Today we celebrate the botanist who wrote one of the first Herbals. We'll also learn about the botanist who wasn’t thrilled about getting one of India’s first telephones. We’ll recognize the lost work of an American botanist and painter. We’ll remember the Hollywood Legend who loved gardening alongside his famous wife. We’ll hear an excerpt from a famous garden poem by an English poet. We Grow That Garden Library™ with a Book that teaches us all the dirt - old and new - on plants, and it's written by one of the true plant masters of our time. And then we’ll wrap things up with the story of a new rose that came out in 2019… and here’s a hint: It’s divine.   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 and more. 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 [email protected].   Curated News December Folklore and Flower | The Daily Gardener | Jennifer Ebeling December changeable and mild; the whole winter will remain a child. No matter how long the winter, spring is sure to follow. Thunder in December means fine weather ahead. Frost on the shortest day means winter will be severe. Then, here's a little tidbit of folklore regarding the snow. When the world was made, everything except the snow was given a color. So the snow went out and begged all the flowers to share their color. He asked the violet, the lilac, the buttercup, and the rose, but they all turned him down. It was only the snowdrop that offered to share its beautiful, pure, snow-white color. And, ever since, in thanks to the snowdrop, the snow keeps the blossoms of the snowdrop safe all winter long. December’s birth flowers are the holly and the paperwhite. So, they are very different from each other; one being a  bulb and the other an evergreen, but they both symbolize hope. Traditionally, Holly is the symbol of domestic happiness. Remember that while animals and birds can eat holly berries; they are semi-toxic to people. Meanwhile, the Paperwhite (Narcissus) has fragrant white blooms that symbolize coldness and self-esteem. In Floriography ("FLOOR-EE-ah-grah-FEE"), the narcissus conveys that you want your beloved to stay just the way they are.   Facebook Group If you'd like to check out my curated news articles and blog posts 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. 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 1, 1597   On this day, The Herbal, or General History of Plants, by John Gerard was first published. In the Herbal, John shared over 800 species of plants and shared gorgeous woodcut illustrations. During his life, John was allowed to garden on land at Somerset House, and for a time, he served as the herbalist to King James I. Today, the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust sells Christmas Cards that feature John Gerard’s woodcuts of Holly, Pears, and Mistletoe. The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust cares for Shakespeare's family homes and shares the love of Shakespeare from his hometown of Stratford-upon-Avon. Anyway, if you’d like to support a great organization and enjoy the John Gerard Christmas cards and gift wrap, head on over to https://shop.shakespeare.org.