Exotica Mania: a Victorian Plant Craze

How can something as mundane a plant tell us about a culture?

We may start talking about plants, but soon we will be in mired in a reaction to the Industrial Revolution, colonialism, imperialism, exoticism, Darwinism, social order and class, surreptitious societal coding, a rising middle class, the concept of leisure time, and a culture caught up in the allure of seeking and getting. Phew!

We’ll look at:

• the rise in London’s public parks, squares, and gardens
• a Whitechapel physician who catapults Britain’s economy
• the complicated daily life of Victorians and their plants 
• a teenage girl centuries ahead of her time
• how plants provided women with a foot in the door of careers in science
• plants that influenced the creators: designers, authors, illustrators
• an Amazonian lily pad that inspired an architectural marvel
• a secret form of communication: social coding through flowers
• Oscar Wilde and his green carnation

Note: Next week, we’ll be adding a bonus episode that acts as companion to this one. Stay tuned for the thrilling adventures of The Plant Hunters.  

Photos and links can be found at our show notes HERE.

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