October Archives

Yoko Ono

Strawberry Fields On this day in 1985, Strawberry Fields, a two and ½ acre garden memorial in New York City’s Central Park, was dedicated to the memory of John Lennon. Lennon’s widow, Yoko Ono, came up with the idea for the park. She remembered how she and Lennon took strolls through that section of Central…

Augustine Henry

Father of Irish Commercial Forestry On this day in 1899, Augustine Henry wrote to his friend the designer Evelyn Gleeson after meeting Ernest Henry Wilson for the first time. Toward the end of his time in China, Augustine Henry living in the Simao District in the Yunnan Province of China. He knew that the flora…

The Month of Departure

by Henry Ward Beecher The month of departure is more beautiful than the month of coming – October than May. As featured onThe Daily Gardener podcast: Words inspired by the garden are the sweetest, most beautiful words of all. Henry Ward Beecher

Nature Glories in Death

by Henry Ward Beecher Nature glories in death more than in life. As featured onThe Daily Gardener podcast: Words inspired by the garden are the sweetest, most beautiful words of all. Henry Ward Beecher

October is Nature’s Funeral Month

by Henry Ward Beecher October is nature’s funeral month. As featured onThe Daily Gardener podcast: Words inspired by the garden are the sweetest, most beautiful words of all. Henry Ward Beecher

Every Green Thing

by Henry Ward Beecher Every green thing loves to die in bright colors. As featured onThe Daily Gardener podcast: Words inspired by the garden are the sweetest, most beautiful words of all. Henry Ward Beecher

Everyone Must Take Time

by Elizabeth Lawrence Everyone must take time to sit and watch the leaves turn. As featured onThe Daily Gardener podcast: Words inspired by the garden are the sweetest, most beautiful words of all.

Celebrate Colorful Fall Favorites with Garden Designer and Writer Kelly Norris

“My next find [is] a colony of dwarf fothergilla (Fothergilla gardenii). These happy companions to daphnes and rhododendrons look sumptuous this time of year..” October 8, 2009 On this day, botanist Kelly Norris wrote a post about the colors of fall and his favorite plants in a post called Candy Shop. Here’s an excerpt: Today…

Johann Baptist Ziz

Golden Alexanders Today is the birthday of the German botanist, Johann Baptist Ziz, who was born on this day in 1779. The genus Zizia, which has three species, was named for him. Zizia plants are one of my favorites; they bloom for a long time, and they are a great source of pollen and nectar.…

William Swainson

The Struggles of a Naturalist Today is the birthday of the English naturalist, William Swainson, who was born on this day in 1789. Swainson subscribed to the quinarian system; a taxonomic theory that grouped animals and plants into groups of five or multiples of fives. He stubbornly adhered to the system even after Darwin’s origin…

Elizabeth Agassiz

The Life of Agassiz On this day in 1877, Elizabeth Agassiz, the wife of the naturalist and famous Harvard Professor Louis Agassiz, met with Longfellow to get his opinion on the first couple of chapters of the Life of Agassiz; her biography of her husband. In Louise Hall Tharp’s book about the family, a memory…

Hardy Bryan Croom

Gopher Wood Today is the birthday of the Florida botanist Hardy Bryan Croom who was born on this day in 1797. Croom was trained as a lawyer, but since his inheritance from his father was substantial, he never practiced. As Croom matured, he began pursuing specialties like geology, mineralogy, and botany. When it came to…

Summer is Better but the Best is Autumn

by Valentin Iremonger Summer is …. better, but the best is autumn, It is mature, reasonable and serious, it glows moderately and not frivolously… As featured onThe Daily Gardener podcast: Words inspired by the garden are the sweetest, most beautiful words of all. Valentin Iremonger

October’s Poplars

by Nova Bair October’s poplars are flaming torches lighting the way to winter. As featured onThe Daily Gardener podcast: Words inspired by the garden are the sweetest, most beautiful words of all.