, in 1940, Dorothy visited her sister's grave and placed a marker over the spot where she had been buried. Today, Lady Joan's marker is visited by tourists, and it includes poignant words from Psalm 121: I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills From whence cometh my help Unearthed Words Today in the UK, it's National Meadows Day - 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 are little poems about meadows. How does the Meadow flower its bloom unfold? Because the lovely little flower is free down to its root, and in that freedom bold. — William Wordsworth, English Romantic poet In the meadow - what in the meadow? Bluebells, Buttercups, Meadow-sweet, And fairy rings for the children's feet In the meadow. In the garden - what in the garden? Jacob's Ladder and Solomon's Seal, And Love-Lies-Bleeding beside All-Heal In the garden. — Christina Georgina Rossetti, English poet, In The Meadow - What In The Meadow? 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! — Charles MacKay, Scottish poet, Meadow-Sweet The Meadow-Sweet was uplifting Its plumelets of delicate hue, The clouds were all dreamily drifting Above the blue. On the day when I broke from my tether And fled from the square and the street Was the day we went walking together In the meadow, sweet. The Meadow-Sweet with its clover And bright with Its buttercups lay; The swallows kept eddying over, All flashing and gay. I remember a fairylike feather Sailed down your coming to greet, The day we went walking together In the meadow, sweet. Ahl the Meadow-Sweet! and the singing Of birds in the boughs overhead l And your soft little hand to mine clinging, And the words that you said When bold in the beautiful weather I laid my love at your feet, The day we went walking together In the meadow, sweet. — Francis Wynne, Irish poet, Longman's Magazine, Meadow-Sweet In summer fields the Meadow-Sweet Spreads its white bloom around the feet Of those who pass In love or play The golden hours of holiday; And heart to answering heart can beat Where grows the simple Meadow-Sweet Embosomed in some cool retreat The long seed grasses bend to meet The stream that murmurs as it flows Songs of forget-me-not and rose; The filmy haze of noon-tide heat Is faint with scents of Meadow-Sweet. Ah, Love ! do you know Meadow-Sweet? Does some pale ghost of passion fleet Adown this dreary lapse of years, So void of love, so full of fears? Some ancient far-off echo greet The once loved name of Meadow-Sweet — William Leonard Courtney, English author and poet, Meadow-Sweet Grow That Garden Library The Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng This book came out in 2012, and it won the Man Asian Literary Prize. Kirkus Reviews said, "The unexpected relationship between a war-scarred woman and an exiled gardener leads to a journey through remorse to a kind of peace. After a notable debut, Eng (The Gift of Rain, 2008) returns to the landscape of his origins with a poetic, compassionate, sorrowful novel set in the aftermath of World War II in Malaya…Grace and empathy infuse this melancholy landscape of complex loyalties enfolded by brutal history, creating a novel of peculiar, mysterious, tragic beauty." The book is a 4.5 star rated book on Amazon. It is 352 pages - and the perfect summer read for gardeners. You can get a copy of The Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng and support the show, using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for around $3. Today's Botanic Spark 1924 President Calvin Coolidge is the only American President to have been born on the 4th of July and celebrated his 52nd birthday at the Whitehouse. To mark the occasion, he received a nearly 6-foot-tall floral arrangement from the Florist Telegraphers Association. The president was born at Plymouth, Vermont. Newspapers pointed out that while he was turning 52, the country was turning 148. One newspaper headline said, "Cal's Cool and 52". The Wilkes-Barre Record reported: "The President made no unusual observance of his birthday but joined with the nation in the July Fourth celebration. He spoke [in the] morning before the National Education Association. Later in the day, he planned to board the Presidential yacht (Mayflower) for a cruise down the Potomac. There were no White House guests, although the two sons of the President and Mrs. Coolidge, John and Calvin, Jr, were at home. E. T. Clark, private secretary to the president, said more than 46,000 cards and letters of congratulation had been received." Today, if you google "Calvin Coolidge 1924 birthday", you can see him standing on the south lawn next to the very large floral arrangement that was delivered to the White House. Three days after his birthday, Coolidge and his family suffered a personal tragedy. His younger son and namesake, Calvin Jr., developed an infected blister. He died on July 7 from sepsis. Although Coolidge became depressed, the public voted him into office, and he won a three-way race and the popular vote by 2.5 million votes over his two opponents' combined totals.
Today we welcome the new month - July - and we remember the first meeting of the Vale of York Field Naturalists Club. We'll also learn about the Illinois State Flower, which was adopted on this day. We'll usher in the new month with some July poetry. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book about how gardens and growing food help people maintain their culture. It's a personal favorite of mine. And then we'll wrap things up with a newspaper story from 1932 called "Plant Explorer Finds Adventure." But first, let's catch up on some Greetings from Gardeners around the world and today's curated news. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart Gardener Greetings To participate in the Gardener Greetings segment, send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes and so forth to Jennifer@theDailyGardener.org And, to listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to play The Daily Gardener Podcast. It's that easy. Curated News Before & After: An Urban Oasis - Flower Magazine Dwight Brown of Father Nature Landscapes wanted to honor his client's wishes for a garden that would remind him of his European travels. Brown aged the exterior with a creeping fig (Ficus pumila) for a climber on the side of the house. He also added an Oakland holly, a 'Shi-Shi Gashira' camellia, and a shaped boxwood hedge that edged a gorgeous group of 'Limelight' hydrangea. Brown says, "Much like English ivy, the creeping fig with boxwoods, mondo grass, and hydrangeas helped create the classic cottage look I wanted. We love working edibles into the ornamental landscape. Our goal was to bring back memories of the homeowner's travels to Europe, especially Italy..." Welcome July in the Garden Welcome July and all that you may bring us! For gardeners, July hosts a riot of color in our gardens. History tells us that many flowers have claimed to be the birth flower for the month of July - which, by the way, the Roman Senate named to honor Julius Caesar by. In China, July's birth flower is, fittingly, the water lily. In the rest of the world, other top July blooms for the month include the Larkspur, the Delphinium, the Sweet Pea, and the Rose. Thinking about all of these gorgeous summer blossoms that claim July's top spot reminded me of a sweet verse from the Maud poem by Tennyson. It goes like this: She is coming, my dove, my dear; She is coming, my life, my fate; The red rose cries, "She is near, she is near;" And the white rose weeps, "She is late;" The larkspur listens, "I hear, I hear;" And the lily whispers, "I wait." — Alfred Lord Tennyson, English poet, Maud (Part I) The Rose, the Larkspur, and the Lily; many of July's favorite flowers are in that little verse. Truly, July is a month of abundance and extremes. On the one hand, there's the heat, and on the other, there are the storms. In 2001, the year my daughter was born, it was mighty hot in Minnesota - well over 100 degrees for weeks on end. As a result, she ended up wearing all of the ridiculous outfits people tend to give you when you have a little baby girl; things like little halter tops and itty bitty bikini tops, teeny tiny little skorts and sundresses. Now, I always preferred to have my babies properly covered - dressed in layers and bundled. But the summer Emma was born, I changed my tune. Suddenly those little outfits seemed mighty appropriate, and I have many pictures of her - san's blankets and sweaters - keeping cool in her summer barbie-inspired clothes. In reality, the average temperature in most places in America during the month of July is a very pleasant 70 degrees. That said, just don't ask about the range - which can vary wildly. And, July is traditionally known as the month to make hay. It's been called Haymonth or Maed month, referring to haymaking and the flowering of the meadows. By July, most gardens are set, and gardeners tend to get their work done in the mornings when it is cooler and less buggy. Still, experienced gardeners know that July's biggest challenge, outside of the heat, is thunderstorms. I remember the summer a dear friend of mine had a garden tour planned for the middle of July. Sadly, it was a tour that never happened. The night before her big day, a huge storm whipped through the area, taking down trees and pelting the garden with hail. There was nothing to do but clean up. And I remember sitting on her patio after we had righted her table and chairs eating one of the little radish and cucumber sandwiches that were supposed to be for the guests that day. That day was as sour as the lemonade we sipped in the chopped salad that was my friend's garden. It's no wonder that the folk sayings of July reflect her temperature extremes. For example: If the first of July be rainy weather, 'Twill rain more or less for four weeks together. Despite the storms, we seem to remember mainly the heat of July and the vibrant blooms in the garden. It's a glorious month for ornamentals and cut flowers. One of my personal favorites is Martagon Lilies. Martagon Lilies are in peak right now in most gardens. They bring the most beautiful architectural aspect and form to the garden; they are so exquisite. Offering a Turk's cap-style bloom, Like many plants, Martagon colonies get better and better with age. Martagons like rich soil and they will be grateful for a dusting of lime every year. And here's a gentle reminder to divide your Flag Iris after they finish blooming. Regular division can re-invigorate your iris and promote healthy new growth. The saddest thing in the garden is to lose your Iris because you failed to divide them. Experienced gardeners know that the best time to divide flag iris is immediately after flowering. Once again, as I like to say, "Prune-time follows bloom-time" - or in this case, division follows bloom-time. In any case, the end of any bloom-time is usually your cue to act - so get going! With the Iris, you'll want to lift out the whole clump with a pitchfork and use a sharp knife to separate any new rhizomes. Finally, don't forget that flag irises need full sun. So if you don't have them situated properly, stage a relocation immediately. Alright, that's it for today's gardening news. Now, if you'd like to check out my curated news articles and blog posts for yourself, you're in luck, because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. There's no need to take notes or search for links - the next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Today's Important Events 1871 The Yorkshire Herald reported the first meeting of the Vale of York Field Naturalists Club. On that day, the weather was very poor. Still, almost fifty ladies and gentlemen left the Society's Rooms in Micklegate to travel in three four-horsed carriages to go to Rivaulx ("ree-VOH") Abbey. Once they arrived at the Abbey, the group then broke into small parties made up of geologists, botanists, and entomologists, and then they went out and explored the valley by the Abbey. "The geologists were interested in the sections laid bare in the quarries, and many interesting and beautiful fossils were found. [Meanwhile], the botanists collected: Saxiraga tridaclylitet (nailwort) Helianthemum vulgare (rock rose) Cuscuta Epithymum (clover dodder) Aquilegia vulgaris (columbine) Atropa Belladonna (belladonna or deadly nightshade) Polypodium Phegopterit (northern beech fern) P. Dryoplerit (oak fern) Scolopendrium vulgare (hart' s-tongue fern) At six o'clock the party sat down to dinner at the Crown Hotel, Helmsley, which was served in Mr. and Mrs. Cowen's usual substantial style… the Rev. Vice-President Rowe addressed those assembled on the advantages of natural history and the beauties and history of the Abbey. (Rowe was also the hon. secretary of the Architectural Society). It was arranged that the next monthly field day should be held at Bolton Abbey and Woods. They then left for home, after a most agreeable day, which left everyone with the feeling that this the first excursion of the club was a great success." 1908 Illinois adopted the Violet as its State Flower. As with many State Flowers, Illinois decided to let the school children of the state vote to decide the state flower. The purple Violet received 15,591 votes, and the wild rose came in second with 11,903 votes. The children also decided on the state tree, and they selected the white oak. Meanwhile, newspapers were running a piece that blared the headline, "The Reign of the Violet is Over." It said this: "Strange and unbelievable, but a fact, nevertheless, violets are no longer fashionable. Gardenias, Orchids, and American Beauty Roses are as much in evidence as ever, but the reign of the Violet is temporarily over. It is true that a large bunch of deep purple violets relieved by a single mauve orchid, a deep pink rose, or a single wax-like gardenia is still an acceptable gift, but it is not the gift that is so frequently chosen this year, as a small cluster of gardenias or even of two or three exquisitely beautiful orchids… Roses are much in favor at the moment... A new flower hailing from Paris is the pink American Beauty, and well does it deserve the name... The color is an adorable shade of shell pink, and for all decorative purposes, this flower has already a firmly established place in fashion's regard.... One cannot but regret the sense of chivalry of a generation back when etiquette demanded that flowers always be sent to a hostess before even the least formal entertainment, and when a debutante [would rather] stay at home than go to a ball without ... [a] little bouquet of flowers." 1910 The Allentown (Pennsylvania) Democrat paper reported that Joseph Hooker was 93 years old. Here's what it said: "Sir Joseph Hooker, the world-famous botanist, received a personal note of congratulations from King George today on the occasion of his ninety-third birthday. Sir Joseph, who is still remarkably active for a man of his great age, has had a long and brilliant career in his chosen field of science. As early as 1839, he accompanied the expedition of Sir James Ross to the Antarctic region. Later he conducted scientific expeditions to many parts of the world… In the course of his active career, he rendered invaluable services to the British arts, manufacturers and commerce by promoting an accurate knowledge of the floras and economic vegetable products of the various colonies and dependencies of the empire." Unearthed Words As I mentioned earlier in the show, July is the month of heat and storms, and that is reflected in a number of poems. In scorched July The storm-clouds fly. — Christina Georgina Rossetti, English poet, The Months If the first of July be rainy weather, It will rain, more or less, for four weeks together. — John Ray, English naturalist and writer, English Proverbs When storms finally break through the July heat, there is also the immeasurable pleasure that accompanies the deluge: the smell of rain. A break in the heat away from the front no thunder, no lightning, just rain, warm rain falling near dusk falling on eager ground steaming blacktop hungry plants Thirsty turning toward the clouds cooling, soothing rain splashing in sudden puddles catching in open screens that certain smell of summer rain. — Raymond A. Foss, American poet, Summer Rain This poem perfectly captures the ferocity of summer storms in the garden: The rain to the wind said, 'You push, and I'll pelt.' They so smote the garden bed That the flowers actually knelt, And lay lodged--though not dead. I know how the flowers felt. — Robert Frost, American poet, Lodged The July rains encourage special summer blooms. Hot July brings cooling showers, Apricots, and gillyflowers. — Sara Coleridge, English author, The Garden Year If you are wondering what gillyflowers are, you are not alone. Gillyflowers was a term that often referred to plants from the mustard family like the wallflower, carnation, clove pink, or white stock. Gilly is derived from the Latin and Greek words for clove. Grow That Garden Library The Earth Knows My Name by Patricia Klindienst This book came out in April of 2007, and the subtitle is: Food, Culture, and Sustainability in the Gardens of Ethnic Americans Patricia Klindienst is a master gardener and an award-winning scholar and teacher. She lives in Guilford, Connecticut, and teaches creative writing each summer at Yale University. Patricia Klindienst went to many different gardens - urban, suburban, and rural - in order to write this book. She had seen an old family photo of her Italian immigrant family and was inspired not only to learn about her ancestor's struggle to adapt to America, but also eager to hear stories from other families. The jacket to Patricia's book reminds us that, "As we lose our connection to the soil, we no longer understand the relationship between food and a sense of belonging to a place and a people." How do gardens and growing food help people maintain their culture? This is the question Patricia explores in her book. Vegetables, fruits, and flowers provide so much more than sustenance, food, and beauty. They convey who and where we are and what we are about. In her review of this book, the author Deborah Madison said, "We who are far removed from our own immigrant roots will do well to study these eloquent stories and learn from them. Patricia Klindienst has given us nothing less than a great gift." The book is 208 pages of ways we can connect to the earth - all shared with today's gardener in mind. You can get a copy of The Earth Knows My Name by Patricia Klindienst and support the show, using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for around $3. Today's Botanic Spark 1932 Newspapers worldwide ran a fascinating article about the botanist Frank Kingdon-Ward titled "Plant Explorer Finds Adventure." "Captain Frank Kingdon-Ward, tall, well-built son of Britain, probably one of the world's most noted plant seekers... has journeyed all over the world in search of rare flowers, has led a life as exciting as any explorer and has given the world some of its most beautiful and rare blooms. Now In his late 40's, he is tanned from the winds and suns of tropical India, Asia, and the forbidden land of Tibet. He has collected flowers from the heights of the Himalayas, and from the depths of marshy Indian -jungles. His last expedition occurred In 1931. On it, he discovered a new pass into Tibet 35,000 feet above sea level, through an out-flung range of the Himalayas. His efforts in prying through thick jungles and climbing high mountains were rewarded in the discovery of a new species of slipper orchid, said to be worth about $500. On another of his Tibetan expeditions, he discovered the blue poppy, a flower that is sought by all Horticulturists in this country and obtained by few. To give an idea of the trying conditions under which he labored, consider that he discovered a new river, the Nam-Tamai, the lost source of the Irrawaddy, which no white man in 2,000 years of civilization had found. All along this river, through virgin forest, he and his small band trudged, meeting wild beasts and hostile bands of natives… He located a people … known only as...the Darus. These people had never seen a white man before Kingdon-Ward arrived. One of the most unusual plants he ever discovered was the rare Nomocharis farreri, a beautiful flower of China. This plant was found by accident and during the height of a violent rainstorm. The flower itself Is rose pink outside and dappled with royal purple inside. Each stem, from 12 to 15 inches in height, bears one, two, or three of the flowers, which grow as large as teacups. The flower which Captain Kingdon-Ward prizes most of all is the Campanula Calicola, "perhaps the most beautiful rock plant I discovered." It was found growing in limestone cliffs and is adaptable lo rock gardens. The Orient is rich in flowers. That land has given us many of our choice blooms. Roses come from India and China; pinks, carnations, and daffodils from Asia Minor; and numerous rare orchids come from the wilds of Tibet. Captain Kingdon-Ward describes a land of rare rhododendrons vividly in a book he wrote on his adventures in China and Asia. "You may wander for days ankle-deep through a chromatic surf of rhododendrons, rose pink, ivory white, lavender, plum purple, crimson and amber yellow. They are woven into carpets of queer design and ample pile, or form tuffets, or hassocks or mere tangles, mats, or brooms. "They spread and sprawl everywhere, bushy and twigulous, all; looming Into flower together; still looking across the dark ocean of moorland, you see the billowy hills crested with color; and, where escarpments break the even roll, the plant growth surges high up the rocks. It Is western Szechwan - the Tibetan marshes - [and] home of the 'Lapponicum' rhododendrons.
The Feast of the Nativity of the Lord. Year A. The Feast of the Nativity of the Lord. Year A "THE LONG WAIT" IS OVER. {“The Long Wait,” (2011). John Lewis advertisement. @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIl69I5_Wjo (25th December 2019) [The Readings for the Mass During the Night, aka "Midnight Mass" will be read at all Masses in this parish at Christmas Eve and Christmas day] THE LITURGY OF THE WORD First Reading: Isaiah 9:1-7 Psalm 95:1-3. 11-13. “Today is born our saviour, Christ the Lord.” Second Reading: Titus 2:11-14 Gospel Acclamation: Luke 2:10-11. Alleluia, alleluia!. Good News and great joy to all the world: today is born our Saviour, Christ the Lord. Alleluia! Gospel: Luke 2:1-14 Image: Shutterstock Licensed. By Alexander Hoffmann. stock photo ID: 61891489. nativity scene with hand-colored figures made out of wood. References: Fr Paul W. Kelly (1) "In the Bleak Mid-Winter." Christina Georgina Rossetti. This spiritual Christmas poem is very well-known, particularly the last verse, and a favourite to many. (2) "On This Christmas Morn." Deborah Ann Belka. (3) "Bethlehem Of Judea." Author Unknown. (4) “Your Luck Is About To Change.” SUSAN ELIZABETH HOWE. FR RICHARD LEONARD, SJ. QUOTED IN “THE TABLET” PAGE 7, 15TH DECEMBER, 2018. TAKEN FROM REFLECTIONS IN “What Are We Waiting For? Finding Meaning in Advent & Christmas” Richard Leonard, SJ. Paulist Press New York / Mahwah, NJ. Copyright © 2014 by Richard Leonard, SJ. He also quotes Rev. John Bell of the Iona Community in one of his beautiful poems: Video: 2011: 'The Long Wait.' For John Lewis Department Stores, United Kingdom. This was the year that John Lewis confirmed its place in the advertising hall of fame. The twist in this film, showing a young boy's impatience for the big day really caught the public's imagination. Agency: Adam+Eve. Director: Dougal Wilson. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIl69I5_Wjo +++ Archive of homilies and reflections: http://homilycatholic.blogspot.com.au To contact Fr. Paul: paulwkelly68@gmail.com To listen to my weekly homily audio podcast, please click this link here. Please note - It is often a week or so Ahead: https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/tracks You are welcome to subscribe to Fr Paul’s homily mail-out by sending an email to this address:paulkellyreflections+subscribe@googlegroups.com Further information relating to the audio productions linked to this Blog: “Faith, Hope and Love, A time of Christian worship and reflection” - Led by Rev Paul W. Kelly Texts used in this programme are for the purposes of worship and prayer for listeners wherever you are. Prayers and chants are taken from the English Translation of the Roman Missal, edition three, © 2010, The International commission on English in the liturgy. Scriptures are from the New Revised Standard Version: © 1989, by the national council of Churches of Christ, USA. , //adaptations to conform with Catholic liturgical norms, © 2009, by the same. Psalm verses are taken from “The Psalms: the Grail Translation. Inclusive Language Version.” ©1963, 1995, 2004 The Grail (England), published by HarperCollins. London. Prayers of the Faithful are adapted from Robert Borg’s 1993 book “Together we pray”. Published in Sydney Australia By E.J. Dwyer. (out of print). { “Mass In Honour of St. Ralph Sherwin” -published 2011, Composed and Sung by Jeffrey M. Ostrowski Featuring the….Gloria. COPYRIGHT @ 2018 CORPUS CHRISTI WATERSHED. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. www.ccwatershed.org/vatican/Ralph_Sherwin_Videos/ “Faith, Hope and Love” theme Hymn: Words, based on 1 Corinthians 13:1-13, set to original music © 1996 by Paul W. Kelly. Updated Lyrics, Arrangement and Vocals by Stefan Kelk. 2019. For more details please visithttp://homilycatholic.blogspot.com.au/ Contact us at paulwkelly68@gmail.com Production by KER. May God bless and keep you.
The panel begins a fortnight-long feature on the Rossettis with an examination of Christina Georgina Rossetti's 'Goblin Market', including a reading of most of the poem with focus on the poem's elusive metaphors and multiple potential readings.
Larry doesn't know how to buy presents. A spa or a hair thing or a nail thing? And find out how they get Marines to make "that face" in their portraits. Speaking of birthdays, Larry recites the poem "A Birthday" by Christina Georgina Rossetti. Then Larry discusses the classic movie "The Oxbow Incident." http://LarryMillerShow.com Quote of the week: "Who doesn't like traffic cops on Mars?"
Larry doesn't know how to buy presents. A spa or a hair thing or a nail thing? And find out how they get Marines to make "that face" in their portraits. Speaking of birthdays, Larry recites the poem "A Birthday" by Christina Georgina Rossetti. Then Larry discusses the classic movie "The Oxbow Incident." http://LarryMillerShow.com Quote of the week: "Who doesn't like traffic cops on Mars?"
This is the second special edition Advent audio podcast. A couple years ago I composed a list of Advent poems. Since that time, it has gone on to be one of the most read Coffeehouse Junkie blog posts. This episode features “Mosaic of the Nativity (Serbia, Winter 1993)” by Jane Kenyon, “Nativity” by John Donne, “A Christmas Carol” by Christina Georgina Rossetti and a selection from the Book of Common Prayer. Also, special thanks to Folk Angel for permission to use “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” from their album Comfort & Joy – Christmas Songs, Vol. 3. If you are looking for some great Christmas records, check out their website, FolkAngle.com. They are a Texas band that performs rearrangements of traditional Christmas songs. And I just found out that their latest album drops today! Right now they are offering a sale on the first five albums (42 songs) for $10. See you next time at the Coffee Den!
Christina Georgina Rossetti read by Classic Poetry Aloud www.classicpoetryaloud.com Twitter: @classicpoetry Facebook: www.facebook.com/poetryaloud Giving voice to the poetry of the past. --------------------------------------------------- Remember by Christina Georgina Rossetti (1830 – 1894) Remember me when I am gone away, Gone far away into the silent land; When you can no more hold me by the hand, Nor I half turn to go, yet turning stay. Remember me when no more day by day You tell me of our future that you plann'd: Only remember me; you understand It will be late to counsel then or pray. Yet if you should forget me for a while And afterwards remember, do not grieve: For if the darkness and corruption leave A vestige of the thoughts that once I had, Better by far you should forget and smile Than that you should remember and be sad. Reading © Classic Poetry Aloud, 2007.
CG Rossetti read by Classic Poetry Aloud: http://www.classicpoetryaloud.com/ Giving voice to the poetry of the past. --------------------------------------- Song by Christina Georgina Rossetti (1830 – 1894) When I am dead, my dearest, Sing no sad songs for me; Plant thou no roses at my head, Nor shady cypress tree: Be the green grass above me With showers and dewdrops wet; And if thou wilt, remember, And if thou wilt, forget. I shall not see the shadows, I shall not feel the rain; I shall not hear the nightingale Sing on, as if in pain: And dreaming through the twilight That doth not rise nor set, Haply I may remember, And haply may forget. First aired: 27 May 2008 For hundreds more poetry readings, visit the Classic Poetry Aloud index. Reading © Classic Poetry Aloud 2009
CG Rossetti read by Classic Poetry Aloud: Giving voice to the poetry of the past. www.classicpoetryaloud.com -------------------------------------------- Echo by Christina Georgina Rossetti (1830 – 1894) Come to me in the silence of the night; Come in the speaking silence of a dream; Come with soft rounded cheeks and eyes as bright As sunlight on a stream; Come back in tears, O memory, hope and love of finished years. O dream how sweet, too sweet, too bitter-sweet, Whose wakening should have been in Paradise, Where souls brim-full of love abide and meet; Where thirsting longing eyes Watch the slow door That opening, letting in, lets out no more. Yet come to me in dreams, that I may live My very life again though cold in death; Come back to me in dreams, that I may give Pulse for pulse, breath for breath: Speak low, lean low, As long ago, my love, how long ago. First aired: 6 January 2009 For hundreds more poetry readings, visit the Classic Poetry Aloud index. Reading © Classic Poetry Aloud 2009
CG Rossetti read by Classic Poetry Aloud: http://www.classicpoetryaloud.com/ Giving voice to the poetry of the past. --------------------------------------------------- A Birthday by Christina Rossetti by Christina Georgina Rossetti (1830 – 1894) My heart is like a singing bird Whose nest is in a water'd shoot; My heart is like an apple-tree Whose boughs are bent with thick-set fruit; My heart is like a rainbow shell That paddles in a halcyon sea; My heart is gladder than all these, Because my love is come to me. Raise me a daïs of silk and down; Hang it with vair and purple dyes; Carve it in doves and pomegranates, And peacocks with a hundred eyes; Work it in gold and silver grapes, In leaves and silver fleurs-de-lys; Because the birthday of my life Is come, my love is come to me. First aired: 21 December 2007 For hundreds more poetry readings, visit the Classic Poetry Aloud index. Reading © Classic Poetry Aloud 2008
CG Rossetti read by Classic Poetry Aloud: http://www.classicpoetryaloud.com/ Giving voice to the poetry of the past. --------------------------------------------------- Remember by Christina Georgina Rossetti (1830 – 1894) Remember me when I am gone away, Gone far away into the silent land; When you can no more hold me by the hand, Nor I half turn to go, yet turning stay. Remember me when no more day by day You tell me of our future that you plann'd: Only remember me; you understand It will be late to counsel then or pray. Yet if you should forget me for a while And afterwards remember, do not grieve: For if the darkness and corruption leave A vestige of the thoughts that once I had, Better by far you should forget and smile Than that you should remember and be sad. First aired: 26 October 2007 For hundreds more poetry readings, visit the Classic Poetry Aloud index. Reading © Classic Poetry Aloud 2008
CG Rossetti read by Classic Poetry Aloud: http://www.classicpoetryaloud.com/ Giving voice to the poetry of the past. --------------------------------------------- Somewhere or other by Christina Georgina Rossetti (1830 – 1894) Somewhere or other there must surely be The face not seen, the voice not heard, The heart that not yet—never yet—ah me! Made answer to my word. Somewhere or other, may be near or far; Past land and sea, clean out of sight; Beyond the wandering moon, beyond the star That tracks her night by night. Somewhere or other, may be far or near; With just a wall, a hedge, between; With just the last leaves of the dying year Fallen on a turf grown green. First aired: 10 September 2008 For hundreds more poetry readings, visit the Classic Poetry Aloud index. Reading © Classic Poetry Aloud 2008
CG Rossetti read by Classic Poetry Aloud: http://www.classicpoetryaloud.com/ Giving voice to the poetry of the past. --------------------------------------------- Aloof by Christina Georgina Rossetti (1830 – 1894) The irresponsive silence of the land, The irresponsive sounding of the sea, Speak both one message of one sense to me:— Aloof, aloof, we stand aloof, so stand Thou too aloof, bound with the flawless band Of inner solitude; we bind not thee; But who from thy self-chain shall set thee free? What heart shall touch thy heart? What hand thy hand? And I am sometimes proud and sometimes meek, And sometimes I remember days of old When fellowship seem'd not so far to seek, And all the world and I seem'd much less cold, And at the rainbow's foot lay surely gold, And hope felt strong, and life itself not weak. First aired: 11 August 2008 For hundreds more poetry readings, visit the Classic Poetry Aloud index. Reading © Classic Poetry Aloud 2008
Rossetti read by Classic Poetry Aloud: http://www.classicpoetryaloud.com/ Giving voice to the poetry of the past. --------------------------------------------- May by Christina Georgina Rossetti(1830 – 1894) I cannot tell you how it was; But this I know: it came to pass Upon a bright and breezy day When May was young; ah, pleasant May! As yet the poppies were not born Between the blades of tender corn; The last eggs had not hatched as yet, Nor any bird forgone its mate. I cannot tell you what it was; But this I know: it did but pass. It passed away with sunny May, With all sweet things it passed away, And left me old, and cold, and grey. For hundreds more poetry readings, visit the Classic Poetry Aloud index. To be notified of new postings, and to receive some extra, short text about each poetry reading, join the mailing list.
CG Rossetti read by Classic Poetry Aloud: http://www.classicpoetryaloud.com/ Giving voice to the poetry of the past. --------------------------------------------- Song by Christina Georgina Rossetti(1830 – 1894) When I am dead, my dearest, Sing no sad songs for me; Plant thou no roses at my head, Nor shady cypress tree: Be the green grass above me With showers and dewdrops wet; And if thou wilt, remember, And if thou wilt, forget. I shall not see the shadows, I shall not feel the rain; I shall not hear the nightingale Sing on, as if in pain: And dreaming through the twilight That doth not rise nor set, Haply I may remember, And haply may forget. For hundreds more poetry readings, visit the Classic Poetry Aloud index. To be notified of new postings, and to receive some extra, short text about each poetry reading, join the mailing list.
Christina Georgina Rossetti read by Classic Poetry Aloud: http://www.classicpoetryaloud.com/ Giving voice to classic poetry. --------------------------------------------------- Remember by Christina Georgina Rossetti (1830 – 1894) Remember me when I am gone away, Gone far away into the silent land; When you can no more hold me by the hand, Nor I half turn to go, yet turning stay. Remember me when no more day by day You tell me of our future that you plann'd: Only remember me; you understand It will be late to counsel then or pray. Yet if you should forget me for a while And afterwards remember, do not grieve: For if the darkness and corruption leave A vestige of the thoughts that once I had, Better by far you should forget and smile Than that you should remember and be sad.