December Archives

Mistletoe

A Parasitic Plant December 21, 1997 On this day, The Saskatoon Sun, out of Saskatchewan, Canada, shared an article about the tradition of mistletoe. “Mistletoe is especially interesting botanically because it is partially parasitic. As a parasitic plant, it grows on the branches of trees, sending out roots that penetrate into the branches to take…

Tom Cox’s Georgia Home Boasts an Impressive Arboretum

A Knack for Trees December 18, 1999 On this day, The Marshfield News-Herald, out of Marshfield, Wisconsin, published a story called “Dream Fulfilled: Georgia Man Lovingly Cultivates Arboretum at His Home.” The story features Tom Cox, a man passionate about trees. Here’s an excerpt: Tom, 54, is a boy on a great adventure. It’s…

Lady Cromer

Bathrooms Like Gardens December 18, 1930 On this day, The Boston Globe shared a little snippet called “Bathrooms like Gardens.” Here’s an excerpt: “Lady Cromer has her favorite flower, the iris, as the motif of her bathroom. The walls are painted with growing irises in flower on the bank of a river, the river being…

Jean-Baptiste Lamarck

The Father of Evolutionary Theory December 18, 1829 Today is the anniversary of the death of a French naturalist, biologist, and academic, Jean-Baptiste Lamarck. Lamarck died lonely, blind, and impoverished in Paris on this day in 1829. He was buried in a common grave. Regarded as the Father of Evolutionary Theory, Lamarck paved the way…

David Austin

The Constance Spry December 18, 2018 Today is the second anniversary of the death of the rose breeder and writer David Austin. When David passed away, I found some old advertisements that he posted in The Observer in 1973. That post was already twelve years after creating his first commercially available Rose – the Constance…

Ludwig Van Beethoven

Music to Imitate Nature December 17, 1770 Today is the baptism day of the German composer and pianist Ludwig Van Beethoven. Beethoven grew up loving nature. Living along the Rhine, little Ludwig would take walks with his father. Beethoven turned to nature for inspiration when he wrote his sixth symphony – which is why the…

Charles François Antoine Morren

Pollination of Vanilla December 17, 1858 Today is the anniversary of the death of the Belgian botanist and horticulturist, and Director of the Jardin botanique de l’Université de Liège (“lee-EZH”) Charles François Antoine Morren. Charles made some very significant contributions to botany. First, Charles discovered how vanilla was pollinated. Before Charles Morren, the pollination of…

Rachel Peden

Garden Therapy December 17, 1901 Today is the birthday of the Indiana environmentalist, newspaper columnist, and author Rachel Peden. Rachel was the wife of an Owen county cattle farmer named Dick. Her father, Benjamin Franklin Mason, was a fruit farmer, growing peaches, apples, and strawberries. Ben developed a reputation as a breeder when he created…

December 17, 2020 Five Low-Maintenance Annuals, Ludwig Van Beethoven, Charles Morren, Rachel Peden, Jean Hersey, The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh and Shooting Down Mistletoe

Today we celebrate one of the world’s best composers and his intense appreciation of nature. We’ll also learn about the botanist who cracked the code on pollinating vanilla and came up with a new word for the cyclical nature of things. We’ll recognize the incredible written work of a daughter of Indiana – and yes,…

Plant Taxonomy and Country Charm Collide in this Little Story From 1916

A Rose by any Name Smells as Sweet December 16, 1916 Today, a humorous little garden story was shared in the Star Phoenix out of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. A famous botanist was pacing slowly along a country road, his eyes, as usual, roaming from side to side for new plants to study. Suddenly an eager look…

Marshall Pinckney Wilder

The Massachusetts Merchant December 16, 1886 Today is the anniversary of the death of the Massachusetts merchant, amateur horticulturist, and politician Marshall Pinckney Wilder. When Marshall started out in life, his father gave him three options: attend college, start a farm, or work in the family store. Marshall elected to farm. But like Michael in…

Walter Putnam

Botanists and Gardeners December 16, 1982 On this day, the News-Press out of Fort Myers, Florida, shared a story called “Botanist Determines if the Gardener did it” by Walter Putnam. Here’s an excerpt: “When police investigators are stumped by a thorny problem, they sometimes call in University of Florida scientist David Hall to help them nip…

Albert Spear Hitchcock

The Manuel of Grasses December 16, 1935 Today is the anniversary of the death of the botanist and agrostologist Albert Spear Hitchcock. During a trip to Ecuador, Albert took a marvelous photo of an Espeletia with the common name Frailejones (“Fray-lay-HOE-ness”) or Big Monks. These large plants are in the sunflower family, and they are…

The Story Behind Boston Ivy Fenway Park: A Home Run for Gardeners

“Fenway Park” Ivy The other day, I stumbled on this charming Q&A featured in The Arizona Daily Star: Question: A recent gardening article referred to a form of Boston Ivy known as “Fenway Park.” The writer described it as a sprout from the famed dark green vine that clings to the wall of Boston’s baseball…