| Alexander Garden was born near Aberdeen and came to the American 'colonies' in the early 1750s. Settling in Charles Town, he was a physician and a planter, a plantation owner. His plantation, Yeshoe, grew indigo (Indigofera tinctoria and I. suffruticosa) and produced dye for export to England.
Besides his professions, Garden was a naturalist. He knew the countryside and collected plants and animals for scientific scrutiny. Anyone wishing to explore the Carolinas stopped by Yeshoe Plantation to confer with Garden. Over the years, he made friends with biologists William Bartram and John Ellis supplying them with directions, advice, and plants.
The cape jasmine or gardenia (Gardenia jasminoides J. Ellis) is native to China and a member of the Rubiaceae [rue' bee a see ee]. The bloom has an unforgettable fragrance: spicy, warm, soft, and sweet. Everyone remembers their first breath of gardenia. It was discovered by Westerners in the 18th century. Of course, the Chinese had long appreciated the gardenia; they have cultivated it for more than 1,000 years.
So in 1761, when John Ellis received a specimen of a remarkable new plant from China, he named it for his friend Dr. Garden.
The plant took Europe and the 'colonies' by storm. When performing, Billie Holiday wore gardenias in her hair. She followed an elegant fashion — the flowers graced the bodices of chic gowns and floated in exotic cocktails. Nestled in cellophane-windowed boxes, the ivory flowers were expensive gifts from hopeful suitors or penitent lovers.
However, about the same period, the colonists became dissatisfied with King George III. After the Revolutionary War, Alexander Garden left his family, his Gardenia plants and the Carolinas he loved so well. He died in London in 1791. |
