August 9, 2019 Plant Surprises, Ludwig Winter, Walden, George Vasey, Helen Duranc, Bunny Melon, Richard Combe Miller, Holistic Herbal, David Hoffman, Black Lace Black Elder, Flame Tree, and San Francisco

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Monologue

Every now and then, plants can surprise you.

In this case, I’m talking about more than just a beautiful bloom or general survival. I’m talking about variations that could lead to exciting new varieties. This topic was covered in the Richmond, Indiana, newspaper on this day in 1938:

"Black Hull Wheat - the wheat that increased production by millions of bushels in the Southwest - came from just one plant discovered in his wheat field by Earl Clark in Sedgwick county, Kans.

The Wayzata ever-bearing strawberry came from just one plant discovered in a patch of June-bearing strawberries in Hennepin county, Minn.

And, John Brown discovered an entirely new kind of watermelon - and a dandy - in his melon patch in White county, Illinois.

Keep your eyes open."

Botanical History On This Day

Born Ludwig Winter, the German botanist and landscape architect, whose palm-filled gardens along the Italian Riviera transformed exotic plants into a democratic pleasure for everyday gardeners.

1854 Walden by Henry David Thoreau was published, sharing two years of deliberate living near Walden Pond and offering reflections that still shape how gardeners see wildness and restraint.

1869 Vasey’s Paradise was named in the Grand Canyon by John Wesley Powell in honor of botanist George Vasey, where water, mosses, ferns, and flowering plants spill from stone in dazzling abundance.

1883 Helen Durand was born, the Belgian botanical illustrator whose extraordinary patience once led her to spend over 105 hours drawing a single fir cone.

Born Rachel “Bunny” Mellon, the garden designer whose White House Rose Garden and rare garden books shaped an understated American garden aesthetic rooted in scholarship and grace.

Unearthed Words

August crowned in fruit and bloom—“Fairest of Months” by Richard Combe Miller.

Grow That Garden Library™

Read The Daily Gardener review of Complete Illustrated Guide to the Holistic Herbal by David Hoffmann

Buy the book on Amazon: Complete Illustrated Guide to the Holistic Herbal by David Hoffmann

Today's Botanic Spark

1945 A new generation of flame trees was propagated from a survivor of the Nagasaki atomic blast—a living testament to endurance, now growing in botanic gardens around the world.

1967 The song San Francisco, performed by Scott McKenzie, started a four-week run at the number one spot on the UK singles chart. It's also referred to as the unofficial anthem of the counterculture movement of the 60s.

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