The Poet’s Garden: James Gates Percival and the Language of Flowers

Portrait of James Gates Percival, said to be painted by his brother (colorized)

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: September 15, 1795 On this day, we find ourselves transported back to when James Gates Percival, that most fascinating polymath of American letters, drew his first breath. While history may remember him as a surgeon and geologist, it is his poetic musings on the…

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From Iron Benches to Innovation: Lady Wolseley’s Garden Legacy

Lady Wolseley, from the cover of her 1916 book In a College Garden (colorized)

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. September 15, 1872 On this day, we cast our gaze back to when Frances Garnet Wolseley, destined to become the 2nd Viscountess Wolseley, drew her first breath into a world she would later…

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Behind the Walls: Susan Campbell’s Kitchen Garden Legacy

Susan Campbell, founder of Walled Kitchen Garden Network

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. September 14, 1931 On this day, we find ourselves transported back to when the horticultural world welcomed Susan Campbell (née Benson) – a remarkable figure whose passion for walled kitchen gardens would transform…

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The Peach Tree Incident: When a Botanist’s Paradise Became Perdition

Henry Hurd Rusby

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. September 13, 1916 On this day in horticultural history, we encounter a tale that serves as a rather dramatic reminder that the passion for protecting one’s garden can occasionally venture into decidedly unfortunate…

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From Blooms to Scandal: The Curious Tale of George Thurtell

George Thurtell

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. June 13, 1832 It was on this day that George Thurtell held his impressive ranunculus show as part of the Norfolk and Norwich Horticultural Society. It was said that Thurtell had exhibited between…

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Royal Blooms: Queen Victoria’s Botanical Legacy

Queen Victoria

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. May 24, 1819 On this day, dear readers, the empire welcomed its future formidable sovereign—Queen Victoria entered the world at Kensington Palace, destined to lend her name to an entire era. Two centuries…

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Elementary, My Dear Gardeners: Conan Doyle’s Horticultural Life

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. May 22, 1859 On this day, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle entered our world with the same mysterious flair that would later characterize his most famous creation. Dear readers, one cannot help but note…

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