Podcasts about linnaean society

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 1772 Karl Friedrich von Gaertner, German botanist, is born. Karl Friedrich von Gaertner had a fantastic last name; Gaertner translates to mean gardener. Karl was a second-generation gardener. His dad was Joseph Gaertner, the great German botanist and horticulturist, so Karl essentially stepped in his father's footsteps. Karl's claim to fame was his work with hybrids with hybridizing plants. Along with other botanists, he laid the foundation for Gregor Mendel, who discovered the basic principles of heredity through his experiments with peas in his garden at the Augustinian monastery he lived in at Brno ("BURR-no") in the Czech Republic.   1890 Phebe Holder's poem, A Song of May, appeared in newspapers this month. In addition to her religious poems, Phebe wrote about the natural world. Gardeners delight in her poems for spring and fall. Phebe is a fabulous New England Victorian poet and gardener I love and admire. She loved the delicate plants of springtime and wrote a poem called A Song of May. What song hast thou, sweet May, for me, My listening ear what song for thee? A song of life from growing things, The life thy gentle presence brings; The tender light of budding spray. The blooming down on willow grey, The living green that earth overspreads, The creamy flowers on mossy beds. From blossoms pure with petals white As pressed from out the moonbeam's light. The fragrant lily of the vale, The violet's breath on passing gale: Anemones mid last year's*leaves, Arbutus sweet in trailing wreaths, From waving lights of forest glade The light ferns hiding neath the shade. A song of joy from wood and plain, From birds in old-time haunts again; The silvery laugh of tuneful rill O'er rocky bed, down craggy hill; Soft coming of warm dropping showers, The sighing wind in piney bowers; The music breathed by low-voiced waves, For listening, from ocean caves, A plaintive strain doth memory sing, A breathing of departed Spring: An unseen Presence in the home, A spirit voice-"The Master's come!". While hearts in tender sorrow wept O'er one beloved who silent slept, Who in the May-time long ago Passed the pearl gates of glory through. A grateful song, our God, to Thee For treasures of the earth and sea; For all the beauty Thou hast given; A dream to loving hearts, of heaven; A song of life, of joy, of love, Of trust, of faith in light adore This offering on thy shrine I lay; This song hast thou for me, sweet May.   Phebe's A Song of May recalls the flowers of spring. In the second verse, she's touching on many great spring beauties: the Lily of the Valley, violets, anemones, The Mayflower (also known as the trailing arbutus), and then, of course, ferns. In May, fern fronds cover the woodlands and understories. All of these spring plants emerge very quickly once they get growing. The ground transforms from leaf-littered - brown, drab, and dreary - to excellent with beautiful little blossoms.   1822 Thomas Hoy, English gardener, horticulturist, and botanist, died. Thomas was a dedicated gardener and head gardener for the Duke of Northumberland for over four decades - so he worked with plants his entire life. Thomas was a fellow of the Linnaean Society and liked to show his work at various plant societies And outings.  Thomas is remembered as an experienced botanist and a capable cultivator. He was very good at his job. In fact, he was so good that the botanist Robert Brown named a popular plant genus for Thomas Hoy. Can you guess what it is? Well, if you were thinking Hoya, you are correct. The Hoya is a beautiful way to be remembered and honored. I love Hoyas. I picked up a couple of variegated Hoyas over the winter, and I'm so excited to see what the flower looks like.  Overall the Hoya is a gorgeous plant named for the intelligent, thoughtful, and dedicated gardener Thomas Hoy, who died on this day when he was 72.    1867 Ralph Waldo Emerson inscribed a copy of his book, May Day, to Sophie Thoreau, the devoted sister of Henry David Thoreau. May Day is a collection of Emerson's writing and poems and includes the line, "Why chidest thou the tardy spring?" from his May Day poem. Why chidest thou the tardy Spring? The hardy bunting does not chide; The blackbirds make the maples ring With social cheer and jubilee; The redwing flutes his o-ka-lee, The robins know the melting snow; The sparrow meek, prophetic-eyed, Her nest beside the snow-drift weaves, Secure the osier yet will hide Her callow brood in mantling leaves; And thou, by science all undone, Why only must thy reason fail To see the southing of the sun?   In other words, why be upset that spring is late? Spring has everything in hand. Don't be angry about nature's timing. A library first shared this inscription with Ralph Waldo Emerson's beautiful handwriting. About a decade after receiving the book, Sophie gifted the book to her friend Mabel Loomis and inscribed the transfer in the book. If you're looking for a sentimental month of May gift or have a May birthday and want to give something unique, look for an old copy of May Day by Ralph Waldo Emerson. It's a beautiful gift.   Well, it turns out that May 1st is a great day to release a brand new gardening book, and so I thought I'd wrap up today's botanical history with three great garden books released on May 1st.   2001 The Himalayan Garden: Growing Plants from the Roof of the World by Jim Jermyn. If you're into growing mountain plants, Alpine plants, wildflowers, etc., and if you have a cold climate, you'll enjoy this book.   2015 Monet's Palate Cookbook: The Artist & His Kitchen Garden At Giverny by Aileen Bordman   2018 Herbal Medicine for Beginners: Your Guide to Healing Common Ailments with 35 Medicinal Herbs by Katja Swift     Grow That Garden Library™ Book Recommendation Emily's Fresh Kitchen by Emily Maxson This book came out in January of 2022, and the subtitle is Cook Your Way to Better Health.  I must be honest and let you know that I stumbled on this book at my local Goodwill and was immediately taken with it. I think it's fantastic. And I can't believe I missed it last year, so I'm playing catch up here. But the cover captivated me because it features a great soup - Her Roasted Butternut with Sage Soup infused with Coconut Cream. I bet it's fantastic. It sure makes for a pretty cover. And I must say that all of the pictures in this book are beautiful. I wanted to share a little bit about Emily because her story has inspired so much of her work, and she writes, After a Crohn's disease diagnosis at age 28 and over a decade of unsuccessful traditional treatment, Emily Maxson discovered the specific carbohydrate diet's positive effects and food's transformative power to improve health. She's a trained chef who poured her heart into creating delectable dishes that meet her diet's rigorous guidelines.   So the diet that she's following is the Specific Carbohydrate Diet. If you haven't heard about it, Emily is an expert. And for her, the diet has led to a healthier and happier life. Now, if you're curious about this and can't wait to get the book, head over to her website Emily's Fresh Kitchen - it's the same name as the book title. You will find incredible recipes, inspiring stories, and photos there. She does a top-notch job. I also want to share more about this Specific Carbohydrate Diet because you're probably curious. This is a primarily plant-based diet, which is great for gardeners who want to eat fresh from the garden. And here's what Emily writes about on page nine of her book. Following this diet, I cooked myself out of disease and into good health. While the diet was strict, the results were miraculous. It was such a blessing not to have to take medications or to spend time in hospitals, my gut was healthy again, and I was able to start introducing foods that were not allowed while following the diet. Today, I strive for my diet to be 80% plant-based. I focus on fiber and try to get a variety of plant foods in my diet daily, including some gluten-free whole grains.   This diet and way of life are working for her. Consequently, Emily has written a great cookbook with lots of ideas. I thought what I would do is walk you through the chapters here. First, she does a quick overview of what's in her pantry. Then, she talks about her favorite kitchen tools. I love the gadgets, and I love her tips on this. Emily has an excellent section on salads, main dishes, soups, sides, breakfast, and smoothies. That's a critical section for me because I always feel like if I can nail down what I'm having for breakfast, the rest of the day goes well. Then she shares appetizers and savory snacks, which is a good section, too. I've been looking for delicious things I can eat in the evenings. I will check this out. The next chapter covers sweets, treats, condiments, dressings, and spice blends. This is an essential tool, especially if you're going to a plant-based diet because you don't want to lose the flavor. And then drinks and cocktails. Emily is pretty thorough, and it's easy to tell that this is an entire lifestyle for her. She's mastered this, and she can use her own story as a testament to the fact that it does work; to cook your way to better health. This book is 284 pages of nutritious and flavorful dishes that will help heal your body and get you back on the road to health. You can get a copy of Emily's Fresh Kitchen: Cook Your Way to Better Health by Emily Maxson and support the show using the Amazon link in today's show notes for around $25. This is a great gift book if you're looking for an excellent garden-to-table cookbook.    Botanic Spark 1859 On this day, Calvin Fletcher, American attorney, banker, farmer, and state senator in Indianapolis, wrote these words in his diary: This a most delightful Sabbath morn and the anniversary of my leaving Westford, Massachusetts in 1817 forty two years ago. [It's] also the anniversary of my alliance to my sainted wife in 1821 thirty eight years ago to day. Both days are of great beauty & loveliness. This morn I worked my garden & retrospected on the past. Brought up the enumerable reasons for gratitude to Almighty God for the undeserved blessings have enjoyed. All nature seemed to accord to my strain of thought. Bless the Lord O! my soul & all that is within me say Amen! Mrs. F. & I went to Westly Chapel to hear E. preach from the Canticles (Solomon's Songs): "The winter is past & the time of singing of birds has come..."   Thanks for listening to The Daily Gardener And remember: For a happy, healthy life, garden every day.

There were a lot of sightings of “sea serpents” during the Victorian Era. I discuss some well-known sightings, and explain why these mysterious creatures became an important part of 19th-century culture despite the genuine fear they inspired in so many people. ***** References Coleman, Loren. Mysterious America: The Ultimate Guide to the Nation's Weirdest Wonders, Strangest Spots, and Creepiest Creatures. New York: Paraview, 2007. Cooke, Simon. “Victorian Cryptozoology: The Great Sea-Serpent and its Cultural Representations.” https://victorianweb.org/history/cultural/seaserpent/cooke.html Hall, Stephanie. “The Great American Sea Serpent.” https://blogs.loc.gov/folklife/2016/08/great-american-sea-serpent/ Lillywhite, Harvey. “There are dozens of sea snake species in the Indian and Pacific oceans, but none in the Caribbean. Why?” https://news.ufl.edu/articles/2018/03/there-are-dozens-of-sea-snake-species-in-the-indian-and-pacific-oceans-but-none-in-the-caribbean-why.html Mellor, Joe. “Sightings of sea monsters by sailors directly influenced by discovery of fossils in 19th century.” https://www.thelondoneconomic.com/must-reads/weird-news/sightings-of-sea-monsters-by-sailors-directly-influenced-by-discovery-of-fossils-in-19th-century-129925/ Verne, Jules. Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea. https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/164 Wikipedia. “Eastern racer.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_racer Wikipedia. “Linnaean Society of New England.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linnaean_Society_of_New_England Wikipedia. “Sea Snake.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_snake ***** Email: thevictorianvarietyshow@gmail.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/victorianvarie1 Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/marisadf13 Linktree: https://linktr.ee/thevictorianvarietyshow I'd greatly appreciate it if you could take a moment to rate & review this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Goodpods, Spotify, Podchaser, Audible, or wherever you listen, as that will help this podcast reach more listeners! --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/marisa-d96/message

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   1725 Birth of John Hope, botanist, professor, and founder of the Royal Garden in Edinburgh. John produced considerable work on plant classification and physiology. He was appointed the King's botanist for Scotland and superintendent of the Royal Garden in Edinburgh. At the time, 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 school's materia medica (pharmacy) department, which allowed him to specialize exclusively in botany. John was a captivating instructor. He was one of the first two people to teach the Linnean system. He also taught the natural system. John was one of the first professors to use big teaching diagrams or visual aids to teach his lectures. John led over 1,700 students during his tenure. His students traveled from all over Europe, America, and India. John Hope Alumni include the likes of James Edward Smith, founder and first President of the Linnaean Society, Charles Drayton, and Benjamin Rush. A field botanist, John encouraged his students to go out and investigate the Flora of Scotland. He awarded a medal every year to the student who collected the best herbarium.   1818 Birth of Arthur Cleveland Coxe, American theologian and composer. Arthur served as the second Episcopal bishop of Western New York. He once wrote, Flowers are words, which even a baby can understand.   1891 Death of Carl Wilhelm von Nägeli, Swiss botanist. Although he studied cell division and pollination, Carl's claim to fame is being the guy who discouraged Gregor Mendel from pursuing his work on genetics. Gregor regarded Carl as a botanical expert and his professional hero. When Gregor sent Carl an overview of his work with pea plants in a letter, Carl dismissed the results out of hand, labeling them "only empirical, and impossible to prove rationally." Carl poo-pooed natural selection. Instead, he believed in orthogenesis, a now-defunct theory that living organisms have an internal driving force - a desire to perfect themselves- and evolve toward this goal. Over a seven-year period in the mid-1800s, Gregor Mendel grew nearly 30,000 pea plants - taking note of their height and shape and color - in his garden at the Augustinian monastery he lived in at Brno (pronounced "burr-no") in the Czech Republic. His work resulted in what we now know as the Laws of Heredity. Gregor came up with the genetic terms and terminology that we still use today, like dominant and recessive genes. Carl Wilhelm von Nägeli's dismissal prompted Gregor to give up his work with genetics. After his promotion to the abbot of the monastery, Gregor focused on his general duties and teaching. In 1884, Gregor died without ever knowing the impact his work would have on modern science. Fifteen years later, in 1899,  a friend sent the Dutch botanist Hugo de Vries a copy of Gregor's work - calling it a paper on hybridization - not heredity. At the same time, Gregor's paper was uncovered by a student of Carl Wilhelm von Nägeli's - a man named Carl E. F. J. Correns. Hugo de Vries rushed to publish his first paper on genetics without mentioning Gregor Mendel. But he did have the nerve to use some of Gregor's data and terminology in his paper. Carl Correns threatened to expose De Vries, who then quickly drafted a new version of his paper, which gave proper credit to Gregor Mendel. Through his work with the humble pea plant, Gregor came up with many of the genetic terms still used today, like dominant and recessive genes.    1907 It was on this day that Francis Younghusband, British Army officer, explorer, and spiritual writer, documented the progression of spring in the Residency Garden in Kashmir. Francis shared his observations in a book called Kashmir(1909). The Residency Garden was an English country house that was built specifically for guests by the Maharajah, and so naturally, Francis loved staying there. Here's what Francis wrote in May of 1907 about the Residency Garden, which was just coming into full flower. Francis observed,  By May 1st ...The May trees were in full blossom. The bank on the south side of the garden was a mass of dark purple and white irises, and [the] evening [sun] caused each flower to [become] a blaze of glory. Stock was in full bloom. Pansies were out in masses. Both the English and Kashmir lilacs were in blossom, and the columbines were in perfection.  The first horse chestnuts came into blossom on May 10th, and on that date, the single pink rose, sinica anemone, on the trellis at the end of the garden, was in full bloom and of wondrous beauty; a summer-house covered with Fortune's yellow was a dream of golden loveliness;  I picked the first bloom of some English roses that a kind friend had sent out... and we had our first plateful of strawberries. A light mauve iris, a native of Kashmir, [is now in] bloom; ...and some lovely varieties of Shirley poppy... from Mr. Luther Burbank, the famous plant-breeder of California, began to blossom; and roses of every variety came [on] rapidly till the garden became a blaze of color.   Grow That Garden Library™ Book Recommendation Lemon, Love & Olive Oil by Mina Stone This book came out in September of 2021. Now, if you're a cookbook lover, you know that Mina's debut cookbook called Cooking For Artists was a smash hit. It was also self-published. And in fact, right now, if you go on Amazon and you try to get a copy of that first cookbook, you'll pay somewhere in the neighborhood of $150. To me, Mina's story is fascinating. She actually went to school to be a designer, and then, on the side, she started cooking for families. And then she started cooking for special events. And then eventually, she started cooking for a gallery, and that's where she started cooking for artists. Thus, the name of her first book. The story behind the second book, Lemon Love and Olive Oil, stems from the fact that whenever people would ask MIna for ingredients to make something taste great, her answer was always lemon juice, olive oil, and a little bit of salt. So, those are her go-to ingredients. Mina contends that you can make anything taste good with a little bit of her favorite three ingredients: lemon juice, olive oil, and salt. So that became the name for the cookbook, except salt was replaced with love. When this cookbook was released, it met with rave reviews. In fact, the New York times rated it a best cookbook of the year, writing, Author of the cult-favorite Cooking for Artists, Mina Stone, returns with a collection of 80 new recipes inspired by her traditional Greek heritage and her years cooking for some of New York's most innovative artists.   I've watched a couple of interviews with Mina, and one thing she says over and over again was that when she was creating this cookbook is, she was constantly thinking about the love aspect of these recipes. By that, Mina was focusing on the comfort level and the coziness factor of the food. So that's what she was trying to capture with these 80 recipes. I found that so poignant, especially in light of the fact that she was putting this together during the pandemic while she's in lockdown in 2020. Mina is not the kind of person that comes up with a cookbook and then has to go out and create a bunch of recipes. That's not how Mina works. Instead, Mina pays attention to the recipes that she starts making again and again. So these are recipes that have staying power. They are the recipes that pass the Mina Test, and they rise to the top of her favorites because they are just naturally so good. Also, if you are a lover of reading cookbooks, you are going to really enjoy Mina's book. Before each section, there are essays from Mina that share stories about her family - and her grandmother, who is kind of the original Greek cook in Mina's life.  Mina has great insight, not only on these recipes and ingredients but also from her sheer personal experience.  I couldn't help, but think as I was reading this cookbook that Mina could write a memoir because her stories are so intriguing. In addition to the essays for each section of the book, every recipe gets a little personal introduction as well. For an excerpt, I selected a few little snippets from a section that Mina calls My Kitchen. This is a chapter about the key ingredients that Mina uses on repeat. She writes, I've always found pantry lists in cookbooks to be intimidating. Asa self-trained home cook, I never sought out hard-to-find ingredients. It never crossed my mind as an option. The ingredients in my recipes and the food found in my pantry reflect my surroundings touched with a dose of Greekness. (It can't be helped.) Here are some thoughts on how I approach cooking in my kitchen, what I like to keep in my cupboards, what I run out to the store for, and some clarification on how I wrote the recipes.   Salt Sea salt is more salty and kosher salt is less salty. Because kosher salt is less salty it gives you more control over the seasoning. For example, it is great for seasoning meat because you can use more and achieve a lovely salt crust as well as the right amount of seasoning without oversalting. It is the salt up using the most.   Extra-Virgin Olive Oil I like to use olive oil sparingly during cooking (this makes thedish lighter) and add the bulk of it at the end, once cooking is completed. use much more olive oil in the recipes than people are accustomed to using. suggest adding more than you would think when you're cooking from this book. That's a great little tidbit, especially if you're using olive oil for cooking with your garden harvest. There is so much that comes out of our garden that goes into the pan with a ton of olive oil. But now, maybe you can dial that back a little bit with this tip from Mina.   Lemons They add floral buoyancy but, above all, a fresh form of acid that I usually prefer to vinegar. When using lemons for zest, try to always use organic ones.    I've never thought about lemons that way, but I love how she describes that floral buoyancy. And, you know, she's exactly right. Personally, I also think that there's something just a little less harsh about lemon juice as compared to vinegar. So if you have a sensitive tummy, consider incorporating lemon juice instead of vinegar.   Green Herbs: Parsley, Mint, Cilantro, and Basil I like fresh herbs in abundance and can often find a place to incorporate them with relative ease. In the recipes, herbs are usually measured by the handful: 1 handful equals about 1/4 cup. It doesn't need to be exact, but that is a good place to start if you need it. This advice is helpful as well because if you're planning your kitchen garden, you need to think about how many plants you need to plant so that you can have an abundant harvest. Just to give you an idea of how much Basil I use in the summertime, I usually end up buying about four to five flats of Basil.   Dried Oregano Oregano is my number one dried herb. Greek oregano has a pronounced savory and earthy flavor to it, and it is my preference to use in more traditional Greek dishes. Better-quality dried oregano, which is milder in flavor, is great to use as a general seasoning for salad, fish, and meats.   This book is 272 pages of more than eighty Mediterranean-style dishes and the stories that inspired them. These recipes are uncomplicated, and they're Mina's go-to recipes. And, of course, they can always be enhanced with lemon, olive oil, and salt. You can get a copy of Lemon, Love & Olive Oil by Mina Stone and support the show using the Amazon link in today's show notes for around $15.   Botanic Spark 2017 Death of Polly Park, American-Australian amateur gardener, speaker, and writer. Remembered as the designer of Boxford, a Canberra garden, Polly and her husband Peter created classic garden styles using their own creativity and gumption. On their half-acre suburban property, Boxford attracted visitors from across the world and featured six unique gardens: a modern garden inspired by Roberto Burle Marx, an English knot garden, a parterre garden with an Italien statue from Florence, a Chinese garden inspired by the Suzhou ("sue-joe") garden, an Indian garden, and a Japanese garden. Polly and Peter made a great garden team. Polly came up with the design ideas, and Peter was the muscle. Polly created the stone courtyard for the Indian garden and a mosaic inspired by the great 20th-century Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer ("Nee-myer") for the modern garden. Peter built the pond and meditation house for the Japanese garden. In 1988, Polly wrote a biography of their gardens in the book The World in My Garden. Although Boxford was identified as a National heritage site - after Peter and Polly sold the property in 2006 - the garden was destroyed. In 2011, Peter died. Polly followed him home six years later on this day at the age of 96. You can get a used copy of The World in My Garden by Polly Park and support the show for around $17.    Thanks for listening to The Daily Gardener And remember: For a happy, healthy life, garden every day.   John Hope, Arthur Cleveland Coxe, Carl Wilhelm von Nägeli, Francis Younghusband, Lemon, Love & Olive Oil by Mina Stone, Polly Park

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."

Dr. Joanna Lambert is Professor, Environmental Studies Program in the Ecology & Evolutionary Biology Department at the University of Colorado. She talks with us today about her work with primates in Uganda. In addition to her teaching and research roles, Joanna Lambert has served as an advisor to the United Nations Environment Programme and other organizations. She is an elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and a Fellow of the Linnaean Society of London. Joanna has held numerous editorial positions for journals such as Oecologia, the American Journal of Physical Anthropology and Integrative Zoology, and previously served an appointment as the Director of the National Science Foundation’s Biological Anthropology program. Joanna travels annually to Uganda to the Kibale National Park where she is director of the Kibale Primates & Plants ProjectAudio PlayerSupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/user?u=25149153)

Shermer and Prothero discuss: flat earth theories and how we know the earth is round, hollow earth theories and how we know it’s not hollow, the return of Ptolemy and an earth-centered solar system model (and how we know it’s wrong), how science deals with anomalies, fringe claims, and challenges to the orthodoxy, whether humans were in the San Diego area 130,000 years ago, how consensus is achieved in science (and the messy road to get there), from Newton to Einstein and what ultimately determines if a theory is true or not, flood myths and what causes such stories to arise in some cultures but not others, catastrophism vs. uniformitarianism in geology, the age of the earth and how geologists determined it, the myth of Atlantis and what Plato really intended with his account, biblical accounts of the world and how we should read the book as literature, not science, how science won the evolution-creation wars, science denial and how to deal with it, and the real-world consequences of denying science. Dr. Donald R. Prothero has taught geology for over 33 years as Professor of Geology at Occidental College in Los Angeles, and Lecturer in Geobiology at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, and currently at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, CA. He earned M.A., M.Phil., and Ph.D. degrees in geological sciences from Columbia University in 1982. He is currently the author, co-author, editor, or co-editor of 33 books and over 250 scientific papers, including five leading geology textbooks and three trade books as well as edited symposium volumes and other technical works. He is on the editorial board of Skeptic magazine, and in the past has served as an associate or technical editor for Geology, Paleobiologyand Journal of Paleontology. He is a Fellow of the Geological Society of America, the Paleontological Society, and the Linnaean Society of London, and has also received fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation and the National Science Foundation. In 1991, he received the Schuchert Award of the Paleontological Society for the outstanding paleontologist under the age of 40. He has also been featured on several television documentaries, including episodes of Paleoworld (BBC), Prehistoric Monsters Revealed (History Channel), Entelodon and Hyaenodon (National Geographic Channel) and Walking with Prehistoric Beasts (BBC).

Today we celebrate a bishop botanist whose love of plants was second only to his love of God. We'll also learn about the botanist daughter of a key botanist in England. We celebrate the botanical entrepreneur and the creator of the influential Curtis Botanical Magazine. We also celebrate the writer who lived and worked in his incredible home called Abbotsford - complete with impressive gardens - on the banks of the River Tweed in the beautiful Scottish borders. In today's Unearthed Words, we honor an English author and poet. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book about Gardening in Your Front Yard - it's packed with ideas and projects for big and small spaces. It's an idea of Gardening in Your Front Yard is gaining popularity and acceptance - one of the positive effects of dealing with the pandemic. And then we'll wrap things up with the story of a famous mystery writer who loved gardening and roses. But first, let's catch up on some Greetings from Gardeners around the world and today's curated news.   Subscribe Apple|Google|Spotify|Stitcher|iHeart   Gardener Greetings To participate in the Gardener Greetings segment, send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes and so forth to Jennifer@theDailyGardener.org And, to listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to play The Daily Gardener Podcast. It's that easy.   Curated News Rhodds Farm | National Garden Scheme "The garden at Rhodds Farm was started from scratch in 2005 by Cary Goode. It is a challenging site with overhanging woods on the north side and open pasture to the south. A fabulously peaceful spot with a natural garden where plants are allowed to self-seed. There are lots of mixed borders around a pond for wildlife, a formal garden leading to a brick dovecote, a courtyard garden around a water sculpture, a large gravel garden, wild-flower meadows, woodland planting and a large pond with a boardwalk at the end of the woodland. There are many unusual plants and lots of color and interest throughout the summer with an extensive range of interesting plants. The formal garden with dovecote houses 50 white doves while glorious mixed borders, double herbaceous borders of hot colors, large gravel garden, several ponds, arboretum, wildflower meadow, and 13 acres of woodland. A natural garden on a challenging site that fits the setting with magnificent views. There are also interesting and unusual trees, shrubs, and perennials in this pesticide-free haven."   Alright, that's it for today's gardening news. Now, if you'd like to check out my curated news articles and blog posts for yourself, you're in luck, because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. There's no need to take notes or search for links - the next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group.   Important Events 1713  Today is the anniversary of the death of the passionate plantsman Bishop Henry Compton. Compton was famous for his substantial garden at Fulham Palace, which was home to more than a thousand exotic plants. Naturally, Compton was drawn to rare plants and new specimens. And, his position as a bishop gave him access to the botanical discoveries that were being sent to England from the American colonies. For instance, we know from his correspondence, that Compton was especially intrigued about the swamp honeysuckle from Virginia. Compton sent a young priest and botanist named John Bannister to Virginia to botanize for him. Banister went on to help found the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg. Bannister proved to be an excellent contact for Compton. He sent him seeds to grow at Fulham Palace, along with detailed notes about his discoveries. Sadly, Banister's life was cut short when he was accidentally shot during an expedition. Like any avid gardener, Compton sometimes felt a little guilty about the amount of money he spent on gardening. So, as penance, he not only collected plants for his own garden, but he also was a patron to prominent botanical figures - like the Tradescants.   1794  Today is the birthday of the botanist Frances Stackhouse Acton. Frances was the daughter of Thomas Andrew Knight, who served as the second president of the Royal Horticultural Society. Thomas assumed the position at the urging of his friend Joseph A Banks. Now, Knight's inclination was always to turn inward - he was a little introverted. Banks helped him overcome that. Thomas Knight had inherited 10,000 acres of land, and he used the property to conduct all kinds of experiments on plants like strawberries, cabbages, and peas. Frances' father encouraged her to pursue her education, and she often recalled that, "the hours spent with [my father] in his study, or in his garden, as amongst [my] happiest recollections". A born pragmatist like her father, Frances assisted him with his breeding efforts, which were always designed to help make better plants to feed the masses. Francis contributed to her father's work through drawing. She illustrated many of her father's writings, and she established herself as both... "an accomplished botanist and botanical artist."   1799  Today is the anniversary of the death of the botanist and entomologist William Curtis, the creator, and publisher of the influential Curtis Botanical Magazine. William founded the magazine in 1787.  Curtis Botanical Magazine made him wealthy, and he often remarked that it had brought him "pudding and praise". William had started out life as an apothecary, but in short order, he discovered that it could not hold his interest. Sir James Edward Smith recalled that William loved being a naturalist more than working in the city. He wrote, "The Apothecary was soon swallowed up in the botanist, and the shop exchanged for a garden!" William was a founder of the Linnaean Society, and he also authored a book about the botany of London called Flora Londiniensis. In 1779, William transformed his Lambeth garden into the London Botanic Garden. William wanted his garden to be a place where visitors could learn all about plants and their uses - not just for food - but in medicine and cooking as well. William was at heart a pragmatist. When William heard from visitors that they needed a resource to help with growing the plants they were acquiring, William came up with the idea for his magazine. On February 1, 1787, the very first Curtis Botanical magazine was published, "for the youth of ... ladies, gentlemen, and gardeners ... who wish to become scientifically acquainted with the plants they cultivate." The magazine owes much of its success to William's promise to provide his readers with helpful illustrations. Artists, like James Sowerby, helped ensure the magazine's success. In addition to his legacy left by his flora and his magazine, the genus Curtisia honors William Curtis.   1832  On this day in 1832, the author and poet Sir Walter Scott arrived back at his incredible home called Abbottsford on the banks of the River Tweed in the beautiful Scottish borders. Scott's health was failing him, and he asked that a bed be set up in the dining room so that he could look out and see the river, the trees, and his magnificent gardens. Lying in that room, Scott was surrounded by portraits of his ancestors. And when he was finally near death in September of that same year - just two short months later - ever the author, Sir Walter Scott, is said to have requested a quill and some paper. And, indeed, he died with a pen in his hand. Abbotsford is impressive, and it seemed destined to become a public place. In 1853 his granddaughter Charlotte inherited the estate. Charlotte cleverly decided to add a path in the Morris Garden, which would bring visitors around to the side, keeping part of the estate and gardens private for the family. During Scott's time at Abbotsford, he added oak and pine trees. He expanded the walled gardens. And today, niches in the south and west walls still hold Scott's collection of Roman panels and other artifacts. Scott's gardener William Bogie added, "narrow beds of hollyhocks, and roses along the arcade, and a leafy, honeysuckle-covered pergola." With paths and hedging that divide the garden into four quarters, Scott's walled garden is still a sight to see.   Unearthed Words Today I'm sharing a poem by A.A. Milne, the English author and poet. He became famous for his story about Winnie the Pooh, but he also wrote this wonderful poem called "The Dormouse and the Doctor." It's a favorite among gardeners because it prominently features three favorite flowers: delphiniums, geraniums, and chrysanthemums. There once was a Dormouse who lived in a bed Of delphiniums (blue) and geraniums (red), And all the day long he'd a wonderful view Of geraniums (red) and delphiniums (blue). A Doctor came hurrying round, and he said: "Tut-tut, I am sorry to find you in bed. Just say  'Ninety-nine', while I look at your chest… Don't you find that chrysanthemums answer the best?" The Dormouse looked round at the view and replied (When he'd said "Ninety-nine") that he'd tried and he'd tried, And much the most answering things that he knew Were geraniums (red) and delphiniums (blue). The Doctor stood frowning and shaking his head, And he took up his shiny silk hat as he said: "What the patient requires is a change," and he went To see some chrysanthemum people in Kent. The Dormouse lay there, and he gazed at the view Of geraniums (red) and delphiniums (blue), And he knew there was nothing he wanted instead Of delphiniums (blue) and geraniums (red). The Doctor came back and, to show what he meant, He had brought some chrysanthemum cuttings from Kent. "Now these," he remarked, "give a much better view Than geraniums (red) and delphiniums (blue)." They took out their spades and they dug up the bed Of delphiniums (blue) and geraniums (red), And they planted chrysanthemums (yellow and white). "And now," said the Doctor, "we'll soon have you right." The Dormouse looked out, and he said with a sigh: "I suppose all these people know better than I. It was silly, perhaps, but I did like the view Of geraniums (red) and delphiniums (blue)." The Doctor came round and examined his chest, And ordered him Nourishment, Tonics, and Rest. "How very effective," he said, as he shook The thermometer, "all these chrysanthemums look!" The Dormouse turned over to shut out the sight Of the endless chrysanthemums (yellow and white). "How lovely," he thought, "to be back in a bed Of delphiniums (blue) and geraniums (red)." The Doctor said, "Tut! It's another attack!" And ordered him Milk and Massage-of-the-back, And Freedom-from-worry and Drives-in-a-car, And murmured, "How sweet your chrysanthemums are!" The Dormouse lay there with his paws to his eyes, And imagined himself such a pleasant surprise: "I'll pretend the chrysanthemums turn to a bed Of delphiniums (blue) and geraniums (red)!" The Doctor next morning was rubbing his hands, And saying, "There's nobody quite understands These cases as I do! The cure has begun! How fresh the chrysanthemums look in the sun!" The Dormouse lay happy, his eyes were so tight He could see no chrysanthemums, yellow or white. And all that he felt at the back of his head Were delphiniums (blue) and geraniums (red). And that is the reason (Aunt Emily said) If a Dormouse gets in a chrysanthemum bed, You will find (so Aunt Emily says) that he lies Fast asleep on his front with his paws to his eyes. — A.A. Milne, English author and poet, The Dormouse and the Doctor   Grow That Garden Library The Himalayan Garden by Jim Jermyn This book came out almost twenty years ago in 2001, and the fantastic subtitle is: Growing Plants from the Roof of the World. Love that subtitle. Hortus raved about this book and said, "If you are among those whose pulse-rate has been kick-started by the 'Subalpine Zone' chapter, then take care as you proceed to the one on the alpine zone: you may need oxygen to take in the contents of this high altitude chapter. . . . Packed with useful and practical advice on how to establish and maintain these plants. . . . A most useful reference, it will certainly earn its space on many a keen grower's shelves." And boy, were they right. The Himalayan Garden by Jim Jermyn is 320 pages of know-how regarding cultivating species that are native to the Himalayas. Only Jim could share these nuggets of Himalayan plant wisdom. What are some Himalayan natives? Think Euphorbia, Gentiana, Meconopsis, Primula, Rhododendron, and more. You can get a copy of The Himalayan Garden by Jim Jermyn and support the show, using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for around $20.   Today's Botanic Spark 1930 Today is the anniversary of the death of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The Spring before he died, Doyle was bedridden. However, one morning, unattended, he got up and managed to go out to his garden. Doyle much enjoyed being in his garden. He did most of his writing in the garden. He once remarked, "What a lovely thing a rose is!" But that spring morning in 1930, his family found him lying on the ground with one hand clutching his heart and the other... holding a single white snowdrop. He languished until July 7, 1930, when he passed away with his family at his bedside. His last words were to his wife. He whispered, "You are wonderful." After his death, newspaper accounts shared that, on a beautiful summer day, he was buried in the garden. The garden had been Doyle's special retreat, and the place he was buried is right next to his garden hut. After it was built, the hut was the place Doyle went to write his stories about one of the world's best-loved detectives: Sherlock Holmes. Now, history tells us that over 200 people attended Doyle's funeral.  And, on that day, so many wreaths were sent from all over the world that they were spread over the large paddock west of the home and that they covered over an acre of land with blooms. Accounts of the funeral say that when Conan Doyle's coffin was placed in the grave, "Lady Doyle kissed a rose and threw it in." Lady Jean Conan Doyle continued to live at Windlesham for another decade until her death on June 27, 1940. She was buried next to her husband in the garden.

Today we celebrate a female botanist who fought to get recognition for women by the Linnaean Society. We'll also learn about the German poet who loved trees. We'll celebrate the Welsh garden-marker extraordinaire and also one of the all-time greats - a botanist from California. And, we'll also honor the life of The Bird Woman of Ellsworth, who helped us to better understand birds and their individual uniqueness. We will also celebrate the month of July with some poetry. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book about gardening in shade. (Shade gardens don't have to be dark and boring.) And then we'll wrap things up with the story of an attempted murder that happened during a commemoration ceremony for one of Vienna's beloved botanists. But first, let's catch up on some Greetings from Gardeners around the world and today's curated news.   Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart   Gardener Greetings To participate in the Gardener Greetings segment, send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes and so forth to Jennifer@theDailyGardener.org And, to listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to play The Daily Gardener Podcast. It's that easy.   Curated News Barcelona Opera House Opens With Packed Audience — of Plants "As lockdown measures lift in Spain, Barcelona's opera house recently played to a sold-out crowd of some very unorthodox music lovers. On Monday, a string quartet at the Gran Teatre del Liceu opera house in Barcelona did a performance in front of 2,292 plants, CNN reported."   You Can't Plant Flowers If You Haven't Botany  (Click to read my original post)   Alright, that's it for today's gardening news. Now, if you'd like to check out my curated news articles and blog posts for yourself, you're in luck, because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. There's no need to take notes or search for links - the next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group.   Important Events 1846  The British naturalist, and women's rights activist, Marian Farquharson was born. As a botanist, Marian had specialized in ferns and mosses. As an activist, it took Marian and other women four years of petitioning the all-male Linnaean Society to finally allow women to become members. In 1904, when the issue was put to the vote, 83% of the Society voted to allow women members. But then a great injustice happened. When the first fifteen women were nominated to the Society, Marian Farquharson was overlooked. It took four more years for Marian to be elected to the Society, and it finally happened in March 1908. This moment happened to come at a difficult time for Marian. In fact, she was too ill to attend the Society's meeting to officially sign the register. Four years later, Farquharson died from heart disease, in Nice, in 1912.   1877  Today we wish a happy heavenly birthday to Herman Hesse, who was a German poet, novelist, and painter. He won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1946. Hesse had a special appreciation for trees, and I thought I'd share some of his thoughtful and reverent prose with you today: "Trees are sanctuaries. Whoever knows how to speak to them, whoever knows how to listen to them, can learn the truth." "A tree says: A kernel is hidden in me, a spark, a thought, I am life from eternal life. The attempt and the risk that the eternal mother took with me is unique, unique the form and veins of my skin, unique the smallest play of leaves in my branches and the smallest scar on my bark. I was made to form and reveal the eternal in my smallest special detail."   1893  The Welsh landscape gardener, architect, and author, Ralph Hancock, was born. Hancock was a garden-maker extraordinaire, and he created several famous Gardens across Wales, England, and the United States. One of his most famous works was the rooftop garden at the Rockefeller Center in New York. Hancock designed his rooftop garden in 1934, and it was cutting-edge at the time. In an interview, Hancock predicted: "The days of penthouse gardening in boxes are over - and miles and miles of roof space in every metropolis in this country remain to be reclaimed by landscape gardening." (Well, it's 2020, and Hancock's vision has yet to be realized. There's still plenty of concrete jungle to conquer, although the pandemic has turned more people than ever into gardeners, most rooftops go underutilized. But I have to say that it is refreshing that so many people are gardening now. Even my own mother is gardening - and giddily reporting on her progress - so there's that.) Now, Hancock's rooftop garden at Rockefeller Center was called The Garden of Nations, and it featured gardens for eight different countries around a central, old English tea house and cottage garden. It was quite something to behold. To create it, Hancock's Garden of Nations required 3,000 tons of earth, 100 tons of natural stone, and 2,000 trees and shrubs. They all had to be hauled up there, and there's plenty of stories about how they used the service elevator in the building or a massive block and tackle pulley system that was erected on the side of the building. It was a herculean effort. But, he finally finished it. And Hancock's 11th floor Garden of Nations officially opened on April 15, 1935. Nelson Rockefeller was there to see it - as well as students from Bryn Mawr College. The young women from Bryn Mawr arrived in costume representing the various nations. In the archives, there are beautiful photos of these young women - like the one of Nancy Nichol wearing a kimono in the Japanese garden.   1908  The great woman botanist and Californian Kate Brandegee wrote her husband, Townshend, who she lovingly called Townie. On this day in 1908, Kate was 64, and though she and Townie often botanized together, Kate was not afraid to go explore alone. She let Townie know in this letter that: "[next Monday] I am going to Eldorado County to walk from Placerville to Truckee - I may be gone two weeks. …" Well, that would have been a 52 mile trip by foot. She was no slacker. Kate and Townie's love story is one of my favorites. They found each other late in life, and they made up for lost time, and they were very affectionate with each other. Their botanical legacy is secure; after the San Francisco earthquake, they replaced the ruined botanical Library and specimens with their own personal collection. And Kate personally mentored many young botanized, including her backfill: the impressive Alice Eastwood.   1917  The Bird Woman Of Ellsworth, Cordelia Stanwood, went into a swamp at twilight and reported, "The black flies crawled over my face like so many bees. I could not stand still." It was just one of many times Cordelia would find herself in an uncomfortable position for the sake of pursuing her passion for ornithology.   Her photograph the birds were handpicked by the great Edward Howe Forbush to be featured in his masterpiece Birds of Massachusetts. In general, her bird photography was par excellence.   Cordelia's "Six Little Chickadees" is regarded as her finest piece.  The photo shows six Little Chickadees separated into two groups of three, and they're all sitting perched on the same little branch. Like a litter of puppies, each chickadee had its own characteristics - proving what Cordelia had already observed firsthand; that a single batch of chickadees contained many variances in the chicks in terms of size, features, etc.   2018 NASA' sECOSTRESS berthed at the space station. ECOSTRESS's mission was to measure the temperature of plants in space - helping researchers determine how much water plants use and how drought affects plant health.   Unearthed Words This week, we are still welcoming the new month of July. Here are some poems about this hot and stormy month. Then followed that beautiful season, Called by the pious Acadian peasants the Summer of All-Saints! Filled was the air with a dreamy and magical light; and the landscape Lay as if new - created in all the freshness of childhood. — Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, American poet and educator   In July month one bonny morn, When Nature's rokelay green Was spread over like a rigg of corn  To charm our roving evening. — Robert Fergusson, Scottish poet, Leith Races   A ghost is roaming through the building,  And shadows in the attic browse;  Persistently intent on mischief  A goblin roams about the house. He gets into your way, he fusses,  You hear his footsteps overhead,  He tears the napkin off the table  And creeps in slippers to the bed. With feet unwiped he rushes headlong  On gusts of draught into the hall  And whirls the curtain, like a dancer,  Towards the ceiling, up the wall. Who is this silly mischief-maker,  This phantom and this double-face?  He is our guest, our summer lodger,  Who spends with us his holidays. Our house is taken in possession  By him, while he enjoys a rest.  July, with summer air and thunder-  He is our temporary guest. July, who scatters from his pockets  The fluff of blow-balls in a cloud,  Who enters through the open window,  Who chatters to himself aloud,  Unkempt, untidy, absent-minded,  Soaked through with smell of dill and rye,  With linden-blossom, grass and beet-leaves,  The meadow-scented month July.  — Boris Pasternak, Russian poet and writer, July   Grow That Garden Library Glorious Shade by Jenny Rose Carey This book came out in 2017 of this year, and the subtitle is Dazzling Plants, Design Ideas, and Proven Techniques for Your Shady Garden. Jenny Rose Carey is a renowned educator, historian, and author, and the senior director at the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society's Meadowbrook Farm in Jenkintown. In their review of this book, Gardens Illustrated said, "A practical guide to maintaining a shade garden with a useful calendar of seasonal tasks, plant directory, and inspiring design ideas." This book is 324 pages of plants, ideas, and tips - all shared with today's shade gardener in mind. And, I love what it says in the front flap of this book - "Most gardeners treat shade as a problem to solve." This is sooo true.  But Jenny, and many experienced shade gardeners, know that shade gardens don't have to be dark and boring. In fact, once you've mastered shade gardening, you'll wonder why you ever doubted the beauty and serenity of these cool, relaxing, and colorful spaces. You can get a copy of Glorious Shade by Jenny Rose Carey and support the show, using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for around $8.   Today's Botanic Spark 1932   On this day in 1932, the Sydney Morning Herald shared a harrowing story of attempted murder at a commemoration ceremony for a botanist. It turns out, a botanist named Richard Wettstein had been responsible for the Botanical Garden of the University of Vienna. A year after Wettstein's death, the new head of Vienna University, a Dr. Able, had just unveiled a statue of Wettstein. Dr. Able had just finished giving his speech in praise of Wettstein when suddenly, an old professor named Karl Schneider pushed through the crowd and shouted, "At last we settle an old score!" Luckily, Karl's revolver shot went wide. Dr. Able was not harmed (and neither was the statue of Wettstein), and the Mayor of Vienna grabbed old Karl before he could shoot again. Now, all this excitement was a far cry from the persona of the botanist Richard Wettstein - who was known for his polite, controlled, and courteous demeanor. And here's a little-known fact about the botanist Richard Wettstein: he was an excellent speaker. On more than one occasion, the speaking skills of this Vienna botanist led him to be considered by those in powerful positions in government to be a potential contender for the president of Austria.

For close to 30 years, Dr. Frank Ryan has investigated theoretical evolutionary biology. In this conversation he discusses the genomic creativity of virus-host coevolution. Listeners will hear Dr. Ryan recount findings that prompted our current concepof symbiont viruses, including hantavirus –rodent research, how AIDs and the coronavirus  evolve alongside human survival rates and what that implies about immunity, and how animals have adapted some of the abilities of viruses down to how the placental membrane protects itself from the maternal immune system. Author Dr. Frank Ryan is Honorary Senior Lecturer of the Department of Medical Education at the University of Sheffield, UK, and an emeritus consulting physician with the affiliated Sheffield Teaching Hospitals. He's also a Fellow of the Royal Colleges of Physicians of England and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine and the Linnaean Society of London.  He recounts incidences of genomic creativity from his research into symbiont viruses and host coevolution. Early in his academic career, he studied bacteria phages in rabbits, and thus began a lifelong interest. He discusses relevant findings such as the mechanics of the coronavirus and its use of the host's ribosomes to replicate itself. As he discusses the behavior of symbiont viruses, he explains how a virus like AIDS uses a selective pressure on its hosts through survival rates. He explains that if there were no medical involvement, Aids would have changed the human genome to benefit itself.  Finally, he talks about such controversial issues as the consideration of viruses as living vs. nonliving and explains what the ocean would like without viruses to keep the bacterial population in check. For more information, see some of Dr. Ryan's books including Virolution and his most recent book, Virusphere.

Today we celebrate the man who wrote the Flora of North America from across the pond in London much to the chagrin of American botanists. We’ll learn about the Dutch botanist who discovered the phalaenopsis orchid and the coleus on the island of Java. Today’s Unearthed Words review some sayings about the month of February in the garden. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book that helps us grow African violets. I’ll talk about a decorative item for your garden, deck, or porch, and then we’ll wrap things up with National Carrot Cake Day and the history and recipes of this favorite dessert. But first, let’s catch up on a few recent events.   Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart   Curated Articles Hello Yellow Milkweed/Butterfly Flower, View All Flowers: Botanical Interests @botanicalseeds "Bring sunny color into the pollinator garden with ‘Hello Yellow’ milkweed! Asclepias tuberosa (ah-SKLEE-pee-iss TOO-burr-OH-sah) is usually orange, but this yellow beauty was found in Colorado."   Columbus’Carnivorous Collectibles from The Lantern @TheLanterns “A single organism of Sarracenia purpurea, collected by botanist/bryologist William Sullivant - 1840 - one of the few documented pitcher plants that grew in central Ohio.”   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 1814  The English botanist Aylmer Lambert wrote to his peer, and the President of the Linnean Society, Sir James Edward Smith. Lambert was giving Smith a heads up that Frederick Pursh’s Flora Americana was published. Five years earlier, Frederick had been working for Benjamin Smith Barton in America. Barton was supposed to process the plants from the Lewis & Clark expedition and prepare a catalog for publishing. For some unknown reason, Barton never got around to doing the work. When Meriwether Lewis realized that Barton hadn’t started much of anything, he hired his employee Frederick to do the work. By May of 1808, we know that Frederick had completed all of the tasks that Meriwether Lewis had assigned him. He was eager to get paid the $60 he been promised by Lewis, and the $80 Barton owed him for helping with his herbarium. He was also excited to keep going with the Lewis & Clark project. It seems the mission of sharing the botanical discoveries of the expedition with the public had captured his heart. This is where Frederick’s story gets a little murky. It’s not clear if he was ever fully paid by Lewis or by Barton. It’s not entirely clear why Lewis & Barton couldn’t seem to keep the project moving forward. But records do show, that over the next 18 months, two key things happened that caused Frederick to leave America with the Lewis and Clark specimens in tow: Meriwether Lewis died and Frederick Pursh began to despise his boss, Benjamin Smith Barton. For his part, Barton may have grown tired of Pursh’s drinking. He wrote of Pursh, “Drinking is his greatest failing.” When Frederick Pursh arrived in England at the end of 1811, he reached out to both Sir James Edward Smith and Alymer Lambert about putting together the Flora of North America. Lambert became his botanical fairy godfather; he had a huge personal botanical library, herbarium, and funding. That said, Lambert also provided something Pursh desperately needed: discipline. Pursh was kind of a rough and tough guy with a swarthy complexion and reputed alcohol addiction. Historians say that Lambert made arrangements in the attic of his house, creating a workspace for Frederick. Once he got Frederick up there, Lambert would lock him in for stretches at a time to keep Frederick focused on the project. It was an extreme way to deal with Frederick’s demons, but it worked. Now, Smith and Lambert didn’t do all of this out of the goodness of their heart. They were enormously interested and what Pursh had brought with him from America: portions of the specimens from the Lewis and Clark expedition. Even with Lambert’s resources and lock-ins, it took Frederick two years to complete the Flora of North America. The whole time he was racing to get it published before Thomas Nuttall, who was working on the exact same project back in America. American botanists felt Pursh had pulled the rug out from under them when he took the expedition specimens to England. On December 21st, 1813, Pursh won the race when his 2-volume masterpiece describing all of the plants of North America was presented to the Linnaean Society. In the introduction, Frederick was forthright about his time in America and how he had come to possess the expedition specimens. Giving credit to the work of Lewis and Clark, Frederick created two new genera - Lewisia (loo-WIS-ee-ah) and Clarkia (CLAR-key-ah) for Lewis and Clark. In all, Frederick had received 132 plants from Meriwether Lewis, 70% were brand-new species that were named by Frederick. Today roughly 30% of the Pursh-named plants named in his Flora Americana are still recognized as valid. Lewisia is a little evergreen Alpine plant with a beautiful bloom. They like well-drained soil and are native to the northwest. Lewisia is a perfect pick for a rock garden. Clarkia is a little wildflower primrose that can be grown from seed after the last spring frost. Clarkia prefers to be direct-sowed, and they are perfect for use in mixed borders and Rock Gardens. Today Clarkia hybrids are grown for cut flowers. Link to 1814 Flora Americae Septentrionalis Volume One Link to 1814 Flora Americae Septentrionalis Volume Two   1862  Today is the Anniversary of the death of the German-Dutch botanist with the perfect last name - Carl Ludwig Blume. Born in Germany and orphaned by the age of five, Blume proved to be a bright little boy and a successful student. He studied at the University of Leiden in the Netherlands - a place that would become his Northstar. When he died in Leiden, on this day in 1862, he had become a naturalized Dutch citizen. Scholastically, Blume went the path of most botanists. He first became a physician and he ran an apothecary. In short order, he started botanizing in the Dutch East Indies, specifically on the island of Java, where he was the director of the Botanic Garden. Blume wrote a spectacular book on the collection of orchids that were available on the island. The title page is stunning and it features three native women from Java performing a ceremonial dance. The mountains of Java in the village are in the background, and a garland of orchids frames the stunning portrait. This publication is considered one of the finest works of scientific literature during the early 1800s. In 1825, Blume established the Dendrobium genus of orchids. The genus name is derived from the Greek; "dendron" for tree and "bios" meaning life. The name refers to the epiphytic habit of orchids to grow in trees. Thus, the combination of those two words, dendron and bios, meaning tree-life. And, here's a great story about Blume. During his time in Java, Blume saw what he thought was a group of moths flying in a motionless fashion by a tree. It was an odd vision. But, when he got closer, Blume realized what he thought were moths, were actually orchid flowers. Blume named the species Phalaenopsis amabilis (fayl-eh-NOP-sis ah-MA-bo-lis). In nature, the stems of the phalaenopsis orchid are not clipped to a bamboo pole like they are in when we buy them in the supermarket. Instead, they arch away from the tree they are attached to and sway easily with the Wind. It was the motion of the Orchid flowers swaying in the wind together, that lead Blume to believe he saw an insect and not a blossom. The etymology of the word phalaenopsis comes from the Latin word "phal", which means moth - which is why this Orchid is commonly referred to as the Moth Orchid. Phalaenopsis orchids are native to Southeast Asia. Their popularity has steadily grown because they are so easy to grow and because they bloom indoors all year round. This makes them one of the most popular house plants in the world. Now, should you be tempted this summer to move your phalaenopsis orchid outside; think twice. Just because they are a tropical plant, doesn’t mean they want full sun. Phalaenopsis orchids grow in the shade of trees under the tree canopy. They like indirect light, and if you put them in full sun, they will get sunburned. If you are going to move them outside, make sure to put them in a place where they will not get direct sunlight. Sometimes I’ll put mine onto my north-facing covered porch. In 1853, Carl Ludwig Blume discovered another popular plant in the mountains of Java: coleus. Coleus bluemei was named in his honor until it was changed in 2006 to Coleux x Hybridus in recognition of all the new hybrid variations. As of 2012, the botanical name for coleus is Plectranthus scutellarioides (Plek-TRAN-thus SKOO-til-air-ee-OY-deez). And, coleus are in the mint or Lamiaceae family. They have that signature square stem and opposite leaves - along with other popular members of the mint family: basil, peppermint, oregano, Salvia, Swedish ivy, and thyme. An early nickname for coleus was painted nettle or flame nettle. Coleus is easy to propagate from cuttings. You can simply pop them in a glass of water, and in a few days, roots will start to form. To encourage your coleus to grow in a more compact fashion, keep pruning them before they bloom. You might remember that the National Garden Bureau made 2015 the year of the coleus.   Unearthed Words Here are some sayings about our new month - February: February brings the rain, Thaws the frozen lake again. ― Sarah Coleridge, English author, and translator   Why, what’s the matter, That you have such a February face, So full of frost, of storm and cloudiness? — William Shakespeare, English author, poet & playwright, Much Ado About Nothing   The most serious charge which can be brought against New England is not Puritanism but February. — Joseph Wood Krutch, American writer, and naturalist   February is the border between winter and spring. ― Terri Guillemets (gee-ya-MAY), quotation anthologist, Years   February is a suitable month for dying. Everything around is dead, the trees black and frozen so that the appearance of green shoots two months hence seems preposterous, the ground hard and cold, the snow dirty, the winter hateful, hanging on too long. ― Anna Quindlen, American author, and journalist, One True Thing   Grow That Garden Library YOU CAN Grow African Violets by Joyce Stark The subtitle of this book is: The Official Guide Authorized by the African Violet Society of America, Inc. Kent and Joyce Stork have grown violets for over 30 years. From 1991 to 2004, they wrote a column in the African Violet Magazine, which became the foundation for this book. Kent and Joyce are married and live in Fremont, Nebraska, where they own a business specializing in African violets. Kent and Joyce Stork killed their first violet too! They soon mastered the skills for growing the plant and eventually wrote for the African Violet Magazine, the official publication of the African Violet Society of America, Inc. for over ten years. Their column For Beginners explained the basic elements of growing violets in an entertaining and straightforward way that anyone could understand. Now, these columns have been adapted and edited to provide even the most novice grower with a step-by-step guide, whether the goal is simply to keep violets alive or to exhibit the plants in competitive shows. You can get a used copy of YOU CAN Grow African Violets by Joyce Stark and support the show, using the Amazon Link in today’s Show Notes for under $5.   Great Gifts for Gardeners WiHoo 8” Indoor Outdoor Thermometer/Hygrometer for Patio, Wall or Decorative (Bronze) $19.99  Easy to read - The outdoor thermometer decorative easily keep track of the temperature from a distance with bold black dial graphics. Celsius and Fahrenheit - This garden hygrometer digital simultaneous Celsius and Fahrenheit temperature display. Real glass lens - This room indoor thermometer real glass lens, accurate between -40 and 120℉/-40, and 50 °C to accommodate all climates. Amazon’s Choice & Amazon Prime   Today’s Botanic Spark Today is National Carrot Cake Day. Every February 3rd, National carrot cake day is observed. And, you might say it’s a great excuse to have our cake and our carrots, too.  Akin to banana bread, carrot cake is similar in preparation and texture. It's made, like many quick breads, by separately preparing the wet ingredients and the dry ingredients and then mixing those together. And, carrot cakes generally include ingredients like cinnamon or nutmeg, raisins, or nuts. Carrots are, of course, a root vegetable. They are made up of 88% water, 7% sugar, and a percent each of protein, fiber, and ash. The Greeks and Romans ate carrots, but their carrots were different colors like purple or white. It wasn’t until the 17th century that carrots started appearing predominantly as orange. Why? Because the Dutch initially bred the carrot to be orange in order to honor the Dutch royal family - also known as the “House of Orange” in the Netherlands. The orange carrot became so popular that the color became synonymous with the carrot. As for carrot cake, the earliest mentions of it in the newspaper appear in the early 1900s - around 1910. These early carrot cakes were more like little crab cakes - only they were made with carrots, flour, and butter, sweet milk, and so on. By 1912, the San Francisco newspaper, The Call, featured a carrot cake recipe and it advised that only very young, tender carrots be used - along with 2 cups of sugar, a cup of butter, 2 cups of flour, a cup of carrots that were boiled and mashed very finely, a cup of grated chocolate, a cup of chopped walnuts, 1/2 a cup of sweet milk, 4 eggs, 1 teaspoon each of cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. By the end of November, in 1913, a newspapers were running an article called “Carrots and Cakes.” It said: “The little carrot, of the plebian vegetable family, moved high last week in the social scale and was in such demand on the grocery orders of so many families that stores ran out entirely, says the Minneapolis Journal. Miss Lilla Frich, supervisor of domestic economy in the public schools, has been telling how carrots may be used for what they are or as substitutes for other things, notably, that carrot pulp makes a good egg substitute in making cakes and hundreds of women who formerly have scorned common truck farm products have been buying them.” In the early 1980s, when Pillsbury launched its “Carrot and Spice Cake Mix,” they held a contest to discover the earliest published carrot cake recipe, and they were also looking for the best Heritage recipe. Joyce Allen of Wichita Kansas won $100 for sharing her recipe from the 1929 Wichita Women’s Club cookbook, and Ethel Amsler of Waco Texas also won $100 for creating a new recipe with Pillsbury’s new carrot cake mix. She was riffing off an old family recipe. That old family recipe had been handed down through four generations. She said they didn’t have it but twice a year. Ethel’s old family recipe for carrot cake calls for white raisins soaked in brandy in addition to adding a cup of black walnuts. If you’d like to get a copy of Ethel Amsler’s Heritage Carrot Cake recipe, along with her modern version, I’ve added them to today’s Show Notes, which are available on the website for the show over at thedailygardener.org.   ETHEL AMSLER’S HERITAGE CARROT CAKE 1 cup brandy  1 cup of water  1 ½ cups sugar  2 tablespoons butter  1 cups grated carrots  1 teaspoon nutmeg  1 teaspoon cloves  1 cup chopped black walnuts 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour  2 teaspoons baking powder  1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon soda  1 teaspoon salt At least two days before serving, in a medium saucepan, soak raisins in brandy overnight at room temperature. The next day, add water, sugar, butter, carrots, and spices. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally; simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat; pour into a large mixing bowl. Cover; let stand at room temperature 12 hours or overnight. The next day, heat oven to 275 degrees. Grease and flour 10-inch angel food tube pan or 12-cup fluted tube pan. Add walnuts, flour, baking powder, soda, and salt to carrot mixture; mix thoroughly. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for about 1 ¾ hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely before serving. ETHEL AMSLER’S HERITAGE CARROT CAKE (Modern Version)  1 package Pillsbury Plus Carrot N Spice Cake Mix  ¾ cup of water  ½ cup dairy sour cream  ⅓ cup oil  2 teaspoons brandy extract  3 eggs  1 cup golden raisins  1 cup finely chopped walnuts  Powdered sugar Heat oven to 390 degrees. Grease and flour 12-cup fluted tube pan. In a large bowl, blend cake mix, water, sour cream, oil, brandy extract, and eggs until moistened; beat 2 minutes at highest speed. Stir in raisins and walnuts. Pour into a pre-prepared pan. Back at 350 degrees for 45 to 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool upright in pan 25 minutes; Invert onto a serving plate. Cool completely. Sift or sprinkle powdered sugar over the top. 16 servings.   Finally, during the 1970s, the Los Angeles Times featured a popular recipe for their 14 Carat Cake. That recipe incorporates crushed pineapple and walnuts. I’ve included it in today's Show Notes, as well. 14 CARAT CAKE  2 cups flour 2 tsp. baking powder  1 ½ tsp. soda  1 tsp. salt  2 tsp. cinnamon  2 cups of sugar  1 ½ cups oil  4 eggs  2 cups grated raw carrot  1 (8 12-oz.) can crushed pineapple, drained  12 cup chopped nuts  Add Cream Cheese Frosting (see below) Sift together flour, baking powder, powder, soda, salt, and cinnamon. Add sugar, oil, and eggs and mix well. Stir in carrots, drained pineapple, and nuts. Turn into three greased and floured 9-inch layer-cake pans or a 13x9-inch pan and bake at 350 deg. 35 to 40 minutes until the top springs back when touched lightly with a finger. Cool a few minutes in pans, then turn out onto wire racks to cool. (Or loaf cake, may be frosted in the pan, especially handy if the cake is for a potluck or picnic.) For layers, spread tops and sides with frosting and stack. Cream Cheese Frosting  ½ cup butter or margarine  1 (8-oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened  1 tsp. vanilla  1 lb. Confectioners’ sugar, sifted Combine’ butter, cream cheese, and vanilla and beat until well blended. Add sugar gradually, beating vigorously, if too thick, add a small amount of milk to thin to spreading consistency.

Today we celebrate the Spanish Enlightenment priest and botanist who named the Dahlia and the glamorous movie star who traded in her star sapphire collection for a tractor. We'll learn about the item vintners were selling during prohibition and the woman who became the most widely read American Garden author in the United States. Today’s Unearthed Words feature thoughts on the blackest month of the year: January. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a new book written by a 20-year Fellow of the Linnaean Society - he's the man who began his career as a forensic botanist after getting a phone call from the authorities. I'll talk about a garden item that comes in so handy - especially if you're going to hang things in trees. And then we’ll wrap things up with thoughts on the lengthening days - we gain about two minutes of sunlight a day right now. But first, let's catch up on a few recent events.   Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart   Curated Articles Planting Hope by Debi Holland | Richard Jackson's Garden Here's an inspiring post from Debi Holland @RJGarden: "I work with people who have experienced bereavement or long-term illness. Gardening has been a tremendous respite, an escape from the house, provided achievable goals with visible results from a few hours toil when other aspects of life may not be so straightforward."   Marks Hall Arboretum and walled garden in Essex - Gardens Illustrated Marks Hall Arboretum is absolutely gorgeous in the winter. The Arboretum sits on a 2,200-acre estate in Essex. You wouldn't know it by looking at it, but the soil there is clay. The beautiful thing about this garden is that it has been organized into geographic zones, so from an inspiration standpoint, it's splendid. There's a beautiful 3-acre lakeside garden. This garden beautifully compliments the rest of the estate offers five interlinked gardens. There are hedges and walls, groupings of ornamental grasses, and long flowering perennials.   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 1745 Today is the birthday of the Spanish Enlightenment priest and botanist Antonio José Cavanilles ("Cah-vah-nee-yes") Antonio was a prolific botanist and probably Spain's first expert botanist. He was born in Valencia - Spain's third-largest city. When Antonio struggled to find a job at the university, he moved to France. In Paris, he was influenced by Andre Jussieu ("Juice You")and André Thouin (pronounced "too-ah"). By the time he was 36, he had decided to focus on botany. Antonio named over a hundred genera. He gave the name Cosmos to the Mexican Aster. Cosmos comes from a Greek word meaning harmonious or orderly. When Alexander Von Humboldt sent seeds of a beautiful plant to Antonio, he suggested that the plant should be named after Antonio called Cavenillesia. But, Antonio declined the honor named it the Dahlia after the botanist Andrew Dahl, instead. Dahl was Swedish and a student of Carl Linnaeus. Ironically, Dahl never had anything to do with the Dahlia. The plant’s botanical name is Dahlia pinnata ("pin-AYE-tah"). Pinnata refers to the fact that the leaves are divided in a feathery manner. Now, around the same time, dahlia seeds arrived in Germany, and a botanist there decided to name the plant Georgina after a Russian explorer by the name of Professor Georgie. For decades, Germans refused to call it the Dahlia and stuck with the name Georgina. However, in 1834, London Gardeners Magazine settled the matter once and for all, declaring that the name would be Dahlia and not Georgina. German gardeners capitulated. And, despite being the first to grow the Dahlia, no Dahlia variety has ever been named after Antonio José Cavanilles. The French Revolution caused him to return to Spain. Antonio was 45 years old when he returned home, and he had already established himself as a respected botanist. At the turn of the century in 1801, Antonio was promoted to be the director of the Royal Botanic Garden. The garden was created by King Fernando VI in 1755 (10 years after Antonio was born.) In 1774, three staggered terraces were added to the botanic garden along with an iron gate that surrounds it. A greenhouse was constructed. Decades later, it would become Antonio's professional home. During Antonio's lifetime, botanists were beginning to classify plants using Carl Linnaeus's classification method. Not every botanist agreed with this, but Cavanilles was quick to jump on the bandwagon. Under his direction, the Madrid Botanical Garden became the center of botany for Spain and Europe. Antonio died three years after becoming the director of the garden. His early death prevented Cavanilles from finishing his book on the plants of the garden. It featured descriptions and drawings of the main species at the garden - many were the fruit of the great scientific expeditions of the 18th century. Four years later, after Antonio Cavanilles died, Napoleon would invade Spain, and the botanical torch would be passed to England and France - Spain's botanical golden age was over. Today the Madrid Botanical Garden is home to over a 100,000 plant species and roughly 1,500 trees.   1920 (100 years ago!) Prohibition began in the U.S., and many people became interested in learning about fermentation overnight. You might be curious to know how vintners handled the challenge of prohibition. Well, instead of making wine, they made wine bricks. Wine bricks were essentially grape concentrate. Some cities and towns even went so far as to ban wine bricks. The city of Richmond Virginia band them, and in an article from 1931, the Attorney General had to do his duty. The law does not differentiate between the person who buys wine bricks for the delicious fruit juice in them and the person who maliciously tampers with them in such a way as to produce a forbidden beverage. No chances must be taken. Every Virginian must be protected against himself. Wine bricks were marketed as a way to make your own grape juice, but of course, everyone knew the real reason for the wine brick Market. And there was a little slogan that became popular during the wine brick era: "Hic! Hic! Here's the brick with the kick!"   1942 Today is the anniversary of the death of the movie star and homesteader Carole Lombard. Lombard died tragically when her plane crashed shortly after taking off from Las Vegas. Three years earlier, just before the premiere of Gone With the Wind, Carole had married Clark Gable. As newlyweds, Carole and Clark had bought a 21-acre estate - just 40 minutes outside of Beverly Hills. Instead of living glamorously, they turned the estate into a working farm. Lombard had sold her star sapphire collection to fund their dream. Carole set up all the crops they would grow, and she worked long hours on the ranch. They had an orchard/citrus grove, a dairy, and a vineyard, and the farm produced peaches, grapes, oranges, lemons, walnuts, apricots, hay, and alfalfa. They used the alfalfa they grew for feed. They sent their grapes to the local hospital. The Farmers Association marketed their citrus crop. Many biographies mention that Carole and Clark raised turkeys for MGM to use at its commissary. Carole bought Clark a tractor, and Clark enjoyed taking care of his two prized racehorses and the cattle. To top it all off: Carole and Clark called each other “Ma” and “Pa.” They were really and truly living a farm fantasy. They even used kerosene lamps in their living room. They loved their simple life together on their ranch, and Carole loved watching things grow.   1948 Today is the anniversary of the death of the American Gardener and Garden writer Louisa Boyd Yeomans King. At the age of 26, she married a wealthy man from Chicago by the name of Frances King, which is why her pen name was Mrs. Francis King. Louisa learned to garden from her mother-in-law Aurelia. Her mother-in-law lived on a large estate, and she had a huge garden and an impressive garden library. In 1902, Louisa and her husband moved to Michigan, where they built a home called Orchard House. With the help of a gardener by the name of Frank Ackney, Louisa began to plan and create her garden. She also began writing about her Gardens. Soon, she was giving lectures, contributing pieces to magazines, writing columns, and organizing garden clubs. She even became friends with prominent gardeners of her time like Gertrude Jekyll, Charles Sprague Sargent, and the landscape architects Fletcher Steele and Ellen Biddle Shipman. Louisa learned to garden during the heyday of American Garden Culture, and her garden writing in newspaper columns and magazine publications made her the most widely read American Garden author in the United States. For Louisa's first book, "The Well-Considered Garden," the preface was written by her dear friend Gertrude Jekyll. In 1915, when the book debuted, it was considered an instant classic in garden literature. Louisa would go on to write a total of nine books. The garden estate known as Blithewold has a copy of "The Well-Considered Garden." Their particular text also contains a handwritten inscription along with Louisa's signature. The inscription borrows a quote from Sir William Temple who said, "Gardening is an enjoyment and a possession for which no man is too high or too low." Louisa changed the quote and wrote, "Gardening is an enjoyment and a possession for which no woman is too high or too low." In 1922, House & Garden Magazine dubbed Louisa, "The Fairy Godmother of Gardening." We know that the garden photographer Frances Benjamin Johnston was a fan of her work because she donated her entire collection of Louisa's books to the library at the New York Botanical Garden. Louisa helped start the Garden Club of America and the Women's National Farm and Garden Association. She held leadership positions in both organizations. When her husband died suddenly in 1927, Louisa was forced to sell Orchard House. She moved to Hartford, New York, and bought a property she called Kingstree. This time, she set up a smaller garden. The size meant less work, which better-accommodated her writing and speaking commitments. When Louisa died on this day in 1948, her ashes were scattered at Kingstree. It was Louisa Yeomans King who said, "Each has his most real thing. Mine is the garden."   Unearthed Words Today's poems reflect on the harshness of January. The winter months can be in agony - if for no other reason than the biting cold. Thus the saying, “The blackest month in all the year Is the month of Janiveer.” Another piece of winter lore says, “As the days lengthen, the cold strengthens.” January and February are the coldest months of the year and the toughest for many people to get through. It’s no wonder that people have vented their feelings about these two cold months through poetry.   Where has thou been all the dumb winter days When neither sunlight was nor smile of flowers, Neither life, nor love, nor frolic, Only expanse melancholic, With never a note of thy exhilarating lays? — Alfred Austin, English Poet, Poet Laureate, "A Spring Carol," Soliloquies in Song   [W]hat a severe yet master artist old Winter is... No longer the canvas and the pigments, but the marble and the chisel. — John Burroughs, American Naturalist, "The Snow-Walkers," 1866   It’s January, and I’m kicking snow off the ground. I just threw out the flower you made me promise to water, handle with care because I was too careless, you said. Careless with things and people, around me and behind and I remember being still for just a second or two, thinking that it’s so much easier to leave and start anew, then take care of what’s already here. ― Charlotte Eriksson, Author, The Glass Child   January, month of empty pockets! let us endure this evil month, anxious as a theatrical producer's forehead. — Sidonie Gabrielle Colette, French Author, Nominated for Nobel Prize   January gray is here, Like a sexton by her grave; February bears the bier, March with grief doth howl and rave, And April weeps—but, O ye hours! Follow with May’s fairest flowers. — Percy Bysshe Shelley, English Romantic Poet, Dirge for the Year   Grow That Garden Library Murder Most Florid by Mark Spencer The subtitle to this book is: Inside the Mind of a Forensic Botanist Mark is a passionate plantsman, and he's a champion of plants and the study of Botany. Mark is also passionate about connecting people with the natural world. Creating a niche for himself, Mark is a consultant botanist who specializes in Forensic Botany as well as the history of botany. Murder Most Florid is a book where Mark shows us how plants and the environment can help investigators solve crimes. Mark didn't train to become a forensic botanist. He became one through an accidental event in his life. It started with the phone call asking for help with a murder. Forensic Botany actually goes back to the early part of the 20th century and was memorably used to convict the kidnapper of the Lindbergh baby. “Murder Most Florid is an enthralling, first-person account that follows Mark's unconventional and unique career, one that takes him to woodlands, wasteland, and roadsides, as well as police labs, to examine the botanical evidence of serious crimes. From unearthing a decomposing victim from brambles to dissecting the vegetation of a shallow grave, Mark's botanical knowledge can be crucial to securing a conviction. More widely, this gripping book challenges our attitude to death and response to crime. It picks holes in the sensationalized depictions of policing we see on TV and asks pertinent questions about public sector funding in the face of rising crime. Most importantly, Mark's book shows us how the ancient lessons of botanical science can still be front and center in our modern, DNA-obsessed world.” And before I forget, let me just tell you that there is a fantastic video podcast of Mark presenting to the Linnaean Society Where he's been a fellow for over 20 years. Mark is an honorary curator at the Linnaeus society’s herbarium. He has worked for over a decade at the Natural History Museum in London. In this presentation, Mark talks about the book and his work. I thought it was fascinating. If you get a chance to watch it, you really should. I have created a link to it in today's show notes.   Great Gifts for Gardeners 5 Pack 12 Inches Tree Branch Hooks, S Shape Hooks - Metal Hanger Hook for Hanging Bird Feeders, Baskets, Plants, Lanterns and Ornaments (Black): Garden & Outdoor $13.99 Material: Black metal S hook, anti-rust. Premium vinyl coatings rust-resistant heavy-duty metal Diameter 1/5 Inch holds up to 35 pounds. Very sturdy. Size: 12 Inches or 23inches Easy to Use: S-shaped hooks can be easily hung on the existing objects without any tools. Multipurpose: Ideal for outdoor hanging bird feeders, birdhouses, plants, wind chimes, string lights, lanterns and ornaments, and so on. Applications: They can be used both indoor and outdoor. Specially designed for outdoor use, can be hung on trees, bushes, gutters, ladders, balconies, and more.   Today’s Botanic Spark Despite the fact that we're in the middle of January and it's so cold, and our gardens are buried under many feet of snow, The days are getting longer. The good news is that the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year, is behind us. It took place on December 21st. In January, each day gains about 2minutes of daylight. In February, we gain about 2.5 minutes of sunlight each day. Here are some thoughts on the lengthening days by the English poet, novelist, and garden designer Vita Sackville-West: "The shortest day has passed, and whatever nastiness of weather we may look forward to in January and February, at least we notice that the days are getting longer. Minute by minute, they lengthen out. It takes some weeks before we become aware of the change. It is imperceptible even as the growth of a child, as you watch it day by day until the moment comes when with a start of delighted surprise, we realize that we can stay out of doors in a twilight lasting for another quarter of a precious hour." The next Winter Solstice will take place in the northern hemisphere on Monday, December 21st, 2020, at 4:02 p.m. Central Standard Time.  

Today we celebrate the ending of the 1675 coffee shop ban in England and the birthday of a man who devised his own theory of evolution independently of Charles Darwin. We'll learn about one of the fiercest Dutch conservationists and the nurseryman who created the world’s most excellent arboretum. Today’s Unearthed Words feature fabulous one-liners about January. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book that helps us grow houseplants - the official greenery of January and February. I'll talk about a garden item that can help you relax, and then we’ll wrap things up with the birthday of a plant wizard who brought the date palm to California. But first, let's catch up on a few recent events.   Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart   Curated Articles Gardens: dogwood days | Dan Pearson | Life and style | The Guardian Great post from @thedanpearson about Dogwood & this helpful tip:   “Cornus takes easily from hardwood cuttings. Save prunings and plunge a few pencil-thick lengths into the ground by your mother plant. They will be rooted and ready to lift within a year.”   Top 5 flower trends for 2020, according to Serenata Flowers From @HouseBeautiful We can expect to see more warm palettes and soft neutrals in bouquets. "One particular shade, known as 'neo-mint,' is described as an 'oxygenating, fresh tone,' and expected to be seen much more throughout 2020.   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 1676   On December 23, 1675, King Charles II issued a proclamation suppressing Coffee Houses in England. The edict lasted 16 days. The public response was so negative that he revoked it on this day, January 8, 1676.   1823   Today is the birthday of the British naturalist Alfred Wallace. Wallace developed his theory of natural selection quite independently of Charles Darwin - although he did send his theory to Darwin. Wallace’s work prompted Darwin to get serious about publishing his 20-year-old idea. In 1858, both Wallace and Darwin’s work was presented to the Linnaean Society. Wallace published a remarkable book called The Malay Archipelago.  The book is considered a classic and covers the flora, fauna, and folks native to the area - now known as Malaysia and Indonesia. Wallace wrote, "Nature seems to have taken every precaution that these, her choicest treasures, may not lose value by being too easily obtained."  Wallace has been obscured by Darwin over the course of history. Yet, when he died at the age of 91, his obituaries praised him as an extraordinary figure. One obituary said, "He was one of the greatest and brightest and clearest thinkers of his age...of one thing I am certain, and that is that never has anybody come more fully within my favorite description of a great man, namely, that 'he is a combination of the head of a man and the heart of a boy.'” A forthcoming children's book about Wallace is titled Darwin's Rival: Alfred Russel Wallaceand the search for evolution by Christian Dorian.   1945  Today is the anniversary of the death of the Dutch conservationist and botanist Jac P Thijsse. Jac founded the Society for the Preservation of Nature Monuments in Holland. His 60th birthday present was a wildlife garden in Bloemendaal near Haarlem. After WWI, a Dutch food company by the name of Verkade (vare-Kah-dah) ask Jac to create some album books on the Flora of the Netherlands. Essentially, the books became a collector series Album with empty spots for photo cards, which were distributed individually with the biscuits. The Dutch would buy their biscuits, and then they would place the card in the space designed for it in the book. These albums were quite trendy among the Dutch and today sell for hundreds to thousands of dollars apiece today on auction websites. Today in the Netherlands, there is a college named after Jac, and he always makes the top 100 Dutchman's list.   1985  Today is the anniversary of the death of conservationist and plantsman Harold Hillier. In 1864, Hilliard's grandfather Edwin began the family Nursery. His son was supposed to take over the family business, but he died during the war, and so it fell to Edwin's grandson Herald to continue his legacy. Harold immediately set about creating a public garden and arboretum alongside the nursery. The site was already home to some magnificent trees -  some of which were at least 200 years old. In an article from 2019, it was revealed that the Hillier Arboretum is home to the largest collection of Champion Trees in all of Britain and Ireland with a whopping total of 611 followed by Kew Garden with 333 Champion Trees. Champion Trees fit into three categories being either the largest, the finest, or the rarest of their species.  Today the Hillier Nursery is putting together a Champion Tree Trail throughout the Arboretum so that visitors can walk to each of the Champion tree specimens. Among some of the Champion Trees are specimen eucalyptus from Australia, rare pine trees from Mexico, and Sequoias from North America. The Hillier Arboretum really began as a propagation holding place for the nursery. If a tree needed to be propagated, the nursery workers would just go out to the Arboretum and take a scion wood or seeds from the tree there. Similarly, if the nursery received some incredible rootstock or seed, they would sell most of it but hold some back for the Arboretum. Today the 180-acre Arboretum is entirely separate from the nursery, and it features about 42,000 plants across 1200 taxa. the Arboretum features 11 National Plant Collections and has magnificent specimens of witch hazel and oak. Hillier died just six days after his 80th birthday. Harold spent his entire life working to save rare and endangered trees and shrubs from Extinction. In 1978 he gifted the Hillier Arboretum with thousands of specimens in plants. When asked by a reporter for his opinion on plant conservation, Hillier famously replied, "While others are talking about it, I am doing it, roots in the ground, planting, planting, planting."    Unearthed Words Today’s Unearthed Words are incredible and unforgettable onliners about January.   January brings the snow, Makes our feet and fingers glow. — Sara Coleridge, English author   "Come, ye cold winds, at January's call, On whistling wings, and with white flakes bestrew The earth." —  John Ruskin, an English art critic, and thinker   "Let us love winter, for it is the spring of genius." — Pietro Aretino (“Pee-et-tro Air-ah-TEE-no”), Italian author    O, wind, If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind? — Percy Bysshe Shelley, Romantic poet   In seed-time learn, in harvest teach, in winter enjoy. — William Blake, English poet   When one reads a poem in January, it is as lovely as when one goes for a walk in June. — Jean-Paul Friedrich Richter, German writer   "Nothing is as easy to make as a promise this winter to do something next summer; this is how commencement speakers are caught." — Sydney J. Harris, Chicago Journalist     Grow That Garden Library Houseplants by Lisa Steinkopf The resurgent interest in houseplants is due primarily to Millennials who are filling every nook and cranny in their homes with houseplants. Those smart millennials! If you (like so many millennials) are filling your house with houseplants - especially during the winter season when they add so much - humidity, green, a touch of the outdoors, and clean air. One of the things I appreciated the most about Lisa’s book is that she divided the 125 houseplants featured in her book into three helpful categories - Easy to Grow, Moderately Easy-to-Grow, and Don’t-Try-This-at-Home-It’s-A-Waste-of-Money-and-Time-and-You-Really-Need-That-New-Pair-of-Shoes. Just kidding. It’s actually just called Challenging to Grow. (Which doesn’t sound so bad now, does it? Still - be careful here.) Now, guess which one Lisa and I spent the most time talking about when we chatted a while back? You’re right, again - the easy-to-grow category. Why? Because that’s where the sweet spot is. These plants give the best return on investment of your time and money. These are also the plants that will provide you with the most personal satisfaction. Here’s what you are going to love about Lisa’s book: she’s down-to-earth, and she’s a conscious competent - she knows how to teach houseplants to anyone (even those without green thumbs!) I’m also betting she must be an incredibly wonderful mom and wife because her understanding family has made room for over 1,000 houseplants thriving under Lisa’s care and supervision. This book came out in 2017. You can get a used copy of Houseplants by Lisa Steinkopf and support the show, using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for under $14.   Great Gifts for Gardeners Coloring Fibonacci in Nature by Art Therapy Lab                                                                       Assembled here is a collection of outline illustrations inspired by the Fibonacci number sequence found in nature. They appear everywhere in nature, from the leaf arrangement in plants to the pattern of the florets of a flower, the bracts of a pinecone, or the chambers of a nautical shell. The Fibonacci Sequence applies to the growth of every living thing, including a single cell, a grain of wheat, a hive of bees, and even all of mankind. You can get the coloring book and support the show, using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for under $20.   Today’s Botanic Spark 1892 Today is the birthday of the agricultural botanist and plant wizard Walter Tennyson Swingle. Swingle was a very popular botanist during his lifetime. He made the news for several remarkable achievements in the world of horticulture. He introduced the Date Palm to California. He created many new citruses through hybridizing. In 1897, Swing made the first man-made cross of a Bowen grapefruit and a Dancy tangerine in Eustis, Florida. In 1909, Swingle created the limequat, a cross between the key lime and the kumquat. That same year, Swingle created the Citrangequat, which is a trigeneric citrus hybrid of a citrange and a kumquat. Swingle developed the Citrange, a combination of the sweet orange and the trifoliate orange. He was attempting to breed an orange tree that could withstand colder weather. Swingle was born in Pennsylvania. His family quickly moved to Kansas, where he was home-schooled and ultimately educated at Kansas State Agricultural College.  In short order, Swingle began working for the government at the United States Bureau of Plant Industry in the Department of Agriculture. The USDA immediately put him to work, sending him to nearly every country in the world. Swingle brought Egyptian Cotton to Arizona and Acala Cotton to California. However, Swingle's most significant accomplishment was the introduction of the Date Palm to America. The Date Palm was something swingle discovered during a visit to Algeria. Swingle was intelligent and observant, and he noticed that the climate and soil in Algeria mirrored that of California. Swingle was optimistic about the Date Palm's chances in California right from the get-go, writing: “No heat is too great and nor air too dry for this remarkable plant, which is actually favored by a rainless climate and by hot desert winds. It is also shown that the date palm can withstand great quantities of alkali in the soil- more than any other useful plant…It is probably the only profitable crop that can succeed permanently.’ When the Date Palm arrived in California, the Coachella Valley was identified as the perfect spot to grow them. By 1920, over a hundred thousand pounds of dates were grown in California. Today, Dates are one of California's main exports. The total value of the Date crop is approaching $100 million every single year.

Today we celebrate the botanist who made his mark in human anatomy and the botanist who lost his civil war specimens to a confederate raider. We'll hear the most popular poem about trees written by a poet who was killed in WWI. We Grow That Garden Library with a self-published humorous garden book by one of my favorite garden authors. I'll talk about a garden gift that you can split - one for you and one for a gift - and in the perfect price point for holiday gift exchanges and then we'll wrap things up with a story about the protection of the work done by botanists over a century ago. But first, let's catch up on a few recent events.     Today's Curated Articles:   Clove-Pink (Dianthus caryophyllus) syrup recipe | Quebec Terre a Terre by Sylvain Pilon & Bonnie Kerr Dianthus Syrup! In the past, Clove-pink was esteemed equally with the rose in mixtures. Regarded as "exceedingly cordial" and "wonderfully above measure comforts the heart." Clove-pink petals w/ verbena infused in alcohol was a refreshing bath liqueur.     A third of Africa's tropical flora threatened with extinction: study | @physorg_com The "Red List" is the go-to for birds and mammals but only covers ~10% of plants. A new study's preliminary estimate found a third of Africa's tropical flora (~7000 species) are likely/potentially threatened with extinction       The Potato Shines in New Missouri Botanical Garden Exhibit | @MobotMuseum You say Potato, I say Potato Exhibit! Just in time for the Holidays, the exhibit @MobotMuseum is called “Potato (Solanum tuberosum): Apple of the Earth" & will be on display through March 17. The potato is the most important non-cereal food crop in the world. Galleries feature contemporary artists Seamus O. Hames, Dornith Doherty, and Corina Kennedy. Each artist has interpreted the unique story of the potato, especially the historic impact of the late potato blight that devastated the potato crop in Ireland in the mid-19th century.     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 on Facebook. So, there’s no need to take notes or search for links - the next time you're on Facebook, just search for the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group.     Brevities #OTD Today is the birthday of Johann Gottfried Zinn who was born on this day in 1727. Zinn died at the age of 32, but he accomplished much in his short life and he focused on two areas of science: human anatomy and botany. From an anatomy standpoint, in his early twenties, Zinn wrote an eye anatomy book and became the first person to describe the anatomy of the iris in the human eye. There are a number of parts of the eye named in his honor including the Zinn zonule, the Zinn membrane, and the Zinn artery. It's fitting that Zinn wrote about the iris - which of course is also the name of a flower - and so there's some charming coincidental connection between his two passions of anatomy and botany. In Greek mythology, Iris was a beautiful messenger - a one-woman pony express - between the Olympian gods and humans. Iris was the personification of the rainbow. She had golden wings and would travel along the rainbow carrying messages from the gods to mortals. In the plant world, the iris is a genus with hundreds of species and is represented by the fleur-de-lis. When Zinn was 26 years old, he became director of the University Botanic Garden in Göttingen (pronounced “Gert-ing-en”). He thought the University was going to put him to work as a professor of anatomy, but that job was filled and so botany was his second choice. Nonetheless, he threw himself into his work. When Zinn received an envelope of seeds from the German Ambassador to Mexico, he described the blossom in detail and he published the first botanical illustration of the zinnia. He also shared the seeds with other botanists throughout Europe. Like most botanists in the 1700s, Zinn corresponded with Linnaeus. No doubt Zinn's work as a bright, young garden Director and the fact that he tragically died young from tuberculosis, spurred Linnaeus to name the flower Zinn received from Mexico in his honor. And so, Zinn lives on in the name Zinnia - a favorite flower of gardeners, and for good reasons: They come in a variety of vivid colors, they can be direct sown into the garden, they attract pollinators like butterflies and they couldn't be easier to grow. And, if meditation is something you struggle with, you can still become a Zinn Master, if you enjoy growing Zinnias. :) And, I'd like to think Zinn would be pleased being remembered by the Zinnia because, like the Iris, the Zinnia has a connection to the eyes. We've all heard the phrase beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Well... in the case of the Zinnia, the Aztecs were clearly not a fan. In fact, the Aztecs had a word for zinnia which basically translated to the evil eye or eyesore. The Aztecs didn't care for the zinnia flower - but don't judge them because it was not the hybridized dazzling version we've grown accustomed to in today's gardens. (You can thank the French for that!) The original plants were weedy-looking with an uninspired dull purple blossom. This is why the blossom was initially called the crassina which means "somewhat corse" before Linnaeus changed the name to remember Zinn. Over time, the gradual transformation of zinnias from eyesores to beauties gave Zinnias the common name Cinderella Flower. And here's a little factoid: the zinnia is Indiana’s state flower. I like to imagine when it came time for Indiana legislators to vote in favor of the zinnia, Zinn was looking down from heaven and smiling as he heard these words: "All in favor of the zinnia, say aye."       #OTD On this day in 1852, the Harvard botanist Asa Gray wrote to Joseph Henry, first Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. Gray wrote the letter because he couldn't lecture at the Smithson due to his demanding schedule. But he also sent his reassurance in that Smithsonian was establishing itself as the scientific adviser to the United States Government and not to worry about any more negative media coverage of the Institution.       #OTD Today is the anniversary of the death of the Quaker doctor and botanist Jeremiah Bernard Brinton who died 125 years ago today in 1894. During the civil war, Brinton served as an assistant surgeon and on September 14, 1863, he was promoted to Medical Purveyor. It's hard to imagine, but Brinton managed to continue botanizing during the civil war. It's true. One time he was going to collect a specimen and he made a friend in Major General Gouverneur K. Warren. That little connection was a happy recollection for Brinton through the years. During the Civil War, there was a man named John Singleton Mosby who was a Confederate raider. Mosby and his men conducted raids on union soldiers and communications over the span of two years. On May 12, 1864, Mosby and his men captured a group of supply wagons. Dr. Brinton narrowly escaped, but his collection of botanical specimens from Virginia were destroyed when Mosby burned the wagons. After the war, Brinton founded the Philadelphia Botanical Club. The highlight of his botanical life was guiding Harvard's Asa Gray and the Linnaean Society's William Caruthers on a visit to the pine barren region of New Jersey. His successfully showed them an extremely rare plant - the Schizaea pusilla or the little curly-grass fern. In the final years of his life, Brinton dedicated himself fully to botany. He loved to entertain friends in his botanical workroom known as "the Den." In 1895, when Brinton was 60, he died from a heart attack and was found sitting in his chair in the Den. A Biographical Sketch of Brinton in the Bulletin of the Torrey Botanical Club reported that on the last night of his life, Brinton visited a friend and they discussed a German poem called "Good night." Over the quiet pathway Comes clear the bell-ring sound; Good night thy heart now sleep may And 'morrow a day comes round. Once more then let us whisper A good evening and good night. The moon shines o'er the housetops, Our Lord keeps us in sight.     Unearthed Words Today is the birthday of the journalist, poet, and World War I soldier Alfred Joyce Kilmer who was born on this day in 1886. Kilmer was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey and he was killed in action on July 30, 1918, while serving as a sergeant in the 165th Infantry regiment. Every year, Kilmer's childhood home at 17 Joyce Kilmer Ave. in New Brunswick, the city holds it's annual Open House is held from 10 am to 4 pm. Kilmer is best remembered for his poem, Trees: I think that I shall never see A poem lovely as a tree. A tree whose hungry mouth is prest Against the earth’s sweet flowing breast; A tree that looks at God all day, And lifts her leafy arms to pray; A tree that may in Summer wear A nest of robins in her hair; Upon whose bosom snow has lain; Who intimately lives with rain. Poems are made by fools like me, But only God can make a tree.         It's Time to Grow That Garden Library with Today's Book: Plants Are Terrible People by Luke Ruggenberg I had the pleasure of interviewing Luke a few years ago and his love of plants and his sense of humor make for a delightful combination. Luke has worked in horticulture for quite some time. This book gives you another crack at reading Luke’s hilarious take on his favorite pastime: gardening. Personally, I love following Luke on twitter because his perspective is so original. He draws on the downright funny aspects of growing plants. Despite (or perhaps because of) a childhood spent dodging falling apples in his Dad's orchard, Luke harbored a dormant love of all things horticultural until college, when his brother showed him how to germinate an avocado pit. That experience inspired Luke to change his major to Botany and the rest is history. This is Luke's second book and it's a series of essays that offer another hilarious and heartfelt look at Luke's life with THE MOST terrible people on earth: plants. I love what IndieReader said about this book, "It reads like the kind of far-flung ruminations a wacky mind might ponder during the mundane processes of working on a garden." Luke's book would make a lovely gardener gift for the holidays for yourself or for someone else - because it's the kind of book you can pick up and just read a funny story or two and then go about your day with a little boost of garden happiness and humor. Best of all, it's Luke's passion for gardening and for life that makes his stories especially connect with those of us who give gardening our all. Don't forget, you can get a copy of Luke's book and support the show, using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for under $14.         Today's Recommended Holiday Gift for Gardeners: Fiskars Non-stick Softgrip Micro-Tip Pruning Snip, 2 Pack Make quick, precise cuts when deadheading, trimming and shaping small plants with easy-to-use pruning snips Easy Action spring-action design gently opens blades after each cut to help reduce hand fatigue Fully hardened, precision-ground stainless steel blades stay sharp, even through heavy use Non-stick coating helps reduce jamming and buildup of sticky resin Full lifetime warranty You can get the 2 pruning snip set for gifts or give one and keep one for yourself and support the show, using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for under $23.99.       Something Sweet Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart Last year on this day on a post on IDigBio we learned that the over 100,000 specimens that make up the University of Cincinnati's botany collection were going digital thanks to a grant from the National Science Foundation. In the post, the herbarium curator Eric Tepe, "... opened a folder on his desk to reveal a flower that was plucked on a spring day in 1884. He said, 'This is running buffalo clover. It does really well when there’s some disturbance in the soil. So in bison tracks, it would have been abundant.' Running buffalo clover began to disappear across much of the West with the wide-scale slaughter of buffalo. Today, the clover is federally protected as an endangered species. So UC’s specimen is especially valuable for researchers.” In the article, Eric pointed out that the single specimen of Running Buffalo Clover was shipped to two separate researchers over the past few decades - one in Kansas and once to Miami. Digitizing specimens means that everyone can have access and shipping won't always be necessary. That's a great thing because we learned just last year Australian customs purposely destroyed a herbarium collection because they were worried about bringing in invasive species. They were not aware that what they were intercepting was a priceless 200-year-old French collection on it's way to the herbarium in Queensland. Those kinds of tragedies can be avoided by going digital. And, if something does happen to the original, at least there is a digital copy - which is better than nothing at all. In the Cincinnati herbarium, like so many herbariums around the country, these collections have been waiting, largely undisturbed for over a century. And, I think, it's tremendous that the valuable long-ago work of botanists can be seen and referenced by all of us - at any time and any place - as long as you have wifi.     Thanks for listening to the daily gardener, and remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."  

Charles Darwin draws some pictures of puppies and makes a presentation.

Do you have delphiniums in your garden? I used to start out every summer by planting twenty delphinium in front of my porch. By the time I my red lilies were popping, my delphinium would be 4 feet tall.  In that same area, I had planted white astilbe and alyssum; I had a little red, white, and blue garden under my American flag for 4th of July. The Delphinium is one of the birth flowers for the month July. It's also known as 'Larkspur' and 'Knight's-spur'. During the Victorian age, people essentially used flowers as emojis: and the delphinium symbolized lightness and an open heart. If your a delphinium lover, it's easy to see how the happy delphinium blooms would be associated with levity and laughter.     Brevities #OTD  It was on this day in 1846 that the British naturalist, and women's rights activist, Marian Farquharson was born. As a botanist, Farquharson had specialized in ferns and mosses. Farquharson had petitioned the Linnaean Society for four years to allow women. In 1904, 83% of the Society voted to elect women members. When the first 15 women were nominated, Farquharson was the only one not to be elected on that day in 1904. It took four more years for Farquharson to be elected to the Society in March, 1908.  Sadly, she was too ill to attend to sign the register. Farquharson died from heart disease, in Nice, in 1912.     #OTD  It was on this day in 1893, that the Welsh landscape gardener, architect and author, Ralph Hancock was born. Hancock created several famous Gardens across Wales, England, and United States. One of his most famous works is the rooftop garden at the Rockefeller Center in New York. Hancock designed his rooftop garden in 1934. It was really cutting-edge at the time. In the interview, he said, "The days of penthouse gardening in boxes are over and miles and miles of roof space in every metropolis in this country remain to be reclaimed by landscape gardening." Hancock's rooftop garden was called The Garden of Nationsand it featured gardens for eight different countries around a central, old English tea house and cottage garden.  Hancock's Garden of Nationsrequired 3,000 tons of earth, 100 tons of natural stone, and 2,000 trees and shrubs. They were all delivered by the service elevator or by man using a block and tackle pulley system on the side of the building. The 11th floor Garden of Nations opened on April 15, 1935. Nelson Rockefeller was in attendance as well as students from Bryn Mawr college. The young women arrived wearing costumes from the various nations and there's a beautiful photo of Nancy Nichol wearing a kimono in the Japanese garden.     #OTD   It was on this day in 1940 the St. Joseph Gazette reported that Dr. Hugh C. Cutler of St. Louis had discovered two species of plants in Utah: the wild bridal wreath and a crucifer.   He sent the specimens via airmail to Washington University in St. Louis.     #OTD It was on this day in 2018, that NASA's  Best known as ECOSTRESS berthed at the space station.   ECOSTRESS' mission is to measure the temperature of plants from space enabling researchers to determine how much water plants use and to study how droughts affect plant health.     Unearthed Words Today we honor Herman Hesse, who was born on this day in 1877. He was a German poet, novelist, and painter. He won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1946. Hesse had a special appreciation for trees and I thought I'd share some of his prose with you today: "Trees are sanctuaries. Whoever knows how to speak to them, whoever knows how to listen to them, can learn the truth." "A tree says: A kernel is hidden in me, a spark, a thought, I am life from eternal life. The attempt and the risk that the eternal mother took with me is unique, unique the form and veins of my skin, unique the smallest play of leaves in my branches and the smallest scar on my bark. I was made to form and reveal the eternal in my smallest special detail."   Today's book recommendation:  Seasonal Flower Arranging by Ariella Chezar Chezar says in the introduction of her book, "I use as many blossoms as possible that are in season. I don't want to see a tulip in August or peony in September. I love them in their season - and when that season passes, it's time to move on." Chezar is a professional floral designer and she provides step-by-step instructions for 39 seasonal floral arrangements. A pioneer in the farm-to-vase movement, her book is a delightful reminder to gardeners that they can bring their garden indoors and create exciting compositions with cut flowers.     Today's Garden Chore   Multiply your Solomon Seal through division. All you need to do, is split the large white tubers. Make sure that each piece has at least one big bud. If you want to plant in drifts, use small pieces and plant them close together; instead of using one large mass.     Something Sweet  Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart   On this day in 1932, the Sydney Morning Herald shared a story of attempted murder. Richard Wettstein was responsible for the Botanical Garden of the University of Vienna. A year after his death, the new head of Vienna University, Dr. Able, had just finished giving a speech after unveiling a statue dedicated to Wettstein. Suddenly, an old professor named Karl Schneider pushed through the crowd and shouted, "At last we settle an old score." Luckily, his revolver shot went wide. The Mayor of Vienna seized the old man before he could shoot again. The excitement of his commemoration, was a far cry from the persona of Wettstein - who was known for his courteous demeanor. And, he was a wonderful speaker.  On more than one occasion, he was considered a potential contender for the president of Austria.   Thanks for listening to the daily gardener, and remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."

In 1911 a photograph of young Bittern in the nest taken by Emma Turner proved that Bitterns were breeding again in Norfolk having been driven to extinction in Britain in the late 1800s. Using extracts from her book, 'Broadland Birds', this programme tells the remarkable story of Emma Turner a pioneer of bird photography (1866-1940); who spent some 20 years at Hickling Broad in Norfolk, where she lived on a houseboat she designed named 'Water Rail' (after the first photograph she took in the Broadlands) and in a hut on a tiny island amongst the reeds (which became known as Turner's island). After meeting and being inspired by Richard Kearton (who along with his brother Cherry Kearton was one of earliest wildlife photographers) she decided to take up wildlife photography and to document all the Broadland birds. She befriended two marshmen, Alfred Nudd and keeper Jim Vincent, and with their help she learned the ways of the marsh, and how to find, study and photograph the Broadland birds. It was Vincent who helped her find the young Bittern in 1911. She was awarded the Gold Medal of the Royal Photographic Society for her photograph of the bird. Emma Turner was not only a pioneer bird photographer but a hugely respected ornithologist, whose studies of birds contributed enormously to our knowledge today. She died in 1940 with many accolades including having been one of the first ten women to be elected a fellow of the Linnaean Society and the first honorary ladies member of the British Ornithologists' Union. Sound recordings by wildlife sound recordist Chris Watson. Produced by Sarah Blunt. First broadcast on Tuesday 24 Jan, 2012.

Have you ever intuited the name of a plant?   A few years ago, I traveled to San Diego. I was sitting on a bench outside the hotel and I spied the most amazing blossom - three bright orange petals and three blue petals - it looked like the head of a bird.   My mind latched onto "bird of paradise," I looked it up on my phone and sure enough, it was just that.       Brevities   #OTD English author, translator, and Clerk to the Kitchen of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Leonard Mascall (died 1589) was buried at Buckinghamshire, in 1589.   Mascall published a number of books; all were aimed at household management.  In 1572 Mascall published, "A book 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 pruning knife. The word secatuers is taken from the Latin secare‘to cut’.    Mascall's last book was published a year after he died. Called "The Booke of Engines and Traps." In it, Mascall shared 34 traps and 9 Recipes for poison bates; most of which were dedicated to trapping mice. Mascall wrote about how to control slugs and snails - he described picking them off by hand early in the morning.       #OTD It's the birthday of John Hope who lived during the Scottish enlightenment; he was a botanist , a famous professor, and founder of one of the leading botanical gardens in Europe, born on this day in 1725.   Hope produced considerable work on plant classification and physiology. He was appointed to positions of the King's botanist for Scotland and superintendent of the Royal Garden in Edinburgh.   At the time, Edinburgh was THE place to study medicine and all medical students had to take botany courses. Hope created a school for botanists after spinning off the materia medica (pharmacy) department of the school which allowed him to specialize exclusively on botany. Hope was a captivating instructor. He was one of the first two people to teach the Linnean system, he also taught the natural system. He was one of the first instructors to use big teaching diagrams or visual aids to teach his lectures. His students traveled from all over the world Europe, America, and India. Hope taught over 1,700 students during his tenure and they included the likes of James Edward Smith, founder and first President of the Linnaean Society, Charles Drayton and Benjamin Rush. A field botanist, Hope encouraged his students to go out an investigate the Flora of Scotland and he awarded a medal every year to the student who collected the best herbarium.   With Hope's impressive resume came impressive wealth. By the time Hope died, he had amassed more than £12,000 which he left to his wife.         #OTD It's the birthday of Alan Robertson Gemmell; a Professor of Biology at Keele University and a regular member of the panel on the BBC Radio program Gardeners' Question Time beginning in 1950 and co-hosting for some 30 years, Gemmel was born in 1913.   When Gemmell was invited to appear on the Gardeners Question Time, Keele Univeristy allowed it provided the school would be mentioned in the credits and as long as Gemmell appeared during University time. Gemmell spoke with a calm, Scottish voice. In his obituary, it was said he could, persuade followers of Gardeners Question Time to plant, "the most vicious weed." An academic, Gemmel often disagreed with fellow panelists like Fred Loads or Bill Sowerbutts who offered more off-the-cuff or hearsay advice.   It was Alan Gemmell who wrote in one of his columns,    "One of the major loves of my life is the potato. In fact my colleagues on Gardener's Question Time sometimes referred to me as spud Gemmel, since not only do I enjoy devouring that delectable vegetable, I also enjoy devouring anything which has been written about it.     #OTD This entire week, May 5 - May 11 is International Compost Awareness Week (ICAW).   (ICAW) is the largest and most comprehensive education initiative of the compost industry. It is celebrated nationwide in Canada and in other countries each year during the first full week of May. Started in Canada in 1995, ICAW has continued to grow as the importance of composting and the long-term benefits from organics recycling.   Each year, a theme is chosen. The theme for this year is Cool the Climate - Compost!        #OTD This weekend is the 30th Anniversary of the Friend's School Plant Sale in Minneapolis/St. Paul.    With more than 2,450 plant varieties — may be the largest plant sale in the U.S. It’s a fund-raising event sponsored by theFriends School of Minnesota, a small Quaker K – 8 school in the Hamline-Midway area in Saint Paul.   New Plants for 2019 include:   Peony, Sweet Marjory: Neat and sweet pink cactus-style flowers with streaks of cream, green, and deep rose pink. Yellow fluff of stamens in the center. Slightly fragrant. Early to mid-season.   French Hollyhock, Bibor Felho: Fuchsia with dark purple veins and halo surrounding a white center star. Blooms June–September. "Bibor Felho" is Hungarian for ‘Purple Cloud.’ Considered a biennial to short-lived perennial, but can be treated as a self-seeding annual. Drought-tolerant.       Unearthed Words It's the birthday of scientist Cecelia Page 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.   When Celia was eight, 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 Ceclia Page 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 Page'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.”       Today's book recommendation: Botanical Sketchbooks by Helen and William Bynum Botanical Sketchbooks is a compendium of the diverse ways plants have been observed, studied, and immortalized in centuries of art. Botanical Sketchbooks features 275 illustrations of flora from around the world, dating from the 15th to 20th century. In addition, the book highlights some rare works and lesser-known botanical artists.     Today's Garden Chore It's another Photo Friday in the Garden.   Today go to a spot in your garden and take as multiple shots of one thing from a number of different vantage points. One of the ways we get better at taking pictures of our garden, is by experimenting with perspective. The wonderful thing about digital, is that you can take as many pictures as you want. Challenge yourself with a number: 20 shots, 50 shots, or more of the same thing. Then, see how many capture what you wanted exactly right.       Something Sweet  Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart   While I was researching Leonard Mascall, I came across a bit of his advice regarding the placement of tender trees and shrubs.    What I especially loved about this is the notion that even in the 1600's, gardeners would push zones a bit. This is from The Guardian (www.theguardian.com), Dec 9, 1891:   "Mascall said, "Commonly, the 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."       Thanks for listening to the daily gardener, and remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."

Today we are going to explore the Belgian Hare. History Now, the fist thing that surprised me about the Belgian Hare was definitely the body shop.  Unlike the mandolin body shap of most rabbits that I have learned about.  These Rabbits look distinctly like a hare.   Perhaps unsurprisingly, the first examples of this breed were developed in Belgium in the early eighteenth century by crossing wild rabbits with domestic breeds in order to create a good meat animal Much of the information I have learned about this breed is from an article titled "Belgian Hare Origins"  By Frank Zaloudek. The Belgian Hare can be traced back to the "leporine" developed in the early part of the 18th century in the Flanders area of eastern Europe by the selective breeding of domestic and wild European rabbits. Leporines were imported from Belgium and Germany to England in the 1870s by Mr. W. Lumb and his brother-in-law Mr. B. Greaves, importers of small stock from continental Europe. Wilkins (1896) wrote that after their introduction into England ..."they (were) bred continuously, but with two and distinct objects - in the one, for size, and the other, ostensibly to develop a rabbit of the form, color and fur of the wild hare. The larger race has been called the 'Patagonian', but is now recognized as the 'Flemish Giant', the other has been named 'Belgian Hare' rabbit." It was explained that the redder colored Leporines resembled the common wild hare of England (lepus Timidus), and a number of adventuresome rabbit aficionados and natural scientists undertook the task of employing selective breeding to make the Leporine look more like lepus Timidus. These early breeders included Mr. Lumb, Dr, Barham, and Dr.J Salter a Physician, Fellow of the Royal Society, Fellow of the Zoological Society.  Fellow of the Linnaean Society, an friend of Charles Darwin.  Their rabbits were called the "Belgian Hare"-- "Belgian" (to recognize their origin) and "Hare" (to recognize their resemblance to Lepus Timidus which was a true hare).  Breeders of the Belgian Hare began to compete in small livestock shows and standards were first written in 1882. The breed was further refined to make the Belgian Hare appear even more like the English wild hare (lepus Timidus), i.e., more racy in shape than the breeders were then producing.  This new, more racy, Belgian Hare was described in a 1889 revision of the standard.  In addition to the more racy shape, the new standard called for ticking more like the wild hare (more distributed in waves), a bold eye, greater length of limb, and no ticking on the front limbs, ears, or hind feet (however, a small amount of ticking was allowed on the front feet).  In 1888, E.M. Hughes of Albany, N.Y. brought the first Belgian Hare to America. Mr. Hughs along with Mr. W.N Richardson of Troy, NY and Mr. G.W. Fenton of Barr, MA promoted and exhibited the Belgian Hare at small stock shows across the US and should be given credit for the early popularization of the breed in this country. Shortly after Mr. Hughes importation of the Belgian Hare from the UK, The breeders in this country formed the "American Belgian Hare Association". Mr W.N. Richardson of Troy, N.Y was named Secretary.  However this association lasted not much more than one year.  Mr. Crabtree wrote, "Although started in a liberal Spirit, and with the best of intentions, it became disorganized on account of the wide scattering of the membership making it difficult to obtain a quorum at meetings".  A second attempt to organize was made in 1897.  The "National Belgian Hare Club of America" was formed, with headquarters in Denver, CO and Mr. P.E. Crabtree as secretary.  Twelve years after the formation of the National Belgian Hare Club of America and as additional breeds were introduced in the US, a new "all-breed" club, the " National Pet Stock Association" was formed. After several name changes, the National Pet Stock Association became the American Rabbit Breeders Association.  As the years past, the National Belgian Hare club of America also passed from existence.  In the June of 1972, a group of Belgian Hare breeders gathered together to apply for a specialty club charter from the American Rabbit Breeders Association to replace the defunct National Belgian Hare Club of America. In July of 1972 the charter was granted and our present club, the "American Belgian Hare Club" was established. The Boom Years After introduction into the United States in 1888, the Belgian Hare enjoyed much popularity, and large rabbitries were built for their production.  Large numbers of rabbits were imported at fabulous prices. It is recorded that Hares fetched prices of $500 to $1000 each (in pre-1900 Dollars!).  This was called "the Belgian Hare boom." Remember, this was at a time when labor earned 10 to 15 cents per hour.  This would be 2X3 times a laborers annual wages. Mr. C. H. Lane reported that a center of Belgian Hare popularity existed in Los Angeles area where the weather was particularly advantageous to the propagation of the hare. In 1898, there were no less than 600 rabbitries there carrying from 75 to more than a 1000 head of stock each. He further stated that in 1900, over 60,000 Belgian Hares were being raised in Southern California alone and numbers were on the increase! In 1900, the National Belgian Hare Club of America held its first Exposition, which was reputedly the first and certainly the largest exposition seen up to that time confined to only one breed of rabbit. The National Belgian Hare of America club promulgated Standards of Excellence for TWO varieties , one for the "Standard" (fancy) Belgian Hare and one for the "Heavy Weight" (commercial) Belgian Hare. Today, the American Rabbit Breeders Association recognizes only a "fancy" variety in their "Standards of Perfection." The End of the Boom  Inevitably, supply caught up with demand and the Belgian Hare Boom was over. James Blyth in his article "King of the Fancy" in the October, 1973 issue of Countryside & Small Stock Magazine, had some additional insight into the end of the "boom". He wrote, "Until about 1917 Belgians led in entries. When the Hares were judged, the show was about over. The Hares were hurt when they came out with a standard for the heavyweight Belgian, Trying to make a meat rabbit out of this fine racy animal certainly was not for the good of the race horse of the rabbit family. At this time the Hare began to lose its place in popularity. Each breed has its place, and when you strive for meat-type in a fancy rabbit, you have lost much of that alert and fine, clean-cut appearance." The Belgian Hare is best known for its distinctive body type and temperament, as well as its important history.  Although hares are not among the most common breeds today, if not for them we might not even have a rabbit fancy in the United States. Prior to 1890, rabbits were not widely raised in America, and those that were usually went to feed the family.  In England, however, the rabbit show circuit had been blossoming for a while.  In 1888, the first Belgian Hares were imported.  That was when the “rabbit show bug” bit America, and the fancy took off like a shot.  Men from all over the country flocked to get their hands on some of the hares.  Companies formed for their production and dispersion.  One British shipping firm transported  6,000 hares to the United States between 1898 to 1901.  Clubs sprung up in most large cities.  Millionaires such as J. P. Morgan and John D. Rockefeller became interested in promoting the hares.  Prices on show stock were exorbitant – one buck went for $5,000 in 1900! That same year, breeders in Los Angeles county alone were believed to own 60,000 Belgian Hares.  Eventually interest died down, the market became saturated, and the Belgian fell under the shadow of more popular rabbit breeds – but not before the people who raised it had developed systems of rabbit housing, standards, and tattooing, and had founded the club that would become the American Rabbit Breeders Association. Overall Description The Belgian Hare is a fancy breed of domestic rabbit, that was developed through selective breeding to closely resemble the wild hare in physical appearance.[1] Averaging 6 to 9 pounds in weight, the Belgian Hare is characterized by its long, slender body and agile legs that closely resemble those of a hare, and can live up to ten years or more. The Belgian Hare is most known for its distinctively close resemblance to a hare, with a long, fine body with muscular flank, and distinctly arched back with loins and well-rounded hind quarters. Their head is long and their tail straight and carried in line with the backbone. The fore feet of a Belgian Hare is usually long and fine-boned and perfectly straight, while their hind feet long are fine and flat. They are believed to be the only breed of domestic breed featuring a deep red, rich chestnut color of the Belgian Hare, together with black ticking of a wavy or blotchy appearance and an extended down the sides. The Belgian Hare is a distinct rabbit, with a deep red “rufus” coat with black, wavy ticking. It closely resembles a hare, with a long, fine body, muscular flank, and arched back with loins and well-rounded hind quarters. Body The Belgian Hare, although a domestic rabbit, was bred to closely resemble to a wild hare. It is for that reason that this breed has a long, muscular body with an arched back. They have long heads, a straight tail, which is carried in line with the backbone, and tall, slightly wide, erect ears. ears and eyes Coat The Belgian Hare has a short coat and if kept clean, requires little grooming other than an occasional rub over to remove any dead coat. When in moult the coat benefits from a good combing through every other day to remove the old coat. This will help bring the new coat through faster and minimize the old fluffy undercoat matting up when its on the way out. The Belgian Hare has short, glossy fur that requires little to no maintenance to keep it in pristine condition. Rabbits are genuinely clean animals. They should never be given a bath, as this causes great stress and can lead to heart failure. Occasionally, rub your Belgian Hare down to rid the coat of any dead fibers (no brushing required) and their coat should remain in good condition. colors The ARBA accepts only one kind of Belgian Hare coat color: a bright tin rust, with a red/orange tint. The entire body consists of this color, and markings include lighter-colored eye circles and “ticking” on particular parts of the body, such as on their upper back and hips. care Due to their difference from other breeds of domestic rabbit, the Belgian Hare may require different dietary and housing requirements to other rabbits, and as a result, they may demand more attention and care. Housing Belgian Hares are constantly on the move, especially when you are around, performing their graceful ballet. Therefore, for both the animal's benefit and for your enjoyment of it graceful movement, you should provide a large cage with at least 24 x 48 inch floor. The floor should be solid (not wire), because the 1/2 x 1 inch wire most commonly used for flooring will not adequately support the Hare's front feet and can lead to broken toes and toe nails. These solid floors should be bedded with a layer of clean and bright straw, shredded computer paper, or whatever is available in you area. The cage should be high enough to allow the Hare to stretch and leap; 24 inch height should be adequate. Breeding/brood cages should be larger, say 30 x 60 inches, to allow the doe to move around adequately without trampling her brood. It is important to remember that you need to able to reach the back corners of the cage for cleaning. Proportion your such that you can do this without putting you head and shoulders into the cage. Cleaning and sanitation will be less onerous of you follow this advice! Due to their size and energetic nature, it is recommended that the Belgian Hare be provided with a large hutch or cage to enable them to move freely. For an outdoor rabbit the ideal home is a hutch with a waterproof roof, and raised off the ground. If the rabbit is going to live indoors then a hutch can also be used or a cage. Belgian Hares should have a cage with at least a 24 by 60-inch floor and a height of 24 inches. A breeding or brood cage should be 36 by 72 inches, at least. All rabbits must have an adequate exercise area, whether it is an outside run or an enclosed area in the house. Softwood shavings should not be used for the floor of the hutch or cage as they can cause respiratory problems. Fine sawdust can cause eye irritations so this should be avoided. Bedding material should be provided especially in cold and wet weather for the outdoor rabbit. A recommended practice is to place the straw on top of a layer of the hardwood shavings in the sleeping compartment, in order to ensure warmth and insulation for an outdoor Belgian Hare. The rabbit home should be cleaned out weekly and any old food removed. If it is necessary to wash the home then only use a cleaner specifically designed for cleaning rabbit hutches. Environment and Sanitation The sanitation requirements of Belgian Hares do not differ from that of any other breed. Cages should be cleaned every 5 to 7 days and all bedding replaced. At the same time, feeders and water bottles or crocks should be washed and sterilized. As with any rabbit breed, ventilation should be adequate, but without drafts. If you can smell ammonia when you enter your barn, either sanitation or ventilation (or both) is inadequate. Belgian Hares are no less susceptible to extreme heat than other rabbits. If you live in a location where the temperatures get above 90, you will have to be prepared to keep them cool or lose them! They seem to be able to cope with temperatures down to 0 F if provided with ample bedding and shielded from the wind and snow. However, the Belgian Hare doe's short hair is scarcely in adequate supply to line the nest box sufficiently to keep her bunnies warm. To avoid losses during kindling in very cold weather, it would be advisable to have a warmed space available for kindling. When the bunnies grow a good thick coat in 4 to 6 weeks,they can be slowly introduced to the cold outside temperatures. Diet As the Belgian Hare has a very high metabolic rate, it may require more food and more consistent feeding than other breeds of domestic rabbit. The specific dietary requirements of a Belgian Hare do not differ significantly from other breeds of domestic rabbit, and like the majority of rabbits, the most important component of the diet of a Belgian Hare is hay, a roughage that reduces the chance of blockages and malocclusion whilst providing indigestible fiber necessary to keep the gut moving. Grass hays such as timothy are generally preferred over legume hays like clover and alfalfa. Legume hays are higher in protein, calories, and calcium, which in excess can cause kidney stones and loose stool. This type of hay should be reserved for young kits or lactating does. Belgian Hares also require an unlimited amount of fresh water, usually provided for in a water crock, tip-proof ceramic pet dish, or hanging water bottle. Automatic watering system fonts or ball point water bottles should be placed high on the side of the cage to encourage the animal to stretch. Some breeders will place a board 6 inch high across the floor in the middle of the cage to force the hare to leap over it as it moves about its cage. Both these things are thought by some to enhance the development of the animal for the show table. Feeds Belgian hares do not have any special feed requirements. Use a pelletized "complete" feed that is readily available and known for its consistency. Do not overfeed Hares. If you allow them to become fat, they will do poorly on the judging table and the does will have trouble conceiving. About 1-1/2 small tuna fish can-fulls each day seems to be about the right amount for seniors. When it comes to their diet, this rabbit breed needs access to clean, fresh water and high-quality hay.  Hay should be 70 percent of their diet while the rest consists of a  healthy balance of pellets and rabbit-safe vegetables, fruits and leafy greens. There are some foods that should be avoided (iceberg lettuce, for example, does not have enough nutritional value), while others are fine in moderation (apples and carrots are a wonderful treat). Health While Belgian Hares are not susceptible to digestive issues such as Wool Block (like long-haired breeds such as Angoras, for instance), care has to be taken in order for them to live long, healthy lives. Two problems that are most common in outdoor rabbits are ear mites and fly-strike.  Fly-strike is common to rabbits that have soiled fur during the summer. Flies lay their eggs in soiled fur and when the eggs hatch, their primary food source is the rabbit. It is extremely painful and symptoms include lack of appetite, fewer droppings in your bunny’s cage and sudden jumping/thrashing in pain. If you suspect your rabbit may have fly-strike, take them to your veterinarian for treatment. Temperment/behavior Belgian Hares are one of the most energetic and intelligent breeds of rabbit. They are very clever and they will require lots of physical and mental stimulation in order to keep them happy. They are extremely alert and as such can be skittish. The Belgian Hares can easily learn their names and will occasionally come when called. As they are active in nature and have alert temperament, they can be startled by sudden noise or movement very easily. The Belgian Hare has been called the ‘poor man’s racehorse’ because of their active personality. Despite their cute appearance, the breed is not ideal for very small children and for the beginners. Usually the Belgian Hare is an energetic and long lived animal. This is a very clever little animal that will require lots of physical and mental stimulation in order to keep him happy. They are extremely alert and as such can be skittish – many owners recommend keeping a radio playing nearby at all times so they get used to loud or strange noises. They can easily learn their names and will sometimes come when called. The Belgian is not a beginner’s rabbit due to its speed, power and slightly nervous disposition, however for an experienced enthusiast they are rewarding to keep as ensuring the rabbit remains healthy and well is incredibly satisfying. As a result of their active personality, they have been called "the poor man's racehorse".  They can also be taught to play simple games, which can be great fun. They will tolerate handling, particularly if they’ve been used to human company and being picked up from an early age, but again, because they can be unpredictable they should not be handled by children. A panicking rabbit is more powerful than you might think and can easily cause injury as he struggles to flee. Breeding and Raising By Frank Zaloudek If you decide to try breeding and raising Belgian Hares, be prepared for a challenge! Some people have said that you have to throw out all you know about breeding rabbits when you go into Hare raising and use a whole new system of rules, but I assure you that you will need to use all the knowledge and experience that you have to be successful with these beautiful and graceful creatures. You will find that many problems you will experience will be as a result of the Belgian Hare's more excitable temperament than other breeds  They can react to unexpected events in the rabbitry with a fury that can move cages off their supports, dislocate joints, and break bones. This is compounded by the fine bone structure and extreme length of the animal which seems to invite broken backs and legs. Also, this nervous nature seems to complicate breeding, because, in many cases, fright and panic get in the way of normal mating urges. Most important, this nervous temperament seems to translate normal events in the life of a Hare to an overall stress level that can compromise its auto immune system and open the way to bacterial and viral diseases. Perhaps, this nervous tendency came for past breeding attempts to make the Belgian hare more like lepus Timidus which was suppose to be so fearful so as not to close its eyes even in sleep (Wilkins 1896). Although you might be led by these remarks that breeding Hares in an impossible endeavor; that is not true. You only have approach your breeding and raising activities with one thing in mind: maintaining a peaceful, serene, and healthy environment for your hares, and with a little luck and skill, your nest boxes can be filled with grand champions. Unexpected noises or voices seem to startle the Hares excessively and can set off a panic in the barn that can lead to injuries. A radio playing loudly 24 hours a day or a noisy exhaust fan seems to accustom the Hares to noise and avoids these panics. Classical music, mostly Mozart, seems to work for me, but I'm sure that it makes no difference to the Hares. Before throwing open the door to the barn, its always good practice to talk to your rabbits or make some noise to announce your arrival so that they will not be surprised by your entry. uses Belgian Hares are kept mainly for show purposes.  The Belgian Hare was mainly developed as a meat producing breed. Beautiful as they are, Belgian Hares are not the best choice for a beginning rabbit breeder.  The breed is known for delicate constitutions, flighty personalities, and limited fertility.  Teaching young hares to pose takes time and patience. However, experienced rabbit raisers can find great rewards in carrying on the legacy of such an important breed to the rabbit fancy.  One breeder named Shannon Kelly realized these rewards when her Hare won Best in Show at the Louisville ARBA Convention in 2008. While this breed can theoretically live indoors, indoor rabbits tend to be pets and this rabbit breed isn’t the best pet due to its nervousness. Sudden noises or unfamiliar sounds cause them jump high into the air and go into a running frenzy inside of their cage, where they could accidentally hurt themselves. While they do have a sweet nature and are known to enjoy petting (so long as they are used to the person’s presence and are not suddenly spooked), Belgian Hares are not the breed for everyone and are used mostly for show purposes. While they can be picked up, a lot of care needs to be taken to ensure that if they do get spooked, they don’t fall onto the floor.  Breeders use tricks to lower the risk of scaring their Belgian Hares by announcing their arrival before they open their barn doors, installing a loud fan inside the barn or playing loud music for the majority of the day. Training and Showing By Frank Zaloudek When you look at the picture of the Belgian Hare in the ARBA Standard of Perfection, your attention is immediately drawn to its pose, standing on the toes of its fully extended front legs, ears erect, body carried high above the floor and with a wild look in its eye. If you have been around Belgians for a while, you will learn that this is the pose it takes only when excited, startled or when it is eagerly anticipating food or drink. It is not a pose that it would take in a relaxed, non threatening situation or in the intimidating surroundings of the showroom. How do you get you Belgians to pose as it the picture? The simple answer is that they have to be trained! But, before we start our discussion of training Belgian Hares to pose, we first must note that there is nothing in the ARBA Standards of Perfection to guide us on how a Hare is to be posed or even if a Hare should be posed at all for judging! Indeed, some judges don't try to pose Hares, but rather just let them move about normally on the table or in special Judging cages if they are provided by the club sponsoring the show. However, most breeders and judges will agree that a Hare will show off its features best if posed in its "on alert" stance with its body carried high above the table on its tiptoes and with a wild expression in its eyes. The problem is that there are many ways an exhibitor can train a Hare to pose, and there are just as many ways that judges use to pose a Hare. If the Hare's training and the judges set-up technique "click", then it might be successfully posed; otherwise, the judging can degrade to a "wrestling match" ("acrobatics at a Halloween party" as characterized by the late Dr. Terry Reed) between the judge and the Hare during which time is wasted and the Hare, no matter how deserving, will be at a disadvantage to Hares that pose easily. How can these "wrestling matches" be avoided? Is it the responsibility of the judges, of the breeder/exhibitor, or both? Perhaps we can get some answers to these questions if we look at techniques used and advocated by some judges and breeder/exhibitors. There seems to be a number of basic methods in use at the present time. These methods can be characterized in the following descriptive terms: The "natural pose" method The "shoulder pressure" method "Ear lift" method "Head lift" method "Body stretch" method and combinations of the above. Training Hares to Pose By Maureen Hoyle I don't start training my hares until they are 10 weeks old. I was told that it is better to let their bones strengthen and I can see the sense in this. I am probably in a small minority who don't start training Hares from a young age. However I find that it is no hinderence to the speed they learn. I think you need a surface that they can grip onto. This sheet is not ideal but I think shows the sequence of improvement perfectly from the first one where she is pulling back and how she gradually relaxes along the sequence until she is posing beautifully. Club The first of these clubs was known as the "American Belgian Hare Association". With a wide and scattered membership the club lasted not much more than a year. In 1897 the "National Belgian Hare Club" was formed. Twelve years after the formation of the National Belgian Hare Club of America, and as additional breeds were introduced in the US, a new "all-breed" club, the "National Pet Stock Association" was formed. After several name changes, the National Pet Stock Association became the American Rabbit Breeders Association As years passed, the National Belgian Hare club of America also passed from existence. In June, 1972, a group of Belgian Hare breeders gathered together to apply for a specialty club charter from the American Rabbit Breeders Association to replace the National Belgian Hare Club of America. In July, 1972, the charter was granted and the last, and most prominent of these groups, the "American Belgian Hare Club" was established, that continues to exist to this day. A rather fancy type of domestic rabbit, the Belgian Hare was developed specifically to resemble the wild hare in appearance. The Belgian Hare is instantly recognisable thanks to its lithe body and long, slim legs. Due to its breeding the Belgian Hare is one of the more intelligent rabbit breeds and they are also very active, needing lots of exercise and plenty of opportunities to run and play. The breed is quite long-lived, with some examples living up to 10 years, and most animals weigh between six and nine pounds. The American Belgian Hare Club (ABHC) is dedicated to the raising, breeding, promoting, and showing of Belgian Hare rabbits. The ABHC is sanctioned under the American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA) and includes 90+ members in 25 states, as well as Canada and the United Kingdom. The Belgian Hare is one of the oldest breeds in America, dating back to the 1880’s. Today the Belgian Hare is one of the rarer rabbit breeds, and is considered threatened, according to the American Livestock Breed Conservancy. Today, Belgian Hare continues to be one of the less popular rabbits in America, because, in part, they are difficult to breed successfully. Three centuries of various degrees of line breeding have diminished their hybrid vigor, and, today, too few breeders pursuing too few bloodlines have further exacerbated the situation. Raising Belgian Hares involves a lot of hard work, expert animal husbandry practices, and a lot of luck! The American Rabbit Breeders Association (ARBA) maintains the breed standard for all of the recognized rabbit and cavy breeds for it's international membership.  Recognized breeds are eligible for Registration and Grand Champion recognition. The AMERICAN RABBIT BREEDERS ASSOCIATION, INC. is an organization dedicated to the promotion, development, and improvement of the domestic rabbit and cavy.  With over 30,000 members throughout the United States, Canada, and abroad, its members range from the pet owner with one rabbit or cavy to the breeder or commercial rabbit raiser with several hundred animals.  Each aspect of the rabbit and cavy industry, whether it be for fancy, as a pet, or for commercial value, is encouraged by the organization. The British Rabbit Council (BRC) is a British showing organization for rabbit breeders. Originally founded as The Beveren Club in 1918, its name first changed to British Fur Rabbit Society and finally to The British Rabbit Society. Today, the BRC among other things investigates rabbit diseases, maintains a catalog of rabbit breeds, and sets rules for about 1,000 rabbit shows annually in the UK. Owners of house rabbits are also encouraged to join the organization to learn how to care optimally for their pets. Have I Missed Anything? If you know something about the breed standard, history or status of this rabbit, please let me know.   Do You Have a Story About This Particular Breed?  What do you love about them? Do you have any tips or tricks up your sleeve for what might make this breed happiest? Perhaps you're a breeder of this type of rabbit. Let us know, and maybe we can set up an interview? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belgian_Hare http://www.belgianhareclub.com/ http://rabbitbreeders.us/belgian-hare-rabbits https://livestockconservancy.org/index.php/heritage/internal/belgian-hare http://www.petguide.com/breeds/rabbit/belgian-hare/ http://www.roysfarm.com/belgian-hare/ https://www.pets4homes.co.uk/breeds/rabbits/belgian-hares/ http://petcaretips.net/belgian-hares.html Plant of the Week: Cabbage Word of the Week: Common

Aug. 30, 2014. Bird illustrator and author David Sibley appears at the 2014 Library of Congress National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. Speaker Biography: Ornithologist, author and illustrator David Sibley first published "The Sibley Guide to Birds" in 2000, a book that quickly became known as the nation's supreme and most comprehensive guide to birds. Sibley has received the Roger Tory Peterson Award from the American Birding Association for lifetime achievement in promoting the cause of birding, as well as the Linnaean Society of New York's Eisenmann Medal. With his recent second edition of "The Sibley Guide to Birds" (Knopf), Sibley offers a remastered version of his classic, expanded with updated information, new paintings, new and rare species and elegant design. The extended text includes habitat information and voice description for every species, more tips on finding birds in the field, 700 updated maps of ranges and 85 bird-family pages cross-referenced to species accounts. For transcript, captions, and more information, visit http://www.loc.gov/today/cyberlc/feature_wdesc.php?rec=6381

The 18th-century botanical impresario Sir Joseph Banks was convinced that Britain's destiny was as the major civilising power in the world, and this could be achieved by harnessing botany and imperial progress to each other's mutual benefit. Professor Kathy Willis talks to Linnaean Society honorary archivist, Gina Douglas, on how Britain's acquisition of Carl Linnaeus' collection of books and specimens proved the tool to promote, identify, and trade plants across the Empire. She hears from Richard Barley, Director of Horticulture at Kew and former director of Melbourne's Botanic Gardens, who discusses Banks' influence on the choice of plants taken with the first settlers to Australia. But how central were plants to Britain's colonial project? Historian Jim Endersby weighs up Joseph Banks' 18th-century vision to use Kew as a centre to gather as many plants and plant products as possible, not only to enrich the Royal Garden's collection but for Kew to also function as a botanical exchange house between the colonies. 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.

Gardener Carol Klein's great life is a Victorian hero of the wild garden, the writer and horticulturalist William Robinson. Matthew Parris presents, with expert help from Robinson's biographer Richard Bisgrove and reader Stephen Hogan. William Robinson was a radical and persuasive writer and designer whose influence on British gardens has been compared to that of William Morris on interiors. You may not recognise his name but his influence lives on: 'we are all Robinsonians now, even if we don't know it', according to one recent review. Born in 1838 in Ireland, he started young as a garden boy for the Marquess of Waterford. Little more is known about Robinson's early life, but his rise to prominence was swift once he'd arrived in London. Within a few years he'd been elected as a fellow to the Linnaean Society, sponsored by Charles Darwin and James Veitch. He founded, wrote and published his own gardening periodicals and almanacs as well as writing best-selling books on gardening which struck a chord with the newly wealthy English middle classes who were beginning to build their own gardens in the suburbs around London. Carol Klein is the garden expert and star of Gardener's World, who started life as an art teacher. Her gardening hobby became a successful career, with a trugful of gold medals from RHS shows and many best selling books on gardening, as well as her own TV series, most recently 'Life in a Cottage Garden'. She shares Robinson's passion and what she calls his 'empathy' for plants, too, making the best of their individual features, whatever they may be. Producer...Mary Ward-Lowery