July 29, 2019 A Peter Rabbit Garden, Thomas Nuttal, Edith Coleman, Ryan Gainey, The First Plant Patent, Sara Coleridge, The Education of a Gardener by Russell Page, Dividing Iris, Charles Clemon Deam, and Honeysuckle

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Monologue

Do you have children or grandchildren?

A Peter Rabbit Garden is a lovely idea for you to consider.

Of course, Peter Rabbit is the creation of Beatrix Potter, who was a noted botanist and mycologist. (A mycologist studies fungi.) Potter's garden was located at Hill Top Farm.

In making your Peter Rabbit garden, you could add a little wooden fence or a low stone wall around the perimeter.

Inside, use the herbs and perennials featured in the books:

Herbs include Mint, Chamomile, Lavender, Parsley, Sage, Thyme, Rosemary, Lemon Balm, and Tansy.

Edibles include Lettuce, Beets, Radish, Rhubarb, Onions, and Strawberries.

Then add Pansies, Roses, and Pinks.

Botanical History On This Day

1810 Thomas Nuttall Explores Mackinac Island. At just 24, the young botanist paddled north to document Michigan’s flora, recording dozens of species and discovering the dwarf lake iris, now the state wildflower.

1874 Edith Coleman was born. She was a late-blooming Australian naturalist whose groundbreaking work revealed the secret, seductive world of orchid pollination by pseudo-copulation.

2016 Ryan Gainey, the self-taught landscape designer and poet of garden rooms, died while trying to save his beloved dogs. He left behind a legacy of beauty created entirely on his own terms.

1931 The First Plant Patent Is Awarded. The ever-blooming rose ‘New Dawn’ made history, ushering in a new era of plant protection under the freshly signed Plant Patent Act.

Unearthed Words

From July heat to humming bees, today's garden words gather verse and proverbs that remind us summer’s abundance comes with a sting—and a song.

Grow That Garden Library™

Read The Daily Gardener’s review of The Education of a Gardener by Russell Page

Buy the book on Amazon: The Education of a Gardener by Russell Page

Today's Botanic Spark

1951 Charles C. Deam vs. Honeysuckle. In a blistering letter, the botanist Charles Deam dismissed the vine entirely, declaring it “no good for anything” and suggesting insecticides as its only possible merit.

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