June 10, 2019 The Significance of Lilacs, National Herbs and Spices Day, Jardin des Plantes, Robert Brown, Gorgeous George and Judy Garland’s Hibiscus, Frances Theodora Parsons, Natural Selection, Dan Pearson, Box Cutters, and Inspiration from John Burroughs
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Monologue
My neighbor, up at our cabin, has this amazing copse of lilacs.
We've become good friends, and he invited me to take some cuttings of his lilac as a gesture of goodwill.
(He also gives me all of his jack-in-the-pulpits - but that's another story.)
Over time, lilacs have meant different things to different people.
The Celts thought the sweet scent of lilacs made them magical.
During the Victorian era, widows wore lilacs because they symbolized an old love.
In Russia, to bless an infant with intelligence, they placed a little sprig of lilac over the baby's crib.
Botanical History On This Day
2019 National Herbs and Spices Day celebrates the simplest of garden pleasures, as fresh herbs offer fragrance, texture, and flavor with little fuss. Growing herbs is a low-maintenance pursuit for new gardeners and a daily delight for seasoned ones.
1793 Jardin des Plantes opened its gates in Paris. It was destined to become both a cornerstone of botanical science and, by the following year, the world’s first public zoo.
1858 Robert Brown, the Scottish botanist who first observed the restless dance of particles now known as Brownian motion, died. His discovery bridged botany, physics, and the unseen forces shaping the universe.
1922 Judy Garland was born in Grand Rapids, Minnesota. She later charmed the world and quietly delighted gardeners with gifts of hibiscus to friends who traded the spotlight for soil.
Unearthed Words
1952 Frances Theodora Parsons, beloved author of How to Know the Wildflowers, died. She was a woman who transformed grief into beauty and taught generations that knowing a flower deepens the joy of meeting it.
Grow That Garden Library™
Read The Daily Gardener review of Natural Selection: A Year in the Garden by Dan Pearson
Buy the book on Amazon: Natural Selection: A Year in the Garden by Dan Pearson
Today's Garden Chore
Order box cutters for your garden kit.
Indispensable for trimming sod, edging beds, and tackling the small but stubborn tasks that quietly define a well-tended garden.
Today's Botanic Spark
This story of Francis Parsons and John Burroughs reminds us that a single encouraging remark can change the course of horticultural history. Burroughs’ wish for a wildflower handbook inspired Parsons to write the book that taught America how to truly see its flowers.
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And remember: For a happy, healthy life, garden every day.
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