August 20, 2019 Pass-along Plants, the Patron Saint of Beekeepers, Edward Lee Green, Gettysburg Milkweed, the Plant Quarantine Act, Robert Plant, Edgar Albert Guest, Rose Recipes from Olden Times by Eleanor Sinclair Rhode, Pick Herbs, and Nerine undulata
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Monologue
"You don't have a garden just for yourself. You have it to share."
- Augusta Carter, Master Gardener, Pound Ridge, Georgia
Pass-along plants have the best stories, don't they?
They have history.
They have a personal history.
One of my student gardeners had a grandmother who recently passed away from breast cancer.
Her mom was no green thumb. But when her daughter started working in my garden, she let me know that her mom had some plants, and her dad was looking for a place for them. Would I be willing to take one?
Sure. Absolutely, I said.
Next thing I knew, a few weeks later, Mom was walking up to my driveway, carrying one of the largest Jade plants I’ve ever seen. The plant was in a container the size of a 5-gallon paint bucket, and it was just as tall.
I took the plant from her, promising to take good care of it.
When she turned to leave, I asked her mom’s name. I like to name my pass-along plants after the people I get them from, and that’s when the tears started.
When she left, I brought it over to the potting bench and let it sit for a few days. Then my student gardeners and I set about dividing and caring for it. It was a good thing we did it, because the moment we started taking it out of the pot, it became clear the plant was severely waterlogged. It wouldn’t have made it if it hadn't been removed from the pot.
We removed as much potting soil as we could. We split the plant in half and put them into separate clay pots, which were very heavily perlited, which was just what the doctor ordered. It’s the perfect environment, and now it’s doing fantastic.
But, I’d be lying if I didn’t say that it had a little more special meaning to me than just your typical jade plant - all because of the look on this woman’s face when she gave me this plant; passing on this little, living thing that her mom had nurtured.
Botanical History On This Day
Feast Day Saint Bernard of Clairvaux is honored as the patron saint of beekeepers and candlemakers—remembered for his “honey-sweet” eloquence and love of the natural world.
1843 Edward Lee Greene was born, the indefatigable botanist whose work on western North American plants reshaped botanical nomenclature.
1863 A milkweed specimen was collected at Gettysburg, linking botany and battlefield history through the hands of nursery owner Thomas Meehan.
1912 The Plant Quarantine Act was enacted, forever changing how plants move across borders in the name of biosecurity.
1948 Robert Plant was born—the singer with the most coveted surname in gardening.
Unearthed Words
On his birthday, Edgar A. Guest’s poem “To Plant a Garden” reminds us that cultivation is an antidote to despair and a lifelong source of joy.
Grow That Garden Library™
Read The Daily Gardener review of Rose Recipes from Olden Times by Eleanour Sinclair Rohde
Buy the book on Amazon: Rose Recipes from Olden Times by Eleanour Sinclair Rohde
Today's Botanic Spark
1940 Garden writer Elizabeth Lawrence wrote tenderly of bulbs, bloom times, and asking a sister to check the garden while she was away—proof that love of plants never takes a holiday.
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And remember: For a happy, healthy life, garden every day.
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