Pansies for Thoughts: Vassar College’s Floral Tribute to Shakespeare

The Violets Will Come in Their Own Time

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. April 24, 1916 On this day, dear garden enthusiasts and lovers of literature alike, Vassar College paid a most charming tribute to the immortal Bard of Avon. On the 300th anniversary of William…

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William Shakespeare: The Poet of Flowers and Gardens

A famous portrait of William Shakespeare, widely known as the Chandos portrait.

The Master of Metaphor April 23, 1564 Today is the birthday of the English author, poet, and playwright William Shakespeare. A lover of gardens and the science of botany, William Shakespeare included hundreds of references to flora and fauna in his plays and sonnets. And each flower would have conveyed symbolic meaning to his audiences.…

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Summer’s Lease

A serene moment in a wheat field at sunset, showcasing the golden hues of the setting sun illuminating the wheat stalks.

by William Shakespeare Summer’s lease hath all too short a date.    Today’s Garden words were featured on the podcast: Words inspired by the garden are the sweetest, most beautiful words of all. A well-known portrait of William Shakespeare, widely considered the greatest writer in the English language and England’s national poet.

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Hot Lavender, Mints, Savory, Marjoram

Lavender, likely a type such as French or English lavender.

by William Shakespeare Hot lavender, mints, savory, marjoram. The marigold that goes to bed with the sun. And with him rises, weeping; these are flowers Of middle summer, and I think they are given To men of middle age. You’re very welcome. Today’s Garden words were featured on the podcast: Words inspired by the garden…

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Men Are April When They Woo

Men Are April When They Woo

by William Shakespeare, As You Like It, Act IV Scene 1 Men are April when they woo,  December when they wed;  Maids are May when they are maids,  but the sky changes when they are wives. Today’s Garden words were featured on the podcast: Words inspired by the garden are the sweetest, most beautiful words…

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Well-Apparelled April

The blossoms of a Japanese Flowering Apricot, scientifically known as Prunus mume.

by William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet, Act 1 Scene 2  Well-apparelled April on the heel of limping winter treads… Today’s Garden words were featured on the podcast: Words inspired by the garden are the sweetest, most beautiful words of all. The blossoms of a Japanese Flowering Apricot, scientifically known as Prunus mume.

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February 18, 2020 Sensitive Plant, Honey as a Root Stimulator, Valerius Cordus, Antoine Nicholas Duchesne, Adolphe-théodore Brongniart, the Lady’s Slipper, Winter Poetry, Beth Chatto’s Garden Notebook, Macrame 3-pack, and February Birth Flowers

The Daily Gardener Podcast Album Cover with a pot of rosemary - the herb for remembrance - beckoning gardeners to remember to listen to the show. Updated September 2025.

Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart Support The Daily Gardener Buy Me A Coffee  Connect for FREE! The Friday Newsletter |  Daily Gardener Community Curated News Plant of the Month: The Sensitive Plant | JSTOR Daily Aw… It’s The Sensitive Plant! Whenever you touch it, the leaves fold up like a…

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Faces of Frost and Promise: Literary Sayings for February

Frost in the winter garden.

Today’s Garden Words were featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. Words inspired by the garden are the sweetest, most beautiful words of all. Frost in the winter garden. February 3, 2020 As February tiptoes in, its mood swings—from rainstorms to frozen mornings—carry the delicate…

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February Face

February Face

by William Shakespeare Why, what’s the matter, That you have such a February face, So full of frost, of storm and cloudiness? Today’s Garden words were featured on the podcast: Words inspired by the garden are the sweetest, most beautiful words of all. February Face

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Blow, Blow, Thou Winter Wind

A dramatic scene of rocky mountain cliffs covered with patches of snow, as strong winter winds blow snow and create misty drifts against a deep blue sky.

Blow, blow, thou winter wind, thou art not so unkind as man’s ingratitude. — William Shakespeare, English Poet, Playwright, & Actor   Today’s Garden words were featured on the podcast: Words inspired by the garden are the sweetest, most beautiful words of all. A dramatic scene of rocky mountain cliffs covered with patches of snow,…

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