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Episode: 3241 Green with Immortality. Today, we go green with immortality.
Episode: 3241 Green with Immortality. Today, we go green with immortality.
Not all of our heroes have streets named after them but this one does. So, will we be playing recordings of Sonny Sharrock on Deep Focus this Monday night (Feb 5)? Will they be recordings that you've never heard? Will we have an insightful listening session with drummer/conceptualist William Hooker? Find out Monday night from 6pm to 9pm NYC time on WKCR 89.9FM, WKCR-HD and wkcr.org. Next week it goes up on the Deep Focus podcast on your favorite podcasting app or at https://mitchgoldman.podbean.com/ Find out more about Deep Focus at https://mitchgoldman.com/about-deep-focus/ Photo credit: Mitch Goldman October 2, 2010. #WKCR #JazzAlternatives #WilliamHooker #SonnySharrock #DeepFocus #MitchGoldman #JazzInterview #JazzPodcast
Not all of our heroes have streets named after them but this one does. So, will we be playing recordings of Sonny Sharrock on Deep Focus this Monday night (Feb 5)? Will they be recordings that you've never heard? Will we have an insightful listening session with drummer/conceptualist William Hooker? Find out Monday night from 6pm to 9pm NYC time on WKCR 89.9FM, WKCR-HD and wkcr.org. Next week it goes up on the Deep Focus podcast on your favorite podcasting app or at https://mitchgoldman.podbean.com/ Find out more about Deep Focus at https://mitchgoldman.com/about-deep-focus/ Photo credit: Mitch Goldman October 2, 2010. #WKCR #JazzAlternatives #WilliamHooker #SonnySharrock #DeepFocus #MitchGoldman #JazzInterview #JazzPodcast
Not all of our heroes have streets named after them but this one does. So, will we be playing recordings of Sonny Sharrock on Deep Focus this Monday night (Feb 5)? Will they be recordings that you've never heard? Will we have an insightful listening session with drummer/conceptualist William Hooker? Find out Monday night from 6pm to 9pm NYC time on WKCR 89.9FM, WKCR-HD and wkcr.org. Next week it goes up on the Deep Focus podcast on your favorite podcasting app or at https://mitchgoldman.podbean.com/ Find out more about Deep Focus at https://mitchgoldman.com/about-deep-focus/ Photo credit: Mitch Goldman October 2, 2010. #WKCR #JazzAlternatives #WilliamHooker #SonnySharrock #DeepFocus #MitchGoldman #JazzInterview #JazzPodcast
11e émission de la 57e session...Cette semaine, que du free jazz! En musique Mike Osborne sur l'album Starting Fires: Live at The 100 Club, 1970 (Birtish Progressive Jazz, 2023); Tani Tabbal Quartet sur l'album Intentional (Mahakala, 2023); William Hooker sur l'album Flesh and Bones (Org Music, 2023); John Blum, David Murray, Chad Taylor sur l'album The Recursive Tree (Relative Pitch, 2023); Rodrigo Amado The Bridge sur l'album Beyond The Margins (Trost, 2023)...
Who was Joseph Jarman? A shaman? A conjurer? A Buddhist priest? A poet? An Aikido sensei? In the words of his fellow member of the Art Ensemble of Chicago, Lester Bowie, "Well, I guess that all depends on, ah, what you know." We know that in the universe of this music, which thrives on original thinking, few ranged as far and as free as Jarman. He brought us songs and stories, large-scale compositions, movement, theatricality, costumes and confrontation, along with collaborations and improvisations on every member of the woodwind family (as well as those "little instruments"). With Jarman, walls turned into windows, windows into doors, and those doors flew off their hinges. So what's out there on the other side? Is it any surprise that William Hooker is summoning Jarman for this week's Deep Focus? An improvising drummer who puts all his food on the same plate, composing spontaneously for silent films, collaborating with DJs and rockers, exploring architecture and futurism and tribal traditions... hungry for the world. No, this one is gonna fly like hot lava from a volcano. This Monday (7/10) from 6p to 9p on WKCR 89.9FM and WKCR-HD in NYC, wkcr.org on the web. Next week it goes up on the Deep Focus podcast on your favorite podcasting app or at https://mitchgoldman.podbean.com/ #WKCR #JazzAlternatives #DeepFocus #WilliamHooker #JosephJarman #AEC #AECo #ArtEnsembleofChicago #JazzRadio #JazzInterview #JazzPodcast Photo credit: fair use.
Who was Joseph Jarman? A shaman? A conjurer? A Buddhist priest? A poet? An Aikido sensei? In the words of his fellow member of the Art Ensemble of Chicago, Lester Bowie, "Well, I guess that all depends on, ah, what you know." We know that in the universe of this music, which thrives on original thinking, few ranged as far and as free as Jarman. He brought us songs and stories, large-scale compositions, movement, theatricality, costumes and confrontation, along with collaborations and improvisations on every member of the woodwind family (as well as those "little instruments"). With Jarman, walls turned into windows, windows into doors, and those doors flew off their hinges. So what's out there on the other side? Is it any surprise that William Hooker is summoning Jarman for this week's Deep Focus? An improvising drummer who puts all his food on the same plate, composing spontaneously for silent films, collaborating with DJs and rockers, exploring architecture and futurism and tribal traditions... hungry for the world. No, this one is gonna fly like hot lava from a volcano. This Monday (7/10) from 6p to 9p on WKCR 89.9FM and WKCR-HD in NYC, wkcr.org on the web. Next week it goes up on the Deep Focus podcast on your favorite podcasting app or at https://mitchgoldman.podbean.com/ #WKCR #JazzAlternatives #DeepFocus #WilliamHooker #JosephJarman #AEC #AECo #ArtEnsembleofChicago #JazzRadio #JazzInterview #JazzPodcast Photo credit: fair use.
Who was Joseph Jarman? A shaman? A conjurer? A Buddhist priest? A poet? An Aikido sensei? In the words of his fellow member of the Art Ensemble of Chicago, Lester Bowie, "Well, I guess that all depends on, ah, what you know." We know that in the universe of this music, which thrives on original thinking, few ranged as far and as free as Jarman. He brought us songs and stories, large-scale compositions, movement, theatricality, costumes and confrontation, along with collaborations and improvisations on every member of the woodwind family (as well as those "little instruments"). With Jarman, walls turned into windows, windows into doors, and those doors flew off their hinges. So what's out there on the other side? Is it any surprise that William Hooker is summoning Jarman for this week's Deep Focus? An improvising drummer who puts all his food on the same plate, composing spontaneously for silent films, collaborating with DJs and rockers, exploring architecture and futurism and tribal traditions... hungry for the world. No, this one is gonna fly like hot lava from a volcano. This Monday (7/10) from 6p to 9p on WKCR 89.9FM and WKCR-HD in NYC, wkcr.org on the web. Next week it goes up on the Deep Focus podcast on your favorite podcasting app or at https://mitchgoldman.podbean.com/ #WKCR #JazzAlternatives #DeepFocus #WilliamHooker #JosephJarman #AEC #AECo #ArtEnsembleofChicago #JazzRadio #JazzInterview #JazzPodcast Photo credit: fair use.
Welcome to “Burnin'” on the What's The Matter With Me? Podcast In this episode, I'm still recovering from my last rhizotomy procedure, managing to get to get new footwear, and get out to a show in my wheelchair Burn Victim Chemical Burns melt your flesh. I have 5 Burns about as big as a dime each. I am using Medihoney, and I was initially confused by the name They Look Like Sneakers Before After I got new shoes to wear when I'm on my wheelchair. For the past couple of years I've been using Minnetonka I'm switching to white Vans slip-ons Tiitration Blues I am scared that if I reduce medication that the pain will come back. But I need to reduce the medication so I can enjoy my life. William Parker's New Heart Trio I rode my wheelchair to see the bassist William Parker (71) at the chapel In the New Heart tTio with William Hooker (76) and Isaiah Collier (23) My buddy Joe was the driver Titration Blues, Pt. 2 I reduced my medication and the pain came back in the night Parting Shots I need a new butt cushion for my wheelchair My son is at home because he has Covid Max Headroom was a guy wearing a mask This week's selfie Burnin'
We talk with drummer William Hooker. He came to visit us at Studio 952 in NYC for one of our Kitchen Table Chats. Not your typical drummer he describes his presentations as an installation and experimental. Listen to his vision for performing drums and be amazed. Learn more by clicking here.
William Hooker: The Soul Is An Instrument The composer/drummer and activist/chronicler for creative social action, in excerpts from epic performances at Roulette from 1988-2021, with personal and generational tales from James Baldwin to COVID. https://roulette.org/
The composer/drummer and activist/chronicler for creative social action, in excerpts from epic performances at Roulette from 1988-2021, with personal and generational tales from James Baldwin to COVID. Hooker returns to Roulette Nov. 13, 2022.
No one will ever embody the concept of music as spiritual sustenance the way that Pharoah Sanders did. William Hooker heard the call through the music and it changed his life. William joins Mitch Goldman to remember this enduring moment of inspiration and to explore the WKCR archives. Jewels abound. The Pharoah Sanders Memorial Broadcast is all day Monday 9/26. This segment is 6pm to 9pm on WKCR 89.9FM, WKCR HD-1 and wkcr.org. Next week it goes up on the Deep Focus podcast on your favorite podcasting app or at https://mitchgoldman.podbean.com/ #WKCR #PharoahSanders #PharoahSandersMemorialBroadcast #WilliamHooker #MitchGoldman #DeepFocus #JazzInterview #JazzPodcast Photo credit: Pharoah Sanders by Manfred Werner (Tsui), CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
No one will ever embody the concept of music as spiritual sustenance the way that Pharoah Sanders did. William Hooker heard the call through the music and it changed his life. William joins Mitch Goldman to remember this enduring moment of inspiration and to explore the WKCR archives. Jewels abound. The Pharoah Sanders Memorial Broadcast is all day Monday 9/26. This segment is 6pm to 9pm on WKCR 89.9FM, WKCR HD-1 and wkcr.org. Next week it goes up on the Deep Focus podcast on your favorite podcasting app or at https://mitchgoldman.podbean.com/ #WKCR #PharoahSanders #PharoahSandersMemorialBroadcast #WilliamHooker #MitchGoldman #DeepFocus #JazzInterview #JazzPodcast Photo credit: Pharoah Sanders by Manfred Werner (Tsui), CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
No one will ever embody the concept of music as spiritual sustenance the way that Pharoah Sanders did. William Hooker heard the call through the music and it changed his life. William joins Mitch Goldman to remember this enduring moment of inspiration and to explore the WKCR archives. Jewels abound. The Pharoah Sanders Memorial Broadcast is all day Monday 9/26. This segment is 6pm to 9pm on WKCR 89.9FM, WKCR HD-1 and wkcr.org. Next week it goes up on the Deep Focus podcast on your favorite podcasting app or at https://mitchgoldman.podbean.com/ #WKCR #PharoahSanders #PharoahSandersMemorialBroadcast #WilliamHooker #MitchGoldman #DeepFocus #JazzInterview #JazzPodcast Photo credit: Pharoah Sanders by Manfred Werner (Tsui), CC BY-SA 3.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
On this week's show: First Segment: Alexa Avilés, democratic socialist City Councilmember whose South Brooklyn district encompasses Red Hook, Sunset Park, Greenwood and parts of Windsor Terrace, Dyker Heights and Borough Park. We catch up with her on the latest from Puerto rico, the city's response to the influx of migrants from border states and the latest disturbing news from the New York City Housing Authority which she oversees as the Chair of the City Council's Committee on NYCHA. Second Segment: In our second segment, we talk about the life and legacy of Dr. Jeffrey Perry, who died over the weekend. Perry was an independent, working-class scholar whose work focused on the role of white supremacy as a retardant to progressive social change and on the centrality of struggle against white supremacy to progressive social change efforts. Perry wrote and spoke in particular on two of the most important thinkers on race and class in the twentieth century: Hubert Harrison and Theodore W. Allen, both of whom we will hear more about shortly. Perry's friend of 50 years, Sean Ahern, joins us to commemorate Perry. Ahern is a retired public-school teacher and member of the NYC Coalition to Finally End Mayoral Control. Third Segment: Labor and culture. The 11th annual Worker Unite Film Festival begins on Friday, Oct. 7 at Cinema Village Theater. It will be WUFF's first in-person festival since the pandemic. The festival comes at a time when we're seeing an upsurge in labor organizing and strikes and labor unions are more popular in public opinion polls than any time in the past five decades. We are joined by WUFF Executive Director Andrew Tilson and two special guests, avant-garde jazz luminary William Hooker, whose 2021 film The Lost Generation: Outside the Mainstream will be a part of the festival and Sean Claffy, who directed Americonned, a film that examines "the long overdue uprising of American workers.”
On this week's Indypendent News Hour on WBAI, we feature an intersection of labor and culture. The 11th annual Worker Unite Film Festival begins on Friday, Oct. 7 at Cinema Village Theater. It will be WUFF's first in-person festival since the pandemic. The festival comes at a time when we're seeing an upsurge in labor organizing and strikes and labor unions are more popular in public opinion polls than any time in the past five decades. We are joined by WUFF Executive Director Andrew Tilson and two special guests, avant-garde jazz luminary William Hooker, whose 2021 film The Lost Generation: Outside the Mainstream will be a part of the festival and Sean Claffy, who directed Americonned, a film that examines "the long overdue uprising of American workers.”
This episode is also available as a blog post: https://thecitylife.org/2022/08/17/silver-fleece-by-william-hooker-on-governors-island/ --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/citylifeorg/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/citylifeorg/support
Sunny Murray changed our whole conception of what drums could do in music. In this rebroadcast of Mitch Goldman's Deep Focus from 2018, fellow drummer/composer William Hooker thinks (and feels) as deeply about the role of drums as anyone we have heard speak on the topic. Special guest appearance from reedman/scholar Ras Moshe. This Monday night (6/13) from 6pm to 9pm NYC time on WKCR 89.9FM, WKCR-HD1 and wkcr.org. Tuesday morning it goes up on the Deep Focus podcast on your favorite podcasting app or at our hosting site https://mitchgoldman.podbean.com/ You can also find out more about the show and search for past episodes here: https://mitchgoldman.com/about-deep-focus/ #WKCR #JazzAlternatives #DeepFocus #WilliamHooker #RasMoshe #MitchGoldman #DeepFocus #JazzRadio #JazzPodcast Photo credit: fair use.
Sunny Murray changed our whole conception of what drums could do in music. In this rebroadcast of Mitch Goldman's Deep Focus from 2018, fellow drummer/composer William Hooker thinks (and feels) as deeply about the role of drums as anyone we have heard speak on the topic. Special guest appearance from reedman/scholar Ras Moshe. This Monday night (6/13) from 6pm to 9pm NYC time on WKCR 89.9FM, WKCR-HD1 and wkcr.org. Tuesday morning it goes up on the Deep Focus podcast on your favorite podcasting app or at our hosting site https://mitchgoldman.podbean.com/ You can also find out more about the show and search for past episodes here: https://mitchgoldman.com/about-deep-focus/ #WKCR #JazzAlternatives #DeepFocus #WilliamHooker #RasMoshe #MitchGoldman #DeepFocus #JazzRadio #JazzPodcast Photo credit: fair use.
Sunny Murray changed our whole conception of what drums could do in music. In this rebroadcast of Mitch Goldman's Deep Focus from 2018, fellow drummer/composer William Hooker thinks (and feels) as deeply about the role of drums as anyone we have heard speak on the topic. Special guest appearance from reedman/scholar Ras Moshe. This Monday night (6/13) from 6pm to 9pm NYC time on WKCR 89.9FM, WKCR-HD1 and wkcr.org. Tuesday morning it goes up on the Deep Focus podcast on your favorite podcasting app or at our hosting site https://mitchgoldman.podbean.com/ You can also find out more about the show and search for past episodes here: https://mitchgoldman.com/about-deep-focus/ And a special mention: William Hooker's feature-length documentary, "the Lost Generation: Outside the Mainstream" is showing at Anthology Film Archives, 32 2nd Ave. NYC, this Sunday, June 19th, 2022 7:00 PM #WKCR #JazzAlternatives #DeepFocus #WilliamHooker #RasMoshe #MitchGoldman #DeepFocus #JazzRadio #JazzPodcast
SPLASH! Mini-Mutations vs. The Shat; b-Aluria from Brazil, Jandek, Lydia Lunch, Italian Post-Industrial Music, Patti Smith, William Hooker, everything that is stretched & saturated… PLAYLIST: Mini-Mutations “A Visible Spectrum” [The Study of the Universe] Mini-Mutations “Mercury, Venus, Earth & The Moon” [The Study of … Continue reading →
To mark the beginning of our third season, we start right where we left off, with a vernal equinox walk in the woods. As we make our way on the trail, we'll discuss the meanings and histories of this threshold into spring, and feature a variety of ways that the equinox is celebrated around the world. Special thanks to David Brandon Ross for composing and performing the meditation featured at the end of the episode. David Brandon Ross (he/him) holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Berklee College of Music Boston, MA as well as a degree in mechanical design from SUNY Corning, NY. He studied theater with Charles Combs at Berklee and also trained at Dell'arte school of physical theater in Blue Lake California. Dave has been composing, performing and recording in the NYC avant garde music scene since 2002 releasing numerous albums as a leader and side man. He is the recipient of a Boston Music award and has played at Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center for the arts in Washington, DC and Vision Festival, NYC with artist Henry Grimes, William Hooker, JD Parran, Jason Hwang and many others. Dave is the author of a US patent and has designed and built many unique instruments including the patent pending Outar. He is a passionate music tinkerer. He instantly fell in love with the ability to combine sociological change with improvisational theater, acting and music through the live foley and on the spot scoring that is required in Playback theater. Dave is also owner and CEO of Gleefulwellness LLC which brings uplifting services to the community through art and wellness. Dave is honored to be a proud member of Big Apple Playback Theatre since 2019. You can find him on Spotify. Tree Speech's host, Dori Robinson (she/hers), is a director, playwright, dramaturg, and educator who seeks and develops projects that explore social consciousness, personal heritage, and the difference one individual can have on their own community. Some of her great loves include teaching, the Oxford comma, intersectional feminism, and traveling. With a Masters degree from NYU's Educational Theatre program, she continues to share her love of Shakespeare, new play development, political theatre, and gender in performance. Dori's original plays have been produced in New York, Chicago, and Boston. More information at https://www.dorirobinson.com This week's episode was recorded in Massachusetts on the native lands of the Wabanaki Confederacy, Pennacook, Massachusett, and Pawtucket people. Logo design by Mill Riot. Special thanks to the Western Avenue Lofts and Studios for all their support. Tree Speech is produced and co-written by Jonathan Zautner with Alight Theater Guild. The mission of the guild is to advance compelling theatrical endeavors that showcase the diversity of our ever-changing world in order to build strong artists whose work creates empathy, challenges the status quo and unites communities. For more information about our work and programs, please visit www.alighttheater.org. Learn more about the podcast at: www.treespeechpodcast.com, and IG: treespeechpodcast --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/treespeech/message
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/somethingcame... Website: https://www.williamhooker.com/ Subscribe to SOMETHING came from Baltimore (It's a music interview podcast about Jazz/Blues/R&B and not really about Baltimore) Also, Subscribe to The Beatles Come To America (limited-run with Brooke Halpin, we review all the Beatles US Albums) To Subscribe go to: Youtube, Itunes, Anchor, Spotify, Amazon Podcasts, Google Podcast, Overcast, Breaker, Castbox, Radio Public, Podbay, Stitcher....and more! Contacts: Email: somethingcamefrombaltimore@gmail.com Twitter: something came from baltimore (@tom_gouker) / Twitter Instagram: Something Came From Baltimore (@something.came.from.baltimore) TheBocX.com - SOMETHING came from Baltimore THE SHOW INFO: Something came from Baltimore is a Podcast and a 30-minute radio show and can be heard weekly (Thursday's at 7pm EST) it's called, SOMETHING came from Baltimore THE SHOW. Check out the Station: Jazz Music Radio - The BocX Streaming Jazzy Music Spotify Playlist: Spotify Playlist: Here is a list of my favorite shows from 2021....Best Songs of 2021! https://open.spotify.com/playlist/16C... Support Info: THE LISTENER SUPPORT BUTTON IN THE SHOW NOTES IS ACTIVE. Thank you so much. It's a lot of work! Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/somethingcame... --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/somethingcame-from-baltim/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/somethingcame-from-baltim/support
13e émission de la 51e session... Cette semaine, jazz spirituel et free! En musique: Isaiah Collier & The Chosen Few sur l'album Cosmic Transitions (Division 81, 2021); William Hooker sur l'album Big Moon (Org Music, 2021); Mototeru Takagi Quartet sur l'album Live at Little John, Yokohama 1999 (NoBusiness, 2021); Erin Rogers sur l'album 2000 Miles (Relative Pitch, 2021)...
13e émission de la 51e session... Cette semaine, jazz spirituel et free! En musique: Isaiah Collier & The Chosen Few sur l'album Cosmic Transitions (Division 81, 2021); William Hooker sur l'album Big Moon (Org Music, 2021); Mototeru Takagi Quartet sur l'album Live at Little John, Yokohama 1999 (NoBusiness, 2021); Erin Rogers sur l'album 2000 Miles (Relative Pitch, 2021)...
William Hooker has been paving a unique musical path since his initial independent releases in the early 80s, through to today with the release of the monumental LP "Big Moon". Today William shares his approach, discusses his need to look forward, continue to create and chase his artistic vision. Topics include: Music and art through the pandemic Composing his music The distance from "...Is Eternal Life" Influences on his life and art Finding music in nature Recommending music Where to begin with Free Jazz Tension and creativity with other artists Big Moon and Symphonie of Flowers Let's meet in Japan! Extended interview available here: www.Patreon.com/VinylGuide Listen on Apple: https://apple.co/2Y6ORU0 Listen on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/36qhlc8 Follow our Podcast: https://linktr.ee/vinylguide Facebook: www.Facebook.com/VinylGuide Instagram: www.Instagram.com/VinylGuide Support our show: www.Patreon.com/VinylGuide If you like records, just starting a collection or are an uber-nerd with a house-full of vinyl, this is the podcast for you. Nate Goyer is The Vinyl Guide and discusses all things music and record-related
Avant-garde drummer talks about his involvement in the New York City art and music scene in the 1970's and 80's.
What will be revealed on Deep Focus this Monday night? In every episode of Deep Focus, we discover new facets of (at least) 2 artists: our guest lends insight about the subject but the guest also inevitably reveals new sides of him or herself. So what do we get when we listen to Don Pullen's music with a fellow conceptualist like William Hooker? Host Mitch Goldman says, "I could tell you but wouldn't you rather hear it for yourself?" It's on the Deep Focus podcast on your favorite podcasting app or at https://mitchgoldman.podbean.com/ #WKCR #JazzAlternatives #DonPullen #WilliamHooker #DeepFocus #MitchGoldman Photo credit: fair use.
What will be revealed on Deep Focus this Monday night? In every episode of Deep Focus, we discover new facets of (at least) 2 artists: our guest lends insight about the subject but the guest also inevitably reveals new sides of him or herself. So what do we get when we listen to Don Pullen's music with a fellow conceptualist like William Hooker? Host Mitch Goldman says, "I could tell you but wouldn't you rather hear it for yourself?" It's on the Deep Focus podcast on your favorite podcasting app or at https://mitchgoldman.podbean.com/ #WKCR #JazzAlternatives #DonPullen #WilliamHooker #DeepFocus #MitchGoldman Photo credit: fair use.
What will be revealed on this Deep Focus? In every episode of Deep Focus, we discover new facets of (at least) 2 artists: our guest lends insight about the subject but the guest also inevitably reveals new sides of him or herself. So what do we get when we listen to Don Pullen's music with a fellow conceptualist like William Hooker? Host Mitch Goldman says, "I could tell you but wouldn't you rather hear it for yourself?" It's on the Deep Focus podcast on your favorite podcasting app or at https://mitchgoldman.podbean.com/ #WKCR #JazzAlternatives #DonPullen #WilliamHooker #DeepFocus #MitchGoldman Photo credit: fair use.
It's time for everyones favorite room in the house, The Jazz Room with host Joan Watson Jones. This week concludes the long conversation with drummer William Hooker. In this second part, he continues to talk about his CD's “Symphonie of Flowers” and “Cycle of Restoration.” William gives us insight into his own brand of music, his poetry and his podcast. You may watch these interviews also on YouTube with the links below: Part 1 William Hooker https://youtu.be/f3h7J0fed80 Part 2 William Hooker https://youtu.be/f3h7J0fed80 Learn more about William at www.williamhooker.com
Time to tune into the experience that is The Jazz Room with Host Joan Watson Jones! This week, Joan has a long conversation with drummer William Hooker. In this 2 part interview he talks about his CD's “Symphonie of Flowers” and “Cycle of Restoration.” William gives us insight into his own brand of music, his poetry and his podcast. You may watch these interviews also on YouTube: Part 1 William Hooker https://youtu.be/f3h7J0fed80 Part 2 William Hooker https://youtu.be/f3h7J0fed80 Learn more about William at www.williamhooker.com
How is it possible for the hitting of a drum to convey a sense of awe? A feeling of absolute splendor? A state of moral conviction? An awareness of human possibility, of self-liberation? Plenty of people play drums but few inspire these feelings as Elvin Jones does. And few have made as close a study of Elvin as fellow drummer/conceptualist William Hooker. #WKCR #JazzAlternatives #MitchGoldman #DeepFocus #WilliamHooker #ElvinJones #Coltrane #JohnColtrane #JazzInterview #JazzRadio Photo credit: Brianmcmillen, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
How is it possible for the hitting of a drum to convey a sense of awe? A feeling of absolute splendor? A state of moral conviction? An awareness of human possibility, of self-liberation? Plenty of people play drums but few inspire these feelings as Elvin Jones does. And few have made as close a study of Elvin as fellow drummer/conceptualist William Hooker. #WKCR #JazzAlternatives #MitchGoldman #DeepFocus #WilliamHooker #ElvinJones #Coltrane #JohnColtrane #JazzInterview #JazzRadio Photo credit: Brianmcmillen, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
How is it possible for the hitting of a drum to convey a sense of awe? A feeling of absolute splendor? A state of moral conviction? An awareness of human possibility, of self-liberation? Plenty of people play drums but few inspire these feelings as Elvin Jones does. And few have made as close a study of Elvin as fellow drummer/conceptualist William Hooker. #WKCR #JazzAlternatives #MitchGoldman #DeepFocus #WilliamHooker #ElvinJones #Coltrane #JohnColtrane #JazzInterview #JazzRadio Photo credit: Brianmcmillen, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
How is it possible for the hitting of a drum to convey a sense of awe? A feeling of absolute splendor? A state of moral conviction? An awareness of human possibility, of self-liberation? Plenty of people play drums but few inspire these feelings as Elvin Jones does. And few have made as close a study of Elvin as fellow drummer/conceptualist William Hooker. #WKCR #JazzAlternatives #MitchGoldman #DeepFocus #WilliamHooker #ElvinJones #Coltrane #JohnColtrane #JazzInterview #JazzRadio Photo credit: Brianmcmillen, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
How is it possible for the hitting of a drum to convey a sense of awe? A feeling of absolute splendor? A state of moral conviction? An awareness of human possibility, of self-liberation? Plenty of people play drums but few inspire these feelings as Elvin Jones does. And few have made as close a study of Elvin as fellow drummer/conceptualist William Hooker. #WKCR #JazzAlternatives #MitchGoldman #DeepFocus #WilliamHooker #ElvinJones #Coltrane #JohnColtrane #JazzInterview #JazzRadio Photo credit: Brianmcmillen, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
How is it possible for the hitting of a drum to convey a sense of awe? A feeling of absolute splendor? A state of moral conviction? An awareness of human possibility, of self-liberation? Plenty of people play drums but few inspire these feelings as Elvin Jones does. And few have made as close a study of Elvin as fellow drummer/conceptualist William Hooker. #WKCR #JazzAlternatives #MitchGoldman #DeepFocus #WilliamHooker #ElvinJones #Coltrane #JohnColtrane #JazzInterview #JazzRadio Photo credit: Brianmcmillen, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
As a young Jazz drummer in the Seventies, improvising drummer William Hooker frequently found himself on the bandstand as part of an organ trio. The sonic thunder of a Hammond B3 organ in the hands of a vibrant musician scorched an impression into him that will stay with him to his last days on earth. Although he heard the organ played night after night during that era, no organist that he heard then or since has matched the tumult that Larry Young brought. Larry Young, AKA Khalid Yasin, had a sound and textural approach unlike anyone else who has played the instrument. His early blues-inflected playing yielded to a harmonic concept inspired by John Coltrane wedded to an unequaled rhythmic and sonic range. Although he died under mysterious circumstances in 1978 at the age of 37, his work with everyone from Hank Mobley to Jimi Hendrix, Tony Williams to Miles Davis (That's him on "Bitches Brew") as well as his many exceptional dates as a leader have endeared him to a small coterie of very dedicated fans. In this rebroadcast of a Deep Focus from 2014, William and host Mitch Goldman will explore the WKCR archives for rarities and unreleased gems. #WKCR #MitchGoldman #DeepFocus #WilliamHooker #LarryYoung #JazzRadio #JazzInterview #jazzpodcast Photo credits: Larry Young by Francis Wolff/Mosaic Images. William Hooker photo courtesy of William Hooker.
As a young Jazz drummer in the Seventies, improvising drummer William Hooker frequently found himself on the bandstand as part of an organ trio. The sonic thunder of a Hammond B3 organ in the hands of a vibrant musician scorched an impression into him that will stay with him to his last days on earth. Although he heard the organ played night after night during that era, no organist that he heard then or since has matched the tumult that Larry Young brought. Larry Young, AKA Khalid Yasin, had a sound and textural approach unlike anyone else who has played the instrument. His early blues-inflected playing yielded to a harmonic concept inspired by John Coltrane wedded to an unequaled rhythmic and sonic range. Although he died under mysterious circumstances in 1978 at the age of 37, his work with everyone from Hank Mobley to Jimi Hendrix, Tony Williams to Miles Davis (That's him on "Bitches Brew") as well as his many exceptional dates as a leader have endeared him to a small coterie of very dedicated fans. In this rebroadcast of a Deep Focus from 2014, William and host Mitch Goldman will explore the WKCR archives for rarities and unreleased gems. #WKCR #MitchGoldman #DeepFocus #WilliamHooker #LarryYoung #JazzRadio #JazzInterview #jazzpodcast Photo credits: Larry Young by Francis Wolff/Mosaic Images. William Hooker photo courtesy of William Hooker.
As a young Jazz drummer in the Seventies, improvising drummer William Hooker frequently found himself on the bandstand as part of an organ trio. The sonic thunder of a Hammond B3 organ in the hands of a vibrant musician scorched an impression into him that will stay with him to his last days on earth. Although he heard the organ played night after night during that era, no organist that he heard then or since has matched the tumult that Larry Young brought. Larry Young, AKA Khalid Yasin, had a sound and textural approach unlike anyone else who has played the instrument. His early blues-inflected playing yielded to a harmonic concept inspired by John Coltrane wedded to an unequaled rhythmic and sonic range. Although he died under mysterious circumstances in 1978 at the age of 37, his work with everyone from Hank Mobley to Jimi Hendrix, Tony Williams to Miles Davis (That's him on "Bitches Brew") as well as his many exceptional dates as a leader have endeared him to a small coterie of very dedicated fans. In this rebroadcast of a Deep Focus from 2014, William and host Mitch Goldman will explore the WKCR archives for rarities and unreleased gems. #WKCR #MitchGoldman #DeepFocus #WilliamHooker #LarryYoung #JazzRadio #JazzInterview #jazzpodcast Photo credits: Larry Young by Francis Wolff/Mosaic Images. William Hooker photo courtesy of William Hooker.
As a young Jazz drummer in the Seventies, improvising drummer William Hooker frequently found himself on the bandstand as part of an organ trio. The sonic thunder of a Hammond B3 organ in the hands of a vibrant musician scorched an impression into him that will stay with him to his last days on earth. Although he heard the organ played night after night during that era, no organist that he heard then or since has matched the tumult that Larry Young brought. Larry Young, AKA Khalid Yasin, had a sound and textural approach unlike anyone else who has played the instrument. His early blues-inflected playing yielded to a harmonic concept inspired by John Coltrane wedded to an unequaled rhythmic and sonic range. Although he died under mysterious circumstances in 1978 at the age of 37, his work with everyone from Hank Mobley to Jimi Hendrix, Tony Williams to Miles Davis (That's him on "Bitches Brew") as well as his many exceptional dates as a leader have endeared him to a small coterie of very dedicated fans. In this rebroadcast of a Deep Focus from 2014, William and host Mitch Goldman will explore the WKCR archives for rarities and unreleased gems. #WKCR #MitchGoldman #DeepFocus #WilliamHooker #LarryYoung #JazzRadio #JazzInterview #jazzpodcast Photo credits: Larry Young by Francis Wolff/Mosaic Images. William Hooker photo courtesy of William Hooker.
As a young Jazz drummer in the Seventies, improvising drummer William Hooker frequently found himself on the bandstand as part of an organ trio. The sonic thunder of a Hammond B3 organ in the hands of a vibrant musician scorched an impression into him that will stay with him to his last days on earth. Although he heard the organ played night after night during that era, no organist that he heard then or since has matched the tumult that Larry Young brought. Larry Young, AKA Khalid Yasin, had a sound and textural approach unlike anyone else who has played the instrument. His early blues-inflected playing yielded to a harmonic concept inspired by John Coltrane wedded to an unequaled rhythmic and sonic range. Although he died under mysterious circumstances in 1978 at the age of 37, his work with everyone from Hank Mobley to Jimi Hendrix, Tony Williams to Miles Davis (That's him on "Bitches Brew") as well as his many exceptional dates as a leader have endeared him to a small coterie of very dedicated fans. In this rebroadcast of a Deep Focus from 2014, William and host Mitch Goldman explore the WKCR archives for rarities and unreleased gems. #WKCR #MitchGoldman #DeepFocus #WilliamHooker #LarryYoung #JazzRadio #JazzInterview #jazzpodcast Photo credits: Larry Young by Francis Wolff/Mosaic Images. William Hooker photo courtesy of William Hooker.
As a young Jazz drummer in the Seventies, improvising drummer William Hooker frequently found himself on the bandstand as part of an organ trio. The sonic thunder of a Hammond B3 organ in the hands of a vibrant musician scorched an impression into him that will stay with him to his last days on earth. Although he heard the organ played night after night during that era, no organist that he heard then or since has matched the tumult that Larry Young brought. Larry Young, AKA Khalid Yasin, had a sound and textural approach unlike anyone else who has played the instrument. His early blues-inflected playing yielded to a harmonic concept inspired by John Coltrane wedded to an unequaled rhythmic and sonic range. Although he died under mysterious circumstances in 1978 at the age of 37, his work with everyone from Hank Mobley to Jimi Hendrix, Tony Williams to Miles Davis (That's him on "Bitches Brew") as well as his many exceptional dates as a leader have endeared him to a small coterie of very dedicated fans. In this rebroadcast of a Deep Focus from 2014, William and host Mitch Goldman explore the WKCR archives for rarities and unreleased gems. #WKCR #MitchGoldman #DeepFocus #WilliamHooker #LarryYoung #JazzRadio #JazzInterview #jazzpodcast Photo credits: Larry Young by Francis Wolff/Mosaic Images. William Hooker photo courtesy of William Hooker.
Today we celebrate a man who published his garden journal in a book - and inspired countless gardeners and gardener writers with his resonant words. We'll also learn about a young botanist with drive and good intentions, as well as a personal beef with another botanist - both of these men had a dramatic impact on the Calcutta Botanical Garden. We hear some fascinating words about tree bark and pH - it's a little-discussed topic, but it's a good one. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book that helps us cook with flowers. And then we’ll wrap things up with a look at winter chores for this week from 1889. 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 Jade Plants Are the Low-Maintenance Houseplants Everyone Should Know About | MarthaStewart.com Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and original blog posts for yourself, you're in luck. I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. So, there’s no need to take notes or search for links. The next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community, where you’d search for a friend... and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events February 9, 1830 Today is the birthday of the English gardener and writer Henry Arthur Bright. As an adult, Henry began a diary, which would become a book called A Year in a Lancashire Garden. Henry’s book is one of the most beloved garden biographies of the nineteenth century, and Henry's book inspired future garden writers like Henry Nicholson Ellacombe, Theresa Earle, and Elizabeth Lawrence. And for today, I thought I would share a February 1874 excerpt from Henry's journal. Although this was almost 150 years ago, Henry was doing what gardeners do this time of year: worrying about how the winter would affect the garden, noticing the progress of the earliest blooming trees and shrubs, cleaning up and editing the garden for the new season, looking through his garden magazines for new and old plants, experiencing some disappointment in the spring showing of some of his flowers (in this case, his Aconites), and mulling over why some spring-flowering bulbs go unappreciated - like the humble spring Crocus. “Since I wrote, we have had the sharpest and keenest frost — sharper than we have had all the winter... Now spring has come again, and (as Horace says) has "shivered" through the trees. The Elders are already unfolding their leaves, and a Lonicera ("lon-ISS-er-ah”) or Honeysuckle is in the freshest bud. I remember when, a few years ago, Mr. Longfellow, the American poet, was in England, he told me that he was often reminded by the tender foliage of an English spring of that well-known line of Watts, where the fields of Paradise, "Stand dressed in living green;" and I thought of this today when I looked... at the fresh verdure of this very Lonicera. But all things are now telling of spring. We have finished our pruning of the wall-fruit; we have ...sown our earliest Peas. We have planted our Ranunculus bed and gone through the herbaceous borders, dividing and clearing away where the growth was too thick, and sending off hamperfuls of Peony, Iris, Oenothera ("ee-no-THAIR-ah"), Snowflake, Japanese Anemone ("ah-NIM-oh-nee), Day Lily, and many others. On the other hand, we have been looking over old volumes of Curtis's Botanical Magazine, and have been trying to get, not always successfully, a number of old forgotten plants of beauty, and now of rarity. We have found enough, however, to add a fresh charm to our borders for June, July, and August. On the lawn, we have some Aconites in flower… This year they are doing badly. I suspect they must have been mown away last spring before their tubers were thoroughly ripe, and they are punishing us now by flowering only here and there. Then, too, the Crocuses are bursting up from the soil... "all gleaming in purple and gold." Nothing is more stupid than the ordinary way of planting Crocuses — in a narrow line or border. Of course, you get a line of color, but that is all, and, for all the good it does, you might as well have a line of colored pottery or variegated gravel. They should be grown in thick masses, and in a place where the sun can shine upon them, and then they open out into wonderful depths of beauty. Besides the clusters along the shrubberies and the mixed borders, I have a number [of Crocus] on the lawn beneath a large weeping Ash; the grass was bare there, and… it was well to do something to veil its desolation in the spring. Nothing can be more successful than a mass of Crocus, yellow, white, and purple. I sometimes think that the Crocus is less cared for than it deserves. Our modern poets rarely mention it; but in Homer, when he would make a carpet for the gods, it is of Lotus, Hyacinth, and Crocus… February 9, 1845 Today is the anniversary of the early death of the promising English botanist and naturalist, William Griffith. William’s peers in Madras, India, honored William with a plaque that says, “He had attained to the highest eminence in the scientific world; and was one of the most distinguished botanists of his age.” William was exceptionally bright and fit. Confident and capable, William made one discovery after another on his expeditions across the globe. But in researching William, while I discovered a man who was unquestionably intelligent and driven, he was also embroiled in a personal battle against a fellow botanist - an older peer named Nathaniel Wallich. One of the great botanists of his age, Nathaniel, was in charge of the Botanical Garden in Calcutta, India. During his time in India, he wrote a Flora of Asia, and the palm Wallichia disticha (“wall-IK-ee-uh DIS-tik-uh”) was named in Wallich’s honor. In 1824, Nathaniel was the first person to describe the giant Himalayan Lily (Cardiocrinum giganteum) - the world's largest Lily species. If you decide you’d like to grow giant Himalayan Lilies (and who wouldn’t?), expect blooms anytime after year four. Now, Richard Axelby wrote an excellent in-depth paper that shares the sad story of dislike and mistrust between William Griffith and Nathaniel Wallich. It’s a fascinating read, and it underscores the damage that can be done when people don’t get along. In a nutshell, when William arrived at the botanical garden in Calcutta, he essentially played the role of the new sheriff in town, and he didn’t like the way Nathaniel had organized the garden. He didn’t like Nathaniel’s arrogance and adherence to the old ways. And for his part, Nathaniel hadn’t anticipated this kind of challenge to his authority; He had hoped to finish out his final years respected and revered until he received his pension and returned to England. When Nathaniel’s health deteriorated, he was forced to leave the Calcutta Botanical Garden, and he went to the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa to recover. During his absence, William went to work. After being put in charge of the garden, William set about executing a complete renovation. In hindsight, William’s personal feelings likely got in the way of exercising a more thoughtful redesign. He essentially threw the baby out with the bathwater. For instance, there was an avenue of stately Cycas trees that was beloved by visitors to the garden; they were wiped out. William’s total dedication to organizing the garden by classification meant that aesthetics and common sense were secondary, and that proved detrimental to the garden. Plants that had thrived under the canopy of established trees and shrubs were suddenly exposed to the harsh Indian sun, and they burned and perished out in the open. And even if he could be a difficult man to work with, it’s hard not to imagine the shock Nathaniel experienced when he returned to the garden in the summer of 1844 and saw the complete devastation in every bed, every planting, and every corner of the garden. Nothing was untouched - it had all been changed. And as Nathaniel returned to the garden that summer, William was preparing to leave. In September, he married his brother’s wife’s sister - Emily Henderson - by the end of the year, on December 11th, and he quit and left the garden for good. Two months later, on February 8, 1845, Nathaniel poured out his pain in a letter to his old friend William Hooker: “Where is the stately, matchless garden that I left in 1842? Is this the same as that? Can it be? No–no–no! Day is not more different from night that the state of the garden as it was from its present utterly ruined condition. But no more on this. My heart bleeds at what I am impelled daily – hourly to witness. And yet I am chained to the spot, and the chain, in some respects, is of my own making. I will not be driven away. Lies, calumnies, every attempt... to ruin my character – publicly and privately... are still employed – they may make my life miserable and wretched, they may break my heart: but so so long as my conscience acquits me... so long will I not budge one inch from my post.” Well, when Nathanial wrote this letter, William and Emily were back in Malacca in Southwestern Malaysia - but all was not well. William had gotten sick on the voyage to Malaysia. It was hepatitis, and he had languished for ten days. And the very day after Nathaniel sent his letter to William Hooker about his broken heart at seeing his dear Calcutta Botanical Garden, William Griffith died on this day in 1845 in Malaysia. He was just 34 years old. Unearthed Words Each tree's bark will have its own pH, and some are more acidic than others. Larches and Pines are notoriously acidic; Birch, Hawthorne and Oak are acidic too, but slightly less so. Rowan, Alder, Beech, Linden, and Ash are little less acidic again, and Willow, Holly and Elm are getting closer to neutral. Sycamore, Walnut, and Elder are alkaline. The less acidic the bark is, the more growth you are likely to see from colonizing plants and lichens. Pine bark is often bare, whereas Sycamore might have a glorious guest hanging off its bark. —Tristan Gooley, New York Times Bestselling author, The Lost Art of Reading Nature Signs, Bark Grow That Garden Library Cooking with Flowers by Miche Bacher This book came out in 2013, and the subtitle is Sweet and Savory Recipes with Rose Petals, Lilacs, Lavender, and Other Edible Flowers. In this book, Miche put together more than 100 recipes to create beautiful flower-filled dishes for your table! This botanical cookbook features creations that will speak to any gardener: sweet violet cupcakes, savory sunflower chickpea salad, pansy petal pancakes, chive blossom vinaigrette, daylily cheesecake, rosemary flower margaritas, mango orchid sticky rice, and herb flower pesto. Miche is an herbalist, chef, and owner of a custom confectionary studio, so she’s an expert in preparing and using botanicals in the kitchen. Miche shares how to find, clean, and prep edible blossoms. You’ll also learn that the color and flavor of various blooms can infuse vinegars, vodkas, sugars, frostings, jellies and jams, and even ice creams. This book is 192 pages of edible flowers, visually stunning desserts, and one-of-a-kind creations. You can get a copy of Cooking with Flowers by Miche Bacher and support the show using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for around $6 Today’s Botanic Spark Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart February 9, 1889 On this day, The Lancaster Gazette shared a little snippet about the garden chores that should be done this week. So let’s see how our chores stack up against chores from the late 1800s. “Outdoor Work must have a full share of attention. Whatever... winter work remains must now be cleared up, or the consequences will be serious. Make quickly a thorough clearance of the vegetable quarters. Prepare all plots requiring manure at once, as it is much better to have the manure completely incorporated with the soil than to sow or plant immediately after manuring. The ground for Peas, Beans, Onions, Cauliflowers, and Broccolis must be liberally manured and deeply stirred. Mark out the quarters for Onions into four-foot beds and raise the bed six inches above the general level and leave the surface rough. At sowing time, the surface will be nicely pulverized through exposure to the air, and the seed can be set clean and rolled in firm... Choose for Potatoes ground on which Cabbage, or Broccoli, or Celery has been grown... last year. Make up sloping borders under warm walls and fences for early Lettuce and Radish. Prick out Broccoli and Cauliflower from seed. Plant.” Thanks for listening to The Daily Gardener. And remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."
Today we celebrate a botanist and orchidologist who saved Kew, We'll also learn about an orchid hunter who collected plants on behalf of the London Horticultural Society. We hear some words about the challenging experience of a botanist in 1874. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book about one of America’s earliest botanists and the father of America’s first female botanist. And then we’ll wrap things up with a story of a plant that Joseph Dalton Hooker described as "The ugliest yet [most] botanically magnificent plant in the world." 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 Carnation – A Little History and Some Growing Instructions | Harvesting History Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and original blog posts for yourself, you're in luck. I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. So, there’s no need to take notes or search for links. The next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community, where you’d search for a friend... and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Important Events February 5, 1799 Today is the birthday of the British botanist, pomologist, pioneer orchidologist, and flower show organizer, John Lindley. John's dad was a nurseryman, and he ran a commercial nursery in England. Despite his array of botanical talents and knowledge, the family was always under financial duress. Growing up in his father's nursery helped John acquire the knowledge to land his first job as a seed merchant. This position led to a chain of events that would shape John's life. First, he met the botanist William Jackson Hooker. And, second, Hooker introduced him to Sir Joseph Banks. As a result of these connections, John ended up working as an assistant in Bank’s herbarium. In 1838 after Banks died, when the fate of Kew Gardens hung in the balance, John recommended that the gardens belonged to the people and that they should become the botanical headquarters for England. The government rejected John's proposal and decided to close the garden. But, on February 11, 1840, John ingeniously demanded that the issue be put before the Parliament. His advocacy brought the matter to the people; the garden-loving public was not about to lose the Royal Botanic. And, so, John saved Kew Gardens, and William Hooker was chosen as the new director. From his humble beginnings to his incredible standing in English Botanical History, John is remembered fondly for so many accomplishments. For 43 years, John served as secretary to the Royal Horticultural Society, which is why the RHS Library is called the Lindley Library. And, there are over 200 plant species named for John Lindley. There is "lindleyi," "lindleyana," "lindleya," "lindleyoides," etc., and they all pay homage to John. John once told his friend, the botanist Ludwig Reichenbach, "I am a dandy in my herbarium." John did love his plants. But, without question, John's favorite plants were orchids. Before John, not much was known about orchids. Thanks to John, the genus Orchidaceae was shortened to orchid – which is much more friendly to pronounce. And, when he died, John's massive orchid collection was moved to a new home at Kew. John's friend, the botanist Ludwig Reichenbach, wrote a touching tribute after John died. He wrote, "We cannot tell how long Botany, how long science, will be pursued; but we may affirm that so long as a knowledge of plants is considered necessary, so long will Lindley's name be remembered with gratitude." And here's a little-remembered factoid about John - he was blind in one eye. February 5, 1848 It was on this day, the botanist Karl Theodor Hartweg boarded a Hawaiian ship on his way back to England. The London Horticultural Society had hired Karl to collect plants in California. Yet when he reached London, the Hort Society was a little frustrated with Karl because he hadn’t secured something they really wanted: Bristlecone Fir seeds. A short while later, Karl severed ties with London, and he ended up south of Frankfurt tending gardens for the Duke of Baden for thirty years until he died in 1871. Karl’s journey as a plant collector began in the botanical garden in Paris. After working for the Chiswick garden in London, Karl began to turn his attention to plant exploration. Eager to travel and explore, Karl left for America in 1836. Although Karl was only supposed to stay for a three-year project, he actually ended up staying for over seven years. During the early to mid-1800s, native plants from Mexico, like dahlias and cacti, were all the rage. As for Karl, he became a noted orchid hunter. According to Merle Reinkka, the author of A History of the Orchid, Karl’s work was significant, and he contributed, "The most variable and comprehensive collection of New World Orchids made by a single individual in the first half of the [19th] century." A man of the world, Karl himself once dryly remarked, “All the way from London just to look after weeds.” Unearthed Words In 1874, the English botanist WEP Giles (William Ernest Powell) explored the vast deserts of central Australia. Setting out with his hunting partner from a base camp at Fort McKellar, he discovered a leak in one of his large water bags. The two men decided to continue, even though the temperature had already climbed to 96 degrees Fahrenheit. Camping that night, they hung their remaining bags of water in a tree to protect them. But one of their horses attacked a bag with her teeth— spraying the water all over the ground. Now neither the men nor the animals had enough water. — Anita Silvey, American children’s author, The Plant Hunters, Bringing Themselves Home Alive Grow That Garden Library Cadwallader Colden by Seymour Schwartz This book came out in 2013, and the subtitle is A Biography. In this book, Seymour gives us the first complete biography of the American botanist Cadwallader Colden. Cadwallader was the longest-serving Lieutenant Governor of New York. He was incredibly intelligent and multi-talented - a true Renaissance man of America's colonial times. A trained physician, Cadwallader improved public health, and he wrote the first scientific paper published in the colonies, as well as the first map of New York. Cadwallader was also the father of America’s first female botanist: Jane Colden. This book is 230 pages of the life of a multifaceted colonial Renaissance man: Cadwallader Colden. You can get a copy of Cadwallader Colden by Seymour Schwartz and support the show using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for around $4 Today’s Botanic Spark Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart February 5, 1806 Today is the birthday of the Austrian botanist and explorer Friedrich Welwitsch. Friedrich found a second home in the country of Portugal, where he served as the director of the Botanic Gardens in Lisbon. Friedrich had some fantastic experiences during his lifetime, but the pinnacle was clearly the day he discovered the Welwitschia mirabilis. The mirabilis refers to its unusual form. Portugal had to send him to Africa to collect plants - which he did for seven years. In 1860, Friedrich discovered a strange-looking plant that is actually a tree - a conifer and a gymnosperm - in terms of botanical classification. The Africans called it "Mr. Big." Now the Welwitschia is endemic to Namibian deserts, and it's also present on the country's coat of arms. When Friedrich discovered this unique plant, which can live for more than 1500 years and bears only two leaves in its entire lifecycle, he was so astonished that he, "could do nothing but kneel down and gaze at it, half in fear lest a touch should prove it a figment of the imagination." Imagine a two-tentacled octopus with very long arms and a red floral bouquet for a head, and you have the Welwitschia mirabilis. Welwitschia's two leaves grow continuously throughout the life of a plant. The pair of leaves are broad, leathery, and belt-shaped. Incredibly, some specimens, tested with carbon 14, are over 2000 years old. Today, if you search online, there is a spectacular photo of Friedrich seated behind a large welwitschia mirabilis. He's wearing a pith helmet, and the plant's leaves are clearly many times longer than Friedrich's arms and legs, which are mostly obscured by the plant. In 1862, Joseph Dalton Hooker described the plant in The Gardener's Chronicle as, "The ugliest yet [most] botanically magnificent plant in the world." Thanks for listening to The Daily Gardener. And remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."
This is one of one of the most requested Deep Focus episodes of all time. On June 6, 2016, William Hooker and Steve Dalachinsky were my guests for a Deep Focus on Cecil Taylor. Both Cecil's death in 2018 and Steve's in 2019 unleashed outpourings of love and admiration that they should only have been here to experience, both men vibrant omnipresences in the music world. They are both gone, yes, but you and I are here. Let's remember them together. It's a fun one! Photo credit: andynew, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
This is one of one of the most requested Deep Focus episodes of all time. On June 6, 2016, William Hooker and Steve Dalachinsky were my guests for a Deep Focus on Cecil Taylor. Both Cecil's death in 2018 and Steve's in 2019 unleashed outpourings of love and admiration that they should only have been here to experience, both men vibrant omnipresences in the music world. They are both gone, yes, but you and I are here. Let's remember them together. It's a fun one! Photo credit: andynew, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
This is one of one of the most requested Deep Focus episodes of all time. On June 6, 2016, William Hooker and Steve Dalachinsky were my guests for a Deep Focus on Cecil Taylor. Both Cecil's death in 2018 and Steve's in 2019 unleashed outpourings of love and admiration that they should only have been here to experience, both men vibrant omnipresences in the music world. They are both gone, yes, but you and I are here. Let's remember them together. It's a fun one! Photo credit: andynew, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
This is one of one of the most requested Deep Focus episodes of all time. On June 6, 2016, William Hooker and Steve Dalachinsky were my guests for a Deep Focus on Cecil Taylor. Both Cecil's death in 2018 and Steve's in 2019 unleashed outpourings of love and admiration that they should only have been here to experience, both men vibrant omnipresences in the music world. They are both gone, yes, but you and I are here. Let's remember them together. It's a fun one! Photo credit: andynew, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
This is one of one of the most requested Deep Focus episodes of all time. On June 6, 2016, William Hooker and Steve Dalachinsky were my guests for a Deep Focus on Cecil Taylor. Both Cecil's death in 2018 and Steve's in 2019 unleashed outpourings of love and admiration that they should only have been here to experience, both men vibrant omnipresences in the music world. They are both gone, yes, but you and I are here. Let's remember them together. It's a fun one!
This is one of one of the most requested Deep Focus episodes of all time. On June 6, 2016, William Hooker and Steve Dalachinsky were my guests for a Deep Focus on Cecil Taylor. Both Cecil's death in 2018 and Steve's in 2019 unleashed outpourings of love and admiration that they should only have been here to experience, both men vibrant omnipresences in the music world. They are both gone, yes, but you and I are here. Let's remember them together. It's a fun one!
Today we celebrate the German botanist who used gardens as classrooms. We'll also learn about the botanist who was a passionate advocate of forests. We’ll recognize the efforts of a key founder of the Linnean Society. We’ll hear a quote about December from the creator of Peter Pan. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book that helps you maximize your smallest spaces. And then we’ll wrap things up with the story of a witty English-American writer and illustrator who wrote about cats and the natural world. 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 and more. 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 Rain Garden Design and Benefits | Garden Design | Adam Regn Arvidson Facebook Group 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. 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 December 2, 1707 Today is the birthday of the German theologian and educator, Johann Julius Hecker. Johann recognized that a classical education didn't work for everyone, so he founded secondary schools in Germany that prepared students for practical jobs and callings. Johann referred to his schools as "the seed-beds of the state, from which the young, like trees from a nursery, could be transplanted in their proper places." Johann's work attracted the attention of the king of Prussia, Frederick the Great. King Frederick encouraged Johann to expand his efforts. So, Johann installed gardens near his schools to teach hands-on botany. Johann’s gardens included vegetables, herbs, and fruit trees. After realizing that the production of silk and the care of silkworms would probably impress the King, Johann strategically added the mulberry tree to his list of crops. Like the Monarch butterfly and milkweed, silkworms biologically evolved with their only food source: the Mulberry tree. Thanks to Johann’s vision to grow the school garden, both the teachers and his students tended to a large mulberry plantation and mastered the culture of silk and mulberries. December 2, 1758 On this day, the Scottish botanist Nicholas Alexander Dalzell was preparing to leave Karachi, the capital of the province of Sindh, Pakistan. Before he left, Nicholas sent a box containing nearly 80 plant specimens collected in Sindh to William Joseph Hooker. He also described a drug from India that he had received for the Karachi museum known as 'Kala mooslee' or 'black root.' Nicholas drew a sketch of black root for Hooker, and his drawing looked a bit like a jellyfish. Nicholas explained that black root was highly valued as an aphrodisiac and had puzzled several botanists in the past. After studying the sample, Nicholas concluded the specimen was actually the root of Calla aromatica. Today, we know this aromatic rhizomatic plant is a perennial herb native to India’s sub-Himalayan regions. The rhizomes contain a fragrant essential oil that is used in perfumes and cosmetics. And in India, the plant is used to treat joint pain and skin infections. Finally, Nicholas ends his letter with a little critique of William Hooker’s son. Nicholas had received a copy of Joseph Dalton Hooker's Flora Indica. He wrote: “I am rather angry. Tell Dr. Hooker, with my best compliments, at his saying there were no large forests in Sindh.” From his own time in Sindh, Nicholas knew firsthand that there were nearly a hundred forests in the province, with most of them averaging three miles in length and one to two miles in breadth. Today we know that forests meant a great deal to Nicholas. In fact, Nicholas Dalzell is remembered for his efforts to conserve forests. Nicholas was one of the first botanists to recognize the link between forests and rainfall. As forests were eliminated, Nicholas realized that the evaporation cycle was disrupted, which resulted in less rainfall and drier conditions over the surrounding areas, sometimes leading to drought. December 2, 1759 Today is the birthday of the English botanist and founder of the Linnean Society, James Edward Smith. In 1784, with encouragement from Joseph Banks, James shrewdly purchased Carl Linnaeus’s entire private collection and works. Like me, if you have ever wondered why Linnaeus’ private materials didn’t stay in Sweden and ended up in England, the answer is because of James Edward Smith. After Carl’s death, James acted quickly and made an offer too good to refuse to Linnaeus’ widow. By the time the King of Sweden learned of the purchase, he was too late. And although the King sent his agents to intercept the ship carrying Carl’s personal repository before it reached London, he was too late. Once the collection was securely in his possession, James founded the Linnean Society, and he also served as the first President. The Linnean Society is the oldest biological society in the world. During the 18th and 19th centuries, the Society was an essential hub for scientific progress. And here’s a little-remembered fact about James Edward Smith: he was the private botany tutor to England’s Queen Charlotte and her four daughters. Unearthed Words God gave us memory so that we might have roses in December. ― James Matthew Barrie, Scottish novelist, playwright, and the creator of Peter Pan Grow That Garden Library Small Space Garden Ideas by Philippa Pearson This book came out in 2014, and the subtitle is Create Your Dream Garden on a Windowsill, Wall, Step, Staircase, Balcony, Porch, or Patio. In this book, Phillippa writes for gardeners with small gardens, tiny gardens, or no garden at all. If you have little to no room for gardening, get inspired to makeover your minimal indoor or outdoor space with more than 40 inventive projects to grow plants where space is tight. Philippa’s ideas are a repository of the very best indoor and outdoor garden inspiration and ideas for the severely space-challenged gardener. With Philippa’s help and some imagination, there is no reason why anyone should not garden. Best of all, Philippa’s solutions won’t break the bank - which means you’ll have more money to spend on plants. This book is 256 pages of smart and innovative ways to make the little spaces feel bountiful and gratifying in addition to colorful and thrifty. You can get a copy of Small Space Garden Ideas by Philippa Pearson and support the show using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for around $3 Today’s Botanic Spark Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart December 2, 1860 Today is the birthday of the English-American writer, artist, and illustrator, Oliver Herford. Oliver’s wit was sharp and came through in his writing. He wrote: A woman's mind is cleaner than a man's: She changes it more often. — Oliver Herford, English-American writer, artist, and illustrator And he also wrote, A rolling stone gathers no moss, but it gains a certain polish. — Oliver Herford, English-American writer, artist, and illustrator A cat lover, Oliver wrote a few charming books about cats and kittens. Here’s a little cat-inspired verse Oliver wrote about pussy willows and bulrush: I sometimes think the Pussy-Willows grey Are Angel Kittens who have lost their way, And every Bulrush on the riverbank A Cat-Tail from some lovely Cat astray.” — Oliver Herford, English-American writer, artist, and illustrator, The Rubáiyát of a Persian Kitten And finally, here’s a charming verse from Oliver about the dark month of December... I heard a bird sing In the dark of December. A magical thing And sweet to remember. We are nearer to Spring Then we were in September, I heard a bird sing In the dark of December. — Oliver Herford, English-American writer, artist, and illustrator Thanks for listening to The Daily Gardener. And remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."
Today we celebrate the man who wrote Species Plantarum and gave us binomial nomenclature. We'll also learn about the Boston Landscape Architect, who kept a journal of his favorite walks. We salute the British orchidologist who saved Kew Gardens. We also recognize the man who designed the garden at the Frick Museum in New York City. We’ll hear one of my favorite poems about November. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book that teaches us to cook with Garden-Fresh Vegetables. And then we’ll wrap things up with a little story about a young botanist who dreamed of going to Sumatra. 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.” It's just that easy. Gardener Greetings Send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes, and so forth to Jennifer@theDailyGardener.org Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and 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 November 1, 1783 Today is the anniversary of the death of Carl Linnaeus. Thirty years earlier, on May 1st, 1753, the publication of his masterpiece Species Plantarum changed plant taxonomy forever. Linnaeus earned the moniker Father of Taxonomy; his naming system is called binomial nomenclature. Binomial means "two names," which in the naming game includes the plant's genus (which is capitalized or could be abbreviated by its first letter) and species or specific epithet (which is all lowercase and can be abbreviated sp.) If you have trouble remembering taxonomy, I like to think of it as the given name and surname of a person, but in reverse order. The names Linnaeus assigned live on unchanged and are distinguished by an “L.” after their name. And, it was Linnaeus himself who said: “God created, Linnaeus ordered.” November 1, 1859 Today is the birthday of the Boston Landscape Architect Charles Eliot. Charles was the son of a prominent Boston family. In 1869, the year his mother died, his father Charles Sr. became the president of Harvard University. In 1882 Charles graduated from Harvard with a degree in botany. A year later, Charles began apprenticing with the landscape firm of Frederick Law Olmsted. As a young landscape architect, Charles made a list of his favorite walks, and he titled it A Partial List of Saturday Walks before 1878. Between 1885 and 1886, Charles spent 13 months touring England and Europe. The trip was actually Olmsted’s idea, and the trip provided Charles with a smorgasbord of landscapes. During the trip, Charles kept a journal where he wrote down his thoughts and sketched the places he was visiting. Charles's benchmark was always Boston, and throughout his memoirs, he was continually comparing new landscapes to the beauty of his native landscape in New England. Sadly, Charles's story ended too soon. He died at 37 from spinal meningitis. Before he died, Charles had been working on plans for The Arnold Arboretum at Harvard, where he'd gotten to know the arboretum director Charles Sprague Sargent. Poignantly, it was Sargent who wrote a tribute to Charles after he died, and it was featured in Sargent’s weekly journal called Garden and Forest. Charles's death had a significant impact on his father, Charles Sr. In tribute to his son, Charles Sr. compiled all of his son's work into a book called Charles Eliot Landscape Architect. The book came out in 1902, and today it is considered a classic work in the field of landscape architecture. November 1, 1865 Today is the anniversary of the death of the British gardener, botanist, and orchidologist John Lindley. John served as secretary to the Royal Horticultural Society for 43 years. This is why the Lindley Library at the RHS is named in honor of John Lindley. When he was little, John‘s dad owned a nursery and an orchard. John grew up helping with the family business. In 1815, John left his small hometown and went to London. He became friends with William Jackson Hooker, who, in turn, introduced John to Sir Joseph Banks, who hired John to work in his herbarium. When Banks died, the fate of the Royal Botanic Gardens was put in jeopardy. Banks' death corresponded with the death of King George III, who was the patron of the garden. These deaths created an opening for the British government to question whether the garden should remain open. On February 11, 1840, John ingeniously demanded that the issue be put before the Parliament. John’s advocacy brought the matter to the publics' attention; the garden-loving British public was not about to lose the Royal Botanic. And, that’s how John Lindley saved Kew Gardens, and William Hooker was chosen as Kew’s new director. In terms of other accomplishments, John shortened the genus Orchidaceae to orchid – which is much more friendly to pronounce - and when he died, John's massive orchid collection was moved to a new home at Kew. As for John, there are over 200 plant species named for him. There is "lindleyi", "lindleyana", "lindleyanum", "lindleya" and "lindleyoides". And here’s a little-remembered factoid about Lindley - he was blind in one eye. November 1, 1906 Today is the birthday of the British gardener, garden designer, and landscape architect Montague Russell Page. Russell Page is best known for his garden classic called The Education of a Gardener. In his book, Russell shares his vast knowledge of plants and trees and design. The book ends with a description of his dream garden. First published in 1962, Russell's book shares his charming anecdotes and timeless gardening advice. He wrote: "I know nothing whatever of many aspects of gardening and very little of a great many more. But I never saw a garden from which I did not learn something and seldom met a gardener who did not, in some way or another, help me." ”I like gardens with good bones and an affirmed underlying structure. I like well-made and well-marked paths, well-built walls, well-defined changes in level. I like pools and canals, paved sitting places, and a good garden in which to picnic or take a nap.” Russell is considered the first modern garden designer. Like Piet Oudolf, Russell used flowers to create living, natural paintings. And although he designed Gardens for the Duke of Windsor and Oscar de la Renta, it was Russell Page who said: "I am the most famous garden designer you’ve never heard of." And here’s a recent twist to Russell’s legacy. In 1977, Russell designed the Gardens at the Frick Collection in New York City. However, in 2014 when the Frick was making plans to expand, they decided to demolish the Russell Page garden. After a year of facing public backlash in support of the garden (something the museum never anticipated), the Frick backed down when Charles Birnbaum, the founder of the Cultural Landscape Foundation, discovered an old 1977 Frick press release that proudly introduced the Page landscape as a permanent garden. Birnbaum shared his discovery on the Huffington Post, and thanks to him, the 3700 square-foot Page garden lives on for all of us to enjoy. Unearthed Words Show's over, folks. And didn't October do A bang-up job? Crisp breezes, full-throated cries Of migrating geese, low-floating coral moon. Nothing left but fool's gold in the trees. Did I love it enough, the full-throttle foliage, While it lasted? Was I dazzled? The bees Have up and quit their last-ditch flights of forage And gone to shiver in their winter clusters. Field mice hit the barns, big squirrels gorge On busted chestnuts. A sky like hardened plaster Hovers. The pasty river, its next of kin, Coughs up reed grass fat as feather dusters. Even the swarms of kids have given in To winter's big excuse, boxed-in allure: TVs ricochet light behind pulled curtains. The days throw up a closed sign around four. The hapless customer who'd wanted something Arrives to find lights out, a bolted door. — Maggie Dietz, American editor, and poet, November Grow That Garden Library The Garden-Fresh Vegetable Cookbook by Andrea Chesman This book came out in 2005, and the subtitle is Harvest of Home-Grown Recipes. Andrea shares 175 recipes developed based on her experience as a successful Vermont vegetable gardener in this fantastic cookbook. Her recipes are organized seasonally. To address those nights when the mounds of vegetables are just too overwhelming to try a whole new recipe, Chesman includes fourteen master recipes for simple preparation techniques that can accommodate whatever is in the vegetable basket. Andrea’s book is an old favorite of mine. After using her cookbook, I can tell you she’s both thoughtful and entertaining. This book is 512 pages of cooking ideas for any gardener looking to add both foolproof and tasty variety to their cooking with fresh produce. You can get a copy of The Garden-Fresh Vegetable Cookbook by Andrea Chesman and support the show using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for around $5 Today’s Botanic Spark When I was researching John Lindley, I stumbled on an adorable story about him. When John Lindley arrived in England as a teenager, he needed a place to stay. So, Sir Joseph Hooker graciously took him in and gave him a room at his home called Halesworth. The story goes that, over the course of a few weeks, the Halesworth housekeeper had observed that John‘s bed was always neat as a pin. It was clear to her that John never slept in it. This led the housekeeper to wonder what Lindley was up to and where he was sleeping. She began to worry that he might not be the kind of person they wanted at Halesworth. When her worry got the best of her, she brought the matter to Hooker's attention. In short order, Hooker confronted John and asked him to account for his unused bed. John calmly explained that he was hoping to go to Sumatra to collect plants. Anticipating the physical difficulties of plant exploration, John had been spending every night sleeping on the boards of the hardwood floor in his room. The net result was that John got to keep living at Halesworth, where he wrote his first book called Observations on the Structure of Fruits. Sadly, John never made it to Sumatra.
Billy Bang wasn’t called “Billy Bang” for nothing. He earned that name as a demolitions expert in Viet Nam but it was equally apt when he was blowing up the violin in searing explosions filled with joy and heartache. Few know this as well as drummer William Hooker who toured and recorded with Billy. William Hooker has never released the recordings but he shares them with us in this Deep Focus from 2017 on Billy Bang. #WKCR #DeepFocus #WilliamHooker #BillyBang #MitchGoldman #JazzRadio #JazzInterview #Jazz #CreativeMusic Photo credit: One dead president / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)
Billy Bang wasn’t called “Billy Bang” for nothing. He earned that name as a demolitions expert in Viet Nam but it was equally apt when he was blowing up the violin in searing explosions filled with joy and heartache. Few know this as well as drummer William Hooker who toured and recorded with Billy. William Hooker has never released the recordings but he shares them with us in this Deep Focus from 2017 on Billy Bang. #WKCR #DeepFocus #WilliamHooker #BillyBang #MitchGoldman #JazzRadio #JazzInterview #Jazz #CreativeMusic Photo credit: One dead president / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)
Billy Bang wasn’t called “Billy Bang” for nothing. He earned that name as a demolitions expert in Viet Nam but it was equally apt when he was blowing up the violin in searing explosions filled with joy and heartache. Few know this as well as drummer William Hooker who toured and recorded with Billy.William Hooker has never released the recordings but he shares them with us in this Deep Focus from 2017 on Billy Bang. #WKCR #DeepFocus #WilliamHooker #BillyBang #MitchGoldman #JazzRadio #JazzInterview #Jazz #CreativeMusicPhoto credit: One dead president / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)
Billy Bang wasn’t called “Billy Bang” for nothing. He earned that name as a demolitions expert in Viet Nam but it was equally apt when he was blowing up the violin in searing explosions filled with joy and heartache. Few know this as well as drummer William Hooker who toured and recorded with Billy.William Hooker has never released the recordings but he shares them with us in this Deep Focus from 2017 on Billy Bang. #WKCR #DeepFocus #WilliamHooker #BillyBang #MitchGoldman #JazzRadio #JazzInterview #Jazz #CreativeMusicPhoto credit: One dead president / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)
Episode: 3241 Green with Immortality. Today, we go green with immortality.
The lineage: you are required to know everything that has come before you but you are also required, when in the act of creation, to let that all go and simply be present in the moment. That is the way Milford Graves does it (and has done it since he played drums with our avatar Albert Ayler in the Sixties) and that is the way drummer William Hooker does it. Rare live recordings, first-hand insights and you.#WilliamHooker #MilfordGraves #WKCR #DeepFocus #Deep_Focus_Podcast #MitchGoldman #Jazz #JazzRadio #LiveJazz #JazzInterview #JazzPodcast
The lineage: you are required to know everything that has come before you but you are also required, when in the act of creation, to let that all go and simply be present in the moment. That is the way Milford Graves does it (and has done it since he played drums with our avatar Albert Ayler in the Sixties) and that is the way drummer William Hooker does it. Rare live recordings, first-hand insights and you.#WilliamHooker #MilfordGraves #WKCR #DeepFocus #Deep_Focus_Podcast #MitchGoldman #Jazz #JazzRadio #LiveJazz #JazzInterview #JazzPodcast
Today we remember a gardener who became a saint. We'll also learn about the woman remembered forever in the name of one of the world's most popular hostas. We celebrate the Scottish botanist who was the first to describe the Prairie Buttercup. We'll also hear some wonderful words about simply being in the garden. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book about gardening and friendship in a heartwarming book from 2015. And then we'll wrap things up with a wonderful pesto recipe. 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 My Relationship With My Garden Hose | May Dreams Gardens "In the spring, we optimistically buy that big heavy hose that is guaranteed to last a lifetime and never kink. And when we see that hose all wrapped up on the store shelf, we believe those claims. Then we get it home and discover what bad manners it has. Kink? Of course, it will kink the minute you look at it and even think about watering. Heavy? So heavy you can barely stand the thought of pulling it around the garden to water." Plant of the Week: Mukdenia rossii' Crimson Fans' ("muck-DEEN-ee-uh") "In 2007, I bought Mukdenia rossii 'Crimson Fans' after somewhere seeing--I forget now--photos of the pretty leaves. It grew. It's an easy plant with no fussy requirements at all except moist soil. (But wait.) ...Eventually, if the conditions are right, the green leaves develop a pretty crimson margin--the 'Crimson Fans'. Yes, I'm a fan of the crimson fans. And this, my friends, is where things get tricky--"if the conditions are right" being the operative phrase. Too much sun and the leaves will burn by turning brown. Not enough sun and the leaves will stay green. The challenge has been finding just the right balance between sun and shade. I've had this plant both in the ground and in a pot, as the trial and error experiment went on, year after year, trying one location after another to meet--but not exceed--the sunlight requirements." 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 300 Today, Catholics honor St. Phocas the Gardener who lived in Turkey during the third century. A protector of persecuted Christians, Phocas grew crops in his garden to help feed the poor. Phocas is remembered for his hospitality and generosity; his garden played an essential part in living both of those virtues. When Roman soldiers were sent to kill him, they could not find shelter for the night. Naturally, when Phocas encountered them, he not only offered them lodging but a meal made from the bounty of his garden. During the meal, Phocas realized they had come for him. While the soldiers slept that night, he dug his own grave and prayed for the soldiers. In the morning, Phocas told the soldiers who he was, and the soldiers, who could conceive of no other option, reluctantly killed him and buried him in the grave he had dug for himself. Although gardening can be a solitary activity, Phocas, the gardener, paved the way, showing us how to use our gardens to connect us to others through generosity and hospitality. 1883 Today is the birthday of the woman who is remembered for one of the most popular hostas in American gardens: Frances Ropes Williams. Frances had a shady garden in Winchester, Massachusetts. And, what is the most-used plant by shade gardeners? Hostas. That's right. And Frances had an appreciation for hostas before they became widely used in American gardens. A graduate of MIT, Williams was lucky enough to get the chance to work with Warren H. Manning, the famous Boston landscape architect, for a little over two years. Frances stopped working to marry Stillman Williams. But sadly, he died after almost twenty years of marriage, leaving Frances with four young children - two boys and two girls. Frances and her family loved the outdoors. When the kids were little, Frances made them one of the very first playsets. When the children were grown, Frances found purpose in her garden, and she zeroed in on her hostas. She became known for hybridizing them, and she even wrote about them for various botanical magazines. Frances discovered the hosta that would be named for her honor quite by happenstance. She had visited her daughter in college in New York, and she stopped by Bristol Nurseries in Connecticut on her way home. Nestled in a row of Hosta sieboldiana, was a hosta that had a yellow edge. Frances bought it and continued to grow it in her garden. Years later, Frances hosta ended up in the hands of Professor George Robinson at Oxford. Frances had labeled the plant FRW 383. When the professor couldn't remember what Frances had labeled the plant, he simply called it hosta Frances Williams. Frances's work with hosta helped the newly-formed American Hosta Society. After she died in 1969, a hosta garden was planted in her memory at MIT. 1886 Today is the anniversary of the death of the Scottish-born botanist and author John Goldie. He led an extraordinary life. He started as an apprentice at the Glasgow Botanic Garden. As a young man, another botanist bumped him off what was to be his first plant exploration. However, the botanical gods were smiling on him. The expedition was doomed when most of the party died from coast fever along the Congo River. Two years later, William Hooker encouraged John to travel to North America. He started in Montreal and made his way down the Hudson River to New York. He wrote that he carried as many botanical specimens "as his back would carry." On June 25, 1819, John was in Toronto. When he reached the east side of the Rouge River, John wrote in his journal of the wildflowers and especially the Penstemon hirsutus ("her-SUE-tis") that was growing on the east slope of the riverbank. John was astounded by the beauty and of seeing so much Penstemon in "such a quantity of which I never expected to see in one place." During John's incredible walking tour of Canada, he discovered a yellow variety of pitcher plant as well as a rare orchid named Calypso bulbosa. He also encountered the Prairie buttercup. John was the first person to describe Prairie buttercup. The name for the buttercup family, Ranunculaceae, is from the Latin term Ranunculus which means "little frog." The name was first bestowed on the plant family by the Roman naturalist Pliny the Elder. The name Ranunculus, which I like to call the Ranunculaceae, is in reference to these mostly aquatic plants that tend to grow in natural frog habitat. After his North American tour, John returned to the Glasgow Botanic Gardens, and for five years, he trained an eager young apprentice and fellow Scottsman named David Douglas. When Douglas met an early death, John planted a Douglas-Fir next to his house to remember his young friend. After John discovered the giant wood fern, Hooker called it Dryopteris goldieana in his honor, and it earned the name Goldie's woodfern. John worked tirelessly, and he recorded a total of fourteen plant species previously unknown to science. In 1844, John ended up settling with his family in Canada. He brought them to Ontario - a place he had especially enjoyed during his botanical expeditions. Unearthed Words Here are some wonderful thoughts about simply being in the garden. I love my garden, and I love working in it. To potter with green growing things, watching each day to see the dear, new sprouts come up, is like taking a hand in creation, I think. Just now, my garden is like faith - the substance of things hoped for. ― Lucy Maud Montgomery, Canadian author, Anne's House of Dreams Gardens are not made by singing 'Oh, how beautiful!' and sitting in the shade. ― Rudyard Kipling, English journalist and poet It takes a while to grasp that not all failures are self-imposed, the result of ignorance, carelessness, or inexperience. It takes a while to grasp that a garden isn't a testing ground for character and to stop asking, what did I do wrong? Maybe nothing. — Eleanor Perenyi, gardener and author She keeps walking, so I keep following, making our way down a stone path that leads to a set of tiered gardens. It is magical back here, garden after garden, the first filled with herbs like Mama grows, rosemary and lavender and mint and sage. Beyond that is a rose garden. There must be fifty rose bushes in it, all with different-colored blooms. We keep walking, down to the third tier, where there are tended beds like Daddy's vegetable patch in our backyard. "Look at this," Keisha says. She stands beside row upon row of little green plants with thick green leaves. She kneels beside one of them and pulls back a leaf. There are small red strawberries growing underneath. She picks one and hands it to me. I've never eaten a strawberry that tastes like this before. It's so rich, with juice like honey. It's nothing like the ones Mama buys at Kroger. ― Susan Rebecca White, author, A Place at the Table Grow That Garden Library Mister Owita's Guide to Gardening by Carol Wall This book came out in 2015, and the subtitle is: How I Learned the Unexpected Joy of a Green Thumb and an Open Heart. People Magazine said, "In this profoundly moving memoir, Owita teaches Wall how to find grace amid heartbreak and to accept that beauty exists because it is fleeting—as in her garden, as in life." Oprah.com said, "With her children grown and out of the house, Carol Wall is obsessed—perhaps overly so—with ripping out her azaleas. That is until she meets a certain Giles Owita, Kenyan gardener, supermarket bagger, general-life philosopher, and perhaps one of the most refined and gracious characters to ever hit the page (except that he's real)… A warning for the shy: The basic goodness of Owita's attitude may cause you to beam spontaneously as you read, leading to off looks from strangers at the coffee shop." This book is 320 pages of gardening goodness - growing both plants and lovely friendship. You can get a copy of Mister Owita's Guide to Gardening by Carol Wall and support the show, using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for around $20. Today's Botanic Spark Since we are in full-on pesto-making mode, I wanted to share a recipe that I discovered called Radish, Salmon, and Radish Green Salsa Verde Toasts by Amy Scattergood. Radish-Green Salsa Verde 2 cups radish greens, from approximately 2 bunches, chopped 1 cup cilantro 1/ 2 cup extra virgin olive oil 3 garlic cloves Salt Zest and juice from 1 lemon Zest and juice from 1 orange In a food processor or blender, combine the radish greens, cilantro, oil, garlic, a pinch of salt (or to taste), lemon zest and juice, and orange zest and juice. Blend until smooth. This makes about 1 1 / 2 cups salsa verde. Assembly 4 ounces crème fraîche 4 slices whole wheat or country white bread, toasted 4 ounces smoked salmon, more if desired 1 cup thinly sliced radishes Prepared salsa verde Divide the crème fraîche among the toasted bread slices, spreading it evenly over each piece. Top with the salmon, followed by the radish slices. Drizzle or spoon over the salsa verde and serve immediately.
The lineage: you are required to know everything that has come before you but you are also required, when in the act of creation, to let that all go and simply be present in the moment. That is the way Milford Graves does it (and has done it since he played drums with our avatar Albert Ayler in the Sixties) and that is the way drummer William Hooker does it. Rare live recordings, first-hand insights and you.#WilliamHooker #MilfordGraves #WKCR #DeepFocus #Deep_Focus_Podcast #MitchGoldman #Jazz #JazzRadio #LiveJazz #JazzInterview #JazzPodcast
The lineage: you are required to know everything that has come before you but you are also required, when in the act of creation, to let that all go and simply be present in the moment. That is the way Milford Graves does it (and has done it since he played drums with our avatar Albert Ayler in the Sixties) and that is the way drummer William Hooker does it. Rare live recordings, first-hand insights and you.#WilliamHooker #MilfordGraves #WKCR #DeepFocus #Deep_Focus_Podcast #MitchGoldman #Jazz #JazzRadio #LiveJazz #JazzInterview #JazzPodcast
The lineage: you are required to know everything that has come before you but you are also required, when in the act of creation, to let that all go and simply be present in the moment. That is the way Milford Graves does it (and has done it since he played drums with our avatar Albert Ayler in the Sixties) and that is the way drummer William Hooker does it. Rare live recordings, first-hand insights and you.#WilliamHooker #MilfordGraves #WKCR #DeepFocus #Deep_Focus_Podcast #MitchGoldman #Jazz #JazzRadio #LiveJazz #JazzInterview #JazzPodcast
The lineage: you are required to know everything that has come before you but you are also required, when in the act of creation, to let that all go and simply be present in the moment. That is the way Milford Graves does it (and has done it since he played drums with our avatar Albert Ayler in the Sixties) and that is the way drummer William Hooker does it. Rare live recordings, first-hand insights and you.#WilliamHooker #MilfordGraves #WKCR #DeepFocus #Deep_Focus_Podcast #MitchGoldman #Jazz #JazzRadio #LiveJazz #JazzInterview #JazzPodcast
Hilary talks to Ava Mendoza about sedans, music store paranoia, and the nuances of being “you go girl”-ed. AVA'S BIO AVA MENDOZA is a Brooklyn-based guitarist, singer, songwriter and composer. Born in 1983, she started performing her own music, and as a sidewoman and collaborator in many different projects, as soon as she was legally allowed into clubs. As a guitarist, Mendoza has received acclaim for her technique and viscerality. Her most ongoing work is as leader of experimental rock band Unnatural Ways, and as a solo performer on guitar/voice. In any context she is committed to bringing expressivity, energy and a wide sonic range to the music. Mendoza has toured throughout the U.S. and Europe and recorded/performed with musicians including Carla Bozulich, Fred Frith, Adele Bertei, Malcolm Mooney, Steve Shelley, Mike Watt, Ikue Mori, Mick Barr, William Hooker, Nels Cline, John Zorn, Jamaaladeen Tacuma, William Parker, Hamid Drake, Matt Mitchell, Jon Irabagon, Matana Roberts, members of Caroliner, ROVA, Negativland, the Violent Femmes, and more. Recordings are available on labels Tzadik, Astral Spirits, Weird Forest, Clean Feed, Resipiscent, and New Atlantis. Friendly critics have quoted: “It's… Ava Mendoza's deconstructing of blues and punk into brutal shredfests that's causing a ruckus in NYC's DIY hubs” (Brad Cohan, Noisey.Vice). “A wizard on a semi-circle of effects pedals, but… equally adept with FX-less technique," (Lars Gotrich, NPR). "Mendoza plays these songs. She makes them sing. Her technique is impeccable, but her playing is astonishingly expressive. She doesn't just bend blue notes; she wads them up into a ball and throws them up against a wall... Mendoza knows what she does better than almost anyone else on the planet, which is tell stories with her guitar." (Aiding & Abetting). She was featured as one of Guitar World‘s “10 Female Guitarists You Should Know”. BRANDS/SHOPS MENTIONED Peavey / Fender / Radack Guitars / Seymour Duncan / Brooklyn Lutherie / Line 6 / Boss / Boomerang BANDS/ARTISTS AVA'S PLAYED WITH or COLLABORATED WITH/MENTIONED Devin Hoff / Trevor Dunn / Malcolm Mooney / Steve Shelley / Devin Brahja Waldman / Peter Conheim / Alex Marcelo / Unnatural Ways / Tatsuyo Yoshido / Daniel Moreno OTHER BANDS/ARTISTS MENTIONED Minutemen / Mike Watt / Nels Cline / Carla Bozulich / Mr. Bungle / Fantomas / CAN / Negativland / Ruins / Violent Femmes / Echo & the Bunnymen / Fred Frith / Shellshag / Jennifer Shagawat / Jessica Pavone / Jessica Ackerley / Sally Gates OTHER MENTIONS Astral Spirits Records / Relative Pitch Records / RIOT RI / Seizure's Palace Studio / Gowanus Sound / Monheim Triennale AVA'S HOT TIPS -Make sure to test everything the repair person does before you leave the shop -To prevent string breakage, wind your strings around the peg as much as possible -Graphite on nut and saddles keeps your guitar in tune with heavy tremolo use AVA'S LINKS http://avamendozamusic.com (Website) https://www.instagram.com/avamendozamuzak/ (Instagram) Facebook MID-RIFF LINKS http://hilarybjones.com/midriffpodcast (Website) http://instagram.com/midriffpodcast (Instagram) http://facebook.com/midriffpodcast (Facebook) https://www.hilarybjones.com/gender-music-gear-survey (Gender and Music Gear Survey) CREDITS Ava's Bumper Track: “Dogbodies" byhttps://www.rachelblumberg.com/archcapemusic ( )https://unnaturalways.bandcamp.com/album/unnatural-ways (Unnatural Ways) Theme Music: "Hedonism" byhttps://towanda.bandcamp.com/ ( )https://towanda.bandcamp.com/ (Towanda) Artwork byhttps://www.juliagualtieri.com/ ( )https://www.juliagualtieri.com/ (Julia Gualtieri)
Today we celebrate the savior of the Royal Botanic Garden, Kew, and the fir tree described by Meriwether Lewis as "Fir No. 5." We'll learn about the man who discovered a plant that was called "the ugliest yet most botanically magnificent plant in the world" by Joseph Dalton Hooker. And, we celebrate the 124th birthday of the founding of the New England Botanical Club as well as the Landscape architect who helped create the New American Garden. Today's Unearthed Words feature poems about February We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book that reveals the Ingenuity of Animal Survival - in and out of our gardens. I'll talk about a lovely gift for a gardener - something that will likely become an heirloom in your garden family. And then we'll wrap things up with the story of the Happy Huntsman's Tree. But first, let's catch up on a few recent events. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart Curated Articles Turn To Turnips For Early Vegetables Gardening: Turn to turnips for early vegetables Nancy Szerlag, master gardener and @detroitnews freelance writer, had a chance to try Burpee Gardening @burpeegardens new turnip, 'Silky Sweet'! Terrace Garden Of A Townhouse In Bruges By Piet Blanckaert | House & Garden The magnificent terrace garden in Bruges ("Brooj") by @_houseandgarden Piet Blanckaert says: "Small gardens are a puzzle in 3D. You need all the pieces, big & small, & every centimeter counts. You need less of everything so that you can choose top-quality materials." 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 1799 Today is the birthday of the British botanist, pomologist, pioneer orchidologist, and flower show organizer, John Lindley. Lindley's dad was a nurseryman, and he ran a commercial nursery in England. Despite his array of botanical talents and knowledge, the family was constantly under financial duress. Growing up in his father's nursery, helped Lindley acquire the knowledge to land his first job as a seed merchant. This position led to a chain of events that would shape Lindley's life. First, he met the botanist William Jackson Hooker. And, second, Hooker introduced him to Sir Joseph Banks. Lindley worked as an assistant in the Banks herbarium. In 1938 after Banks died, when the fate of Kew Gardens hung in the balance, it was Lindley who recommended that the gardens belonged to the people and that they should become the botanical headquarters for England. The government rejected Lindley's proposal and decided to close the garden. But, on February 11, 1840, Lindley ingeniously demanded that the issue be put before the Parliament. His advocacy brought the matter to the people; the garden-loving public was not about to lose the Royal Botanic. And, so, Lindley saved Kew Gardens, and William Hooker was chosen as the new director. From his humble beginnings to his incredible standing in English Botanical History, Lindley is remembered fondly for so many accomplishments. For 43 years, Lindley served as secretary to the Royal Horticultural Society, which is why the RHS Library is called the Lindley Library. And, there are over 200 plant species named for Lindley. There is "lindleyi", "lindleyana", "lindleyanum", "lindleya" and "lindleyoides". Lindley once told his friend, the botanist Ludwig Reichenbach, "I am a dandy in my herbarium." Without question, Lindley's favorite plants were orchids. Before Lindley, not much was known about orchids. Thanks to Lindley, the genus Orchidaceae was shortened to orchid – which is much more friendly to pronounce. And, when he died, Lindley's massive orchid collection was moved to a new home at Kew. Lindley's friend, the botanist Ludwig Reichenbach, wrote a touching tribute after his Lindley died. He wrote, "We cannot tell how long Botany, how long science, will be pursued; but we may affirm that so long as a knowledge of plants is considered necessary, so long will Lindley's name be remembered with gratitude." And here's a little-remembered factoid about Lindley - he was blind in one eye. 1806 Today Meriwether Lewis described a tree he referred to in his journal as "Fir No. 5." The tree in question was the Douglas-fir. Later, on February 9, Lewis added more details about the fir and sketched the distinctive bract of the cone in his journal. On their way back across the northern Rocky Mountains of Idaho and Montana, Lewis and Clark would encounter the inland variation of the species, the Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir. The Douglas-Fir gets its name from the botanist David Douglas, who was the first to grow the tree in England successfully. When Douglas met an early death, his friend and teacher, the botanist John Goldie, planted a Douglas-Fir next to his house to remember his young friend. The lifespan of a Douglas-Fir Tree ranges from 500 to 1,000 years. And, Douglas-Firs are very large trees - reaching heights of 60 feet tall and up to 25 feet wide. In the wild, they sometimes reach over 200 feet tall. This massive tree is too big for residential landscaping. The bark of a Douglas Fir gets thicker over time, and that dense layer of bark enables the tree to survive forest fires with only some blackened bark. 1806 Today is the birthday of the Austrian botanist and explorer Friedrich Welwitsch. Welwitsch found a second home in the country of Portugal, where he served as the director Of the botanic gardens in Lisbon. Welwitsch had some amazing experiences during his lifetime, but the pinnacle was clearly the day he discovered the Welwitschia mirabilis. The mirabilis refers to its unusual form. Portugal had to send him to Africa to collect plants - which he did for seven years. In 1860, Welwitsch discovered a strange-looking plant that is actually a tree - a conifer and a gymnosperm - in terms of botanical classification. The Africans called it "Mr. Big." The Welwitschia is endemic to Namibian deserts, and it's also present on the Namibian coat of arms. When Welwitsch discovered this unique plant which can live for more than 1500 years and bears only two leaves in its entire lifecycle, he was so astonished that he "could do nothing but kneel down and gaze at it, half in fear lest a touch should prove it a figment of the imagination." Imagine a two-tentacled octopus with very long arms and a red floral bouquet for a head, and you have the Welwitschia mirabilis. Welwitschia's two leaves grow continually throughout the life of a plant. The pair of leaves are broad, leathery, and belt-shaped. Incredibly, some specimens, tested with carbon 14, are over 2000 years old. There is a spectacular photo of Welwitsch seated behind a large welwitschia mirabilis. He's wearing a pith helmet, and the plant's leaves are clearly many times longer than Welwitschia's arms and legs, which are mostly obscured by the plant. In 1862, Joseph Dalton Hooker described the plant in The Gardener's Chronicle as "the ugliest yet botanically magnificent plant in the world among centuries-old plants." 1896 Today the New England Botanical Club was founded by seven Professional and ten amateur botanists. The club was established to study New England and Alpine Flora. Dues were set at $2/year. The late 1800s ushered in several scientific organizations - like the American Philosophical Society, the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, the Massachusetts Audubon Society, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. What distinguished the New England Botanical Club was the fact that it welcomed amateurs as well as professionals. The early meetings were held in member's homes. Charles Sprague Sargent of the Arnold Arboretum was reputed to be a wonderful host. The club began as a gentleman's club; it would not officially admit women until 1968. Focused on botany, the group went on regular field trips - and they published a scholarly Journal called Rhodora. The group was looking for a one-word title, and so they held a vote. The options were Rhodora, Oakesia, Wasonia, Bigelovia, Gayia, and Nova anglia. The name Rhodora was created to reflect the clubs focus on studying the flora in the natural range of Rhododendron lapponicum - with the common name Lapland rosebay. Today, the NEBC is a non-profit organization that promotes the study of plants of North America, especially the flora of New England and adjacent areas. 1935 Today is the birthday of the influential landscape architect and author James Van Sweden. Van Sweden was an early pioneer in developing a new look and feel for American Landscapes, and his style is called The New American Garden. signature elements of the new American Garden are broad sweeps of flowering perennials and wild grasses. In 1975, van Sweden partnered with Wolfgang Oehme, and together they started their firm now known as Uehme van Sweden or OvS. Many gardeners remember that James created a purple Meadow for Oprah Winfrey's South Bend Indiana estate. In his book, architecture in the garden, Van Sweden wrote, "As I pulled up to Oprah Winfrey's front door for the first time, my immediate impression was that her house was divorced from its setting. Built in an elegant French-Chateau style, the house was visibly uncomfortable with the matter-of-fact Midwestern farmland that surrounded it. Nothing had been done to ease the transition from one to the other— the house and the site weren't talking. Over the next four years, we worked together to create an architectural context around the house, including newly-installed terraces and walls. The materials we selected, brick framed with the Limestone, echo the house, yet this architecture also conformed to the surrounding countryside, adopting its long, horizontal lines. In this way, we quite literally pulled out into the site." Van Sweden's books include The Artful Garden: Creative Inspiration for Landscape Design (2011), Architecture in the Garden (2003), and Gardening with Nature (1997). You can get a used copy of James van Swedens books and support the show, using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for under $5. Unearthed Words Here are some words about February: "Probably more pests can be controlled in an armchair in front of a February fire with a garden notebook and a seed catalog than can ever be knocked out in hand-to-hand combat in the garden." — Neely Turner, State Entomologist & Vice Director, Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, 1927 - 1968 Come when the rains Have glazed the snow and clothed the trees with ice, While the slant sun of February pours Into the bowers, a flood of light. Approach! The incrusted surface shall upbear thy steps And the broad arching portals of the grove Welcome thy entering. — William Cullen Bryant, American Romantic poet, A Winter Piece I stood beside a hill Smooth with new-laid snow, A single star looked out From the cold evening glow. There was no other creature That saw what I could see-- I stood and watched the evening star As long as it watched me. — Sara Teasdale, American Lyric poet, February Twilight Grow That Garden Library Winter World by Bernd Heinrich The subtitle of this book is: The Ingenuity of Animal Survival. The author of numerous bestselling and award-winning books, Bernd Heinrich, is a professor of biology at the University of Vermont. He divides his time between Vermont and the forests of western Maine. From flying squirrels to grizzly bears, and from torpid turtles to insects with antifreeze, the animal kingdom relies on some staggering evolutionary innovations to survive winter. Unlike their human counterparts, who must alter the environment to accommodate physical limitations, animals are adaptable to an amazing range of conditions. Examining everything from food sources in the extremely barren winter landscape to the chemical composition that allows certain creatures to survive, Heinrich's Winter World awakens the largely undiscovered mysteries by which nature sustains herself through winter's harsh, cruel exigencies. You can get a used copy of Winter World by Bernd Heinrich and support the show, using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for under $9. Great Gifts for Gardeners Okatsune Precision Hedge Shears, 7 5/8" blade, 22" overall length by Okatsune $62.25 These short garden shears are used by professional gardeners throughout Japan. Total Length:21in(535mm) Blade Length:6.9in(175mm) Weight:1lb12oz(800g) The handles are made of slick Japanese White Oak Today's Botanic Spark 1917 On this day, the Happy Huntsman's Tree was planted, which stands beside the Harrington family crypt. The Happy Huntsman's Tree is an Oak tree that honors the 8th Earl of Harrington - Charles Augustus Stanhope, who died on this day at the age of 73. When he died, Charles was one of the largest landowners in England, with estates totaling over 13,000 acres. Charles was the first business person to open a store in London under his own name. Selling fruit from his garden, his store closed after a few seasons. Gardeners would be delighted by his home at Elvaston Castle, which was settled among the most magnificent topiary; trees shrubs and hedges were fashioned into men, animals, pyramids, and fans. Even though one of his arms was useless, Charles was an active person. He was one of the pioneers of polo in England, and he also played as an old man. Vanity Fair published a caricature of him playing polo - sitting atop his horse with his potbelly and white flowing beard. And, Charles was an avid Huntsman. He was a master of the South Knot Hunt for over 30 years. During hunting season, he hunted six days a week. His obituary said that he never missed a hunt unless he happened to be laid up with broken bones from a fall. At Elvaston castle, there was a little workshop where Charles liked to tinker with projects. At the end of his life, Charles was badly burned while working there. He was making a picture frame, and he accidentally bumped his left hand against the pipe of a stove. After treating it with oil, he developed blood poisoning and died. Charles left specific instructions in his will that upon his death, his hounds should be let out to hunt. Family lore says that when Charles was buried, the hounds bounded into the graveyard and gathered around the oak tree near the family crypt. They would not leave and could not be coaxed away. The tree the hounds were fixated on was dubbed the Happy Huntsman's Tree. There's a small plaque beneath it oh today it still stands in the graveyard of Saint Bartholomew's Church Derbyshire ("Dar-bee-shur").
Today we celebrate the Father of Paleobotany and the botanical illustrator honored by King Charles X. We'll learn about the botanical painter who got sick of painting flowers (he'd painted 800 of them) and the botanical illustrator who worked for Curtis's Botanical Magazine and Kew Gardens. Today’s Unearthed Words feature the hidden (and often unappreciated) transformations happening in our garden during January. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book that helps us understand plant physiology through an intimate and entertaining memoir. I'll talk about a garden item that can help you propagate your house plants, and then we’ll wrap things up with the birth flowers of January. But first, let's catch up on a few recent events. Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart Curated Articles Horniman Museum's gardener Wes Shaw - Gardens Illustrated Horniman Gardens, Forest Hill, London - Spotlight: Wes Shaw "The last place that blew me away was GARDENS BY THE BAY in Singapore. Amazing conservatories, landscaping & planting - taking horticulture to a new level. While I was there, I saw gardeners abseiling down the side of green walls and volunteers using tweezers to pick over the beds. Gardens should continuously change and evolve. I never see the point of keeping something looking the same as it did at some point in the past. What’s the next big project task you’ll be tackling in the garden? We are planning a Winter Garden for an area of the Horniman Gardens that needs a bit of a refresh.” High Society: The Expert’s Guide To Alpines Here's a great post from @AlysFowler featuring Richard Wilford - an alpine lover and head of design and collection support at the Royal Botanic Gardens @KewGardens. "What Richard doesn’t know about alpines isn’t worth knowing. 'We’ve got a very tall house to grow some very small plants' he jokes. Alpines are surprisingly easy and hardy and perfect for tricky corners and small plots. As their name suggests, alpines are from areas of high elevation, so they love full sun, cool roots, and cold nights." Check out Richard Wilford’s Five Easy Alpines: Sempervivum: will grow on sunny rocks, cracks in walls, and stony places. Put a little compost into the niches first, then nudge them in. Alpine pinks Dianthus alpinus: a tiny mat-forming evergreen with bright pink flowers. It likes free-draining conditions and suits pots, gravel path edges, and window boxes. Erinus alpinus, or alpine balsam: forms neat rosettes of narrow leaves and loves crevices. Campanula cochlearifolia (fairy thimbles or ear leaf flowers): Nodding blue flowers - Keep its feet well-drained. Phlox douglasii: A low-growing perennial - it grows in dry woodlands. It needs a dry winter, but good drainage and a sheltered spot by a wall will work. 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 1801 Today is the birthday of the French botanist and the Father of Paleobotany Adolphe-Théodore Brongniart ("Bron-yahr"). Adolphe-Théodore was born in Paris. His father, Alexander, was a geologist. There’s no doubt his father’s work helped Adolphe-Théodore become a pioneer in the field of paleobotany. A paleobotanist is someone who works with fossil plants. Plants have been living on the planet for over 400 million years. So, there are plenty of fossil plants to study and catalog. As one of the most prominent botanists of the 19th century, Adolphe-Théodore worked to classify fossil plant forms, and he did so even before Charles Darwin. Adolphe-Théodore’s work provided content for his book on the history of plant fossils in 1828. Adolphe-Théodore published his masterpiece when he was just 27 years old. Adolphe-Théodore’s writing brought him notoriety and gave him the moniker "Father of Paleobotany." He was also called the "Linnaeus of Fossil Plants." Adolphe-Théodore was not so much a fossil plant discover as he was a fossil plant organizer. He put fossil plants in order and applied principles for distinguishing them. In 1841, at the age of 40, Adolphe-Théodore received the Wollaston Medal for his work with fossil plants. It is the highest award granted by the Geological Society of London. It must have made his father, Alexander, very proud. Adolphe-Théodore was a professor at the Paris Museum of Natural History. He was the backfill for Andre Michaux, who had left to explore the flora of North America. Adolphe-Théodore's wife died young. They had two boys together, and when Adolphe-Théodore died, he died in the arms of his eldest son. 1825 King Charles X honored the Belgian botanical illustrator Pierre-Joseph Redouté with the Legion of Honor. To this day, Redouté is one of the most renowned flower painters of all time. Redouté was born into a Flemish family of painters. Growing up, his family supported themselves by creating paintings for the home and for the church. Redouté was an official court draftsman to Queen Marie Antoinette. One evening around midnight, she summoned him to appear before her, and she asked him to paint her a cactus. She was exerting her control; she wanted to see if Redouté was as talented as was reported. (He was.) Redouté also became a favorite of Josephine Bonaparte. Redouté’s paintings of her flowers at Malmaison are among his most beautiful works. Today, Redouté is best known for his paintings of lilies and roses. Roses were his specialty. And, Redouté's work earned him a nickname; he was known as "the Raffaele of flowers.". Now, if you'd like to really treat yourself or get a special gift or a gardener in your life, you should check out the book by Werner Dressendorfer called Redouté: Selection of the Most Beautiful Flowers. This is a large coffee table book. It is probably one of the most beautiful books I've ever seen; again, it's called Redoute: A Selection of the Most Beautiful Flowers. This book came out in September of 2018, and I finally just got myself a copy of it after mulling it over for over a year. the book features 144 paintings by Redouté that were published between 1827 and 1833. it's is truly one of my favorite books in my Botanical Library. When this book first came out, it retailed for $150. You can get new copies of Redouté: Selection of the Most Beautiful Flowers by Werner Dressendorfer and support the show - using the link in Today Show notes for $83. I managed to get an excellent used copy for $65. But, as I said, this is an investment piece, and it's also extraordinarily beautiful. I guarantee if you have this book sitting out, your visitors will be sure to comment, and they probably won't be able to resist looking through the beautiful paintings. Glorious. 1836 Today is the birthday of the botanical painter Henri Fantin-Latour (Fahn-tahn Lah-tur”). It's kind of humorous to me that we end up discussing Henri Fantin-LaTour today - right after Pierre Joseph Redoute - because Henri painted flowers as well. But, unlike Pierre Joseph Redoute, Henri got so sick of painting flowers that he could find no joy in doing it for the end of his career. All together, Henry painted well over 800 pictures of flowers over 32 years between 1864 and 1896. By the end of his career, the entire genre of still life flower painting was life-draining to him. He despised it. Yet, it's how he made a living, and many of his paintings bought to be displayed in homes. The painter James Whistler talked up Henri’s work so much that his flower paintings were quite famous in England. In fact, during his lifetime, he was better known in England as a painter than he was in his native France. Henri also painted portraits, as well as group portraits of Parisian artists, and he even painted imaginative compositions. He enjoyed painting portraits and his other creative work more than painting flowers. But, it was always the flower paintings that sold, and so he kept painting them to support himself. 1892 Today is the anniversary of the death of the exceptionally talented Scottish botanical illustrator Walter Hood Fitch. He was 75 years old. Fitch was one of the most prolific botanical artists of all time. His illustrations were stunning, and he used vivid colors for his work. In 1834, Walter began working for William Hooker. Hooker was the editor of Curtis's Botanical Magazine. Walter's very first published plate was of a Mimulus Rose. He didn’t know it then, but it was one down, and he had over 2,700 more to go. Hooker loved Walters’s work because his paintings reflected the way the plants appeared in real life; they weren't fanciful or embellished, yet they were beautiful. In short order, Walter became the sole artist for the magazine. When Hooker became the director of Kew, the promotion meant moving to London. He talked Walter into moving, too. Pretty soon, Walter was not only making illustrations for the magazine but for everything published at Kew. At the end of his career, around the age of 60, Walter got into a disagreement with William Hooker’s son, Joseph Dalton Hooker, over his pay. Walter left his post at Kew and became a freelancer. During his lifetime, Walter created over 12,000 illustrations that found their way to publication in various works. Unearthed Words There is a famous saying, slow as molasses in January. We often think nothing is happening in our gardens during the winter, As Alfred Austin said in his poem, Primroses (Primula vulgaris): Pale January lay In its cradle day by day Dead or living, hard to say. But this belief that January is a dead time in the garden… well, nothing could be further from the truth. Today's Unearthed Words are all about the productivity that takes place in our gardens in January. January is the quietest month in the garden. ... But just because it looks quiet doesn't mean that nothing is happening. The soil, open to the sky, absorbs the pure rainfall while microorganisms convert tilled-under fodder into usable nutrients for the next crop of plants. The feasting earthworms tunnel along, aerating the soil and preparing it to welcome the seeds and bare roots to come. — Rosalie Muller Wright, Editor, Sunset Magazine Nature looks dead in winter because her life is gathered into her heart. She withers the plant down to the root that she may grow it up again, fairer and stronger. She calls her family together within her inmost home to prepare them for being scattered abroad upon the face of the earth. — Hugh Macmillan, Scottish Minister & Naturalist, 1871 Over the land freckled with snow half-thawed The speculating rooks at their nests cawed And saw from elm tops, delicate as flower of grass, What we below could not see, Winter pass. — Edward Thomas, British Poet "You think I am dead," The apple tree said, “Because I never have a leaf to show- Because I stoop, And my branches droop, And the dull gray mosses over me grow! But I'm still alive in trunk and shoot; The buds of next May I fold away- But I pity the withered grass at my root." "You think I am dead," The quick grass said, "Because I have parted with stem and blade! But under the ground, I am safe and sound With the snow's thick blanket over me laid. I'm all alive, and ready to shoot, Come dancing here- But I pity the flower without branch or root." "You think I am dead," A soft voice said, "Because not a branch or root I own. I have never died, but close I hide In a plumy seed that the wind has sown. Patient, I wait through the long winter hours; You will see me again- I shall laugh at you then, Out of the eyes of a hundred flowers." — Edith Matilda Thomas, American Poet Grow That Garden Library A Garden of Marvels by Ruth Kassinger The subtitle to this book is: How We Discovered that Flowers Have Sex, Leaves Eat Air, and Other Secrets of Plants This book came out in April of 2015. Ruth Kassinger didn’t always have a green thumb. in this book, she'll tell you that until she completely understood how plants actually worked, she couldn't know precisely what they needed. Her story starts this way, “This book was born of a murder, a murder I committed.” The victim - it turns out-was a beloved kumquat tree. Ruth had decided to prune it. Her efforts made the tree turn brittle and brown. It made her wonder: Why did the kumquat die when a rose bush and a crepe myrtle that was pruned the very same way were both thriving? The dilemma is what made Ruth begin a quest to understand more about plant physiology. This book is part memoir and part science-class. Ruth writes with a friendly voice. This book is a beautiful way to learn basic botany - the marvel of flowers, roots, stems, and leaves. While we're learning botany from Ruth, we also get to know her personal stories. Ruth shares how she learned to become a better gardener. Initially, Ruth made the same mistakes we all make: over-watering, under fertilizing, making untrue assumptions about what plants need. You can get a used copy of A Garden of Marvels by Ruth Kassinger and support the show, using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for under $5. Great Gifts for Gardeners 3-Bulb Vase (Plant Terrarium) with Wooden Stand Retro Wooden Frame -3 Glass Plant Vases - for Desktop Rustic wood and vintage design, these decorative glass vases are perfect for propagating plants like hoya, pathos, Swedish Ivy, etc. It is a gorgeous plant prop for your home. The frame is made of natural wood, mottled surface; three bulb vases are made of High boron silicon heat resistant glass. The wooden stand size : 5.5"H x 11" W x 4" D; Each vase : 3.74 H x 2.75 W; Opening – 1 inch Diameter. Perfect for the desktop, in office, or home. Accessories complete- Easy to set up - ready for water (the hexagon screwdriver and screws are included). Today’s Botanic Spark January’s birth flowers are the carnation and snowdrop. Let’s take a moment to celebrate both. Carnations Carnations are some of the world's oldest flowers. They have been cultivated for over 2000 years. The Greeks and Romans used them and garlands Carnations are part of the Dianthus family. Their Latin name is Dianthus caryophyllus. The etymology of the word Dianthus is from two Greek words. Dios means Divine, and Anthos means Flower. And, the translation of dianthus means "Flower of the Gods." Carnations have different meanings based on their color. White carnations symbolize good luck and pure love. Pink carnations represent admiration, and a dark red carnation represents affection and love. Snowdrops January’s other birth flower is the Snowdrop (Galanthus). Snowdrops were named by Carl Linnaeus, who gave them the Latin name Galanthus nivalis, which means "milk flower of the snow." Snowdrop is a common name. They were also known as Candlemas Veils because they typically bloom around Candlemas or February 2nd. Snowdrops are an indicator flower signaling the transition from winter into spring. Thus, the meaning of a Snowdrop blossom is Hope. The word Galanthophile is the name given to people who love snowdrops. And here's a Fun Fact: a substance extracted from snowdrops is used to treat Alzheimer's Disease.
True informed consent means your doctor tells you about everything that could go wrong before giving you a drug or vaccine. Parents are not being made aware of all of the potential dangers. Polly Tommey is giving a voice to thousands of parents who were not given true informed consent and now have children who are permanently injured, disabled, or dead. Polly Tommey's sites: Follow Polly on Periscope and on Social Media: https://vaxxedthemovie.com/live-streams/ www.vaxxed.com www.vaxxedthemovie.com http://www.autismmediachannel.com http://www.autismfile.com/ http://www.autismcenteraustin.com/index.php/takeaction-home/ https://www.theautismtrust.org.uk/ Polly Tommey And Ashley James https://www.learntruehealth.com/autism-activist-polly-tommey-gives-voice-parents Highlights: What regressive autism is No eczema, allergy, asthma in the unvaccinated Effects of getting Gardasil HPV vaccine on teenagers Various effects of vaccine injury on the parents, siblings and those around them Dangers of vitamin K shot What Vaxxed movie is about What informed consent is In this episode, Polly Tommey shares with us her family’s story about vaccination and autism. She shares the benefits of not vaccinating and also the effects of vaccinating from hearing different stories of families who have either vaccinated or not vaccinated their child. Lastly, she also talks about the movies Vaxxed and Vaxxed 2. [0:00] Intro: Welcome to the Learn true health podcast. I’m your host, Ashley James. This is episode 403. [0:00:14] Ashley James: I am so excited for today’s guest. We have with us Polly Tommey, who’s a mother and an activist and a producer of documentaries that have blown my mind. I am kind of pinching myself talking to you today because watching you in the Vaxxed documentary, I was crying most of the time — a lot of tears of inspiration. A lot of tears of shock and sorrow, but at the end of that emotional rollercoaster, I walked away thinking that the entire world needs to see the movies that you’ve produced and that everyone needs to have this information. What I love about your message is you’re not fear-mongering, you’re shaming. You are empowering. So thank you so much, Polly, for the work that you do, and thank you for being here today to share your story with us. [0:01:05] Polly Tommey: Thank you so much for having me. [0:01:08] Ashley James: Absolutely. I’d love for you to start by sharing your story, your personal journey with autism and becoming an activist. [0:01:16] Polly Tommey: Yes. Well, to start with, my husband and I were extremely pro-vaccine when we had our first child, Bella. We vaccinated her. Of course, you must remember this is 25 years ago. So we did not have the schedule that you have today. This was in England. We have an even less schedule, vaccine schedule than you do here. So, it was really almost one at a time because that was the schedule. So we were very pro-vaccine. We had our second child very close behind our first. So we didn’t think twice, of course about vaccinating. Now, in the morning that I took my son Billy at 13 months into the doctor’s surgery to have his MMR, just that vaccine. I went and had a coffee just so that I could be the first one to tick the box on the book to be the perfect mother, which is what I wanted to be. I wanted to do everything perfectly. So vaccinating was part of that for me. My friend warned me. She said, “Did you know there’s been this odd thing on television about the MMR? There could be a problem with it.” I said to my friend, “There’s just no way this is true because the doctor would, of course, tell me if there was a problem. So I’m going to go with the doctor’s advice. He’s got a medical degree, and I’m going to go ahead and vaccinate my son.” So we vaccinated Billy at 9:00 that morning. By 5:00 that evening – and after the vaccine, he was fine but just very very very sleepy. So I just let him sleep and gave him Tylenol and all those things that you’re told to give him. At 5:00, my husband when in to get him from his crib, and he was having a seizure. It was really bad. His eyes were rolling back. He was convulsing. His back was arched. So we rushed him into the emergency room in the hospital. We told them, “What’s happening to our son?” They said, “What have you done today?” We said, “We gave him the MMR.” They said, “That’s it.” They told us. The medical professionals told us that it was the vaccine. So, they said he would be fine, give him some antibiotics. I mean, it all sounds crazy really back to you know, talking to you about it because I can’t believe how naïve I was. Yes, we gave him some antibiotics and lots of Tylenol, and he never got better. He never woke up. He got more and more sick and ended up with an autism diagnosis at 18 months. So, that made me so angry, so furious and we started looking into why on earth would the doctors say these vaccines are safe and effective? Why didn’t they tell us that our son could have a seizure? It’s on the insert. So we started our journey really telling other parents and going on the British television, media in England talking about the MMR vaccine, which was okay for a short amount of time and then suddenly the descend ship started. That’s when we knew we had a much much bigger problem. [0:04:10] Ashley James: How were you censored? [0:04:12] Polly Tommey: Well, they would come and interview us about our son’s story and autism because we were big autism advocates at that time and the MMR section would be cut out of the whole. So everything would be in the interview we got them on television but not the MMR bit. A South African film rages about the vaccine but when it aired, all of it were taken out. That’s when we thought, “Yes. Oh, gosh. There’s something much deeper.” Because the minute they start censoring you for something, there’s much bigger problem behind it. [0:04:42] Ashley James: Why become an advocate around autism? [0:04:46] Polly Tommey: Well it started because when we were told that Billy had autism, we didn’t know what that was. Billy is 24 now and he was diagnosed at 18 months 20 odd years ago. There was no internet like we have today. It was just big old computer things. We weren’t really good on that. So went to a library to look up the word autism and it says worse form of mental illness and your child will be institutionalized. We couldn’t find anybody who has autism. Now of course everybody knows some that’s got autism or you see it down the street. Anyway, after doing an interview we got inundated with parents wanting answers to autism. How do you look after your child? How do you stop the tantrums? How do you stop from smashing their heads against the wall? How do you deal with the medical issues? Because I tell you this, autism that I live in, the world I live in and most of the parents that I meet, it’s no gift. It is no all these people that wear t-shirts saying, “Autism is a gift, embrace it,” “I love autism.” I don’t love autism. I hate autism. My son is my gift and autism was some ghastly thing that happened to him following a vaccine, following a seizure. His brain swelled. His head swelled so much. He got encephalitis and he never recovered from that. So basically, he has brain damage. Autism is a word. Regressive autism is the word that medical professionals give our children after they are injured by vaccinates. That I know for sure. The confusing thing for all the people who believe, some parents both people I’ve met their child was born with autism. That’s fine but that’s not the same condition that my son has. [0:06:25] Ashley James: That’s a really good point that you bring up. I’m about to be 40 and when I was a child it was 1 in 10,000 had autism. I had some cousins that were born with it and they were non-verbal. So I inquired to learn more about it just to understand what was going on whereas now it’s something like 1 in 40 or 1 in 30 children but it’s not the same. They’re saying it’s a spectrum. It’s kind of a blanket statement for some form of brain damage. I interviewed a doctor, Dr. Klinghardt, who helps to “reverse autism” and help heal their brains. He says, all their symptoms are the same as autism once we detox the heavy metals and we do all these natural wonderful medicine and their symptoms gets better and better and better. Let’s say their symptoms completely go away. They’re no longer diagnosed with autism. Was that ever really autism or are we getting most of the people nowadays misdiagnosed? What do you think? Do you think it’s now a misdiagnosis and that they’re using this terminology just because the symptoms are the same? [0:07:37] Polly Tommey: I think that they didn’t know what to do. I mean my son was only ever diagnosed back then as autism-like symptoms because they really had never seen anything like it. The autism that’s described many many years ago started from birth. So when you get those parents – I’m a great believer in the parent knows best. The parent knows it child best so if the parent says, “This is not from vaccine,” or the parents say, “My son was born with it,” or “My daughter is born with it.” Then they know. We need to respect that. The regressive autism was never around before. This is a new autism that has come from vaccines. I’ve interviewed over 8,000 parents not all about autism but from vaccine injury. I can tell you that every single one of those parents that has an autistic child all the same things as me. That their children were perfectly fine before that vaccine or that group of vaccines went in and brain-damaged them. Because that’s what it is. It’ brain damages. [0:08:38] Ashley James: I watched one of my friends bring their one-year-old that was walking. He was walking at like nine months and he was so brilliant. Brought him in for his jabs, his one-year vaccines. He got a fever and he started to become limp and lethargic. Then he stopped walking for six months. By the time he was something like two and a half they diagnosed him with autism. She went to naturopaths and changed the diet, got him on supplements, did all kinds of things and he started to – it was like the fog started to lift. He was able to communicate again and connect again. He still has struggles. She sopped vaccinating after that. She saw that he was clearly vaccine injured. I’ve interviewed a pediatrician in Portland, Paul Thomas, who talks about in his 30 years of practice, he has zero cases of SIDS and all these vaccine injuries because he attracts parents that don’t want to vaccinate. Half of his practice doesn’t vaccinate but the other half that does choose to follow his altered schedule. The second he sees that a child has any vaccine injury he sops immediately. He says, “This child is no longer a candidate for vaccines because they’re showing signs of vaccine injury by one vaccine.” He wrote a book I think it’s called Safe Vaccines, the idea that he proposes that everyone should follow an altered schedule if they’re going to choose to vaccinate. Now I love the latest movie you’ve come out with, Vaxxed 2. Like I said, I cried. I couldn’t believe I was crying so much but tears of inspiration. It was really a beautiful movie. All the people that you interview traveling across the United States. I know you’ve traveled to many countries interviewing parents, showing what happens and what can happen and what has been happening. That these parents have been silenced. What’s so beautiful is you’ve given them a voice. Can you take us back and share with us what happened to how did you create the first movie, the fist Vaxxed movie? [0:11:01] Polly Tommey: Yes. So the first film Vaxxed: From Cover-Up to Catastrophe was directed by Andrew Wakefield, produced by Del Bigtree and I’m also a producer on that. My passion has always been the parents because I am one and because I lived it. So, even in the first film I interviewed Sheila Ealey who’s the African American mom. We have a very powerful interview in there. I was always the person who really was the parents’ go-to. Now, following Vaxxed when Vaxxed was going out of Tribeca Film Festival if you remember that. That gave us a platform that we could never have dreamed of that money just can’t buy. Because what they did by censoring us, yeah, I mean they censored us so much that it actually started trending. So suddenly we were on tour going to Q&As around the country. What happened really quickly is that there were huge lines of people wanting to talk to Andy, Del and myself tell us there story of what happened to them. So Andy and Del had to talk about the science. That was their thing and I ended up listening to the parents’ stories. Then I thought, “Well, this is pointless.” They’re all talking to me and that’s not going to get anywhere. So I found Periscope, a live platform to go and very very quickly it grew and grew and grew. Then we started going live on Facebook too and these stories has got shared. Now we have a huge community around the world that the minute I press the live button, they’re right there wherever I am listening to these stories. The bus became the iconic thing. It wasn’t us the people who made the film, it wasn’t the people in the film. It was the bus. People would come up to the bus they would start crying. They’d want to tell the story whether they were a medical professional, whether they were a parent, a teacher, anybody. Everybody had a story. To this day, we’ve just come back from California. The bus is parked in California now ready to go on the 4th of January. We’re going back out on tour. We’ll be going out all of next year because the demand for people to tell their stories is huge. [0:13:07] Ashley James: How do people follow you on Periscope? [0:13:10] Polly Tommey: So, if you go to Periscope you go to @TeamVaxxed. It will say PeepsTV, P-E-E-P-S TV, PeepsTV. You’ll see us there. You’ll see all the stories. Now there are a few fake ones. I ask you to be careful that you don’t get through on the wrong one but we are PeepsTV. Once you sign up, when I go out live, you will go out live with me when we hear every single story. It gives the person telling the story great comfort because I show them all the hearts and the love that they get around the world. It’s been a really very successful thing. What we’ve uncovered on the bus has been more fascinating than anything else. [0:13:52] Ashley James: When I saw – so watching Vaxxed 2 you show that. You show footage of you going live on Periscope and filming these parents sharing their stories. Time and time again you can see that they were so isolated. That they felt so alone. That they felt guilty, ashamed. They haven’t been listened to. They haven’t had a voice. They haven’t been heard. Then they got to go to the bus, the big Vaxxed bus that has what is it? Over 8,000 signatures. [0:14:32] Polly Tommey: Nearly 9,000. [0:14:34] Ashley James: Sorry. [0:14:35] Polly Tommey: Well, we’re approaching 9,000. [0:14:37] Ashley James: Each signature represents either a parent or a victim, someone who has been vaccine injured. Is that correct? [0:14:45] Polly Tommey: Yeah, or has died. Yes. Vaccine injured or has died. There are many many people that contacted me saying, “Please put my name or my child’s name on the bus,” which we do not do. We listen to every single story between myself and the other hosts around the country that are trained up to do this. We all validate by listening to the stories. So they can’t accuse us of just randomly writing anything on there. We really do listen to all of them. We know there’s way more out there. Following Vaxxed 2, it’s just like gone crazy. Everybody wants to tell the story. It seems to me, I will tell you this, it seems to me that if you had a vaccine of any kind you now have an injury of some kind. Because I have never ever heard of eczema, allergy, asthma any of those in the unvaccinated, which is one of the biggest things that we have uncovered around the bus is the undeniable health of the unvaccinated. Including in that is the vitamin K. The vitamin K seems to be a bigger problem than any of us ever thought. I mean all my children had the vitamin K. I remember thanking their midwife thinking that she was just giving my new beautiful baby some vitamins but if you actually do your research on the vitamin K, and we’ve got people testing it right now, there is synthetic full of aluminum. It’s got a black-box warning on it. It’s a really dangerous thing to be giving our baby. I’m just a parent reporting to you from the people of the world who have severe injuries and death following just the vitamin K shot. [0:16:16] Ashley James: So you said just the aluminum and for those in the United States it’s aluminum although I love the British saying of aluminum. Aluminum sounds so much more beautiful. So you’re saying that there are heavy metals in the vitamin K shot that they give to newborns that are between six and eight pounds. These tiny newborns that they’re injecting it right into their bloodstream aluminum? [0:16:41] Polly Tommey: Aluminum and everybody can do this research themselves. You don’t need to be a scientist or a doctor to do this. You got to get hold of the insert. The real insert not the fake insert that they give you at the doctor’s surgery and at those pharmacies. Those really are not the real insert. You can actually get it on the CDC website. They have to put it up there. They’re very very big, very long. You will need to google a lot of those words. You will be horrified once you understand what is going into the body of yourself or your baby what it is it’s actually going. It makes sense. I can’t believe that none of us did that research. I can’t actually believe that the pediatricians, the people on the front line that we trust so much do not know either about the ingredients in the vaccines. They don’t know. They had no training as what you saw in Vaxxed 2. Every single one including professor Dr. Moss and various other high high ranking doctors, they also say the same thing. Absolutely no training in vaccines other than they’re safe and effective. Here’s the schedule and they’re the saviors of mankind. That’s it. [0:17:45] Ashley James: It’s so frustrating because like you said you felt like you’re such a good mother being the first in line, being early for the vaccines for your children wanting to make sure that you’re doing everything to help them and then trusting 100% that our healthcare providers all they need to know for our health. But they have also had information withheld from them. Who’s responsible? We got to hold some people accountable. There’s so many vaccine-injured children. Like you said, there’s even deaths. I really appreciated that you covered Gardasil. You covered the HPV vaccine in Vaxxed 2 that hundreds, hundreds of teenagers have died. That is unacceptable. Then many of them have been left paralyzed and you’ve interviewed several of them, many of them. Can you share some of those stories? [0:18:48] Polly Tommey: Yeah. I mean absolutely tragic. When we set out on the road in 2016 on this bus, I didn’t even know what Gardasil HPV vaccine. I even never heard of it. Maybe briefly but I didn’t really think about it. I didn’t even know how to spell it. We went on road and by day two we had our first Gardasil story. After we went live with that we were inundated with people at the bus. I remember at one stop, I open the door 15 teenagers standing in front of me. I said, “Are you all here to support someone?” They said, “No. All of us have Gardasil injuries.” So one of the things that you do not see in Vaxxed 2, I mean there’s a lot of that we saw on the road that weren’t in the film. That’s mainly because you can’t put everything in an hour and a half. But a lot of young young girls 15, 16 years old following the HPV vaccine gone through menopause, their ovaries have shut down, they will never have children as they could’ve done before. Lot of girls claiming that they got the HPV, a cervical cancer following they had pap smears before the vaccine absolutely clean. Following that nine months later, they’re showing up with cervical cancer and of course the paralysis. The absolute brain on fire, the burning to their bodies. Many of these girls have committed suicide. One boy following this vaccine through the utter pain and being told that they’re psychologically ill. I just never seen anything like it. I really describe going out on that black bus around America is going into a war zone. It’s just a blood bath of vaccine injury. How people are living, it will just break your heart. These are people that work in good jobs. They get married. They want to be great parents. They want to start a life. They’re excited about life and they follow the system. They do as they’re old and then their life is ripped from them just because of one needle. It doesn’t just affect those two parents. It affects the other siblings. It affects the grandparents deeply. You just see poverty from what was a family that was coping going into absolute poverty because the parents have to be carers. Then of course you get the parents and the family members who then hit the alcohol or hit the psychotropic drugs or whatever it is because they can’t cope with the pain. You’ve just lost a whole load of people that could’ve contributed to this amazing country all because of a vaccine one moment in time. [0:21:16] Ashley James: My frustration lies in how polarizing this topic has become and I feel as though they’ve weaponized this topic so that we would just fight amongst ourselves and not rise up to demand change. If you look on Facebook, I have lost friends. I try to be neutral, no one is ever neutral but I try to just stand in the middle and say, “Listen. Can we at least have a discussion? Can we at least bring the information, look at both sides?” What I see is that there are people who, I’ve lost really good friends because of this because I’ll share something that just brings into question vaccine injury for example on Facebook. I’ve had friends and family members get very angry and feel like they need to defend the pharmaceutical industry. They need to defend vaccines. I am somehow a really bad person that wants children to die of polio. They’ll say these kinds of things, “Do you really want people to be an iron lungs? It’s so ignorant of you to question vaccines.” Anytime I’m seeing this, anytime someone wants to just question it or go, “Hey. It’s not right that there are vaccine injuries. Why aren’t we addressing this? Why aren’t we talking about this more? That it becomes a very polarized topic and then they get attacked. One of my friends, Green Smoothie Girl Robyn Openshaw, who has a really large holistic following is now being attacked online by I guess it’s called pro-vaxers. That she is being harassed. I’m like, “Why can’t we just ask questions safely? Why can’t we have these open discussions?” I imagine you have been attacked since this is such a polarized topic now. [0:23:24] Polly Tommey: You know, it’s really interesting. The people who attack me are the people online. I’m out on the bus right there in open view and then there’s no one around. Where are you? Where are all these people that threaten me and they’re all hiding behind computers. Now, of course we get the odd family members and we get the odd really good friend. It’s so sad when they throw the iron lung thing at you. First of all, let’s address the iron lung thing. If you see Vaxxed 2, you’ll see Colton’s story in there. This is 2019 and we don’t have big iron lungs like we don’t have big old computers anymore. Things have advanced. They’re called ventilators, respirators. If you look around you, what is polio? Polio is this so-called crippling disease where you’re in an iron lung or you’ll get somebody say, “My father had polio and his ankles were really skewed or his legs a bit not made or he had to wear braces for two years.” Look around at the children today. There’s never been so much disability, children in wheelchairs, children crippled over with legs that don’t work. All these things parents claiming from vaccine injury. I’ve actually interviewed two people with polio, both of them said they got it following the polio vaccine. Now, of course if you do your research on that you will see that that’s probably where the majority of this has come in the first place. You really have to look down. It’s not even conspiracy theory anymore. It’s right there in front of your face. I think this is why they’re panicking the other side. Also you’ve got to remember that those doctors, take the doctor that shout and scream at us and say everyone’s going to die because we’re not vaccinating.” They’re also living with immense guilt just like family members who have vaccinated are. If you’re telling me, Polly Tommey, if you’re telling me that vaccines are as dangerous then that means I, the doctor, have potentially harmed a great deal of people. That means I, the mother, as potentially harmed my children. I don’t want to hear that from you Polly Tommey so therefore I say, “Go away and I’m going to block you and I never want to speak to you again because you want polio to come back.” That’s basically how the argument goes because no one can get their head around the fact that this is probably the biggest lie that I ever told. The doctors are being lied to. The parents are being lied to. So that’s why we have to do our research. We have to be brave and we have to tell the truth. The truth is that these vaccines are killing and hurting people. We know that not just from the parents’ stories. We know that when we look at the unvaccinated families or the families with the same parents who stopped vaccinating after the injury. So you’ve got the same parents, same genetics. First child may be fully vaccinated and autistic or brain-damaged in some way, paralyzed. They partially vaccinate the second child who has asthma, allergies, eczema maybe a bit of ADD and then they stop. They report their following children, absolutely none of those whatsoever. But remember, minus the vitamin K. The ones that are vaccinated with the vitamin K at birth, they still have injury. You’ve got to have a clean child for no injury. [0:26:27] Ashley James: You interviewed, was it thousands of unvaccinated families or unvaccinated children? It was a lot. That’s why I’d like to go with Vaxxed 2 is that you showed the first half of the movie is interviewing so many families with vaccine injury. Then you started meeting all the families that had no vaccine injury or like you painted the picture of like five or seven and some of them were vaccinated and then the rest weren‘t. The difference is outstanding. That the children never are sick, never have asthma, never have food allergies and have never needed to see a doctor other than a wellness visit but have never needed to go in for antibiotics or ear infections over and over and over again. [0:27:15] Polly Tommey: Unbelievable. We have one unvaccinated child. On my travel I had antibiotic for an infected toe and that is it. It’s quite unbelievable and it’s things like I’m really shocked at the allergy things. Allergy is a huge problem in this country. We are not seeing any allergies in the unvaccinated families, again minus the vitamin K shot at birth which isn’t a vaccine so it’s not part of a vaccine. The ones without that, zero allergies, zero. Unbelievable what we have uncovered. The reason why we knew the vitamin K was a problem is because I was reading the facts on Vaxxed studies, the ones that are actually out there that they refuse to publish or they published and then retract. Something wasn’t right. They were still reporting that the unvaccinated had allergies and that was not what we were seeing on the road. We looked into it more and we found the vitamin K being a huge problem. As I said, we’re nearly days of looking into that with some scientists but we are thoroughly looking into that because again, those poor parents having their beautiful newborn overthinking the vitamin K is the most important thing that they can give their child from their first day of life. We’re seeing the opposite from the roads of America. [0:28:27] Ashley James: So you have two movies Vaxxed and Vaxxed 2. For the listeners who haven’t seen either one of your movies, can you tell us a bit about the first one, Vaxxed? What would we take away from that? Maybe share some lessons from your first movie. [0:28:43] Polly Tommey: It’s about William Thompson, the scientist at the CDC. It was really concentrated on the MMR and him being reported without his knowledge by Dr. William Hooker in California. Oh no, he went out of California, excuse me it’s very important so it’s all legal. It’s really the breaking news of William Thompson confessing to how there was a big cover-up at the CDC. So that was the first film and of course some parents’ stories woven into that. Then a lot of parents coming in for a collage montage saying, “Hear us well. Please hear us well. My child was fine before I had this vaccine. My child has autism following vaccine.” So that’s really the essence of the first film. I think the reason why the first film was so successful wasn’t the story itself, which is good but what happens since that is these parents coming forward. If it wasn’t Tribeca and the big drama they made over that it probably would’ve another little DVD that was made and people saw in a community but that’s what happened from that. Again, from that censorship the parents saying, “I’m here,” around the world. I have traveled England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Canada, New Zealand and Australia. I’ve traveled around those countries recording those families’ stories and I tell you they’re exactly the same as they are here in America just with different accents but the same outcome everywhere. It’s undeniable. [0:30:08] Ashley James: In Vaxxed 2 you show clips near the beginning of the film interviews with Robert de Niro. I was laughing so hard because you’re saying at the beginning of Vaxxed 2, you and Andy Wakefield were saying, “That was it. They were pulling us a few weeks before we were supposed to have our big debut at the Tribeca Film Festival.” That Robert de Niro got so much pressure to pull it. I’m like, “Where’s the pressure coming from? Is big pharma really that scared of this information coming out? This little film at this little film festival that they had to put so much pressure on him. Then every time he was interviewed for the Tribeca Film Festival on local news or on the morning news or whatever news show he was on he would bring it up and he’d say, “I hope people see it. I wanted people to just get the information, decide for yourself. Just listen, see it, decide for yourself.” The people who were interviewing him were saying, “Yeah. Yeah. You should watch it.” So I was just laughing because obviously it wasn’t him. He wanted people to see it. Have you ever talked to him or met him or heard what he thought about your films? [0:31:35] Polly Tommey: Well, I’ve only seen the correspondence. He’s a friend of Andy Wakefield’s, I’ve only seen the correspondence between them. Andy was a director of that first film. Obviously Robert de Niro thought it was a good film otherwise he wouldn’t have allowed it to be in his film festival, Tribeca Film Festival. He says, Robert de Niro, that he just everyone to see it. Of course, he knows there’s a problem with these vaccines just like many many other celebrities and people know that there’s a problem with these vaccines. Many that do speak out don’t work again or I mean, Rob Schneider. Take him the actor. He started speaking out about these vaccines and he lost loads of contracts and lost most of his work. So people are afraid but I say to you people, you cannot money before these people before mankind. You’ve got to stand up otherwise we’ve got no future if you don’t stand up and tell the truth. Because if you look around right now, there’s very few people that are really really really healthy. Most people are sick with something and there’s got to be a reason behind that. What we’re saying is we’re not saying any of this. I interviewed a woman the other day on the Vaxxed bus with four generations of unvaccinated people in their family. She’s a chiropractor. Of course the chiropractor is one of the healthiest groups of people in the world. He told me of 200 of those members, only people have died of cancer both of them were very heavy smokers. They had no eczema and no allergies in the family. Everybody lived until they’re old aged and nobody of the 200 have been on antibiotics. Don’t you think that needs to be looked into? [0:33:15] Ashley James: It just boggles the mind because we’ve really been raised from birth to believe that vaccines are the reasons why we don’t have outbreaks of illnesses. That if it wasn’t for vaccines everyone would have had polio or measles or chickenpox which now we’re afraid of apparently because there’s a vaccine for it whereas when I was a kid we had chickenpox parties and it was no big deal. So it’s really frustrating because there’s so much disinformation. There’s so much emotions around it because people who are anti-vax and people who are pro-vax actually want the same thing. We all want healthy children and we all want our children to live a long life. We all don’t want our children to die of something horrible. We all actually want the same thing. So we should stop fighting each other and we should start just looking at the information and looking at the positives and the negatives and weighing them and looking at what’s the best outcome. Because maybe the doctor that I talked about, the one I interviewed in Portland who wrote that book Safe Vaccines, maybe altered schedule is the best thing and his altered schedule. Maybe that after we do research maybe that is the best thing or maybe it isn’t. Maybe like your chiropractor showing that three generations without vaccine over 200 people, that that’s the best way to go. Until we stop polarizing the subject and until we start asking to all work together to respect each other and to just let’s look at the science and let’s look at the results and let’s look at the safety for our children instead of bashing each other, instead of fighting each other, instead of calling each other names. Let’s come together, pro and anti-vaxers, let’s come together and go what can we do for the benefit of our children and the future generations? It’s undeniable that these parents have seen vaccine injury. After watching your two documentaries, it’s undeniable that there is a problem. So I’m always confused when people are saying there isn’t a problem because that is taking away the voice from the parents who have seen that there’s a problem. I love that you have given a voice to these parents who feel so isolated. Who day in and day out are taking a child who’s non-verbal, who’s beating their head against the wall, who has seizures, who is in a modern iron lung as you show in Vaxxed 2. You’ve given a voice to these parents who struggle every day and have been told time and time again that they’re wrong and that it wasn’t a vaccine injury when they saw hours after a vaccine that their child begin to have seizures, begin to turn blue. I mean just really scary things. I feel for these parents. I also can get in the shoes of people who are very angry, the pro-vaxers who are very angry at the anti-vaxers because they feel threatened. I imagine they feel threatened. So, I wish we could all come together and instead of fighting each other we could actually all ask the same question, what can we do to create health for our children? Let’s look at the science. Do you have any advice for us? What can we do as individuals to help? [0:37:05] Polly Tommey: Well, I think first of all, I don’t see the parents all the people out there fighting. I don’t see that. I take most of them are pharmaceutical paid trolls. There’s adverts everywhere for them. I could go and be one for them tomorrow if I would pass the test of who I am. But most people can. You can just sign up. You would get paid really to fight online for the sake of herd immunity or whatever online. I mean, I just ignore these people, block them. Look, the bottom line is we’re not here to fight. These parents aren’t here to fight. They’re here to warn. They’re here to say, “Look. This happened to us. We vaccinated our kids. We are pro-vaccine. You can’t call us anti-vaccine. We vaccinated ourselves and our children. We’re simply here to warn as a person standing in front of another person saying look, be careful because there’s nothing more heartbreaking if you go down the road I just went down.” Do your research. The best research you can do is go on the ground yourself and speak to those families that did vaccinate and didn’t vaccinate. Make that mind up yourself. That’s the best science you’re going to get. Most of the science studies out there are funded by pharmaceuticals. Did you know that the medical schools that the medical doctors are funded by the pharmaceutical companies? You just have to work it out yourself. Okay, we know Google is taken by big pharma, we can see that. If you google any of our websites now you have to go through the World Health Organization all that kind of thing but you can still do it by talking. There’s no better expert on what’s happened to their child or to themselves than other human beings. So go figure it out. Look at the ones that or pro-vaccine and said, “My children are fine,” and you look at them and they’re not. They’ve got eczema. They’ve got allergies. They’re carrying around inhalers. They’re on medication. That’s not okay. Go and talk to the families that didn’t. Are those children on medication? What is their family like? Which way do you want to go? Get on the ground and do your own research. You don’t even need to look at the scientific studies anymore. Scientific studies are the people that have lived it. [0:39:10] Ashley James: Beautiful. Now, starting in January, you’re going back out on the road. For those listening who want to follow you or participate and meet-up with you, how can they do that? How can they follow the Vaxxed bus and potentially come and meet you? [0:39:25] Polly Tommey: Okay. We’re starting off in California in Modesto. California lost a lot of its rights and can’t go to school unless you’re completely vaccinated. So we are going down to California to talk to the parents that have been injured and the unvaccinated who have been thrown out of school and to discover that. So we’re starting off in Modesto in the fourth of January. If you go to Vaxxed 2 the number 2 so Vaxxed2.com, the bus tour will be put up on there. AMC theatres were showing our film Vaxxed 2 and have just pulled it under pressure, of course like everything else. So we will be putting the film online. So watch out for that. It will be going out on the Brighteon site Mike Adams health ranger. He will be screening Vaxxed 2. We don’t have a date for that right now but that will be early in the New Year. Of course DVDs for those that still have DVD players. You’ll be able to get those on February, I think. So the world will be able to see this. They can’t stop it. They’re trying very very hard to stop it. They can’t. If you are on Facebook, we do go out live on We Are Vaxxed it’s called. That is our only official site. We go out live on there. We go out live on Periscope, PeepsTV. Periscope is where we go out live on more than anything else because it’s the most uncensored. We’re still shadow banned but you’re still be able to find us if you’re clever. [0:40:49] Ashley James: Have you interviewed any parents who have fought this system or sued the pharmaceutical companies and won? [0:40:57] Polly Tommey: Yes. Actually in Vaxxed 2 you remember that very tragic story of Christina Tarsell who had the Gardasil vaccine. She didn’t feel very well after the vaccine. She went back to school. She just did in her room on her own and they found her dead on her bed. We actually have that image that the police took of that girl when she was found by the police dead in bed. You will see that on Vaxxed 2. So be careful taking your children. I advise all parents to see that film first before they decide whether they want their children to see it because there is this girl that’s dead in the bed. The reason why we use that photograph and we allowed that to go out is because she won in court. They said, “Yes. She is injured by the Gardasil. We’re very sorry. One in a billion chance.” Usual sort of stuff. She’s awarded $250,000 for her daughter. But if you look at that photograph of her, you can see that is a very toxic death. It looks like a noble death, foam coming out of her mouth. It’s really really – anyone who see that section, the Gardasil section of Vaxxed 2 movie will not want. As Bobby Kennedy says in the film, “You got to be insane to give that vaccine to yourself or anyone you love.” When you read the clinical lecture or spoken to the parents, it’s just a very dangerous vaccine. History will very soon I think be able to say, “Yes. I’m sorry. We made a mistake. That’s a bad vaccine.” [0:42:23] Ashley James: Absolutely. When we look at the invention of x-ray machine, they used to have x-ray machine in shoe stores so we can get x-rays to see if our shoes fit correctly. Our feet fit in our shoes and then they soon found that was causing a lot of damage and they stopped doing that. They took lead out of the gasoline when they realized that was hurting us. They used to spray children with DDT, which actually caused polio-like symptoms. I had a chiropractor on the sow share this, Dr. Wolfson. She shares that she believes that most of the polio was all of a sudden was eradicated back in the 40s, 50s, 60s was actually they are removing DDT. They stopped spraying that on the children. First they sprayed the children then they had this uprise in polio symptoms. They didn’t realize that it was actually DDT poisoning because it caused the same paralysis, the same issues. Then when they stopped, when they finally realized that they were causing a huge damage that they stopped it. I’ve heard from a naturopathic physician who has been a midwife for 30 years that there’s a part of Washington state where I live where the miscarriages, late late pregnancy miscarriages and then also children having injuries at birth or being born with injuries rises like one hundredfold during the spraying season. That if a mother in a particular part of Washington State is near the farms. Doesn’t even have to live on a farm but near the farms. Whatever they are spraying now is causing huge injuries. It’s silent. They’re all able to cover it up but 50 years from now we’ll hear about it and it’ll be history. It’ll be history by then. The victims aren’t being heard now. So I love that you are giving a voice to people and you’re also spreading this information. We should question everything. We should question absolutely everything. We should question at what’s – look at Flint, Michigan and now they’re testing water across the United States and finding that many municipalities have a really really poor quality water. That there’s a heavy metals in the water. We have to understand that we need to advocate for our own selves. We have to test our own water. We need to understand that our food isn’t necessary, we can’t just trust our food is safe just because some company made it and packaged it. We have to do our own research, advocate for ourselves and we should absolutely advocate for ourselves. Whatever we put in our mouth whether it’s a supplement, a drug, food, water we have to be the quality control. We cannot go blindly through those world and trust that these companies have our best interest at heart. There’s over 80,000 chemicals now, man-made chemicals that have been introduced into our food supply that many of them are banned in other countries and banned in the UK and in European Union and yet they’re still safe, apparently they’re safe here and also in our cosmetics. So we have to just advocate for ourselves, question everything and also support those who have a voice so that they can be heard. So, Polly, you have such a beautiful mission because you just want to give parents a voice and let them be heard. I thank you so much for the work that you’re doing. Is there anything else you’d like to say? Anything you want to make sure listeners know? Any websites or any resources that are really important for parents especially parents that have vaccine-injured children? [0:46:27] Polly Tommey: Yeah. Actually there are. I would like to say something actually. The saddest thing really, most of the stories when the parents talk to me about the injury is that they and their gut knew something wasn’t right before the vaccine was going into their baby or themselves but they were bullied. You mustn’t, you can get off and walk out of that doctor’s surgery and say, “You know what? I’m going to go think about it. I’m going to do my research but I will be back to discuss this with you.” So don’t let them bully you. Don’t let them tell you your baby will die if it doesn’t have the vaccine. Don’t let them say these things. You go and do that research yourself because that’s where all the trouble started from the bullying of the medical professionals to have you vaccinate your child or yourself. So please, you are in control yourself. You’re in control of your baby and your child. You’re the expert on yourself and the baby and the child. So take control. We’ve got to all stand up and be much stronger than we’ve been and not allow these people to bully us. That’s what I would say. [0:47:27] Ashley James: I love it. Thank you so much Polly. I really encourage listeners to watch your movie. Watch Vaxxed and watch Vaxxed 2 when it does come out soon. Follow you on Periscope. You just download the app Periscope and go to the PeepsTV@TeamVaxxed. Also, all the links to everything Polly does is going to be in the show notes of today’s podcast at LearnTrueHealth.com. Regardless of whether you consider yourself pro-vaccine, anti-vaccine, or what I like to say is pro-kid, I think that your movies are empowering, Polly. I think that all my listeners want to become empowered. We want to absorb information and make the best decision for ourselves so I think that it’s in our best interest to educate ourselves. The fact that big pharma doesn’t want us watching your stuff that’s kind of scary. The level of censorship is showing us that we have to watch it. Whatever the big corporations don’t want us to see is what we need to see. We need to be allowed to see everything. We have a right. We have a right to all these information and they want to take our rights away. We have a right to our health and making the best choices for ourselves. I believe in informed consent. The doctors I’ve had on the show believe in informed consent. Informed consent meaning knowing all the facts and then making a choice. Choose to vaccinate, choose to do altered schedule, choose not to vaccinate. It’s a choice that you should be allowed to make after you have received all the facts. That’s what informed consent is. So I also encourage my other listeners to check out my other interviews that share more information about this. I’m going to be having Andy Wakefield and others on the show in the New Year to give more of the science. This interview, Polly, was so great because I know that parents out there needed to hear your story, needed to hear this information from another parent. So thank you so much for coming on the show today. [0:49:40] Polly Tommey: Thank you so much.
Today we celebrate the botanist who is considered the Father of Taxonomy and the young Landscape Architect who learned by taking weekly walking tours of gardens. We'll learn about the botanist who saved Kew Garden and the most famous garden designer you’ve never heard of. We'll listen to a little garden folklore for November and an amusing poem about daylight savings. We Grow That Garden Library with today's book which features the gardens of Russell Page, and you can get it on Amazon for under $4, which is highway robbery - or Landscape robbery in this case. I'll talk about digging up those dahlias and then share the super cute story about a young botanist and the housekeeper who was sure he was up to no good. But first, let's catch up on a few recent events. National Fig Week It’s the start of National Fig Week which runs through the 7th of November. All of the figs that are growing in the United States are growing in the Central Valley of California where 28 million pounds of figs are harvested every year. It was Captain Bligh, who is honored as the planter of the very first fig in Tasmania back in 1792. The Greek word for fig is syco. It’s why one species of the fig tree is called the sycamore. Fig trees are in the ficus genus and the Mulberry family. The popular house plant, the rubber plant, is also a species of ficus. And, figs are the sweetest of all fruits. They are made up of 55% sugar. Today Fine Gardening shared a great post called Treasures in the November Garden, and it featured posts from a gardener named Carla Zambelli Mudry Carla shared beautiful images from her November garden, where she commented that the fall witch hazel had started blooming, and her Sochi tea plant is still producing lovely white flowers. The post features pictures of her witch hazel in bloom. Gardeners have soft spots for the delicate yellow spidery flowers of the witch hazel. The common Witch Hazel virginiana can grow in zones 3 - 8. Sochi tea Camellia sinensis is hearty in zones 7 to 10. Now, to make the tea, the leaves are harvested. But again, as with the witch hazel, it’s the beautiful blooms of this camellia that will steal your heart. This post was part of Fine Gardening’s garden photo of the day. If you’d like to share your garden with Fine Gardening, you can send them 5 to 10 images of your garden to GPOD (which is short for a Garden picture of the day) at Fine Gardening.com (GPOD@FineGardening.com) along with a few comments about the plants in the photos. You can share anything your successes and failures funny stories or favorite plants. Finally, my good friend, Kathy Jentz, over at Washington Gardener Magazine, shared 10 Things To Do With a Pumpkin After Halloween. Her list is so great I wanted to share with you here: 1. Compost it. 2. Puree and cook it. 3. Make it into a birdfeeder. 4. Turn it into a planter. 5. Use it as a serving bowl for soup. 6. Pickle the peel. 7. Apply a face mask. 8. Make doggie treats. 9. Wash and roast the seeds. 10. Save a few seeds to grow another pumpkin next year! Now, if you'd like to check out these curated articles for yourself, you're in luck - because I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. So there’s no need to take notes or track down links - the next time you're on Facebook, just search for Daily Gardener Community and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group. Brevities #OTD Today is the anniversary of the death of Carl Linnaeus, who died on this day 1783. Thirty years earlier, on May 1st, 1753, the publication of his masterpiece Species Plantarum changed plant taxonomy forever. It gave Linnaeus the moniker Father of Taxonomy; his naming system is called binomial nomenclature. And, it was Linnaeus himself who said: “God created, Linnaeus ordered.” One side note worth mentioning is how Linnaeus' collection ended up leaving Sweden and finding a home in London: When Linnaeus died in 1778, his belongings were sold. Joseph Banks, the president of the Linnean Society, acted quickly, buying everything of horticultural value on behalf of the society. Linnaeus' notebooks and specimens were on a ship bound for England by the time the king of Sweden realized Linnaeus' legacy was no longer in Sweden. He sent a fast navy ship in pursuit of Banks' precious cargo, but it was too late. And so, Linnaeus’s collection is in London at the Linnaeus Society's Burlington House. And, it was Joseph Banks who secured the legacy of Linnaeus. Banks spread Linnaeus's ideas across the globe, which was easier for him to accomplish since he was based in London, the hub for the science of botany. #OTD Today is the birthday of Charles Eliot, who was born on this day in 1859. Eliot was the son of a prominent Boston family. In 1869, the year his mother died, his father Charles William Eliot became the president of Harvard University. In 1882 Charles went to Harvard to study botany. A year later, he began apprenticing with the landscape firm of Frederick Law Olmsted. As a young landscape architect, Eliot enjoyed visiting different natural areas, and he conducted regular walking tours of different nature areas around Boston. In his diary for 1878, Eliot did something kind of neat; he made a list. It was basically what we call a listicle nowadays. He titled it "A Partial List of Saturday Walks before 1878". Isn't that fabulous? As a young architect, Eliot spent 13 months touring England and Europe between 1885 and 1886. The trip was actually Olmsted’s idea, and it no doubt added to Eliot's appreciation of various landscape concepts. During this trip, Eliot kept a journal where he wrote down his thoughts and made sketches of the places he was visiting. Eliot's benchmark was always Boston, and throughout his memoirs, he was continually comparing new landscapes to the beauty of his native landscape in New England. Eliot's story ended too soon. He died at 37 from spinal meningitis. Since Eliot had been working on plans for The Arnold Arboretum, he'd gotten to know Charles Sprague Sargent. So, it was Sargent who wrote a tribute to Eliot and featured it in his weekly journal called Garden and Forest. Eliot's death had a significant impact on his father. At times, the two had struggled to connect. Charles didn’t like it when his dad got remarried. And, their personalities were very different, and Charles could be a little melancholy. When Charles died, his dad, Charles Sr., began to cull through his work and he was shocked to discover all that he had done. In April 1897, Charles Sr. confided to a friend, "I am examining his letters and papers and I am filled with wonder at what he accomplished in the 10 years of professional life. I should’ve died without ever having appreciated his influence. His death has shown it to me." Despite his heavy workload as the president of Harvard, Charles Sr. immediately set about compiling all of his son's work and used it to write a book called Charles Eliot Landscape Architect. The book came out in 1902, and today it is considered a classic work in the field of landscape architecture. #OTD Today is the anniversary of the death of the botanist John Lindley who died on this day in 1865. Lindley was a British gardener, a botanist, and an orchidologist. He also served as secretary to the Royal Horticultural Society for 43 years. This is why the Lindley Library at the RHS is named in honor of John Lindley. Lindley‘s dad owned a nursery and an orchard. And Lindley grew up helping with the family business. In 1815, he went to London. He became friends with William Jackson Hooker, who, in turn, introduced Lindley to Sir Joseph Banks, who hired Lindley to work in his herbarium. When Banks died, the fate of the Royal Botanic Gardens was put in jeopardy. Banks' death corresponded with the death of King George III, who was the patron of the garden. These deaths created an opening for the British government to question whether the garden should remain open. To explore their options, the Government asked Lindley, as well as Joseph Paxton and John Wilson, to put together a recommendation. Ultimately, Lindley felt the institution should be the people’s garden and the headquarters for botany in England. The government rejected the proposal and decided to close the garden. On February 11, 1840, Lindley ingeniously demanded that the issue be put before the Parliament. His advocacy brought the matter to the publics' attention; the garden-loving British public was not about to lose the Royal Botanic. And, so, Lindley saved Kew Gardens, and William Hooker was chosen as the new director. Lindley shortened the genus Orchidaceae to orchid – which is much more friendly to pronounce - and when he died, Lindley's massive orchid collection was moved to a new home at Kew. As for Lindley, there are over 200 plant species named for him. There is "lindleyi", "lindleyana", "lindleyanum", "lindleya" and "lindleyoides". And here’s a little-remembered factoid about Lindley - he was blind in one eye. #OTD Today is the birthday of the British gardener, garden designer, and landscape architect Russell Page who was born on this day in 1906. His full name was Montague Russell Page. Page's is known for his book called The Education of a Gardener. The book is a classic in garden literature. In it, Page shares his vast knowledge of plants and trees and design. The book ends with a description of his dream garden. In the book, there are many wonderful quotes by Page. Page wrote: "I know nothing whatever of many aspects of gardening and very little of a great many more. But I never saw a garden from which I did not learn something and seldom met a gardener who did not, in some way or another, help me." First published in 1962, Page's book shares his charming anecdotes and timeless gardening advice. He wrote: ”I like gardens with good bones and an affirmed underlying structure. I like well-made and well-marked paths, well-built walls, well-defined changes in level. I like pools and canals, paved sitting places and a good garden in which to picnic or take a nap.” and "If you wish to make anything grow, you must understand it, and understand it in a very real sense. 'Green fingers' are a fact, and a mystery only to the unpracticed. But green fingers are the extensions of a verdant heart." Page is considered the first modern garden designer. Like Piet Oudolf, Page used flowers to create living, natural paintings. And although he designed Gardens for the Duke of Windsor and Oscar de la Renta, it was Russell Page who said: "I am the most famous garden designer you’ve never heard of." Page designed the Gardens at the Frick Collection in New York City in 1977 In 2014 when the Frick was making plans to expand, they initially considered demolishing the Page garden. After a year of facing public backlash in support of the garden - which was something the museum never anticipated - in May 2015, the Frick decided to keep the garden. During the year of debating the fate of the garden, the Frick indicated that they believed the garden was never meant to be a permanent part of the museum. But, all that changed when Charles Birnbaum, the founder of the Cultural Landscape Foundation, decided to do his homework. Birnbaum discovered an old Frick press release from 1977, where they proudly introduced the Page landscape as a permanent garden. Birnbaum shared his discovery on the Huffington Post, and thanks to him, the 3700 square-foot Page garden lives on for all of us to enjoy. Unearthed Words If there’s ice in November that will bear a duck, There’ll be nothing after but sludge and muck. ~English folk-lore rhyme, first printed c.1876 "In spring when maple buds are red, We turn the clock an hour ahead; Which means each April that arrives, We lose an hour out of our lives. Who cares? When autumn birds in flocks Fly southward, back we turn the clocks, And so regain a lovely thing That missing hour we lost in spring." - Phyllis McGinley, Daylight Savings Time Today's Grow That Garden Library book recommendation: The Gardens of Russell Page by Gabrielle Zuylen and Marina Schinz Schinz and van Zuylen researched and photographed all of Page's best work, both early and late, and some now no longer extant. They share some of his private files and unpublished writing and help us get to know Page and his work more keenly. The book shares over 250 photographs that capture the exceptional beauty of Page creations in England, America, and throughout continental Europe. I love the tidbit about Page that is shared in the introduction: "In his youth, he had wanted to be a painter, but acquaintances in Paris intent on making gardens helped change his direction. In later years, when he was asked whether he was more of a plantsman or a designer, his answer was understated: "I know more about plants than most designers and more about design than most plantsmen." In fact, he had an exceptional understanding, knowledge, and feel for, plants allied to a strong sense of architecture." This book came out in 2008. You can get used copies using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for under $4. Today's Garden Chore If you've had your first frost, that's the signal to gardeners to dig up their dahlia and canna tubers and get them stored for next spring. Once they are out of the ground, I brush them off; removing any extra soil, and then I put them in a basket or a container with plenty of perlite and keep them on a nice cool, dark shelf in the basement storage room. The perlite keeps the tubers dry and allows them to breathe. Something Sweet Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart When I was researching John Lindley, I stumbled on an adorable story about him. Lindley arrived in England when he was a teenager. Naturally, he needed a place to stay, so Hooker graciously took him in and gave him a room at his home called Halesworth. The story goes that, over the course of a few weeks, the Halesworth housekeeper had observed that Lindley‘s bed was always neat as a pin. It was clear he never slept in it. The housekeeper immediately began to wonder what Lindley was doing and where was he sleeping. She began to worry that he might not be the kind of person they wanted living at Halesworth. When her worry got the best of her, she brought the matter to Hooker's attention. Anxiety is contagious, and the housekeeper's concern made Hooker worry. So, he confronted Lindley and asked him to account for his unused bed. Lindley calmly explained that he was hoping to go to Sumatra to collect plants. In anticipation of the physical difficulties of plant exploration, Lindley had been spending every night sleeping on the boards of the hardwood floor in his room. Lindley got to keep living at Halesworth. He wrote his first book there called Observations on the Structure of Fruits. He never made it to Sumatra. Thanks for listening to the daily gardener, and remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."
Today, Catholics honor St. Phocas the Gardener who lived in Turkey during the third century. A protector of persecuted Christians, Phocas grew crops in his garden to help feed the poor. Phocas is remembered for his hospitality and generosity; his garden played an important part in living both of those virtues. When Roman soldiers were sent to kill him, they could not find shelter for the night. Naturally, when Phocas encountered them, he not only offered them lodging, but a meal made from the bounty of his garden. During the meal, Phocas realized they had come for him. While the soldiers slept that night, he dug his own grave and prayed for the soldiers. In the morning, Phocas told the soldiers who he was and the soldiers, who could conceive of no other option, reluctantly killed him and buried him in the grave he had dug for himself. Although gardening can be a solitary activity, may we follow in the footsteps of Phocas the gardener, using our gardens to connect us to others through generosity and hospitality. Brevities #OTD Today is the birthday of Frances Ropes Williams, born on this day in 1883. Williams had a shady garden in Winchester, Massachusetts. And, what is the most-used plant by shade gardeners? Hostas. That's right. And, Williams had an appreciation for hostas before they became widely used in the United States. A graduate of MIT, Williams was lucky enough to get the chance to work with Warren H. Manning, the famous Boston landscape architect, for a little over two years. Williams stopped working to marry Stillman Williams. But sadly, he died after almost twenty years of marriage, leaving Frances with four young children - two boys and two girls. Williams and her family loved the outdoors. When the kids were little, Williams made them one of the very first playsets. When the children were grown, Williams found purpose in her garden and she zeroed in on her hostas. She became known for hybridizing them and she even wrote about them for various botanical magazines. Williams discovered the hosta that would be named for her honor quite by happenstance. She had visited her daughter in college in New York, and she stopped by Bristol Nurseries in Connecticut on her way home. Nestled in a row of Hosta sieboldiana,was a hosta that had a yellow edge. Williams bought it and continued to grow it in her garden. Years later, Williams hosta ended up in the hands of Professor George Robinson at Oxford. Williams had labeled the plant FRW 383. When the professor couldn't remember what Williams had labeled the plant, he simply called it hosta Frances Williams. Williams work with hosta helped the newly-formed American Hosta Society. After she died in 1969, a hosta garden was planted in her memory at MIT. #OTD It's the anniversary of the death of John Goldie who died on this day in 1886. Goldie was a Scottish-born botanist and author. He led an extraordinary life. He started out as an apprentice at the Glasgow Botanic Garden. As a young man, another botanist bumped him off what was to be his first plant exploration. However the botanical gods were smiling on him. The expedition was doomed when most of the party died from coast fever along the Congo River. Two years later, William Hooker encouraged Goldie to travel to North America. He started in Montreal and made his way down the Hudson River to New York. He wrote that he carried as many botanical specimens "as his back would carry." Goldie returned to the Glasgow Botanic Gardens and for five years, he trained an eager young apprentice and fellow Scottsman named David Douglas. When Douglas met an early death, Goldie planted a Douglas-Fir next to his house to remember his young friend. After Goldie discovered the giant wood fern, Hooker called it Dryopteris goldieana in his honor and it earned the name Goldie's woodfern. Goldie worked tirelessly and he recorded a total of fourteen plant species previously unknown to science. Unearthed Words Here's a poem from Raymond A. Foss called Summer Rain "A break in the heat away from the front no thunder, no lightning, just rain, warm rain falling near dusk falling on eager ground steaming blacktop hungry plants thirsty turning toward the clouds cooling, soothing rain splashing in sudden puddles catching in open screens that certain smell of summer rain." Today's book recommendation: The Living Landscape: Designing for Beauty and Biodiversity in the Home Garden Hardcover by Rick Darke and Douglas W. Tallamy What if you're looking for a landscape that's not only beautiful, functional and productive, but also nourishes and fosters wildlife. That's the aim of The Living Landscape. Darke and Tallamy describe how plants can be used for multiple uses in the garden. Today's Garden Chore Buy a bolt of wedding tulle. Wedding tulle is the perfect protector for you summer crops and ornamental from Japanese Beetles and other ravenous insects. It's attractive and inexpensive; the perfect combination. You can get 600 feet of wedding tulle on Amazon for just $15.00 using the link in today's show notes. Something Sweet Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart Since we are in full-on-pesto-making mode, I wanted to share a recipe that I discovered on called Tarragon & Cashew Pesto from Dunk and Crumble. Cashew Tarragon Pesto 1 large bunch fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped 4 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh tarragon 1/2 cup raw cashews zest from 1 lemon juice from 3 lemons a handful of lemon balm or lemon verbena stripped from the stems 1 garlic clove, peeled 1/3 cup olive oil 3 tablespoons lemon vinegar or chive herbal vinegar salt and freshly ground black pepper Directions: Toast cashews in a dry pan over medium heat until lightly brown and fragrant. Allow to cool slightly. Purée parsley, tarragon, nuts, lemon and lemon juice, lemon herbs and garlic in a food processor. Add the olive oil, vinegar, and a bit of salt and pepper, and blend until a coarse paste forms. Add a few tablespoons of warm water to thin the sauce to desired consistency, and adjust seasoning to taste. Use as a sandwich spread, atop a bowl of hot pasta, or alongside roasted chicken. Makes about 3 cups pesto. Thanks for listening to the daily gardener, and remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."
I realize you are very excited to get going in your own garden. But don't forget to schedule some time this spring to visit other gardens. The gardens of friends, neighbors, or public gardens can provide you with inspiration and teach you something new - even when you didn't think you'd learn anything. #BTW This entire week, April 27-May 4, is Historic Garden Week at Monticello ("MontiCHELLo”) in Virginia . If you visit today, April 30, you can learn more about their flower and vegetable gardens. Brevities It's National Raisin Day. California is the biggest supplier of the sun-dried grapes. The California Associated Raisin Company (later known as Sun-Maid) was created with the idea for an ingenious co-op and the credit for this novel approach went to vineyardist, oilman, and attorney Henry H. Welsh. Welsh came up with the idea for a three-year grower contract, subject to a two-year renewal, binding the raisin grower to deliver all of his crop for a guaranteed price. Naturally low in fat, raisins contain healthy nutrients... unless you're eating the yogurt- or chocolate-covered raisins. In their natural state, they are good for humans, but not for dogs. Small quantities of grapes and raisins can cause renal failure in dogs. #OTD On this dayin 1789, Washington was sworn in as the first president of the United States. A gardening President, George Washington oversaw all aspects of the land at Mount Vernon. Washington had a personal copy of Batty Langley'sNew Principles of Gardening. Inspired by the 18th century author, Washington adopted a less formal, more naturalistic style for his gardens and he supervised a complete and total redesign of his Mount Vernon. On Mount Vernon's website, they review in detail the four gardens that make up Washington's landscape: the upper (formal) garden, the lower (kitchen) garden, the botanical (personal or experimental) garden, and the fruit garden and nursery. #OTD On this day in 1873, bryologist William Starling Sullivant died. Sullivant was born to the founding family of Franklinton, Ohio. His father, Lucas, was a surveyor and had named the town in honor of the recently deceased Benjamin Franklin. The settlement would become Columbus. In 1823, William Sullivant graduated from Yale College, his father would die in August of that same year. Sullivant took over his father's surveying business, and at the age of thirty, he began to study and catalog the plant life in Central Ohio. In 1840, he published his flora and then he started to hone in on his calling: mosses. Bryology is the study of mosses. The root, bryōs is a Greek verb meaning to swell. It's etymology of the word embryo. Bryology will be easier to remember if you think of the ability of moss to swell as it takes on water. As a distinguished bryologist, Sullivant not only studied and cataloged various mosses from across the United States, but also from as far away as Central America, South America, and from various islands in the Pacific Ocean. Mosses suited Sullivant's strengths; requiring patience and close observation, scrupulous accuracy, and discrimination. His first work, Musci Alleghanienses, was: "exquisitely prepared and mounted, and with letterpress of great perfection; ... It was not put on sale, but fifty copies were distributed with a free hand among bryologists and others who would appreciate it." In 1864, Sullivant published his magnum opus,Icones Muscorum. With 129 truly excellent illustrations and descriptions of the mosses indigenous to eastern North America, Icones Muscorumfixed Sulivant's reputation as the pre-eminent American bryologist of his time. In 1873, Sullivant contracted pneumonia - ironically, an illness where your lungs fill or swell with fluid - and he died on April 30, 1873. During the last four decades of his life, Sullivant exchanged letters with Asa Gray. It's no wonder, then, that he left his herbarium of some 18,000 moss specimens to Gray's beloved Harvard University. When Gray summoned his curator at Cambridge, Leo Lesquereux, to help Sullivant, he wrote to botanist John Torrey: "They will do up bryology at a great rate. Lesquereux says that the collection and library of Sullivant in muscology are magnifique, superbe,and the best he ever saw.'" On December 6, 1857, Gray wrote to Hooker, "A noble fellow is [William Starling] Sullivant, and deserves all you say of him and his works. The more you get to know of him, the better you will like him." In 1877, four years after Sullivant's death, Asa Gray wrote to Charles Darwin. Gray shared that Sullivant was his "dear old friend" and that, "[Sullivant] did for muscology in this country more than one man is likely ever to do again." The Sullivant Moss Society, which became the American Bryological and Lichenological Society, was founded in 1898 and was named for William Starling Sullivant. #OTD On this day in 1943, the noted botanist who became president of Huguenot College in South Africa and founded of the South African Association of University Women; Bertha Stoneman died. Born on a farm near Jamestown, New York, the Stoneman family had many notable achievements. Her aunt, Kate Stoneman, was the first woman admitted to the New York State bar, another aunt became the first policewoman in Buffalo, and her uncle George Stoneman, who was a general in the American Civil War, became the 15th governor of California. (Ronald Reagan being the 33rd, and Arnold Schwarzenegger being the 38th.) Bertha Stoneman completed her undergraduate and doctorate degrees in botany at Cornell University in 1894 and 1896, respectively. She jumped at the chance to lead the botany department at Huguenot College, a women's college in Wellington, South Africa. More precisely, Huguenot College was the only woman's college on the African continent. Later she would recall, "It was the courtesy, culture and hospitality of certain Africans that held me... there." The college called on Stoneman to not only teach botany; but also zoology, mathematics, logic, ethics and psychology. Stoneman's textbook, Plants and their Ways in South Africa(1906), an instant classic, was widely assigned as a textbook in South African schools for several decades. Surrounded by the new and exciting flora of South Africa, Stoneman set about building a herbarium for Huguenot. She either went out herself to collect specimens, or she sent others to add to the collection. When talking to Americans during visits home, Stoneman praised South African plant life, saying: "South Africa provides 42 species of native asparagus. Why should it not be cultivated as a vegetable? ...There are fine citrus fruits, avocado, pears, figs, mangoes, and paw-paws... You need not seek employment. Employ yourself. Come soon, and you will be warmly and courteously welcomed." Stoneman was a wonderfully engaging teacher. As Carolize Jansen wrote in her blog, "If Bertha Stoneman were my biology teacher at school, maybe I would've considered choosing the subject for the final three years. In the opening chapter of Plants and their ways in South Africa, a 1906 textbook for school biology, her introduction ranges from the baking of bread to the Wonderboom in Pretoria, with a final encouragement regarding Latin names: ‘‘...the reader may skip any name in this book longer than Hermanuspetrusfontein.” Stoneman was good at many endeavors. Her Cornell Delta Gamma biography noted, "She entered with enthusiasm into all phases of [college] life, seeming equally at home on the hockey-field, as captain of a team, or in dramatics, writing, and coaching plays... We... are not surprised to learn that she has written many a song for Huguenot College, including its "Alma Mater." Thanks to Google, I was able to track down the lyrics to the song - although one word had a transcription failure. I edited the text as best I could. [Tune—“ Sweet and Low."] Joyfully, joyfully, ever of thee we'll sing, Loyally, loyally, honor to thee we’ll bring : “ Earnest for truth " shall our life’s effort be. Time shall unite us still closer to thee, [Wisdom] from thee shall come. Lend thy beams afar. Shine, thou brilliant Star, Shine. Thou our Queen, pure, serene. Ever our hearts wilt cheer. While with thee never we Danger or care shall fear. Knowing our sorrows, thou’lt help us to bear. And widen rejoicing, our joys thou wilt share. Thou, our noble Queen. As we honor thee, we shall sing of thee. Praise. Stoneman was tremendously proud of her scholars. Among her notable students was South African botanical illustrator, Olive Coates Palgrave (noted for her richly illustrated 1956 book Trees of Central Africa) and British born, South African mycologist and bacteriologist, Ethel Doidge. Twenty-four years after arriving in South Africa, Stoneman became president of Huguenot University College. She retired twelve years later. She requested that her ashes be returned to the United States upon her death. #OTD It's the birthday of botanist and USDA agronomistSamuel Mills Tracy, born in 1847. Born in Hartford, Vermont, Tracy's family eventually settled in Wisconsin. At the start of the Civil War , he enlisted with the Union Army, served with a branch of the Wisconsin Volunteers. After the war, he started farming; but then a year later, he decided to go to college. Tracy wound up getting a Master's from Michigan State Agricultural College. By 1877, Tracy secured a Professor of Botany spot at the University of Missouri. A decade later, he was hired as first Director of the Mississippi Experiment Station. Tracyis perhaps best known for his two works Flora of Missouri and The Flora of Southern United States. Today, the Tracy Herbarium, at Texas A&M is a special part of the department of ecosystem science and management. A research plant collection with close to 325,000 specimens, it hosts the largest grass collection in Texas and across much of the southern U.S. Unearthed Words #OTD On this day in 1827, Scottish botanist David Douglas (Sponsored by Sir William Hooker), took a break from collecting for the Royal Botanic Institution of Glasgow. His was lagging behind the others in his party as he was making his way through the Athabasca Pass west of present day Jasper, Alberta, Canada. On a whim, he decided to abandon the trail and ascend the northern peak of Mount Brown in deep snow. Here's what he recorded in his journal: After breakfast at one o’clock... I became desirous of ascending one of the peaks, and accordingly I set out alone on snowshoes ... The labour of ascending the lower part, which is covered with pines, is great beyond description, sinking on many occasions to the middle. Halfway up vegetation ceases entirely, not so much a vestige of moss or lichen on the stones. Here I found it less laborious as I walked on the hard crust. One-third from the summit it becomes a mountain of pure ice, sealed far over by Nature’s hand ... ...The ascent took me five hours; ... This peak, the highest yet known in the northern continent of America, I feel a sincere pleasure in naming Mount Brown, in honor of Robert Brown, the illustrious botanist... A little to the southward is one nearly the same height, rising into a sharper point. This I named Mount Hooker [after his sponsor, William Hooker] ..." Douglas' trip was a success; he collected over 200 new plants. Douglas was the first Englishman to bring back cones of the Sugar Pine, the Lodgepole Pine, the Ponderosa Pine, and, of course, the Douglas-fir. Within a year of his return in 1827, they would all would all be growing in English gardens and on Scottish estates. Special Note: The Douglas-fir is not a true fir, which is why it is spelled with a hyphen. Anytime you see a hyphen in the common name , you know it's not a true member of the genus. Book Recommendation Mastering the Art of Vegetable Gardening: Rare Varieties - Unusual Options - Plant Lore & Guidance – by Matt Mattus Mastering the Art of Vegetable Gardening is your "201" level course in cultivating produce. Expand your knowledge base and discover options that go beyond the ordinary! Prepare to encounter new varieties of common plant species, learn their history and benefits, and, most of all, identify fascinating new edibles to grow in your own gardens. Written by gardening expert Matt Mattus, Mastering the Art of Vegetable Gardening offers a wealth of new and exciting opportunities, alongside beautiful photography, lore, insight, and humor that can only come from someone who has grown each vegetable himself and truly loves gardening. Today's Garden Chore Diversify your tulip plantings for next Spring: If you garden south of zone 7, try Tulip Turkestanica. You'll find a sudden soft spot for the early blooming, sweet little-faced tulips. Not your typical tulip, this is a species tulip. Species tulips are the most perennial of all tulips. They are petite, long-lived beauties, ideal for rock gardens, or the front of borders. They are adorable in containers and must be protected from freezing north of zone 7. Like daffs, they look amazing planted right in the grass. Such pretty little blooms! Something Sweet Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart When I was researching Mount Vernon, I was struck by Washington's intentions and methods. He was naturally curious and wanted to see what plants would be able to survive in the harsh climate of Virginia. Of his four gardens, Washington referred often to his favorite of the four gardens, the botanical garden, during his lifetime. He called it "the little garden by the salt house," or rather fondly, his "little garden." Washington used the botanical garden as his trial garden; testing alfalfa and oats which, he happily surmised correctly, would increase the productivity of his fields. Thanks for listening to the daily gardener, and remember: "For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."
To the Victorians the Amazonian water lily was more than just a plant. The adventure of finding this exotic piece of the Empire and getting it to grow on home soil involved horticultural ambition, scientific vision and fierce competition amongst the country's wealthy landowners. Prof Kathy Willis hears about the race during the 1840s between Kew's director William Hooker and the Duke of Derbyshire's gardener Joseph Paxton to get the aquatic lily to flower. Historian and biographer Kate Colquhoun examines how the plant's exacting requirements demanded an entirely new approach to horticultural architecture, engineering and management of water and heat. Lara Jewett, manager of Kew's tropical house, and Greg Redwood, head of Kew's glasshouses, explain why this voracious feeder and aquatic beauty still proves a challenge to cultivate today. But botanists were quick to make the connection between repeating modular-like structures on the underside of the lily's leaf and the possibilities of new engineering design, which as Jim Endersby explains, was to inspire the use of essential giant greenhouses to cultivate food in soot laden cities, and for Joseph Paxton to ultimately create the greatest glasshouse ever built - Crystal Palace. Producer Adrian Washbourne.
By 1850 identifying and classifying plants had become far more important than mere list making. Establishing the global laws of botany - what grew where and why - occupied the well travelled naturalist Joseph Hooker - son of Kew's director William Hooker and close friend of Charles Darwin. Kathy Willis hears from historian Jim Endersby on how Hooker was to acquire species from all over the world to build up the first accurate maps of the world's flora. Mark Nesbitt, curator of Kew's economic botany collection, reveals how gifts to Hooker in the collection reveal the relationship between the amateur collector in the field and Hooker back at Kew was one built on trust and mutual understanding. But, as Jim Endersby explains, the relationships were frought with tension when it came to naming new plants. Arguments between those claiming they had found new species (often called "splitters") versus cautious botanists, such as Hooker, who would often "lump" together species as variants of the same, raised new debates about what constitutes a new species. And as Mark Chase, Keeper of Kew's Jodrell Laboratory reveals, the arguments continue today. Producer: Adrian Washbourne Presenter: Kathy Willis is director of science at Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew. She is also professor of long-term ecology and a fellow of Merton College, both at Oxford University. Winner of several awards, she has spent over 20 years researching and teaching biodiversity and conservation at Oxford and Cambridge.
1ère de la 26e session ! Cette semaine, retour énergique avec du Charlie Parker version 2013, une nouveauté en avant-jazz de chez Clean Feed et du free-jazz ! En musique: Magic Malik sur l'album Tranz Denied (Bee Jazz, 2013); Manu Codjia, Géraldine Laurent et Christophe Marguet sur l'album Looking for Parker (Abeille Musique, 2013); Peter Kerlin Octet sur l'album Salamander (Innova, 2013) Pascal Niggenkemper Vision7 sur l'album Lucky Prime (Clean Feed, 2013); William Hooker sur l'album Heart of the Sun (Engine, 2013); John Tchicai sur l'album Tribal Ghost (NoBusiness, 2013)...
1ère de la 26e session ! Cette semaine, retour énergique avec du Charlie Parker version 2013, une nouveauté en avant-jazz de chez Clean Feed et du free-jazz ! En musique: Magic Malik sur l'album Tranz Denied (Bee Jazz, 2013); Manu Codjia, Géraldine Laurent et Christophe Marguet sur l'album Looking for Parker (Abeille Musique, 2013); Peter Kerlin Octet sur l'album Salamander (Innova, 2013) Pascal Niggenkemper Vision7 sur l'album Lucky Prime (Clean Feed, 2013); William Hooker sur l'album Heart of the Sun (Engine, 2013); John Tchicai sur l'album Tribal Ghost (NoBusiness, 2013)...
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