Beatrix Farrand’s 1916 Vision for the NYBG’s Rose Garden

Beatrix Farrand

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. November 18, 1916 On this day, renowned landscape architect Beatrix Farrand (FAIR-rand) created a visionary rose garden plan for the New York Botanical Garden. This garden would become one of the most significant…

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The Dangerous World of Rare Orchids: A Tale of Beauty and Deception

Orchids in bloom

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. November 13, 1989 On this day, the Sarasota Herald-Tribune published a story that lifted the veil on the shadowy world of rare orchid trading. The article focused on Limerick Inc. and an alleged…

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The Father of American Dendrology: Remembering Humphry Marshall

Depiction of Humphry Marshall by Adrian Martinez, 2016

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. November 5, 1801 On this day, America lost one of its pioneering botanists, Humphry Marshall. His legacy as the “Father of American Dendrology” continues to influence our understanding of native trees and shrubs…

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The Accidental Aloe Enthusiast: Harold Basil Christian’s Botanical Legacy

Basil Christian and wife at their home on the Ewanrigg Aloe Gardens, 1948

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. October 28, 1871 On this day, Harold Basil Christian [KRIS-tee-un] was born. His journey into botany began with an “unsightly rock” and turned into one of the world’s most important aloe collections. Born…

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Breaking Ground: Helia Bravo Hollis and Her Beloved Cacti

Helia Bravo Hollis iconic photo next to a large cactus holding a knife

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. September 30, 1901 Today we celebrate the birth of Helia Bravo Hollis, that most remarkable Queen of the Cacti, whose pioneering spirit broke ground not only for women in science but for our…

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Blooms in the Beltway: The Secret Gardens of 19th Century Senators

William R. Smith, portrait by Frances Benjamin Johnston, 1900

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. October 9, 1887 On this day in 1887, the Los Angeles Herald unveiled a treasure trove of horticultural delights, dear readers. William Smith, the esteemed superintendent of the botanical gardens, regaled us with…

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John Clayton’s American Debut: The Blossoming of a Botanical Legacy

Claytonia virginica is one of the many plants named for John Clayton

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. October 7, 1720 On this day, dear garden enthusiasts, we commemorate the first recorded appearance of a most illustrious figure in the annals of colonial botany. John Clayton, that intrepid explorer of flora,…

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From Royal Roots to Public Paradise: The Birth of Jardin des Plantes

The Jardin des Plantes (French for Garden of the Plants)

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. June 10, 1793 On this day, dear garden enthusiasts, we find ourselves transported to the heart of Paris, where a horticultural jewel is about to unfurl its petals to the world. The year…

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The Horticultural Heiress: Enid Haupt’s Blooming Legacy

Enid Annenberg Haupt

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. April 13, 2006 It’s the birthday of Enid Annenberg Haupt – a woman whose green fingers and even greener wallet transformed the horticultural landscape of America forever. One might say she bloomed rather…

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The Stench of Success: Ohio’s Corpse Flower Spectacle

Titan arum

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. May 13, 2024 On this day in 2013, Ohio State University’s greenhouse became an unlikely pilgrimage site for botanical enthusiasts and olfactory thrill-seekers alike. The air hung heavy with an aroma that one…

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From Seed to Celebration: National Public Gardens Week Blooms Again

National Public Gardens Week

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. May 13, 2019 At last, dear horticultural enthusiasts, the time has come to don your finest gardening attire and prepare for a week of verdant festivities! For today marks the commencement of National…

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The Botanical Genius: John Hope’s Garden of Knowledge

John Hope

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. May 3, 1725 On this day, the illustrious John Hope drew his first breath—a man destined to become not merely another Scottish gentleman of learning, but a botanical luminary whose influence would spread…

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