September Archives

Genghis Khan

Kubla Kahn’s Grandson Today is the birthday of the grandson of Genghis Khan, Kubla Khan, who was born on this day in 1215. Kubla Khan’s Summer Garden at Xanadu is the subject of Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s 1797 poem Kubla Khan. In Xanadu did Kubla Khan A stately pleasure-dome decree: Where Alph, the sacred river, ran Through…

Stuart Robertson

The Montreal Gardener Today is the anniversary of the death of Stuart Robertson, who died on this day in 2009. Robertson was a professional gardener in Montreal, although he was born in England. In 1981, Robertson began work as a gardening columnist for the Montreal Gazette. In 1982, Robertson added the title of a broadcaster…

Lewis and Clark

A Route to the Pacific Today, in 1806, Lewis and Clark returned to St. Louis after spending over two years exploring the headwaters of the Missouri River in an effort to find a route to the Pacific. They returned with their journals and with plant specimens. Here’s just a handful of the plants they discovered…

September 23, 2019 The Autumn Equinox, Kubla Khan, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Plants by Lewis and Clark, Stuart Robertson, Ruth Patrick, Poems about September, Plant Parenting by Leslie Halleck, Moving Plants, and the 1937 Rose Garden in Hershey, Pennsylvania

Today is the first day of Autumn, also referred to as the Autumn Equinox. Equinox means ‘equal night.’ On this day, both day and night are nearly the same lengths. Thereafter, the dark part of the year begins. Brevities #OTD Today is the birthday of the grandson of Genghis Khan, Kubla Khan,…

September Gust

by Mike Garofalo The back door bangs shut! September gust. As featured onThe Daily Gardener podcast: Words inspired by the garden are the sweetest, most beautiful words of all. Mike Garofalo

When the Goldenrod is Yellow

by Beverly Ashour When the goldenrod is yellow, And leaves are turning brown – Reluctantly the summer goes In a cloud of thistledown. When squirrels are harvesting And birds in flight appear – By these autumn signs, we know. As featured onThe Daily Gardener podcast: Words inspired by the garden are the sweetest, most beautiful…

Margherita Caffi

A Path for Female Painters Today is the anniversary of the death of Margherita Caffi, who died on this day in 1710. Caffi was an Italian painter who was able to have a long career painting still life flower & fruit compositions. The men in her family were painters, but Caffi was self-taught. A mother…

Lorenz Scholz von Rosenau

The Dedicated Plantsman Today is the birthday of the botanist and physician Lorenz Scholz von Rosenau, who was born on this day in 1552. The information history has preserved about Scholz gives us a rare glimpse into the botanical life of a dedicated plantsman in the 1500’s. Like many early botanists, he was very well…

Anna Pavord

The Curious Gardener Today is the birthday of the garden writer Anna Pavord. In her 2010 book, The Curious Gardener, Pavord, culled articles from her newspaper column. Here’s an excerpt: “It was at our first house and on the first patch of ground that we actually owned that I really discovered the point of gardening.…

Mary Sophie Young

The Youngest of Eight Today is the birthday of botanist and explorer Mary Sophie Young, who was born on this day in 1872. In 2017, Nicole Elmer wrote a lovely profile of Young, which was featured on the website for the Department of Integrative Biology at the University of Texas at Austin. Here are some…

Under the Harvest Moon

by Carl Sandburg Under the harvest moon, When the soft silver Drips shimmering Over the garden nights, Death, the gray mocker, Comes and whispers to you As a beautiful friend Who remembers. As featured onThe Daily Gardener podcast: Words inspired by the garden are the sweetest, most beautiful words of all. Carl Sandburg

Mildred Mathias

Pioneer of Ecotourism Today is the birthday of the botanist professor Mildred Mathias who was born on this day in 1906 in Sappington, Missouri. Mathias was a professor at UCLA for twelve years, until 1974. She also served as president of the American Society for Plant Taxonomists and the Botanical Society of America. Matthias is…

Orville Redenbacher

Popcorn Enthusiast Today is the anniversary of the death of Orville Redenbacher, who died on this day in 1995. Redenbacher started out as a USDA agricultural scientist. In that capacity, he became the co-creator of a new hybrid of popcorn called “snowflake.” It was lighter and fluffier than traditional popped kernels, and Redenbacher became a…

Dr. James Duke

Eat What You Preach On this day in 1991, The New York Times printed an announcement about an upcoming symposium at the New York Botanical Garden (NYBG) featuring Dr. James Duke. Duke was sharing his research; the topic was plants for health and healing and their role in modern medicine. The article shared Duke’s incredible…