September Archives

George Bentham

Flora of The British Islands Today is the anniversary of the death of the remarkable English botanist George Bentham who died on this day in 1884. He was going to be an attorney, but he decided to pursue botany after a time spent living in the country. Bentham wrote a Flora of the British Islands…

If All Men Were Gardeners

by Beverley Nichols We both know, you and I, that if all men were gardeners, the world, at last, would be at peace. Note: All week long, The Daily Gardener is sharing excerpts from the author Beverley Nichols, who was born on this day in 1898. Nichols is remembered for his writing and…

James IV of Scotland

The Flowers of the Forest On this day in 1513, James IV of Scotland, along with other Flowers of the Forest, was killed in the battle of Flodden. The Scottish army, led by James, was taking advantage of Henry VIII’s absence in France, but they were resoundingly crushed by a militia organized by Katherine of…

Georg Dionysius Ehret

The Greatest Artist-Illustrator Today is the anniversary of the death of the botanist and the incomparable botanical illustrator Georg Dionysius Ehret who died on this day in 1770. Ehret was born in Heidelberg, Germany, to Ferdinand Christian Ehret, who was a gardener and also had a talent for drawing. He taught his son both skills-…

James Arnold

The Arnold Arboretum Today is the birthday of James Arnold, who was born on this day in 1781 and who was the namesake for Harvard’s Arnold Arboretum. The Arnold Arboretum was the very first arboretum in the United States. Arnold was born to a Quaker family in Providence, Rhode, Island. In 1807, Arnold married Sarah…

It Was Not Till I Experimented With Seeds

by Beverley Nichols It was not till I experimented with seeds plucked straight from a growing plant that I had my first success… the first thrill of creation… the first taste of blood. This, surely, must be akin to the pride of paternity… indeed, many soured bachelors would wager that it must be almost as…

I Had Never Taken a Cutting Before

by Beverley Nichols I had never ‘taken a cutting’ before… Do you not realize that the whole thing is miraculous? It is exactly as though you were to cut off your wife’s leg, stick it in the lawn, and be greeted on the following day by an entirely new woman, sprung from the leg, advancing…

A Cyclamen Bloom

by Beverley Nichols A cyclamen [bloom] looks like a flight of butterflies, frozen for a single, exquisite moment in the white heart of time… Note: This week I’m going to do a special tribute to the author Beverley Nichols, who was born on this day in 1898. Nichols is remembered for his…

Henry David Thoreau

Walden Pond Living Today is the anniversary of the day in 1847 when Henry David Thoreau left Walden Pond and moved in with Ralph Waldo Emerson in Concord, Massachusetts. His two years of simple living at Walden Pond were over. This post was featured onThe Daily Gardener podcast: helping gardeners find their…

James Veitch Jr.

A Family Business Today is the anniversary of the death of James Veitch Jr., who died on this day in 1869. Veitch was born into the famous family nursery business known the world over as Veitch Nurseries. His grandfather, John, had started the business. After growing up and learning the business from his father and…

Kathleen Basford

The Green Man Today is the birthday of the British Botanist Kathleen Basford who was born on this day in 1916. As a young girl, Basford’s nanny, Winny, taught her about the natural world; she learned to identify wildflowers and trees. In the 1940s, Basford had three children of her own. She began gardening. When…

Joseph Hers

The Belgian Botanist Today is the birthday of the Belgian botanist and dendrologist Joseph Hers, who was born on this day in 1884. Dendrology is the science and study of woody plants, like trees and shrubs, and their taxonomic classifications. Hers made his first trip to China in 1905; he was an interpreter for the…

Jean-Baptiste Van Mons

Selective Beeding for Pears Today is the anniversary of the death of the botanist Jean-Baptiste Van Mons who died on this day in 1842. The name of the game for Mons was selective breeding for pears. Selective breeding happens when humans breed plants to develop particular characteristics by choosing the parent plants to make the…

September 6, 2019 Planting in September, Jean-Baptiste Van Mons, Thoreau leaves Walden Pond, James Veitch Jr, Joseph Hers, Kathleen Basford, Bartlett Giamatti, Montrose by Nancy Goodwin, Sowing Flowers, and Stolen Flowers

September is my favorite month for planting trees, shrubs, and perennials. The cool air makes outdoor exercise a joy, and the ground temperatures add the perfect amount of warmth for plants to get established. Planting in the fall is preferred because it’s the time of year when perennials experience less transplant shock. At the same…