Posts Tagged ‘Frank Kingdon Ward’
Frank Kingdon Ward: The Intrepid Plant Explorer
Indiana Jones in Real Life November 6, 1885 Today is the birthday of the British plant collector and explorer Frank Kingdon Ward. During the beginning of the twentieth century, Frank Kingdon Ward went on twenty-four Indiana-Jones-like expeditions throughout Tibet, China, and Southeast Asia to search for rare and elusive species of plants. Among his…
Read MoreNovember 6, 2020 Bernard de Jussieu, Alice Lounsberry, Alfred Austin, American Gardens by Monty Don and Derry Moore, and Frank Kingdon Ward
Today we celebrate a son of France who developed the first natural classification of flowering plants. We’ll also learn about the young female garden writer who teamed up with an Australian botanical illustrator and turned out some fabulous garden classics. We salute the English Poet Laureate who wrote inspiringly about gardens. We Grow That Garden…
Read MorePlant Explorer Finds Adventure: A Look Back at the Intrepid Frank Kingdon-Ward
“You may wander for days ankle-deep through a chromatic surf of rhododendrons, rose pink, ivory white, lavender, plum purple, crimson and amber yellow. They are woven into carpets of queer design and ample pile, or form tuffets, or hassocks or mere tangles, mats, or brooms. It is western Szechwan – the Tibetan marshes – home…
Read MoreJuly 1, 2020 Dwight Brown’s Urban Oasis, July in the Garden, Vale of York Naturalists Club, Illinois State Flower, July Poetry, The Earth Knows My Name by Patricia Klindienst, and Plant Explorer Finds Adventure in 1932
Today we welcome the new month – July – and we remember the first meeting of the Vale of York Field Naturalists Club. We’ll also learn about the Illinois State Flower which was adopted on this day We’ll usher in the new month with some July poetry. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book…
Read MoreCelebrating Plant Explorer Frank Kingdon Ward: An Intrepid Explorer Who Brought Beauty Home
“During the beginning of the twentieth century, Frank Kingdon-Ward went on twenty-four Indiana-Jones-like expeditions throughout Tibet, China, and Southeast Asia in search of rare and elusive species of plants. Among his many accomplishments, Frank found the legendary Tibetan blue poppy.” November 6, 1885 On this day, Frank Kingdon-Ward, English botanist, explorer, plant collector, and author,…
Read MoreThe Viral 1930s Article Featuring Plant Explorer Frank Kingdon-Ward and his Botanical Adventures
“On another of his Tibetan expeditions, he discovered the blue poppy, a flower sought by all horticulturists in this country and obtained by few.” July 1, 1932 On this day, newspapers worldwide ran a fascinating article about the botanist Frank Kingdon-Ward titled “Plant Explorer Finds Adventure.” Here’s what the Altoona Mirror out of Altoona, Pennsylvania,…
Read MoreJuly 1, 2019 Martagon Lilies, Vale of York Field Naturalists Club, Illinois State Flower, the Violet, Joseph Hooker, Ann Taylor, Tree in the House by Annabelle Hickson, Dividing Flag Iris, and Frank Kingdon-Ward
Martagon Lilies are in peak right now in most gardens. They bring the most beautiful architectural aspect and form to the garden; they are so exquisite. Offering a Turk’s cap-style bloom, Like many plants, Martagon colonies get better and better with age. Martagons like rich soil, and they will be grateful for a dusting of…
Read MoreThe Land of the Blue Poppies by Frank Kingdon Ward
As Heard on The Daily Gardener Podcast: Today’s book recommendation: The Land of the Blue Poppies by Frank Kingdon Ward During the first years of the twentieth century, the British plant collector and explorer Frank Kingdon Ward went on 24 impossibly daring expeditions throughout Tibet, China, and Southeast Asia, in search of rare and elusive species…
Read MoreMay 21, 2019 Bolting Rhubarb, Alexander Pope, Henri Rosseau, Pope’s Grotto at Twickenham, The Land of the Blue Poppies, Frank Kingdon Ward, Installing Garden Paths, and Richard Walter Pohl
Is your rhubarb bolting already? When your rhubarb seems to be bolting too early, ask yourself these questions… Is your rhubarb an heirloom or a new variety? Older varieties tend to bolt sooner. Try planting a newer variety. Is your rhubarb very established? The older your rhubarb, the quicker it bolts. If you divide your…
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