A potted history of houseplants

A potted history of houseplants

Up next

Coastline Special 5: A Very British Summer: The Victorian Seaside Boom

A day out at the seaside is still a summertime staple for many British families. From fish and chips on the promenade to a classic 99, messing about in rock pools and trying your luck on the 2p machines, there's so much nostalgia and tradition wrapped up in a day out by the sea. ...  Show more

More than a missionary: The radical social work of Kamal Chunchie

This week, join host Amy Matthews and Howard Spencer, English Heritage senior historian for blue plaques, Judith Garfield MBE, executive director of Eastside Community Heritage, and Sumita Mukherjee, historian at the University of Bristol, as they celebrate the unveiling of Londo ...  Show more

Recommended Episodes

224. Empire in Your Garden
Empire: World History

How did plants power imperialism? Gardening may be a quintessentially British hobby, but many of the familiar plants in our lives have a global – and colonial – history. From “fern-mania” leading wealthy Victorians to decimate environments around the world collecting ferns for t ...  Show more

Say Aloe to My Little Frond
99% Invisible

Houseplants are having a moment right now. In 2020, 66% of people in the US owned at least one plant, and sales have skyrocketed during the pandemic. Meanwhile, Instagram accounts like House Plant Club have a million followers. Over the past decade there has been a steady stre ...

  Show more

39. Houseplants
The Economics of Everyday Things

Interest in houseplants has exploded in recent years. But what causes floral trends, and prices, to grow? Zachary Crockett sows a few seeds.

 

<ul><li>SOURCES:<ul><li>Justin Hancock, di ...  Show more

The Tangled History of Topiary, Part Two: That Shrub Is Looking at Me Funny
Ridiculous History

Ben, Noel and super producer Casey Pegram dive back into the weeds of the surprisingly ancient (and ridiculous) art of trimming flora into bizarre and elaborate shapes. It’s a practice that had a habit of falling in and out of fashion depending on the whims of whoever was in powe ...  Show more