Podcasts about horticultural society

We continue to talk about plans to move the Community Mental Health Team to Sir Joshua Hassan House. The Mental Welfare Society's Conchita Triay told Jonathan Scott the priority has to be the rolling out of a "robust, easy to access service".Small Spaces, Big Impact - the Horticultural Society is preparing an exciting new campaign. As Spring springs, Andrew Abrines will tell us about the Giralda Gardens. Ahead of Gibraltar's world cup qualifiers, we look ahead to a special GBC programme recapping our 2024 Nations League campaign. Jose-Mari Ruiz talks to us about that, and the visit of football legend Andriy Shevchenko.And, what about International Table Soccer? Richard Berllaque and Jose Luis Bonavia tell us what to expect as Gibraltar prepares to host teams including Austria, Spain and the U.K. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is an engaging conversation on urban pollinators taped live during the Buzzkill celebration in New York City on March 3, 2025, moderated by Sewell Chan, executive editor of the Columbia Journalism Review, with Buzzkill host Teresa Cotsirilos, Sara Hobel, executive director of the Horticultural Society of New York, and Rebecca Louie, executive director of the Bee Conservancy.

Episode 46: Recorded October 4, 2024 "Greyhound racing -- I will be forever grateful. It owes me nothing, and I owe it everything." Acting CEO of GRNSW Wayne Billett on his third generation Australian Greyhound racing legacy Show Notes In the 1930s and 1940s, Wayne Billet's grandfather served on the Dapto Agricultural & Horticultural Society that would introduce Greyhound racing to the Syndey suburb. Wayne's father and uncle would work at the Dapto Greyhound track as well. At the age of 15, as the third generation of Billetts, would start work in the Dapto Greyhound kennels. Forty odd years later, Wayne serves as the acting CEO of Greyhound Racing New South Wales (GRNSW). In that time, he graduated from kennel work to starter, club steward, and race club manager. Today, he manages the whole of Greyhound racing in the Australian state of New South Wales. Under Wayne's leadership, GRNSW is prospering. The Million Dollar Chase draws large crowds and "punters" to see the biggest single Greyhound race payout in the world. The Taree Super Track recently opened with new technologies and safety features for Greyhounds. Finally, a dedicated rehoming facility for North American adopters is open for business with more than fifty adoptable Greyhounds waiting to cross the Pacific. In this episode, host John Parker and Wayne sit down to talk about his family's background in Greyhound racing, The Million Dollar Chase, and the future of Greyhound Racing in New South Wales. John also challenges Wayne to Parker's Lightning Round of Greyhound questions. Links The Million Dollar Chase (YouTube Livestream) The Million Dollar Chase (Website) The Taree Super Track (Article)

Καλωσορίσατε στο ουδέτερο ξενοδοχείο μηλίτη! Join Gabe Cook, Martyn Goodwin-Sharman, Grant Hutchison and Producer Scott, for this week's booking, in a layover from Greece.The guys chat holiday and work for Gabe, the now-not-so-new release of In Touch IV for Martyn, tickets to the hottest show in town for Grant, and a training montage from the 80's for backpacking with Scott.Then it's the news, with the slow moving cogs of the local cider industry on full show, with the guys discussing the recent grubbing of 300 acres of orchard by the company Heineken. Having a surprisingly balanced look at the situation, the hoteliers give their hot takes on the subject, before this week's big interview.The first celebrity cider maker, the artist formerly known for Mock the Week is the one and only Ed Byrne! Fresh on tour with his new show: Tragedy Plus Time, Ed discusses everything with the guys. From horticulture to brotherhood, second place apples to beautiful people exclusives, its a laugh chatting to a comedian in incredible physical shape. The guys chat and drink, and this week it's Starlight by the wonderful Rull Orchard.Finally, the guys have heard the hotel guest complaints, and are responding to the backed up pipe running through the hotel. Busting open with messages throughout the years, the speakpipe is back, and this time with some very lovely notes.And with that, the hotel closes for another week. Please do check out the socials, and send us your messages to have your say in where the guys go next, what happens in the future, and just let us know how you're doing! And get ready for our next guest at the Neutral Cider Hotel!THE TEAMGabe is a cider expert: The Ciderologist / SubstackGrant owns a cider shop: Aeble Cider ShopMartyn loves to write about cider: CiderShitExecutive Producer/Editor: Scott RiggsMusic: Billy KennedyCONNECTInstagram: NeutralCiderHotelFacebook: NeutralCiderHotelThreads: NeutralCiderHotelX: NeutralCiderPodYouTube: NeutralCiderHotelLinktree: NeutralCiderHotelListen and share episodes on our website: https://www.neutralciderhotel.net/Leave us a voicemail: https://www.speakpipe.com/neutralciderhotelJoin the conversation: https://www.reddit.com/r/NeutralCiderHotel/

‘Now You See Us: Women Artists in Britain 1520-1920' is an ambitious group show at TATE BRITAIN that charts the 400 year long journey that it took for women to become recognised as professional artists which paved the way for future generations and established what it meant to be a woman in the British art world.  On Tuesday 14 May 2024, at the Press View of the exhibition ‘Now You See Us:  Women Artists in Britain 1520-1920', RNIB Connect Radio's Toby Davey was joined by Tim Batchelor, Assistant Assistant Curator of the exhibition, to find out more about the 400 year journey that it took for women to become recognised as professional Artists along with an insight into the work of some of the 100 Women Artists featured in the exhibition. About the exhibition ‘Expressionists - Kandinsky, Münter And The Blue Rider' - The exhibition ‘Now You See Us: Women Artis in Britain 1520-1920' covers the period in which women were visibly working as professional artists, but went against societal expectations to do so. Featuring over 100 artists, the exhibition will celebrate well-known names such as Artemisia Gentileschi, Angelica Kauffman, Julia Margaret Cameron and Gwen John, alongside many others who are only now being rediscovered. Their careers were as varied as the works they produced: some prevailed over genres deemed suitable for women like watercolour landscapes and domestic scenes. Others dared to take on subjects dominated by men like battle scenes and the nude, or campaigned for equal access to training and membership of professional institutions. Tate Britain will showcase over 200 works, including oil painting, watercolour, pastel, sculpture, photography and ‘needlepainting' to tell the story of these trailblazing artists. ‘Now You See Us' begins at the Tudor court with Levina Teerlinc, many of whose miniatures will be brought together for the first time in four decades, and Esther Inglis, whose manuscripts contain Britain's earliest known self-portraits by a woman artist. The exhibition will then look to the 17th century. Focus will be given to one of art history's most celebrated women artists, Artemisia Gentileschi, who created major works in London at the court of Charles I, including the recently rediscovered Susannah and the Elders 1638-40, on loan from the Royal Collection for the very first time. The exhibition will also look to women such as Mary Beale, Joan Carlile and Maria Verelst who broke new ground as professional portrait painters in oil. In the 18th century, women artists took part in Britain's first public art exhibitions, including overlooked figures such as Katherine Read and Mary Black; the sculptor Anne Seymour Damer; and Margaret Sarah Carpenter, a leading figure in her day but little heard of now. The show will look at Angelica Kauffman and Mary Moser, the only women included among the Founder Members of the Royal Academy of Arts; it took 160 years for membership to be granted to another woman. Women artists of this era are often dismissed as amateurs pursuing ‘feminine' occupations like watercolour and flower painting, but many worked in these genres professionally: needlewoman Mary Linwood, whose gallery was a major tourist attraction; miniaturist Sarah Biffin, who painted with her mouth, having been born without arms and legs; and Augusta Withers, a botanical illustrator employed by the Horticultural Society. The Victorian period saw a vast expansion in public exhibition venues. Now You See Us will showcase major works by critically appraised artists of this period, including Elizabeth Thompson's monumental The Roll Call 1874 (Thompson's work prompted critic John Ruskin to retract his statement that “no women could paint”), and nudes by Henrietta Rae and Annie Swynnerton, which sparked both debate and celebration.  The exhibition will also look at women's connection to activism, including Florence Claxton's satirical ‘Woman's Work': A Medley 1861 which will be on public display for the first time since it was painted; and an exploration of the life of Barbara Leigh Smith Bodichon, an early member of the Society of Female Artists who is credited with the campaign for women to be admitted to the Royal Academy Schools. On show will be the student work of women finally admitted to art schools, as well as their petitions for equal access to life drawing classes. With the exhibition ending in the early 20th century with women's suffrage and the First World War. Women artists like Gwen John, Vanessa Bell and Helen Saunders played an important role in the emergence of modernism, abstraction and vorticism, but others, such as Anna Airy, who also worked as a war artist, continued to excel in conventional traditions. The final artists in the show, Laura Knight and Ethel Walker, offer powerful examples of ambitious, independent, confident professionals who achieved critical acclaim and finally membership of the Royal Academy. ‘Now You See Us - Women Artists in Britain 1520-1920' continues at TATE BRITAIN until 13  October 2024.  Description tours are available for blind and partially sighted people but need to be booked in advance via hello@tate.org.uk or on 020 7887 8888. More details about ‘Now You See Us:  Women Artists in Britain 1520 - 1920' at Tate Britain can be found by visiting the following pages of the Tate website- https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-britain/women-artists-in-britain-1520-1920 Image shows: Gwen John, Self-Portrait, 1902. Photo Tate (Mark Heathcote and Samuel Cole), a painting of a white woman wearing a red blouse and a broach with her hair light brown tied up against a dark brown background.

Nick and Josh chat with Darren Everest about Freshwater Horticultural Society

It's Trooping The Colour (aka The King's Birthday Parade) on Saturday and many of you, Royal community members have asked us to give you all the history surrounding the Royal event, plus what to expect and what is coming up for King Charles III during the very first Trooping The Colour of his reign. So, we shall be dedicating the Royal news to this very topic.    In today's Royal Podcast, we are also chatting about:  William and Sophie's joint engagement to the special premiere of RHINO MAN The Movie The Duchess of Kent makes a rare Royal engagement with her charity, FutureTrust Queen Camilla's Reading Room festival takes place at Hampton Court Palace  The Duke of Edinburgh visits Ukrainian Soldiers having military training The Duchess of Edinburgh heads to the Windsor Flower Show Plus so much more in today's bumper-packed Keeping Up With The Windsors Royal Family Podcast.    *The biggest thank you to Joanne, Deb, Cindy and C for their comments used in the episode relating to last week's podcast*  

Have you ever thought about the healing power of plants beyond just their aesthetic appeal? As plant parents, we know how much fun it is to take care of our plants, but did you know that therapeutic horticulture is a practice being used in hospitals, retirement homes, and even correctional facilities? Today, we're exploring the concept of therapeutic horticulture with the guidance of expert teacher Hilda Krus, who has been a horticultural therapist for over two decades, working with inmates at Rikers Island, New York's largest jail. Let's dive in!In this episode, we learn:[08:16] How Hilda Krus became a therapeutic horticulture expert[17:06] What is AHDA?[21:07] Is horticultural therapy the same as therapeutic horticulture?[24:34] Need a plant-based meal delivery system that eases bloat and boosts energy?[27:41] How creating a comfortable and easy space in a garden requires intentional work[31:53] What lessons did Hilda learn after working at Rikers Island for 20 years?[42:15] How can horticultural therapy programs get government funding?[49:09] Hilda describes her routine and a student's typical day at Rikers[51:21] What is the layout of the garden at Rikers Island?[53:46] How is the food they grow on-site at Rikers Island being used?[56:26] Did any of Hilda's students choose to work in horticulture after finishing her class?[59:14] Are you looking to create a spa-like ambiance in your home with beautiful chimes? [01:01:37] Inspiring stories in Rikers' therapeutic horticultural program[01:03:56] What is the Horticultural Society of New York?[01:11:03] What classes does Hilda teach at NYBG?[01:12:13] Hilda's recommended horticultural books!Check out the Therapeutic Horticulture Summer Intensive at the NYBG!Mentioned in our conversation:Soil Science IIntroduction to Plant ScienceThe Science of Tree CommunicationIntroduction to Horticultural TherapyTherapeutic Horticulture Certificate ProgramGrowing Joy Episode 37: Horticultural TherapyAmerican Horticultural Therapy AssociationHorticultural Society of New YorkBook by Sue Stuart-Smith The Well-Gardened MindBook by Rebecca L. Haller, Christine L. Capra Horticultural Therapy MethodsFor more insights on therapeutic horticulture,check out the full show notes and blog here!Thank you to our episode sponsors:SakaraMake eating healthier easier with science-backed, plant-rich nutrition programs and wellness essentials right to your door! Sakara provides ready-to-eat meals that are nutritionally designed to deliver results — from weight management and eased bloat, to boosted energy and clearer skin. Enjoy delicious meals that have a perfect balance of plants,protein and fats, while also taking control of your physical health.Get 20% off your first order when you use code "GROWINGJOY" at sakara.com.Wind River ChimesBring more peace, serenity, and magic into your home with chimes. Wind River is a Virginia-based company creating premium handcrafted and hand-tuned wind chimes for over 35 years. If you are looking for a new way to grow joy in your life and find a moment of peace, a Wind River chime is the perfect addition for your home or garden. Plus, it's a perfect personalized gift for your loved ones!Visit windriverchimes.com and use code GROWINGJOY to receive free engraving on all Corinthian Bells wind chimes.Follow the Horticultural Society:Hilda's LinkedInWebsiteInstagramTwitterFollow Maria and Growing Joy:Order my book: Growing Joy: The Plant Lover's Guide to Cultivating Happiness (and Plants) by Maria Failla, Illustrated by Samantha LeungJoin the Bloom and Grow Garden Party Community Platform & App AKA the plantiest and kindest corner of the internet! Get your FREE 2-week trial here!Take the Plant Parent Personality Quiz (Get the perfect plants, projects and educational resources for YOUR Lifestyle)Support Bloom and Grow Radio by becoming a Plant Friend on Patreon!Instagram: @growingjoywithmariaTiktok: @growingjoywithmariaSubscribe to the Growing Joy Youtube channel! /growingjoywithmariaWebsite: www.growingjoywithmaria.comPinterest: @growingjoywithmariaOur Sponsors:* Check out Quince: https://www.quince.com/Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Anthony Sebastian Buscaino was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York and is a third-generation Italian American. His ancestral roots are from Sicily and Calabria. During his summers attending university, he worked with a horticulturist as a gardener in various parks, church grounds, residential properties, and rooftop gardens. During his studies, Anthony became intrigued with horticultural therapy. Through a Directed Studies Program at Temple University he participated in an internship at New York City's Rikers Island Prison Complex for the Horticultural Society of New York's GreenHouse Program.  Anthony acted as an instructor working directly with incarcerated individuals.  Shortly after his internship, he graduated from Temple University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Landscape Architecture. After graduation, Anthony applied for an internship at New York City Parks. Since that time he has been working as a designer and project manager for the Capital Projects Division. His team works in the Borough of Queens where Anthony has worked on plazas, playgrounds, triangles, ballfields, gardens, pathways, and dog parks. He continued his education while working for NYC Parks and received a permaculture design certification and took his tests to receive his landscape architecture license. In addition to Anthony's full-time position as a landscape architect, Anthony's zeal for creating art has led him to exhibit his artwork in groups and solo shows throughout New York City.   --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/plantatrilliontrees/support

Retiring Royal Agricultural & Horticultural Society of SA CEO John Rothwell joined Matthew ahead of his final Royal Adelaide Show in charge. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Livestock producers are set to gain greater access to the oral pain relief products NumOcaine and Buccalgesic, William Rayner is the new CEO of the Royal Agricultural and Horticultural Society of South Australia and a Taiwanese backpacker who fell in love with Pinnaroo, and a local - has  established a food van with meals from her home country

Aussie historian, author & entertainer Jim Haynes joins Overnight each week for his unique knowledge of the not-so-famous characters from Australia's history. This week Jim shines the spotlight on Joseph Beeston. Joseph Lievesley Beeston was born in Newcastle in 1859. The son of the traffic manager on the new Newcastle to Maitland Railway, he was educated in Newcastle and then went to study medicine in London and later attended the Dublin College of Surgeons. Beeston practised medicine in Newcastle and became President of the NSW British Medical Association and Honorary Surgeon at Newcastle Hospital. He was also President of the Newcastle School of Arts and the Newcastle Agricultural and Horticultural Society. In 1908 he was appointed a lifetime Liberal member to the NSW Parliamentary Upper House. He served as Honorary Captain in the Army Medical Staff Corps from 1891 and enlisted on the outbreak of war in September 1914. As Lieutenant Colonel he was Officer in Charge of the 4th Field Ambulance at Gallipoli and was awarded the CMG and VD. He contracted malaria and was invalided to Wandsworth Hospital London and upon recovery served as Assistant Director of Medical Services to the 2nd Division. In 1916 he returned to Australia and wrote the book from which the pieces used here were taken, ‘Five Months At Anzac', the same year. He died in 1921.   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this week's show, Rev. Jonathan A. Mason sits down with Philadelphia Councilmember-At-Large Helen Gym about steps she's taking to end the practice of having funds earmarked for foster programs end up in the city's general fund. Then, Rev. Mason talks with Philadelphia Horticultural Society head Sam Hemheney to talk about how PHS is creating greenspaces in some of the city's most blighted areas.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

March 22, 2022 St. Catherine, Thomas Carew, New York Horticultural Society, Christine Johanna Buisman, The Earth in Her Hands by Jennifer Jewell, and John Banister Tabb

Today in botanical history, we celebrate nutmeg, some flower recommendations for a green garden, and the rebirth of the NYC flower show after a ten-year hiatus. We'll hear an excerpt from some writing by Ray Bradbury. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a beautiful book by Bunny Williams. And then we'll wrap things up with the fate of Empress Josephine's copy of Pierre-Joseph Redoute's botanical watercolors known as ''Les Liliacees'' (''The Lilies'').     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   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.   Curated News First NYC Tree Canopy Study Shows Growth as Storms and Budget Cuts Threaten Gains | thecity.nyc | Rachel Holliday Smith   Important Events November 15, 1843 On this day, the New England Farmer ran a little blurb about the Nutmeg Tree. The nutmeg tree flourishes in Singapore, near the equator. It is raised from the nut in nurseries, where it remains till the fifth year when it puts forth its first blossoms and shows its sex. It is then set out permanently. The trees are planted thirty feet apart, in diamond order a male tree in the center. They begin to bear in the eighth year, increasing for many years, and they pay a large profit. There is no nutmeg season. Every day of the year shows buds, blossoms, and fruit, in every stage of growth to maturity. The nutmeg is a large and beautiful tree, with thick foliage and of a rich green color. The ripe fruit is singularly brilliant. The shell is glossy black, and the mace it exposes when it bursts, is of a bright scarlet, making the tree one of the most beautiful objects of the vegetable world.  Well, this article from 1843 was correct. Nutmeg trees can actually grow to be about 65 feet tall. They bear fruit for six decades or longer - so they're very productive. The fruit of the nutmeg tree resembles and apricots.   And by the way, in case you're wondering the nutmeg is not a nut, it is a fruit - and that's why people with nut allergies can enjoy nutmeg because it's not a nut. Now the botanical name for nutmeg is Myristica fragrans. The etymology of the word Myristica is Greek and means “fragrance for anointing”, which gives us a clue to one of the ways that nutmeg was used in ancient times. You may have heard that nutmeg is illegal in Saudi Arabia. According to the journal of medical toxicology, nutmeg can be toxic and in Saudi Arabia, they consider nutmeg to be a narcotic.  Nutmeg is not allowed anywhere in the country unless it's already incorporated into some type of pre-blended spice mix.   November 15, 1981 On this day, Henry Mitchell wrote an article for the Washington Post called Blooms in the Boxwood in which he shared some of his favorite plants to grow in a primarily-green garden. Regarding the Japanese anemone, Henry wrote, It abides a good bit of shade and never looks better than against a background of box and ivy. The delicate-looking (but tough as leather) flowers are like white half-dollars set on a branching stem about four feet high, with a yellow boss of stamens in the middle. Its leaves all spring from the ground, like large green polished hands, so it looks good from spring to fall, and in winter you tidy it up and the earth is bare (sprigs of the native red cedar or holly can be stuck in… Regarding bugbane, Henry wrote, ...named for its supposed baneful effect on bugs... Its foliage is as good as or better than that of the anemone, and in October it opens its foxtail flowers (a quite thin fox, admittedly) on firm thin stems waist to chest high. The flowers are made of hundreds of tiny white florets, somewhat like an eremurus or a buddleis, only more gracefully curving than either. Against a green wall it is very handsome; gardeners who sometimes wonder what is wrong with marigolds and zinnias, reproached for their weedy coarseness, need only consult the bugbane to see the difference in elegance.  For Chrysanthemums, Henry advises: As fall comes, you might indulge in a white cushion chrysanthemum. Chrysanthemums in my opinion cannot be made to look very grand or elegant, so I would not overdo them. Of course, they are fine for specialists who like to grow hundreds of different sorts, but I am speaking of just a green garden with a touch of white. Then you come again to the white Japanese anemones and bugbanes.   November 15, 1984 On this day, The New York Times announced the return of a Spring Flower Show for the city. The International Flower Show ended, after over 10 years of exhibiting in the Coliseum, because of increasing costs and the demise of estates that recruited their garden staffs to create and grow exhibits, The new show's exhibition space will be 60,000 square feet, as against the 200,000 square feet provided by the Coliseum. An advantage of the new flower show's layout is that it will be on one floor. Larry Pardue, executive director of the Horticultural Society of New York, sponsor of the show, said:  ''It will be unlike any show in the country. Rather than view a series of small gardens, visitors will be totally immersed in two huge gardens, 76 feet by over 100 feet long. It will be designed to be an emotional experience.'' By all accounts, the 1985 flower show was a huge success and was visited by more than 83,000 people. Larry Pardue became the Sarasota, Florida executive director of the Marie Selby Botanic Gardens, which specialized in orchids, bromeliads, and other epiphytes.   Unearthed Words One day many years ago, a man walked along and stood in the sound of the ocean on a cold sunless shore and said, "We need a voice to call across the water, to warn ships; I'll make one. I'll make a voice that is like an empty bed beside you all night long, and like an empty house when you open the door, and like the trees in autumn with no leaves. A sound like the birds flying south, crying, and a sound like November wind and the sea on the hard, cold shore. I'll make a sound that's so alone that no one can miss it, that whoever hears it will weep in their souls, and to all who hear it in the distant towns. I'll make me a sound and an apparatus and they'll call it a Fog Horn, and whoever hears it will know the sadness of eternity and the briefness of life." The Fog Horn blew. ― Ray Bradbury, The Fog Horn   Grow That Garden Library A House by the Sea by Bunny Williams This fantastic book came out in 2016 and it is all about Bunny's marvelous, Caribbean home called La Colina. This book is a beautiful coffee table book and what's really neat about this book is that each chapter is written by her friends. So Bunny has one friend write about the architecture and then another friend discusses the collections and another friend talks about the cooking and the food. Then Paige Dickey, the garden writer, toured the gardens and writes this wonderful essay about Bunny's beautiful gardens at La Colina. Of course,  if I wasn't a huge bunny Williams fan if I didn't have her book called An Affair With A House or her book On Garden Style,  I maybe would be tempted not to get this book. But I am a huge bunny Williams fan and I know that everything she does is done with so much beauty, grace, and style that I could not resist getting a copy of this book. Then once I learned that Paige Dickey was the person that got to review the gardens? Well, then I had to get my copy of this book. This beautiful book would make a great Christmas present. The photographs are absolutely incredible. I'll tell you a few of my favorite things from the garden section of this book. There is an entrance to the cactus garden that features all of this blue pottery and in each one of these blue pots is a cactus which makes for a stunning entrance to her cactus garden. There's also a gorgeous stone shell fountain at the end of the swimming pool and it's covered in vine. In fact, Bunny is known for her use of vines in the garden - something to keep your eyes peeled for if you get this book because you'll see her use of vines throughout the garden. Bunny not only has vines climbing up structures, but they also just ramble around and kind of make their way - softening a lot of the hard edges in the garden. The hardscapes are absolutely to die for and there's an avenue of Palm trees in this over-the-top, incredible garden. The entire property is just truly breathtaking. This book is 256 pages of Bunny Williams in the Caribbean and it's a must-have if you enjoy Bunny Williams and her work. You can get a copy of A House by the Sea by Bunny Williams and support the show using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for around $20.   Today's Botanic Spark Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart November 15, 1985 On this day, The New York Times announced the auction of Empress Josephine's copy of Pierre-Joseph Redoute's botanical watercolors for ''Les Liliacees'' (''The Lilies''). Now the speculation in this article was that the auction could go from being five minutes long to five hours or longer. They had no idea who was going to ultimately win this particular auction and they estimated that Redoute The Lilies would go for anywhere from $5 to $7 million. Now this work was extra special because it was commissioned by Marie Antoinette. In fact, there's a famous story that Marie wanted to make sure that Redoute was as good as what she had heard and so she summoned him to come to her chambers in the middle of the night, one night and when he got there, she ordered him to paint her a cactus on the spot. He did and so obviously he proved his worth to her and he began painting many of the flowers that were in the Royal Gardens. Now Josephine Bonaparte was a huge lover of the gardens. She loved the flowers. She loved all of the new, exotic flowers from the tropics so she was always looking for new, beautiful blossoms to put in the Royal garden and of course, she was a huge Redoute fan. This impressive Redoute collection became hers and was passed on through her family line until 1935 when the collection was auctioned off in Zurich. Since that time it was held in a vault, in a bank as part of a family trust. Now, when it came to this particular auction, the reporter for this article spoke with a London dealer named Peter Mitchell who specialized in flower paintings and stressed the important significance of this work. He felt it was so unusual to have all of these originals still intact and still so beautiful and he expressed his concern that the collection might be bought by a syndicate, which basically means that a group of people would get together to buy the collection and then split it up. Thus, everybody in the syndicate would get their share of the collection. To cut the suspense, that's exactly what ended up happening. I checked the New York times for the result of this sale and here's what they wrote. “The sale lasted only three minutes. It was one of the fastest ever for such an expensive property. And the price achieved was the 10th highest for work purchased at an art auction house.  ''I have $5 million against all of you on the phone and most of you standing,'' John L. Marion, Sotheby's president, said from the rostrum. ''Is there any advance on $5 million? I give you fair warning - sold for $5 million.'' The 10 percent buyer's commission brought the total selling price to $5.5 million. Now the gentleman that represented the syndicate said that he thought the collection was worth $20 million and so he was thrilled with his purchase. He also gave a little insight into the syndicate, which was made up of executives from different companies, there was also a shopping mall developer, partners in law firms, commodities traders, as well as every major investment bank in New York. He said that. 75% of them wanted the watercolors for themselves (they wanted to own a piece of Redoute's botanical art) while the other 25% were using it purely for investment. And so that was the fate of Pierre Joseph Redoute's The Lilies collection of botanical watercolors that had been owned by Empress Josephine Bonaparte. Today for you and I, we can purchase copies of Redoute's work on Etsy for around $20.   Thanks for listening to The Daily Gardener. And remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."

One of the ripple effects of the COVID-19 pandemic was that the Philadelphia Flower Show this year was held in June. And it was outside at FDR Park, instead of its usual home in the Pennsylvania Convention Center. When the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society moved the flowers, they built sustainability into the framework of the new flower show. Sam Lemheney, Chief of Shows and Events for the Horticultural Society is on the podcast to break down what it took to move the flower show outdoors and how both the park and the show got greener because of the partnership. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Neiel Drain is the Patron of the Canterbury Horticultural Society and Hayley Guglietta is the Spokesperson of Avon-Ōtākaro Network and the chairperson of the Richmond Community Garden

This week the verdict came down in the trial of Derek Chauvin, the former police officer charged with killing George Floyd in an incident that sparked an uprising for racial justice and police reform. Chauvin was found guilty on all counts ahead and there are three additional officers charged with complicity in Floyd's death. I speak with Keir Bradford Grey, formerly Philadelphia Chief Defender for the Defender Association of Philadelphia and currently a partner at the law firm Montgomery McCracken Walker & Rhoads. We discuss the verdict and its implications for the future of police reform.First, I speak with Julianne Schrader Ortega – Pennsylvania Horticultural Society's Chief of Healthy Neighborhoods about the power of horticulture to make positive social and environmental change. Schrader Ortega shares how the organization is helping support community gardens, increase access to fresh food, build meaningful social connections and provide workforce training for returning citizens. https://phsonline.org/

In this episode, Everyday Nonviolence podcast team member, Diane Sandberg, talks with the Executive Director of the Minnesota State Horticultural Society (MSHS), Rick Juliusson. Rick reflects on how his varied experiences in international and U.S. non-profit organizations and as a farmer informs his work with MSHS. He shares his excitement about MSHS’s increased focus on needs such as food insecurity and diversity.  Additional information about MSHS is available at: https://northerngardener.org. 

Today we celebrate a journal entry about spring and sap and microclimates. We'll also learn about a young Dutch botanist who determined the cause of Dutch Elm Disease. We’ll hear a poem about spring from a beloved English poet. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book about the Garden from a man who was never in a hurry, who fought to preserve trees, and sought to work with nature. And then we’ll wrap things up with the story of the earliest horticulture society in the United States.    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 The hunt for a white iris once popular in old New Orleans gardens | Nola.com | Dan Gill   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. Grow That Garden Library Garden Time by W.S. Merwin

Ahh, fall is in the air. The aroma is crisp and inviting. The campus looks beautiful on account of all of those colorful leaves. It also looks beautiful because the student body tends to enjoy crisp apples while they roam the quad each afternoon. On today's Podfordcast, the Horticultural Society provides some helpful pumpkin tips in an effort to mitigate the avalanche of pumpkin-related injuries our students and faculty are prone to this time of year. We'll always remember, of course, the "Great Pumpkin Massacre" of Fall 2013. A bloodbath. Additionally, the campus hay bale maze is live and ready for you and your friends to get lost in... that is if you can navigate past it's heavily guarded entrance. Episode Outline Podford University Podfordcast Quad Remote Meditation Station: Endangered Lunch Topic Deep Dive: Horticultural Society's Pumpkin Tips Question Quorner Fish Lab 208 Crypto Club Seasonal Campus Activity Learn more about today's episode at Podford University's Official website, podford.com. You can write-in to our show by contacting us at registrar [at] the aforementioned domain.

Rob Hunt joined Kymbo on The Show Must Go On!

Chief Executive of the Royal Agricultural & Horticultural SOciety of SA joined Kymbo on the Show Must Go On

Today we remember the busiest man in London. We'll also learn about the man honored by the Baobab tree. We salute a daughter of Winterthur, We also recognize a life cut short in the world of tropical botany. And we'll look back on a letter from one garden writer to another written on this day in 1961. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book that puts your focus on the grill for preparing your garden harvest. And then we'll wrap things up with a story about Gallant Soldiers. 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 7 Best Tips for Growing Dahlias | Melissa J. Will Here's an excerpt: Melissa gathered these tips for growing dahlias from numerous sources, including books, research papers, my own experience, and advice from professional growers whose livelihood depends on their success. Melissa provides seven top tips and answered Frequently Asked Questions for an excellent overview of everything needed to grow dahlias. Dahlias take 90 to 120 days to flower after planting, depending on the variety you are growing. Generally, the larger the plant and flowers, the longer it takes. If you want flowers before late summer, consider starting your dahlia tubers indoors in pots 4 to 6 weeks before the last frost. Pinching back (the same as cutting off), the main stem encourages the plant to become bushier. Every enthusiastic dahlia grower will tell you their storage method works like a charm. And—they are right—for their specific conditions. The point is, it's the health of the tuber and the overall environment that counts. The optimum storage temperature is 40-45°F (4-7°C). We run into problems when the heating systems in our homes make the humidity level too low for the tubers. Consider using the plastic food wrap method where each tuber is wrapped individually to keep moisture in. Growers who use this method report a higher number of viable tubers each spring. Exposure to some cold is necessary for their development each year, so we wait until early frosts have blackened the foliage before digging up the tubers and storing them for the winter. Come spring, a handy rule is, if it's the right time to plant tomatoes, it's the right time to plant dahlias. On a brighter note, while not entirely deer-proof, dahlias are not their first food choice when other plants are available.   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 1803  Today is the birthday of the English gardener, architect, and Member of Parliament, Joseph Paxton. Joseph Paxton was brilliant. It was Charles Dickens who dubbed him, "The Busiest Man in England." Joseph designed the Crystal Palace, aka the People's Palace, for the first World's Fair. The Crystal Place was a large exhibition hall. It was an extraordinary and revolutionary building. Joseph was the head gardener to the Duke of Devonshire in Chatsworth. Now, you might be wondering how Joseph's job as the head gardener had given him the experience he needed to create the Crystal Palace. Well, the answer is simple: he had built four massive greenhouses for the Duke over fifteen years from 1833 to 1848, and that made Joseph one of the top greenhouse experts in the world. And, English royalty knew it. Don't forget that the beautiful Crystal Palace was essentially a large greenhouse. Gardeners will appreciate that Joseph's iron and glass architectural plans were inspired by the "transverse girders & supports" of the giant water lily - which itself is an architectural wonder. Now Instead of creating a large empty building for exhibits, Joseph decided to build his greenhouse around and over the existing Hyde Park. The high central arch - the grand barrel vault you see in all the old postcards and images of the Crystal Palace - actually accommodated full-sized trees that were already in the park when Joseph began to build around them. Joseph's Crystal Palace was built in a very short amount of time, and this was due again to Joseph's expertise and connections. He had built relationships with various iron and glass companies in building greenhouses for the Duke, and he had even designed many of the components needed to create a greenhouse. For instance, the large beautiful columns also served a purpose: drainage. The Joseph Paxton biographer Kate Colquhoun wrote about the immensity of the Palace: "[Paxton's] design, initially doodled on a piece of blotting paper, was the architectural triumph of its time. Two thousand men worked for eight months to complete it. It was six times the size of St Paul's Cathedral, enclosed a space of 18 acres, and entertained six million visitors." The Crystal Palace was an enormous success and was open every day except Sundays all during the summer of 1851. Queen Victoria and Albert were there on the day it opened - May 1st. And by the closing day on October 11th, six million people had walked past the international exhibits at the Crystal Palace. For his work with the Crystal Palace, Joseph Paxton was knighted. Still, if I could knight Joseph Paxton, I would honor him for cultivating my favorite breakfast item: the Cavendish banana - the most consumed banana in the Western world. Naturally, Joseph cultivated the banana in the greenhouses he built for the 6th Duke of Devonshire - William Cavendish - who is honored with the name of the banana. Even with the perfect growing conditions, it took Joseph five years to get a banana harvest. But, in November 1835, Joseph's banana plant finally flowered. By the following May, the tree was loaded with more than 100 bananas - one of which won a medal at the Horticultural Society show in London. Today, bananas still grow on the Devonshire estate, and the Cavendish banana is the most-consumed banana in the western world. It replaced a tastier variety, which was wiped out by a fungal disease in the 1950s. Today, work is underway to create a Cavendish banana replacement. Without attention to this matter, we will someday see the extinction of the Cavendish banana. Now, if you'd like to read about Joseph Paxton - he's such a fascinating person - you should really check out the biographies written by Kate Colquhoun. Her first Joseph Paxton biography is called A Thing in Disguise: The Visionary Life of Joseph Paxton (2003), and her second book is called The Busiest Man in England: The Life of Joseph Paxton, Gardener, Architect, and Victorian Visionary (2006). You can get a used copy of either of these books and support the show, using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for around $10.   1806  Today is the anniversary of the death of the 18th-century Scottish-French botanist and naturalist Michel Adanson. Michel created the first natural classification of flowering plants. In fact, Jussieu ("Juice You") adopted Michel's methodology to create his masterpiece that defined plant groups called Genera Plantarum (1789). Although today we think mainly of Darwin and Linnaeus, they stood the shoulders of people like Michel Adanson. Michel was the first person to question the stability of species. When he saw breaks or deviations in nature, he came up with a word for it - and one we still use today - mutation. One of the most profound experiences in Michel's life was the five year period he spent living in Senegal, where he collected and described many new plants and animals. That experience provided the foundation for his most famous work - the two-part Familles des Plantes (1763). In the book, Michel classified plants by evaluating a variety of plant characteristics in contrast to Linnaeus' more straightforward sexual system. Again, Michel's perspective on this was revolutionary and was embraced by Jussieu and other botanists. Today, it is called the natural system of classification. Linnaeus recognized Michel's contribution by naming the genus Adansonia, which features the spectacularly unique Baobab ("BOW-bab") trees of Africa, Australia, and Madagascar. The Baobab tree is remarkable and memorable - it has a Seussical quality - and it is one of the most massive trees in the world. In Africa, they are called "The Queens of the Forest" or "The Roots of the Sky." The last name refers to a legend that tells how long ago, in a fit of anger, the devil pulled the Baobab tree out of the ground, only to shove it back into the earth upside down - leaving its roots shooting up into the air. Although they seldom grow taller than forty feet and they are generally sparsely branched, the trunks have astounding girth - and they can be almost thirty feet wide. In fact, some large Baobab cavities have served as jails, post offices, and even pubs. And there is a massive Baobab tree in Gonarezhou, Zimbabwe, that is called Shadreck's Office by the locals and was used as a safe by a famous poacher for keeping his ivory and rhinoceros horns. And inside those enormous trunks, they can store up to 32,000 gallons of water. The outer bark is about 6 inches thick, but inside, the cavity is spongy and vascular. This is why animals, like elephants, chew the bark during the dry seasons. The Baobab can grow to enormous sizes, and carbon dating indicates that they may live to be 3,000 years old. They go by many names, including boab, boa boa, Tebaldi, bottle tree, upside-down tree, monkey bread tree, and the dead-rat tree (referring to the appearance of the fruit). Finally, the flowers of the Baobab bloom at night, and they are bat-pollinated. The fruit of the Baobab looks like an oblong coconut with a brown velvety hard outer shell. But inside, the flesh is sweet and tastes a bit like yogurt. The Baobab fruit contains more vitamin C than oranges, more calcium than milk, more antioxidants than blueberries or cranberries, and more iron than steak. And here's a fun fact: the cooking ingredient Cream of Tartar was initially made from Baobab seed pulp. Today, it is mostly sourced as a by-product of making wine. In 1774, Michel Adanson wrote another masterpiece - an encyclopedic work covering all of the known plant families. Sadly, it was never published. But, that work was clearly meaningful to Michel, who requested that a garland for his Paris grave made up of flowers from each of the 58 plant families featured in his book. And Michel's work - his papers and herbarium - were clearly treasured by his surviving family. They privately held his entire collection for over a century before transferring everything to the Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation at Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, in the early 1960s. The Hunt Institute was so energized and grateful for the gift that they republished Michel's Familles des Plantes in two volumes in 1963 and 1964.   1877  Today is the birthday of Louise du Pont Crowninshield, who was born on this day @WinterthurMuse. Louise spent her life working on projects related to ecological preservation, charity, and horticulture. Aside from her philanthropic efforts, Louise is remembered as the last du Pont to live in the residence at Winterthur ("Winner-TOUR") before it became a museum and library. The Winterthur estate covers 1,000 acres of rolling hills, streams, meadows, and forests. A love-long lover of nature and a natural designer, Henry Francis du Pont got his bachelor's in horticulture from Harvard. Henry thoughtfully developed Winterthur, and he planned for the gardens to be a showpiece. When it came to sourcing plants, du Pont spared no expense to source top plants from around the world. Today, you can visit Winterthur Garden and see for yourself the Quarry, Peony, and Sundial gardens as well as the Azalea Woods and the Enchanted Woods. You can get a lovely used copy of a book called Henry F. du Pont and Winterthur: A Daughter's Portrait and support the show, using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for under $2.   1945  Today is the anniversary of the death of the American botanist Alwyn Howard Gentry. It's been 75 years since Alwyn's life was tragically cut short when his plane crashed in fog into a forested mountain during a treetop survey in Ecuador. At the time, Alwyn was just 48 years old, and he was at the peak of his career. Alwyn was regarded as a towering figure in tropical biology and ranked among the world's leading field biologists. He also was the senior curator at the Missouri Botanical Garden. Theodore Parker III was also on the plane with Alwyn. Parker was a world expert ornithologist. Parker's fiance survived the crash, and she told a reporter that both Alwyn and Parker had survived the crash as well. But sadly, they were both trapped in the wreckage of the plane, and without immediate medical attention, they passed away together the following morning. The only consolation for the many who knew and loved them was that Alwyn and Parker both died doing what they loved. Throughout his professional life, Alwyn had been in awe of the powerful pull of the rainforest, writing: "The Amazon is a world of lush green vegetation, and abundant waters has inspired naturalists, fortune hunters, dreamers, explorers, and exploiters." According to Conservation International, Alwyn had collected more specimens than any other living botanist of his time - a staggering 70,000 plants. To this day, botanists rely on Gentry's Guide to the Woody Plants of Peru for understanding and direction when it comes to neotropical and tropical plants.   1961 Today Katharine Stuart wrote to Elizabeth Lawrence. My dear Elizabeth, By now, you will have given me up entirely as a friend. It is shocking that I have not written to you in so long, and especially that I have never answered your letter offering me some of Mr. Krippendorf's hellebores.  Perhaps you can forgive me, though, when you hear all the things that have been happening to me since May 24th, the date of your letter. [Turns out, Katharine had an appendectomy.] I enclose some of Andy's snapshots of the garden in early spring. As you can see, it isn't a garden — no plan, no style, no proper arrangement of colors — but at least the pictures give you the feel of the land in a cold, late Maine spring.  Everything is very different now. The picket fence hardly shows for the flowers; the grey windbreak is covered with the blossoms of Mme. Baron Veillard, Jackmarie, and Mrs. Cholmondley, and on the little terrace, the hybrid roses are full of bloom.  We lost one of our big Balm of Gilead trees in a fierce wind and rain storm, and Andy has made a most ingenious birdbath from a section of its big trunk, into which he poured cement… yesterday, we could watch two song sparrows, and a yellow warbler take their baths [in it] under the pear tree.  Even if I can't garden, I can enjoy the flowers in a maddeningly remote way. My first water lily is in blossom in the pasture pond... Today, my first-ever hardy cyclamen is in bloom under the Persian lilac. It is enchanting and a triumph, as I have failed so often with them. I finally raised this one indoors last winter and set it out this spring. I don't even know the variety, for the tag is lost. It has pink blossoms and variegated leaves. Everything else is at sixes and sevens—iris needs separating; one long perennial bed is too crowded; one is too skimpy thanks to winter losses. It has been a year of frustration. Andy finally sold our beautiful Herefords, and there goes my source of manure. Oh, dear, we are crumbling badly! But just writing you gives me hope, and I am determined that I shall get back to normal again. We really feel encouraged.  Ever affectionately, Katharine    Unearthed Words Today is National Watermelon Day. Here are some words about Watermelon.   Go along, Mister Winter- Crawl into your frosty bed.  I'm longing like a lover For the watermelon red. — Frank Lebby Stanton, American lyricist   And the windows opened that night, A ceiling dripped the sweat Of a tin god,  And I sat eating a watermelon All false red, Water like slow running  Tears, And I spit out seeds And swallowed seeds, And I kept thinking I'm a fool I'm a fool To eat this Watermelon, But I kept eating  Anyhow. — Charles Bukowski, American-German poet and novelist, Watermelon   Green Buddhas On the fruit stand We eat the smile And spit out the teeth. — Charles Simic, American-Serbian Poet, Watermelons   Up from the South, by boat and train.  Now comes the King of Fruits again;  Lucious feast for judge or felon,  Glorious, sun-kissed Watermelon;  Green as emerald in its rind, But cutting through it thou shalt find  Sweetest mass of crimson beauty Tempting angels from their duty. — Ode to Watermelon, anonymous   It is pure water, distilled, and put up by nature herself,  who needs no government label  to certify to the cleanliness of her methods  and the innocence of her sun-kissed chemistry.  It is the tiniest trace of earth salts.  It has a delicate aroma.  It is slightly a food, generously a drink, and altogether poetry. Not altogether is it poetry.  Not in respect of price.  Not even the most hard-working of the poets  can afford to buy the early Watermelon.  — The Citizen-Republican, Scotland, South Dakota, Watermelon   On Saturday, he ate through one piece of chocolate cake, one ice-cream cone, one pickle, one slice of Swiss cheese, one slice of salami, one lollipop, one piece of cherry pie, one sausage, one cupcake, and one slice of Watermelon. That night he had a stomach ache. — Eric Carle, American designer, illustrator, and writer of children's books, The Very Hungry Caterpillar   Grow That Garden Library From Garden to Grill by Elizabeth Orsini This book came out in 2017, and the subtitle is Over 250 Vegetable-based Recipes for Every Grill Master. From kebabs and salads to made-from-scratch sauces and seasonings, bring your garden to your grill with more than 250 mouthwatering vegetarian grilling recipes! Bring your garden harvest to the grill! Backyard barbecues aren't just for burgers and hotdogs. Delicious vegetables can be part of every diet with From Garden to Grill--featuring more than 250 mouthwatering, vegetable-based grilling recipes, variations to add meat, tips to make meals paleo, and changes to go gluten-free or vegan! With everything from sauces and salads to small plates and main courses, this book shows grill masters how to incorporate fresh produce into healthy and hearty meals: *Grilled Zucchini Salsa *Kale and Feta Pita Pizza *Caramelized Corn *Eggplant Ratatouille *Foil Pack Vegetables *Quinoa Veggie Wraps *Grilled Romaine Salad *Grilled Veggie Paninis *Butternut Squash Kebabs *Artichoke Pizza *Portobello Mozzarella Caps Whether you are dedicated to a lifetime of healthy living or just love bringing that freshly grilled char to seasonal veggies, this is the cookbook for you. This book is 320 pages of grilled garden goodness. You can get a copy of From Garden to Grill by Elizabeth Orsini and support the show, using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for around $13   Today's Botanic Spark 1948 On this day, The Guardian posted a brief snippet about the Gallant Soldiers plant. Now before I read the post, here's a primer. Gallant Soldiers is loosely derived from its Latin name: Galinsoga parviflora (gal-in-SOH-guh), and it's also known as Quickweed. Gallant Soldiers is a herbaceous plant in the Asteraceae or Daisy family. Over a single summer, a single specimen of Gallant Soldiers can produce over 7,000 seeds - so they'll be marching on. Galinsoga was named for Mariano Galinsoga, who was a botanist and a Spanish doctor for royalty during the 1700s, and he famously observed that women who wore corsets had more health problems than peasant women who did not wear them. Now, Galinsoga is a trooper when it comes to medicinal uses. Galinsoga is a super coagulator, antibiotic agent, and a healer. And the next time you run into stinging nettle, grab some Galinsoga, and you'll be all smiles. Rich in iron, Galinsoga is also edible. In fact, every part of the plant, except the root, can be eaten. In the United States, foragers are beginning to add Galinsoga to their list, but in China and South America, Galinsoga is already regularly added to soups, stews, and salads. On the Forager Chef website, it says "Galinsoga can be used raw or cooked. Got a call from a farmer that the spinach was killed by hail?  Don't worry, just toss some Galinsoga in that pasta.  While you're at it, put it in the salad mix and on the fish entree, then throw the purchased microgreens in the compost where they belong, as fodder to grow interesting, edible weeds. Like so many other greens sans watercress, It's shelf life shames conventionally harvested salad greens.  I would regularly get two weeks of shelf life from what I picked or more... Galinsoga tastes mild and fades into the background; there's not even a hint of bitterness.  It's a blank canvas for whatever you like.  This also means from a health/diet perspective, you can consume mass quantities cooked, unlike other aggressive growers like garlic mustard, whose bitterness I tend to blend with other plants."   Great information there.   Now let's hear that post from The Guardian on Galinsoga from 1948: "In some gardens, near Kew and Richmond, there flourishes an unusual weed which nine out of ten people will call "Gallant Soldiers." It has escaped from Kew, where it was introduced some years ago from Peru under the name of Galinsoga parviflora. Local gardeners made the name easier to pronounce, but the corruption did not stop there. Sir Edward Salisbury, the director of Kew Gardens, tells how he found a gardener one day pulling out Galinsoga from his borders. He asked its name. The gardener replied, "I don't rightly know, but I have heard it called Soldiers of the Queen."

Ray and Lorraine interview Cornelia Holten from Koru Kai Herb Farm and Keith Mitchelmore from The Canterbury Horticultural Society

Special guest Nancy Finn, Chief Development Officer of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society drops by the studio to talk about their Harvest 2020 initiative and how we can all help address food insecurity throughout the Philadelphia region. Our Vegetable Garden Series continues as Len and Julio warn you about the Colorado Potato Beetle.  Other topics include how to protect your garden from animals and a listener question about cutting back your forsythia.

This week David Maxwell and the Gardeners' Corner roadshow team head to Ballygawley where members of Castlecaulfield Horticultural Society put their questions to Brendan Little and Averil Milligan. Amongst the gardening topics are growing hydrangeas as a hedge, pruning rhododendrons and how to deal with whitefly as well as lots of tips for the week ahead. That's Gardeners' Corner on Saturday morning just after the 9 o'clock news on BBC Radio Ulster and BBC Sounds.

Today we celebrate the Italian botanist who introduced coffee and bananas to Europe and the botanist who described new varieties of mums from China on this day in 1822. We'll learn about the man who could see the capabilities of a landscape In the botanist who wrote encouraging letters to one of his students. Today's Unearthed Words Feature sayings and poems about the winter mindset. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book that helps you encourage different types of wildlife into your garden. I'll talk about a garden item you'll use every spring if you like to grow plants from seed and then we'll wrap things up with a cute little story that involves loganberries. But first, let's catch up on a few recent events.   Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart   Curated Articles The Scent Of Fear – The Aphid Alarm Pheromone Great Post on The Scent of Fear – the aphid alarm pheromone via @Entoprof "Aphids, when perceiving a threat to their neighbors by a predator or parasite, flee the scene rapidly, by flight, if winged, on foot if not, or even by leaping from their host-plant to the ground below. "   A Growing Concern: Is It Ever OK To Steal Plant Cuttings? | Life And Style | The Guardian A growing concern: is it ever OK to steal plant cuttings? "At Potted Elephant, the thief cut tendrils of Philodendron, Variegated Monstera and Scindapsus from live plants in his greenhouse – some from Jarrell's personal collection of rare plants."   Now, if you'd like to check out these curated articles 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 1617  Today is the anniversary of the death of the 17th-century Italian botanist Prospero Alpini. Alpini introduced coffee and bananas to Europe. Alpini was also the first person to make observations about sexual differences in plants. The male and female flowers of the date palm, for instance, are borne on separate plants. This knowledge allowed Alpini to become the first person to fertilize the female flowers of the date palms artificially. Date palms were popular garden plants in Roman gardens. The fruit is very useful and is the basis for syrup, alcohol, vinegar, and liquor. The genus "Alpinia", belonging to the order Zingiberaceae (Ginger Family), is named for Alpini. Alpinia is also known as the ginger lily. Ginger lilies are perennials and the blooms have a gardenia fragrance. Ginger lilies are a wonderful cut flower.   1822  On this day in 1822, Joseph Sabine ("Suh-BEEN") gave a presentation to the London Horticultural Society. He was describing some new varieties of Chinese chrysanthemums. Eleven different kinds of mums had been imported two years earlier, in 1820, and had been thriving in the society's garden at Chiswick. In 1753, Carl Linnaeus, renowned Swedish botanist, combined the Greek words chrysos, meaning gold with anthemon, meaning flower. Chrysanthemum (Dendranthema grandiflora) is the birth flower for November. In Japan, the highest Order of Chivalry is the Imperial Order of the Chrysanthemum. And National Chrysanthemum Day, aka the Festival of Happiness, has been celebrated in Japan since 910. Chrysanthemum Day is always celebrated September 9th - the ninth day of the ninth month because, in terms of numerology, that day, September 9th, is regarded as an auspicious day. Now, when Joseph Sabine described the Quilled Pink Chrysanthemum in detail for the London Horticultural Society, members had only heard about the Quilled Flamed Yellow variety. The Quilled Pink was exciting. Sabine, would not even recognize modern mums. Although some mums still look like their sister flowers, daisies, mums are being bred to be showier. Regardless of their appearance, mums belong to the Compositae, or daisy, family. And, there's another highlight for Joseph Sabine. He was serving as the Secretary of the Horticultural Society and is remembered for sending David Douglas on his 6-month expedition to North America. Douglas named the Digger Pine, Pinus Sabiniana, in honor of Joseph Sabine.   1783  Today is the anniversary of the death of the renowned landscape gardener Lancelot Capability Brown. In the 1730s, Lancelot ended up at Stowe, working for the great William Kent - the eminent painter and Landscape Architect. The garden at Stowe was a landscape garden with lots of straight lines and formality. The end result was a garden that looked like a painting with an 11-acre lake. The main area of the garden was the Elysian Fields ("uh·li·zhn"); 40 acres featuring buildings and monuments that flank two narrow lakes called the River Styx. The monuments in the garden honor virtuous men of Britain. The time Lancelot spent with Kent at Stowe transformed not only the land but also Lancelot - from a gardener to a Landscape Architect. It was his big break, and it gave him the confidence to set out on his own. After Stowe, Lancelot traveled all over England. When working for clients, he would stare out at the blank canvas of a new project and seek to find the "capabilities" of the Landscape - removing worker's cottages or older gardens when he felt the need to do so. It earned him the unshakeable nickname of Capability. Capability Brown's skill of seeing landscapes and then creating them made him very popular. Everyone with means wanted a Capability Brown landscape - they craved his signature look, his garden designs, and garden temples. What everyone essentially wanted was beauty -  and Capability created beautiful gardens. For 19 years, Capability served as the King's Master Gardener. Today, at least 20 Capability gardens still exist and are under the care of England's National Trust. When Lancelot died, the English writer Horace Walpole, sent word to the noblewoman Anne FitzPatrick that, "Lady Nature's second husband," was dead. He also sent a poem about Capability to the poet and gardener William Mason: "With one Lost Paradise the name Of our first ancestor is stained; Brown shall enjoy unsullied fame For many a Paradise, he regained."   1946  The botanist Edgar Anderson wrote to his student Charles B Heiser Jr: "Oh stamp collecting, when will taxonomists ever take any interest in being biologists? Once, when I traveled with E.J. Palmer, I went to a good deal of trouble to get a whole sheet of lily pods, and he threw it away because it made such a nasty looking specimen, and he wasn't certain what species it belonged to anyway." It turns out, this was just one of many letters that Edgar wrote to his student. In 1972, Charles wrote a lovely tribute about Edgar called "Student Days with Edgar Anderson or How I Came to Study Sunflowers." Charles sifted through the many letters he had received from Edgar during his lifetime - they filled up a folder over two inches thick. Over the years, Edgar was an encouraging mentor to Charles, writing, "What an incredible gift good students are…" and "if you are tired of [Helianthus] and don't want to look at 'em any more for a while, why by all means put them aside. Don't let anybody's advice, including mine, keep you from what you are happiest doing." Sunflowers or Helianthus Annuus ("HE-LEE-ann-thus ANN-you-us") are native to North America. When the Russian Tsar, Peter the Great, saw sunflower for the first time in Holland, he fell in love with them and had them brought back to Russia. The Russian public loved sunflowers as well -  but not just for their happy flowers.   Unlike other cooking oils, the oil from sunflower seeds was approved for use during Lent by the Russian Orthodox Church. By the early 1800s, two million Acres of sunflowers for planted in Russia every single year. Ironically, over the next century, immigrants from Russia would bring sunflower seeds with them when they immigrated to the United States. The Russian hybrids had bigger blooms than the original American varieties.  Now, most gardeners attempt growing sunflowers at some point, so if you find yourself wanting to give it a try, here are some tips to consider: First, sunflowers really do need a ton of sun. Don't be stingy with the sunshine and put them in part shade. These are plants that really appreciate all the rays they can get. Second,  Sunflowers follow the sun; they exhibit a behavior known as heliotropism.  In the morning, the heads will face East, and then the heads will move to track the sun throughout the day.  As they mature, they're tracking movement will become less pronounced as the stem loses its flexibility in order to support the large, mature bloom. Third, don't be surprised if you find a few sunflowers reseeding themselves in your garden after your initial planting. It's a lovely surprise and a little memento from that first batch of sunflowers. Finally, once the seeds ripen, the birds will begin to visit, and you'll notice more activity from species like goldfinches -  they love sunflower seeds. If you feel inclined, you can dry some of the seed heads to share later with the birds during the cold months of winter.   Unearthed Words Here are some words about the winter mindset: Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face. — Victor Hugo, French poet, and writer   Winter is on my head, but eternal spring is in my heart. — Victor Hugo, French poet, and writer   The tendinous part of the mind, so to speak, is more developed in winter; the fleshy, in summer. I should say winter had given the bone and sinew to Literature, summer the tissues and blood.  — John Burroughs, American naturalist, and writer, "The Snow-Walkers," 1866   Winter blues are cured every time with a potato gratin paired with a roast chicken. — Alexandra Guarnaschelli ("GORE-nah-shell-ee"), American chef   Keep your faith in beautiful things; in the sun when it is hidden, in the Spring when it is gone. And then you will find that Duty and Service and Sacrifice—  all the old ogres and bugbears of —  have joy imprisoned in their deepest dungeons! And it is for you to set them free — the immortal joys that no one —  No living soul, or fate, or circumstance— Can rob you of, once you have released them. —  Reverend Roy R. Gibson, Poet & Critic   Many human beings say that they enjoy the winter, but what they really enjoy is feeling proof against it. — Richard Adams, English novelist, Watership Down   To many forms of life of our northern lands, winter means a long sleep; to others, it means what it means to many fortunate human beings - travels in warm climes. To still others, who again have their human prototypes, it means a struggle, more or less fierce, to keep soul and body together; while to many insect forms, it means death. — John Burroughs, American naturalist, and writer   Grow That Garden Library Wildlife Gardening by Kate Bradbury The subtitle to this book is: For Everyone and Everything (The Wildlife Trusts) An easy-to-follow gardening guide endorsed by the Wildlife Trusts and the RHS to help you encourage different types of wildlife into your garden. Kate Bradbury is an award-winning writer who specializes in wildlife gardening. She is the author of The Bumblebee Flies Anyway, she works on BBC Gardeners' World magazine and regularly writes for the Daily Telegraph and the Guardian to name a few. What I love about Kate's book is that she breaks it down by groups of species, and each chapter explains what they require to thrive, what their role in the garden is, and how they contribute to the garden ecosystem. Chapters cover pollinators, birds, and amphibians, wasps, flies, and so on - some will be your favorites, while others will be new to you. Kate offers many plant suggestions. And, don't forget that your garden is a shared space. It's for you AND these other species. Kate hopes you are able to observe the habitats in your garden throughout the year. Ultimately, this is a book about creating a space that's as much for you to relax in as it is for the other species you welcome into it, and about getting to know the wildlife around you. You can get a used copy of Wildlife Gardening by Kate Bradbury and support the show, using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for under $13.   Great Gifts for Gardeners Ladbrooke Genuine Mini 4 Hand-held Soil Blocker - Most Popular Soil Blocking Tool! $33.99 Genuine Ladbrooke "Mini 4" soil blocker is the most popular size worldwide. Part of the unique Micro / Mini / Maxi "nesting system" for starting seeds and transplanting starts. (Mini 4, Micro 20, and Cubic Inserts sold separately.) Essential organic gardening product; easy to use and reusable for years. This eco-friendly system saves on plastic pots. Most popular size - makes four - 2" soil blocks. Zinc coated steel will last for years. It is made by Ladbrooke - makers of the highest quality products! Note: these are utilitarian gardening tools. Cosmetic blemishes and water bathing marks made during manufacturing are natural, and in no way alter the functionality of the tool.   Today's Botanic Spark When I was researching Edgar Anderson,  and reading Charles Heisler's tribute to him. I ran across a little story that involved loganberries. Loganberries (Rubus loganobaccus) grow on vines known as brambles. They smell like raspberries, but they are tart and they have a slightly sweet taste. Loganberries are named for their California creator, James Harvey Logan, who came up with the idea to cross a Blackberry with a raspberry. Sadly loganberries don't have a long shelf life which is why you don't see them in the grocery store very often. If you decide to grow them, most people keep the berries on the vine as long as possible - which makes them more flavorful. Anyway, this talk on loganberries brings me back to Charles Heisler's tribute to Edgar, which was titled "Student Days with Edgar Anderson or How I Came to Study Sunflowers." Charles ended his tribute to Edgar with this adorable little story that included Loganberries among other things and it reminds us that botanists are people too. Charles wrote: "I haven't told you anything about [Edgar's] music sessions. He played the recorder. Nor about the square dances at the 'Barn.' Nor about his cooking. I think one of the worst dishes I have ever eaten was his spam covered with bread crumbs soaked in Loganberry juice —  perhaps because he raved about it so. I hope [to have given you] some insight into the character of Edgar Anderson, teacher, and botanist. The latter is the title he chose for himself and his later years at the Missouri Botanical Garden."

Today is National Banana Lovers Day. Botanically speaking, the banana is a berry - a many seeded fruit. And, banana trees are not trees. The banana plant is a giant herb. Inside the guts of the banana tree trunk is a white tube. It may be cooked, and tastes like bamboo shoots. Under a black light (ultraviolet or UV), ripe bananas glow a beautiful bright blue. Scientists believe this is a signal to banana eating animals like insects and bats that can see UV light. In 1690, the first shipments of bananas reached Salem, Massachusetts. They tried boiling them with pork. Needless to say, it took another 200 years for bananas to catch on in North America. Today, average U.S. banana consumption is almost 30 pounds per year. Until the early 1800s in Hawaii, most banana varieties were 'kapu' - forbidden for women of Hawaii to eat, under penalty of death. Banana's are facing a huge threat in the form of a pathogenic fungus called Fusarium wilt tropical race 4 (TR4) or Panama Disease. TR4 was first discovered in Taiwan in the 1990s. It has slowly made its way around the world. Just this month, on August 8th, researchers confirmed that TR4 is infecting banana plants in Latin America - Columbia declared a national state of emergency. This may seem extreme or over-reactive to people who don't realize that the fungus, TR4, lives in the soil for decades, making the land unlivable for future banana crops. TR4 first attacks the roots before spreading through the rest of the plant. Unfortunately, fungicides do not work against the disease. Thanks to Sir Joseph Paxton, the English gardener, architect and politician, who cultivated the Cavendish banana - who named it after William Cavendish, the 6th Duke of Devonshire who fancied them. In November 1935, five years after receiving a specimen imported from Mauritius, Joseph Paxton's plant finally flowered and by the following May it was loaded with more than 100 bananas, one of which won a medal at that year's Horticultural Society show. Today, bananas still grow on the Devonshire estate and the Cavendish banana is the most-consumed banana in the western world - it accounts for 99.9% of bananas in the western world - it accounts or 99.9% of bananas traded globally. It replaced a tastier variety who was wiped out be a fungal disease in the 1950s. Today, work is underway to create a Cavendish banana replacement. Although, earlier this month, a scientist predicted, "Eventually, it will not be possible to produce the Cavendish banana variety for international trade." We eat the variety of banana known as the Cavendish banana.     Brevities #OTD     Today is the birthday of Maria van Oosterwijck who was born on this day in 1630. Oosterwijck was an incredible Dutch Golden Age painter, specializing in flower paintings and still life. Her art was rich, vividly detailed, and incredibly realistic. Her still lifes of flowers in ornate vases were often set against a dark background and featured flowers like sunflowers, roses, carnations, hyacinths, parrot tulips, berries and her most famous paintings included a red admiral butterfly. In her 40's, her studio was opposite another flower painter by the name of Willem van Aelst. He attempted to woo Maria, but her heart belonged really only to her art. When he kept asking her, she finally agreed to marry him if he could prove that he could match her work ethic - he needed to paint every day, for 10 hours a day, for a year... only then would she marry him. Well, he couldn't do it and Maria remained single throughout her life. Oosterwijck's paintings were purchased by Kings and Emperors after she smartly secured an agent to market her work.       #OTD     Today is the birthday of the botanist Edwin James who was born on this day in Vermont in 1797. As a young man, James compiled the very first Flora of Vermont plants. James went on one of the first expeditions of the American West from Pittsburgh to the Rocky Mountains.  He discovered the mountain Columbine, Aquilegia caerulea which ultimately became known as the Colorado Blue Columbine and the State Flower of Colorado. An account of James' climb of Pikes Peak on July 13, 1820, states: "A little above the point where the timber disappears entirely, commences a region of astonishing beauty . . . covered with a carpet of low but brilliantly flowering alpine plants. . ." James' phrasing, "a region of astonishing beauty," became the title of a 2003 book on the botanical history of the Rocky Mountains by Roger Lawrence Williams. After the expedition, James married and settled in Burlington, Iowa. His home was a stop on the Underground Railroad. James died in 1861 after an accident. A monument to James was installed on Pike's Peak and the Des Moines County Medical Society planted Rocky Mountain Blue Columbine on his grave in the Rock Springs Cemetery. Newspaper accounts said the location was in the most picturesque part of southeastern Iowa.     #OTD    Today is the anniversary of the death of the botanist Emil Christian Hansen, who died on this day in 1909.     Prior to Hansen, brewing was a volatile experiment and batches could easily get infected with disease. Hansen forever changed the brewing industry with his discovery of way to separate pure yeast cells from wild yeast cells.     Hansen's method was created while he was working for the Carlsberg Laboratory.  But, Carlsberg Labs did not patent the process.  Instead, they decided to publish it; sharing all the details with brewers around the world   Hansen named the yeast after the lab – Saccharomyces Carlsbergensis – and samples of Carlsberg No. 1 (as it was called) were sent to breweries around the world by request and free of charge.  Within 5 years, most European breweries were using Carlsberg No. 1.  By 1892, American breweries, Pabst, Schlitz and Anheuser-Busch, were manufacturing their beers with pure yeast strains.   Emil Hansen was a renaissance man. In addition to his work in botany, he attempted careers an actor, a portrait artist, a teacher, an author, (he wrote under a pseudonym). And it was Emil Hansen who made the first Danish translation of Charles Darwin’s Voyage of The Beagle.     #OTD     Today is the birthday of the English botanist Brian Lawrence Burt who went by "Bill."   Burtt died in 2008. He is remembered for his contributions to the family Gesneriaceae; the family that includes African violets.   When Burtt started going on and plant expeditions in 1951, the Gesneriaceae family was poorly represented. Thanks to his work, plants were sent to Edinburgh which became the hub for the family. Burtt's collections started trends in England making both the African violet and the Streptocarpus household plants. The common name of Streptocarpus or "Streps" as they are called is the Cape primrose.   If you look online, you will see a picture of Bill Burtt, standing in a forest in South Africa on one of his botanizing trips. In his hands, he is holding a very large Streptocarpus grandis leaf that looks to be about 4-feet tall.     #OTD    Today in 1971, restaurateur and local fresh food activist Alice Waters opened California’s Iconic Chez Panisse restaurant in Berkeley, California.   Waters never intended to be a chef or to start a revolution. She just wanted to open a nice little restaurant that served fresh, good-tasting food.   When the restaurant opened on this night in 1971, Alice Waters personally greeted her customers at the door.       Unearthed Words "This was one of those perfect New England days in late summer where the spirit of autumn takes a first stealing flight, like a spy, through the ripening country-side, and, with feigned sympathy for those who droop with August heat, puts her cool cloak of bracing air about leaf and flower and human shoulders." - Sarah Orne Jewett, The Courting of Sister Wisby, 1887       Today's book recommendation: Nueva Salsa by Rafael Palomino Rafael Palomino is a world-famous chef, restauranteur, and cookbook author. This cookbook, Nueva Salsa, was published in 2003.  Salsas offer tremendous flavor, variety, and spice. They are quick and easy to make at home. Nueva Salsa features over 60 fantastic recipes including tomato-based versions as well as salsas that are Asian-inspired. There's a decadent Fruit Salsa and Three Berry Salsa which is the perfect accompaniment to desserts, shortbreads, and ice creams. You can get used copies of Nueva Salsa on Amazon using the link in today's show notes for a little over a dollar!       Today's Garden Chore Incorporate more tall herbs into your garden by utilizing the area in the back of your beds. Herbs like dill, comfrey, hyssop, fennel, and lovage work great in the back of your ornamental beds.     Something Sweet  Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart 110 years ago today, a little article appeared in The St. John Weekly News out of St. John, Kansas. it was titled "Making Home Attractive" and it was written by Ruth Cameron. Here's what it said: "There ought not to be such thing as an unlovely home outside the city the next two months. For all the threadbare, barren spots of the poorest home may be covered and healed by the beauty brought in from outside. It takes but a very little time to bring some of the flowers that bloom In the fields and gardens into the house. And yet many a time I've seen the garden gay with rose and poppy, pansy and nasturtium, and the house flowerless or maybe illy decorated with one or two bowls of half decaying flowers. You haven't just the little time necessary? Then make it the children's daily 'task to keep the flower vases freshly filled. Teach them to have pride in it. Remember occasionally to comment in their presence to a visitor on some tasteful arrangement they have made, and you need never have an empty vase as long as the flowers last. And not only will you have beautified the house thereby, but you will also have curtailed Satan's proverbial chance of hunting up mischief for idle hands. If you can possibly manage it - and It's worth while to try to make the time even if you have to leave a few specks of dust on the mopboard behind the bookcase - go out occasionally with the children and help them gather the flowers. Teach them harmony of color and grace of arrangement. Perhaps in doing the latter, a principle [that] an artist friend taught me may help: "If possible never rearrange flowers," he said. "Just as you gather them is nature's arrangement and it Is best." And if you do manage to make some of these morning excursions with your children into the garden or field, the chances are that you will bring back to your work something even better than flowers. Don't be satisfied with a few vases. Have two or three in every room. Not just in the dining room and living room, but in every chamber and the kitchen for good measure. A vase of nasturtiums over the sink or a bowl of pansies on the kitchen table isn't going to make it any harder to do the dishes or fill the lamps. So many vases cost, you say? How much? For ten cents you can get a slim, tall glass vase that, filled with your peonies or roses, would be a fit ornament for a duchess' piano. For eleven cents you can buy a blue Japanese bowl that overflowlng with your nasturtiums, wouldn't look bad on a queen's breakfast table. And when you are picking the flowers that probably you've had too many of to half appreciate, don't forget the people who are unlucky enough to know how to appreciate a single flower. Probably, there is a flower mission handy ready to take anything you may give to these who need. If there isn't, try at least once or twice this summer being a flower mission to some poor shut-ins all by yourself."     Thanks for listening to the daily gardener, and remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."

Today is National Potato Day. Here are some fun potato facts: The average American eats approximately 126 pounds of spuds each year. And, up until the 18th century, the French believed potatoes called leprosy. To combat the belief, the agronomist Antoine Auguste Parmentier became a one-man PR person for the potato. How did Parmentier get the French people to believe that the potato is safe to eat? Good question. Parmentier cleverly posted guards around his potato fields during the day and put the word out that he didn’t want people stealing them. Then, he purposefully left them unguarded at night. As he suspected, people did what he thought they would do; steal the potatoes by the sackful by the light of the moon and they started eating them. Later, Marie Antoinette wore potato blossoms in her hair. The Idaho Potato, or the Russet Burbank, was developed by none other than Luther Burbank in 1871.     Brevities #OTD    Today is the birth of Jane Webb who married the prolific writer of all things gardening: John Claudius Loudon. Jane was special. She was an amazing writer in her own right but she also possessed an inner determination; she was a survivor. When her father lost the family fortune and died penniless when Jane was only seventeen, it was the beginning of her career writing Science Fiction.  For her times, Jane wrote Science Fiction in a unique way. She incorporated predictable changes in technology and society. For instance, the women in her books wear pants. In any case, her book The Mummy was published anonymously, in 1827, in three parts.  In her book, Jane featured something she imagined would come to pass: a steam plow. That’s what attracted the attention of John Claudius Loudon - her future husband. Loudon wrote a favorable review of her book but he also wanted to meet the author.  Loudon didn’t realize Jane had written the book using a nom de plume of Henry Colburn. Much to Loudon’s delight, Henry was Jane; they fell in love and married a year later.  The Loudons were considered high society and their friends included Charles Dickens. John’s arms stopped working as he grew older, after an attack of rheumatic fever. As a result, Jane became his arms; handling most of his writing. When his arms got so bad that surgeons needed to amputate his right arm, they found him in his garden which he said he intended to return to immediately after the operation. Two weeks before Christmas 1843, John was dictating his last book called, A Self Instruction to Young Gardeners. Around midnight, he suddenly collapsed into Jane’s arms and died. Jane completed the book on her own.     #OTD    It was on this day in 1843, that the Massachusetts Horticultural Society held their exhibition of flowers.  They kicked things off by writing about their phlox.  Here’s what they said: “The Phloxes were very splendid, and it gives us great pleasure to see that our friends are engaged in raising seedlings of this beautiful class of plants. Instead of importing Phloxes from England, as we have heretofore done, we hazard but little when we state that it will not be many years (if our friends persevere in raising seedlings) before we shall be able to send our English friends varieties, that will surprise them for their beautiful form and richness of color.”     #OTD   Today is the birthday of Ellen Ann Willmott who was an English horticulturalist who was born in 1858.  Ellen was the oldest in her family of three daughters. In 1875, her parents moved to Warley Place,  which was set on 33 acres of land in Essex. Ellen lived there for the rest of her life. All of the Willmott’s were gardeners and they often gardened as a family. They created an alpine garden complete with a gorge and rockery. This was something that Ellen’s father allowed her to do to commemorate her 21st birthday. When her godmother died she received some pretty significant money. When her father died, Warley Place went to her. Ellen planted to her hearts content; and given the size of the property, it’s no wonder that she hired over 100 gardeners to help her tend it. Ellen was no shrinking violet. She had a reputation for firing any gardener who allowed a weed to grow in her beds. And, she only hired men. There’s a famous quote from her that is often cited, “Women would be a disaster in the border.” It was a good thing that Ellen had so much money, because she sure liked to spend it. She had three homes: one in France, Warley Place, and another in Italy.  Ellen also paid for plant hunting expeditions. Since she paid for them, the plants that were discovered on those expeditions were often named in her honor. And, Ellen hired some pretty impressive people to do her plant collecting. For example, Ellen even sponsored Ernest Henry Wilson. When Ellen receive the Victoria Medal of Honor in 1897, she was honored alongside Gertrude Jekyll. In the end, Ellen died penniless and heartbroken. Warley Place became a nature preserve.       #OTD   Today is the birthday of The Botany Man - Willis Linn Jepson - who was born on this day in 1867. Carved on his tombstone are the following words: “Profound Scholar, Inspiring Teacher, Indefatigable Botanical Explorer, ... In the ordered beauty of nature he found enduring communion.” Jepson attended college at Berkeley. During his junior year, he decided to start a diary. He collected everything, too - not just dates, but as much as he could. It was a practice Jepson never abandoned and resulted in over fifty Jepson field books. In 1894, Jepson begin to think seriously about creating a Flora of California. As long as he was working on the flora, Jepson thought he might as well create a herbarium, which he considered to be his legacy. Although Jepson often said he disliked common names, he came up with many on his own. He once named a plant Mountain Misery after suffering the after effects of walking through it. By the early 1900s, automobiles were becoming mainstream but Jepson warned, “You must still go afoot if a real botanist. No field botanist should become soft and travel only in an auto.“  Jepson had started numbering plants for his flora in 1899. His last specimen was No. 27,571 - the Salsola kali - a little plant commonly known as Prickly Russian Thistle. Jepson collected it on October 28,1945.  Earlier that year, Jepson suffered a heart attack when he attempted to cut down a dead Almond tree on his ranch. He never fully recovered from it. Jepson passed away her November 7, 1946.       #OTD   Today is the birthday of Henderina Victoria Scott who shared her images of time lapse photography of plants in 1904.   Scott exhibited her pictures at the British Association for the Advancement of Science.  She described her set up and her method for taking the pictures.  Then, she proceeded to show animated photographs of flowers opening and closing their buds, and expanding and developing into flowers. She also showed the movements of climbing plants and of insects visiting flowers. None of her films or plates are known to exist. Scott’s work allowed botanists and horticulturalists to see the changes that happen slowly over time in the plant world.     Unearthed Words   Today is the birthday of Ogden Nash, the American poet, who said, "Candy is dandy, but liquor is quicker." He also wrote a number of poems about gardening and flowers. MY VICTORY GARDEN by Ogden Nash Today, my friends, I beg your pardon, But I'd like to speak of my Victory Garden. With a hoe for a sword, and citronella for armor, I ventured forth to become a farmer. On bended knee, and perspiring clammily, I pecked at the soil to feed my family, A figure than which there was none more dramatic-er. Alone with the bug, and my faithful sciatica, I toiled with the patience of Job or Buddha, But nothing turned out the way it shudda. Would you like a description of my parsley? I can give it to you in one word--gharsley! They're making playshoes out of my celery, It's reclaimed rubber, and purplish yellery, Something crawly got into my chives, My lettuce has hookworm, my cabbage has hives, And I mixed the labels when sowing my carrots; I planted birdseed--it came up parrots. Do you wonder then, that my arteries harden Whenever I think of my Victory Garden? My farming will never make me famous, I'm an agricultural ignoramus, So don't ask me to tell a string bean from a soy bean. I can't even tell a girl bean from a boy bean.     Today's book recommendation: Healing Herbs by Michael Castleman The Healing Herbs provides an easy-to-use A-to-Z herb encyclopedia. It explains where to find the herbs, how to use them, store them, work with them, and  how to grow them.   Today's Garden Chore It’s never too late to plan a fall herb garden. Here are some herbs that don’t mind the cold and they’re easily grown from seed; I’m talking about dill, parsley, spinach, lettuce, and cilantro. I always include lettuces among my herbs - wherever I’ve got a spot.  Now, when I make my salads, I love to include little snippets of dill. I get a little perturbed when I forget to clip some - it's ruined me. I can hardly make a salad at home without including dill. Since my son John loves Chipotle, I can’t make rice anymore without incorporating cilantro. Parsley is included in so many things I cook, I always like to have Parsley around and it's wonderful that it can hang out in the garden until the bitter end.     Something Sweet  Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart   Today, in 1934, Elizabeth Lawrence and wrote a letter to her sister Ann: "I am so happy to get back to my rickety Corona; Ellen’s elegant new typewriter made anything I had to say unworthy of its attention. The Zinnias you raised for us are magnificent. There are lots of those very pale salmon ones that are the loveliest of all, and some very pale yellow ones that Bessie puts in my room. The red ones are in front of boltonia and astilbe (white). I knew how awful the garden would be. I have come back to it before, and I knew Bessie wasn’t going to do anything by herself. But that doesn’t mitigate the despair that you feel when you see it. I worked two days and almost got the weeds out of the beds around the summer house. There isn’t much left. There has been so much rain that the growth of the weeds was tropical." (Bessie was Elizabeth's widowed mother who shared her love of the garden.)     Thanks for listening to the daily gardener, and remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."

En Inglaterra, la mayoría de los pueblos tienen un evento en primavera que destaca: las exposiciones florales y de las cosechas. Uno de los más conocidos es el Chelsea Flower Show. En Gibraltar se celebra el Spring Flower Show desde 1954. Hablamos de esta tradición británica arraigada en el Peñón.

Join David Maxwell as the Gardeners' Corner roadshow team head to Banbridge where members of Banbridge Horticultural Society put their questions to gardening experts Averil Milligan and Ann Fitzsimons. Blueberrries, blackcurrants and azaleas are just some of plants under discussion as well as timely tips for the gardening week ahead. That's Gardeners' Corner this Saturday morning just after the nine o'clock news on BBC Radio Ulster.

This week the Gardeners' Corner roadshow comes from the seaside town of Bangor in Co Down. On the panel Brendan Little and Cherry Townsend who answer questions from members of Bangor Horticultural Society. Lots of gardening advice on everything from the perfect plants for seaside gardening to organic sprays for roses and help on how to deal with the dreaded honey fungus and also in the programme tips for the gardening week ahead.

David Maxwell hosts the latest Gardeners' Corner roadshow which comes from Hillsborough where the local horticultural society is celebrating its 70th anniversary in 2018. David is joined by experts Cherry Townsend and Brendan Little. Forsythia problems, whitefly, no dig gardening and climate change are just some of the topics covered. The panel also offer some tips for week as spring gets going in the garden.

The Bee Cottage Story with Frances Schultz. We talk about her House Beautiful magazine series on the makeover of her house, Bee Cottage, that turned into a book, what she learned and how she changed during this emotional process.   Direct download: Tranquility du Jour #392: The Bee Cottage Story   Upcoming Events   Tranquility du Jour Live: March 30 Yoga + Art in West Virginia: May 19-21 Writing in the Woods in West Virginia: October 20-22 Featured guest:   Writer, artist, traveler, and tastemaker, Frances Schultz is a contributing editor for House Beautiful magazine and writes also Veranda,Indagare, The Wall Street Journal and others. Former on-air host of the cable show Southern Living Presents, She is author and co-author of several books on design and entertaining. Her latest, The Bee Cottage Story—How I Made a Muddle of Things and Decorated My Way Back to Happiness is now in its sixth printing. Frances was the 2015 recipient of the Horticultural Society of New York’s Award of Excellence and was named one of the Southeastern Horticultural Society’s Visionaries of Design. She is on the boards of the Horticultural Society of New York and of Empowers Africa. A North Carolina native and UVa graduate, she lives with her husband Tom Dittmer on a ranch in Los Olivos, California, with frequent forays to New York and East Hampton. You can follow her at FrancesSchultz.com.   photo by Trevor Tondro Tranquility du Jour Savvy Sources Instagram Twitter Facebook Pinterest francesscultz.com Mentioned in the Podcast The Bee Cottage Story Social Media Eye candy on Instagram Pin along with me on Pinterest Let’s connect on Facebook Follow moi on Twitter Watch via YouTube Tranquility Tips + Tools Browse my 5 Books New to Tranquility du Jour? Peruse the FAQs Tranquility-filled E-courses Download the Tranquility du Jour Podcast App: iPhone and Android Shop slow locally-made, eco-friendly fashion: TranquiliT Sign up for bi-monthly Love Notes and access Tranquil Treasures Read about my passion for animals Request Pen a review on iTunes and/or share this podcast via social media, s‘il vous plaît Ask questions, share what you do while listening, or how this podcast has helped you. I love hearing from you! Techy To listen, click on the player at the top of the post or click here to listen to older episodes. New to podcasting? Get more info at Podcast 411. Do you have iTunes? Click here and subscribe to the podcast to get the latest episode as released. Get the Tranquility du Jour apps to download the podcast "automagically" on iOS or Android. Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save Save

_ We Dig Plants _ is getting artsy this week as Alice and Carmen welcome Abbie Zabar to the studio for a thorough talk on her work. Abbie is an acclaimed artist, graphic and garden designer, and the author of five books. Her first book, The Potted Herb (1988), is now considered a gardening classic. Her landscape collages have been represented by Allan Stone and BlumHelman, and the Flowers in the Great Hall of the Metropolitan Museum of Art series has been represented by Ursus Books & Prints and the Horticultural Society of New York. Her artwork has been shown at the Museum of Modern Art, the Cooper-Hewitt Museum, the Parrish Museum (Water Mill, NY), the International Paper Corporation, the Louvre, the Institute of Contemporary Arts (London) and the Vigeland Museum (Oslo), and is part of the permanent collections of the Mead Paper Corporation of America, the Brooklyn Museum, the Jewish Museum, the Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation (Pittsburgh, PA) and the Smithsonian Museum. Zabar’s illustrated articles have appeared in Garden Design, Horticulture, Fine Gardening, Gourmet and The New York Times, as well as in numerous esteemed British publications. Zabar is currently the Program Chairperson for the Manhattan Chapter of the North American Rock Garden Society and a Learning Leader at P.S. 198. This program was brought to you by the Christmas Tree Farmers Association of New York. “My style depends on what I’m working off. I can work in many mediums.” –Abbie Zabar on We Dig Plants  

This week on We Dig Plants, Carmen & Alice are joined by Pamela Ito, Director of Children’s Education at The Horticultural Society of New York’s Apple Seed program & exhibition: YOU ART WHAT YOU EAT. Tune in to hear how Pamela uses botany and food as tools as an educational tool for children, and how edibles can be used as inspiration for art and good health alike. This episode was sponsored by The Museum of Food & Drink

Runner-Up in Dumfries & Galloway Arts Association Flash Fiction Competition 2006. Read by Jo Leavesey.listen to storyCommunity SpiritThey’d hired the community mini-bus and left the village square just as dusk was falling. The trip had been well organised by the Community Association. Mrs Dugdale was the responsible adult: she’d been through police clearance as the Brown Owl. Young people had an important role to play.So eight villagers, from thirteen to seventy-three, packed together with black bin liners of rubbish from the cafes, with secateurs from the Horticultural Society, with boxes of chewing gum from the village store, set off to visit three villages that night. They travelled silently and parked just before the first village sign, tubs beneath it all freshly planted. They parted company. The younger members chewed their way round the village centre, spitting out gum and stamping it into its weed-free pavements. The older ones littered the village green, by the dedicated benches and amongst the bushes. The gardeners ‘live-headed’ the strategically placed tubs and the baskets hanging outside the village pub, the cottages and shops.Jobs done, they turned for home, exhausted, but fired with community spirit, singing together, confident in the knowledge that Little Ousebottom now most certainly would be the best small village in Britain in Bloom.© Angela Everitt 2006