Gentle Julia: The Adventurous Life of Julia Wilmotte Henshaw

Julia Wilmotte Henshaw

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. November 19, 1937 On this day, Julia Wilmotte [will-MOT] Henshaw, Canadian botanist, geographer, writer, and political activist, died. Her remarkable life reads like an adventure novel – from mapping Vancouver Island’s interior to…

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A Pioneering Voice in Texas Botany: Maude Jeannie Young

Maude Jeannie Young with Texas yellow roses

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. November 1, 1826 Maude Jeannie Fuller Young (pronounced “MAW-duh JEE-nee FULL-er YOUNG”) was born on this day in 1826. Though she would become known for many accomplishments, it’s her groundbreaking contribution to botanical…

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From Heartbreak to Herbarium: The Extraordinary Life of Georgiana Molloy

Georgiana Molloy, medium closeup

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. May 23, 1843 On this day, we celebrate the birth of Georgiana Molloy (books about this person), an English-Australian pioneer and one of the first botanical collectors in Western Australia. Her life, dear…

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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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Renaissance Revolutionary: Lorenz Scholz’s Medical Garden Legacy

Title Page of Aphorismorum Medicinalium by Lorenz Scholz von Rosenau

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. September 20, 1552 Dearest garden enthusiasts, today we mark the birth of a true Renaissance rebel – Lorenz Scholz von Rosenau, who dared to grow “deadly” potatoes in his garden while fighting plague…

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The Solitary Botanist: Mary Sophie Young’s Texas Legacy

Mary Sophie Young, botanist, on a summer collecting trip in West Texas. Image courtesy of University of Texas at Austin

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. September 20, 1872 Dearest garden enthusiasts, today we celebrate the birth of Mary Sophie Young, a tenacious botanist who, like her seven older brothers taught her to be, was tough enough to brave…

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First Lady of Mount Kinabalu: The Remarkable Legacy of Lilian Gibbs

Lilian Gibbs, Plant Explorer

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. September 10, 1870 On this day in horticultural history, we find ourselves transported to an era when botanical discovery required more than merely consulting The Garden magazine or ordering from the latest nursery…

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The Corn Whisperer: George Harrison Shull’s Botanical Legacy

George Harrison Shull, colorized portrait

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: April 15, 1874 On this day, dear devotees of the garden and aficionados of agricultural innovation, we celebrate the birth of a true botanical revolutionary: George Harrison Shull. Born in 1874, this American botanist would grow to earn the illustrious title of “father of…

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