Posts Tagged ‘Horticultural Pioneers’
The Secret Garden Life of Patrick Neill: Edinburgh’s Horticultural Hero
This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. October 25, 1776 It was on this day, dear listeners, that one of gardening’s most intriguing figures made his entrance into our world. Patrick Neill [PAT-rick NEEL] (October 25, 1776 – September 3,…
Read MoreFrom Desert to Doorstep: The Legacy of Edward Hummel
This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. November 29, 1978 On this day, the gardening world bid farewell to Edward Hummel, a remarkable American plantsman and hybridizer whose green thumb left an indelible mark on the landscape of exotic horticulture.…
Read MoreThe Man Behind the Modern Strawberry: Antoine Nicolas Duchesne’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. February 18, 1827 Dearest Gardeners, On this day, Antoine Nicolas Duchesne (“do-shayn”) (books about this person), the renowned French botanist, gardener, and professor at Versailles, passed away. His pioneering work forever changed the way we know…
Read MoreGeorge Russell’s lupins: The gardener who painted Britain’s gardens in color
This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. October 15, 1951 Dearest reader, On this day, the garden world bows its head in remembrance of the death of George Russell, a man whose devotion to botany rivals my fondness for…
Read MoreAlfred D. Robinson and the Birth of California’s Begonia Legacy
The California Begonia Society February 26, 1942 Today is the anniversary of the death of the British-American horticulturist and founder of the California Begonia industry, Alfred D. Robinson. Along with his wife Marion, Alfred’s passion was flowers. In the early 1900s, after hearing a religious leader speak about a utopian community called Lomaland, Alfred and…
Read MoreKatherine Sophia Kane: Trailblazing Irish Botanist and Author of The Irish Flora
Irish Flowers and Ferns February 25, 1856 Today is the anniversary of the Irish botanist and horticulturist Katherine Sophia Kane. Orphaned as a little girl, Katherine was taken in by her father’s older brother – her uncle – Matthias O’Kelly, and she grew up alongside her cousins. A naturalist, Uncle Matthias fostered Kate’s love for…
Read MoreFrances Garnet Wolseley: Pioneer of Women’s Gardening Education
Gardening for Women December 24, 1936 Today is the anniversary of the death of the influential English gardening author and instructor, Frances Garnet Wolseley. A lifelong single lady, Frances devoted herself to gardening and gardening education. In 1902, on her thirtieth birthday, Frances created the Glynde College for Lady Gardeners on her father’s garden in…
Read MoreClarence Elliott and the Legacy of Six Hills
The Founder of Six Hills November 3, 1881 Today is the birthday of the English garden writer, plant explorer, renowned nurseryman, alpine specialist, and a founding member of the Alpine Garden Society, Clarence Elliott. Clarence had a remarkable career, and he cast an enormous shadow from his legendary nursery in Stevenage called Six Hills.…
Read MorePreparing for Sumatra: John Lindley in London
While researching John Lindley, I stumbled upon an adorable story about him. John arrived in England when he was a teenager. Naturally, he needed a place to stay, so Sir Joseph Dalton Hooker graciously took him in and gave him a room at his home called Halesworth. The story goes that, over a few weeks,…
Read MoreR.H. Shumway: Pioneer Seedsman and Mail-Order Seed Innovator
The Shumway Seed Today is the birthday of a pioneering seedsman out of Rockford, Illinois, Roland Hallet Shumway – who always went by his initials R.H. The RH Shumway Seed Company became the world’s largest mail-order seed company; their “Marketmore” seeds are especially popular. Famous Shumway Seed customers included Bing Crosby and Perry Como. When…
Read MoreRudolph Boysen: The Unsung Creator of the Boysenberry
The Boysenberry Today is the anniversary of the death of the plant hybridizer Rudolph Boysen. In the 1910s and ’20s, Boysen had been playing around with plant genetics. He worked on an 18-acre farm owned by John Lubbens in Napa Valley. On one June morning, Boysen took a walk along a creek bank to inspect…
Read MoreConstance Spry: The Floral Rebel Who Brought Hedgerows to High Society
Spread Joy to Many On this day in 1929, Constance Spry – who went by Connie – unveiled her first floral shop window display, and she shocked London by using hedgerow flowers. Connie was a trailblazer. In the 1920s, she began creating flower arrangements for dinner parties. Her work made her an immediate hit with…
Read MoreJean-Baptiste Van Mons: Master of Pear Breeding and the Father of Selective Fruiting
Birth of Selective Breeding Today is the birthday of Jean-Baptiste Van Mons, who was born on this day in 1765. The name of the game for Van Mons was selective breeding for pears. Selective breeding happens when humans breed plants to develop particular characteristics by choosing the parent plants to make the offspring. Check out…
Read MoreFrom Churchyard to Garden Museum: John Tradescant’s Lasting Legacy
This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: April 17, 1638 On this day, dear readers, we mark a somber yet significant moment in horticultural history. For it was on this date, that the mortal remains of John Tradescant the elder were laid to rest in the hallowed ground of St Mary…
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