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Tuesday

Tracing A Fraught And Amazing History Of American Horticulture

Abra Lee is a horticulturalist and studies U.S. gardening history. She fondly remembers her own relatives' gardens as holding a special place in horticultural history. Carlos Alejandro/Abra Lee hide caption

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Carlos Alejandro/Abra Lee

Short Wave

Tracing A Fraught And Amazing History Of American Horticulture

When Abra Lee became the landscape manager at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, she sought some advice about how to best do the job. The answer: study the history of gardening. That led to her uncovering how Black involvement in horticulture in the U.S. bursts with incredible stories and profound expertise, intertwined with a tragic past. She's now teaching these stories and working on a book, Conquer the Soil: Black America and the Untold Stories of Our Country's Gardeners, Farmers, and Growers. Abra Lee talks with Short Wave producer Eva Tesfaye about uncovering Black horticultural history and several hidden figures who shaped it.

Tracing A Fraught And Amazing History Of American Horticulture

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Tuesday

Scientists Work With Cuba To Bring Lost Orchids Back To Florida State Park

Mike Owen, park biologist at Fakahatchee Strand Preserve in Florida, documents an orchid growing on a cypress tree. Greg Allen/NPR hide caption

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Greg Allen/NPR

Environment

Scientists Work With Cuba To Bring Lost Orchids Back To Florida State Park

Fakahatchee Strand Preserve is home to more than 40 native species of orchids; many more were lost to poaching and habitat destruction. Some of those blooms can still be found in Cuba and may return.

Scientists Work With Cuba To Bring Lost Orchids Back To Florida State Park

Listen · 4:15
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Thursday

Friday

Urbanization Puts Farms In Africa's Cities At Risk

An urban farmer waters his plants near Bamako, Mali, where the government has set aside nearly 250 acres for market gardens. donkeycart/Flickr hide caption

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donkeycart/Flickr

The Salt

Urbanization Puts Farms In Africa's Cities At Risk

As many as 40 percent of urban families in sub-Saharan Africa farm in household or commercial gardens. A survey from the United Nations finds that these urban farms, which feed millions of people each year, are in jeopardy if they're not protected during Africa's growth spurt.

Wednesday