botanical illustrations Archives

From Borage to Brownwort: John Gerard’s Revolutionary Herbal

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. December 1, 1597 On this day, as winter’s chill began to embrace the English countryside, a most extraordinary tome unfurled its pages to the world. John Gerard, that esteemed English herbalist, unveiled his…

Seeds, Specimens, and a Fatal Flaw: The Legacy of Andrea Cesalpino

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. June 6, 1519 On this day, the botanical world received one of its most illustrious minds—Andrea Cesalpino was born in Arezzo, Italy. While his contemporaries were fumbling about with alphabetical arrangements or obsessing…

Gardens of Words: How Phebe Lankester Cultivated Knowledge for the Masses

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. June 9, 1900 On this day, British botanist and author Phebe Lankester departed this mortal coil, though one imagines she did so with the same practical determination with which she lived her extraordinary…