The Great Piece of Turf: Albrecht Dürer’s Botanical Eye

Albrecht Dürer's Self-Portrait at 28, 1500, Alte Pinakothek, Munich (colorized and enhanced).

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. April 6, 1528 Dearest reader, On this day, we mark the anniversary of the death of the extraordinary German artist Albrecht Dürer, a master painter, engraver, printmaker, mathematician, and theorist from Nuremberg. By…

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Clarence Elliott and the Legacy of Six Hills

Clarence Elliott

The Founder of Six Hills November 3, 1881    Today is the birthday of the English garden writer, plant explorer, renowned nurseryman, alpine specialist, and a founding member of the Alpine Garden Society, Clarence Elliott. Clarence had a remarkable career, and he cast an enormous shadow from his legendary nursery in Stevenage called Six Hills.…

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Jane Austen: Literary Gardener of the Regency Era

Jane Austen thumbnail image

The Founder of Six Hills November 3, 1881    Today is the birthday of the English garden writer, plant explorer, renowned nurseryman, alpine specialist, and a founding member of the Alpine Garden Society, Clarence Elliott. Clarence had a remarkable career, and he cast an enormous shadow from his legendary nursery in Stevenage called Six Hills.…

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Cultivating Prose and Plots: Jane Austen’s Garden Legacy

Jane Austen thumbnail image

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. July 18, 1817 On this day, dear readers, we mark the solemn anniversary of Miss Jane Austen’s departure from our mortal garden. A most remarkable cultivator of both prose and plants, our dear…

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The Massachusetts Horticultural Society in 1946: Gardening After the War

An engraving depicting a scene from the Fancy Sale in the Grounds of Chelsea Hospital, held in 1848 to raise funds for the Governesses Benevolent Institution.

#OTD  On this day the annual meeting of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society was held at Horticultural Hall at 3:00 p.m. on May 6, 1946.  Here’s an excerpt from their delightful minutes: From the President’s Address: At the end of the war, we were met with this question, “Will interest in gardening continue to grow or…

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