Frank Kingdon-Ward: The Last of the Great Plant Hunters

Frank Kingdon Ward c. 1942

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. November 6, 1885 On this day, the renowned British botanist and explorer Frank Kingdon-Ward was born in Manchester, England. The son of a distinguished botanist, Frank seemed destined to follow in his father’s…

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John Bradby Blake: The Young Botanist Who Bridged East and West

John Bradby Blake

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. November 4, 1745 On this day, we celebrate the birth of the English botanist John Bradby Blake [BRAD-bee BLAKE].  Though he lived a tragically short life – dying at just twelve days after…

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October 25, 2024 Patrick Neill, Joseph Hetherington McDaniels, Tyge Wittrock Bocher, The Healing Garden by Juliet Blankespoor, and A Tale of Two Postmen Turned Accidental Alpine Plant Merchants

The Daily Gardener Podcast Album Cover with a pot of rosemary - the herb for remembrance - beckoning gardeners to remember to listen to the show. Updated September 2025.

Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart Support The Daily Gardener Buy Me A Coffee  Connect for FREE! The Friday Newsletter |  Daily Gardener Community Botanical History On This Day 1776 Patrick Neill, British printer and horticulturalist, is born. 1840 Joseph Hetherington McDaniels, Classical Scholar, is born.  1909 Tyge Wittrock Böcher [TEE-guh VIT-rock…

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A Bouquet of Books: Garden Reading for Every Season

Garden Book Recommendations for November 1975

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. November 2, 1975 Dearest Gardeners, On this day, The New York Times shared a list of new gardening books in its “Around the Garden” segment. Some bright newcomers have been added to the trowel‐watering can library.…

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André Soulié: The Missionary Botanist Who Gave Us Roses and Butterfly Bushes

Jean Andre Soulie

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. October 6, 1858 Dearest reader, On this day, the world gained André Soulié—a French Roman Catholic missionary whose life unfurled at the crossroads of faith, science, and danger. One might not immediately imagine…

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The Widowmaker’s Namesake: Thomas Coulter’s Botanical Legacy

Thomas Coulter

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. September 28, 1793 Dearest fellow enthusiasts of botanical exploration, today we commemorate the birth of that most intrepid Irish plant hunter, Thomas Coulter, whose legacy blooms eternal in the flora of California. Imagine,…

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Mountains of Wonder: Patrick Synge’s Botanical Adventures

Patrick Synges tombstone

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. September 17, 1910 Dearest garden enthusiasts, today we celebrate the birth of Patrick Millington Synge, a British botanist whose adventures in African plant hunting and subsequent leadership at the Royal Horticultural Society would…

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The Plant Hunter’s Tale: Engelbert Kaempfer’s Botanical Legacy

Engelbert Kaempfer portrait inspired by the image on the Moto-Hakone monument.

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. September 16, 1651 My dearest garden enthusiasts, on this most remarkable day, we turn our attention to a true pioneer of botanical exploration, whose legacy blooms eternal in gardens across the globe. On…

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From Moss to Malaria: Richard Spruce’s Amazonian Adventures

Richard Spruce

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. October 21, 2024 On this day in 1817, we celebrate the birth of Richard Spruce, a botanical adventurer whose passion for the diminutive wonders of the plant world would forever change our understanding…

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The Prince of Alpine Gardeners: The Life and Legacy of Reginald Farrer

Reginald Farrer, a renowned English botanist, plant collector, and writer. His most famous work is "My Rock Garden".

Reginald’s Rock Garden February 17, 1880 Today is the birthday of the legendary rock and alpine gardener, plant explorer, nurseryman, writer, and painter Reginald Farrer. A son of the Yorkshire Dales, Reginald was raised in upper-middle-class circumstances on the Farrer family estate called Ingleborough Hall in Clapham. And although Reginald was a world traveler, his…

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February 15, 2021 Pioneer Trees for the Forest Garden, Archibald Menzies, Ernest Henry Wilson, The Gardener-Botanists of the 1927 South Africa Expedition, Dried Flowers by Morgane Illes, and Garden Design Tips from David Stevens

The Daily Gardener Podcast Album Cover with a pot of rosemary - the herb for remembrance - beckoning gardeners to remember to listen to the show. Updated September 2025.

Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart Support The Daily Gardener Buy Me A Coffee Connect for FREE! The Friday Newsletter | Daily Gardener Community Curated News The Importance of Pioneer Trees for Forest Gardens and Other Purposes | Treehugger | Elizabeth Waddington Botanical History On This Day 1842 Death of Archibald…

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