August Archives

Gladiolus and Dahlias: Fun Facts and Garden History for these August Garden Superstars

Close-up of a blooming gladiolus stem with multiple soft pink, trumpet-shaped flowers in layers, set against a blurred background of other colorful gladiolus flowers and green foliage in a sunlit garden.

“I’ll never forget what my friend Joel Karsten, the author of Straw Bale Gardening, told me about how easy it is to plant Gladiolus in conditioned straw bales. Once the flowers are done blooming in the fall, you kick the straw bale over, and all the corms fall out for easy gathering.” March 4, 1956…

Celebrating American Gardener and Poet Edgar Albert Guest and his 1932 Poem in Praise of Gardening

“If it’s drama that you sigh for, plant a garden and you’ll get it You will know the thrill of battle fighting foes that will beset it.” August 20, 1881 On this day, we celebrate the birthday of the beloved American poet Edgar Albert Guest. Edgar was known as the People’s Poet during the first…

Lovely Mosquito

Doug MacLeod, a renowned American blues musician. He is captured in a performance setting, likely playing his signature National Resonator guitar. MacLeod is known for his acoustic blues style and storytelling through his music. He is considered one of the last remaining bluesmen who learned directly from older masters of the genre.

by Doug MacLeod Lovely mosquito, attacking my arm As quiet and still as a statue, Stay right where you are! I’ll do you no harm- I simply desire to pat you. Just puncture my veins and swallow your fill For, nobody’s going to swot you. Now, lovely mosquito, stay perfectly still – A SWIPE! And…

Mosquito

by Doug MacLeod Lovely mosquito, attacking my arm As quiet and still as a statue, Stay right where you are! I’ll do you no harm- I simply desire to pat you. Just puncture my veins and swallow your fill For, nobody’s going to swot you. Now, lovely mosquito, stay perfectly still – A SWIPE! And…

Celebrating Ogden Nash and His Very Witty Poem About Victory Gardens

“Ogden wrote several poems about gardening and flowers. His poem called My Victory Garden is a standout favorite with gardeners.” August 19, 1902 On this day, Ogden Nash was born. Ogden was the American poet who said, “Candy is dandy, but liquor is quicker.” He also said, “Parsley is Gharsley.” Ogden wrote several…

The Potato

Various types of potatoes, including those with purple, red, and white flesh, such as the 'Adirondack Blue' variety. These colorful potatoes are often prized for their high levels of antioxidants like anthocyanins and carotenoids.

by Doug MacLeod Lovely mosquito, attacking my arm As quiet and still as a statue, Stay right where you are! I’ll do you no harm- I simply desire to pat you. Just puncture my veins and swallow your fill For, nobody’s going to swot you. Now, lovely mosquito, stay perfectly still – A SWIPE! And…

Potato

by Doug MacLeod Lovely mosquito, attacking my arm As quiet and still as a statue, Stay right where you are! I’ll do you no harm- I simply desire to pat you. Just puncture my veins and swallow your fill For, nobody’s going to swot you. Now, lovely mosquito, stay perfectly still – A SWIPE! And…

A Look Back at the Selection of Georgia’s Beautiful State Flower: The Cherokee Rose

“Only a horticulturist can identify a Cherokee Rose for sure, but Mrs. Wills once suggested a simple way for the average person to distinguish between the Cherokee and the Macartney, which is often confused with it because the blossoms are similar: ‘The Cherokee,’ she said, ‘has only three leaves on a leaf stem; the Macartney…

Sir Arthur George Tansley on the Ecosystem of Your Garden

Sir Arthur George Tansley with a flower.

“The whole method of science… is to isolate systems for the purpose of study… whether it be a solar system, a planet, a climatic region, a plant or animal community, an individual organism, an organic molecule, or an atom. Actually, the systems we isolate mentally are not only included as parts of larger ones, but…

The 1975 Canning Lid Shortage: Too Many Gardeners

“Part of the cause is the tremendous increase in the number of home gardeners. The Federal Office of Consumer Affairs estimates that 12 million new gardeners have joined the market for home canning equipment in the past two vears.” August 14, 1975 On this day, The Hearne Democrat, out of Hearne, Texas, announced a nationwide…

Summer’s Lease

A serene moment in a wheat field at sunset, showcasing the golden hues of the setting sun illuminating the wheat stalks.

by Doug MacLeod Lovely mosquito, attacking my arm As quiet and still as a statue, Stay right where you are! I’ll do you no harm- I simply desire to pat you. Just puncture my veins and swallow your fill For, nobody’s going to swot you. Now, lovely mosquito, stay perfectly still – A SWIPE! And…

Midsummer Joys

A field of poppies, likely opium poppies (Papaver somniferum), known for their large, delicate flowers in various shades, including the pinks and purples seen here.

by Doug MacLeod Lovely mosquito, attacking my arm As quiet and still as a statue, Stay right where you are! I’ll do you no harm- I simply desire to pat you. Just puncture my veins and swallow your fill For, nobody’s going to swot you. Now, lovely mosquito, stay perfectly still – A SWIPE! And…

Catch the Transient Hour

Samuel Johnson, a prominent figure in 18th-century British literature.

by Doug MacLeod Lovely mosquito, attacking my arm As quiet and still as a statue, Stay right where you are! I’ll do you no harm- I simply desire to pat you. Just puncture my veins and swallow your fill For, nobody’s going to swot you. Now, lovely mosquito, stay perfectly still – A SWIPE! And…

A Look Back at Albert Ruth, Fort Worth’s First Botanist, and His Incredible Twinflower Specimen from the Smoky Mountains

“Dr. Sharp knew it was NOT a Patridge Berry when he saw the specimen. It was obviously mislabeled. Sharp knew the specimen was a twinflower, the flower named for Carl Linnaeus, the Linnea Borealis – an extremely delicate plant.” August 13, 1892 On this day, the botanist Albert Ruth collected a plant in Sevier County…