Results for Tag: flowers

Zinnia & Sensibility: naming and growing an equatorial flower

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With the scientific voyages of the mid-18th century, many previously unknown plants reached Britain and the Continent. Naturalists on these expeditions sent seeds to their sponsors, as well as to wealthy individuals. In Europe, botanists eagerly welcomed new seeds from Asia and America. They competed to describe them first, as this offered a chance to make a name for oneself in botany.
Many exotic flowers quickly became known within expert circles, and wealthy amateur gardeners competed in a friendly manner to be the first to successfully cultivate the new species. But how quickly did new species such as the zinnia come to the attention of the public, and make their way into the gardens of the middle classes? Would, for example, Jane Austen have known the zinnia, which reached Britain in 1753? Let’s find out more.

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Could Heroines of Regency Novels Have Enjoyed the Fragrance of Wisterias?

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The purple-blue blossoms of the wisteria delight the eye, and their sweet fragrance enchants the soul. Today, this beautiful plant adorns gardens, cottages and manor houses across Britain. The popular Regency-era series Bridgerton shows Bridgerton House with wisteria in full bloom climbing up the facade. But is this historically accurate? Did wisterias bloom in gardens during the Regency period? And would Jane Austen have enjoyed the blossoms, too? Let’s find out.

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Were Dahlias a Typical Garden Plant of the Regency Period?

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From August to October, dahlias turn gardens into a sea of vivid colours. The Victorians loved the exuberant plant. But how was the flower perceived in the Regency period? Was it commonly found in the gardens of ordinary people, or was it only a favourite of botanists?
In a Regency novel by Georgette Heyer, we find the following humorous lines:
“(Venetia) directed an aged and obstinate gardener to tie up the dahlias. It seemed improbable that he would do so, for he regarded them as upstarts and intruders, which in his young days had never been heard of, and always became distressingly deaf whenever Venetia mentioned them.”
These lines always make me smile. Yet, how much historical correctness do they contain? Let’s find out.

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Cultivated Roses – a New Craze Begins

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In this post:

  • A lady’s rose
  • the East India connection
  • Amateurs – a class of its own
  • The Chinese key to heaven

The rose is the national flower of England. It is, however, not the rose we know today that became the symbol of the country. The English rose – rosa gallica officinalis –was, roughly said, a wild rose. It was very popular in British gardens of the 18th century, as its fruits could be used as tea, marmalade, or as medicine (thus the alternative name apothecary’s rose).

It was only from the mid-18th century that natural philosophers and gardeners began to experiment with new varieties of roses that had been introduced from other countries. By the end of the 18th century, cultivated roses had spread throughout Europe, and with it a new enthusiasm for this beautiful flower.
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