Oct 4, 2021
Today in botanical history, we celebrate an English artist and
clergyman, an old diary entry from the great Henry David Thoreau,
and we’ll also learn about an American publishing tycoon and his
family’s retreat called Bird Haven Farm.
We'll hear an excerpt on October from a Harry Potter book.
We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book from one of the great
plantsmen of our time and his excellent resource on Viburnums.
And then we’ll wrap things up with a charming garden verse. I bet
you’ve heard it before - but you may not be familiar with the woman
who wrote it.
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Curated News
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Fine Gardening | Terry Ettinger
Important Events
October 4, 1761/1762
Birth of William Gilpin, English artist, teacher, clergyman, and
landscape designer. He coined the term picturesque. He had
documented his visit to Ross-on-Wye, and the resulting book became
England’s first tourist guide. William inspired others to enjoy the
sights of the town, including the picturesque Wye river, and
visitors came to the area in droves.
William spent a great deal of time outdoors painting landscapes. He
observed,
Every distant horizon promises something new, and with this
pleasing expectation, we follow nature through all her
walks.
During his life, many looked to William as an arbiter of artistic
taste. In addition to the picturesque landscape, he was especially
fond of old ruins, mountains, and trees. William’s paintings were
created on-site out in nature, and he wasn't opposed to using a
little artistic license to make the scene even more compelling -
adding more trees, a little bridge, or enhancing an old ruin. In
1786, William wrote,
A ruin is a sacred thing. Rooted for ages in the soil;
assimilated to it; and become, as it were, a part of it
...
William was the first president of the Royal Watercolor Society,
and he also authored several books related to his work as an
artist. One of his more popular books was called Forest
Scenery, which featured forty-five watercolors of trees and
shrubs along with descriptions. He also included his tips and
tricks for capturing a picturesque effect on canvas through the
clumping of trees. Tree painting was a William Gilpin specialty. He
adored trees. He once wrote,
It is no exaggerated praise to call a tree the grandest and
most beautiful of all productions on earth!
October 4, 1853
On this day, Thoreau wrote in his journal:
The maples are reddening, and birches yellowing. The mouse-ear
in the shade in the middle of the day, so hoary, looks as if the
frost still lay on it. Well it wears the frost. Bumblebees are on
the Aster undulatus, and gnats are dancing in the air.
October 4, 1862
Birth of Edward Stratemeyer, American publisher, writer of
children's fiction, and founder of the Stratemeyer Syndicate. He
produced over 1,300 books and sold over 500 million copies. He’s
remembered for series like The Bobbsey
Twins and The Hardy Boys. The very day his
new series, Nancy Drew, was released, he died.
Regarding his legacy, Fortune wrote:
As oil had its Rockefeller, literature had its
Stratemeyer.
After Edward died, his widow, Magdalene Van Camp, bought a Bird
Haven farm for a weekend retreat. It was a place she enjoyed living
on weekends and holidays for more than forty years. During those
four decades, she wrote over half of the Nancy Drew books and
developed plots for many other series. Edward and Magdalene’s
daughter Harriet took over the family business and ran it for fifty
years. She also spent the last half of her life at Bird Haven. In
1982, while watching The Wizard of Oz for the
very first time, she had a heart attack and died.
Today the twenty-five acres known as Bird Haven Farm in Tewksbury
Township is part of the Garden Conservancy Open Day. The barns,
outbuildings, and the original nineteenth-century stone house are
joined by a contemporary home built in the 1990s. In 2002, the
garden was redesigned under the vision of Fernando Caruncho as a
medieval village. The property boasts mature trees, an apple
orchard, fruit trees, a vegetable and herb garden, hay meadows, and
a perennial border designed by Lisa Stamm. Design elements include
a woodland walk, cascading ponds, a charming pond hut, a maze
garden for grandchildren, and an elf’s stump.
But there’s something else happening at Bird Haven Farm. The
current owner, Janet Mavec, finds inspiration in flora and fauna on
Bird Haven, and she created her own line of whimsical jewelry. One
day, as she was working in the garden, she was thinking about
jewelry and was suddenly struck with the idea of making jewelry
inspired by her vegetables. In a video of Bird Haven Farm, Janet
says,
I only make things that I either grow here myself - or they
swim, or they fly in.
Janet’s jewelry is made with brass and then dipped in 18 karat
gold, sterling silver, or gunmetal. Janet hopes her jewelry clients
feel a closeness to nature with her unique jewelry designs.
Unearthed Words
October arrived, spreading a damp chill over the grounds and into
the castle. Madam Pomfrey, the nurse, was kept busy by a sudden
spate of colds among the staff and students. Raindrops the size of
bullets thundered on the castle windows for days on end; the lake
rose, the flower beds turned into muddy streams, and Hagrid’s
pumpkins swelled to the size of garden sheds.
― J.K.
Rowling, Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets
Grow That Garden Library
Viburnums by Michael A. Dirr
This book came out in 2007, and the subtitle is Flowering
Shrubs for Every Season.
In this book, Michael takes us on an in-depth tour of Viburnums -
one of the most versatile, most utilized, and beloved shrubs for
our gardens. As a woody expert, Michael was the perfect person to
write a comprehensive guide on viburnums. He reveals their
robustness and beauty in addition to sharing detailed information
about every possible type of viburnum a gardener could ever desire.
His honest and balanced review of every plant will make it easier
for you to pick the perfect viburnum for your garden. Viburnums can
satisfy any Landscape need: some are four-season, some are a true
wow in the garden, some are well-behaved workhorses, others play a
supporting role in the garden design. Whether you want gorgeous
fall color, stunning blossoms, fragrance, or fruit, there’s a
viburnum for every need. Michael likes to say that a garden without
viburnums is like a life without the pleasures of music and
art.
This book is 264 pages of viburnums in all their glory -
spotlighting the diversity in this incredibly functional and
beautiful genus. You’ll want to bring it along on your next trip to
the garden center.
You can get a copy of Viburnums by Michael A.
Dirr and
support the show using the Amazon Link in today's Show Notes for
around $14.
Today’s Botanic Spark
Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart
October 4, 1858
Birth of Dorothy Gurney, English hymn-writer and poet. She wrote
the famous wedding hymn O Perfect Love for her
sister’s wedding. Her sister loved the tune of O Strength
And Stay but wanted different words so she could use the
song during the ceremony. In a flash of divine inspiration, Dorothy
jotted down new lyrics in just fifteen minutes, and the result
was O Perfect Love.
But Dorothy also wrote one of the most charming garden verses ever
created. The words she strung together still grace our gardens,
sundials, memorials, and cemeteries. The four lines of simple verse
are taken from her original poem God’s Garden.
The kiss of the sun for pardon,
The song of the birds for mirth,
One is nearer God’s heart in a garden
Than anywhere else on earth.
Thanks for listening to The Daily Gardener.
And remember:
"For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."