Jun 25, 2019
Did you know that the most popular giant hosta is Empress
Wu?
At maturity the plan is 5 feet tall with an 8 foot spread.
Pictures don't really do the Empress Wu hosta justice. Because of
its size and fast rate of growth, Empress Wu demands soil that is
consistently moist but not soggy.
Empress Wu was bred by Brian and Virginia Skag out of Lowell,
Indiana. On February 23, 2010, they finally received their patent
for the impressive Empress Wu hosta.
Brevities
#OTD It was on this day in 1799, the Scottish
botanist David Douglas was born.
Douglas was responsible for the identification over 200 new plant
species in North America including the famous Douglas-fir.
Douglas never received a formal education, and he was primarily a
plant collector rather than a published scientist.
Despite his lack of formal training, Douglas sent more plants to
Europe than any other botanist of his time.
During his expeditions, Douglas was often accompanied by his little
Scottish terrier named Billie.
Douglas's career ended tragically in 1834 when he was killed while
exploring in Hawaii.
There is a memorial to Douglas and Honolulu which says:
"Here lies Master David Douglas - an indefatigable traveler. He was
sent out by the Royal Horticultural Society of London and gave his
life for science."
And on the second bronx tablet there is a quote by Virgil:
"Even here the tear of pity springs,
And hearts are touched by human things."
#OTD Today is the anniversary of the death of
the landscape gardener and botanist William Robert Guilfoyle, who
died on this day in 1912.
Guilfoyle was the architect of the Royal Botanic Gardens in
Melbourne.
It took Guilfoyle over 35 years to transform the Botanic Gardens
into what is now is widely accepted as one of the world's greatest
botanical landscapes.
When the author of Sherlock Holmes, Arthur Conan Doyle, saw the
garden, he said it was absolutely the most beautiful place he had
ever seen.
#OTD It's the anniversary of the death of
Nathaniel Lord Britton; an America botanist and taxonomist who died
on this day in 1934.
Britton married the famous brylogist Elizabeth Gertrude Knight.
Together, they used Kew Gardens in London as their inspiration for
the New York Botanical Garden.
Britain and the botanist Joseph Rose named Regina Carnegiea in 1908
as a tribute to his philanthropy.
In obituary of Britton, botanist Henry Rusby shared this charming
anecdote:
"Attracted one day, by the beauty of some drawings that lay before
him, I inquired as to their source. When told that he, himself, was
the artist, I asked in astonishment, 'Can you draw like
that?' 'Of course,' he said. 'What you suppose I did all that
hard work in the drawing class for?'"
#OTD And it was on this day in 1903 that the author
George Orwell was born.
Over the past few decades Orwell's diaries have been made public.
Across from his entry for October 3, 1946, there is a map for a
fruit and vegetable garden.
Orwell hoped to set up a small farm on the property, that he called
Barnhill, on the island of Jura.
In reality, Orwell's health was not good when he was on the
island.
Before he arrived, he had actually received a diagnosis of
tuberculosis. Working in the vegetable garden was considered good
for him because, at that time, being in fresh air was considered
part of the treatment for tuberculosis.
The last entry in his diary is for December 1949. It reads:
“Snowdrops all over the place. A few tulips showing. Some
wallflowers still trying to flower.”
Unearthed Words
Here are some quotes from George Orwell:
"Outside my work the thing I care most about is gardening,
especially vegetable gardening."
"The plant is blind but it knows enough to keep pushing upwards
towards the light, and it will continue to do this in the face of
endless discouragements."
“So often like this, in lonely places in the forest, he would come
upon something--bird, flower, tree--beautiful beyond all words, if
there had been a soul with whom to share it. Beauty is meaningless
until it is shared.”
Today's book
recommendation: Gardener's Latin by Bill Neal
This text remains one of the best resources for helping you to
understand Latin plant names and to help you become a better
gardener with that knowledge.
Neal includes horticultural fats, fables, and wisdom from other
gardeners; from Virgil to Vita Sackville-West.
Today's Garden Chore
Order yourself some 2
inch floral pins (Click here to see the ones I order from
Amazon).
I use them all the time in the garden - especially when I'm
creating with succulents.
Recently I was sharing images of some head planters I put together
and even a large succulent wreath. Floral pis help make those
creations possible and help train the plants where you want them to
grow.
Something Sweet
Reviving the little botanic spark in your heart
It was on this day in 1929, that the American illustrator and
writer Eric Carle was born.
Carle gave a commencement address at Bates College in 2007. He
concluded these words:
"Love your partner and tend your garden. Simplify, slow down, be
kind."
And it was Eric Carle who said,
"Whatever our eyes touch should be beautiful."
Carle has an extensive knowledge and love of nature. His early
books include Nature Thoughts, Flower Thoughts, The Very Hungry
Caterpillar, and The Tiny Seed.
And here's a quote from Carle's most memorable work:
“On Saturday, he ate through one piece of chocolate cake, one
ice-cream cone, one pickle, one slice of Swiss cheese, one slice of
salami, one lollipop, one piece of cherry pie, one sausage, one
cupcake, and one slice of watermelon. That night he had a
stomach ache.”
Thanks for listening to the daily gardener,
and remember:
"For a happy, healthy life, garden every day."