Lily of the Valley Archives

A Victorian Ode to May: Phebe Holder’s Botanical Poetry

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. May 1, 1890 On this day in horticultural history, the enchanting poem “A Song of May” by the esteemed New England poet and gardener Phebe Holder graced the pages of newspapers, captivating readers…

Tchaikovsky’s Garden: Lily of the Valley & Suite No. 3 (1884)

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. May 24, 1884 Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky discarded his early work on Suite No. 3 and began again; weeks earlier he had walked the garden and found the seed of a melody. The composer’s…

April 5, 2022 Lily of the Valley, Bette Davis, Anne Scott-James, Kim McDodge, Get Growing by Holly Farrell, and Barbara Holland

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.

Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart Support The Daily Gardener Buy Me A Coffee Connect for FREE! The Friday Newsletter | Daily Gardener Community Botanical History On This Day 1898 The Lilies of the Valley Fabergé egg was presented to Russian Tsar Nicholas II as an opulent gift for Empress Alexandra.…

The Royal Blossom of May: Lily of the Valley and the Fabergé Egg

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. April 5, 1898 Dearest reader, On this day, the exquisite Lilies of the Valley Fabergé egg was presented to none other than Tsar Nicholas II of Russia as an affectionate gift for his…

A Gardener’s Farewell: Thomas Jefferson’s Final Requests for Monticello

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: February 8, 1809 Dearest reader, On this day, Thomas Jefferson—soon to retire from the presidency—was counting the days until he could return to Monticello (“MontiCHELLo”), ready to once again lose himself in a tangle of tulips, hyacinths, and sweet amaryllis. Jefferson’s lively correspondence with…

May 26, 2021 Becoming a Garden Designer, Sébastien Vaillant, William J. Fisher, Lily of the Valley, Plantopia by Camille Soulayrol, and Edgar Fawcett

May 20, 2021 Garden Stairways, Honoré de Balzac, the Chelsea Flower Show, Rikki-tikki’s Garden, Petal by Adriana Picker, and National Pick Strawberries Day

April 5, 2021 Cottage Garden Ideas, Matthias Schleiden, Zina Pitcher, Lilies of the Valley Fabergé egg, Edward Giobbi, Happy Bonsai by Micheal Tran, and Anne Scott-James

Lily of the Valley and the Fabergé legacy: A delicate bloom fit for royalty

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. April 5, 1898 Dearest reader, On this day, the Russian Tsar Nicholas II presented his beloved wife, Empress Alexandra, with a treasure so opulent, so delicate, that it seemed to defy the cold…