How Nell Gwyn Won Bestwood Park: A Garden History Tale

An unknown woman thought to be Nell Gwynn by Peter Lely.

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. November 14, 1687 Today in garden history, we remember Eleanor “Nell” Gwyn, who died at the age of 37 in her Pall Mall house in London. Known as “pretty, witty Nell” by diarist…

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From Wild Gardens to City Planning: Warren Manning’s Living Legacy

Warren Manning as a young man.

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. November 7, 1860 Today, we celebrate Warren H. Manning, a visionary landscape architect whose birth was commemorated by his father with the planting of an elm tree – a fitting tribute for a…

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From Muckraker to Garden Maker: Ida Tarbell at Twin Oaks

Ida Tarbell portrait with flowers (colorized and enhanced).

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. November 5, 1857  On this day, Ida Tarbell was born – a woman who would become known for exposing Standard Oil’s monopolistic practices but who found her greatest peace tending to her beloved…

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The Pink Lady of Woodhills: Cora Older’s Legacy

Cora Baggerly Older as a young woman.

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. October 24, 1875 And it was on this day in 1875, my dear friend, that a remarkable woman who would come to be known as “The Pink Lady” was born in Clyde, New…

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Gertrude Jekyll: The Poetess of Flowers and Form

A young Gertrude Jekyll

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. November 29, 1843 On this day, Gertrude Jekyll (“Jee-kul”) was born — the British horticulturist, garden designer, photographer, writer, and artist who reshaped the art of gardening in the early 20th century. Gertrude…

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Mount Vernon’s Green-Thumbed Guardians: The MVLA Story

Ann Pamela Cunningham

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. June 2, 1874 On this day, dear gardening enthusiasts, we find ourselves transported to a moment of great significance in the preservation of America’s horticultural heritage. It was on this very date that…

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Alice Morse Earle: Historian of Gardens and Nature’s Gentle Lessons

Alice Morse Earle

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. April 27, 1851 On this day, American historian and author Alice Morse Earle was born. She was a gentle curator of garden memory whose books—Old Time Gardens (1901) and Sun Dials and Roses…

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Garden as landscape painting: The visionary legacy of William Kent

William Kent

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. April 12, 1748 Dearest reader, On this day, we bid farewell to William Kent — painter, dreamer, and the man who quite literally painted upon the earth. Before Kent’s hands shaped the English…

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Mary Pickford: Hollywood’s Sweetheart and Her Love for Trees

Mary Pickford, a pioneering figure in early cinema. Known as "America's Sweetheart," she was a celebrated silent film actress, famous for portraying youthful characters.

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. April 8, 1892 Dearest reader, On this day, we celebrate the birth of Mary Pickford, born Gladys Marie Smith, beloved as America’s sweetheart and a shining star of early Hollywood. But beyond the…

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Planting Legacy: Luther Burbank’s Blossoming Tribute of Trees and Gardens

Luther Burbank c. 1923

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. March 4, 1949 Dearest reader, On this day, the Santa Cruz Sentinel shared a touching story of hope and remembrance—an Arbor Day celebration that would honor the great horticulturist Luther Burbank not with…

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