April 8, 2019 John Claudius Loudon, Mary Pickford, Katie Melua, Hugo von Mohl, William Watson, Jackie Bennett, and the Duke of Wellington

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Monologue

Have you given much thought to the layout or shape of your garden beds?

Do they follow the natural lines and slopes of the landscape?

Are they geometric? Long beds with corners?
Maybe you've tried a circle garden.

If you're a beginner gardener, border beds anchored by a backdrop (such as a house or fence) are the easiest to plan and execute.

Often overlooked, one thing to consider in border beds is adding stepping stones or a small path along the back to provide access points that make tending your garden easier.

Botanical History On This Day

1783 John Claudius Loudon, Scottish botanist, author, and garden reformer, was born. Champion of small gardens and inventor of the term “arboretum,” Loudon reshaped Victorian gardening with his gardenesque style and belief that cultivated landscapes should clearly reveal the hand of man.

1892 Mary Pickford, Hollywood legend and devoted tree lover, was born. From planting Japanese cedar trees to famously nibbling rose petals in the name of beauty, Pickford carried the garden with her into stardom.

1805 Hugo von Mohl, German botanist and pioneer of plant cell biology, was born. He identified chloroplasts, described cell division, and coined the term “protoplasm,” forever changing how we understand plant life.

Unearthed Words

An ode to April’s mercurial spirit appears in “April” by William Watson, a poem that laughs and weeps in equal measure, just as the month itself so often does.

Grow That Garden Library™

Read The Daily Gardener’s review of
The Writer’s Garden by Jackie Bennett

Buy the book on Amazon:

The Writer’s Garden by Jackie Bennett

Today's Botanic Spark

The Waterloo Breeches recounts the famously muddled letter that led the Duke of Wellington to believe the Bishop of London wished to inspect his trousers, all thanks to John Claudius Loudon’s perfectly innocent inquiry about beech trees.

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And remember: For a happy, healthy life, garden every day.