Smithsonian Archives

The Ripley Garden: A Fragrant Legacy at the Smithsonian

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. May 25, 1988 On this day, dear garden enthusiasts, we celebrate the dedication of a horticultural gem nestled in the heart of our nation’s capital – the Ripley Garden at the Smithsonian. Allow…

William J. Fisher: Botanizing in the Alaskan Wilderness

William Fisher's Field Notebook title page - Dried plants with Mr. Kearney, alcoholics in seed collection, 1899

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. May 26, 1830 On this day, dear garden enthusiasts, we celebrate the birth of a most intriguing figure in the annals of botanical history: William J. Fisher, the German-American naturalist, marine biologist, and…

Honoring 19th Century American Women in Science: How Deborah Warner Scrounged Up Enough Stories for an Exhibit

“When curator Deborah Warner suggested to her superiors at the Smithsonian Institutition that she put together an exhibit documenting the accomplishments of American women in science in the 19th century, her superiors were skeptical. Women scientists in the 19th century? Would there be enough of them to fill an exhibit?” September 16, 1978 On…

A Garden for Enid Haupt – the Greatest Patron American Horticulture Has Ever Known

“Despite the four to six inches of dust, Mrs. Haupt insisted on walking through the site, dressed to the nines and in her patent leather shoes.” May 2, 1987 On this day, the Enid A. Haupt Garden was formally dedicated. It took three years to complete and was named for Enid after she insisted on…

The Singular Brush: Alice R. Tangerini’s Botanical Legacy

Alice Tangerini smiles by her work in her office

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. April 25, 1949 On this day, dear admirers of flora and artistry alike, we celebrate the birth of a true luminary in the world of botanical illustration: Alice R. Tangerini. As if predestined,…