19th century literature Archives

The Patience of Spring: Lessons from Emerson’s May Day

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. May 1, 1867 On this day, Ralph Waldo Emerson, the sage of Concord, inscribed a copy of his book, May Day, to Sophie Thoreau, the devoted sister of Henry David Thoreau. This gesture,…

A Victorian Ode to May: Phebe Holder’s Botanical Poetry

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. May 1, 1890 On this day in horticultural history, the enchanting poem “A Song of May” by the esteemed New England poet and gardener Phebe Holder graced the pages of newspapers, captivating readers…

The Witch, the Turtle, and the Polyp: Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s Natural Philosophy

Samuel Taylor Coleridge (enhanced) 1795 portrait by Peter Vandyke

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. October 10, 1825 On this day, dear readers and fellow admirers of nature’s endless wonders, the eminent English poet, literary critic, philosopher, and theologian Samuel Taylor Coleridge put quill to paper and birthed…

Whitman’s Wild Garden: A Poet’s Ode to Nature’s Bounty

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. May 31, 1819 On this day, dear readers, we celebrate the birth of that most American of poets, Walt Whitman. A humanist and wordsmith extraordinaire, Whitman’s free verse has long been the soundtrack…

Crooked Peas and Straight Truths: Emerson’s Garden Reflections

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. May 18, 1926 On this day, dear readers, we find ourselves privy to the private musings of that great American thinker, Ralph Waldo Emerson (books by this author). In his journal, he penned…

Beau-Pots to Wildflower Whimsy: Mary Mitford’s Floral Revolution

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. May 13, 1815 On this day, dear readers, we find ourselves privy to a most charming correspondence between Mary Russell Mitford and Sir William Elford, an English banker, politician, and amateur artist. In…