Pansies, Painters, and Prestige: The Horticultural Reign of Denys Zirngiebel

Portrait of John Denys Zirngiebel, 1906

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. November 16, 1964 On this day, dear readers, we bid a fond farewell to Denys Zirngiebel, a Swiss-born naturalist whose green thumb left an indelible mark on American horticulture. Like a well-tended perennial,…

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A Rose for America: The Crowning of Our National Flower

The rose, of any color, is America's national flower

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. September 23, 1986 My cherished companions of trowel and bloom, gather ’round as we delve into a most momentous occasion in horticultural history. On this day in 1986, after what one might call…

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

Deep Pink Chrysanthemums

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…

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