May 1, 2019 Lily of the Valley, Aimee Camus, Chicago Worlds Fair 1893, Arthur Galston, Wolcott Andrews, Phoebe Hinsdale Brown, The Orchard Thief, Susan Orlean, Bare Root Roses, Chris Van Cleve, and the State Flowers
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Monologue
Happy May Day!
Today, the tradition in France is to give a sprig of Lily of the Valley to loved ones.
Originally from Japan, Lily of the Valley has long been considered a lucky flower. It's a sweet scent that belies its high toxicity.
Other names for Lily of the Valley include May Bells, Our Lady's Tears, and Mary's Tears. The French name, Muguet, is a diminutive form of mugue or muguete and means “musk.”
Botanical History On This Day
1879 Aimée Antoinette Camus, French botanist and leading authority on orchids, bamboos, and oaks, was born, later authoring 677 plant species and producing the most comprehensive classification of the genus Quercus.
1893 The Chicago World’s Fair opened and dazzled visitors with unprecedented horticultural displays, shaping America’s love of public gardens and inspiring the eventual adoption of state flowers.
1943 Arthur Galston recognized the devastating effects of a plant growth hormone, later misused as Agent Orange, and publicly warned against the military application of scientific research.
1900 Wolcott Andrews, landscape architect and preservationist, was born, later helping to shape New York City parks and secure the historic character of Wiscasset, Maine.
2019 The Buffalo Cherry Blossom Festival begins, celebrating spring beneath clouds of pale pink blooms along Lake Erie.
Unearthed Words
1783 Poet Phoebe Hinsdale Brown was born, and her twilight walks along a neighbor’s garden inspired the hymn “I Love to Steal Awhile Away,” a tender meditation shaped by flowers, solitude, and faith.
Grow That Garden Library™
Read The Daily Gardener’s review of The Orchid Thief by Susan Orlean
Buy the book on Amazon: The Orchid Thief by Susan Orlean
Today's Botanic Spark
1908 | 1918 Inspired by the Chicago World’s Fair, Illinois and Massachusetts adopt their state flowers, with the violet and the trailing arbutus becoming enduring emblems of beauty, identity, and spring’s quiet promise.
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