November Archives

November 16, 2021 Virtual Herbariums, Laurel Hill, Root Crop Preservation in 1835, Odoardo Beccari, Louise Driscoll, Marsha Mehran, Plant by Phaidon Editors, and Elizabeth Coblentz

Today in botanical history, we celebrate Laurel Hill and Root Crop Preservation in 1835. We’ll also remember the botanist who discovered the Titan arum and a little poem about the November garden by Louise Driscoll. We’ll hear an excerpt from Pomegranate Soup. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a beautiful garden book from 2016. And…

Lucy Maud Montgomery: Canadian Writer and Gardener

The Prince Edward Island Author November 30, 1874 Today is the birthday of the Canadian writer and author of the Anne of Green Gables series Lucy Maud Montgomery. Lucy was born on Prince Edward Island, and she was almost two years old when her mother died. Like her character Ann of Green Gables, Lucy…

Mark Twain

Samuel Langhorne Clemens November 30, 1835 Today is the birthday of the American writer and humorist Samuel Langhorne Clemens, known by his pen name Mark Twain. Samuel used the garden and garden imagery to convey his wit and satire. In 1874, Samuel’s sister, Susan, and her husband built an octagonal shed for him to write…

Nathanael Pringsheim

The Founder of Algology November 30, 1823 Today is the birthday of the German botanist Nathanael Pringsheim. Nathanael was a founder of algology or the study of algae. Nathanael’s work led to an understanding of how algae and fungi live, develop, and reproduce. In 1882, Nathanael founded the German Botanical Society. This post was…

Martha Ballard

Martha’s Marvelous Journal November 30, 1791 1799 On this day, Martha Ballard recorded her work as an herbalist and midwife. For 27 years, Martha kept a journal of her work as the town healer and midwife for Hallowell, Maine. In all, Martha assisted with 816 births. Today, Martha’s marvelous journal gives us a glimpse…

The Kew Gardens Bicentenary: A Look Back

The Royal Botanic Gardens November 27, 1959 On this day, the Edmonton Journal wrote a little article about the Bicentenary at Kew: “Less than ten miles from the heart of London lies an area of nearly three hundred acres in which color, fragrance, and birdsong are the companions of research, learning, and economics. Here…

Karl Foerster

Karl Foerster Grass November 27, 1970 Today is the 50th anniversary of the death of the revered German plant breeder, writer, and garden designer Karl Foerster. Karl was born into an intellectual and accomplished family. His father was an astronomer, and his mother was a famous painter. Many gardeners are surprised to learn that Karl…

Albert Etter

Ettersburg Ranch November 27, 1872 Today is the birthday of a lifelong American plantsman and master plant breeder Albert Etter. Albert was a born horticulturist. When most children are mastering the alphabet and learning to tie their shoes, Albert was learning to graft and hybridize plants. By the time Albert was 12, his plant…

Ruth Myrtle Patrick: A Life Spent Looking Closely at Nature

A Window to a Whole Other World November 26, 1907 Today is the birthday of the botanist Ruth Myrtle Patrick. Ruth developed new methods for measuring the health of freshwater ecosystems. Today, the Patrick Principle measures the biological diversity of a stream; the greater the diversity, the greater the health of the water. Ruth…

W. Atlee Burpee

Burpee Seeds November 26, 1915 Today is the anniversary of the death of the pioneer seedsman and founder of the Burpee seed company, W. Atlee Burpee – the “W” stood for Washington. Atlee died at 57; just two days after Thanksgiving in 1915. As a young boy, Atlee immigrated from England with his parents. The…

George Ellwanger

Flower City Co-Founder November 26, 1906 Today is the anniversary of the death of the German-American horticulturist and nurseryman George Ellwanger (“El-WANG-ur”). In the mid-1800s, George Ellwanger and his Irish business partner and experienced nurseryman, Patrick Barry, claimed their Rochester, New York nursery was the largest in the world. Built on 650 acres along Mount…

Jean-Jacques d’Ortous de Mairan

Internal Circadian Clock November 26, 1678 Today is the birthday of the French geophysicist, astronomer, and most notably, chronobiologist Jean-Jacques d’Ortous de Mairan. Mairan’s job as a chronobiologist is a job one rarely hears about these days. In 1729, Mairan put together an experiment showing the existence of a circadian rhythm in plants. Mairan…

Celebrating Alma Gluck: Soprano and Gardener

“Miss Gluck is Quite a Farmer” November 25, 1914 On this day, the St. Joseph Gazette wrote a front-page article about the Romanian-born American soprano Alma Gluck and the headline was “Miss Gluck is Quite a Farmer.” “One would scarcely expect a young and beautiful prima donna who… is recognized the world over as…

Francis Chantrey

The Sleeping Children November 25, 1816 Today is the anniversary of the death of one of the great English sculptors, Francis Chantrey. Francis, who sculpted both kings and presidents, was commissioned to sculpt a memorial to two young girls, Ellen-Jane and Marianne Robinson. Ellen-Jane and Marianne had lost their father, Reverend William Robinson when he…