Edible Flowers Archives

Unveiling the Secrets of Peony Perfection: Lessons from 1908

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. June 8, 1908 On this day, dear readers, a most intriguing review of the Peterson Nursery in Chicago graced the pages of horticultural discourse, offering a tantalizing glimpse into their annual peony week.…

Lady Day and the Marigold: A Blossom of Strength, Light, and Sacred Renewal

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. March 25, 2022 Dearest reader, On this day, known traditionally as Lady Day, we commemorate the Feast of the Annunciation—a sacred moment when the archangel Gabriel visited the Virgin Mary to share the…

Alfred D. Robinson and the Birth of California’s Begonia Legacy

Alfred D. Robinson (1866-1942) and his wife Marion were wealthy residents of San Diego, California, known for their impact on gardening and the cultivation of flowers, particularly begonias.

The California Begonia Society February 26, 1942 Today is the anniversary of the death of the British-American horticulturist and founder of the California Begonia industry, Alfred D. Robinson. Along with his wife Marion, Alfred’s passion was flowers. In the early 1900s, after hearing a religious leader speak about a utopian community called Lomaland, Alfred and…

January 27 2021 Predicting the New Year’s 2021 Garden Trends, Lewis Carroll, Terramycin, Skunk Cabbage, Botanical Baking by Juliet Sear, and the Surprise in a Botanist’s Garden: Running Buffalo Clover

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 Sleep of Seeds: Lucia Cherciu on Drought, Faith, and Hidden Growth

by Lucia Cherciu It didn’t rain all summer. Instead of water, my father used prayer for his garden. Despite his friends’ laughter, he planted spinach and lettuce, countless rows of cucumbers in beds lined up meticulously ignoring old people’s warnings about the drought. Every afternoon, he pushed his hat back, wiped off his sweat, and…

From Birth Flower to Civic Pride: The Chrysanthemum’s Remarkable Rise

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. November 11, 1790 On this day, dear gardening enthusiasts, we celebrate a most auspicious occasion in the annals of British horticulture. For it was on this very date that the illustrious chrysanthemum made…

Mary Pickford: The Rose-Eating Starlet with a Green Thumb

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. April 8, 1892 On this day, America’s sweetheart and Hollywood legend Mary Pickford was born Gladys Marie Smith—a woman who, dear readers, possessed not only a talent for captivating audiences but also a…