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

Frank Kingdon-Ward, 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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Dancing Among Magnolias: Josephine Baker’s Secret Garden Life

Josephine Baker

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. June 3, 1906 Ah, dearest readers, gather ’round for today marks the natal anniversary of none other than the incomparable Josephine Baker – that dazzling constellation in our entertainment firmament whose brilliance continues…

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Wellesley’s Wonder: The Horticultural Legacy of H.H. Hunnewell

Italian Garden and Lake at Wellesley near Boston, ca. 1830 by JD Smillie for A Treatise on the Theory and Practice of Landscape Gardening, 8th edition by A.J.Downing (colorized)

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. May 20, 1902 On this day, dear garden enthusiasts, we mark the passing of one of America’s most prominent horticulturalists – the inimitable Horatio Hollis Hunnewell. A man of considerable means and even…

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