William Shakespeare Archives

William Shakespeare

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.…

Why the Little Month of February has TWO Birth Flowers: the Violet and the Primrose; the Surprising Answer Along with Fun Facts

“Napoleon’s followers used the violet to weed out his detractors. They would ask strangers if they liked violets; a positive response was a sign of loyalty.” Even though roses are often associated with February, thanks to Valentine’s Day, February’s birth flower is not the rose. Instead, February has two birth flowers: the Violet and the…

Summer’s Lease

by William Shakespeare Summer’s lease hath all too short a date. As featured onThe Daily Gardener podcast: Words inspired by the garden are the sweetest, most beautiful words of all. William Shakespeare

Hot Lavender, Mints, Savory, Marjoram

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. As featured onThe Daily Gardener podcast: Words inspired by the garden are the…

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. As featured onThe Daily Gardener podcast: Words inspired by the garden are the sweetest, most beautiful words of all.

Well-Apparelled April

by William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet, Act 1 Scene 2 Well-apparelled April on the heel of limping winter treads… As featured onThe Daily Gardener podcast: Words inspired by the garden are the sweetest, most beautiful words of all.

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

Today we celebrate a man who wrote one of the most influential herbals in history and the French botanist who created the modern strawberry. We’ll learn about the Father of Paleobotany and the sweet little Orchid known as the moccasin flower. Today’s Unearthed Words feature words about winter. We Grow That Garden Library™ with the…

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? As featured onThe Daily Gardener podcast: Words inspired by the garden are the sweetest, most beautiful words of all.

Blow, Blow, Thou Winter Wind

Blow, blow, thou winter wind, thou art not so unkind as man’s ingratitude. — William Shakespeare, English Poet, Playwright, & Actor As featured onThe Daily Gardener podcast: Words inspired by the garden are the sweetest, most beautiful words of all.

April 23, 2019 Nighttime Temperatures, Lisa Mason Ziegler, William Darlington, Thomas Grant Harbison, William Shakespeare, Elizabeth Cameron, Spring Rain for Houseplants, Barbara Pleasant, and Summer Parties at Biltmore

There’s a soldier’s prayer that goes, “Stay with me, God. The night is dark, The night is cold: my little spark Of courage dies. The night is long; Be with me, God, and make me strong.” Dark. Cold. Long. It’s easy to get so excited about the first nice days of spring. “It was 80…

There’s Rosemary That’s for Remembrance

by William Shakespeare There’s rosemary, that’s for remembrance. Pray you, love, remember. And there are pansies, that’s for thoughts. — Ophelia from Hamlet, Act IV, Scene 5 Note: Today is the birthday of William Shakespeare. He was born on this day in 1564. The Bard’s works are loaded with references to plants and…

Seeming and Savor All Winter Long

by William Shakespeare There’s Rosemary and rue: these keep Seeming and savor all winter long. — Winter’s Garden Act 4 Scene 4 Note: Today is the birthday of William Shakespeare. He was born on this day in 1564. The Bard’s works are loaded with references to plants and gardens. Naturally, roses were…

I Know a Bank Where the Wild Thyme Blows

by William Shakespeare Oberon: I know a bank where the wild thyme blows, Where oxlips and the nodding violet grows, Quite over-canopied with luscious woodbine, With sweet musk-roses and with eglantine: There sleeps Titania sometime of the night. — A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Act 2, Scene 2 Note: Today is the birthday of…