September 26, 2019 Bringing Nature Indoors, Nehemiah Grew, John Chapman, Oakes Ames, Robert Finch, The Pursuit of Paradise by Jane Brown, Preserve Herbs in Salt, and Cora Older

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Monologue

Right now is the perfect time to bring some nature indoors.

Why buy something manufactured to look like nature, when some of the most impactful pieces can be found right in your own garden?

I love to bring in some of the birds' nests from my garden. I place them on top of a stack of books, in a crystal bowl, or on a bookshelf. They add wonderful texture and interest, helping ground your interior for winter.

Adding leaves and berries to ledges and your arrangements accomplishes the same thing.

And, an exciting branch placed on a mantle, suspended from the ceiling or propped in the corner of a room, adds an attractive seasonal form; a natural element that costs nothing, but brings a part of the garden, of the woods or the forest, into your home.

Botanical History On This Day

1641 Nehemiah Grew, the Father of Plant Anatomy, was born — the first to peer into plants with a microscope and render their secret structures in lines so fine they still astonish.

1774 John Chapman, better known as Johnny Appleseed, was born, leaving behind not just apple orchards but a complicated legacy of herbal medicine, frontier generosity, and one unfortunate weed.

1874 Oakes Ames, Harvard’s great orchid authority, was born. He was a man so devoted to orchids that his legacy still lives on in glycerine, glass jars, and seven volumes of obsession.

Unearthed Words

As September exhales toward October, nature writer Robert Finch gives voice to the garden itself, growing old with dignity, decay, and quiet resolve.

Grow That Garden Library™

Read The Daily Gardener review of The Pursuit of Paradise by Jane Brown

Buy the book on Amazon: The Pursuit of Paradise by Jane Brown

Today's Garden Chore

While the herb garden still hums with life, take time to preserve herbs in salt — a simple, ancient practice that turns September abundance into winter pleasure.

Today's Botanic Spark

1968 Remembering Cora “The Pink Lady” Older, novelist, rose grower, and wartime orchardist, who proved that when men were scarce, and fruit was heavy, a determined woman could climb the tree herself.

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