Plant, garden & social historian. Oxford Conted lecturer, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew Champion. BBC Gardeners' World presenter & author of A Short History of Flowers: The Stories that make our Gardens.
From dramatic declarations of war to dangerously suggestive orchids, the alluring history of flower symbolism and why most meanings have been lost over time. Is there a desire to bring them back?
The glamorous, unconventional world of Norah Lindsay, the garden designer whose wit, vision, and bold planting transformed the gardens of society—saving herself from near destitution
Essay
Have you ever thought about the natural pollinators and the plants that co-evolved over millions of years? How do the plants fare once they have been collected and relocated around the world?
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How often do we think about the millions of dried plant specimens which have been languishing in herbaria around the world for decades? What is the point of them and why we should care?
Advolly in conversation with Cathy Hastie Chair of Working For Gardeners Association (WFGA). You can hear how its unique initiative Work and Retrain As a Gardener Scheme (WRAGS) has helped thousands of people break into the horticultural world.
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The echoes of Match of the Day in the 1980s should be a world away as I travel to discover a unique historic garden on the outskirts of Lisbon.
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Each year the reappearance of certain plants in our gardens rekindles memories of people and places that have touched our lives in one way or another.
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Finding the roots of forcing hyacinths for a delicious spectacle and scent.
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The landscape park’s journey during the 18th century was as serpentine as the paths and lakes which would later define it, whilst absorbing different trends along the way.