Posts Tagged ‘18th century gardening’
John Abercrombie: The Tea-Loving Vegetarian Who Shaped Gardening Literature
This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. May 2, 1806 On this day, the gardening world bid farewell to John Abercrombie, a character of singular charm and a true Scot who lived and breathed gardening. The previous day, John had…
Read MoreMartha’s Green Legacy: The Enduring Kitchen Garden of Mount Vernon
This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. June 2, 1731 On this day, dear garden enthusiasts, we celebrate the birth of a most remarkable woman, one whose influence extended far beyond the hallowed halls of the nascent American government. I…
Read MoreThe Lexicographer’s Garden: Noah Webster’s Verdant Vocabulary
This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. June 1, 1785 On this day, dear readers, we find ourselves in the company of one Noah Webster (a veritable library awaits the curious), a man whose name has become synonymous with the…
Read MoreThe Gardening Prince: Charles-Joseph Lamoral’s Horticultural Crusade
This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. May 12, 1735 On this day, dear readers, we celebrate the birth of a most remarkable individual – Charles-Joseph Lamoral, French Field Marshal, writer, and esteemed member of the princely family of Ligne…
Read MoreThomas Jefferson’s useful plants and pickle comforts
This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. April 13, 1743 Dearest reader, On this day, Thomas Jefferson was born — a man whose many hats included statesman, Founding Father, and, notably, a passionate gardener whose love for plants shaped more…
Read MoreLady Luxborough: The Exiled Poet Who Coined the Shrubbery
The Lady of Luxborough March 26, 1756 Today is the anniversary of the death of the English poet, writer, gardener, and a member of high society Lady Luxborough, Henrietta Knight. Henrietta was beautiful with a mass of black hair and attractive features. After two affairs, her husband, who had countless mistresses, exiled her from society…
Read MoreWilliam Shenstone: The Poet Who Pioneered the Landscape Garden
Ornamented Farms November 18, 1714 Today is the birthday of the poet and Landscape gardener William Shenstone, who was born on this day in 1714. In the early 1740s, William inherited his family’s dairy farm, which he transformed into the Leasowes (“LEZ-zoes”). The transfer of ownership lit a fire under William, and he immediately started…
Read MoreBenning Wentworth: New Hampshire’s Colonial Governor Who Introduced the Lilac
The New Hampshire State Flower It’s the birthday of the colonial governor of New Hampshire, Benning Wentworth, who was born on this day in 1696. American gardeners remember Benning because he brought the lilac along with other trees and shrubs when he immigrated to States from England. In 1750, the first lilac was planted at…
Read MoreWilliam Mason: The Poet Who Shaped Romantic Flower Gardening in England
The English Garden Today is the birthday of the poet and gardener William Mason. The Reverend William Mason was also a writer, artist, and garden designer. Mason is remembered for creating the romance of the country house garden. Here’s how he did it: In 1775 at Nuneham (“NEW-Num”), near Oxford, England, Mason designed a flower…
Read MoreThe Master of Landscapes: Remembering Capability Brown’s Enduring Gardens
Lady Nature’s Second Husband Today is the anniversary of the death of the renowned landscape gardener Lancelot Capability Brown. In the 1730s, Lancelot ended up at Stowe, working for the great William Kent – the eminent painter and Landscape Architect. The garden at Stowe was a landscape garden with lots of straight lines and formality.…
Read MoreDavid Landreth and the First American Seed Company
First Commercial Seed Business Today, David Landreth started the first American commercial seed business in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. David and his family immigrated to Montreal from England in 1780. Four years later, David relocated his family to Philadelphia and named the company simply David Landreth. David was one of the first nurseries to propagate seeds from…
Read MoreGilbert White at 61: The Competitive Edge of a Naturalist Gardener
This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. July 18, 1720 On this day, the illustrious English naturalist Gilbert White drew his first breath in this world, commencing what would become a life of meticulous observation and documentation of nature’s most…
Read More“One or Two is Enough”: John Bartram’s Garden Philosophy Revealed
This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. June 20, 1757 On this day, the esteemed botanist John Bartram penned what can only be described as a deliciously forthright letter to Philip Miller, revealing the unvarnished truth of his gardening preferences…
Read MoreBorn to Reign, Destined to Garden: King George III’s Horticultural Legacy
This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. June 4, 1738 On this day, King George III entered this world with a wail that would eventually echo through gardens across England. Our dear monarch—yes, the one who would later lose the…
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