Today we celebrate the one of the 19th century’s top orchidologist and the birthday of a man who used his wealth to purchase an American garden treasure. We'll learn about one of the most prolific female plant collectors and the florist who shocked London with her floral displays. Today’s Unearthed Words feature a beloved American poet and children’s book author celebrating her 93rd birthday. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book that helps us grow edibles indoors - an excellent topic for January. I'll talk about a garden item that can help define the look of your garden space, and then we’ll wrap things up with the birthday of a master storyteller who incorporated descriptions of real and fictitious plants in his landscapes. But first, let's catch up on a few recent events.   Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart   Curated Articles Dead rats, putrid flesh and sweaty socks: rare orchid gives botanists a first whiff | Environment | The Guardian The orchid – Bulbophyllum phalaenopsis – is in bloom for the first time in a glasshouse at @Cambridge_Uni Botanic Garden. The orchid’s natural habitat in western Papua New Guinea, where it grows at altitudes of around 500 meters, is under threat.    Amaryllis: how to grow this festive houseplant - The English Garden The English Garden @tegmagazine shared this great post about growing Amaryllis. If you are hesitant to try growing it - don't be. They are lovely & "It’s very straightforward to coax them from a bulb into a towering plant producing colorful trumpets of flowers." After the flowers have faded, cut back the flower stalk to the base. Continue to water and give the bulb an occasional feed – the leaves will continue to grow.   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 in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. There’s no need to take notes or search for links - the next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group.   Important Events 1823   Today is the birthday of the orchidologist Heinrich Gustav Reichenbach. The orchidologist Frederick Sander wrote a masterpiece on every variety of orchid, and he named it Reichenbachia in honor of Heinrich Gustav Reichenbach. In 1882, Heinrich honored Sanders by naming the “Queen of Philippine Orchids” after Sanders - naming it the Vanda Sanderiana, which the locals call the waling-waling orchid. The waling-waling is considered one of the rarest, most beautiful, and most expensive orchid, and it is also one of the largest species of orchids in the world. Heinrich’s father was also a botanist, and Heinrich grew up helping his father with his work.  Heinrich grew up fully appreciating the competitive aspects of the flower business. During his lifetime, Heinrich was one of the top orchid collectors in the world. Heinrich named more orchids than any other person, and in his will, he asked that his herbarium be closed for 25 years to protect his work from his competitors.   1856   Today is the birthday of Augustus Van Wickle - the man who established the Blithewold ("Blithe-wald") Mansion and Estate in the 1890s. Augustus was born into a well-to-do family who had a coal-mining business. As he took over the reins, Augustus turned the company into a stunning success and Augustus became enormously wealthy. When Augustus purchased Blithewold from a family with the last name of Gardner, it was so that he could have a home on the water that could accommodate docking his new steam yacht named Marjorie after his only child. Blithewold would be a summer residence for Augustus and his family. The following summer, Augustus’ wife, Bessie, hired the landscape designer John DeWolf to design the grounds of Blithewold - which had previously been used for farming. Three years later, in the Spring of 1898, Augustus and Bessie learned they were expecting another chi