Listener Favorite Archives

Pansies

by Charles Joseph Sauriol I find it hard to come in from the flower borders. My Pansies are a garden of enchantment in themselves. People who love Pansies should grow them from seed. I took the advice and I have never had such a profusion of bloom and of so many colors. As featured onThe…

The Thing I Care Most About

by George Orwell Outside my work, the thing I care most about is gardening, especially vegetable gardening. As featured onThe Daily Gardener podcast: Words inspired by the garden are the sweetest, most beautiful words of all. George Orwell

The Secret Garden

by Gilbert Keith Chesterton The garden was large and elaborate, and there were many exits from the house into the garden. But there was no exit from the garden into the world outside; all-round it ran a tall, smooth, unscalable wall with special spikes at the top; no bad garden, perhaps, for a man to…

June is Bustin’ Out

by Oscar Hammerstein II, 1945 June is bustin’ out all over. As featured onThe Daily Gardener podcast: Words inspired by the garden are the sweetest, most beautiful words of all. Oscar Hammerstein II

For My Remembering

by Alice M. Swaim I need no Rosemary nor Rue for my remembering, No faded flower, no lock of hair, Not even spring. When all the wind is your sweet voice And all the rain, your tears, There’s no way of forgetting Immortal, radiant years. As featured onThe Daily Gardener podcast: Words inspired by…

Amaryllis

by Jennifer Ebeling Amaryllis is so sweet and fair, A name that’s true, beyond compare. Though Herbert made the genera split, He picked a name we’d soon forget So gauche, it starts with hippeasst, In the game of names, it comes in last Rather follow like sheep where Linnaeus led, Honoring a shepherdess who willing…

A Garden to Walk In

by Victor Hugo A garden to walk in and immensity to dream in — what more could he ask? A few flowers at his feet and above him the stars. Note: Today in 1885, Victor Hugo died, the author of the Hunchback of Notre-Dame as well as Les Miserables. A gardener,…

Speak to the Listening Heaven

by Rabindranath Tagore Trees are the earth’s endless effort to speak to the listening heaven. Note: Today is the birthday of Rabindranath Tagore born on this day in 1861. As featured onThe Daily Gardener podcast: Words inspired by the garden are the sweetest, most beautiful words of all. Rabindranath Tagore Black-Eyed Susan

The First Day of Spring is One Thing

by Henry Van Dyke The first day of spring is one thing, and the first spring day is another. The difference between them is sometimes as great as a month. As featured onThe Daily Gardener podcast: Words inspired by the garden are the sweetest, most beautiful words of all. Henry Van Dyke

Always Marry an April Girl

by Ogden Nash Praise the spells and bless the charms, I found April in my arms. April golden, April cloudy, Gracious, cruel, tender, rowdy; April soft in flowered languor, April cold with sudden anger, Ever-changing, ever true — I love April, I love you. As featured onThe Daily Gardener podcast: Words inspired…

A Book is a Garden

by Charles Baudelaire A book is a garden, an orchard, a storehouse, a party, a company by the way, a counselor, a multitude of counselors. Note: Today is the birthday of Charles Baudelaire, the French poet, who was born on this day in 1821. As featured onThe Daily Gardener podcast: Words inspired…

A Pineapple and Butterfly

by Maria Sibylla Merian Here’s a description of a pineapple and butterfly in Merian’s own words: “This is a ripe Ananas (pineapple), which must be peeled to be eaten. This fruit tastes [like] one had mixed grapes, apricots, red currants, apples, and pears, and [we could] taste all of them at once. Its smell…