November Archives

Leonard Sidney Woolf

Monk’s House November 25, 1880 Today is the birthday of the British political theorist, writer, publisher, civil servant, and gardener Leonard Sidney Woolf. Leonard was the husband of Virginia Woolf. Leonard was the primary gardener and garden designer of Monk’s House – although Virginia helped him. Virginia and Leonard lived at the house when they…

Isaac Watts

The Godfather of English Hymnody November 25, 1748 Today is the anniversary of the death of the English Christian minister (Congregational) and prolific hymn writer Isaac Watts. Known as the “Godfather of English Hymnody,” Isaac’s hymns are still sung in churches today: “O God our Help in Ages Past,” “There is a Land of…

Arlington Heights Garden Club

Weekly Garden Tips November 24, 1966 On this day, the Arlington Heights Garden Club shared their Garden tips for the week in the Arlington Heights Herald. Highlights include: Soil is alive—teeming with life—tiny insects you can see, and billions of organisms not visible with the naked eye. If cared for properly, it grows and increases…

Mosquitoes in November and other Miscellany from The New England Farmer in 1843

A Collection of News The New England Farmer shared a little post of miscellaneous news at the end of 1843 that caught my eye: Mosquitoes in November. The New Orleans Diamond, of Nov. 24th, says, “As we write, myriads of mosquitoes are hovering around us, like evil messengers. Think of that, ye frozen dwellers at…

Charles Darwin

The Origin of Species November 24, 1859 On this day, Charles Darwin’s the Origin of Species reached bookstores. Over twenty years had passed since Charles departed on the HMS Beagle for a five-year voyage around the world. On this revelatory trip, Charles discovered the building blocks to his evolutionary theory in the fossils and diverse…

Frances Hodgson Burnett

The Whole World is a Garden November 24, 1849 Today is the birthday of the British-American writer and playwright Frances Hodgson Burnett. Frances was born in Britain. As a small girl, her family home backed up to property owned by the Earl of Derby. Frances remembered it as the “garden of Eden.” Frances’s father…

November 24, 2020 The Zen Garden Chaise Lounge, Frances Hodgson Burnett, Charles Darwin, Arlington Heights Garden Club, Vita Sackville West, The Beautiful Edible Garden by Leslie Bennett and Stefani Bittner, and Mosquitoes in November

Today we celebrate a prolific writer who loved violets and wrote about a secret garden. We’ll also learn about the best-selling book that hit bookstores today back in 1859, and it changed the world forever. We’ll look back at some timeless garden advice from 1966 courtesy of the Arlington Heights Garden Club. We’ll hear some…

Poinsettia Tips from Jay Harper

Tips and Tricks for Poinsettias November 23, 2005 On this day, the Arizona Republic newspaper shared tips on Poinsettia care from Jay Harper of Harper’s Nurseries & Flower Shop. Jay grows Poinsettias from cuttings in his nursery in Mesa. He advised: Important factors in selecting a Poinsettia are where it was grown and how long…

Alexander Pierce Anderson

The Puffed Rice Pioneer November 23, 1862 Today is the birthday of the American plant physiologist, botanist, educator, and inventor Alexander Pierce Anderson. Alexander grew up in rural Southeastern, Minnesota. His cousin, John Lind, became the governor of Minnesota. After getting a degree in botany, Alexander went on to teach at Clemson. Three years later,…

Nathaniel Bagshaw Ward

The Wardian Case November 23, 1833 On this day, the ship Captain Charles Mallard wrote a letter to Nathaniel Bagshaw Ward. Four years earlier, in 1829, Nathaniel developed the first terrarium when he accidentally grew a fern in an insect jar. A fern spore had gotten into a jar Nathaniel was using to observe insect…

Roald Dahl

Garden Shed Writing November 23, 1990 Today is the anniversary of the death of the beloved British children’s author, Roald Dahl. Roald was an avid gardener, and his garden shed doubled as his writing nook, where he wrote many books, including Charlie and the Chocolate factory. As sweet as this sounds to a gardener’s ears,…

August Henry Kramer

“Buried Blossoms” November 20, 1989 On this day in 1989, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch shared an incredible story called Buried Blossoms by Patricia Rice, which shared the story of the long lost work of the botanist August Henry Kramer. Here’s what it said: “After 40 years in basements, [Kramer’s] collection of 493 botanical watercolors…

The Naming Error of the Lespedeza Genus

An Error in Names November 20, 1933 On this day, the Knoxville Journal shared a story called “Department Botanists Agree Too Late to Change – Lespedeza was named in Error.” Lespedeza (pronounced “Les-pah-dee-zah”) is a genus of around 40 species of flowering plants in the pea family, commonly known as bush clovers. The article…

Penelope Hobhouse

Garden Skeletons November 20, 1929 Today is the birthday of the garden writer and designer Penelope Hobhouse, born on this day in 1929. When Penelope visited Tuscany, she was captivated by the villa gardens, and she began teaching herself garden design. A 2016 article in the New York Times said Penelope is, “a fixture…