Henry Danvers Archives

Henry Danvers: The Outlaw Earl Who Founded the Oxford Botanic Garden

Henry Danvers, 1st Earl of Danby, in his robes as a Knight of the Order of the Garter. This portrait was created around c. 1630 by the renowned Baroque artist Anthony van Dyck.

Founder of the Oxford Botanic Garden January 20, 1643 Today is the anniversary of the death of Henry Danvers, the 1st Earl of Danby. In 1621, Henry founded the Oxford Botanic Garden, but planting didn’t start until the 1640s. As a young man, Henry was an English soldier who was outlawed after killing a rival…

January 20, 2021 January Garden Chores, Henry Danvers, Carl Linnaeus the Younger, Elizabeth Lawrence on Dogwoods and Spider Lilies, All Along You Were Blooming by Morgan Harper Nichols, and the first female botanist in America: Jane Colden

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.

A Verdant Legacy: 400 Years of the Oxford Botanic Garden

A view of the University of Oxford Botanic Garden from outside the walled garden. Magdalen Tower of Magdalen College is visible in the background.

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. July 25, 1621 On this day, at the stroke of two in the afternoon, a most extraordinary event transpired in the hallowed grounds of Oxford University. The Botanic Garden, known also as the…