June 27, 2019 National Onion Day, Thomas Say, William Williams, William Guilfoyle, Elizabeth Cabot Agassiz, The Glory of the Garden by Rudyard Kipling, Practical Botany for Gardeners by Geoff Hodge, Make a Garden Map, and Brevities

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Monologue

Today is the very first National Onion Day.

It was founded by the National Onion Association, which represents almost 500 growers from across the United States.

The association celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2013.

Onions are a member of the bulb family. There are twenty-seven different types of onions. They all grow underground, and they're one of the easiest vegetables to grow.

There's an old saying that says the thicker the onion skin, the colder the winter will be.

Botanical History On This Day

1787 Thomas Say was born into a Quaker family with ties to the Bartrams. He became a pioneering American naturalist and the father of descriptive entomology, insisting that native plants and insects be named at home rather than shipped across the Atlantic and battered.

1861 William Williams, a Scottish botanical guide, died tragically while collecting plants. It was a vocation he had begun to question for its role in the extinction of the very species he loved.

1889 William Guilfoyle, director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Victoria, married Mary Alice Darling and promptly departed on a nine-month honeymoon tour of Britain’s gardens, his first proper holiday in seventeen years.

1907 Elizabeth Cabot Agassiz, educator, naturalist, and founding president of Radcliffe College, died. He left behind a legacy forged through intellect, resilience, and an unshakable belief in women’s education.

Unearthed Words

The Glory of the Garden by Rudyard Kipling reminds us — with affectionate precision — that behind every stately border and sweeping lawn lies the honest labor of sheds, tools, and willing hands.

Grow That Garden Library™

Read The Daily Gardener review of Practical Botany for Gardeners by Geoff Hodge

Buy the book on Amazon: Practical Botany for Gardeners by Geoff Hodge

Today's Botanic Spark

1894 A newspaper column titled Blooming Beauties offered gentle wisdom on alyssum, night-scented flowers, and the timeless rule for avoiding poison ivy — a reminder that garden knowledge has always thrived in small, shared truths.

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