The Pill in the Petunia Patch: When Birth Control Met Botany

Hormones in the Garden

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. September 10, 1981 On this day, the most deliciously scandalous horticultural revelation graced the pages of The Lancaster New Era. My dearest readers, prepare yourselves for a tale that will have tongues wagging…

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Gregor Mendel’s Birthday: The Monk Who Unlocked Garden Genetics

Gregor Mendel

The Laws of Heredity Today is the birthday of the Austrian botanist and monk Gregor Mendel. Gregor discovered the basic principles of heredity through his experiments with peas in his garden at the Augustinian monastery that he lived in at Brno (“BURR-no”) in the Czech Republic. Or, as I like to tell the kids, Gregor…

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