Posts Tagged ‘historical figures’
John Joly: The Poet-Scientist Who Understood Plant Magic
This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. November 1, 1857 John Joly (pronounced “JOLLY”) was born on this day in Hollywood House near the village of Bracknagh (pronounced “BRACK-nuh”) in County Offaly, Ireland. Joly was an Irish polymath whose profound…
Read MoreNicolas Boileau-Despréaux: The Critic’s Garden at Auteuil
This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. November 1, 1636 Nicolas Boileau-Despréaux (pronounced “nee-koh-LAH bwah-LOH day-pray-OH”) was born on this day in Paris. Boileau was a French poet and critic whose garden became a sanctuary for some of the greatest…
Read MoreA Child of the Forest – Heinrich Cotta’s Legacy
This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. October 30, 1763 It was on this day that Heinrich Cotta [HINE-rick COT-ah] was born beneath the open sky of Kleine Zillbach [KLINE-eh TSIL-bock], Germany. His personal account of his origin story reads…
Read MoreThe Yorkshire Alchemist: William Casson’s Revolutionary Garden Legacy
This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. October 23, 1796 It was on this day that William Casson was born. He entered our gardening story on what historical records tell us was an unusually warm October morning in Yorkshire. Now,…
Read MoreThe Statesman’s Green Thumb: William Henry Seward’s Botanical Legacy
This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. May 16, 1801 William Henry Seward, a man destined to shape both political landscapes and literal gardens, drew his first breath on this day. As we mark the anniversary of his birth, let…
Read MoreSeeds of Change: Amos Bronson Alcott’s Perennial Legacy
This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. November 29, 1799 On this day in horticultural history, the world welcomed Amos Bronson Alcott, a man whose life would bloom with ideas as varied and vibrant as the most eclectic of gardens.…
Read MoreFrom Nazi Germany to Nostalgic Blooms: Dorothy Thompson’s Journey
This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. July 11, 1893 On this day, dear readers and fellow gardeners, we celebrate the birth of a most remarkable woman, one Dorothy Thompson. This American journalist and radio broadcaster would go on to…
Read MoreThe Spy Who Loved Apples: The Double Life of Metcalf Bowler
This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. September 24, 1789 Dear fellow custodians of earth’s verdant secrets, today we unearth a tale that would make even the most steadfast gardener’s trowel tremble – a story of apples, espionage, and the…
Read MoreThe Activist’s Garden: Frances Harper and the Poetry of Growth
This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. September 24, 1825 Devoted cultivators of both gardens and justice, today we honor the birth of one whose pen planted seeds of change across our nation – Frances Ellen Watkins Harper, whose legacy…
Read MorePotatoes and Poison: Sir Thomas Overbury’s Garden of Wit
This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. September 14, 1613 On this day, while autumn’s first crisp breezes rustled through the Tower of London’s modest kitchen gardens, a most intriguing tale of court intrigue reached its tragic conclusion. Sir Thomas…
Read MoreBrushstrokes of Botany: Magnus Hallman’s Portraits of Linnaeus
This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. August 16, 1745 On this day, dear horticultural enthusiasts, we find ourselves transported to the lush landscapes of Östergötland County, Sweden. For it was on this very date that Magnus Hallman, a painter…
Read MoreJames McBride: From Orphan’s Cradle to Botanical Immortality
This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. April 17, 1784 On this day, dear readers, we commemorate the birth of James McBride, a physician and botanist whose life story reads like a testament to the power of human perseverance and…
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