Archibald Menzies’ Santa Barbara Sojourn: A Botanical Milestone

The image is a portrait of Archibald Menzies, a notable Scottish surgeon, botanist, and naturalist. He is credited with introducing the monkey puzzle tree to England and was the first recorded European to reach the summit of Mauna Loa in Hawaii.

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. November 18, 1793 On this day, Archibald Menzies (MEN-zeez), the Scottish surgeon-botanist, reluctantly departed Santa Barbara aboard the HMS Discovery during Vancouver’s expedition. Menzies had spent several productive days exploring the Santa Barbara…

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The Father of American Dendrology: Remembering Humphry Marshall

Depiction of Humphry Marshall by Adrian Martinez. 2016

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. November 5, 1801 On this day, America lost one of its pioneering botanists, Humphry Marshall. His legacy as the “Father of American Dendrology” continues to influence our understanding of native trees and shrubs…

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John Joly: The Poet-Scientist Who Understood Plant Magic

John Joly enhanced (colorized)

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…

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A Pioneering Voice in Texas Botany: Maude Jeannie Young

Maude Jeannie Young with Texas yellow roses.

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. November 1, 1826 Maude Jeannie Fuller Young (pronounced “MAW-duh JEE-nee FULL-er YOUNG”) was born on this day in 1826. Though she would become known for many accomplishments, it’s her groundbreaking contribution to botanical…

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Marianne North: The Victorian Artist Who Painted the World’s Flora

Marianne North at her home in Ceylon in customary attire for women of the time.

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…

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The Lichen Lady: Annie Lorrain Smith’s Scientific Revolution

Annie Lorrain Smith

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. October 23, 1854 Today we also celebrate the birth of the remarkable Annie Lorrain Smith, and oh my dears, what a story she has to tell us about persistence in both gardens and…

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The Poetry of Pollinators: Neltje Blanchan’s Garden Revolution

Neltje Blanchan

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. October 23, 1865 Today we also remember the birth of Neltje Blanchan, and oh my dears, if Annie Lorrain Smith taught us to see the microscopic world of lichens, Blanchan taught an entire…

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Sermons in the Soil: The Naturalist-Parson Gilbert White

Gilbert White

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. April 25, 1766 On this day, dear readers and fellow garden enthusiasts, a most delightful exchange occurred between two gentlemen of wit and wisdom. John Mulso, with quill in hand, penned a letter…

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A Turbulent Mind at Fifty: Carl Linnaeus’ Battle with Age and Despair

Carl Linnaeus

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: February 10, 1758 Dearest reader, On this day, the esteemed Carl Linnaeus—venerated as the “father of modern taxonomy”—was wrestling not with the names of plants this time, but with the heavy shadows of his own mind. At fifty years of age, Linnaeus found himself not…

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