A potted history of houseplants

Tiny enough to wear around your neck, yet big enough to hold secrets, memories and devotion: portrait miniatures give us an intimate insight into the private lives of the past. In this episode, Amy Matthews is joined by curators Lydia Miller and Peter Moore to explore remarkable ...  Show more

What does an oyster shell have to do with medieval books? This week, Amy explores one of her favourite moments in history: when medieval scribes started to create beautifully illuminated manuscripts. She’s exploring the complex, multi-faceted and highly skilled work that helped c ...  Show more

Kew Gardens near London is one of the most famous botanical gardens in the world, welcoming countless visitors every year. But what many visitors may not know is that the history of Kew and that of the British Empire are intimately intertwined… At the height of the empire, Queen ...  Show more

After a five month break due to health reasons, I'm excited to launch a new Grey Gardens episode with returning guest Brian Buck, who is a long time Grey Gardens fan and admin for the Grey Gardens Facebook group. In today's episode Brian and I want to talk about the garden, the g ...  Show more

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

What was history's worst furnishing trend? Why, in 1953, were you more likely to own a television than a fridge? And how can you learn more about the history of your own house? Deborah Sugg Ryan joins Ellie Cawthorne to talk about the history of British homes, taking listeners on ...  Show more