Today we celebrate a botanist remembered for his work with Pears and Camellias. We'll also learn about a botanist who specialized in grasses and traveled extensively to collect them. We’ll learn about the work of a forensic botanist back in the early 1980s. We take a moment to savor December - courtesy of a verse from the American naturalist and writer Hal Borland. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a book that came out this summer, and it brings the goodness of the Catskills right to your table. And then we’ll wrap things up with a cute little story about a plant name you won’t soon forget.   Subscribe Apple | Google | Spotify | Stitcher | iHeart To listen to the show while you're at home, just ask Alexa or Google to “Play the latest episode of The Daily Gardener Podcast.” And she will. It's just that easy.   The Daily Gardener Friday Newsletter Sign up for the FREE Friday Newsletter featuring: A personal update from me Garden-related items for your calendar The Grow That Garden Library™ featured books for the week Gardener gift ideas Garden-inspired recipes Exclusive updates regarding the show Plus, each week, one lucky subscriber wins a book from the Grow That Garden Library™ bookshelf.   Gardener Greetings Send your garden pics, stories, birthday wishes, and so forth to Jennifer@theDailyGardener.org   Curated Garden News How Did Madagascar Become the World’s Biggest Producer of Vanilla? | Atlas Obscura | Dan Nosowitz   Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and original blog posts for yourself, you're in luck. I share all of it with the Listener Community in the Free Facebook Group - The Daily Gardener Community. So, there’s no need to take notes or search for links. The next time you're on Facebook, search for Daily Gardener Community where you’d search for a friend... and request to join. I'd love to meet you in the group.   Important Events December 16, 1886 Today is the anniversary of the death of the Massachusetts merchant, amateur horticulturist, and politician Marshall Pinckney Wilder. When Marshall started out, his father gave him three options: attend college, start a farm, or work in the family store. Marshall elected to farm. But Marshall was unexpectedly pulled into the family business after his uncle died. In a twist of fate, Marshall was a natural businessman, and he helped take the family wholesale business to even more successful heights. With his financial success, Marshall bought an old farm in Dorchester, Massachusetts, for $5,500.  Marshall called the property Hawthorn Grove. But shortly after moving into Hawthorn Grove, Marshall’s young wife Eliza died. With four small children to raise, Marshall quickly married again. After his personal affairs were squared away, Marshall began designing ten acres worth of gardens on the property - complete with several large greenhouses. Marshall devoted all of his spare time to horticulture, and he loved to dabble in plant breeding. Historical records indicate that Marshall developed a double California Poppy. But without a doubt, Marshall’s favorite pursuits were Pears and Camellias. Marshall successfully cultivated two European Pears - the Bartlett and the Anjou. In Pears alone, Marshall experimented with over 900 varieties. And Marshall’s Camellia collection made him quite famous in certain botanical circles. In all, Marshall Wilder created over 300 Camellia varieties. And Marshall’s top award-winning Camellias were all named after the women in his life: Mrs. Abby Wilder (named for his second wife), Mrs. Julia Wilder (named for his third wife - who was also Abby’s sister), and Jenny Wilder (named for his granddaughter). In 1839 a greenhouse fire destroyed all but two of Marshall’s beloved Camellias. Still, Marshall bounced back quickly the following year thanks to his success in the wholesale business. When Marshall wasn’t gardening at Hawthorne Grove, he was active in horticulture organizations in and around Boston. In addition to