Archibald Menzies’ Santa Barbara Sojourn: A Botanical Milestone

The image is a portrait of Archibald Menzies, a notable Scottish surgeon, botanist, and naturalist. He is credited with introducing the monkey puzzle tree to England and was the first recorded European to reach the summit of Mauna Loa in Hawaii.

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. November 18, 1793 On this day, Archibald Menzies (MEN-zeez), the Scottish surgeon-botanist, reluctantly departed Santa Barbara aboard the HMS Discovery during Vancouver’s expedition. Menzies had spent several productive days exploring the Santa Barbara…

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Asa Gray: The Birth of American Botany’s Greatest Voice

Asa Gray by Sir David McNee c. 1838.

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. November 18, 1810 On this day, Asa Gray (1810-1888) was born. He was a figure who would become America’s preeminent botanist and one of the most influential scientists of the 19th century. Born…

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The $5.5 Million Garden Album: Empress Josephine’s Botanical Treasure

Pierre-Joseph Redouté, a renowned Belgian painter and botanist celebrated for his exquisite botanical illustrations, earning him the nickname "the Raphael of flowers".

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. November 15, 1985 On this day, a phenomenal piece of botanical history changed hands at Sotheby’s auction house: Empress Josephine’s personal copy of Pierre-Joseph Redouté’s (pee-AIR zho-ZEFF reh-doo-TAY) botanical watercolors for “Les Liliacées”…

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Georgia O’Keeffe: How to Make Flowers Impossible to Ignore

Georgia O'Keeffe as a teaching assistant to Alon Bement at the University of Virginia in 1915.

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. November 15, 1887 On this day, Georgia O’Keeffe was born – an artist who would revolutionize how we see flowers through her bold, modernist vision. Over her remarkable career, O’Keeffe created more than…

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Robert Buist: The Scotsman Who Shaped American Gardens

Robert Buist portrait sketch

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. November 14, 1805 Robert Buist, florist and nurseryman was born near Edinburgh, Scotland. Trained at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Buist emigrated to Philadelphia in 1828 at age 23, where he would become…

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When Williamsburg Bloomed: John Custis’s Garden Vision

John Custis IV by Charles Bridges c. 1725.

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. November 14, 1749 On this day, John Custis IV, an American planter, politician, government official, and military officer, died. His garden legacy has recently captured headlines as archaeologists uncover what was once colonial…

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From Amazon to Windsor: The Water Lily Tale

Water lily pads form a floating community. The leaves of the Victoria amazonica, also known as the Amazon water lily or giant water lily, which is the largest species in the water lily family.

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. November 13, 1849 On this day, a most extraordinary presentation took place at Windsor Castle. Queen Victoria, known for her love of botanical wonders, was about to encounter her magnificent namesake – the…

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Therese of Bavaria: The Princess Who Found Freedom in Flowers

Princess Therese of Bavaria sketch c. 1810 (colorized and enhanced).

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. November 12, 1850 On this day, Princess Therese of Bavaria (teh-RAY-zuh of buh-VAIR-ee-uh), was born.  This remarkable woman found her true calling not in the gilded halls of Bavaria’s royal palaces but in…

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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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John Bradby Blake: The Young Botanist Who Bridged East and West

John Bradby Blake

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. November 4, 1745 On this day, we celebrate the birth of the English botanist John Bradby Blake [BRAD-bee BLAKE].  Though he lived a tragically short life – dying at just twelve days after…

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Dawn with the Iris King: Remembering William Rickatson Dykes

William Rickatson Dykes

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. November 4, 1877 Today we celebrate the birth of William Rickatson Dykes [RICK-et-sun DYKES], born in Bayswater, London. Though he began his career as a classics teacher at Charterhouse School, it was his…

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November 01, 2024 Welcome November Gardens, Nicolas Boileau-Despréaux, John Joly, Adventures in Eden by Carolyn Mullet, and Maude Jeannie Young

The Daily Gardener Podcast Album Cover with a pot of rosemary - the herb for remembrance - beckoning gardeners to remember to listen to the show. Updated September 2025.

Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart Support The Daily Gardener Buy Me A Coffee  Connect for FREE! The Friday Newsletter |  Daily Gardener Community Botanical History On This Day 1857 John Joly (pronounced “JOLLY”) was born in Hollywood House near the village of Bracknagh (pronounced “BRACK-nuh”) in County Offaly, Ireland. Joly…

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