Danske Dandridge: The Gardener-Poet of Rose Brake

November 19, 1854

On this day, Danske ["DAN-sker"] Dandridge, poet, historian, and garden writer, was born in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Her story begins with a diplomatic posting—her father, Henry Bedinger, served as President James Buchanan's ambassador to Denmark. It was there that she received her nickname "Danske," meaning "Little Dane," though she was christened Caroline Bedinger.

Danske's connection to gardens flourished at Rose Brake (originally Poplar Grove), her inherited estate on the outskirts of Shepherdstown, West Virginia. Her intimate relationship with her garden comes alive in her writings, where she shares:

Sometimes when confined to the house by illness, or on stormy winter days, I have felt as restless as a caged wild animal; but out-of-doors, I am in my proper place, like the free wild animal in the jungle.

Her garden writings reveal a soul deeply intertwined with nature. Consider this exquisite description of her beloved Oriental Poppy:

One sumptuous Oriental Poppy, fully eight inches across, has just unpacked her thin silk dress of flowing vermilion... The Poppy is a very careless packer. Her fine dress came out of its trunk in many crumples, which take her maid, the breeze, several hours to smoothe. But she does not care, beautiful, disorderly creature that she is.

Danske's literary career bloomed alongside her gardens. Her work graced the pages of prestigious publications like Harper's and The Century. She published two volumes of poetry - "Joy and Other Poems" (1888) and "Rose Brake" (1890) - before turning to historical writing later in life.

Perhaps most touching are her reflections on the therapeutic nature of gardening:

When I go to the garden with my troubles the flowers know just what to do. They don't say a word, they don't torment me with senseless conversation. They just look at me, and their beauty makes me forget my cares, and their smiles restore me to cheerfulness, and their fragrance refreshes me, and strengthens me to bear what I must.

Her imaginative spirit even dreamed of garden parties celebrating different blooms throughout the year—Violet fêtes in May, Rose celebrations in June, and Lily gatherings in July, with tables set among the flowers themselves.

Tragically, Danske's life ended at age 59 after a long struggle with depression. Yet her legacy lives on through her words and the gardens she tended. Both Rose Brake and The Bower, where she briefly lived after her marriage to Adam Stephen Dandridge Jr., are now listed in the National Register of Historic Places - living monuments to a remarkable woman who found her truest self among the flowers.