Posts Tagged ‘Civil War’
Remembering Martha Turnbull and her Rosedown Plantation Diary
This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. October 25, 1973 My dear garden friends, let me transport you back exactly 50 years to a charming story that began with a simple newspaper article about two extraordinary plantsmen. “No Garden Should…
Read MoreThe Statesman’s Green Thumb: William Henry Seward’s Botanical Legacy
This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. May 16, 1801 William Henry Seward, a man destined to shape both political landscapes and literal gardens, drew his first breath on this day. As we mark the anniversary of his birth, let…
Read MoreJacob Ritner: Home and Garden News During the Civil War
This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. On May 16, 1861, Jacob Ritner, a Union captain, wrote to his wife, Emeline. Gardens have served as sources of comfort and inspiration throughout history, a testament to the enduring power of nature…
Read MorePen and Prose: The Blooming Legacy of Shelby Foote
This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. November 17, 1916 On this day, dear readers, we celebrate the birth of one Shelby Foote, a gentleman of letters whose passion for the written word rivaled only his devotion to the art…
Read MoreCelebrating Scottish Nurseryman Peter Barr: Daffodil King and Primrose Prince
“Over his lifetime, Peter bred over two million daffodils in his Surrey nursery. Peter’s work even inspired a daffodil craze after the Civil War ended.” April 20, 1826 Today is the birthday of the Scottish nurseryman and merchant Peter Barr. Peter is remembered as the Daffodil King and the man who popularized the Daffodil. …
Read MoreCelebrating Georgian Poet, Musician, and Author Sidney Lanier: He Was Lit with the Sun
“But the olives they were not blind to Him, The little gray leaves were kind to Him: The thorn-tree had a mind to Him When into the woods He came.” February 3, 1842 Today is the birthday of the American poet, musician, and author Sidney Lanier. Born in Macon, Georgia, Sidney rose to fame after…
Read MoreRemembering Civil War Doctor and Salisbury Diet Founder James Henry Salisbury
“With his anti-vegetable views, James is probably rolling over in his grave to see more people than ever trying their hand at gardening.” January 12, 1823 Today is the birthday of the 19th-century American physician and the inventor of the Salisbury steak, James Henry Salisbury. James began thinking critically about diet after serving as a…
Read MoreFrederick Law Olmsted at Gettysburg: Landscape Architect and Civil War Humanitarian
The Father of American Landscape Architecture It was on this day that the father of American landscape architecture, Frederick Law Olmsted, walked the battlefield of Gettysburg – just 15 days after the battle. Olmsted was the General Secretary of the United States Sanitary Commission (USSC) – overseeing the support of sick and wounded soldiers of…
Read MoreWhen Olmsted Walked Among the Fallen: A Landscape Architect at Gettysburg
This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. July 18, 1863 It was on this day in 1863 that Frederick Law Olmsted, the illustrious father of American landscape architecture, trod upon the hallowed grounds of Gettysburg, a mere fortnight after that…
Read MoreMushrooms and Madness: The Extraordinary Appetite of Charles McIlvaine
This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. May 31, 1840 On this day, Charles McIlvaine entered the world in Chester County, Pennsylvania – a man destined to become one of history’s most peculiar gastronomic daredevils disguised as a mycologist. A…
Read MoreA Life Among Giants: Joseph Trimble Rothrock and His Beloved Trees
This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. April 9, 1839 On this day, Joseph Trimble Rothrock made his entrance into the world—a man destined to transform from a sickly child into the formidable “Father of Forestry.” The irony, dear readers,…
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