Botanic Spark
Fourth Time’s the Charm: Indiana’s State Flower is the Peony
“A young, distinguished member of the Indiana legislature named Lawrence Baker, who happened to be a peony grower, suggested the Peony. And that is how the Peony ended up on the ballot.” March 15, 1957 On this day, the Peony became Indiana’s fourth State Flower. First, they picked the Carnation, then the Tulip Poplar, next…
Read MoreA Closer Look at the Kansas State Flower: the Sunflower
“Sunflowers do need a ton of sun. Don’t be stingy with the sunshine and put them in part shade. These are plants that appreciate all the rays they can get.” March 12, 1903 On this day, the Kansas State Flower was officially selected. Governor Willis Bailey signed the legislation that designated the wild native Sunflower…
Read MoreGarden Writer Allen Lacy’s Tribute to the Beautiful Old Cucumber Magnolia Tree at Montrose Nursery Fell in Storm
“This tree was more than a tree. It was endowed with energy that bordered on something beyond the natural order.” On March 11th, 1992, a beautiful Magnolia tree at Montrose fell to the ground. The tree’s story was shared in The Berkshire Eagle in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, and the title was In Memoriam of Montrose’s Priceless Tree by…
Read MoreGot the Gardener’s Blues? How about Planting All Blue Potatoes this Spring?
“Any potato is easy to grow, and All Blues are even easier, as they seem to resist fungal diseases.” They say variety is the spice of life. For gardeners, varieties are the key to having the garden of your dreams. Back in 2019, on this day, in The Old Farmer’s Almanac, Doreen Howard wrote about her passion…
Read MoreA Gardener’s Favorite: The Botany Poem by Berton Braley
“There should be no monotony In studying your botany” American poet Berton Braley, published his light-hearted, clever poem, Botany, in the Science News Letter March 9, 1929 There should be no monotony In studying your botany, It helps to train And spur the brain– Unless you haven’t gotany. It teaches you, does Botany, To know…
Read MoreRemembering The Shadow: Lady Charlotte Wheeler-Cuffe – Botanical Artist, Plant Collector, Animal Lover, and Gardener
Subtitle March 8, 1963 Today is the anniversary of the death of the little-known, multi-talented, and dauntless plant explorer, plant collector, gardener, and botanical artist Charlotte Wheeler-Cuffe. Born in Wimbledon in 1867, Charlotte was the youngest daughter in her family. Charlotte became very ill at some point in her childhood, and her sickliness caused her…
Read MoreFive Top Perennials for Country Flower Gardens
“In early farms and ranches, the first perennials [were] the stalwart wildflowers of range and prairie.” March 5, 2017 On this day, The Herald-Palladium, out of Saint Joseph, Michigan, shared an article called “Flowers for the Country Border” by Maureen Gilmour. In the article, Maureen shares a glimpse of farm life – a no-nonsense lifestyle where…
Read MoreGladiolus and Dahlias: Fun Facts and Garden History for these August Garden Superstars
“I’ll never forget what my friend Joel Karsten, the author of Straw Bale Gardening, told me about how easy it is to plant Gladiolus in conditioned straw bales. Once the flowers are done blooming in the fall, you kick the straw bale over, and all the corms fall out for easy gathering.” March 4, 1956…
Read MoreDaffodils: the March Birth Flower, Fun Facts, and the Mother of all Daffodil Poems
“All parts of the Daffodil are toxic, and the sap is harmful to other flowers, so you must soak them separately for 24 hours before adding them to a bouquet.” The birth flower for March birthdays is the Daffodil. Daffodils are also the 10th-anniversary flower. A bouquet of Daffodils means happiness and hope, but a…
Read MoreHow a California Art Teacher Named Emma Edwards Green Designed the Idaho State Seal and included the State Flower: the Mock Orange
“The story of how the Mock Orange became the Idaho State Flower is one of luck.” March 2, 1931 On this day, Idaho adopted the Mock Orange as the official State Flower. In the 1800s, the Mock Orange was known as the Syringa. The story of how the Mock Orange became the Idaho State…
Read MoreA Brief History of Roses – Along with Some Surprising Fun Facts
“In the late 1700s, botanists discovered everblooming roses growing in the gardens of the sub-tropics in China. Because of their tea-like fragrance, they became known as Tea Roses. ” March 1, 1979 On this day, The Call-Leader out of Elwood, Indiana, published an article called The Roots Of Roses Go Back Many Years. If you were to trace the…
Read MoreAlfred Robinson’s Lath-House Design for the 1915 Panama-California Exposition in Balboa Park
“Where was I? I had entered the Garden of Eden. Palms, ferns, flowering plants, and vines on all sides…” In researching Alfred Robinson, I ran across an article by Richard Amero and published by the San Diego History Center. The article shared Alfred’s grand dream for a large lath house for the Panama-California Exposition. San…
Read MoreAustralians Create a Play to Honor Charismatic Garden Designer Edna Walling called “Edna for the Garden”
“For my part, I love all the things most gardeners abhor – moss in lawns, lichen on trees, more greenery than color – as if green isn’t a color…” February 25, 1989 On this day, The Age out of Melbourne, Australia, reviewed a new play called “Edna for the Garden.” The charismatic Australian gardener, designer,…
Read MoreCelebrating the Virginia State Flower: Dogwood (Cornus florida) – Along with Little-Known Fun Facts
“Dogwood trees have a hard white wood that used to be harvested to make skewers for cooking. So again, this is another neat tieback to the dag or dagger reference. This is also how the Dogwood got one of its ancient common names: The Skewerwood.” February 24, 1957 On this day, The Times-Dispatch out of Richmond, Virginia,…
Read More