November 13, 2024 Gardens, Meteors, and Chrysanthemums, Joseph Paxton, Cherry Trees of 1909, The Kew Gardener’s Guide to Growing Cacti and Succulents by the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew and Paul Rees and The Dangerous World of Rare Orchids

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 1849 A most extraordinary presentation took place at Windsor Castle, when Joseph Paxton presented the Victoria Amazonica to Queen Victoria. 1909 James…

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Ashworth vs. Wells: The Case of the Misrepresented Cattleya Orchid

Arthur William Hill

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. October 11, 1875 Dearest reader, On this day was born Arthur William Hill, the distinguished English botanist and taxonomist who would rise to become Director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. His journey…

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The Orchid King: Conrad Sander and the Legacy of Reichenbachia

Henry Frederick Conrad Sander (1847-1920), a German-born orchidologist and nurseryman known as the "King of Orchids"

Vanda Sanderiana March 4, 1847 Today is the birthday of the German-English orchidologist and nurseryman Henry Frederick Conrad Sander. As a young man of 20 years old, Conrad met the Czech plant collector Benedict Roezl. Benedict’s heart lay in exploration and acquisition; he did not enjoy the marketing and sales aspects of plant hunting. Instead,…

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The Lady’s-Slipper: Minnesota’s Orchid of Legends and Laws

A Showy Lady's Slipper, also known as the Pink and White Lady's Slipper or Queen's Lady's Slipper (Cypripedium reginae).

The Minnesota State Flower February 18, 1902 Today the Showy Lady’s-Slipper became the State Flower of Minnesota. The Lady Slipper orchid was discovered in 1789 by William Aiton. The Lady Slipper’s common name is inspired by the unusual form of the third petal, and it’s what makes the bloom look like a little shoe. During…

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Charles Sumner Lambie: Denver Engineer and Orchid Enthusiast

Charles Sumner Lambie

The Rare Orchid Breeder On this day, the Amarillo Daily News ran an article featuring Charles Sumner Lambie, who was a Denver area civil engineer by day and a rare orchid breeder by night. Charles grew up in Pittsburgh, tending the family garden. He later married Margaret McCandless, and together they raised nine children. As…

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Roy Lancaster and the Tragic Fate of the Golden Slipper Orchid

Roy Lancaster, renowned British plantsman, garden writer, and broadcaster. He is known for his extensive plant hunting expeditions, particularly in China, and for his contributions to botany and gardening education.

Orchid Smugglers On this day, British plant explorer Roy Lancaster revealed that a thriving black market for plants was threatening rare Chinese orchids. In the same way, an art collector might buy stolen works of art underground; elite plant collectors are the wealthy clients of orchid smugglers. Lancaster shared the plight of Paphiopedilum armeniacum (“paff-ee-oh-PED-ih-lum…

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