Gentle Julia: The Adventurous Life of Julia Wilmotte Henshaw

Julia Wilmotte Henshaw

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. November 19, 1937 On this day, Julia Wilmotte [will-MOT] Henshaw, Canadian botanist, geographer, writer, and political activist, died. Her remarkable life reads like an adventure novel – from mapping Vancouver Island’s interior to…

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Therese of Bavaria: The Princess Who Found Freedom in Flowers

Princess Therese of Bavaria (sketch is colorized & enhanced), 1810

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. November 12, 1850 On this day, Princess Therese of Bavaria (teh-RAY-zuh of buh-VAIR-ee-uh), was born.  This remarkable woman found her true calling not in the gilded halls of Bavaria’s royal palaces but in…

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A Pioneering Voice in Texas Botany: Maude Jeannie Young

Maude Jeannie Young with Texas yellow roses

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. November 1, 1826 Maude Jeannie Fuller Young (pronounced “MAW-duh JEE-nee FULL-er YOUNG”) was born on this day in 1826. Though she would become known for many accomplishments, it’s her groundbreaking contribution to botanical…

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The Lady of Lucy’s Wood – Evelyn Mary Booth

Evelyn Wood in Lucy's Wood, photo credit Lady Rosemary FitzGerald

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. October 30, 1897 On this day, Evelyn Mary Booth was born at Annamoe [AN-ah-moh], County Wicklow, Ireland. Her story is a beautiful reminder that it’s never too late to find your true calling…

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Breaking Ground: Helia Bravo Hollis and Her Beloved Cacti

Helia Bravo Hollis iconic photo next to a large cactus holding a knife

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. September 30, 1901 Today we celebrate the birth of Helia Bravo Hollis, that most remarkable Queen of the Cacti, whose pioneering spirit broke ground not only for women in science but for our…

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The Solitary Botanist: Mary Sophie Young’s Texas Legacy

Mary Sophie Young, botanist, on a summer collecting trip in West Texas. Image courtesy of University of Texas at Austin

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. September 20, 1872 Dearest garden enthusiasts, today we celebrate the birth of Mary Sophie Young, a tenacious botanist who, like her seven older brothers taught her to be, was tough enough to brave…

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First Lady of Mount Kinabalu: The Remarkable Legacy of Lilian Gibbs

Lilian Gibbs, Plant Explorer

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. September 10, 1870 On this day in horticultural history, we find ourselves transported to an era when botanical discovery required more than merely consulting The Garden magazine or ordering from the latest nursery…

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Wildflowers and Wind: How Ada Hayden Saved Iowa’s Native Flora

Ada Hayden

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. August 14, 1880 On this day, my darling prairie enthusiasts, a true champion of nature’s wilder gardens was born into our world. The year was 1880, and little did anyone know that the…

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The Late-Blooming Botanist: Ynes Mexia’s Extraordinary Legacy

Ynes Mexia

This botanical history post was featured on The Daily Gardener podcast: Click here to see the complete show notes for this episode. May 24, 1870 On this day, dear readers, the gardening world received a most remarkable gift – though none would know it for decades to come. Today marks the birth of Ynes Mexia,…

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