Thomas Jefferson’s Floral Ballet: A Letter from Monticello

Thomas Jefferson

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. May 26, 1811 On this day, dear readers and fellow gardeners, we find ourselves privy to a most charming correspondence between the esteemed Thomas Jefferson and his granddaughter, Anne. As we delve into…

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Thomas Jefferson’s useful plants and pickle comforts

Thomas Jefferson

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. April 13, 1743 Dearest reader, On this day, Thomas Jefferson was born — a man whose many hats included statesman, Founding Father, and, notably, a passionate gardener whose love for plants shaped more…

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A Gardener’s Farewell: Thomas Jefferson’s Final Requests for Monticello

Thomas Jefferson

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: February 8, 1809 Dearest reader, On this day, Thomas Jefferson—soon to retire from the presidency—was counting the days until he could return to Monticello (“MontiCHELLo”), ready to once again lose himself in a tangle of tulips, hyacinths, and sweet amaryllis. Jefferson’s lively correspondence with…

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Seeds of Discovery: Jefferson’s Botanical Expedition Request to Lewis

Meriwether Lewis thumbnail image

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. June 20, 1803 On this day, President Thomas Jefferson, with a flourish of his quill and ambition stretching beyond the Mississippi, sent a formal letter to his private secretary and aide, Meriwether Lewis—a…

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The Presidential Plantsman: George Washington’s Secret Garden Life

Gilbert Stuart Williamstown Portrait of George Washington.

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. April 30, 1789 On this day, our esteemed first Commander-in-Chief, George Washington, was sworn into office with all the pomp and circumstance befitting America’s inaugural president. What the adoring crowds and history books…

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