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Curated News

Sir Isaac Bayley Balfour (1853-1922) – An Appreciation | RBGE.org | Leonie Paterson

Botanical History On This Day

1879 Birth of Agnes Arber, the British botanical historian, philosopher, and illustrator who learned plant art from her father.

Mentored by groundbreaking botanist Ethel Sargent and widowed young, Agnes pioneered plant anatomy, published major works on herbals, insisted science and art blended in botany, and became the first female Fellow of the Royal Society.

1980 Death of Marion Delf-Smith, the British botanical trailblazer and founder of the botany program at London’s Westfield.

Marion empowered generations of women through hands-on botany, teaching fieldwork and specimen mounting, and was remembered for her contributions, including whimsical botanical poems written for the magazine "The Sportophyte."

Unearthed Words

An excerpt from Jo Busha’s Time and the Garden offers a vivid February scene: a mink under a woodpile dashes across snow to fetch crayfish from an open pond drain. Here's a taste:

“We timed him: 20 seconds from leaving the woodpile to returning with a crayfish. We never saw him return empty-handed.”

Grow That Garden Library™

Read my review of English Cottage Gardening by Margaret Hensel. This revised classic distills authentic English cottage garden charm into practical advice for every gardener. Margaret Hensel profiles ten real gardens in England and America, sharing plant lists, design secrets, and sources for old rose varieties to help anyone create their own enchanted space—no estate required.

Buy the book on Amazon: English Cottage Gardening by Margaret Hensel

Today's Botanic Spark

1991 Remembering Gregg Fisk of Gregg Fisk Designs, whose dried flower arrangements have graced the homes of Barbara Streisand and Lady Bird Johnson.

Fisk’s favorite flowers for drying include globe amaranth, statice, strawflowers, asters, zinnias, heather, nigella, hosta, poppies, astilbe, ivy, baby’s breath, money plant, and especially ‘faerie’ climbing roses. Herbs like rosemary, bay, and artemisia add fragrance, while yarrow and lamb’s ear give texture. Fisk discovered that microwave drying preserved the vibrant colors in blooms like peonies and daffodils, inspiring modern flower preservation techniques.

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