May 10, 2021 Butter Wakefield, Leonard Mascall, John Hope, Aconite Lust, My Wild Garden by Meir Shalev, and Cecelia Payne
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Botanical History On This Day
1589 Death anniversary of Leonard Mascall, English author and translator known for pioneering household management and gardening books. His 1572 work A Booke of the Arte and Maner Howe to Plante and Graffe All Sortes of Trees introduced the term secateurs, derived from the Latin for “to cut.” Mascall also provided early advice on controlling slugs and snails by hand, emphasizing the importance of careful garden stewardship.
1725 Birthday of Scottish botanist and influential educator John Hope, who revolutionized botanical sciences at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. His engaging lectures introduced the Linnaean classification system, cultivating a community of 1,700 students worldwide. The genus Hopea and a majestic beech tree near the John Hope Gateway honor his legacy.
Unearthed Words
An excerpt from Beverley Nichols’ Down the Garden Path: “You cannot have too many aconites,” he wrote, extolling their vibrant splash of color lasting a month and suggesting creative placements from tree hollows to windowsills for early spring joy and hope.
Grow That Garden Library™
Read my review of My Wild Garden by Meir Shalev, a 2020 illustrated memoir of a writer’s unruly garden on the edge of Israel’s Jezreel Valley. Shalev celebrates rescued plants, fragrant figs and lemons, and whimsical garden moments, imbued with wit, warmth, and a deep love for nature’s surprises.
Buy the book on Amazon: My Wild Garden: Notes from a Writer’s Eden
Today's Botanic Spark
1900 Birthday of pioneering astronomer Cecelia Payne, who discovered that stars are primarily composed of hydrogen and helium. Inspired by seeing a bee orchid in an orchard as a child, Payne spoke of the unforgettable thrill of discovery and embraced ignorance as a step toward new knowledge.
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