Posts Tagged ‘plant propagation’
The Kew Gardener’s Guide to Growing Cacti and Succulents by the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew and Paul Rees
As Heard on The Daily Gardener Podcast: This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. The Kew Gardener’s Guide to Growing Cacti and Succulents by the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew and Paul Rees This book came out in 2023, and the…
Read MoreSaving Summer: The Indoor Garden Encore
This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. November 4, 1994 On this day, garden writer Barbara Pleasant finished writing her article about extending summer’s joy through winter by bringing our beloved bedding plants indoors. The article appeared in the Montgomery…
Read MoreFrom France to the Frost: The Botanical Legend of Georges Bugnet
This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. February 27, 1879 Dearest Gardeners, On this day, Georges Bugnet, that indefatigable French-Canadian plant breeder, was born. In the early 1900s, George and his young wife left France and settled in Canada, with…
Read MoreWilliam Bartram: America’s First Flower Hunter and Artistic Botanist
The Flower Hunter April 20, 1739 Today is the birthday of the American botanist, artist, and naturalist known as The Flower Hunter, William Bartram. The son of the Quaker botanist John Bartram, William – or Billy (as he was known to his family) – was the first American to pursue a life devoted to the study…
Read MoreArchibald Menzies: The Scottish Surgeon and Botanist Known as the Monkey Puzzle Man
The Monkey Puzzle Tree and The Piggyback Plant March 15, 1754 Today is the birthday of the Scottish surgeon, botanist, and naturalist Archibald Menzies. Now there’s a famous story about Archibald that goes something like this: One time, Joseph Banks sent Archibald on an expedition. At some point, Joseph ended up dining with the leadership…
Read MorePaul Ecke Sr.: The Father of the Poinsettia and Christmas Flower Marketing
Mr. Poinsettia January 28, 1895 Today is the birthday of the nurseryman known as “Mr. Poinsettia,” Paul Ecke Sr. (“Eck-EE”), and he was born in Magdeburg, Germany. Paul and his family immigrated to the United States in 1906. And when Paul took over his father’s nursery business located on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood in the…
Read MoreA Garden Letter from 1945: Elizabeth Lawrence on Dogwoods, Pines, and Family Moments
by Elizabeth Lawrence January 20, 1945 … I can’t imagine anything worse than a square of dogwoods back of the house. I thought your idea was that you wanted to clear that all out (except for the serviceberry, which is to one side) so you could look out of the kitchen window and up the…
Read MoreA Winter’s Green: Beth Chatto on the Enduring Allure of Holly and Ivy
by Beth Chatto Holly and ivy are the primary images of many Christmas cards, symbols of life carrying on when much else appears dead or has vanished beneath the frozen surface. I would almost go so far as to say they should be in every garden, but perhaps I should substitute “something evergreen” instead of…
Read MoreRobert More and the Delicate Moraea: A Rare Jewel of the Iris Family
The Morea January 5, 1780 Today is the anniversary of the death of the English academic, attorney, politician, and gardener, who sat in the House of Commons, Robert More. A passionate amateur botanist, the botanist Philip Miller, named the plant genus Morea (“Mor-AY-ah”) in honor of Robert More. But later, Carl Linnaeus altered the spelling…
Read MoreWilliam Saunders: From Gettysburg’s Cemetery to California’s Navel Oranges
Navel Oranges December 7, 1822 Today is the birthday of the English-American botanist, nurseryman, landscape gardener, and landscape designer William Saunders. William served as the first horticulturist and superintendent of the experimental gardens at the newly created U.S. Department of Agriculture. During his professional career, William enjoyed many successes, but two stand out above the…
Read MoreR.H. Shumway: Pioneer Seedsman and Mail-Order Seed Innovator
The Shumway Seed Today is the birthday of a pioneering seedsman out of Rockford, Illinois, Roland Hallet Shumway – who always went by his initials R.H. The RH Shumway Seed Company became the world’s largest mail-order seed company; their “Marketmore” seeds are especially popular. Famous Shumway Seed customers included Bing Crosby and Perry Como. When…
Read MoreJean-Baptiste Van Mons: Master of Pear Breeding and the Father of Selective Fruiting
Birth of Selective Breeding Today is the birthday of Jean-Baptiste Van Mons, who was born on this day in 1765. The name of the game for Van Mons was selective breeding for pears. Selective breeding happens when humans breed plants to develop particular characteristics by choosing the parent plants to make the offspring. Check out…
Read MoreKate Sessions: The Mother of Balboa Park and San Diego’s Jacaranda Legacy
A Teacher of Horticulture and Botany Today is the birthday of American botanist, horticulturist, and landscape architect Kate Sessions, who was born on this day in 1857. As a young woman, Kate had traveled to San Diego to teach, but she ended up following her passion and bought a local nursery in 1885. Before long,…
Read MoreJean-Baptiste Van Mons: The Titan of Pear Breeding and Pomology Pioneer
Selective Beeding for Pears Today is the anniversary of the death of the botanist Jean-Baptiste Van Mons who died on this day in 1842. The name of the game for Mons was selective breeding for pears. Selective breeding happens when humans breed plants to develop particular characteristics by choosing the parent plants to make the…
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