May 21, 2021 Little Garden Retreats, Alexander Pope, Eugene O’Neill, Garden Owners vs Everyone Else, Philosophy in the Garden by Damon Young and Truman Capote
Subscribe
Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart
Support The Daily Gardener
Connect for FREE!
The Friday Newsletter | Daily Gardener Community
Curated News
Little Garden Retreats | Houzz | Sarah Alcroft
Botanical History On This Day
1688 Birthday of Alexander Pope, British poet, critic, and pioneering garden designer. Celebrated for creating the Prior Park Landscape Garden and the unique Palladian Bridge, Pope ingeniously connected his home and garden with a subterranean grotto adorned with mirrors, shells, and minerals, a space that transformed into a glittering, magical retreat at candlelight. He famously said, “All gardening is landscape painting,” blending nature and art in every design.
1922 Pulitzer Prize awarded to Eugene O’Neill for "Anna Christie." Beyond his literary fame, O’Neill was a dedicated gardener who crafted the Tao Home and Garden in California to embody Taoist harmony, with his wife, Carlotta, shaping the landscape filled with white and pink blossoms and thoughtfully designing it to deter evil spirits. Today, the home remains a serene National Historic Site, where visitors can enjoy both nature and theater under the expansive San Ramon Valley sky.
Unearthed Words
An excerpt from Eliza Calvert Hall’s Aunt Jane of Kentucky:
“Men and women fell naturally into two great divisions: those who had gardens and those who had only houses.
To the fancy of childhood, a garden was a paradise, where happy Adams and Eves walked in sunshine and blossom, while those without gardens appeared entombed in perpetual winter.”
Grow That Garden Library™
Explore Philosophy in the Garden by Damon Young, a 2020 exploration of how gardens have inspired literature and thought. From Proust’s bonsai to Nietzsche’s ‘thought tree,’ the book reveals gardens as muses and retreats that spark reflection and creativity for many authors and thinkers.
Buy the book on Amazon: Philosophy in the Garden
Today's Botanic Spark
1955 On this day, Truman Capote's first musical, House of Flowers, closed after 165 performances. Known for his wit and charm, Capote wrote lovingly of gardener CZ Guest, capturing the essence of belonging in garden work, and famously said,
"In my garden, after a rainfall, you can faintly, yes, hear the breaking of new blooms."
Thanks for listening to The Daily Gardener
And remember: For a happy, healthy life, garden every day.
Featured Book
Ways to Connect with The Daily Gardener
What Listeners Say
KIND WORDS FROM LOVELY LISTENERS
"I just discovered you!
I googled garden podcasts and
I'm so glad I found the show.
I start every day with The Daily Gardener!"
"I love gardening.
I been gardening for over 40 years.
A friend got me started on listening to gardening podcasts and yours just popped up.
I am all the richer for it!"
"I've been a Still Growing podcast listener for years.
You are so welcoming and your voice is so soothing!
I love The Daily Gardener because it's different. I can't imagine how much work it is to make a show like this but I thank you for it."
SI HORTUM IN HORTORIA PODCASTA IN BIBLIOTEHCA HABES, NIHIL DEERIT.