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 gardensa Whitechapel physician who catapults Britain’s economythe complicated daily life of Victorians and their plants a teenage girl centuries ahead of her timehow plants provided women with a foot in the door of careers in scienceplants that influenced the creators: designers, authors, illustratorsan Amazonian lily pad that inspired an architectural marvela secret form of communication: social coding through flowersOscar Wilde and his green carnationNote: 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.Do you like what you hear?  Please help us find our audience by spreading some good cheer with a 5 star rating and review on Apple Podcasts!Our website  https://yltpodcast.buzzsprout.com/ Follow us on:Twitter @YLT_PodFacebook @Yesterday’s London Times PodcastInstagram @Yesterday’s London Times Podcast