It was many years ago that I learned that the computer language 'Ada' is named after her. The other reason that I know of her is that the method of programming of the Analytical Engine was to be via punched cards, based on the jaquard lace looms that used punched cards to create the lace patterns. With her Nottingham links Ada might have been very familiar with these cards as it was a key lace making center at this time, but it is Babbage who made the link between the punched cards and his machines.
I assume you are waiting for me to tell you that Ada was also an accomplished plantswoman and gardener. Well she might have been but I cannot find any reference to this. She did own a garden along with her then husband William King at Worthy Manor in Somerset, that contained a terrace called 'Philosophers Walk' where allegedly Ada and Babbage would walk and talk mathsy type stuff. We do know that Ada worked on a algorithm for the Analytical Engine to compute Bernoulli numbers. Now I have read what Bernoulli numbers are and, quite frankly, the only thing I know now about them remains their name, I am not mathematical beyond what my calculator can help with. Anyway, back to the point, so picture the scene, Ada and Charles are walking along Philosophers Walk having a deep conversation about Bernoulli numbers when suddenly Ada sees a snail and starts talking about Fibonacci numbers and the golden ratio. The conversation meanders along and she stops every now and again to admire a rose or pull a stray willow-herb that has self-seeded in the border. (please note, I have just totally made this up, I have no idea if they discussed fibonacci or snails or what weeds if any were present, however in my head this is all totally possible).
So why am I writing about her in a gardening blog? I cannot even find a plant named after her.Why not? She was impressive.
