February 22, 2022 Pehr Loefling, William Barnes, Adolph G. Rosengarten, Phyllis Theroux, The Flower Hunter by Lucy Hunter, and Edna St. Vincent Millay

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Botanical History On This Day

1756 Birth of the handsome and tall Swedish botanist, Pehr Loefling. A beloved pupil of Carl Linnaeus, Pehr was nicknamed "the Vulture" for his keen ability to find plants. He joined a Royal Spanish Expedition to South America but tragically died of malaria in Venezuela at age 27, buried beneath an orange tree. Linnaeus mourned, "The great Vulture is dead."

1801 Birth of William Barnes, English polymath, writer, and inventor who wrote over 800 poems and knew 70+ languages. On his deathbed, visited by Thomas Hardy and Edmund Gosse, Barnes was described as "dying as picturesquely as he lived." He captured the poignant farewell to gardens in his poem To a Garden—On Leaving It.

1870 Birth of Adolph G. Rosengarten, Sr., American businessman who named his Wayne, Pennsylvania estate Chanticleer, inspired by Thackeray's The Newcomes. Today, Chanticleer Garden is a celebrated public garden maintained by expert horticulturists, admired as America’s most romantic and creative garden.

1939 Birth of Phyllis Theroux, American writer and journalist who beautifully expressed, "I think this is what hooks one to gardening: it is the closest one can come to being present at creation."

Grow That Garden Library™ Book Recommendation

Explore "The Flower Hunter" by Lucy Hunter, a stunning 2021 book that shines with natural beauty and creativity. Lucy invites gardeners into a year of her North Wales garden with beautifully photographed seasonal flowers and practical, artistic projects to inspire every gardener’s inner artist.

Buy the book on Amazon: The Flower Hunter

Today's Botanic Spark

1892 Birth of Edna St. Vincent Millay, American lyrical poet and playwright, whose verses delight gardeners, including the lines, "April comes like an idiot, babbling and strewing flowers." Her posthumous poem If It Should Rain tenderly captures the rhythms and patience of garden life.

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