Feb 26, 2021
Today we celebrate a charming woman who became known as the
Apple Blossom Lady.
We'll also learn about the man who raised the best begonias in the
world back in the early 1900s.
We hear some thoughts on tussie-mussies.
We Grow That Garden Library™ with an informative and delightful
book about Fungi ("funj-eye") - and it’s loaded with incredible
photography.
And then we’ll wrap things up with a dream - an inspired
horticultural vision for the botanical building in Balboa Park by
the Begonia man, Alfred Robinson.
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Important Events
February 26, 1834
Today is the birthday of the woman who came up with the State
Flower for Michigan: Anna Eliza Reed Woodcock.
Born in Fitzwilliam, New Hampshire, Anna moved to Michigan after
marrying her husband, David. She had a beautiful voice, and Anna
was well-known in Lansing as an actress and a singer in local
productions and events.
On April 19, 1897, Anna clipped some branches from her flowering
apple tree, loaded them up in a wheelbarrow, and then rolled them
down North Capitol Avenue to the Michigan Statehouse. When she got
there, Anna adorned the office of the Speaker of the House with the
blooming branches.
It turns out, 63-year-old Anna had been looking out her kitchen
window at 309 Capital Avenue North in Lansing and was moved by the
sight of her beautiful Apple tree in bloom. It suddenly occurred to
her that the Apple Blossom would make a great state flower. Knowing
that the Michigan Legislature would be voting on a state flower,
she hoped her Apple Blossom branches would have some influence...
and they did. Just nine days after wheeling her branches one block
down the street to the Capital, the Michigan legislature approved
the resolution making the apple blossom the State Flower, and they
said,
“Our blossoming apple trees add much to the beauty of our
Landscape, and Michigan apples have gained a worldwide
reputation.”
In her old age, Anna remembered,
“When the selection of the State Flower was voted on, blossoms
from my snow apple tree trimmed the speaker’s desk at Lansing, and
the vote was unanimous for the Apple Blossom.”
In 1930, Anna passed away in Minnesota at the age of 96. (I know
this because, in researching Anna, I actually had to create a tree
for her on Ancestry). Sixty years after Anna's death, the Michigan
Legislature posthumously honored Anna with a title: Apple Blossom
Lady.
Anna's victory with the Michigan Legislature sparked a passion for
Apple Blossoms in the twilight of her life. Anna began creating
apple blossoms using silk ribbon, and she always took cuttings to
sell for her favorite charities. Anna once said,
"I feel my Apple Blossoms have taken me to the top of the
world."
February 26, 1942
Today is the anniversary of the death of the British-American
horticulturist and founder of the California Begonia industry,
Alfred D. Robinson.
Along with his wife Marion, Alfred’s passion was flowers.
In the early 1900s, after hearing a religious leader speak about a
utopian community called Lomaland, Alfred and Marion moved to Point
Loma. Yet, their fresh start in Point Loma, which included buying
ten acres of land, was irreparably damaged when their young
daughter Lenora died of a heart issue.
Losing Lenora devastated the Robinsons, and they left Point Loma
and began building a new home in San Diego. As the gardens were
getting established, their 15,000 square foot mansion was being
built - and that mansion was called Rosecroft.
The Rosecroft property became the home base for Alfred’s Gegonia
breeding program. And as Rosecroft’s high-quality Begonias made
their way to nurseries and botanists around the country, Alfred
solidified his reputation as a high-quality Begonia
grower.
Now Alfred came up with the idea to use Lath houses for growing his
begonias. Now, if you need help picturing a Lath House, imagine a
pergola with sides. Webster’s defines a Lath House as a structure
made of laths or slats that are spaced to reduce excessive sunlight
while permitting air circulation. Lath Houses are great for plants
that need more shade and also protection from strong winds.
In 1933, the LA Times ran a story called The Useful Lath
House by Eva Dale, and in it, Eva described the Rosecroft
Lath House.
“Lath offers the desired protection as well as effecting a
substantial saving in water. By lathing the sides and part of the
roof of a garden, a barren wind-swept space can be transformed into
a thing of beauty affording shelter to man and plant
alike.
This may be done on a grand scale, as at "Rosecroft" at Point
Loma, where Alfred Robinson has about an acre under Lath, or at
Whitehill, Redlands, where Clarence White has an acre and a half of
sun protection; but it can also give a great deal of satisfaction
when done in a very modest fashion.
Mr. Robinson is an authority on Begonias and Mr. White on
Roses, but they both declare that these and many other plants do
infinitely better in partial shade. Mr. White says that "besides
the conservation of bloom and vigor and the transpiration of water,
there is also a moderation of the extremes of heat and cold." He
adds that "there is less frost, and better recovery when it does
penetrate."
Walter Merrill, former president of the San Diego Rose Society,
has varied the idea somewhat by using Bamboo instead of Lath...
After a year and a half, he says he would not, for anything, return
to full sun for his roses.”
An early Rosecroft pamphlet described their growing operation this
way:
“Rosecroft is on Point Loma, the head of land that forms the
Northwest boundary of the Bay of San Diego California,
and…
enjoys the year-round mildness of climate coupled with a moist
atmosphere… [which] permits the cultivation of the Begonia with a
simple Lath protection.
In such a shelter, Rosecroft grows… the best exposition of this
family in the world.
The so-called Tree Begonias attain a height of 24 ft and all
sorts flourish.”
In 1907, Albert and Marion, along with the great Kate Sessions,
formed the San Diego Floral Association, and Albert served as the
first president. Two years later, the group started a little
publication called California Garden… and it is still
published today.
And it was the botanist Charles Plumier ("Ploo-me") named the
Begonia in honor of a man he much admired: Michel Bégon ("ME-shell
Bay-GO-n"), a French amateur botanist. Charles discovered the
Begonia growing on the island of Santo Domingo.
Although they are beautiful, most Begonias have no scent. And if
you’ve been growing Begonias in full sun, you’ll immediately
understand why Albert grew his under a Lath House because they
really prefer part shade. In the wild, Begonias grow under filtered
light.
The Begonia traditionally symbolizes caution or hesitation. I
always found this curious until I researched the family name Bégon,
which is rooted in Old French as a slang word for a person who
stuttered. I thought happened to be a meaningful coincidence - the
meaning of caution or hesitation with a stutter.
And you may be surprised to learn that the flowers and leaves of
the Begonia are edible; some cultures around the world add begonias
to salads.
Finally, the Begonia is known as the flower that produces the
smallest seeds. In fact, Begonia seeds are so fine that they are
often compared to dust. This is why, if you grow Begonias from
seed, they are often pelleted.
In 1932, the California Begonia Society was formed, and in a few
short years, they started a little bulletin called The
Begonian. In 1935, it was Alfred Robinson that suggested the
group broaden their reach - and the American Begonia
Society was born.
Unearthed Words
A dear neighbour brought me a tussie-mussie this week. The
dictionary defines tuzzy-muzzy, or tussie-mussie, as a bunch or
posy of flowers, a nosegay, and then disobligingly adds that the
word is obsolete. I refuse to regard it as obsolete.
It is a charming word; I have always used it and shall continue to
use it, whatever the great Oxford Dictionary may say; and shall now
take my neighbour's tussie-mussie as a theme to show what
ingenuity, taste, and knowledge can produce from a small garden
even in February.
— Vita Sackville West, English author and garden
designer, In
Your Garden, The Tussie-Mussie
Grow That Garden Library
Fantastic Fungi by Paul Stamets
("Stam-its")
This coffee-table book came out in 2019, and the subtitle
is How Mushrooms can Heal, Shift Consciousness, and Save
the Planet (Official Book of Smash Hit Documentary).
As Paul likes to say,
“Mushrooms can heal you. They can feed you. They can kill
you.”
And for all their power, Fungi ("funj-eye") remain misunderstood,
understudied, and often just plain old ignored as an aspect of our
world.
This book is the result of Paul’s incredible documentary called
“Fantastic Fungi,” It features a collection of essay contributions
from doctors, explorers, and ecologists that help us better
understand the magical world of Fungi.
And there's a great piece of information about Fungi for gardeners
to know, and that is that Fungi eat rocks. And by eating rocks,
Fungi liberate the minerals from rocks and put these minerals back
into the soil for plants.
And when Fungi join with algae (“al-jee”) they form lichens. So
when you lichens, remember that marriage between Fungi and
algae.
Finally, Fungi are the foundation of the food web. There are
more than eight miles of Fungi in a single cubic inch of soil, and
all around the planet, there are gigatons of mycelium.
For now, the field of mycology hasn’t been a priority, and so Fungi
remain an unchartered frontier. Only about 10 percent of all Fungi
have been identified. With any luck, our focus on Fungi will change
as we look to the future.
As for gardeners, Paul is a fan of the Garden Giant Mushrooms. They
are fast-growing, and they do so much for the soil. For example,
Garden Giant Mushrooms can take twelve inches of wood chips and
create one inch of soil in about four or five months. In a
nutshell, Mushrooms begin a domino effect that starts with Fungi
and ends with ecological restoration and soil expansion.
Paul believes that keystone species like the Garden Giant Mushroom
lead to healthier gardens and ecosystems. And fortunately for us,
these Garden Giant Mushrooms can be grown virtually anywhere - from
sweltering climates to very cool environments.
This book is 184 pages of astounding information regarding
Mushrooms and Fungi that hopefully will change your perspective,
your garden – and help the planet.
You can get a copy of Fantastic Fungi by Paul
Stamets and support the show using the Amazon Link in today's
Show Notes for around $24
Today’s Botanic Spark
Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart
In researching Alfred Robinson, I ran across an article by Richard
Amero that was published by the San Diego History Center.
The article shares Alfred’s grand dream for a large Lath House to
grace the Panama-California Exposition. San Diego was the host city
for this event on January 1, 1915.
Alfred’s idea for this Lath House met with approval, yet the actual
design differed drastically from Albert’s vision.
Still, it is delightful to hear what Albert had in mind originally
- his dream for the Botanical Building in Balboa Park:
“Where was I?
I had entered the garden of Eden.
Palms and ferns and flowering plants and vines on all sides,
sending out their delicate scents upon the night air to mingle with
the odor of the moist earth and recent rain, a draught as
intoxicating as champagne.
Where the band played… was a great central dome, 500 feet in
diameter...
Up its supporting columns ran choice vines, Jasmines of such
sweet savor, Begonias, and Tecomas of gaudy hue, and the curious
Dutchman’s Pipe. Palms from many lands and many forms lined the
borders and were in beds here and there while Begonias and other
foliage plants nestled at their feet.
In the air hung Orchids with their strangely beautiful
blossoms.
From this central court ran out six great arms or aisles, and
in each were ... a great family of plants. There were thousands and
thousands of varieties, and each was plainly labeled. (Now we
definitely know this is clearly a dream!)
The lighting had been carefully planned so as not to strike the
eye offensively, and the whole effect was absolutely
entrancing.”
Thanks for listening to The Daily Gardener.
And remember:
"For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."