Botanical history and folklore of flowers in our mid-1800s garden

Flowers in Our Garden

Flower, herb and vegetable gardens have been planted and are maintained by the Collinsville Garden Club. The gardens will serve as a continuing education project to teach about plant life in Collinsville in the mid-1800s.

Click the seed packets framed in gold for tidbits of information about the flowers in our garden . . .

Portulaca ~ Jump Up and Kiss Me

Portulaca ~ Jump Up and Kiss Me!

Ideal for window boxes or shallow containers, and as ground cover for tall plants in pots, hanging baskets and decorative borders. A common garden flower in the 1840s.

The Jump and Kiss Me flower was a favorite of Irving Dilliard, who purchased the D.D. Collins House and donated it to the City. Our gardens will feature a special section dedicated to Irving and the Jump Up and Kiss Me flower.

Portulaca ~ "Jump Up and Kiss Me"

A Letter from Irving ~

Irving's Grandson Letter

Ken Sprong, grandson of Irving Dilliard, sent a photocopy of a letter that he received from his grandfather regarding the Jump Up and Kiss Me plant.

The letter was written by Irving on July 15, 1984. I am sharing portions of that letter with you, just as it was sent to Ken. What a wonderful look into the magic that this plant held for Irving and his wife.

I would like to thank Ken for sharing this correspondence with me. I truly appreciate his thoughtfulness.

~Carolyn

Dear Grandson Ken:

Thanks a lot for your letter of July 6 asking for information about our Caribbean plant, "Jump-Up-and-Kiss-Me," which you have begun to give to your friends. Here is the straight of it:

Your "grandrents" took a spring break from the Princeton faculty Mar. 21-30, 1969. We touched base on three American Virgin Islands --St. Thomas, St. Croix and St. John. About Mar. 25 we went to an attractive place for travelers called St. Croix-by-the-Sea. As we entered for luncheon I noticed a bed of a small plant I had never seen before. Its green was decorated by hundreds of cherry-pink blooms. The soil was partially sand so I knew it would grow anywhere. As we went in I bent down and broke off a small sprig. In our room I put it in a glass of water. It was rooting by the time we left and at Princeton it soon bloomed in a sunny window. Almost immediately a high official of the Virgin Islands came to Princeton to lecture. I attended, drew a picture of the plant and asked for identification. He took the note back to his agricultural department . . . Popular names are "Way of the World, Wonder of the World" and "Jump Up and Kiss Me."

As it is a Tropical plant it will not survive freezing winters. We keep some in water and some in pots and then plant out pieces of it in our flower garden as edging. It grows together and blooms generously at high noon. In the house keep it in a sunny window.

It may look like Portulaca, but its blooms are different and its life style nothing like Portulaca ("Moss"). ~GI

Close-up of Portulaca leaves before blooms at

D.D. Collins House

Lamb's Ear

Lamb's Ear is soft and fuzzy.

Lamb's Ear ~

Also known as the teddy bear of the garden, Lamb's Ear gets its name because it is soft and fuzzy like a, well, a . . . lamb's ear.

There is some dispute as to its origin. Some say the Middle East between Turkey and Iran, while others claim it is native to the Caucasus Mountain region of Europe between the Black Sea and Caspian Sea. Regardless of its exact origin, Lamb's Ear not only adds a silvery, inviting-to-touch interest to any garden, it is sturdy enough to withstand the rough and tumble liveliness a children's garden may experience.

Farmer vs. the Missus ~

It just could be that the man-folk farmer and his wife had a different point of view about the value of Lamb's Ear on the homestead. Depending on the type, it ranges in size from six inches to about three feet high and twelve to forty-eight inches wide. While the Missus may have appreciated many aspects of this one, including the unique look of purple spikes of flowers with a large base of silvery velvet leaves that give a soft feel to her garden; Mister farmer may not have been happy with the rapid spread and growth of this ground cover in his crops. As all marriages must find a mutual compromise, they likely came to an amicable meeting of the minds when he scratched his arm or scraped his knee.

Lamb's Ear hedge aligns a walkway.

Lamb's Ear in full bloom.

Lamb's Ear adds color contrast.

Garden Medicine Chest ~

Lamb's Ear was used as, of all things, a bandage straight from the garden. The fuzzy covering on the leaves can absorb blood from a cut or scratch, like our Mister above got from working around the farm. When crushed, the sap acts as an antiseptic with anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. It was commonly referred to as "wooly woundwort" in the 1700 and 1800s. The scientific name is Stachys byzantina and was used as a medicinal herb for centuries. We don't really know why people stopped using it for its medicinal properties, but over time it became, more or less, a downgraded herb.

Lamb's Ear leaf

Silky Fleece Lamb's Ear

Lamb's Ear drying

More Than a Garden Pet ~

Lamb's Ear is becoming more popular for the creative home decorator/gardener. When dried, it can be used in wreaths for summer as well as holidays. It is also easy to string with berries, pine cones, other greenery or even alone for a beautiful garland. You can be sure the Missus did so as a gentle reminder to the Mister in a creative expression of her love for her garden pet, indoors as well.

Lamb's Ear in a wreath.

Lamb's Ear holiday garland.

Dried Lamb's Ear summer wreath.

Lamb's Ear planted mid-April, 2017 in the garden that runs along side the outhouse.

Standard Hosta

Standard Hosta ~

Quite a journey, it did go to make it to our blessed shore. The first documentation of hostas was by the Hon Dynasty, China 206 B.C. - 220 A.D. Then on to Russia, Korea, and most significantly Japan during the Nara period in 710 A.D. Why is Japan so important to we Westerners, you ask? Whatever the reason, Japan is credited as the main area of the origination of the hosta perhaps because of their focus of cultivating numerous varieties into their magnificent gardens. The hosta was noted for its unique blue-green foliage with white or lavender jewels of blossoms when in bloom. But, wait, there is more . . .

Royal Standard Hosta in bloom

Enter, The Dutch ~

Now this is the crucial point to the hosta's journey. The Dutch first documented the hosta in 1715. Botonist, Dr. Engelbert Kaempfer was the first to draw the hosta. He worked for the V.O.C. (Verenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie) a.k.a. Dutch East India Company, a major import/export company for two centuries. This will become an important factor as we progress along our journey. Dr. Kaempfer was known for attaching funny little names to the hosta like "Gibbooshi altera" but have no fear, his successor, Austrian, Leopold Trattinick used the familyname, Hosta, for the first time in 1812 in honor of his fellow countryman and botonist, Nicholas Thomas Host. So for a few decades the hosta was imported into Europe on a limited basis. The first hostas arrived in America about 1800, but the first large shipment of hostas were not shipped to the West until 1829. It was the 1829-1830 importations of hostas that began real hosta cultivation in the West, beginning in Europe in the early 1830s, and finally to North America a few years later.

Here's the little tidbit of import to the 1840s era. In 1837 there was an uprising of Japanese Catholics and the ruling shogun in Edo (Tokyo) implemented a strict policy of isolationism and all citizens of Catholic nations in particular, were ordered to leave Japan. In 1838 only Protestant Dutch traders from the V.O.C. were allowed to remain. They were restricted to a small island which was more like a state prison in the Bay of Nagasaki to continue conducting their business; and thankfully, exporting hostas was a part of that trade.

Kaempfer drawing of hosta.

Botanist, Engelbert Kaempfer

Kaempfer hosta drawing #52

Thirty Years And Then Some ~

It was in the 1930s a hostas enthusisast and professional landscape artist, Mrs. Frances Williams, who devoted her entire garden to cultivating hostas. The American Hosta Society was formed in 1968 with 35 members and today boasts more than 350,000 members. Yes, the popularity of the hosta has grown substantially. Today it is the #1 perennial in the United States where it is grown more for ornamental purposes. There are more than 3,000 registered name varieties in the United States. In Asia the hosta is grown as a vegetable as it is edible. But a word of caution ~ hostas are toxic to dogs, cats, and horses, so gardeners beware.

Many varieties of hostas

Standard hostas.

Standard hostas in bloom

Hostas planted around the D.D. Collins House April, 2017.

Ostrich Fern

Ostrich Fern in a shady wooded area

Ostrich Fern ~

Welcome to the forest. Airy plumes of delicate foliage of the Ostrich Fern waving in the breeze invite you closer. Fern fronds resemble the feathers of ostrich plumes and create the perfect backdrop in a shady garden, as well as the sweet compliment to a vase of fresh cut flowers. The scientific name, epithet struthiopteris is derived from ancient Greek, "struthio" meaning ostrich and "terion" meaning wing.

Older Than Dinosaurs ~

Some of the oldest fossils ever found are the ancient ancestors of today's fern. Fern fossils predate dinosaurs and even mountains. They have been dated to about 360,000,000, yes, that's right, three hundred and sixty million years ago. Fern leaves are unique because their fronds spread out to catch the sun by simply dividing and dividing again. Fern reproduction is most unique in the plant world. The first fronds that emerge from the crown are sterile and very special. They grow to about six feet tall and are discussed of their own accord below. The second set of fronds that emerge are the fertile fronds that supply spores for reproduction.

The fertile fronds are only 12 - 20 inches tall and remain long after the initial fronds die back into dormancy. You may notice small brown dots on these leaves. Those hold the spores. If you take some of fertile frond leaves and place them dot-side down on a piece of paper and place it in a book overnight, the next day, if you are likely to find a very fine powder outline of the spore pod. This find dust is the spore and each is capable of growing into a mature fern.

Prehistoric Forest engraving

Fern Fossil

1855 Botanical drawing of

Ostrich Fern

Fiddle Dee Dee, A Delicacy ~

Back to those first emerging little fronds. These newly emerging scrolled fronds look like the decorative scroll on a violin, so they are called "fiddleheads." It is the Ostrich Fern that is known for being harvested for this delicacy. Although it is more popular to go "fiddleheading" or find them served in restaurants in New England and Canada, they are a very nutritious vegetable. They are high in fiber, Omega-3 and Omega -6 fatty acids. We share a word of caution. You must know what you are doing, because the wrong way is wrong indeed because of potential toxicity. The learned ones will harvest no more than half the fiddlehead fronds from a crown when they first emerge. They must be cleaned and boiled, then sauteed in butter or bacon drippings for a delectable asparagus-like flavor sublime.

Fiddlehead Fronds

Harvested Fiddleheads

Fiddleheads & Morels ~ Hunter Angler

Fernlore, If You Will ~

During the Middle Ages, if you wanted to become invisible (like the fern spore), have eternal youth (they've been around forever), and see into the future, it was quite simple, sure you do. It was thought if you collected the seeds, (for they didn't quite understand the spores), exactly at midnight on Midsummer Eve which was also known as St. John's Eve or June 23, all these were your's to be.

Ferns were used as a cure for the age-old chrome dome syndrome, or baldness for men way back then.

In Slavic folklore, it is believed that anyone who finds a fern in flower on Ivan Kupula Day will be happy and rich the rest of their days.

As a final note, lunar moths and monarch butterflies are particularly attracted to ferns, as are we.

Ostrich Ferns and May Apples

Luna moth on fern

Monarch butterfly on fern

Ostrich Ferns at the house of D.D.

Ferns and Hostas in our gardenscape

Cinnamon Fern

Cinnamon Fern in wooded area.

Cinnamon Fern ~

If you are fortunate enough to enjoy a quiet stroll through the shady woods and feel the gentle, whispery touch of these graceful fronds waist high or even taller against your skin, you have experienced a living fossil. It is commonly known to have been in geological records for 76 million years, but recently the fossils have been dated to 180 million years ago! It is most common for this fern's fronds to reach from two to three feet, but in an environment rich with moisture and nutrients, they can reach five feet tall.

Tweet Uses ~

The fiddlehead fronds of cinnamon ferns are less desirable to eat, yes the ostrich fern has them beat. Some folks will pinch the new sprouts as nibblers with an asparagus flavor; however, it is our aviary friends who love these fronds. No, not to eat, not their fare, but to line their nests with the silvery, fuzzy hair. Every orchid lover may well know, that the bristly rooted crown known as osmunda fiber is used as a potting medium for orchids.

Cinnamon Fern fuzzy, silver fronds

Cinnamon fronds namesake

Osmunda fiber for orchids

Herbal Uses ~

The Iroquois tribes were the ones who knew, that cinnamon fern root had qualities, too. It was used to help promote the flow of milk for nursing new mothers. The root was also chewed and applied to snakebite. They made a concoction to rub on joints for those who suffered from rheumatoid arthritis as well.

Cinnamon Stix and Oranges ~

The Cinnamon Fern gets its name from the fronds that shoot up from its center like cinnamon sticks decorating a fancy wreath. The tawny bronze-orange of thick foliage creates a beautiful display of autumn splendor.

Fronds like cinnamon sticks

Cinnamon Fern in early fall

Cinnamon Fern in full fall glory

Cinnamon Fern in the D.D. garden May 2017

Nasturtium

Yellow Nasturtium

Nasturtium ~

This fiery beauty presents challenges you may never have pondered. The colors are bold; and it is one of the most beloved plants for thousands of years. Its name sprouts from both a touch of humor and a noble tribute to the warriors of old. Let us embark upon the journey of this glorious little flower . . .

Flower? ~

Belding Bros LXXVIII 1900 by Embroiderist

"LaCapucine"

Institut-Klorane

Think so, huh? Well not so fast. In the past the Nasturtium has been considered to be an herb and used medicinally to treat sore throats, colds, and female maladies. It has both antibacterial and anti-fungal properties. Then there was the thought that it was a vegetable because the greens added a spark to salads. However, some Nasturtium varieties are more of a vine, so fruit they were thought to be and the seeds and seed pods were the common man's delicacy.

Nasturtium in container

Vine and Bush varieies

Long before the Incas ~

Although the Nasturtium has been around long before the Incan civilization of Peru, it is thought to have been first cultivated by Inca tribes. There is a controversy whether Nasturtium is native of Peru or Chile, but the fact is that it is a miracle plant. Yes, it is an annual, however it reseeds itself, survives, and thrives in the harshest of climate of the Andes mountains, throughout the Americas, Europe and beyond. Yes, Nasturtiums flourish in the 10,000 ft. high altitudes and sub-zero temperatures of the Andes of Argentina and Chile because of tubers that grow twenty-four inches beneath the surface. There are wild blue Nasturtium throughout the mountains of Chile. Another variety known as the flame flower thrives throughout Scotland.

Machu Picchu Incan ruins ~ Peru

Wild Blue Nasturtium of Chile

Scottish Flame Flower Nasturtium

What's in a name? ~

Nasturtium is symbolic of patriotism. With the vibrant, hot colors, you may wonder why? It began not long after the Nasturtium was discovered in Peru in the 16th Century and then imported into Spain by Nicolás Monardes a Spanish botanist. He published his account of the wondrous discoveries of South America in a book entitled, "Joyful News out of the Newe Founde Worlde," (1569). About thirty years later the scientific name was given to the Nasturtium by the Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus. The plant reminded him of an ancient custom of the Romans. They erected a trophy pole (tropaeum - i.e. trophy) after victory on which the vanquished foe's armor and weapons were hung. The round leaves reminded Linnaeus of the shields of warriors and the flowers of their blood-stained helmets, hence the symbolism of patriotism. Now for the little twist, literally. "Nasturtium" means "nose twisted." It is derived from Latin "nasum" nose and "torquere" to twist. This is thought that it refers to the pungent smell of the flowers or possibly the mustard-like oil from the leaves when chewed and the peppery taste.

Nicolás Monardes

1493 - 1588

Carl Linnaeus

1707 - 1778

Belgian horticulturist

Louis van Houtte

By Louis van Houtte 1858

Peasant capers ~

From the mid-1600s through the early 1700s Nasturtiums were used by peasants as an important food source. Nasturtiums are rich in Vitamin C and contain flavonoids, iron, sulphur, manganese and amino acids. Nasturtium buds make a delicious substitute for capers and have been called the poor man's caper. Nasturtium and other cress leaves are extremely popular with chefs in the Netherlands who cultivate them in special hydroponic pods to have a continuous supply for special sauces, pestos, syrups, and to give a zing to all their gourmet fare.

A chef trims hydroponic Nasturtium sprouts

Poor Man's Capers recipe from

Weekend Recipe

click photo to visit site

Through the 1800s like a wildfire ~

The popularity of the Nasturtium and discoveries of it in the wild spread from sea to shining sea in the 1800s. First discovered in the wild in 1831 at Yale University was Rorripa nasturium-aquaticum, a.k.a. watercress. Yes, watercress is a nasturtium. Nasturtium was the rage throughout the Victorian era because of not only its beauty, but because dried leaves, flowers, and above mentioned capers eaten throughout the winter months helped prevent the dreaded affliction, scurvy. In 1841 Nasturtium was discovered wild near Niagara Falls. By 1857 the plant had been fully cultivated and found throughout the United States. First for beauty, then for medicinal and nutritional value, and next . . .

Queen Victoria as she appeared

1837 and 1887

Yale University 1800s

Rorippa nasturtium-aquaticum

a.k.a. wild watercress

Proper Victorian-age ladies in flowers and lace

Niagara Falls, New York

Monet sets an art trend ~

Oscar-Claude Monet, the founder of Impressionism, sets the tone and inspires the world with his art. Born in 1840, he was inspired by nature and flowers. His art became the rage in the late 1800s and appreciated forever . . .

"I perhaps owe having become a painter to flowers."

Other artists followed suit and claimed fame with their beautiful paintings of Nasturtium.

Jeanne-Marguerite Lecadre in a Garden - 1866- Monet

Nasturtiums in a Blue Vase 1879 - Monet

Nasturtiums -1867

Henri Fantin-Latour

Camille Monet at a Window, Argenteuil - 1873 - Monet

Dance - 1912

Matisse

Monet's Garden at Giverny

1875 - Monet

Main Path through the Garden at Giverny - 1891 - Monet

Nasturtiums -1912

E Phillips Fox

Salad flare and more out there ~

Add flare and pizzazz to a salad and more if you dare,

even restaurants add them for a gourmet flare . . .

Nasturtium vinegar

recipe - A Natural Nester

click photo to visit website

Nasturtium as salad garnish

Nasturtium caper salad

recipe - Hearthstrung

click photo to visit website

Nasturtium Zingy Chive Vinegar

recipe - Kitchenlane

click photo to visit website

Nasturtium Gems recipe

Mother Earth Living

click photo to visit website

Nasturtium omelette

recipe - Lotuswei

click photo to visit website

Nasturtium with tomatoes

recipe -Wikihow

click photo to visit website

Nasturtium roasted potatoes & beets

recipe - Urban Cultivator

click photo to visit website

Candied Flower Donuts

recipe -Food.com

click photo to visit website

Nasturtium pesto

recipe -Food & Beveridge

click photo to visit website

During World War II Nasturtium seeds were ground and used as a pepper substitute because of the scarcity of black pepper since it was an imported spice. Give it a try, you might like it!

Zinnia

Zinnias bursting with color

Zinnia ~

An all time, old time favorite is a traditionally easy addition to any garden, including our garden at the D.D. Collins House. It's pretty simple, just plant the seeds and await the burst of a plethora of color, color color . . .

Zinnias along a garden path

A mountain weed becomes a worldwide treasure ~

It began with the Aztecs in 1520. They didn't think much of the little purple weed of a flower with burnished brown centers and referred to it as "mal de ojos" which literally means"sickness of the eyes" or the more eloquent translation of "eyesore." Oh, but the rest of the world saw it in a different light . . . eventually, but more on that later. It is native to Mexico and the southwestern United States where it is a perennial. The Zinnia made its way into South America and around the world where it flourished as an easy, reseeding annual. There is a Zinnia for every area of the gardenscape. They are not only annuals, but some are shrubs as well as sub-shrubs and range in height from four inches to forty inches. There is a Zinnia to please everyone so eyesore it is no more.

Wild Zinnias in Old Mexico

Prairie Zinnias

Desert Zinnias in Arizona

Botanists, Indiana Jones-style adventurers ~

As we've learned on other garden strolls, the botanists of old were an adventuresome sort; and Dr. Johann Gottfried Zinn of Göttingen University in Germany was no different. Young men have been involved in extreme hobby/sports forever; and the scholars of the 18th century were no exception. Twenty-one year old Dr. Zinn specialized in the study of the human eye in his more serious pursuits, but his need for excitement taunted him. So off he went to embark on a wild adventure into the "smoking mountain" or volcano of the Aztecs, Popocatepetl, in Mexico. Who knows what botanical mysteries and ancient treasures he would discover?

As Zinn traveled along the mountain path,

a scraggly purple flower his eye did catch.

For some strange reason, we know not why;

it captured his fascination, my oh my.

So gathered some, did he -

actually, an entire bag of the homely weed.

Isn't that a "loco" thing to do?

Indeed, it was - thank God above.

As he further followed this treacherous path,

some mean hombres would not let him pass.

They wanted his treasure for their own,

for thieves they be, right to the bone.

But as we know, still today,

even thieves have a "Creed of Honor"

or, so they say . . .

take Zinn's bag, that they did -

only to find it filled with shriveled purple weeds and twig.

Amongst themselves they did discuss,

that loco was this fellow, YES - totally nuts.

Let him go, and quickly, too --

or bad luck would follow them all their days through.

So these honorable thieves vamoose did they

and let him go on his merry way . . .

and that's Zinn's tale as twas told

of his great adventure in Old Mexico.

As fate would have it, a common little weed would play a part in his adventure, yes, indeed~

After his great adventure, he became the director of the Botanic Garden of the University of Göttingen, and in 1755, professor in the medical faculty. He wrote,"Descriptio Anatomica Oculi Humani," a medical journal detailing the anatomy of the eye. You can see and read (if you can read Latin) the entire text from archive.org by clicking the title above or the image below. Now how cool is that? It has eye-opening illustrations of the eye. Considering that Dr. Zinn died at an early age, he made enormous contributions to both the medical and botanical worlds. Whatever his fascination was with what was considered an eyesore that only an optician could love, is further documented for the German Ambassador to Mexico in 1750 sent seeds to Dr. Zinn and the Zinnia was officially introduced to Europe in 1753.

H. C. Andrews

Botanical Illustration

Dr. Johann Gottfried Zinn

(1727 – 1759)

Click image above to read the full volume of Dr. Zinn's book written in Latin from archive.org

Botanical Illustration

circa (1792)

Merci beaucoup to the French ~

Four decades came and went and not much happened with the zinnia until 1796. Our old friend, Linnaeus (of course you remember him from our fascinating reads on Nasturtium and Rhubarb) received a very special zinnia. It came from Brazil and was labeled Calthe de Bresil or Brazilian marigold. This was the beginning of a love affair of the zinnia and the beginning of Zinnia elegans, the ancestor that all modern day zinnias trace to. Why was this one so special? It produced a larger, lusher flower and the colors ranged from crimson to pale lavender. Something for everyone. The first seeds of this zinnia were offered for sale in the United States in 1798, but did not really take off.

NOTE: It was botanist Carl Linnaeus who designated a genus of flowers in the family

Asteraceae native from Mexico as Zinnia to honor Dr. Zinn. Is it possible, in an "eye-ronic"

twist that Linnaeus also engaged in a bit of botanist humor by naming the previously known

"mal los ojos" for the eye doctor?

Who knows the motivations of the horticulturists of the past? Could it be the competitive spirit? Could it be the challenge of decades of cultivation and breeding? Could it be the creative endeavor of those who wanted to see just how beautiful something could be or become? Perhaps all of those traits play a part to bring us the beauties of today. Once again we owe it to the French; but not for a culinary delight but for "l'art de fleur," if you will. They became interested in the zinnia and in 1856 had developed the first truly double forms of the flower. One could say the French turned an eyesore into eye candy. It became the rage of Europe and Great Britain. By 1864 every color of the rainbow ~ purples, oranges, reds and salmon colors made their way across the sea back to the place where it all began, the Americas and in particular the gardens of Americans. About the same time the dwarf varieties, Zinnia haageana were introduced from Mexico, and by 1876, the Henry A. Dreer seedhouse of Philadelphia was selling the dwarf Zinnia seeds. You can still get the Persian Carpet variety today!

Vintage Double Petal Zinnia Packet

Single Petal Row

Purple Zinnia

Vintage Seed Packet

San Antonia, TX

Zinnia Elegans

Orange Zinnia

Persian Carpet Zinnia

Colors Explode!

Red Zinnia

White Wedding Zinnia

Lavender Zinnia

Crimson Zinnia

Enduring Friendship ~

Zinnias carry many symbolic meanings. Because they reseed abundantly, they have come to mean endurance everlasting and thoughtfulness. The colors carry extra symbolism and meaning:

Magenta - Friendship and lasting affection

Mixed Colors - Thinking of an absent friend

White - Goodness

Yellow - Daily remembrance

Red - Steadfastness as a beating heart