February 16, 2021 Plant Selfishness, Townshend Stithe Brandegee, the New Jersey State Flower, Duck Hill Journal by Page Dickey, and the Remarkable Josephine S. Margetts
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Botanical History On This Day
1843 Birth of Townshend Stith Brandegee, American botanist of a prominent family known for pioneering botanical exploration of the American West. Townshend and his wife Katharine, the curator at the California Academy of Sciences, were "insanely in love" botanists who built a remarkable herbarium and garden in San Diego. Their collections, comprising over 80,000 specimens, played a crucial role in restoring Berkeley's herbarium after the 1906 earthquake, and they worked pro bono for decades, significantly advancing West Coast botany.
1971 The New Jersey State Flower, the Violet, was officially adopted thanks to legislation by Assemblywoman Josephine S. Margetts. An environmental advocate and nursery owner, Josephine championed land protection and pesticide bans while firmly promoting the violet’s symbolism of love, faith, and dignity. Her bill passed overwhelmingly amid lighthearted legislative support and occasional dissent for “marigolds.”
Unearthed Words
An excerpt fom Luther Burbank’s 1901 address to the Pacific States Floral Congress expressed how yesterday’s botanists saw plants as immutable specimens, but contemporary science reveals them as malleable and alive like sculptor’s clay or painter’s colors—capable of marvelous transformation.
Grow That Garden Library™
Read my review of Uprooted by Page Dickey. This heartfelt memoir chronicles the transformation of Page’s iconic Duck Hill garden as she starts anew in Connecticut. Filled with intimate reflections, garden wisdom, and superb photography, it offers hope and inspiration to gardeners facing change and seeking joy in new beginnings.
Buy the book on Amazon: Uprooted by Page Dickey
Today's Botanic Spark
Remembering Josephine S. Margetts through a touching obituary describing her lifelong passion for gardening, nature, and environmental stewardship in New Jersey. She nurtured numerous horticultural pursuits—from holly nurseries to orchards—and championed multiple environmental laws while embracing books and quiet moments observing the garden. Her legacy blooms in the green spaces she protected and the violet that symbolizes the state’s natural beauty.
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