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

Ralph Waldo Emerson

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,…

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

Phebe A. Holder

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…

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

Walt Whitman c. 1887

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…

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Rilke and Lou Salomé in Tolstoy’s Garden (1899)

Lou Andreas-Salome

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. May 19, 1899 Lou Andreas Salomé (books about this person) and Rainer Maria Rilke (books about this person) went to see Leo Tolstoy (books about this person), hoping for mentorship; what they found…

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Crooked Peas and Straight Truths: Emerson’s Garden Reflections

Ralph Waldo Emerson

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…

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

Mary Russell Mitford

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…

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Simple pleasures in flowers: Mary Russell Mitford’s heartfelt garden reflections

Mary Russell Mitford

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. April 22, 1812 Dearest reader, On this day, Mary Russell Mitford—a distinguished English novelist, poet, and playwright known for her vivid sketches of rural life—wrote to Sir William Elford, revealing her heartfelt appreciation…

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Nathaniel Parker Willis on June: A Month of Leaves and Roses

Orange garden roses

by Nathaniel Parker Willis It is the month of June, the month of leaves and roses.  When pleasant sights salute the eyes, and pleasant scents the noses. Today’s Garden words were featured on the podcast: Words inspired by the garden are the sweetest, most beautiful words of all. Nathaniel Parker Willis

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Victor Hugo’s Garden of Life, Love, and Stars

Victor Hugo by Étienne Carjat 1876 (colorized and enhanced)

Today’s Garden Words were featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. Words inspired by the garden are the sweetest, most beautiful words of all. Victor Hugo by Étienne Carjat 1876 (colorized and enhanced) May 22, 1885 On this day, the great Victor Hugo departed this…

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