Dandelion Archives

The Great Piece of Turf: Albrecht Dürer’s Botanical Eye

Albrecht Dürer's Self-Portrait at 28, 1500, Alte Pinakothek, Munich (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. April 6, 1528 Dearest reader, On this day, we mark the anniversary of the death of the extraordinary German artist Albrecht Dürer, a master painter, engraver, printmaker, mathematician, and theorist from Nuremberg. By…

January 14, 2021 The Transformation of a Yorkshire Garden, Pierre-Joseph Redouté, Marie-Anne Libert, Appreciating the Dandelion, A Taste for Nightshade by Martine Bailey and the Louisiana Garden Expert: Joe White

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.

The Golden Glory of the Dandelion: Jack Sanders and Wallace Nutting on America’s Native Tulip in the Grass

by Jack Sanders To many homeowners, the dandelion is little more than a prolific, pesky weed. However, this abundant yellow-flowering plant provides not only beauty but also food, drink, medicine, and even inspiration for poetry. Perhaps no one has praised the dandelion better than Wallace Nutting, the noted turn-of-the-century photographer and author. “The dandelion is…

A Wild Winter Garden Indoors: Susan Tyler Hitchcock on Foraging Through the Cold

A curly leaf variety of kale like 'Prizm' kale or 'Blue Curled Scotch' kale, or potentially a variegated form of Yellow Archangel (Lamiastrum galeobdolon Variegatum').

by Susan Tyler Hitchcock Most weeds don’t make it through winter. They need warm rain and steady sun. Frozen soil inhibits root growth; snowfalls discourage sprouts. Even watercress, which usually positions itself in flowing water, gets hurt by a freeze. If you live in an area where the snow falls over several months, …

Albrecht Dürer and the Botanical Beauty of The Great Piece of Turf

The Great Piece of Turf Today is the anniversary of the death of the German painter, engraver, printmaker, mathematician, and theorist from Nuremberg, Albrecht Dürer. Dürer’s work was extraordinary, and by the time he was in his 20’s, he was already quite famous. While he was known for his calm demeanor and introversion, his work…