A Victorian Ode to May: Phebe Holder’s Botanical Poetry

Phebe Ann Holder

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. May 1, 1890 On this day in horticultural history, the enchanting poem “A Song of May” by the esteemed New England poet and gardener Phebe Holder graced the pages of newspapers, captivating readers…

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The Pastor’s Passion: George Herbert Engleheart and His Daffodil Devotion

George Herbert Engleheart

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. April 25, 1851 On this day, dear garden enthusiasts, the world welcomed a true horticultural hero into its midst. George Herbert Engleheart, an English pastor with a divine passion for daffodils, drew his…

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Blooms Across the Pacific: Ernest H. Wilson’s Azalea Diplomacy

Ernest Henry Wilson

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. April 24, 1919 On this day, dear garden enthusiasts, a horticultural treasure trove arrived at the hallowed grounds of the Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University. Ernest H. Wilson, that intrepid plant explorer and…

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Tulip Time Machine: From Joseph Breck’s Garden to Ours

Joseph Breck, 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, 1858 On this day, dear readers, we find ourselves transported to the mid-19th century, where Joseph Breck, in his seminal work The Flower Garden, Or Breck’s Book of Flowers, shares his…

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Crimson, Scarlet, and Inky Blue: The Vibrant World of 1906 Tulips

Crimson Tulip

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. May 19, 1906 On this day, dear readers, we find ourselves transported to the verdant gardens of Edwardian England, courtesy of a delightful update on the tulip season from Country Life magazine. Prepare…

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The Activist’s Garden: Frances Harper and the Poetry of Growth

Frances Ellen Watkins Harper, 1893

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. September 24, 1825 Devoted cultivators of both gardens and justice, today we honor the birth of one whose pen planted seeds of change across our nation – Frances Ellen Watkins Harper, whose legacy…

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Charles Townes: When Scientific Brilliance Met Spring’s Beauty

Charles Townes Statue-South Main Street and Falls Park Drive, Greenville, SC-Birthplace of Townes

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. April 26, 1951 On this day, dear lovers of gardens and innovation alike, we celebrate a moment when the beauty of nature sparked a revolution in science. It was on this spring morning…

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The Catskills’ Natural Philosopher: John Burroughs’ Garden Legacy

John Burroughs

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. April 3, 1837 On this day, naturalist, poet, and philosopher John Burroughs (books by this author) was born on a humble dairy farm. His early education took place in a local schoolhouse, where…

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