By Carol Michel

The simple answer is they are the authors of old, often-forgotten gardening books and articles written mostly in the 19th and 20th centuries. I call them the Lost Ladies of Garden Writing because they are mostly lost to time. Though some are known by a few avid gardeners and herbalists, others have been forgotten, except by those of us who may serendipitously find one of their books tucked in the nostalgia section of a used bookstore or sitting on a shelf of books at an antique store. 

Once I find an old gardening or herbal book by an author I’ve never heard of or barely heard of, I dig around to learn more about her. If I’m lucky and the book has a dust jacket, there might be a short biography on the back flap. But often I’m starting with just a name and a book title. I use that info to search online using ancestry sites, newspaper archives, and other archives. Then I share what I’ve learned through a biweekly newsletter called Lost Ladies of Garden Writing. 

Along the way, I’ve found some interesting women with fascinating stories: 

One author, Kate L. Brewster, lived in one of the most expensive homes in the Chicago area and collected artwork by Picasso and other artists while pursuing her gardening interests. She wrote a book about gardening with little money.

Anna Bartlett Warner’s father lost his fortune, so she and her sister had to permanently move from their New York City townhouse to their summer home on an island near West Point, New York, where they wrote novels together. She later wrote one of the first do-it-yourself gardening books.

Josephine Nuese is often quoted every January without giving her credit for writing those famous words, “Anyone who thinks that gardening begins in the spring and ends in the fall is missing the best part of the whole year. For gardening begins in January, begins with the dream.” I now know her story, too.

Then there is Buckner Hollingsworth whose sister got tangled up in the story of Wallis Simpson and King Edward VIII. She went on to lead a quiet life in Vermont, writing three gardening books.

I also cannot forget Rosetta E. Clarkson, who was in England doing research on an obscure English playwright for an advanced English degree, but fell in love with old herbals and herb shops along the way, forever changing the direction of her life. She called one of her books “Green Enchantment.”

And finally, when I think there’s no way I can be more surprised by another author’s life story, I found Hedwig Michel (no relation!) who fled Nazi Germany and became the president of a cult in Florida. She came not via a book but from the pages of the February 1959 issue of Horticulture magazine. 

What I learn from the authors of these old books and articles often ends up sowing seeds of ideas for my garden. I’ve tried growing a new-to-me flower or herb on more than one occasion because I read about it in one of these older books. I’ve also fruitlessly searched for plant varieties these authors loved and recommended. But like garden authors, old plant varieties can also become lost and may be harder to find than old gardening books.

Regardless, I always learn something new when I open an old gardening book and converse through the ages with a Lost Lady of Garden Writing.

Join Carol Michel for her upcoming webinar, Lost Ladies of Herbal and Garden Writing on Tuesday, April 22, 2025 at 1pm Eastern. A little history, a bit of literature, and a lot of herbs and gardening. We’ll take a look back at women authors of herbal and gardening books written in the 19th and 20th centuries. Who were these women and what did they write about? How can we use their knowledge to improve our gardens today?  Learn all this while meeting some fascinating women who may have been lost to time, but can still be found if you know where to look in old gardens and old libraries. Our webinars are free to The Herb Society of America members and $10.00 for guests. Become a member today, and enjoy all of our webinars for free along with access to the webinar library with over fifty program titles. To register, visit https://www.herbsociety.org/hsa-learn/herb-education/hsa-webinars/

Photo Credits: All photos courtesy of the author except 3) Botanical print (Public Domain).

Carol J. Michel is the award-winning author of five books of humorous and helpful gardening essays and two children’s books. With degrees in horticulture and computer technology, she spent over three decades making a living in healthcare IT while making a life in her garden. Her awards have come from several organizations, including GardenComm: Garden Communicators International; National Federation of Press Women; and National Society of Newspaper Columnists. Michel is also the keeper of the world’s largest hoe collection and her library is a sanctuary for old gardening books. In between tending her own garden, writing, and reading, she records a weekly podcast, The Gardenangelists, with Dee Nash. More of Carol’s works are scheduled for publication in the roaring 2020s. For more info, visit her website, www.caroljmichel.com and her long-standing garden blog, May Dreams Gardens.