19th century horticulture Archives

Never Against Nature: Thomas Hanbury’s La Mortola

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. May 2, 1867 On this day, Thomas Hanbury, a man of discerning taste and boundless ambition, purchased a property that would become a testament to his love of nature and his desire to…

From a Duke’s Gardens to Botanical Immortality: Thomas Hoy’s Legacy

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. May 1, 1822 On this day, the horticultural world bid farewell to Thomas Hoy, an English gardener, horticulturist, and botanist of considerable repute. Hoy’s life was a testament to the dedication and passion…

The Buzz About White Mustard: Fisk Bangs’ 1878 Bee Journal

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. June 7, 1878 On this day, dear cultivators of both garden and apiary, we find ourselves transported back to a time when the hum of bees and the rustle of leaves were the…

A Victorian Gardener’s Tale: Stephen Sears and His South Yarmouth Plot

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. June 2, 1893 On this day, dear readers, we find ourselves transported to the quaint environs of South Yarmouth, Massachusetts, where a most diligent and upright citizen, one Stephen Sears, put quill to…

Thomas Jefferson’s Floral Ballet: A Letter from Monticello

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. May 26, 1811 On this day, dear readers and fellow gardeners, we find ourselves privy to a most charming correspondence between the esteemed Thomas Jefferson and his granddaughter, Anne. As we delve into…

From Blooms to Battleground: Anne Frobel’s Civil War Garden

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. May 24, 1861 On this day, dear readers, we find ourselves transported to the tumultuous era of the American Civil War, peering into the life of 45-year-old Anne Frobel. This remarkable woman, residing…

From Heartbreak to Herbarium: The Extraordinary Life of Georgiana Molloy

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. May 23, 1843 On this day, we celebrate the birth of Georgiana Molloy (books about this person), an English-Australian pioneer and one of the first botanical collectors in Western Australia. Her life, dear…

William Bartram’s May Diary: A Window into Early American Nature

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. May 13, 1823 On this day, William Bartram, American botanist, ornithologist, natural historian, and explorer, penned an entry in his diary that transports us to a spring day nearly two centuries ago. Can…

Strawberry Fields Forever: Celebrating National Pick Strawberries Day

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. May 20, 2019 On this day, dear fellow cultivators of sweet delights, we celebrate National Pick Strawberries Day. A more delicious occasion one could scarcely imagine! Last year, in a fit of horticultural…

A Capital Idea: The Blossoming of America’s Botanic Garden

James Monroe, Portrait by Samuel Morse c. 1819

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. May 8, 1820 On this day in 1820, a seed of horticultural wonder was planted in the heart of our nation’s capital. President James Monroe, with a flourish of his pen, signed a…