April 15, 2019 The Garden as a World Unto Itself, William Kent, Allan Cunningham, George Harrison Shull, Francis Hallé, Alexander Garden, Francis Quarles, The Atlas of Poetic Botany, The Garden Budget, and Sphagnum Moss

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Monologue

William Kent wrote:

"A garden is to be a world unto itself,
it had better make room
for the darker shades of feeling
as well as the sunny ones.”

I’ve usually thought about my garden as my happy place.

It’s a natural mood changer for me.

But I remember one time when I was out in the garden with feelings of a definite darker shade.

I was very pregnant with John and wearing a hideous striped maternity tank top.

It was super hot out, and I looked like an absolute mess.

I wasn’t out there long before I realized my new neighbor kept trying to catch my attention; I didn’t want to meet him looking so frightful.

I kept my eyes down on my plants. But, out of the corner of my eye, I noticed he kept coming out of his house to stand on his deck - expecting me to acknowledge him.

Finally, an older man joined him, and, together, they approached the back fence.

I walked over to say hello.

Here it was my old principal from middle school and his son-in-law, my new neighbor.

So much for my garden as a world unto itself.

Botanical History On This Day

1823 Allan Cunningham departed Bathurst in search of an easier route to the Liverpool Plains, a journey that advanced botanical knowledge in Australia and restored his health in a kinder climate.

1874 George Harrison Shull was born, the American botanist remembered as the father of hybrid corn, whose work reshaped modern agriculture.

1938 Francis Hallé was born, the French botanist whose poetic drawings and studies of rainforest architecture reveal plants as wondrous and strange as myth.

1791 Alexander Garden died, the Charleston botanist whose lively correspondence fueled the exchange of ideas and lent his name to the beloved gardenia.

Unearthed Words

Nothing Perfect on Earth by Francis Quarles reflects on April’s promise and the fragile dependence of blossoms on the light of May.

Grow That Garden Library™

Read The Daily Gardener’s review of
The Atlas of Poetic Botany by Francis Hallé

Buy the book on Amazon:
The Atlas of Poetic Botany by Francis Hallé

Today’s Garden Chore

Negotiate the garden budget on tax day, choosing a realistic number and tending both finances and flowers with equal care.

Today’s Botanic Spark

1977 Sphagnum moss, once used to dress wounds in war, reminds us that humble plants have quietly saved lives as well as gardens.

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