April 5, 2022 Lily of the Valley, Bette Davis, Anne Scott-James, Kim McDodge, Get Growing by Holly Farrell, and Barbara Holland
Subscribe
Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart
Support The Daily Gardener
Connect for FREE!
The Friday Newsletter | Daily Gardener Community
Botanical History On This Day
1898 The Lilies of the Valley Fabergé egg was presented to Russian Tsar Nicholas II as an opulent gift for Empress Alexandra. Crafted in pure Art Nouveau style, this legendary egg now resides in the Fabergé Museum in Saint Petersburg. Lily of the valley (Convallaria majalis) graces the spring gardens with delicate, bell-shaped blooms. In France, the flower gets its own holiday—Lily of the Valley Day, May 1—and is a favorite for perfumes and royal bridal bouquets. Despite its name, it’s a proud member of the asparagus family, not true lilies, and “majalis” nods to its May blooming.
1908 Birth of Ruth Elizabeth "Bette" Davis, the iconic American actress. Renowned for her powerful screen presence, Davis dominated Hollywood with fiercely complex women—never shrinking from roles that left a mark. Her famous quip as Margo Channing in All About Eve: “Remind me to tell you about the time I looked into the heart of an artichoke,” perfectly captured her dry wit and indomitable charm.
1913 Birth of Anne Scott-James, English author and pioneering journalist. From starting out at Vogue to becoming a celebrated garden writer, Anne’s books—like The Best Plants For Your Garden and Sissinghurst: The Making of a Garden—helped shape the cottage garden movement. Anne believed every garden should have “a tool shed, and a compost heap,” and her wisdom on picking flowers for children’s delight remains evergreen. Her daughter, Clare Hastings, followed in her footsteps as a garden author.
2011 Death of Kim McDodge, visionary garden founder and artist. Kim transformed two city plots in Portland, Oregon, into the flourishing Ariadne Garden, donated to the Oregon Sustainable Agriculture Land Trust (OSALT). She designed a Hopi mother and child maze inspired by both Greek myth and her devotion to sustainable urban farming. Kim’s legacy lives in every bloom and every path that leads gardeners out of the maze and into nature’s heart.
Grow That Garden Library™
Read The Daily Gardener review of Get Growing by Holly Farrell — an energetic family guide packed with creative projects sure to spark curiosity and joy for budding gardeners of all ages. Step-by-step experiments make learning fun, from tracking shadows to making a wormery, and bring science to life for every generation.
Buy the book on Amazon: Get Growing by Holly Farrell
Today's Botanic Spark
1933 Birth of Barbara Holland, American author and humorist. Holland, ever wry, reminded us: “One's own flowers and some of one's own vegetables make acceptable, free, self-congratulatory gifts when visiting friends, though giving zucchini—or leaving it on the doorstep, ringing the bell, and running—is a social faux pas.” In her delightful Endangered Pleasures, Holland laments that spring arrives not as a glorious unbroken season, but in brief, precious flashes: “We'd expected it to be a whole season, like winter, instead of a handful of separate moments and single afternoons.”
Thanks for listening to The Daily Gardener
And remember: For a happy, healthy life, garden every day.
Featured Book
