John Joly: The Poet-Scientist Who Understood Plant Magic

John Joly (enhanced & colorized)

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. November 1, 1857 John Joly (pronounced “JOLLY”) was born on this day in Hollywood House near the village of Bracknagh (pronounced “BRACK-nuh”) in County Offaly, Ireland. Joly was an Irish polymath whose profound…

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Botanical Hide and Seek: Charles Short and the Shortia Story

Dr. Charles Wilkins Short

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. October 6, 1794 On this day, dear readers, we celebrate the birth of a true luminary in the world of botany and medicine, Charles Wilkins Short. A son of Kentucky, Short would go…

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Hurricane Hitchhiker: The Miraculous Journey of the Kerry Mousetail Fern

Fern unfurling

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. December 31, 2020 On this day, dear readers, let us delve into a tale of botanical intrigue that would set the gardening world aflutter. In the emerald hills of Killarney, Ireland, a discovery…

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A Floral Legacy: Sir Stamford Raffles and the Colossal Corpse Lily

Sir Stamford Raffles

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. July 5, 2024 On this day, nearly two centuries ago, the world bid farewell to a most remarkable gentleman, Sir Stamford Raffles. It was on this very date in 1826 that he departed…

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Breathing Green: Jean Senebier and the Secret Life of Leaves

Jean Senebier

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. May 6, 1742 On this day, the world welcomed Jean Senebier, a Swiss pastor and botanist whose work would forever change our understanding of the natural world. One might wonder, dear readers, where…

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Allan Cunningham: Botanizing in the Bush

Allan Cunningham

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. April 15, 1823 On this day, dear readers and fellow botanical enthusiasts, we find ourselves transported to the rugged expanses of early 19th century Australia. For it was on this very date that…

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