Podcast appearances and mentions of kate sessions

Kate Sessions (1857-1940) was a pioneering figure in the field of horticulture, known as the “Mother of Balboa Park.”While motherhood can take many forms, to mother is to usher forth new generations through care, work and imagination. For the entire month of December, we're celebrating mothers — including those who raised children who went on to lead the civil rights movement and school desegregation efforts, such as Alberta King and Louise Little, as well as mothers of movements like Lorena Borjas who started the Latinx trans movement. All of the women featured this month were dedicated to the survival of children in their work and to imagining better futures for the next generation.History classes can get a bad rap, and sometimes for good reason. When we were students, we couldn't help wondering... where were all the ladies at? Why were so many incredible stories missing from the typical curriculum? Enter, Womanica. On this Wonder Media Network podcast we explore the lives of inspiring women in history you may not know about, but definitely should.Every weekday, listeners explore the trials, tragedies, and triumphs of groundbreaking women throughout history who have dramatically shaped the world around us. In each 5 minute episode, we'll dive into the story behind one woman listeners may or may not know–but definitely should. These diverse women from across space and time are grouped into easily accessible and engaging monthly themes like Educators, Villains, Indigenous Storytellers, Activists, and many more.  Womanica is hosted by WMN co-founder and award-winning journalist Jenny Kaplan. The bite-sized episodes pack painstakingly researched content into fun, entertaining, and addictive daily adventures. Womanica was created by Liz Kaplan and Jenny Kaplan, executive produced by Jenny Kaplan, and produced by Liz Smith, Grace Lynch, Maddy Foley, Brittany Martinez, Edie Allard, Lindsey Kratochwill, Adesuwa Agbonile, Carmen Borca-Carrillo, Taylor Williamson, Ale Tejeda, Sara Schleede, Abbey Delk, and Alex Jhamb Burns. Special thanks to Shira Atkins. Original theme music composed by Miles Moran.Follow Wonder Media Network:WebsiteInstagramTwitter

The life and history of Kate Sessions, an early Californian botanist, horticulturist, and landscape architect that changed Southern California into what it is now. Hope you guys enjoy this Women in Botany series as much as I do! Thanks for listening! Remember, share this podcast with someone and message me on Instagram @tenneyplants to be entered into the giveaway! Plant School Merch - https://tenney-plants.creator-spring.com/ Follow us; Instagram - @tenneyplants YouTube - Tenney Plants Channel Blog - www.tenneyplants.com Pinterest - Tenney Plants Email us! - tenneyplants@gmail.com --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/plant-school/support

In this episode we discuss the importance of our environment by learning about the contributions of Anna Botsford Comstock, Kate Sessions, Rosalie Barrow Edge, Rachel Carson, Marjory Stoneman Douglas, Margaret Thomas Murie, Dian Fossey and Jane Goodall.

Today we celebrate a charming woman who became known as the Apple Blossom Lady. We'll also learn about the man who raised the best begonias in the world back in the early 1900s. We hear some thoughts on tussie-mussies. We Grow That Garden Library™ with an informative and delightful book about Fungi ("funj-eye") - and it’s loaded with incredible photography. And then we’ll wrap things up with a dream - an inspired horticultural vision for the botanical building in Balboa Park by the Begonia man, Alfred Robinson.   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 Foliage Plants: How To Use Green Foliage Plants In Your Garden | Gardens Illustrated | Alasdair Cameron   Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and original blog posts for yourself, you're in luck. I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. So, there’s no need to take notes or search for links. The next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community, where you’d search for a friend... and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group.   Important Events February 26, 1834 Today is the birthday of the woman who came up with the State Flower for Michigan: Anna Eliza Reed Woodcock. Born in Fitzwilliam, New Hampshire, Anna moved to Michigan after marrying her husband, David. She had a beautiful voice, and Anna was well-known in Lansing as an actress and a singer in local productions and events. On April 19, 1897, Anna clipped some branches from her flowering apple tree, loaded them up in a wheelbarrow, and then rolled them down North Capitol Avenue to the Michigan Statehouse. When she got there, Anna adorned the office of the Speaker of the House with the blooming branches. It turns out, 63-year-old Anna had been looking out her kitchen window at 309 Capital Avenue North in Lansing and was moved by the sight of her beautiful Apple tree in bloom. It suddenly occurred to her that the Apple Blossom would make a great state flower. Knowing that the Michigan Legislature would be voting on a state flower, she hoped her Apple Blossom branches would have some influence... and they did. Just nine days after wheeling her branches one block down the street to the Capital, the Michigan legislature approved the resolution making the apple blossom the State Flower, and they said, “Our blossoming apple trees add much to the beauty of our Landscape, and Michigan apples have gained a worldwide reputation.” In her old age, Anna remembered, “When the selection of the State Flower was voted on, blossoms from my snow apple tree trimmed the speaker’s desk at Lansing, and the vote was unanimous for the Apple Blossom.” In 1930, Anna passed away in Minnesota at the age of 96. (I know this because, in researching Anna, I actually had to create a tree for her on Ancestry). Sixty years after Anna's death, the Michigan Legislature posthumously honored Anna with a title: Apple Blossom Lady. Anna's victory with the Michigan Legislature sparked a passion for Apple Blossoms in the twilight of her life. Anna began creating apple blossoms using silk ribbon, and she always took cuttings to sell for her favorite charities. Anna once said, "I feel my Apple Blossoms have taken me to the top of the world."   February 26, 1942 Today is the anniversary of the death of the British-American horticulturist and founder of the California Begonia industry, Alfred D. Robinson. Along with his wife Marion, Alfred’s passion was flowers. In the early 1900s, after hearing a religious leader speak about a utopian community called Lomaland, Alfred and Marion moved to Point Loma. Yet, their fresh start in Point Loma, which included buying ten acres of land, was irreparably damaged when their young daughter Lenora died of a heart issue. Losing Lenora devastated the Robinsons, and they left Point Loma and began building a new home in San Diego. As the gardens were getting established, their 15,000 square foot mansion was being built - and that mansion was called Rosecroft. The Rosecroft property became the home base for Alfred’s Gegonia breeding program. And as Rosecroft’s high-quality Begonias made their way to nurseries and botanists around the country, Alfred solidified his reputation as a high-quality Begonia  grower. Now Alfred came up with the idea to use Lath houses for growing his begonias. Now, if you need help picturing a Lath House, imagine a pergola with sides. Webster’s defines a Lath House as a structure made of laths or slats that are spaced to reduce excessive sunlight while permitting air circulation. Lath Houses are great for plants that need more shade and also protection from strong winds. In 1933, the LA Times ran a story called The Useful Lath House by Eva Dale, and in it, Eva described the Rosecroft Lath House. “Lath offers the desired protection as well as effecting a substantial saving in water. By lathing the sides and part of the roof of a garden, a barren wind-swept space can be transformed into a thing of beauty affording shelter to man and plant alike.  This may be done on a grand scale, as at "Rosecroft" at Point Loma, where Alfred Robinson has about an acre under Lath, or at Whitehill, Redlands, where Clarence White has an acre and a half of sun protection; but it can also give a great deal of satisfaction when done in a very modest fashion.  Mr. Robinson is an authority on Begonias and Mr. White on Roses, but they both declare that these and many other plants do infinitely better in partial shade. Mr. White says that "besides the conservation of bloom and vigor and the transpiration of water, there is also a moderation of the extremes of heat and cold." He adds that "there is less frost, and better recovery when it does penetrate."  Walter Merrill, former president of the San Diego Rose Society, has varied the idea somewhat by using Bamboo instead of Lath... After a year and a half, he says he would not, for anything, return to full sun for his roses.” An early Rosecroft pamphlet described their growing operation this way: “Rosecroft is on Point Loma, the head of land that forms the Northwest boundary of the Bay of San Diego California, and…  enjoys the year-round mildness of climate coupled with a moist atmosphere… [which] permits the cultivation of the Begonia with a simple Lath protection.  In such a shelter, Rosecroft grows… the best exposition of this family in the world.  The so-called Tree Begonias attain a height of 24 ft and all sorts flourish.” In 1907, Albert and Marion, along with the great Kate Sessions, formed the San Diego Floral Association, and Albert served as the first president. Two years later, the group started a little publication called California Garden… and it is still published today. And it was the botanist Charles Plumier ("Ploo-me") named the Begonia in honor of a man he much admired: Michel Bégon ("ME-shell Bay-GO-n"), a French amateur botanist. Charles discovered the Begonia growing on the island of Santo Domingo. Although they are beautiful, most Begonias have no scent. And if you’ve been growing Begonias in full sun, you’ll immediately understand why Albert grew his under a Lath House because they really prefer part shade. In the wild, Begonias grow under filtered light. The Begonia traditionally symbolizes caution or hesitation. I always found this curious until I researched the family name Bégon, which is rooted in Old French as a slang word for a person who stuttered. I thought happened to be a meaningful coincidence - the meaning of caution or hesitation with a stutter. And you may be surprised to learn that the flowers and leaves of the Begonia are edible; some cultures around the world add begonias to salads. Finally, the Begonia is known as the flower that produces the smallest seeds. In fact, Begonia seeds are so fine that they are often compared to dust. This is why, if you grow Begonias from seed, they are often pelleted. In 1932, the California Begonia Society was formed, and in a few short years, they started a little bulletin called The Begonian. In 1935, it was Alfred Robinson that suggested the group broaden their reach - and the American Begonia Society was born.   Unearthed Words A dear neighbour brought me a tussie-mussie this week. The dictionary defines tuzzy-muzzy, or tussie-mussie, as a bunch or posy of flowers, a nosegay, and then disobligingly adds that the word is obsolete. I refuse to regard it as obsolete.  It is a charming word; I have always used it and shall continue to use it, whatever the great Oxford Dictionary may say; and shall now take my neighbour's tussie-mussie as a theme to show what ingenuity, taste, and knowledge can produce from a small garden even in February. — Vita Sackville West, English author and garden designer, In Your Garden, The Tussie-Mussie   Grow That Garden Library Fantastic Fungi by Paul Stamets ("Stam-its") This coffee-table book came out in 2019, and the subtitle is How Mushrooms can Heal, Shift Consciousness, and Save the Planet (Official Book of Smash Hit Documentary). As Paul likes to say, “Mushrooms can heal you. They can feed you. They can kill you.”  And for all their power, Fungi ("funj-eye") remain misunderstood, understudied, and often just plain old ignored as an aspect of our world. This book is the result of Paul’s incredible documentary called “Fantastic Fungi,” It features a collection of essay contributions from doctors, explorers, and ecologists that help us better understand the magical world of Fungi. And there's a great piece of information about Fungi for gardeners to know, and that is that Fungi eat rocks. And by eating rocks, Fungi liberate the minerals from rocks and put these minerals back into the soil for plants. And when Fungi join with algae (“al-jee”) they form lichens. So when you lichens, remember that marriage between Fungi and algae. Finally, Fungi are the foundation of the food web. There are more than eight miles of Fungi in a single cubic inch of soil, and all around the planet, there are gigatons of mycelium. For now, the field of mycology hasn’t been a priority, and so Fungi remain an unchartered frontier. Only about 10 percent of all Fungi have been identified. With any luck, our focus on Fungi will change as we look to the future. As for gardeners, Paul is a fan of the Garden Giant Mushrooms. They are fast-growing, and they do so much for the soil. For example, Garden Giant Mushrooms can take twelve inches of wood chips and create one inch of soil in about four or five months. In a nutshell, Mushrooms begin a domino effect that starts with Fungi and ends with ecological restoration and soil expansion. Paul believes that keystone species like the Garden Giant Mushroom lead to healthier gardens and ecosystems. And fortunately for us, these Garden Giant Mushrooms can be grown virtually anywhere - from sweltering climates to very cool environments. This book is 184 pages of astounding information regarding Mushrooms and Fungi that hopefully will change your perspective, your garden – and help the planet. You can get a copy of Fantastic Fungi by Paul Stamets and support the show using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for around $24   Today’s Botanic Spark Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart In researching Alfred Robinson, I ran across an article by Richard Amero that was published by the San Diego History Center. The article shares Alfred’s grand dream for a large Lath House to grace the Panama-California Exposition. San Diego was the host city for this event on January 1, 1915. Alfred’s idea for this Lath House met with approval, yet the actual design differed drastically from Albert’s vision. Still, it is delightful to hear what Albert had in mind originally - his dream for the Botanical Building in Balboa Park: “Where was I?  I had entered the garden of Eden.  Palms and ferns and flowering plants and vines on all sides, sending out their delicate scents upon the night air to mingle with the odor of the moist earth and recent rain, a draught as intoxicating as champagne.  Where the band played… was a great central dome, 500 feet in diameter... Up its supporting columns ran choice vines, Jasmines of such sweet savor, Begonias, and Tecomas of gaudy hue, and the curious Dutchman’s Pipe. Palms from many lands and many forms lined the borders and were in beds here and there while Begonias and other foliage plants nestled at their feet.  In the air hung Orchids with their strangely beautiful blossoms. From this central court ran out six great arms or aisles, and in each were ... a great family of plants. There were thousands and thousands of varieties, and each was plainly labeled. (Now we definitely know this is clearly a dream!) The lighting had been carefully planned so as not to strike the eye offensively, and the whole effect was absolutely entrancing.”   Thanks for listening to The Daily Gardener. And remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."

Anne Fege, Urban Forester and Co-Founder of Kate Sessions Commitment, discusses the movement's focus on increasing San Diego's tree canopy, engaging communities, and inspiring local climate action. Fege underscores the environmental and psychological benefits of a greater number of trees in the community. Fege also discusses the role youth play in the movement.

We talk about the mother of Balboa park, Kate Sessions! --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

The holidays and current events are a great opportunity to teach your child empathy and compassion.It’s your responsibility as a parent to teach your child empathy and compassion for others. This will help him have more caring and understanding for others throughout his life. Empathy starts with understanding other people’s emotions and feelings. Kids have to get in touch with their own emotions and feelings first. You can’t understand emotions unless you communicate face-to-face. Talk through what could help others feel better so your child understands how others feel. Expand your child’s experiences through travel and reading. Encourage community involvement. Community Service Show your child firsthand what other people experience through community service. Empower him to make changes in the world by doing something about it. Involve your children in altruistic activities. Listen as Dr. Corinn Cross joins Melanie Cole, MS, to share how you can develop your child’s sense of empathy and compassion. Reading List: Books on Food Donations and Soup Kitchens, Turkey Drive/Food Drives, Visiting Food Banks*Maddi's Fridge by Lois Brandt A young girl realizes her friend’s fridge is often empty. She tries to sneak her food from home. Eventually she confides in her mother that her friend’s family needs food.  Together they help the family and eventually organize a food drive. The book discusses food drives and food pantries. The Author’s Note discusses how 1 in 5 US children live in homes that are food insecure, meaning they run out of food before the end of the month.  Uncle Willie and The Soup Kitchen by Dyanne Disalvo-Ryan A young boy accompanies his uncle to work in a soup kitchen. He learns all about how soup kitchens and neighboring communities work together to feed those in need. A prologue gives some background and additional information about soup kitchens and who they serve – although this prologue is better read after the book so that children have an understanding of what a soup kitchen is and can absorb the additional information.  Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Peña A young boy and his grandmother leave church and take a bus through a culturally diverse community. During the ride, the young boy laments that he isn’t out playing with his friends. Instead, he and his grandmother are going to work at a soup kitchen.  By the end of the book, he realizes how important what he is doing really is. “Last Stop” is a simpler book than “Uncle Willie”. Unlike “Uncle Willie,” the reader does not experience what it is like to work at a soup kitchen. “Last Stop” is more about the journey. The beauty of the book however is that it illustrates that everyone has something to give.  Books About Veterans, Veteran’s Day, Memorial Day, Operation Gratitude *The Wall by Eve Bunting A very moving book about a young boy and his dad who travel to Washington DC to look for the grandfather’s name on the Vietnam Memorial. It helps children to understand the sacrifices these soldiers have made and illustrates that the men and women fighting for our country are someone’s parent, grandparent or child.  Books About Families Who Need Homes and Furniture, Christmas (A Carpenter’s gift is an amazing Christmas story), Furniture Drives, Habitat For Humanity-Type Projects, Losing Homes to Fires *The Carpenter's Gift: A Christmas Tale about the Rockefeller Center Tree by David Rubel An amazingly beautiful and moving Christmas story about a young poor boy and his dad who drive to NYC to sell Christmas trees. They give the last tree to a group of men working at a construction site. Later those men show up at the boy’s home with left over supplies from their building and help the father to repair and insulate their home. The book’s epilogue discusses Habitat for Humanity and how the Christmas Tree at Rockefeller Center is donated every year to provide lumbar for homes for families in need.  A Chair for My Mother by Vera B. Williams The story of how a young girl, her mother and her grandmother lose their home in a fire. The community helps to refurnish their new apartment but they still need a comfy chair.  The family works together to save money to buy a wonderful new chair. An important message in this book is that the child helps too. She gives half the money she makes into the jar. It is an empowering book.  Ada's Violin: The Story of the Recycled Orchestra of Paraguay by Susan Hood A true story of man who realizes that donating his time to teach music to children who live in a town which surrounds a garbage dump will change their lives. The children created an orchestra made of recycled products as instruments. The orchestra has been invited to play worldwide. The story shows how one man and a vision can make a difference in the lives of so many and how hard work and teamwork can lead to amazing feats.  Books About Sending Packages to Those in Need & Operation Christmas Child *Boxes for Katje by Candace Flemming A wonderful and moving story of how one girl’s packages changed the lives of a village in Holland after World War II. The girl on the receiving end is equally generous as she shares each package with those around her in need.  Books About the Elderly, Visiting Seniors & Winter Coat Drives  The Mitten Tree by Candace Christiansen This is a story of how an old woman who feels detached from her community sees that some little children are cold and without mittens at the bus stop. It is a beautiful story of how she connects and shares her talent for knitting and brings joy and smiles to the children. In turn, someone sees what she is doing and leaves her yearn to continue her work.  Books About the Environment & Youth Activism, Women & Science, Persistence Me . . . Jane by Patrick McDonnell A simple book about Jane Goodall. The “About Jane Goodall” epilogue talks about all of her efforts to make the world better – helping both animals and communities. The “Message from Jane” is wonderful, encouraging children to make positive changes in the world.  The Tree Lady: The True Story of How One Tree-Loving Woman Changed a City Forever by Joseph H. Hopkins The true story of Kate Sessions, the first woman to ever graduate from the University of California with a degree in science. She persisted in creating green parks when most thought her efforts were futile. She created the lush Balboa Park. This is a wonderful story of believing in yourself, perseverance and working toward an admirable goal for the sake of others.   Follow the Moon Home: A Tale of One Idea, Twenty Kids, and a Hundred Sea Turtles by Phillippe CousteauThis book has a great epilogue about youth activism. It encourages children to examine their community and try to make it better. Then to think about the change they have achieved and to tell that story. The story itself focuses on two children who realize the sea turtles aren’t heading toward the sea after they hatch. They involve their class and their community and by working together they are able to help the baby sea turtles find their way.  Inspirational Stories *The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba A true story of a boy who had to drop out of school because his family had no money for tuition due to a severe drought. His whole village was hungry and starving. William depressed about not being in school started going to the library. There he read about windmills and decided he would build to power his village and an irrigation system. Using materials from the junk yard he built a windmill, powered his home and later his entire village. He has a TED talk about the experience.  Trombone Shorty by Troy Andrews While not necessarily a book about community service, it is a true story of Troy Andrews and the book conveys what it is like to grow up in an impoverished neighborhood. It is the story of how he worked hard, practiced and was helped by others. Troy went one to become a very successful musician and now has a foundation that gives back to his childhood community to help other children learn music. This story shows children that community service can be doing what you love.  It also encourages giving back to communities to help others. One Plastic Bag: Isatou Ceesay and the Recycling Women of Gambia by Miranda Paul The true story of a woman who no longer wanted her village to be over taken by plastic garbage bags. She develops an ingenious idea of how to recycle them. This not only cleans up the area but allows the women to make products they can sell. The additional information in the book shows how one woman’s efforts benefitted so many women and their community. They win grants and are able to build a community center and the region’s first public library.  Books That Encourage Kids to Serve Real Kids, Real Stories, Real Change: Courageous Actions Around the World by Garth Sundem Exactly as the title describes this a book of 2-4 page stories of real children making huge impacts in their communities. It is very inspiring and due to the format and simple narration it is easy to read just a quick story. 77 Creative Ways Kids Can Serve by Sondra Clark A simple book that gives kids ideas they can do to help others. Some things are very simple like writing a thank you to those who volunteer, helping the elderly, etc. It is a nice book to have in the reading corner to prompt kids to think about giving back. This book does have a religious slant and intermittently relates service back to Christian values.

Today we celebrate the plant named in honor of Queen Victoria and the President of Peru and Bolivia. We'll learn about the Mother of Balboa Park and how the world seed bank was saved during WWII. We'll hear the Garden Poem that celebrates the end of the apple-picking season. We Grow That Garden Library with a book from the author who was pulled out of her grief by nature walks with Marion Satterlee.  I'll talk about an on-trend and portable way to display your houseplants, and then we'll wrap things up with a set of botanical stamps that commemorated the bi-centenary of Captain Cook's first voyage to New Zealand.   But first, let's catch up on a few recent events.   How to lift and divide herbaceous perennials Now's the time for all good men to come to the aid of their... Whoops - nope - Really now is the perfect time to lift and divide perennials with @GWmag - It's not too late! Dividing or not - you should check out the garden in this video. Swooning now...     11 things to know about the Agius Evolution Garden Here's a Behind the Scenes Look at Kew's Brand New Garden called the Agius. Learn about the mulch @kewgardens makes for the garden, the pergola that supports 26 roses & the drought-resistant asterids - like sages, olives, and rosemary.      What to grow in a medieval herb garden - English Heritage Blog Medieval Herb Gardens grew the tried & true herbs. Learn more about Sage, Betony, Clary Sage, Hyssop, Rue, Chamomile, Dill, Cumin, & Comfrey in this post by @EnglishHeritage featuring a beautiful pic of @RievaulxAbbey     Never Underestimate the Intelligence of Trees Gardens are plant communities that need these pillars of protection- yet many gardens are treeless. As gardeners, we should plant Micro Forests. Dr. Suzanne Simard - Professor of Forest Ecology: Older, bigger trees share nutrients w/ smaller trees & they pay it back later. @NautilusMag    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.  So there’s no need to take notes or track down links - the next time you're on Facebook, just search for Daily Gardener Community and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group.         Brevities     #OTD   On this day in 1849, the very first Victoria cruziana flowered in a custom-built greenhouse at the Duke of Devonshire's estate at Chatsworth.  After that initial bloom, the other specimens began blooming as well. And, one of the blossoms was, appropriately, given to Queen Victoria (Santa Cruz Water Lily). The Victoria cruziana is an exotic plant. It is named in honor of two people: Queen Victoria & Andres de Santa Cruz, President of Peru & Bolivia, who sponsored the expedition where the plants were first collected. In the wild, Victoria cruziana is native to open waters in northern Argentina and Paraguay. Sadly, the Victoria cruziana is endangered due to deforestation. Although in recent years, the Santa Cruz Water Lily has been returning by the hundreds in the Salado River in Paraguay. Locals take tourists out to see them in little canoes. Victoria cruziana produces enormous lily pads that can grow up to 2 meters or almost 7 feet wide. Today, greenhouses grow the Santa Cruz Water Lily from seed. In cultivation, pollination takes place by hand in the evenings when the plant is flowering. But in its native habitat, the pollination process of the Santa Cruz Water Lily is a fantastic spectacle: When the big flower bud  initially opens - it is pure white and it emits a pineapple aroma. Then, as night falls, the flower goes through a chemical change that causes it to heat up.The pineapple scent and the warmth draw flying scarab beetles who venture far into the depths of the flower to find feast of starch. It's likeThanksgiving in there. While they are feasting through the night, the morning sunlight causes the flower to close up, and the feasting scarab beetles are trapped inside. During the day, the flower goes through a tremendous transformation. The pineapple scent goes away, and the flower turns from pure white to pink - all in the course of a single day. What's more, the sex of the flower changes from female to male.  When the Santa Cruz Water Lily flower opens again on the second night, the scarab beetles are ready to go, and they fly off, covered in pollen to find the next freshly opened pineapple scented female flowers. Isn't that incredible? Now the underside of the giant Amazonian water lily, Victoria cruziana, is quite something to see. It consists of this intricate vaulted rib structure, which is perfectly designed by Mother Nature. The air pockets give it the buoyancy and allow it to handle the load of the enormous lily pad. Those ribs are what allows the lily pad to float. This pattern so inspired Joseph Paxton that he incorporated it into his design for Crystal Palace in 1851. And, to illustrate the strength of the lily pads, there's a famous old photo from the 1800s that shows five children sitting on top of individual lily pads - one of them looks to be about three years old, and she's sitting on a rocking chair that was put on top of  the Lily pad, and they are all just calming staring into the Camera. It's quite the image. There is one more surprise for people who get the chance to really study the giant water lily. Everything except the smooth top surface of the lily is ferociously spiny to protect it from being eaten by nibblers under the water.    Back in July, I shared a video in the Facebook Group for the Show from the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh which showed their Senior Horticulturist, Pat Clifford, teaching an intern, how to remove older Giant Water Lily pads so the pond doesn't get overcrowded. Using a pitchfork, Pat carefully folded the giant lily pad first in half, then quarters, and then once more. Then he stabbed the large folded pad with the pitchfork, hoists it in the air to let the water drain out, and then flops this huge beast of a pad down on the edge of the pond. Then, the camera zooms in to reveal the incredibly savage thorns that grow on the underside of the lily pad and all down the stem of the plant. For folks who watch that video, It is a shock to see how vicious the thorns are - rivaling any rose.       #OTD   Today is the birthday of American botanist, horticulturist, and landscape architect Kate Sessions, who was born on this day in 1857. As a young woman, Kate had traveled to San Diego to teach, but she ended up following her passion and bought a local nursery in 1885. Before long, Kate owned a flower shop as well. And, she didn't leave her teaching roots behind. Kate is remembered for going from grammar school to grammar school, teaching thousands of young children basic horticulture and botany. In 1892, she managed to convince the City of San Diego to lease her 30 acres of land to use for growing in Balboa Park so that she could grow plants for her nursery. The arrangement required Session to plant 100 trees in balboa park every single year in addition to another 300 trees around the city of San Diego.  Over a dozen years, Kate planted close to 5,000 trees, forever changing the vista of San Diego. The Antonicelli family, who later bought Kate's nursery, said that Kate was tough and plants were her whole life.  "When she would go out on a landscape job, rather than put a stake in the ground, she had these high boots on, and she'd kick heel marks in the ground, and that's where she would tell the guys to plant the trees." Thanks to her nursery and connections, Session planted hundreds of cypress, pine, oak, pepper trees, and eucalyptus. And although she never married or had any children, it was thanks to her dedication to the trees of San Diego that Sessions became known as The Mother of Balboa Park. But there is one tree that Sessions will forever be associated with, and that is the jacaranda, which is a signature plant of the city of San Diego. Sessions imported the jacaranda, and she propagated and popularized it - it which wasn't difficult given its beautiful purple bloom. In September of 1939, Kate broke her hip after falling in her garden. The following march, newspapers reported she had died quietly in her sleep, "At the close of Easter Sunday, when the broad lawns, the groves, the canyons, and the flower beds were aglow with a beauty that has become her monument."   #OTD  On this day in 1941, Hitler gave a speech where he said that "Leningrad must die of starvation.” The following year, that's nearly what happened as hundreds of thousands starved to death in the streets of Leningrad. People were so desperate, that some people attempted to eat sawdust.  As the Nazis arrived in St Petersburg, the dedicated scientists at the Vavilov Institute of Plant Industry locked themselves inside the seed vault to protect the world's seed collection, which was housed in bins that went from the floor to the ceiling in 16 rooms. The workers came up with a strategy where no one was allowed to be alone with the seed. They were always paired up, and they guarded the collection in shifts. The siege lasted for 900 days, and one by one, the people in the vault started dying of starvation.  In January 1942, Alexander Stchukin, a peanut specialist, died at his desk. And, ironically, as he was guarding rice, the Botanist Dmitri Ivanov also died of starvation. When the siege ended in the Spring of 1944, nine scientists had starved to death while defending the world's seeds.       #OTD On this day in 1974, the University of North Carolina at Wilmington dedicated the Bluethenthal Wildflower Preserve.   The 10-acre preserve is in the middle of the campus and is home to a marvelous example of unique native plants like the Venus flytrap, sundew, and white and yellow jasmine.   An article reporting on the preserve said,   "In this hurly-burly rush-around world of ours, there are still those who care about the natural beauty of the area and about preserving it for future generations."             #OTD On the same day in 1974, London's famous flower, fruit, and vegetable market moved from Covent Garden to Battersea.   In 1661, King Charles II established Covent Market under a charter. After an incredible transformation from a 9-acre pasture in the heart of London, the streets and alleys of Covent Garden served as a market for Londoners for 305 years. Back in 1974, 270 dealers were buying and selling 4,000 tons of produce every day, as well as flowers and plants worth $28.8 million.   One newspaper reported that when a trader was asked if he would miss the location of the old market, he replied,   "We deal in fruit and vegetables, not sentiment."   Covent Gardens was the spot where Professor Henry Higgins met a flower seller named Eliza Doolittle in "My Fair Lady."   And, in Dicken's story, "The Old Curiosity Shop," a stranger went to the Covent Market, "at sunrise, in spring or summer when the fragrance of sweet flowers is in the air, overpowering even the unwholesome streams of last night's debauchery and driving the dusky thrush, whose cage has hung outside a garret window all night long, half-mad with joy." Unearthed Words "My long two-pointed ladder's sticking through a tree Toward heaven still, And there's a barrel that I didn't fill Beside it, and there may be two or three Apples I didn't pick upon some bough. But I am done with apple-picking now. Essence of winter sleep is on the night, The scent of apples: I am drowsing off." - Robert Frost, After Apple Picking     Today's book recommendation: How to Know the Ferns by Frances Theodora Parsons Parsons was an American naturalist and author, remembered most for her book on American wildflowers. But her book, How to Know the Ferns, is also a favorite and it's a personal favorite of mine. One of the reasons I'm a huge Parsons fan is because of her incredible life story. After her first husband and baby died, Parsons finally broke her grief when her friend Marion Satterlee managed to get her to take nature walks, which rekindled her love for wildflowers. In 1893, Fanny published her famous book, How to Know the Wildflowers.   It sold out in five days and was a favorite of Theodore Roosevelt and Rudyard Kipling. Three years later, in 1896, Fanny married a childhood friend, a professor, politician, and diplomat, James Russell Parsons. The following year, Fanny gave birth to their son. Parsons was not well off, so Fanny wrote today's book, "How to Know the Ferns" in an effort to financially help her family.    In the first page of the book, Parsons shares this beautiful quote about ferns by Henry David Thoreau:   “If it were required to know the position of the fruit dots or the character of the indusium, nothing could be easier than to ascertain it; but if it is required that you be affected by ferns, that they amount to anything, signify anything to you, that they be another sacred scripture and revelation to you, helping to redeem your life, this end is not so easily accomplished.”   A year after Ferns, Fanny gave birth to their only daughter, Dorothea, who tragically died at two and a half years old five days before Thanksgiving in 1902. Three years later, Fanny's husband, James,  was killed when his carriage collided with a  trolley car.     A widow for the second time, Fanny published this poem in Scribner’s Magazine in 1911: When Laughter is Sadder than Tears.   The marshes stretch to the dunes and the dunes sweep down to the sea, And the sea is wooing the meadow which waits with an open door; Then a melody sweet to the hearer floats up from the murmuring lea Till the sea slips seaward again and the land is athirst as before. And athirst is the heart whose worship is not the worship of yore, Whose visions no magic can conjure, whose plenty is suddenly dearth; And parched as the desert the soul whose tears no grief can restore, Whose laughter is sadder than tears and whose grief is as barren as mirth.   The days are alive with music, the nights their pleasures decree; The vision the morning fulfills is the dream that the evening wore, And life is as sweet to the living as the flower is sweet to the bee, As the breath of the woods is sweet to the mariner far from shore. But singing and sweetness and laughter must vanish forevermore, As the petals fall from the flower, as the waters recede from the firth, When hopes no longer spring upward as larks in the morning soar, Then laughter is sadder than tears and grief is as barren as mirth.   Friend, if shaken and shattered the shrine in the heart that is fain to adore, Then forsake the false gods that have held you and lay your pale lips to the Earth, That in her great arms she may take you and croon you her melodies o'er, When laughter is sadder than tears and grief is as barren as mirth.       Today's Garden Chore Enjoy a portable and dazzling spot for your houseplants by repurposing a bar cart.  Bar carts are super trendy once again, and they offer gardeners a stylish space for displaying houseplants. If you get a cart with glass shelves, light can filter through to plants on the bottom shelf as well. Or, you can use the bottom shelf to store extra soil, horticultural charcoal, pots, and other gear. I've had tremendous luck sourcing bar carts on Facebook Marketplace. I recently put a gold cart in my botanical Library. It's a mid-sized oval cart, and it holds about a dozen small houseplants for me - from Swedish Ivy to a variety ferns. I have to say, my little glass misting bottle looks extra elegant on the bar cart. And remember, if you happen to find a metallic cart - whether it's gold or silver - those are all considered neutrals in interior design. And, don't forget, that you can repurpose ice buckets - whether they are crystal or have a beautifully textured exterior - you can use them as cache pots for your plants. Along with the bar cart, they add a touch of sparkle and glimmer during the holidays.     Something Sweet  Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart On this day in 1969, the Johnson City Press, out of Johnson City Tennessee reported on a new batch of postage stamps out of New Zealand that commemorated the bi-centenary of Captain Cook's first voyage to New Zealand: The 4c stamp featured a side portrait of Captain Cook with the planet Venus crossing the sun - together with an old navigational instrument, the octant. The 6c stamp featured the naturalist Sir Joseph Banks with an outline of the 'Endeavour.' The 18c stamp showed Dr. Solander. He was the botanist aboard the 'Endeavour,' together with a native plant bearing his name and known locally as the Matata. The 28c stamp displayed a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II and Captain Cook's 1769 chart of New Zealand.     Thanks for listening to the daily gardener, and remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."

Jessica Johnson joined us to talk about her new book, Abandoned San Diego, that documents hidden treasures found in secret locations around San Diego that walk us through history, culture and nature. It was wonderful to discuss so many of the special locations and landmarks in Jessica’s book and her website: www.hiddensandiego.net.  We talked about gold mines, haunted houses, secret caves, hidden waterfalls, partially built castles, graveyards, 19th century homes and so much more. But for me the greatest part of the conversation was Jessica’s higher purpose of helping adults rediscover their inner child as they relearn the ideas of exploration and play.  It’s this sense of adventure that can help bring people from an overly structured, corporate life or from a dark, depressed place to find those special moments of freedom, enlightenment and joy. We covered many other topics and people including the Whaley House, Sunset Cliffs, Spalding Park, Lake Wohlford, Poway Historical Society, Mary Shepardson, Big Stone Lodge, Old Pomerado Road,  Poway Stage Coach Stop, supernatural experiences, California Missions, Pala Mission, Castle Rock, Escondido, San Diego Historical Society, Old Town, ghost hunters, Jay Leno, empty nesters, happiness, doing what you love, teaching, art and Kate Sessions. Jessica Johnson won the prestigious Town Crier Award from the San Diego SOHO (Save Our Heritage Organization) for raising historic preservation awareness with her Abandoned San Diego book, Hidden San Diego website, and popular social media pages, which aim to interest young and active generations in exploring local historic sites and preserving them. JRP0058 Jessica Johnson Info: Hidden San Diego:  https://hiddensandiego.net/Abandoned San Diego:  https://www.amazon.com/Abandoned-San-Diego-Jessica-Johnson/dp/1634991044/ref=sr_1_1Hidden California: https://hiddenca.com/San Diego Union Tribune/Pomerado News article:  https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/pomerado-news/news/story/2019-06-19/poway-resident-publishes-book-on-abandoned-locations-in-san-diegoInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/hiddensandiego/ John Riley Project Info: Bookings? Inquiries? Contact me at https://johnrileyproject.com/Donations: https://www.patreon.com/johnrileyprojectSponsorship Inquiries: https://johnrileyproject.com/sponsorship/YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJJSzeIW2A-AeT7gwonglMAFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/johnrileyproject/Twitter: https://twitter.com/JohnRileyPowayInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/johnrileypoway/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johnrileypoway/iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/john-riley-project-podcast/id1435944995?mt=2Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3llrMItpbx9JRa08UTrswAStitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/john-riley-projectGoogle Podcasts: https://podcasts.google.com/?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9qb2hucmlsZXlwcm9qZWN0LmNvbS9mZWVkLwTune In: https://tunein.com/podcasts/Arts--Culture-Podcasts/John-Riley-Project-Podcast-p1154415/Listen Notes: https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/john-riley-project-john-riley-2l4rEIo1RJM/Music: https://www.purple-planet.com

Landscape historian Nancy Carol Carter examines the horticultural legacy of Kate Sessions (1857–1940), the pioneering nursery owner and garden designer who left an indelible mark on the Southern California landscape. Best known for her work in San Diego, Sessions is credited with introducing and popularizing many of the beloved tree species in the region. The lecture is presented in collaboration with the California Garden and Landscape History Society. Recorded Mar. 19, 2017.