From Altar to Arbor: The Fruitful Union of David and Marian Fairchild

David (holding bouquet) and Marian after their wedding 1905

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. April 25, 1905 On this most auspicious day, dear garden enthusiasts, we celebrate the union of two extraordinary souls: the eminent botanist David Fairchild and his beloved Marian Graham Bell, daughter of the…

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Blooms Across the Pacific: Ernest H. Wilson’s Azalea Diplomacy

Ernest Henry Wilson

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. April 24, 1919 On this day, dear garden enthusiasts, a horticultural treasure trove arrived at the hallowed grounds of the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University. Ernest H. Wilson, that intrepid plant explorer and…

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Pansies for Thoughts: Vassar College’s Floral Tribute to Shakespeare

The Violets Will Come, in Their Own Time

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. April 24, 1916 On this day, dear garden enthusiasts and lovers of literature alike, Vassar College paid a most charming tribute to the immortal Bard of Avon. On the 300th anniversary of William…

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From Borage to Brownwort: John Gerard’s Revolutionary Herbal

John Gerard

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. December 1, 1597 On this day, as winter’s chill began to embrace the English countryside, a most extraordinary tome unfurled its pages to the world. John Gerard, that esteemed English herbalist, unveiled his…

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From Dairy Farm to Dreamscape: The Horticultural Vision of William Shenstone

William Shenstone by Thomas Ross oil on canvas, feigned oval, 1738

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. November 18, 1714 On this day, the garden world welcomed a true visionary – William Shenstone, English poet and landscape gardener extraordinaire, drew his first breath. Little did the world know that this…

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Elizabeth Fox: The Baroness Who Brought Dahlias to Britain

Elizabeth Fox, portrait

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. November 16, 1845 On this day, dear readers, we bid farewell to a most remarkable woman, Elizabeth Fox, Baroness Holland, whose life bloomed as vibrantly as the flowers she so adored. A political…

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The Botanical Martyr: Remembering Jean-André Soulié

Jean-André Soulié

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. October 6, 1858  On this day, dear readers, we commemorate the birth of a most intriguing figure in the annals of botany and missionary work. Jean-André Soulié, a name that might not roll…

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The Healing Horticulture of Oliver Sacks

Dr. Oliver Sacks

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. July 11, 1933 On this day, dear readers, we celebrate the birth of a most remarkable individual, Dr. Oliver Sacks – neurologist, naturalist, historian of science, and writer extraordinaire. While his contributions to…

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A Royal Gardener’s Legacy: Sophia of Hanover and Herrenhausen

Sophia of Hanover, Portrait by Gerard van Honthorst, 1650

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. June 8, 1714 On this day, dear readers, we commemorate the passing of a most remarkable woman, Sophia of Hanover, the Electress of Hanover. At the venerable age of 83, she departed this…

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A Night at Ranelagh: Horace Walpole’s Garden Escapade

Horace Walpole by John Ciles Eccardt, 1755

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. May 26, 1742 On this day, dear readers, we find ourselves transported to the world of 18th century London, where the illustrious Horace Walpole penned a most intriguing letter to his friend Horace…

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The Ripley Garden: A Fragrant Legacy at the Smithsonian

Mary Livingston Ripley

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. May 25, 1988 On this day, dear garden enthusiasts, we celebrate the dedication of a horticultural gem nestled in the heart of our nation’s capital – the Ripley Garden at the Smithsonian. Allow…

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Munstead Wood’s First Rose of 1918: A Blooming Legacy

Gertrude Jekyll at midlife

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. May 16, 1918 On this day, the rose season began at Munstead Wood, the Arts and Crafts style home and surrounding gardens in Surrey, England, created by the renowned garden designer Gertrude Jekyll.…

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Beau-Pots to Wildflower Whimsy: Mary Mitford’s Floral Revolution

Mary Russell Mitford

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. May 13, 1815 On this day, dear readers, we find ourselves privy to a most charming correspondence between Mary Russell Mitford and Sir William Elford, an English banker, politician, and amateur artist. In…

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The Gardening Prince: Charles-Joseph Lamoral’s Horticultural Crusade

Charles-Joseph Lamoral

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. May 12, 1735 On this day, dear readers, we celebrate the birth of a most remarkable individual – Charles-Joseph Lamoral, French Field Marshal, writer, and esteemed member of the princely family of Ligne…

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