The Poetry of Pollinators: Neltje Blanchan’s Garden Revolution

Neltje Blanchan

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. October 23, 1865 Today we also remember the birth of Neltje Blanchan, and oh my dears, if Annie Lorrain Smith taught us to see the microscopic world of lichens, Blanchan taught an entire…

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Blazing a Trail: Otto Jennings and the Star of the Prairie

Otto Emery Jennings Formal Portrait

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. October 4, 1877 On this day, dear readers, we celebrate the birth of Otto Emery Jennings, a man whose passion for the natural world would leave an indelible mark on both the scientific…

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The Earl and the Bee: Lord Chesterfield’s Garden Poetry

Philip Dormer Stanhope the 4th Earl of Chesterfield

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. September 22, 1694 My dearest garden enthusiasts, on this day we celebrate the birth of Philip Dormer Stanhope, the 4th Earl of Chesterfield, whose connection to our world of gardens comes through a…

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Sydney Dylan Ripley and the Creation of the Smithsonian Gardens

Sidney Dillon Ripley

The Louvre Inspiration It was on this day that the horticulture program at the Smithsonian Gardens was established by Sydney Dylan Ripley, who served as the secretary of the Smithsonian. An American ornithologist and conservationist, Sidney had been inspired by the area around the Louvre in France as a child. With the Louvre always in…

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