June 25, 2019 Empress Wu Hosta, David Douglas, William Robert Guilfoyle, Nathaniel Lord Britton, George Orwell, Gardener’s Latin by Bill Neal, Floral Pins, and Eric Carle

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Monologue

Did you know that the most popular giant hosta is Empress Wu?

At maturity, the plant is 5 feet tall with an 8-foot spread.

Pictures don't really do the Empress Wu hosta justice. Because of its size and rapid growth, Empress Wu demands soil that is consistently moist but not soggy.

Brian and Virginia Skag bred Empress Wu out of Lowell, Indiana. On February 23, 2010, they finally received their patent for the impressive Empress Wu hosta.

Botanical History On This Day

1799 David Douglas, the self-taught Scottish plant explorer, was born. He was a relentless plant collector who introduced more than 200 North American species to Europe, including the Douglas-fir, and who ultimately gave his life in the pursuit of plants.

1912 William Robert Guilfoyle, visionary landscape gardener and architect of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Melbourne, died after devoting more than 35 years to creating one of the world’s most admired botanical landscapes.

1934 Nathaniel Lord Britton, American botanist and co-founder of the New York Botanical Garden, died. He is remembered not only for his taxonomy, but also for the quiet artistry that informed his scientific eye.

1903 George Orwell was born. He was a writer whose diaries reveal a deep devotion to gardening, even as illness confined him to a small, hopeful vegetable plot on the island of Jura.

Unearthed Words

Garden Reflections by George Orwell reminds us that tending plants was, for him, both a consolation and a quiet philosophy — a practice of patience, persistence, and shared beauty.

Grow That Garden Library™

Read The Daily Gardener review of Gardener’s Latin by Bill Neal

Buy the book on Amazon: Gardener’s Latin by Bill Neal

Today's Botanic Spark

1929 Writer Eric Carle is born. He reminded us that a love of nature can be both playful and profound and that beauty, once noticed, ought always to be shared.

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