December 10, 2019 Wild about Weeds, Botany at the Bar, Sweet Potatoes, Emily Dickinson, Howard Scott Gentry, Joseph Dalton Hooker, Carl English, A Year in Our Gardens by Nancy Goodwin and Allen Lacy, Herb Drier, and The Ungrateful Garden

Today we celebrate the gardener poet known for writing “hope is the thing with feathers”, and the man who became the world authority on agaves.

We'll learn about the Victorian botanist who was the first to speak in favor of Darwin’s theory and the man who created the Ballard Lock Garden in Seattle.

We'll hear a December poem from the man known during the 20th century as the People's Poet.

We Grow That Garden Library with a book of letters between two gardeners during the year between 1998 and 1999.

I'll talk about an architectural element for your kitchen that makes a tremendous holiday gift and we wrap things up with a clever poem about King Midas and what would happen if his roses had turned to gold.

But first, let's catch up on a few recent events.
 
 

Today's Curated Articles:
Book Review: Wild about Weeds, Garden Design with Rebel Plants by Jack Wallington

Here's Alison Levey's review of the wonderful new book from @jackwallington on garden design with weeds and rebel plants #gardenblog #bookreview #gmg @LaurenceKingPub

The book is one of my favorites for 2019. I especially enjoy the designer profiles and Jack's ability to defend the plants many of us secretly love but might not admit in certain circles.

 
Botany at the Bar

Three scientists discuss the plant science and history of bitters—and share a Thanksgiving cocktail | Scientific American@sciam

Take 3 researchers, add plant science, & a deep dive into the world of bitters& you have this phenomenal book of 75 botanically inspired craft cocktails! #BotanyattheBar #science #technology

Great post to help you discover the fascinating and ancient #botanicalhistory behind bitters, plus a fun cocktail recipe - and, these scientists really know how to make a good cocktail!

Folks on Social Media provided many ringing endorsements saying they had tried a number of their bitters and etc at conferences and were definite fans.
 


 
Who Doesn't Like Sweet Potatoes? This Kenyan Researcher, For One| @npr @estherngumbi

Can you have too much of a good thing? Yes. Yes, you can.
Here’s a very relatable post from Researcher Esther Ngumbi who grew up eating sweet potatoes for nearly every meal. Part of our desire for certain foods is their seasonality. Monotony is the death of pleasure.

Now many of her family members are just done with these foods. "No one — and I mean no one — had any more appetite for these root vegetables."

"True confession," she writes, "I will not eat sweet potatoes on Thanksgiving. Or any other time of the year. It all has to do with my Kenyan childhood."

"I know it is many people's favorite food, especially during Thanksgiving, but as for me, I still say NO to sweet potatoes. They remind me of what it's like to grow up ... without being able to choose what kind of food you'd like to eat each day."
 
 
Now, if you'd like to check out these curated articles for yourself, you're in luck - because I share all of it with the Listener Community on Facebook. So, there’s no need to take notes or search for links - the next time you're on Facebook, just search for the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group.
 


 
Here are Today's Brevities:

#OTD Today is the birthday of Emily Dickenson who was born on this day in 1830.

The Dickinson Author Judith Farr reminds us that during her lifetime, Emily Dickinson was "known more widely as a gardener,... than as a poet."

Emily grew up gardening. She would help her mother with their large edible and ornamental garden.

The flower garden became Emily’s responsibility when she got older. She planted in a carefree cottage garden style.

After Emily died, her sister Lavinia took over the garden. Emily's niece and editor, Martha Dickinson Bianchi recalls:
"All [Lavinia’s] flowers did as they liked: tyrannized over her, hopped out of their own beds and into each other’s beds, were never reproved or removed as long as they bloomed; for a live flower to Aunt Lavinia was more than any dead horticultural principle."