Sir Hans Sloane Archives

Sir Hans Sloane

The British Museum January 15, 1759 On this day, the British Museum opened. The British Museum was founded in 1753 when Sir Hans Hans left his entire collection to the country of England. At first glance, a personal collection doesn’t sound worthy of starting a museum. But over his lifetime, Hans became a one-person repository…

January 15, 2021 How to Grow and Care for Spirea Shrubs, the British Museum, Richard Buxton, Identifying Wildlife in the Winter Garden, A Year at Brandywine Cottage by David Culp, and The Garden of a Commuters Wife: Mabel Osgood Wright

Today we celebrate living virtually – we can tour one of the world’s greatest museums – which opened on this day in 1759. We’ll also learn about a man who endeared himself to his countrymen when he published a book about the plant life found within sixteen miles of his hometown. We’ll hear some thoughts…

January 15, 2020 Scent in the Winter Garden, Top British Garden Shows, William Starling Sullivant, Nathaniel Lord Britton, Frances Benjamin Johnston, Sarah Plummer lemon, Cultivating Delight by Diane Ackerman, Buffalo Plaid Garden Apron, and The British Museum

Today we celebrate a bryologist who Asa Gray called, “a noble fellow” and the botanist who, along with his wife, helped found the New York Botanic Garden in the Bronx. We’ll learn about one of the first and most prolific professional female garden photographers and the female botanist with a mountain named in her honor.…

Sir Hans Sloane: From Plant Collector to National Treasure

Sir Hans Sloane portrait at The Royal Society

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. April 16, 1660 On this day, dear gardeners, we celebrate the birth of that most extraordinary gentleman, Sir Hans Sloane – physician, naturalist, and collector extraordinaire. One simply cannot overstate the magnitude of…

April 16, 2019 Truly Lovely Aprils, Robert Frost, Sir Hans Sloane, William Stearn, Ellen Nellie Thayer Fisher, Mary Gibson Henry, Sir Edward Salisbury, Aphra Behn, Penny Colman, and William Austin Dickinson

“The sun was warm but the wind was chill. You know how it is with an April day.” ~ Robert Frost April can be a challenging time in the garden. How many truly lovely Aprils does one get in a lifetime? I’d venture to say maybe five or six. Often, the gardens are too wet…