July 31, 2019 Poppies, Christopher Lloyd, Daniel Defoe, Mary Vaux Walcott, Richard Morris Hunt, Smithsonian Gardens, Robert Frost, Gardenista by Michelle Slatalla, Updating Beds, and National Avacado Day

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Curated News

Did you know that poppies were Christopher Lloyd's favorite flower?

In his short essay about poppies, he introduces 'Goliath' poppies, which grow to 4 feet tall and offer the most abundant blooms of any poppy.

Lloyd wrote about the blooms, saying,

"They are rich crimson, which is as exciting as scarlet. In choosing plant neighbors to vie with it, I have been best pleased with an equally bright and pure yellow giant buttercup. Ranunculus acris ‘Stevenii.’

It is, however, shocking to discover that there are some gardeners (and non -gardeners) of congenitally weak and palsied constitution who do not like strong colors and who even pride themselves, as a class apart, on their good taste.

The good-taste brigade can only think comfortably in terms of color harmonies and of soft and soothing pastel shades."

Oh, how it pains the heart to be called out by Christopher Lloyd, doesn't it?

Well, even though he thinks we're too meek when it comes to color in the garden, we are in violent agreement when it comes to procurement. You'll love this little snippet about how he came to own the poppy "Beauty Queen":

"I took a fancy to ‘Beauty Queen’ in a friend’s
garden in Scotland in June, when it was flowering, and received permission to take a piece.

When you see a plant that you must have, the answer to the question “Would you like some at the right time? should be “I’d rather have it now,” right time or not.

Otherwise, the right time will surely slip by, the transference of the coveted piece from central Scotland to the south of England (or from California to Maine) will be in convenient, and all you’ll have is a gnawing gap in the pit of your wish-world."

Botanical History On This Day

1703 The writer Daniel Defoe stood in the pillory at Temple Bar, a punishment softened by public sympathy when supporters famously showered him with flowers instead of filth. This scene was later immortalized in art and biography.

1860 Mary Vaux Walcott, the celebrated botanical illustrator known as the “Audubon of botany,” was born. Her exquisite watercolors in North American Wildflowers captured the fleeting beauty of plants at their peak.

1895 Richard Morris Hunt, the Dean of American Architecture, died. Gardeners remember him for his grand collaborations with Frederick Law Olmsted; most notably at the Biltmore Estate.

1972 The horticulture program that would become Smithsonian Gardens was established on this day, planting the seeds for the lush landscapes that now frame the nation’s museums.

Unearthed Words

Wind, rain, and resilience meet in six brief lines as Robert Frost’s poem “Lodged” finds kinship between the poet and storm-battered flowers that bend — but do not break.

Grow That Garden Library™

Read The Daily Gardener review of
Gardenista: The Definitive Guide to Stylish Outdoor Spaces by Michelle Slatalla

Buy the book on Amazon: Gardenista by Michelle Slatalla

Today's Botanic Spark

National Avocado Day is celebrated today.

This hand-harvested fruit, once known as “alligator pear,” produces ink from its seed and contains more potassium than a banana, all while demanding a 16-foot pole and a steady hand.

Thanks for listening to The Daily Gardener

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