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9 episodes with linnaean
2 episodes with linnaean
2 episodes with linnaean
Another G-rated edit of a classic! This Smologies with Dr. John McCormack of Occidental College is all about evolution, Darwinism, birds, bacteria, natural selection and how our mutations can be our greatest strengths. Also: breaking down terms like genetic drift and Linnaean taxonomy and why Charles Darwin had to face haters under his own roof. Follow John McCormack on X or the Moore Lab of Zoology on InstagramA donation went to BirdNet.orgFull-length (*not* G-rated) Evolutionary Biology episode + tons of linksMore kid-friendly Smologies episodes!Become a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a monthOlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, masks, totes!Follow @Ologies on Bluesky and InstagramFollow @AlieWard on X and InstagramSound editing by Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio Productions, Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam Media & Steven Ray MorrisMade possible by work from Noel Dilworth, Susan Hale, Jacob Chaffee, Kelly R. Dwyer, Emily White, & Erin TalbertSmologies theme song by Harold Malcolm
The History of Bad Ideas: TaxonomyFor the latest episode in our series about the hold of bad ideas, we welcome back the geneticist Adam Rutherford to talk about Linnaean taxonomy, a seemingly innocuous scheme of classification that has had deeply pernicious consequences. From scientific racism to social stratification to search engine optimisation, taxonomy gets everywhere. Can we escape its grip?Sign up now to PPF+ to get ad-free listening and bonus episodes to accompany every series. Coming soon: two bonus bad ideas just for PPF+ subscribers www.ppfideas.com Next time on The History of Bad Ideas: Helen Lewis on women against the enfranchisement of women. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
John Bartram (1699–1777) was an American-born botanist, horticulturalist, naturalist, and explorer. He has been lauded as the “father of American botany” and the "greatest natural botanist in the world." He made significant contributions to the collection, study, and international introduction of North American flowering trees and shrubs and was a pioneer in the importation and cultivation of non-native plants. John only had a common country schooling, but at a young age developed an interest in botany and ‘natural history'.He later inherited a farm on which he established himself and his young family. Married twice, he was the father of 11 children. His third son, Willian (1739–1823), became a noted botanist, natural history artist, and ornithologist in his own right. John Bartram started his botanical career by devoting a small area of his farm to growing plants he found interesting. Later, he made contact with European botanists and gardeners interested in North American plants and developed his hobby into a thriving business. Bartram was particularly instrumental in sending seeds from the New World to European clients. The Boxes", as they became known, were shipped for distribution in England to a wide list of clients. The boxes generally contained 100 or more varieties of seeds, and sometimes included dried plant specimens. Bartram traveled up and down the East Coast virtually every year from 1735 through 1766, gathering unusual plants and touring gardens from New England to Florida. Bartram visited New Jersey and New York, and while exploring the Catskill mountains in 1742, he made the first of several visits to physician and botanist Cadwallader Colden and his daughter Jane, with whom he carried on a lengthy correspondence. In 1743, he was commissioned by the British crown to visit the Indian tribes and explore the wilderness north to Lake Ontario in Canada. His attention to the natural habitats of plants shaped Bartram's understanding of botany and his approach to his own garden. Bartram's Garden, established in 1728, is considered the first botanic garden in the United States. Still operating in a partnership between the city of Philadelphia and a non-profit foundation, it was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1960. Bartram was a friend of Benjamin Franklin and an original member of the American Philosophical Society. He was one of the first practicing Linnaean botanists in North America and named the botanist for the American colonies to King George III. Kirk Brown, a graduate of Cornell University, is an expert in garden history, garden design, and garden photography. He brings John Bartram to life on this episode of Nature Calls: Conversations from the Hudson Valley. His meticulously researched portrayal of America's first ‘plantsman' describes the horticultural history of America at the very beginning of the international world of plant discovery and identification. Kirk travels the country wearing the mantle of two of America's foremost practitioners of the Art of Gardening: John Bartram and Frederick Law Olmsted. Additionally, he delivers design and garden history lectures as himself. Hosts: Tim Kennelty and Jean Thomas Guest: Kirk Brown Photo by: Kirk Brown Production Support: Linda Aydlett, Deven Connelly, Teresa Golden, Xandra Powers, Jean Thomas, Annie Scibienski Resources
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the life, ideas and legacy of the pioneering Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus (1707 – 1778). The philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau once wrote: "Tell him I know no greater man on earth". The son of a parson, Linnaeus grew up in an impoverished part of Sweden but managed to gain a place at university. He went on to transform biology by making two major innovations. He devised a simpler method of naming species and he developed a new system for classifying plants and animals, a system that became known as the Linnaean hierarchy. He was also one of the first people to grow a banana in Europe. With Staffan Muller-Wille University Lecturer in History of Life, Human and Earth Sciences at the University of Cambridge Stella Sandford Professor of Modern European Philosophy at Kingston University, London and Steve Jones Senior Research Fellow in Genetics at University College, London Producer Luke Mulhall
Melvyn Bragg and guests discuss the life, ideas and legacy of the pioneering Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus (1707 – 1778). The philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau once wrote: "Tell him I know no greater man on earth". The son of a parson, Linnaeus grew up in an impoverished part of Sweden but managed to gain a place at university. He went on to transform biology by making two major innovations. He devised a simpler method of naming species and he developed a new system for classifying plants and animals, a system that became known as the Linnaean hierarchy. He was also one of the first people to grow a banana in Europe. With Staffan Muller-Wille University Lecturer in History of Life, Human and Earth Sciences at the University of Cambridge Stella Sandford Professor of Modern European Philosophy at Kingston University, London and Steve Jones Senior Research Fellow in Genetics at University College, London Producer Luke Mulhall
Another G-rated edit of a classic! This Smologies with Dr. John McCormack of Occidental College is all about evolution, Darwinism, birds, bacteria, natural selection and how our mutations can be our greatest strengths. Also: breaking down terms like genetic drift and Linnaean taxonomy and why Charles Darwin had to face haters under his own roof. (For the adult version, the full-length episode is linked below.)Follow John McCormack on Twitter or the Moore Lab of Zoology on InstagramFull length (not classroom-friendly) episode + tons of science links hereA donation went to: BirdNet.orgMore Smologies episodes! Other full-length episodes you may enjoy: Condorology (CONDORS), Primatology (MONKEYS & APES), Gorillaology (GORILLAS), Ornithology (BIRDS)Sponsors of OlogiesBecome a patron of Ologies for as little as a buck a monthOlogiesMerch.com has hats, shirts, masks, totes!Follow @Ologies on Twitter and InstagramFollow @AlieWard on Twitter and InstagramSound editing by Steven Ray Morris, Mercedes Maitland of Maitland Audio, and Jarrett Sleeper of MindJam MediaMade possible by work from Noel Dilworth, Susan Hale, Kelly R. Dwyer, Emily White, & Erin TalbertSmologies theme song by Harold Malcolm
The barred owl (Strix varia), also known as the northern barred owl, striped owl or, more informally, hoot owl, is a North American large species of owl. A member of the true owl family, Strigidae, they belong to the genus Strix, which is also the origin of the family's name under Linnaean taxonomy. Barred owls are largely native to eastern North America, but have expanded their range to the west coast of North America where they are considered invasive. Mature forests are their preferred habitat, but they can also acclimate to various gradients of open woodlands.
This month is the traditional time to celebrate Halloween, so we have a creepy crawly podcast for you this time around. Maia Holmes from The Bug Zoo at Colorado State University sits down to talk turkey with us. Oops – that's next month. Maia sits down with us to talk about all things insects, what the Bug Zoo does, and why these poor critters are completely undeserving of the reputation they have and the reaction they engender. She reminds us that it's not just the bees that can be a friend to man. After all, if you think Halloween is scary, just try thinking about life would be like without little scavengers picking up all of our crumbs. The Horror!We would just like to note that for this one, we lasted an hour without visibly scratching in the little room of a thousand bugs. We hope you're proud.And thanks again, Franck. You're a prince among men. And we're not even standing in the Weed Lab when we say that.Links:https://www.colostate.edu/https://stem.colostate.edu/events/the-csu-bug-zoo/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shelobhttps://www.imdb.com/list/ls066408737/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starship_Troopershttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linnaean_taxonomy#:~:text=The%20Linnaean%20classes%20for%20plants%2C%20in%20the%20Sexual,8.%20Octandria%3A%20flowers%20with%208%20stamens%20More%20itemshttps://web.archive.org/web/20150801154338/http://iczn.org/https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Franck-Dayanhttps://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00R5WBGBS?ref_=dbs_m_mng_rwt_calw_tkin_0&storeType=ebooks&qid=1665005969&sr=8-1https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/which-crops-plants-are-pollinated-by-honey-bees.html#:~:text=Which%20Crops%20Are%20Pollinated%20By%20Honey%20Bees%3F%201,pollination.%20...%202%20Great%20...%203%20Modest%20Support the show
Like most gay people, we have now watched the HBO series Our Flag Means Death (full season 1 available now!). Unlike most gay people, Charles is a PhD candidate in history and philosophy of biology. In this episode, we touch on several topics in history of science touched on in the show: Linnaean taxonomy and binomial nomenclature, phrenology, and scurvy (caused by humans' inability to synthesize our own Vitamin C, setting us apart from most vertebrates). A transcript and show notes are available on our website here: https://asabpodcast.com/2022/05/09/episode-49/ The show is on Twitter @ASABpod, Charles @cockroacharles, and Tessa @spacermase. Our intro music is by Nicole Petkovich. Thank you for listening!
Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart Support The Daily Gardener Buy Me A Coffee Connect for FREE! The Friday Newsletter | Daily Gardener Community Historical Events 1717 Birth of Catharina Helena Dörrien ("Durr-ee-in"), German botanist, writer, and artist. After the death of her parents, Catharina became a governess for the Erath ("AIR-rit") family in Dillenburg. Sophie Erath was a childhood friend of Catharina's, and Anton Erath was an attorney; they became Catharina's second family. While teaching the Erath children, Catharina turned to nature to teach almost every subject. Catharina even wrote her own textbooks, heavily focused on botany and the natural world. As the Erath children grew, Catharina focused on her botanical work. Anton helped her gain membership to the Botanical Society of Florence - something unheard of for women of her time. Catharina would go on to be a member of the Berlin Society of Friends of Nature Research and the Regensburg Botanical Society in Germany. When Catharina was alive, Dillenburg was part of the Orange-Nassau principality. And Catharine's 496-page flora called Flora for Orange-Nassau was published in 1777. Catharina not only used the Linnaean system to organize and name each specimen, but she also named two new fungi ("funj-eye") - two little lichens - she named major Doerrieni ("Durr-ee-en-ee") and minor Doerrieni- an extraordinary accomplishment for a woman during the 1700s. As for her botanical illustrations, Catharina created over 1,400 illustrations of local flora and fauna. Yet, these masterpieces never made it into her flora. Instead, Catharina's botanical art became an heirloom passed down through the generations of the Erath family. In 1875 a few pieces of Catharina's work were shown at an exhibition. However, fifteen years later, a large collection of paintings by Johann Philipp Sandberger was bought by the Museum of Wiesbaden. Johann was a dear friend of Anton Erath's, and today, his work is considered to be copies of Catharine's original watercolor masterpieces. Still, Sandberger's pieces are precious because they give us a glimpse of Catharine's breadth and depth of talent. Without Sandberger, all would be lost because the bulk of Catharine's work has been lost to time. The curator Friedrich von Heinbeck once said that the precision of Catharine's brush strokes was like that of an embroiderer who stitched with only the finest of thread. 1848 Birth of Augustus Saint Gaudens ("gaw-dens") (books about this person), American sculptor of the Beaux-Arts generation. He is remembered for his stunning Civil War monuments, including a work called Abraham Lincoln: The Man. In Augustus Saint Gaudens, biography, Reminiscences, he wrote, What garlic is to salad, insanity is to art. The Frick museum has a medallion carved by Augustus. He was a fan of Robert Louis Stephenson, and the two met toward the end of Stephenson's life. The medallion has an inscription: Stevenson's poem Underwoods (1887), which reads: Youth now flees on feathered foot Faint and fainter sounds the flute … Where hath fleeting beauty led? To the doorway of the dead Life is over, life was gay We have come the primrose way. 1877 Birth of Lenore Elizabeth Mulets, children's author, poet, and teacher Born Nora Mulertz in Kansas, Lenore's mother died when she was ten, and so she was raised by her uncle. In addition to teaching, Lenore was a marvelous children's author. Her books were always charming, and her titles include Stories of Birds, Flower Stories, Insect Stories, and Tree Stories, just to name a few. In the preface to Flower Stories, Lenore wrote, When the flowers of the field and garden lift their bright faces to you, can you call them by name and greet them as old acquaintances? Or, having passed them a hundred times, are they still strangers to you? And in her book Stories of Birds, Lenore wrote: Such a twittering and fluttering there was when this news came. Grow That Garden Library™ Book Recommendation Stylish Succulent Designs by Jessica Cain This book came out in 2019, and the subtitle is & Other Botanical Crafts. Jessica wants to teach you how to elevate your succulent creations and learn the tricks you need to know to create professional-quality succulent arrangements made simple! Jessica is the creator and owner of "In Succulent Love." She is a native of San Diego, the succulent capital of the world, and she fell in love with making succulent arrangements after working with succulents with her grandmother. Jessica's DIY guide teaches how to makeover forty creative projects using many varieties of succulents, air plants, and other easy-care botanicals. This book is 176 pages of creating beautiful and lush succulent designs that are simple to make and will last for months. You can get a copy of Stylish Succulent Designs by Jessica Cain and support the show using the Amazon link in today's show notes for $2. Botanic Spark 1958 On this day, The New Yorker published gardener and garden writer Katharine White's (books about this person)review of garden catalogs. It was the first time a garden catalog received a published review, and it was an immediate hit. Readers wrote in to request the name of the author since Katharine had signed off with only her initials, KSW. Katherine was married to EB White - the author of Charlotte's Web and Stuart Little. But the garden writer Elizabeth Lawrence (books about this person) figured out that KSW was Katherine, and she sent her a letter a month later. The two women would exchange correspondence about gardening for the rest of their lives. Here's an excerpt from Elizabeth's letter: I asked Mrs. Lamm if you were Mrs. E. B. White, and she said you were. So please tell Mr. E. B. that he has three generations of devoted readers in this family... Have you the charming Barnhaven catalogs? (Gresham, Oregon). You should, even if you don't want rare primroses. And do you know Harry E. Saier? Dimondale, Michigan. I subscribe to his Garden Magazine too. Used to be free, now a dollar a year ...comes four times a year, if it comes. Thanks for listening to The Daily Gardener And remember: For a happy, healthy life, garden every day.
In the early 2010s, Elizabeth Holmes pretended that she had invented a new technology to do blood tests, and used this pretend technology to raise sev... talked about bunch pseudo-Linnaean name electric vehiclesreported convicted of federal fraud charges Holmes’s defenseconvicted$100 milliontestified at the trial What Investors Learned From the Elizabeth Holmes Trial: ‘Zero’everything is securities fraud Jurors heard a story I often tellthe stock went to zero a simple story to be told AnywaySiani writes Bloomberg News notes I wrotesure of course right talked last monthgoing to belays out talked last monthdon’t know mana song and music videoAdam NeumannTear Down 39 Buildingslawyer burnout TPGSubtle Word Choice Rokos’sBridgewater Kremlin InsiderBrian ArmstrongOpens Showroomdifferent yearsExplode Over Pittsburghsubscribe at this linkhereWhen the tide goes outthe wire fraud statutemenu of Theranos’s pricesSection 2B1.1
Today we celebrate the man who first wrote about the secateurs. We'll also learn about the Scottish botanist who established the Edinburgh "Edinbura" Botanic Garden. We hear an excerpt about planting aconites from a garden writer who adored them. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a memoir full of charming insights and reflections on gardening. And then we’ll wrap things up with the story of the scientist who is remembered for her discovery that stars are made largely of the two lightest chemicals, hydrogen and helium - but she started out as a botanist. 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 Butter Wakefield's London garden | House & Garden | Emily Tobin 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 May 10, 1589 Today is the anniversary of the burial of the English author, translator, and Clerk to the Kitchen of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Leonard Mascall - who was buried at Buckinghamshire. Mascall published several books; all were aimed at household management. In 1572 Leonardpublished A Booke of the Arte and Maner Howe to Plante and Graffe All Sortes of Trees. Along with cultivating fruit trees, this book was the first to refer to the secateurs or a pruning knife. The word secateurs is taken from the Latin secare, ‘to cut.’ Mascall's last book was published a year after he died, and it was called The Booke of Engines and Traps. In it, Leonard shared 34 traps and nine recipes for poison bates, most of which were dedicated to trapping mice. But Leonard also wrote about how to control slugs and snails in the garden - he described picking them off by hand early in the morning. While I was researching Leonard Mascall, I came across a bit of his advice regarding the placement of tender trees and shrubs from The Guardian (www.theguardian.com), Dec 9, 1891: "Leonard Mascall said, 'Most part of trees do love the sun at noon, and yet the south wind is very contrary against their nature, and specially the almond tree, the apricot, the mulberry, the fig tree, the pomegranate tree.' A gardener remarked: 'I am sure there is much in this. It is quite certain that all Japanese trees like shade and a north aspect; and the finest most fruitful old mulberry tree that I have ever seen is at Rochester, growing in a corner where it looks to the north and east, and is thoroughly protected from the south and west.'" May 10, 1725 Today is the birthday of the botanist, famous professor, and founder of one of the leading botanical gardens in Europe — John Hope. Alive during the Scottish enlightenment, John left his mark on the royal botanic gardens, plant classification, and plant physiology. He was appointed as the King's botanist for Scotland and superintendent of the Royal Garden in Edinburgh. John worked to expand the space of the Royal Botanic Garden, and he turned it into a place for research. During John’s lifetime, Edinburgh was THE place to study medicine, and all medical students had to take botany courses. John created a school for botanists after spinning off the materia medica (pharmacy) department of the school, which allowed him to specialize exclusively in botany. John’s students traveled to Edinburgh from all over the world. All in, John taught over 1,700 students during his tenure — and they included the likes of James Edward Smith (the founder and first President of the Linnaean Society), Charles Drayton (the future Lt. Governor of South Carolina), Benjamin Rush (a signer of the Declaration of Independence and founder of Dickinson College), and Archibald Menzies, who became the Scottish botanist and explorer. By all accounts, John was a captivating instructor. He was one of the first two people to teach the Linnaean system. John also taught the natural system. And, he pioneered the use of big teaching diagrams or visual aids to teach his lectures. A field botanist, John encouraged his students to go out and investigate the Flora of Scotland, and he awarded a medal every year to the student who collected the best herbarium. With John's accomplishments came impressive wealth. When John died, he had amassed more than £12,000, which he had left for his wife. Today the genus Hopea is named after John Hope. And, there’s a magnificent beech tree that grows near the John Hope Gateway at the Royal Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh. Unearthed Words You cannot have too many aconites. They cost, as I said before, about fifty shillings a thousand. A thousand will make a brave splash of color, which lasts a month. If you can afford ten thousand, you are mad not to buy them. There are so many exciting places you can put them. . . in the hollow of a felled tree, by the border of a pond, in a circle round a statue, or immediately under your window, so that you can press your nose against the glass when it is too cold to go out, and stare at them, and remember that spring is on its way. ― Beverley Nichols, Down the Garden Path Grow That Garden Library My Wild Garden by Meir Shalev This book came out in 2020, and the subtitle is Notes from a Writer's Eden. In this charmingly illustrated book, Meir shares his garden that lies on the perimeter of Israel’s Jezreel Valley, with the Carmel mountains rising up in the west. Meir’s garden is “neither neatly organized nor well kept,” and he adores his lemon tree, figs, and rescuing plants like a purple snapdragon from the Jerusalem–Tel Aviv highway. Mitch Ginsburg of The Times of Israel wrote this after reading Meir’s book: “I went to sleep every night with the smell of fresh figs and lemons and the sound of birdsong in my ears and the image of Shalev’s beloved black cat, Kramer, the hero of many of his Hebrew children’s stories, sleeping the day away beneath the buckthorn tree.” Meir’s book starts out with a little story about the time he awoke to find a wedding party trampling his garden as they posed for photos. After the group insisted his garden couldn’t possibly be a real garden, he let them know they had three minutes before the sprinkler system turned on. Clever man. They left. He didn’t have a sprinkler system. This book is full of stories like this, and they feature marvelous topics like lupines, cyclamen, poppies, sea squill, a mole rat, a wasp nest, and compost - just to name a few. This book is 304 pages of garden bliss from a novelist who shares his garden with wit and love. You can get a copy of My Wild Garden by Meir Shalev and support the show using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for around $21 Today’s Botanic Spark Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart It's the birthday of scientist Cecelia Payne who discovered while still in graduate school that stars are made largely of the two lightest chemical elements – hydrogen and helium; she was born in 1900. And Celia decided her fate when she was just eight years old - that’s when she decided to become a scientist. She had been walking in an orchard when she suddenly recognized a plant she had heard her mother describe – the plant that looks like a bumble: the bee orchid. Later she recalled her excitement at seeing the plant the first time: “For the first time I knew the leaping of the heart, the sudden enlightenment, that were to become my passion… These moments are rare, and they come without warning, on ‘days to be marked with a white stone’.” And it is Cecelia Payne who said these wonderful quotes: “An admission of ignorance may well be a step to a new discovery.” And then this one (which harkened back to Payne's discovery of the bee orchid). “The reward of the young scientist is the emotional thrill of being the first person in the history of the world to see something or understand something.” Thanks for listening to The Daily Gardener. And remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."
Today we celebrate the first woman to describe Fungi ("funj-eye") using the Linnaean system of classification. We'll also learn about a little-known prolific nature and floral writer from the 1800s. We hear a little recollection by a garden writer who received an armload of Forsythia from a friend named Alice, just when she needed it most. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book that encourages you to garden confidently - putting anxieties and fear behind you and creating the space of your dreams. And then we’ll wrap things up with the roots of roses - they’re deeper than you think. 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 30 Unique Plants That Attract Butterflies | Tree Hugger | Meghan Holmes 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 March 1, 1717 Today is the birthday of the German artist, children's book author, translator, editor, and pioneering female botanist Catharina Helena Dörrien (“Durr-ee-in”). Catharina was born into an intellectual family in Hildesheim, a community Southeast of Hannover. Her father, Ranier, believed that while beauty fades, ignorance can be a lifelong affliction. And so, Rainier made sure that his daughter Catharina was educated. After the death of her parents and her brother, Catharina sought work as a governess nearly 200 miles away in the town of Dillenburg. Catharina worked for the Erath (“AIR-rit”) family - Anton was an attorney and scholar, and Sophie was a childhood friend to Catharina. Catharina could not have found a more like-minded household to her own family than the Eraths. Like her own parents, Anton and Sophie wanted both their sons and their daughters to be educated. Ultimately, the Eraths would become Catharina’s second family. As a teacher, Catharina turned to nature to teach about all subjects and life as well. Realizing there were few resources for teaching women or children, Catharina wrote her own textbooks, which were heavily focused on botany and the natural world. It was rare enough that Catharina was teaching children and women about the natural world; it was nearly miraculous that she could research and write her own instructional guides. As the Erath children grew, Catharina was able to focus on her botanical work. Anton helped Catharina gain membership to the Botanical Society of Florence - something unheard of for women of her time. Catharina would go on to be a member of the Berlin Society of Friends of Nature Research and the Regensburg Botanical Society. During Catharina’s time, Dillenburg was part of the Orange-Nassau principality, and she gradually came to the idea of creating a Flora for Orange-Nassau. Using her spare time to travel throughout the region, Catharina visited most areas at least twice to capture plant life in different seasons. During the winter months, Catharina dedicated her focus on the smallest plants: lichen, mosses, and fungi ("funj-eye"). In 1777, Catharina published her 496-page flora, which used the Linnaean system to organize and name each specimen. Catharina’s flora was remarkable for the 1700s - not only for using the Linnaean system and for the inclusion of new plants and plant names but also for the sheer fact that it was the work of a woman. Catharine became the first woman to name two new fungi ("funj-eye") during the 1700s. During her fieldwork, Catharina created over 1,400 illustrations of local flora and fauna. Yet, these masterpieces never made it into her flora. Instead, Catharina’s botanical art became an heirloom that was passed down through the generations of the Erath family. In 1875 a few pieces of Catharina’s work were shown at an exhibition. However, fifteen years later, a large collection of paintings by a man named Johann Philipp Sandberger was bought by the Museum of Wiesbaden. Johann was a dear friend of Anton Erath’s, and today, his work is considered to be copies of Catharine's original watercolor masterpieces. And yet, Sandberger’s pieces are precious because they give us a glimpse of Catharine’s breadth and depth of talent. Without Sandberger, all would be lost because the bulk of Catharine’s work has been lost to time. The curator Friedrich von Heinbeck once said that the precision of Catharine’s brush strokes was like that of an embroiderer who stitched with only the finest of thread. From a historical standpoint, Catharina became an invaluable part of Dillenburg's history when she created drawings and drafts of the destruction of Dillenburg Castle. It seems her interests extended beyond botany to the world around her. Catharina was a true Renaissance woman. Following in the fifty-year-old footsteps of botanical artists like Maria Sibylla Merian and Elizabeth Blackwell, Catharine managed to distinguish herself not only by her exquisite botanical art but also by her botanical work and in the naming two plants - two little lichens, she named major Doerrieni (“Durr-ee-en-ee”) and minor Doerrieni. Over the past three decades, Catharine’s life story has been rediscovered. In 2000, Regina Viereck wrote a biography of Catharina called "Zwar sind es weibliche Hände: Die Botanikerin und Pädagogin Catharina” Helena Dörrien (1717-1795) or "They are the hands of a woman” - the botanist and educator Catharina Helena Dörrien. And in 2018, Catharina’s story became the subject of an elaborate musical by Ingrid Kretz and debuted in Dillenburg; it was called Catharina Dörrien - A Life Between Love and War. March 1, 1877 Today is the birthday of the children’s author, volunteer, poet, and teacher Lenore Elizabeth Mulets. Born Nora Mulertz in Kansas, Lenore’s mother died when she was just ten years old. Raised by her uncle’s family, Lenore left for Chicago’s Wheaton College to become a teacher. She found a position in Malden, Massachusetts, and then served as a YMCA canteen worker during WWI in Germany and France. I pieced together Lenore’s life story by reading the letters she sent to her sister Mildred during her time in Europe. Mildred shared the letters with the local Wellington Kanas newspaper. In addition to teaching, Lenore was a marvelous children’s author. Her books were always charming and uplifting. Her titles include Stories of Birds, Flower Stories, Insect Stories, Tree Stories, and Stories of Trees, just to name a few. In the preface to Flower Stories, Lenore wrote, “When the flowers of the field and garden lift their bright faces to you, can you call them by name and greet them as old acquaintances? Or, having passed them a hundred times, are they still strangers to you? In this little book of "Flower Stories," only our very familiar friends have been planted. About them have been woven our favorite poems, songs, and stories.” Regarding the seeds, Lenore wrote, A wonderful thing is a seed; The one thing deathless forever; Forever old and forever new; Utterly faithful and utterly true – Fickle and faithless never. Plant lilies and lilies will bloom; Plant roses and roses will grow; Plant hate and hate to life will spring; Plant love and love to you will bring The fruit of the seed you sow. And long before Twitter, in her book Stories of Birds, Lenore wrote: Such a twittering and fluttering there was when this news came. Unearthed Words My first winter in this country was long and bitterly cold, and I was desperate for spring, which I then was used to seeing appear far earlier. One day a new friend brought me an armful of Forsythia branches still covered with half-melted snow — sensing my homesickness, she had denuded one of her bushes for me. I had nowhere cold and bright in the apartment in which we were living, so that Forsythia had to be put in a hot, unlighted hall. But this particular present came to me late in the season and at a time when Forsythia will flower even when forced under intolerable conditions. And when it last in this strange country, something came to life through my efforts. I began to feel that here was truly home. Now each year, as the Forsythia flowers again for me indoors, I remember that incident as the turning point in my feelings about this country, and I recall with deep affection the sensitivity of that friend. — Thalassa Cruso, British-American gardener, writer, TV presenter and ''the Julia Child of Horticulture”, To Everything There is a Season, Alice and Forsythia Grow That Garden Library Fearless Gardening by Loree Bohl This book came out in January of 2021, and the subtitle is Be Bold, Break the Rules, and Grow What You Love. In this book, the woman behind the website, The Danger Garden, teaches us how to live on the edge and in the beds of our Gardens without fear or anxiety. Loree lives to “inspire people to look at plants differently and see their gardens through new eyes—to treat gardening as an adventure, to embrace the freedom to explore a new type of plant, and then to plant it just because they want to.” The roots of horticulture in academia have provided a framework of do’s and don’ts cloaked within a fortress of botanical nomenclature and complex terminology. It’s no wonder gardeners feel anxious. As Loree says, “Why not surround yourself with plants you love? Who cares if they’re not supposed to be planted together, might eventually crowd each other, or aren’t everyone’s cup of tea? It’s your garden and you should love it; you should be having fun. Remember, there's always room for one more plant…” This book is 256 pages of gardening without a rulebook or guilt or all the should’s and oughta’s from a woman who made her garden her own way through courageous experimentation, zone-pushing, an artistic eye, and an adventurous spirit. You can get a copy of Fearless Gardening by Loree Bohl and support the show using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for around $18 Today’s Botanic Spark Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart March 1, 1979 On this day, The Call-Leader out of Elwood, Indiana, published an article called The Roots Of Roses Go Back Many Years. “If you were to trace the ancestry of today's rose, you'd have enough "begats" to fill a book, maybe two! In fact, a fossilized rose found at Crooked River, Oregon, some years ago established that this particular species grew on our continent 35 million years ago. And some paleobotanists believe the rose dates back to the Cretaceous Age 70 million years ago. This would make the rose older than any known civilization ... and a forerunner of the Garden of Eden. Since 1979 has been designated "The Year of the Rose," perhaps a little rose history is in order, says John A. Wott, Purdue University extension home environment horticulturist. Briefly, all of our roses came from species. Cross-species gave us a new hybrid type of rose, and crossing of types provided another new type. Rosa gallica, the Adam of roses native to the western hemisphere, crossed with Rosa moschata begat the Autumn Damask; Rosa gallica, crossed with Rosa canina, begat the Alba, and crossed with Rosa Phoenicia begat the Damask. The Damask, crossed with Alba, begat centifolia, and on and on... All of these western hemisphere crosses yielded roses with an annual flowering, except for the Autumn Damask. In the late 1700s, botanists discovered everblooming roses growing in the gardens of the sub-tropics in China. Because of their tea-like fragrance, they became known as Tea Roses. When these tea roses were crossed with descendants of the gallica, the first result was the bourbon. And bourbon, crossed with a tea, produced hybrid perpetual. Hybrid perpetual, crossed back to tea, begat hybrid tea, and... Now for some interesting facts about roses: Did you know no rose species are native to any land areas south of the equator? Did you know the name rose appears in no fewer than 4,000 published songs? Did you know the rose is the official state flower of New York, Iowa, Georgia, and North Dakota? Did you know that in all polls ever taken to determine the most popular flower, the rose is the overwhelming favorite? Did you know the rose has been sniffed by royalty for centuries? We owe much to Empress Josephine of France for our modern-day roses… [It was Josephine who] assembled the leading hybridizers of her time and sponsored their experiments to develop new strains and varieties.” Thanks for listening to The Daily Gardener. And remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."
Today we celebrate the pardoned outlaw who donated the land for the Oxford Botanic Garden. We'll also learn about Carl Jr. - Linnaeus’s son - Linnaeus filius, who surely felt some pressure growing up in his father’s shadow. We’ll hear one of my favorite letters from the garden writer Elizabeth Lawrence. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a delightful book of hope and grace for gardeners and for anyone - an excellent book for 2021. And then we’ll wrap things up with the story of the first female botanist in America. 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 Jobs for January | Adventures in Horticulture | Lou Nicholls 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 January 20, 1643 Today is the anniversary of the death of Henry Danvers, the 1st Earl of Danby. In 1621, Henry founded the Oxford Botanic Garden, but planting didn’t start until the 1640s As a young man, Henry was an English soldier who was outlawed after killing a rival family’s son. The Danvers and the Longs had feuded for generations. Along with his brother and a few friends, Henry ambushed Henry Long as he was dining at a tavern. And that’s when Henry Danvers shot and killed Henry Long and became an outlaw. After the shooting, Henry and his gang fled to France, where they honorably served in the French army. Four years later, the King of France interceded on the men’s behalf and secured a pardon for them. After returning to England, Henry regained favor for his service and ultimately became a Knight of the Garter and the lifelong governor of Guernsey's isle. Henry never married, but he created a lasting legacy for himself when he donated five acres of land to the University of Oxford. Henry had the flood-prone land along the river raised and enclosed with a high wall. The massive stone gateway to the garden was designed by a peer and friend to Inigo Jones, a master mason named Nicholas Stone. The Danby gateway is inscribed: Gloriae Dei opt. max. Honori Caroli Regis. In usum Acad. et Reipub. and the frieze inscription is Henricus Comes Danby D.D. 1632 - or “In honor of King Charles, for academic use and the general welfare by the Earl of Danby 1632." January 20, 1741 Today is the birthday of the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus the Younger, the son of the great Carl Linnaeus or Carl von Linné. To distinguish him from his famous father, he was referred to as Linnaeus filius, Latin for Linnaeus, the son. For botanical purposes, he is referred to with the abbreviation L.f. for Linnaeus filius. Carl Linneaus learned of his son’s birth while he was away in Stockholm. He wrote a letter straight away to his wife Sara Lisa, saying: “How excited I was when I received the news I had been longing for… I kiss the gracious hand of God ... that we have been blessed with a son. Take care to avoid changes of temperature and draughts, for carelessness of that sort might harm you. I remain, my dearest wife, your faithful husband, Carl Linnaeus Greetings to my little Carl.” When he was just nine years old, Linnaeus filius enrolled at the University of Uppsala and taught by great botanists like Pehr Löfling, Daniel Solander, and Johan Peter Falk. Eleven years later, Linnaeus filius backfilled his father’s position as the chair of Practical Medicine at the University. Unfortunately, Linnaeus filius was resented by his peers after favoritism played a role in the promotion. At the tender age of 22, Linnaeus filius got the job without applying or defending a thesis. Twenty years later, Linnaeus filius was in the middle of a two-year-long expedition through Europe. When he reached London, Linnaeus filius became ill and died from a stroke. He was just 42 years old. Unearthed Words January 20, 1945 ... I can’t imagine anything worse than a square of dogwoods back of the house. I thought your idea was that you wanted to clear that all out (except for the serviceberry, which is to one side) so you could look out of the kitchen window and up the mountainside instead of being hemmed in? If you want to put dogwoods there, I would suggest putting them to the left side (as you look up the mountainside) in a group near the fence. And not so as to hide the prettiest view of the woods, to frame it if possible. If you keep the apple tree, you might have a seat under it. ... I don’t know what you mean by spider lilies, but I am sure that you won’t hurt whatever they are if you take a big ball of earth and do not disturb the roots. The point is not to break them when they are growing. I feel sure that white pines will be the best and quickest screen for the pigsty. ... If you order any, be sure to have your holes all dug before they come. Dig three feet deep and four in diameter, and fill in with woods mold, and put a good mulch of leaves over it, and if you have it where you can water, I think everyone would grow soon and make a screen. Be sure to write to me before you do anything drastic. ... Bessie and I took a salad and a pan of rolls and went to have supper with your family last night. We had Blanche’s walnuts for dessert. And Robert and I made Cleopatras, not so good, somehow, as the ones at Christmas. I must put the puppy to bed before he chews up all the files of Gardening Illustrated. — Elizabeth Lawrence, gardener and garden writer, letter to her sister Ann, January 20, 1945 Grow That Garden Library All Along You Were Blooming by Morgan Harper Nichols This book came out in 2020, and the subtitle is Thoughts for Boundless Living. I fell in love with this book when I saw the beautiful cover that features botanical art. With over a million followers on Instagram, Morgan’s fans love her beautiful artwork and inspiring thoughts about life. This book is a fabulous collection of illustrated poetry and prose that helps you "stumble into the sunlight" and bask in the joy that is all around you. All Along You Were Blooming is a perfect gift for any occasion. This book is 192 pages of grace and hope, and artistic beauty. You can get a copy of All Along You Were Blooming by Morgan Harper Nichols and support the show using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for around $11 Today’s Botanic Spark Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart January 20, 1756 On this day, Peter Collinson wrote to John Bartram about Jane Colden. "Our friend, Colden's daughter, has… sent over several sheets of plants, very curiously anatomized after [Linnaeus's] method. I believe she is the first lady that has attempted anything of this nature." Peter Collinson was one of the first botanical experts to recognize Jane Colden as the first female botanist in America. Like our modern-day plant swaps, Jane took part in something called the Natural History Circle - an event where American colonists and European collectors exchanged seeds and plants. Jane’s father was the Scottish-American physician, botanist, and Lieutenant Governor of New York, Cadwallader Colden (CAD-wah-LIDDER). Aside from his political endeavors, Cadwallader enjoyed botany and practiced the new Linnaean system. A proud dad, Cadwallader wrote to his friend Jan Gronovius, "I (have) often thought that botany is an amusement which may be made greater to the ladies who are often at a loss to fill up their time… Their natural curiosity and the pleasure they take in the beauty… seems to fit it for them (far more than men). The chief reason that few or none of them have applied themselves to (it)… is because all the books of any value are (written) in Latin. I have a daughter (with) an inclination... for natural philosophy or history… I took the pains to explain to her Linnaeus's system and put it in English for her to use - by freeing it from the technical terms, which was easily done by using two or three words in the place of one. She is now grown very fond of the study… she now understands to some degree Linnaeus's characters [even though] she does not understand Latin. She has already (written) a pretty large volume in writing of the description of plants." Cadwallader gave Jane access to his impressive botanical library; he even shared his personal correspondence with her and allowed her to interact with the many botanists who visited the family's estate. In 1754 at Coldenham, when Jane was 30 years old, she met a young William Bartram who was less than half her age at just 14 years old. She also met with the Charleston plantsman Alexander Garden who was only 24 years old. In 1758, Walter Rutherford wrote to a friend after visiting the Colden home, Coldingham, and he described Cadwallader, his house, and his 34-year-old daughter Jane this way: "We made an excursion to Coldingham... From the middle of the woods, this family corresponds with all the learned societies in Europe…. his daughter Jenny is a florist and a botanist. She has discovered a great number of plants never before described and has given their properties and virtues [in her descriptions].... and she draws and colors them with great beauty… She (also) makes the best cheese I ever ate in America." Today the genus Coldenia in the borage family is named after Jane's father, Cadwallader Colden. After Jane discovered a new plant, the Coptis trifolia, she asked Linneaus to name it in her honor Coldenella - but he refused. With the common name Threeleaf Goldthread, Coptis trifolia is a woodland perennial plant in the buttercup family with glossy evergreen leaves. The long golden-yellow underground stem gives the plant the Goldthread part of its common name. Native Americans used to dig up the yellow stem and chew on it as a canker sore remedy, which is how it got its other common name: canker-root. Thanks for listening to The Daily Gardener. And remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."
Derek and Dr. Richard Collins embarked on a Linnaean pilgrimage in 2007, visiting Sweden and Holland to make a radio documentary on the great man.
Karen Magnuson Beil has always been fascinated by names. Her latest book, “What Linnaeus Saw: A Scientist’s Quest to Name Every Living Thing,” is an insightful look at the life of the 18th-Century Swede who developed the modern system of naming organisms. Carl Linnaeus — mocked by one of his critics as “a second Adam” — lived at a time when Europeans’ view of the world and their place in it was rapidly expanding. Linnaeus, a traveler and explorer in his youth, later sent his students to the New World to gather as many new plants and animals as they could find. His far-flung network of correspondents included the work of Jane Colden, who lived in the Hudson River highlands and used the Linnaean names to describe the plants she observed and recorded in exquisite drawings; Beil terms Colden America’s first female botanist. Beil writes in such a way that the reader is left to make discoveries as the story unfolds. “Science is a mystery,” Beil says in this week’s podcast. It involves trying and failing and trying again, she said, adding, “I wanted readers to feel curious and ready to ask questions.” Beil, who lives in Guilderland, believes it’s important to cultivate young scientists. She also writes of Linnaeus as someone whose enthusiasm made science accessible. “We need more science popularizers,” said Beil, “so everyone understands the role of nature and our role as human beings.” See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Today we celebrate the botanist who served as Lieutenant Governor of New York and the first American female botanist in America. We'll learn about the man who changed agriculture forever with his invention. Today's Unearthed Words feature the English Victorian author born today. He loved geraniums. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book that features Thomas Jefferson's revolutionary garden at Monticello. I'll talk about a garden item that will heat things up... And, then, we'll wrap things up with a fantastic honor for a modern plant explorer and ethnobotanist - a daughter of the great state of Wisconsin and a senior curator of the Missouri Botanical Garden. But first, let's catch up on a few recent events. Subscribe Apple|Google|Spotify|Stitcher|iHeart Curated Articles Yes, Native Plants Can Flourish After Bushfire. But There's Only So Much Hardship They Can Take While Australian plants and ecosystems have evolved to embrace bushfires, there's only so much drought and fire they can take... Poetic Botany: A Digital Exhibition Poetic Botany: Have you explored the 'Poetic Botany' exhibition from @NYBG yet? This interactive digital exhibition illuminates the cross-section between art, science, and poetry through nine plant species. Check it out here: 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 1688 Today is the birthday of the Scottish-American physician, Scientist, botanist, and Lieutenant Governor of New York, Cadwallader Colden (CAD-wah-LIDDER). When Colden arrived in America in 1718, he began a family dynasty that would eventually settle in Queens, New York. Aside from his political endeavors and his many interests, Colden was interested in botany and the new Linnaean system. The family lived on an estate called Coldenham, and it was often visited by famous New World botanists like John Bartram. Now, Colden and his wife had ten children, and they actively encouraged each of them to pursue their education. Colden's 5th child was a daughter named Jane. Jane was born in 1724, and she followed in her father's footsteps and is regarded to be the first American woman to have become an official botanist. Peter Collinson suspected as much when he wrote to John Bartram about Jane saying, "Our friend, Colden's daughter, has, in a scientifical manner, sent over several sheets of plants - very curiously anatomized after Linnaeus's method and I believe that she is the first lady that has the tempted anything of this nature." A proud dad, Colden wrote to his friend Jan Gronovius, "I (have) often thought that botany is an amusement which may be made greater to the ladies who are often at a loss to fill up their time… Their natural curiosity and the pleasure they take in the beauty and variety of dress seems to fit it for them (far more than men). The chief reason that few or none of them have applied themselves to (it)… is because all the books of any value are (written) in Latin. I have a daughter (with) an inclination... for natural philosophy or history… I took the pains to explained her Linnaeus's system and put it in English for her to use by freeing it from the technical terms - which was easily done by using two or three words in the place of one. She is now grown very fond of the study… she now understands to some degree Linnaeus's characters. Notwithstanding that, she does not understand Latin. she has already (written) a pretty large volume in writing of the description of plants." Cadwallader was able to give his daughter personal instruction on botany. He gave her access to his impressive botanical library; he even shared his personal correspondence with her and allowed her to interact with the many botanists that came to visit the family's estate. In 1754 at Coldenham, when Jane was 30 years old, she met a young William Bartram who was less than half her age at just 14 years old. She also met the Charleston plantsman Alexander Garden who was just 24 years old. In 1753, on the land around her family's home, Jane discovered marsh St Johnswort (Hypericum virginicum). Alexander sent it to her the following year, and Jane wanted to name it gardenia in his honor. Unfortunately for Jane, the gardenia name had been used by John Ellis, who had given the name to the Cape Jasmine. Since Ellis used the name first, Jane could not. So gardenia is reserved for the strongly scented Cape Jasmine (Gardenia jasminoides). They are fabulous cut flowers. With their beautiful foliage, they also make effective screens, hedges, borders, or ground covers. In 1758, Walter Rutherford wrote to a friend after visiting Coldingham, and he described Cadwallader, his home and his 34-year-old daughter Jane this way: "We made an Excursion to Coldingham, the Abode of the venerable philosopher Colden, as gay and facetious in his conversation is serious and solid in his writings. From the middle of the woods, this family corresponds with all the learning Societies in Europe…. his daughter Jenny is a florist in botanist. she has discovered a great number of plants never before described and his given their properties and virtues ( in her descriptions).... and she draws and colors them with great beauty… she (also) makes the best cheese I ever ate in America." As for Jane, she is most famous for her only manuscript - a work in which she described 341 plants in the flora of NY, and she illustrated all but one of the different species she described. The genus Coldenia in the borage family is named after Jane's father, Cadwallader Colden. 1804 Today is the birthday of the inventer and manufacturer John Deere. John was born in Rutland, Vermont. When he was four years old, his father returned to England to claim his inheritance. His father disappeared during that trip, and so John was raised by a single mother. As a little boy, John went to school, and at the age of 17, he became an apprentice to a blacksmith. Four years later, John set up his own shop and worked as a blacksmith for a dozen years. But in 1837, times had changed, there were many blacksmiths in the east, and John was struggling to get business. Ultimately, John was facing bankruptcy when he headed west with just $73 in his pocket. After three weeks of traveling, John made it to Grand Detour, Illinois. After settling in, he opened another blacksmith shop in Grand Detour, and seeing that his prospects for business were good, he sent word back to his wife, Demaryius Lamb, to bring their five children and join him at their new home. During his first year in Illinois, John was constantly making the same repair over and over again to the wood and cast-iron plow. The plow had worked well in the eastern part of the United States, where the soil is light and sandy. But, heavy and thick Midwestern farmland broke wooden plows. The farmers of the prairie desperately needed something more heavy-duty. So, in 1838, when he was 34 years old, John Deere developed the first steel plow and the rest, as they say, is history. Fast forward 20 years to 1858, and John Deere was building and selling more than 13,000 plows per year. Almost thirty years later, when John Deere died at the age of 82 in 1886, John's son Charles took over the business. A little over a hundred years later, in 1993, the John Deere Lawn and Garden division alone topped two billion dollars in sales. Today, the John Deere company is worth more than 53 billion dollars. Unearthed Words 1812 Today is the birthday of the English Victorian era author and social critic Charles Dickens. Charles Dickens' personal garden was called Gad's Hill Place. Every day, Charles Dickens cultivated the habit of walking the circuit of his gardens at Gad's Hill Place before sitting down to write his stories. We know from his oldest daughter Mamie that Dickens's favorite flower was the Mrs. Pollock geranium - a tricolor variety that dates back to 1858. The Mrs. Pollock geranium was bred by the Scottish gardener and hybridist Peter Grieve. It's considered a classic geranium with sharply lobed leaves that sport three colors: brick red, gold, and grass green. You've heard the saying, "not your grandmother's geranium"? Well, Mrs. Pollock could very well have been your second or third great grandmother's geranium. Dickens loved to wear geraniums in his buttonhole - and he had a steady supply. He grew them into large beds at gad's Hill, and he also grew them in his conservatory. Here are some quotes about gardens and nature from an assortment of Dickens' 15 novels and short stories: Spring is the time of year when it is summer in the sun and winter in the shade. — Charles Dickens, Great Expectations On the motionless branches of some trees, autumn berries hung like clusters of coral beads, as in those fabled orchards where the fruits were jewels... — Charles Dickens, The Life, and Adventures of Martin Chuzzlewit Around and around the house, the leaves fall thick, but never fast, for they come circling down with a dead lightness that is somber and slow. — Charles Dickens, Bleak House Facts alone are wanted in life. Plant nothing else, and root out everything else. — Charles Dickens, Hard Times The evening wind made such a disturbance just now, among some tall old elm-trees at the bottom of the garden, that neither my mother nor Miss Betsey could forbear glancing that way. As the elms bent to one another, like giants who were whispering secrets, and after a few seconds of such repose, fell into a violent flurry, tossing their wild arms about, as if their late confidences were really too wicked for their peace of mind. — Charles Dickens, The Personal History of David Copperfield Grow That Garden Library A Rich Spot of Earth by Peter J. Hatch The subtitle to this book is "Thomas Jefferson's Revolutionary Garden at Monticello." The author of this book, Peter Hatch, was responsible for the maintenance, interpretation, and restoration of the 2400 acre landscape of Monticello from 1977 until 2012. Alice Waters wrote the forward to this book. She said, "I first met Peter Hatch in 2009 when he took me around the gardens of Monticello on a crisp, sunny, autumn day. No one knows the land's story better than Peter. Thomas Jefferson's garden, Peter writes, 'was an Ellis Island of introductions, filled with a whole world of hearty economic plants: 330 varieties of 99 species of vegetables and herbs.' I'm so impressed by this biodiversity, which is exactly what our country so urgently needs right now - a vegetable garden that is, as Peter frames it, a true American garden: practical, expensive, and wrought from a world of edible immigrants." The president of the Thomas Jefferson foundation wrote this in the preface to Peters book: "Peter is a man of the earth. Annie Leibovitz Photographed his hands when she came to Monticello. For 34 years, Peter has plunged those hands into the earth on the mountainside of Monticello. Each year, coaxing, wresting, and willing an ever more copious renaissance of Jefferson's peerless garden. Monticello is Jefferson's autobiography, his lifelong pursuit, the greatest manifestation of his genius, And the only home in the united states listed on the United Nations list of World Heritage Sites. We have Peter to thank for devoting his career to the revelation of Jefferson's passion for plants and the significance of our founder's horticultural pursuit of happiness." Peter Hatch opens the book with this quote from Jefferson. It's from a letter he wrote to the Philadelphia Portrait Painter Charles Wilson Peale. Jefferson said, "I have often thought that if heaven had given me a choice of my position and calling, it should have been on a rich spot of earth, well-watered, and near a good market for the productions of the garden. No occupation is so delightful to me as the culture of the earth and no culture comparable to that of the garden. Such a variety of subjects, someone always coming to perfection, the failure of one thing repaired by the success of another, and instead of one harvest a continued one thro' the year. Under a total want of demand except for our family table I am still devoted to the garden. But tho' an old man, I am but a young gardener." Peter went on to write that, "Thomas Jefferson's Monticello vegetable garden was truly a revolutionary American garden. Many of the summer vegetables that we take for granted today — tomatoes, okra, eggplant, lima beans, peanuts, and peppers— were slow to appear in North American gardens around 1800. European travelers commented on the failure of Virginia gardeners to take advantage "of the fruitful warmth of the climate" because of the American reliance "on the customary products of Europe": cool-season vegetables. Jefferson's garden was unique in showcasing a medley of vegetable species native to hot climates, from South and Central America to Africa to the Middle East and the Mediterranean. Few places on earth combined tropical heat and humidity with temperate winters like those at Monticello. Jefferson capitalized on this by creating a south-facing terrace, a microclimate that exaggerates the summer warmth, tempers the winter cold and captures an abundant wealth of crop-ripening Sunshine. Peter's book is beautiful. It's lavishly Illustrated and the writing is engaging. The first half of the book focuses on Jefferson's gardening, and then the second half focuses on the development and the restoration of the gardens at Monticello." You can get a used copy of A Rich Spot of Earth by Peter J. Hatch and support the show, using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for under $7. Great Gifts for Gardeners VIVOSUN Durable Waterproof Seedling Heat Mat Warm Hydroponic Heating Pad 10" x 20.75" MET Standard $11.99 RELIABLE RESULTS: VIVOSUN's professional heat mat maintains temperatures in the sweet spot of around 10℉-20℉ above ambient air temperature - perfect for seed starting and cutting propagation! BUILT TO LAST: Supple, flexible and ultra-durable, VIVOSUN goes beyond stringent MET standards, with a fortified connection between mat and power cord, water-resistance that enables safe scrubbing and a 1-year warranty. STABLE, UNIFORM HEAT: VIVOSUN's strengthened heating film ensure this durable mat never scorches your roots and produces lots of revitalizing dew when used with a humidity dome. BEST SAVINGS IN THE MARKET: This 10" x 20.75" mat is perfect for standard 1020 trays and slightly larger than comparable mats on the market; it also runs on only 18 Watts to help you save on electricity. CONVENIENT STORAGE: Delivered in a high-quality, reusable storage bag, the mat flattens out when heating up and can also be rolled back up for easy storage. Today's Botanic Spark 2020 Today is a big day for Dr. Jan Salick - a daughter of the great state of Wisconsin - who is being honored with the 2020 Fairchild Medal for Plant Exploration. Jan accepts her award tonight at a black-tie dinner at National Tropical Botanical Garden's (NTBG) historical garden, The Kampong, in Coconut Grove, Florida, the former residence of plant explorer Dr. David Fairchild. The following day she will present a public lecture entitled "Neither Man Nor Nature." Jan is only the second woman to receive the medal. Jan has been an ethnobotanist for over four decades. She is a Senior Curator at the Missouri Botanical Garden. Jan's Focus has been to examine the effects of climate change on indigenous people in the plants they rely on. Jan has worked all over the world. She's been to the most exotic places that you can think of: Indonesia, the Himalayas in the Amazon, in South America, etc. In 2018, the Missouri Botanical Garden tweeted: "Garden ethnobotanist Dr. Jan Salick has built a career on wanderlust." Jan says, "Don't hold back. It's out there. The whole wide world is out there." In 1916, Fairchild and his wife, Marion (the daughter of Alexander Graham Bell), purchased the property and named it The Kampong. Today, it is one of the oldest buildings in Miami-Dade County, and it is on the National Register of Historic Places. The Kampong is one of five botanical gardens that make up the National Tropical Botanic Garden, and it is the only garden located in the continental United States. Given by the National Tropical Botanical Garden, the Fairchild Medal is the highest honor that can be bestowed upon a scientist who explores remote parts of the world to discover important plants and expand our scientific knowledge and practical understanding of them. The award is named in honor of Dr. David Fairchild, one of the greatest and most influential horticulturalists and plant collectors in the United States. Fairchild devoted his entire life to searching for useful plants, and he was single-handedly responsible for the introduction of more than 200,000 plants to the United States, including pistachios, mangoes, dates, nectarines, soybeans, and flowering cherries. Anyway, congratulations to Dr. Jan Salik. She is a role model for young women, and her career is an exciting example of the wide-open field of plant exploration and botany. The world of the future needs more botanists like Jan Salick!
Today we celebrate the botanical illustrator who was wrongfully fired from his first job and the French botanist who spent a month in California with a boatful of Russians. We'll learn about the botanical name of the city where people leave their hearts, and we’ll fall in love with a classic garden writer from Bronxville, New York. Today’s Unearthed Words feature an English poet who loved gardens and wrote many poems about them. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book that talks about the revolution that will save our food. I'll talk about a garden item that I have WAY too many of - but, then again, can you really have too many? I digress. And, then we’ll wrap things up with the story of the woman who wrote a flora dictionary anonymously - signing her work very mysteriously with the words “by a Lady.” But first, let's catch up on a few recent events. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart Curated Articles Good Decisions by @papaver Good Decisions in the garden -Alison Levey ("Lee-Vee") - The Blackberry Garden " I planted them and whispered to the nearby ants 'when you wake up, take the seeds and spread them throughout the garden.'” The Plight of the African Violets — In Defense of Plants The Plight of the African Violets — In Defense of Plants — "their numbers in captivity overshadow a bleak future for this genus in the wild. Many African violets are teetering on the brink of extinction." 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 1708 Today is the birthday of the botanist and the incomparable botanical illustrator Georg Dionysius Ehret. Georg was born in Heidelberg, Germany, to Ferdinand Christian Ehret, who was a gardener and also had a talent for drawing. He taught his son both skills- gardening and drawing - before he died. Georg made his way to Regensburg. There, he met an apothecary who hired him to draw of specimens from his herbarium and garden. Georg earnestly took on the job, creating over 500 pieces in one year. Taking advantage of his young employee, the apothecary fired Georg and told him he should have completed 1,000 drawings. It was basically the apothecary's way of avoiding paying Georg. After this dreadful experience, Georg made his way to England and worked at the significant botanical gardens - Including Chelsea Physic. Isaac Rand, the first director of the Chelsea Physic Garden in London, told Georg to paint the rare plants in the garden. The uniqueness of the specimens added to the demand for Georg's work. As a result, Georg was on friendly terms with the plant collectors and naturalists of his time. Chelsea was formative professionally and personally for Georg; He married the head gardener's sister-in-law, Susanna Kennet. In The Art of Botanical Illustration, Wilfrid Blunt noted that, “By the middle of the century he had become a popular figure in London society: the highest nobility in England clamored to receive instruction from him,” Indeed, the wealthiest woman in England, Margaret Cavendish Bentinck (the Duchess of Portland), gladly retained Georg as a drawing instructor. Struck by the luminescence of his work, and ultimately she would buy over 300 of his paintings. In 1737, Georg was hired to draw by Sir Charles Wager, First Lord of the Admiralty. In August of that year, Wagner's personal garden is where Georg first observed the Magnolia grandiflora flowering. The bloom was so inspiring that Georg walked for an hour each way, from Chelsea to Wagner's house (in Fulham), to see and sketch every stage of the Magnolia grandiflora; from bud to full flower. Georg's work provided the world with the first Magnolia to be illustrated in England. Beyond his work in England, Georg traveled throughout Europe in pursuit of his craft. He met Linnaeus in Holland when he was visiting the botanical garden in Leiden. Linnaeus taught Georg exactly how he wanted plants to be dissected and drawn. By this time, Georg felt that his drawings were already aligned with Linnaeus, but the calibration didn't hurt; Georg's work made it possible for Linnaeus to show the differences between plants for his books. When Linnaeus released his catalog of rare plants, "Hortus Cliffortianus," in 1737, it featured 20 meticulous plates made by Georg. As a result of partnering with Linnaeus, Georg understood plant structure on a level that rivaled most botanists. Georg's style of drawing is referred to as the Linnaean style. Ehret's father could have never predicted the impact of teaching his son both gardening and drawing, but the two skills had come together in Georg in an extraordinary way. One expert wrote that, "[Ehret] was the greatest artist-illustrator that Linnaeus had." Today, Georg's work is difficult to source. Given the rarity of an Ehret drawing, they are expensive to acquire; pieces generally start around $1k (if you can find one.) Just this past year, the NYBG organized an exhibit called "Georg Ehret: The Greatest Botanical Artist of the 1700s.” They featured 48 Ehret watercolors and engravings. 1781 Today is the birthday of French-German poet, naturalist, and botanist Adelbert von Chamisso ("Sha-ME-So"). Born into a French Noble family, Chamisso’s family fled to Germany after the French Revolution. Chamisso is remembered for a number of different accomplishments. His creativity was captured in a novella called Peter Schlemihl’s Wonderful History, published in 1814. The story is about a naturalist who travels around the world thanks to a pair of seven-league boots and who sells his shadow to the devil in exchange for a bottomless wallet. Seven-league boots were a common part of European folklore and allowed the wearer to walk seven times further than an average stride, making the wearer possess super-human speed. Chamisso established himself as a Romantic poet with his poem Frauenliebe und leben, The poem’s English translation is A Woman's Love and Life and is actually a series of poems describing a woman’s love for a man from their first meeting, through their married life together and ultimately to the time after his death. Robert Schumann later set Chamisso's poem to music in his Opus 42. It takes a soprano opera singer 30 minutes to sing all the poems in the Opus from start to finish. After surviving the french revolution and the war between France and Prussia, Chamisso eagerly joined a round-the-world voyage aboard a Russian ship called the Rurik. It would be the greatest adventure of his life. The trip was financed by a Russian Count named Nikolay ("NEE-co-LIE") Rumyantsev ("Roo-myan-sev"), who was eager to find a route around North America by water - which would later be called the Northwest Passage. Chamisso was the ship’s naturalist, and Johann Friedrich Eschscholtz was the ship’s doctor and botanist. When the Rurik ended up in the San Francisco Bay area in 1816, Chamisso and Eschscholtz ended up exploring in California for about a month. One of his discoveries was the California poppy, which he named Eschscholzia California after his friend, the botanist Johann Friedrich Von Eschscholz. In return, Eschscholz named a bunch of plants after Chamisso - a little quid pro quo. The California Wild Rose (Rosa californica Chamisso and the California Blackberry (Rubus vitifolius Chamisso) are named for Chamisso. In 1903, the botanist Sarah Plummer Lemmon put forth a successful piece of legislation that nominated the golden poppy (Eschscholzia californica) as the state flower of California. During his three year Journey on the Rurik, Chamisso collected over 12,000 species of plants. Today his collection is preserved at the Russian Academy of Sciences in St Petersburg. It was Chamisso who said, “In pain, a new time is born.” 1847Today the city of Yerba Buena ("YAIR-Bah Byoo-Nah") is renamed San Francisco. San Francisco was originally known as Yerba Buena - Spanish for "good herb" - a small mint-like plant early explorers found. Over the years, people have left their hearts in San Francisco. The author Rudyard Kipling said, "San Francisco has only one drawback – ’tis hard to leave." Paul Kanter of Jefferson Airplane said, "San Francisco is 49 square miles, surrounded by reality." Ashleigh Brilliant, author and cartoonist, said, "There may not be a Heaven, but there is San Francisco." The writer William Saroyan said, "If you’re not alive, San Francisco will bring you to life." 1878 Today is the birthday of one of America's greatest Garden writers and one of the 20th Century's most famous horticulturists, Louise Beebe Wilder. Louise was born into a wealthy family in Baltimore. After marrying an architect named Walter Wilder, they bought a country place - a 200-acre estate in Pomona New York; they called BalderBrae. Louise set about adding fountains, terraces, arbors, walled gardens, and pathways. Her book called "My Garden" shared Louise's experiences learning how to garden at BalderBrae, where one of her first flower beds was bordered with clothespins. At BalderBrae, Louise and Walter created a garden and a stone garden house that was made famous in Louise's book "Color in My Garden" - which came out in 1918 and is generally regarded as her best work. In the book, Louise was the first garden writer to write about gray as a garden color. Louise was also the first person to write about Moonlight Gardens, and she wrote about looking at plants under the light of the Moon. After World War I, Walter and Louise settled in suburban Bronxville, New York. Louise created a personal Eden on a single acre of land complete with stone pillars and a long grape arbor. It was here that Louise began rock gardening. After 1920, most of her garden writing focused on rock gardening. Louise inspired both women and men to rock garden. By 1925, Louise founded a local Working Gardeners Club in Bronxville, and she also had steady work as a garden designer and as a garden writer. Her experiences gave her material for her writing. Louise included so many people from Bronxville in her writing that her columns were referred to by locals as "a Bronxville Family Affair." In all, Louise wrote eleven books about gardening. Her voice is pragmatic and pointed, which is why they were popular; gardeners appreciated her no-nonsense advice. For instance, Louise was not a fan of double flowers. In her book, "The Fragrant Path" from 1932, she wrote: “Some flowers are, I am sure, intended by a wise God to remain single. The hyacinth doubled, for instance, is a fat abomination.” Louise wrote for a number of publications, and her writing was published in many prominent periodicals like the Journal of The Royal Horticultural Society of England and the New York Times. House and Garden alone published close to a hundred and fifty articles by Louise. Many of Louise's columns were collected and published as books. A year before she died, Louise was honored with the Gold Medal for Horticultural Achievement from the Garden Club of America. It was the pinnacle moment in her career, and it came as Louise and her children were still grieving the loss of her husband. In the Spring of 1934, Walter had committed suicide after a long battle with mental illness. Louise wrote prolifically about gardening and plants. Her experiences resulted in increasing the awareness of different plant species, gardening practices, and she helped shape the gardens of her time. Louise gave us many wonderful garden quotes. On Snowdrops: “Theirs is a fragile but hardy celebration…in the very teeth of winter.” On Rosemary, “It makes a charming pot plant, neat, svelte, with its dark, felt-lined leaves held sleek against its sides. The smell… is keen and heady, resinous, yet sweet, with a hint of nutmeg.” On Roses: “Over and over again, I have experienced the quieting influence of rose scent upon a disturbed state of mind.” On gardening: “In the garden, every person may be their own artist without apology or explanation. Each within their green enclosure is a creator, and no two shall reach the same conclusion.” Louise is buried with her parents in lot 41 in Lakeside Cemetery in Wakefield, Massachusetts. It was a shock to read that her grave is unmarked and to see that it is completely unadorned - without any flowers - nor does it rest under the shade of a tree. Unearthed Words 1782Today is the birthday of the English poet and literary critic Ann Taylor. Her sister Jane was a poet as well. Ann famously said, “The most important thing is to wear a smile.” Here's a collection of poems about the garden by Ann Taylor. Come And Play In The Garden Little sister, come away, And let us in the garden play, For it is a pleasant day. On the grass-plat let us sit, Or, if you please, we'll play a bit, And run about all over it. But the fruit we will not pick, For that would be a naughty trick, And very likely make us sick. Nor will we pluck the pretty flowers That grow about the beds and bowers, Because you know they are not ours. We'll take the daisies, white and red, Because mamma has often said That we may gather then instead. And much I hope we always may Our very dear mamma obey, And mind whatever she may say. The Gaudy Flower Poem Why does my Anna toss her head, And look so scornfully around, As if she scarcely deigned to tread Upon the daisy-dappled ground? Does fancied beauty fire thine eye, The brilliant tint, the satin skin? Does the loved glass, in passing by, Reflect a graceful form and thin? Alas! that form, and brilliant fire, Will never win beholder's love; It may, indeed, make fools admire, But ne'er the wise and good can move. So grows the tulip, gay and bold, The broadest sunshine its delight; Like rubies, or like burnished gold, It shows its petals, glossy bright. But who the gaudy floweret crops, As if to court a sweet perfume! Admired it blows, neglected drops, And sinks unheeded to its doom. The virtues of the heart may move Affections of a genial kind; While beauty fails to stir our love, And wins the eye, but not the mind. The Field Daisy I'm a pretty little thing, Always coming with the spring; In the meadows green, I'm found, Peeping just above the ground, And my stalk is covered flat With a white and yellow hat. Little Mary, when you pass Lightly o'er the tender grass, Skip about, but do not tread On my bright but lowly head, For I always seem to say, "Surely winter's gone away." Grow That Garden Library The Seed Underground: by Janisse Ray The subtitle of this book is: A Growing Revolution to Save Food. Ray writes: “There is no despair in a seed. There's only life, waiting for the right conditions-sun and water, warmth and soil-to be set free. Every day, millions upon millions of seeds lift their two green wings.” Ray's book takes us to the frontier of seed-saving. She shares beautiful stories from gardeners around the country who are working to preserve our food by growing old varieties, heirlooms, and eating them. Gardeners will love this book because, as a gardener, Ray is relatable, and her stories feature ordinary gardeners who are trying to save open-pollinated varieties of old-time seeds - the true treasures in our Gardens. Ray's book is not just about gardening, but also about preserving our food by saving seeds before they disappear. Ray helps us understand why seeds are under threat and why a lack of seed diversity is something that should concern all of us. Ray is a writer, naturalist, and poet. This is one of my favorite books on this topic, so I hope you'll check it out. You can get a used copy of The Seed Underground: A Growing Revolution to Save Food by Janisse Ray and support the show, using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for under $4. Great Gifts for Gardeners Stonebriar 9 Inch Clear Glass Dome Cloche with Rustic Wooden Base, Antique Bell Jar Display Dome, For Plants, Succulents, Fairy Lights, Photos, Medals, Decorative Fill, and More, Medium $31.99 Add a rustic touch to your home decor with Stonebriar's clear glass bell-shape cloche with a wooden base. This cloche features a clear glass dome with the decorative knob so you can easily remove it. The rustic wooden base measures 6.1 inches in diameter and is the perfect size to display your favorite pillar candles, flowers, succulents, medals, photos, and fairy lights. This glass cloche is small enough to use in any room in your home but big enough to make a statement. Add your favorite filler and create a unique centerpiece for your kitchen or dining room or place filled cloche on your mantel for a little added decoration. This cloche is also the perfect party decoration. Buy multiple cloches for rustic tabletop display. This decorative cloche is the perfect size for any tabletop measuring 9" in height, and the wood base with metal trim measures 6.1" in diameter Glass dome inner measurements are 4.7" in diameter and 6" in height. It can easily fit your favorite pillar candles, flowers, succulents & more Rustic wooden base cloche is available in 2 separate sizes. Buy one size or buy both sizes and create your own unique display set. Today’s Botanic Spark 1784Today is the birthday of the American Floral Dictionary writer, Elizabeth Wirt. Elizabeth was the second wife of William Wirt, who served as an attorney general of the United States. They had ten children. In 1829, Elizabeth wrote her floral dictionary. She published it anonymously, using the very mysterious name ‘by a Lady.’ Wirt featured lovely tidbits in her dictionary - quotes and prose by poets and writers accompanied the information for each plant. Her dictionary also included extraneous information that would be of interest to gardeners in the early to mid-1800s: the Structure of Plants, the Structure of Flowers, and a sketch on the Life of Linnaeus. Elizabeth shared all she knew about the history of each flower she featured in her dictionary. Gardeners adored her book. It was republished every two years. In the 1835 edition, Elizabeth finally felt confident enough to publish the book using her name "Mrs. E. W. Wirt of Virginia.”The final edition of her book was published in in 1855 it was the first book of its kind in the United States to feature colored plates. You can see a copy of Wirt's dictionary online for free.
So often on shows like this we talk about a cryptid that might not even have ever BEEN. Their mere existence; conjecture – their birth; legend. BUT, this case is a bit different. The Thylacine or Tasmanian Tiger was a real, honest-to-goodness, Linnaean classified animal! No conjecture here. There are stuffed versions of these bad boys in museums across the world! But, what happened to them? Did this missing marsupial truly go extinct, or did they recede into the shadows to become the subject of folktale and lore fueled by real sightings? We grab our boxing gloves and go on a walkabout in search of Tassie this week. Plus, Conspiracy Bot decides he’s going to get professorial (he fails), Alexa is getting jealous of Kyle (we don’t know why either), and the fellas debate the virtues of Wombats vs Tasmanian Devils (it’s a big day for marsupials). All of that and more on the podcast that has never successfully driven a species to extinction, but it won’t keep our robot from trying – Hysteria 51.Special thanks to this week’s research sources:Research Assistant – Raymond Walden IVBooksThe Last Tasmanian Tiger: The History and Extinction of the Thylacine | Robert PaddleTasmanian Tiger: The Tragic Tale of How the World Lost Its Most Mysterious Predator | David OwenVideosThe Thylacine – https://bit.ly/39YS1N1Tasmanian Tiger Back From The Dead!? 5 Weird Animal Facts – https://bit.ly/36CMWYxRen’s Most Classic Insults! – https://bit.ly/2QEmng3BRT Video Final – https://youtu.be/K5LQd-0EqocWebsitesMerriam Webster – https://bit.ly/36J74brCryptid Wiki – https://bit.ly/307rDvICNN – https://cnn.it/3a0iF7UThe Guardian – https://bit.ly/2QFitDGAll That’s Interesting – https://bit.ly/2QHnjjSAll That’s Interesting – https://bit.ly/2Ne8lPXNat Geo – https://bit.ly/389wmQxWhere Light Meets Dark – https://bit.ly/35OnHRNGizmodo – https://bit.ly/35NnWg4
I thought I'd start today's show off with a quote by Beverley Nichols from his book, Sunlight on the Lawn: “Why do insurance companies, when they want to describe an act of God, invariably pick on something which sounds much more like an act of the Devil? One would think that God was exclusively concerned in making hurricanes, smallpox, thunderbolts, and dry rot. They seem to forget that He also manufactures rainbows, apple-blossom, and Siamese kittens. However, that is, perhaps, a diversion.” This quote by Nichols came to mind when I heard the wondrous story about the little tomato plant that had sprouted on a piling by the Brooklyn Bridge. It made the Nightly News after the story was first published by the New York Times on Wednesday along with a photo taken by a passerby, Matthew Frey. Paddle-boarding between Pier 1 and 2 in Brooklyn Bridge Park, Frey saw the leaves first. His incredible image of a lone tomato plant growing straight up with no supports and with one perfectly red little tomato was heartwarming. It reminded me of the Charlie Brown Christmas Tree but with only one red ornament hanging proudly in the middle of the plant. Frey, who is 54, told the times: “I’m used to seeing things grow here, but nothing as special as that... Things like that just make me happy.” Beverley Nichols would have loved seeing the little tomato plant that could. To him, it would have been heaven sent - a little gift to us all from above. Brevities #OTD On this day in 1513, James IV of Scotland, along with other Flowers of the Forest, were killed in the battle of Flodden. The Scottish army led by James, was taking advantage of Henry VIII's absence in France but they were resoundingly crushed by an army organized by Katherine of Aragon, Henry VIII's 1st wife. It was the largest battle ever fought between England & Scotland, and it was a devastating defeat for the Scots who remembered the pain of an estimated 12,000 dead sons of Scotland in an old Scottish folksong called “The Flowers of the Forest.” There are many variations of the lyrics that have surfaced over the years. One of the oldest verses ends this way: "'The Flowers of the Forest that fought at the foremost, The prime of the land are cold in the clay'" In 1765, the socialite Alison Cockburn wrote her own lyrics to the Flowers of the Forest. Here's the first verse: I've seen the smiling Of fortune beguiling, I've tasted her pleasures And felt her decay; Sweet is her blessing, And kind her caressing, But now they are fled And fled far away. #OTD Today is the anniversary of the death of the botanist and the incomparable botanical illustrator Georg Dionysius Ehret who died on this day in 1770. Ehret was born in Heidelberg, Germany to Ferdinand Christian Ehret, who was a gardener and also had a talent for drawing. He taught his son both skills- gardening and drawing - before he died. Ehret made his way to Regensburg. There, he met an apothecary who hired him to draw of specimens from his herbarium and garden. Ehret earnestly took on the job; drawing over 500 pieces in one year. Taking advantage of his young employee, the apothecary fired Ehret and told him he should have completed 1,000 drawings and was fired. It was basically his way of avoiding paying Ehret. After this dreadful experience, Ehret made his way to England and worked at the major botanical gardens - Including Chelsea Physic. Isaac Rand, the first director of the Chelsea Physic Garden in London, told Ehret to paint the rare plants in the garden. The uniqueness of the specimens added to the demand for Ehret's work. As a result, Ehret was on friendly terms with the plant collectors and naturalists of his time. Chelsea was formative professionally and personally for Ehret; He married the head gardener's sister-in-law, Susanna Kennet. In The Art of Botanical Illustration, Wilfrid Blunt noted that, “By the middle of the century he had become a popular figure in London society: the highest nobility in England clamored to receive instruction from him,” Indeed, the wealthiest woman in England, Margaret Cavendish Bentinck, (the Duchess of Portland) gladly retained Ehret as a drawing instructor. Struck by the luminescence of his work, and ultimately she would buy over 300 of his paintings. In 1737, Ehret was hired to draw by Sir Charles Wager, First Lord of the Admiralty. In August of that year, Wagner's personal garden is where Ehret first observed the Magnolia grandiflora flowering. The bloom was so inspiring that Ehret walked for an hour each way, from Chelsea to Wagner's house (in Fulham), to see and sketch every stage of the Magnolia grandiflora; from bud to full flower. Ehret's work provided the world with the first Magnolia to be illustrated in England. Beyond his work in England, Ehret traveled throughout Europe in pursuit of his craft. He met Linnaeus in Holland when he was visiting the botanical garden in Leiden. Linnaeus taught Ehret exactly how he wanted plants to be dissected and drawn. By this time, Ehret felt that his drawings were already aligned with Linnaeus, but the calibration didn't hurt; Ehret's work made it possible for Linnaeus to show the differences between plants for his books. When Linnaeus released his catalog of rare plants, "Hortus Cliffortianus," in 1737, it featured 20 meticulous plates made by Ehret. As a result of partnering with Linnaeus, Ehret understood plant structure on a level that rivaled most botanists. Ehret's style of drawing is referred to as the Linnaean style. Ehret's father could have never predicted the impact of teaching his son both gardening and drawing; but the two skills had come together in Ehret in a very special way. One expert wrote that, "[Ehret] was the greatest artist illustrator that Linnaeus had." Today, Ehret's work is difficult to source. Given the rarity of an Ehret drawing, they are expensive to acquire; pieces generally start around $1k (if you can find one.) Just this year, the NYBG organized an exhibit called, "Georg Ehret: The Greatest Botanical Artist of the 1700s.” They featured 48 Ehret watercolors and engravings. #OTD Today is the birthday of James Arnold who was born on this day in 1781 and who was the namesake for Harvard's Arnold Arboretum. The Arnold Arboretum was the very first arboretum in the United States. Arnold was born to a Quaker family in Providence Rhode, Island. In 1807, Arnold married Sarah Rotch. Had Arnold not married Sarah, there would have probably never been an Arnold Arboretum. Sarah's father was part of a wealthy whaling family. Through his marriage to Sarah, Arnold eventually became a partner in his father-in-law's business. Arnold used his wealth to buy an 11-acre estate. There he built a mansion and installed beautiful gardens and lawns. The property was so stunning, that the Arnolds opened their gardens to the public on Sundays. It was a rare opportunity. The Unitarian minister, William Potter, called the Arnold estate, "a home the most conspicuous among all our homes for culture, for hospitality, for charity." John Quincy Adams was a guest of the Arnolds in 1835 and 1843. When Arnold died in 1868, he had outlived both his wife and daughter. As part of his will, he left $100,000 in the hands of threetrustees: Francis Parker, John James Dixwell, and George Emerson. Emerson and Dixwell were essential to the founding of the Arboretum because they personally knew Asa Gray at Harvard and they also knew that Harvard wanted a Botanic Garden. When the arrangements for the arboretum were finally settled, the instructions were to collect every kind of tree and shrub that would grow outdoors in Massachusetts. In 1873, Charles Sprague Sargent was hired to be the Arnold Arboretum director - a position he would hold for over four decades. His vision combined with the stability provided by his long leadership, established a solid foundation for the Arnold Arboretum. With the gift from James Arnold, the Arboretum had the means; and with the leadership of Sargent, it had the expertise. Both were needed to create the world-class arboretum we enjoy today. Unearthed Words This week I'm going to do a special tribute to the author Beverley Nichols, who was born on this day in 1898. Nichols is remembered for his writing and his love of gardening and cats. Nichols wrote over 60 books - but he is best remembered for his gardening books. In 1932, Nichol's wrote Down the Garden Path. It became an instant best seller on both sides of the Atlantic. In the book, Nichols wrote about his 1928 purchase of a weekend retreat; a thatched cottage in the village of Glatton. Nichols knew nothing about gardening when he bought the cottage, so he shared every discovery and disaster in his books. Based on the positive response to his first book, Nichols wrote two more books on his Glatton experiences. The second book was “A Thatched Roof” (released in 1933) and the third was “A Village in a Valley” (released in 1934). The books are referred to as “The Glatton Trilogy” or “The Allways Chronicles.” Here are some excerpts from Nichol's first book, Down the Garden Path: “...a cyclamen that looks like a flight of butterflies, frozen for a single, exquisite moment in the white heart of Time...” “It was not till I experimented with seeds plucked straight from a growing plant that I had my first success...the first thrill of creation...the first taste of blood. This, surely, must be akin to the pride of paternity...indeed, many soured bachelors would wager that it must be almost as wonderful to see the first tiny crinkled leaves of one's first plant as to see the tiny crinkled face of one's first child.” “I had never ‘taken a cutting’ before… .Do you not realize that the whole thing is miraculous? It is exactly as though you were to cut off your wife’s leg, stick it in the lawn, and be greeted on the following day by an entirely new woman, sprung from the leg, advancing across the lawn to meet you.” Today's book recommendation: The Proven Winners Garden Book by Ruth Rogers Clausen and Thomas Christopher This book is the ultimate gardening guide for all reader levels. It is super easy to read with excellent, clear instructions. Proven Winners is known as the #1 Plant Brand - and just like their quality plants, this book does not disappoint. In this book you get three awesome things. First, Garden Plans. But, not just any garden plan; Simple Garden Plans. Plans for attracting pollinators, plans for creating the most fragrant garden, plans for an entertaining garden, and so on. Second, Clausen and Christopher have put together dozens of recipes for beautiful containers. Just like a cookbook, these recipes are proven and they are geared toward providing curb appeal, color, texture and pizzazz to everything from small spaces to the average home lot. Finally, this guide offers really helpful lessons on how to buy the best plants and also on maintenance; the aspect of gardening so many struggle with. If you are a new gardener, this book will be your bible for getting started in the right way, maximizing your effort, avoiding hours of research on plants and design; helping you achieve stunning results in a single season. Today's Garden Chore Start saving seeds and make cuttings of the plants you want to increase for next year. Focus on your top performers and sentimental favorites in order to cultivate even better stock next year. Stay active in your garden now - don't leave the best of this year's garden to history. Something Sweet Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart On this day in 1903, the Akron Beacon Journal out of Akron, Ohio announced Carnation Day. Here's what it said: "The Anniversary of President McKinley's Death Will be Noted by the Wearing of His Favorite Flower by Akron Citizens. Next Monday will be the second anniversary of the death of President McKinley, and has been called "Red Carnation day," in honor of his favorite flower. President McKinley was shot by Leon Czolgosz, in the Temple of Music at the Buffalo exposition, September 6, 1901. The shooting occurred late in the afternoon and inside of an hour, every man, woman, and child within reach of the telegraph instrument heard the sorrowful news, and were sending up prayers for the recovery of the president. After the shooting, President McKinley was taken to the home of John G. Milburn, president of the exposition company, where he lingered; while hopeful and then depressing bulletins were issued from his bedside, until finally on September 14, he passed from life. Last year the president's favorite flower was worn by hundreds in this city, and it is expected that next Monday will see nearly every one wearing the flower that usually adorned the lapel of the third martyr president." Thanks for listening to the daily gardener, and remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."
Fragrance in the garden... The most fragrant blossoms include: Cheddar pinks (a member of the carnation family) Lavender Peony Gardenia Honeysuckle Hyacinth Lilac Mock Orange Daphne Bee balm Brevities #OTD On this day, in 1805, Meriwether Lewis was just one day away from reaching the Great Falls of Missouri. He wrote his own brief description of a species that was previously unknown to science. He wrote, "The narrow leafed cottonwood grows here in common with the other species of the same tree with a broad leaf." Wonder if he saw all the cottonwood seeds floating through the air... #OTD It was a little over 200 years ago today, in 1817, that a forest ranger, named Karl Freiherr von Drais,invented the first bicycle. #OTD And it's the anniversary of the death day of Edward Newman who was an English entomologist, botanist, and writer. Newman wrote, An Illustrated Natural History of the British MothsIn 1869. He also enjoyed writing poetry. Just as the butterfly, child of an hour, Flutters about in the light of the sun, Wandering wayward from flower to flower, Sipping the honey from all, one by one; So does the fanciful verse I've created Love amongst the experts in Science to roam, Drinking their spirit without being sated, Bringing the sweets of their intellect home. #OTD It was on this day, in 1948, that the Michigan Botanical Club adopted its name. It wasn't agreed upon very easily. The Board of Directors and the executive committee couldn't agree. They decided to hold a vote. The choices included: The Michigan Association for Native Plants Protection The Michigan Wildflower Association The Michigan Native Plant Society The Michigan Botanical Club Although the rest of the state voted unanimously for the Michigan Botanical Club, the strong-willed southeastern chapter had taken a poll and they wanted the name The Michigan Wildflower Association. The matter was finally settled when the general membership voted. It's been The Michigan Botanical Club ever since. #OTD And it was on this day in 1918 that the botanist Frank Nicholas Meyer was buried in Shanghai. Six days later, his family, back home in the Netherlands, learned of his death. At the beginning of June, Meyer had traveled to Shanghai by way of Japanese riverboat on the Yangtze River. He was last seen leaving his cabin on the evening of June 1; then he simply disappeared. His body was found in the river four days later. Meyer was just 43 years old when he either fell over board or was murdered. In either case, his legacy continues; not only in the plants he introduced (like the Meyer Lemon), but also, in the magnificent photographs that he took in China. Unearthed Words Here are some short sayings about June: "If a June night could talk, it would probably boast it invented romance." - Bern Williams "Spring being a tough act to follow, God created June." - Al Bernstein "What is one to say about June, the time of perfect young summer, the fulfillment of the promise of the earlier months, and with as yet no sign to remind one that its fresh young beauty will ever fade." - Gertrude Jekyll, On Gardening "June is bustin' out all over." - Oscar Hammerstein II, 1945 Today's book recommendation: Sex, Botany, and Empire: The Story of Carl Linnaeus and Joseph Banks by Patricia Fara Fara said, "Banks provided a marvelous illustration of how science and the British Empire grew rich and powerful together." Fara reveals how Enlightenment botany, under the veil of rationality, manifested a drive to conquer, subdue, and deflower―all in the name of British empire. Linnaeus trained his traveling disciples in a double mission―to bring back specimens for the benefit of the Swedish economy and to spread the gospel of Linnaean taxonomy. Based in London at the hub of an international exchange and correspondence network, Banks ensured that Linnaeus's ideas became established throughout the world. As the president of the Royal Society for more than forty years, Banks revolutionized British science, and his innovations placed science at the heart of trade and politics. He made it a policy to collect and control resources not only for the sake of knowledge but also for the advancement of the empire. Although Linnaeus is often celebrated as modern botany's true founder, Banks has had a greater long-term impact. It was Banks who ensured that science and imperialism flourished together, and it was he who first forged the interdependent relationship between scientific inquiry and the state that endures to this day. Today's Garden Chore Add perlite to your soil. Get a big bag of perlite like this oneand add it to the soil in your containers. Seasoned gardeners swear by perlite. If you want soilthat has good aeration, water retention and drainage, try adding,the mineral, perlite. A naturally occurring mineral, perlite has a neutral pH level; so it won't change the soil in that way. It's incredibly porous and it contains little pockets of space inside for air. It can also retain some amount of water while allowing excess to drain away. (I get huge bag of perlite every year from Amazon. I'll put a link to that in today's show notes.) Something Sweet Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart On this day in 2016, the Shady Acres Herb Farm closed in Chaska Minnesota after 39 years. Shady Acres was the placeto go for plants and herbs for almost 4 decades. Shady Acres was owned and operated by Theresa and Jim Mieseler since the mid 70s. Theresa has started out with the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. She been put in charge of the herb garden she recalled telling her boss, "I don't know what an herb is..." Seven years later, Jim and Theresa started Shady Acres Herb Farm with seedlings grown in Dixie cups in their basement. Over time, they cultivated and sold over 600 varieties of culinary herbs and vegetables. Since the closing of their farm, Shady Acres has been moving in a different direction. They're now committed to teaching others about growing plants and they do that in their monthly newsletter. You can check out their website at Shadyacres.com Thanks for listening to the daily gardener, and remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."
I recently had a gardener ask me about the first herb I'd ever grown. That would be chives. Chives, like many herbs, are so easy to grow. Plus, you get the cute purple puffball blossoms. I had a chef friend show me how she liked to cut off the flower. Then, she snipped a little triangle off of the bottom where the bloom comes together (like cutting paper to make a snowflake). By doing this, you basically get "chive-fetti" and you can easily sprinkle the little chive blossom over salads or dishes. Mic drop. Goat cheese and chive blossoms pair very well together. You can serve that at a party or just add it to an omelet. Very decorative. Very pretty. Something anyone can do. Brevities #OTD Today, Japan celebrates “Botany Day”. Held annually on April 24, the celebration honors the Father of Japanese Botany, Tomitaro Makino, on his birthday. Makino was born in 1862. His dad was a successful brewer of the Japanese national drink, sake. Sadly, by the time he was six, his father, mother, and grandfather had died. He was raised by his grandmother. Makino became fascinated with plants as a boy. He loved to collect specimens. Every spare minute, until he became bedridden before his death, he would roam the countryside adding to his personal herbarium which would ultimately max out at over 400,000 specimens. (The University of Tokyo is now home to the Makino herbarium). Makino adopted Linnaean principles for naming his plants. In 1940, he published the Illustrated Flora of Japan - an exhaustive work that details more than 6,000 plants. (I ordered myself a first edition online from Abe Books for the fine price of $67.) The Makino Botanical Garden was built in his hometown of Kochi City after he died in 1957 at the age of 94. Tomitaro Makino, Japanese botanist said, "Plants can survive without humans; but humans can't survive without plants". #OTD Today is the birthday of french botanist Lucien Plantefol (1891-1983). He developed his owntheory to explain how leaves are arranged on the stems of plants. He served in the first World War. Modern chemical warfare began in his home country, France; on April 22, 1915 German soldiers attacked the French by using chlorine gas. Plantefol was wounded during the war, but he went on to serve his country by working on a team at a national defense laboratory that developed the gas mask. #OTD On this day in 2017, Botanist, Vancouver’s highly acclaimed new restaurant inside the Fairmont Pacific Rimhotel, officially opened... they started their first day with breakfast service. Very on trend, the restaurant boasts pastel tones and loads of houseplants. Divided into quarters Botanist includes: a dining room, cocktail bar and lab, garden, and a champagne lounge. The champagne lounge is surrounded by glass and planters filled with greenery indigenous to British Columbia. The Garden invites guests to chill in a glass-walled space filled with greenery, a trellis and more than 50 different types of plant species that include rare fruit bushes, and edible species such as green tea camellia, cardamom and ginger. #OTD On this day Paul George Russell was born in 1889 inLiverpool, New York. His family moved to DC in 1902 and this became Russell's lifelong home. Russell received his advanced degrees fromGeorge Washington University. He got his first job atthe National Herbarium; Russell would end up working for the government as a botanist for 50 years. Early on, Russell went on collecting trips in northern Mexico with botanists Joseph Nelson Rose and Paul Carpenter Standley. In 1910, during a Mexico trip, the Verbena russellii - a woody flowering plant - was named for Paul George Russell. Later, he accompanied Rose to Argentenia where the Opuntia russellii - a type of prickly pear -was named for him. Back in the States, Russell was a vital part of the team dedicated to creating the living architecture Japanese cherries around the Washington Tidal Basin. As the consulting botanist, he oversaw the planting of all the cherry trees and he authored a 72-page USDA circular called "Oriental flowering cherries" in March 1934. It was Russell's most impressive work and it provided facts on cultivation and historical details about varieties of ornamental cherries grown in the United States, introducing visitors to the magnificent cherry trees growing around the tidal basin in Washington, D.C. A compiler of over 40,000 seed vials, Russell honed a unique and rare skill: he could identify plant species by seed alone. After retiring, he began working on a history of USDA seed collection. Sadly, he never finished this endeavor. Russell died at the age of 73 froma fatal heart attack April 3, 1963. The following day, April 4th, Russell had made plans with his daughter to see his beloved cherry blossom trees in bloom around the tidal basin. Unearthed Words Here's a little verse from Fisherman's Luck by Henry Van Dyke in 1899. "The first day of spring is one thing, and the first spring day is another. The difference between them is sometimes as great as a month." Today's book recommendation #OTD In honor of Charles Sprague Sargent's birthday (He was born on this day in 1841), today's featured book is Stephanne Barry Sutton's biography called Charles Sprague Sargent and the Arnold Arboretum. This book was commissioned by the Arboretum to celebrate its centennial. It is both a biography of Sargent and a history of the Arnold Arboretum. In 1872, Sargent was given the responsibility of creating the arboretum for Harvard and he did it all from scratch; there were no arboreta in America to model. His enduring vision for the Arboretum was of such perfection that subsequent directors have followed it with few variations. Today's Garden Chore Clean your windows. When Romeo said, "But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks?" He was on to something. Light needs to break through that glass; but that's hard to do if your windows are dirty. When I spoke with The Houseplant Guru, Lisa Eldred Steinkopf (The Still Growing Podcast Episode 598), she brought up this very point - cleaning your windows is a great chore to do for your indoor plants. Something Sweet Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart I stumbled on a little story in a 1915 article that highlights the personality differences between the ebullient Muir and the very serious Bostonian: Sargent. On a fall trip to the Southern mountains, Muir and Sargent were climbing the hilltops. Here's what happened according to Muir: "We climbed slope after slope through the trees till we came out on the bare top of Grandfather Mountain. There it all lay in the sun below us, ridge beyond ridge, each with its typical tree-covering and color, all blended with the darker shades of the pines and the green of the deep valleys. . . . I couldn't hold in and began to jump about and sing and glory in it all. Then I happened to look round and catch sight of [Sargent] standing there as cool as a rock, with a half-amused look on his face at me, but never saying a word. Muir asks Sargent, “Why don't you let yourself out at a sight like that?” “I don't wear my heart upon my sleeve,” Sargent retorted. “Who cares where you wear your little heart, man?” Muir cried. “There you stand in the face of all Heaven come down on Earth, like a critic of the universe, as if to say. ‘Come, Nature, bring on the best you have: I'm from BOSTON!’” Thanks for listening to the daily gardener, and remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."
Episode 36 begins with Will and Sarah discussing the finer points of swarm trapping, from timing to spacing to construction. Their new bees arrive soon and they also intend to catch some wild swarms using traps in the yard. Next, they discuss a sick chicken and how to quarantine a chicken to help with recovery. They also discuss a home remedy for an injured chicken's comb, in this case, Jumpy the rooster, whose wounds are being picked at by his hens. The difficult spring season is their next subject. They talk about the cold March, the high winds on the day of the podcast (4/15/18), and how they're going to protect their new seedlings from frost. Sarah has worked hard to plant a variety of seedlings and they need their help. Will then talks at length about his run-in with the Firethorn/pyracantha shrub in the yard, from Sarah's first encounter to his allergic reaction that resulted in a visit to the doctor. They end the podcast with an article on the Linnaean-naming convention conspiracy surrounding the holly variety cassina, AKA yaupon, AKA black tea, a native perennial plant whose leaves can produce a caffeinated tea. Yaupon holly: As noted in the podcast, there are varieties of yaupon that are hardy to PA's Zone 6. One is Anna's Choice, found here (though out of stock at the moment) https://almostedenplants.com/shopping/products/10202-anna%27s-choice-yaupon-holly-yellow-berried/ Another is Hoskin Shadow https://www.backyardgardener.com/plantname/ilex-vomitoria-hoskin-shadow/ Chicken wound ointment: combine wax and oil over heat in a container you don't care about. Add the essential oils after solution has cooled down. 1 part beeswax 2 parts coconut oil 10 drops of frankincense oil 10 drops lavender oil 3 drops tea tree oil Links: Tom Seeley, Following the Wild Bees, Princeton Press https://press.princeton.edu/titles/10669.html Seeley, Morse, Nowogrodzki, "Bait Hives for Honey Bees", 1989-10, Cornell Cooperative Extension, https://ecommons.cornell.edu/handle/1813/2653 Reclaiming the Farm, "When Firethorns Attack", http://reclaimingthefarm.blogspot.com/2012/05/when-fire-thorns-attack.html Extension.org, Firethorns question about toxicity, https://ask.extension.org/questions/282127 SF Gate, "Is it safe to burn pyracantha?" http://homeguides.sfgate.com/safe-burn-pyracantha-87631.html Timber Creek Farm, Essential Oils for chickens, https://timbercreekfarmer.com/essential-oils-for-chicken-care/ Satoyama Homestead 里山 Gardening outside the lines. satoyamahs.org | satoyamahs@gmail.com | 484-247-GROW (4769)
Afognak Island, AK- Steven Rinella talks with Remi Warren, Dirt Myth, Ridge Pounder, Pat O'Connel, and Janis Putelis of the MeatEater crew. Subjects Discussed: The sprawling distribution of Ursus arctos; binomial nomenclature, the Linnaean classification system, and the finer details of brown bear taxonomy; Seward's Folly; how elk got to Alaska; bad mofos; a little bit of elk taxonomy; the shittiness of Afognak; quartering an elk in the water, battle scars, busted antlers, and other stories surrounding Steve's bull; getting attacked by brown bear, and more.
The 18th-century's age of travel and enlightenment meant that a vast influx of newly discovered plants into Europe was creating a botanical tower of Babel. No common language for plants and a wealth of long and localised names made communication about plant species often impossible. Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus dedicated his life to developing a proper system of naming and placing plants into a new ordered hierarchy. Professor Kathy Willis launches the series by talking to Jim Endersby, historian at Sussex University, who argues that Linnaeus' system of plant classification established the roots of botany as we now know it and revolutionised the economics and movement of plant species and their riches across the globe, and how they are referred to. She speaks with Linnaean archivist Gina Douglas and learns how in 1753 his System Naturae placed plants into a hierarchy of relationships based on the number of reproductive organs, in the hope of uncovering the machinery of nature. Whilst much of what Linnaeus developed has now been superseded by a more natural system of classification, his method of naming still dominates today. Producer: Adrian Washbourne Presenter: Kathy Willis is director of science at Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew. She is also professor of long-term ecology and a fellow of Merton College, both at Oxford University. Winner of several awards, she has spent over 20 years researching and teaching biodiversity and conservation at Oxford and Cambridge.
Melvyn Bragg examines the science of taxonomy. The Argentinean author Jose Luis Borges illustrated the problematic nature of scientific classification when he quoted from an ancient Chinese Encyclopaedia, the Celestial Emporium of Benevolent Knowledge. On these remote pages, in a complete absence of Phylum, Genus and Species, animals are divided into: (a) those that belong to the Emperor, (b) embalmed ones, (c) those that are trained, (d) suckling pigs and those that tremble as if they were mad ending with those drawn with a very fine camel's hair brush, others, those that have just broken the flower vase and those that at a distance resemble flies.Perhaps our own system of classifying the natural world might seem just as fantastical to a more knowing mind, and perhaps underlying the Linnaean system that homo sapiens currently finds useful there are prejudices of our own which distort the scientific truth. How does natural history classify the natural order?With Colin Tudge, writer, scientist and author of The Variety of Life: A Survey and a Celebration of all the Creatures that Have Ever Lived; Dr Sandy Knapp, Research Botanist, Department of Botany, Natural History Museum, London; Henry Gee, Senior Editor of Nature and author of Deep Time: Cladistics, the Revolution in Evolution.
Melvyn Bragg examines the science of taxonomy. The Argentinean author Jose Luis Borges illustrated the problematic nature of scientific classification when he quoted from an ancient Chinese Encyclopaedia, the Celestial Emporium of Benevolent Knowledge. On these remote pages, in a complete absence of Phylum, Genus and Species, animals are divided into: (a) those that belong to the Emperor, (b) embalmed ones, (c) those that are trained, (d) suckling pigs and those that tremble as if they were mad ending with those drawn with a very fine camel's hair brush, others, those that have just broken the flower vase and those that at a distance resemble flies.Perhaps our own system of classifying the natural world might seem just as fantastical to a more knowing mind, and perhaps underlying the Linnaean system that homo sapiens currently finds useful there are prejudices of our own which distort the scientific truth. How does natural history classify the natural order?With Colin Tudge, writer, scientist and author of The Variety of Life: A Survey and a Celebration of all the Creatures that Have Ever Lived; Dr Sandy Knapp, Research Botanist, Department of Botany, Natural History Museum, London; Henry Gee, Senior Editor of Nature and author of Deep Time: Cladistics, the Revolution in Evolution.
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