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Advolly Richmond Q & A
A Short History of Flowers: The Stories That Make Our Gardens
Sunday 21st April | 2pm
This lecture includes tales of exploration, unrequited but also enduring love, botanical piracy and excessive hybridisation bringing these beautiful flowers to life. From the flamboyant bougainvillea, collected in Rio de Janeiro by an 18th century female botanist in disguise to the deliciously scented stock which made a journey across France bearable for a 19th century traveller. These flowers have played pivotal roles in our societies across the world, from boom to bust economies, the Fuchsia hedgerows of Ireland as well as making bold fashion statements, these unassuming blooms hold treasure troves of stories. The lecture is based on Advolly’s upcoming book, A Short History of Flowers to be published in February 2024 with specially commissioned artworks from award-winning botanical illustrator Sarah Jane Humphrey.
About the speaker
Advolly Richmond is a garden historian, TV and radio presenter and independent researcher in gardens, landscapes, plants and social history. A regular contributor on BBC Gardeners' World as well as on BBC Gardeners' Question Time, she is also the presenter of The Garden History Podcast, an A-Z. She lectures on a variety of subjects from the 16th through to 20th centuries. She is passionate about promoting garden history in all its branches and encourages people to value their garden and botanical heritage.
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ADVOLLY RICHMOND Q & A
1. What sparked your passion for garden history?
I think it was the realisation that gardens actually had a history and in turn these gardens harboured plants which carried their own histories. When I was studying for my RHS qualifications, at the weekly plant identification our lecturer always included a little story of who ‘discovered’ them, when and where, I thought “plants have histories?” This really sparked my interest. Mainly because flowers have always been such an important feature in our society, always there to mark the milestones in our lives as we celebrate births, deaths, marriages and anniversaries. I then discovered the writings of plant historian Alice M. Coats (1905 -1978) which opened up a whole new world for me.
2. What inspired you to research the stories of exploration, love and bravery behind the discovery and cultivation of some of our favourite garden flowers?
The majority of the plants we think so fondly of in our gardens first appeared in the early herbals and medicinal writings for curing a range of ailments. From the humblest little cottage or urban garden to the sweeping professionally designed gardens and landscapes on country estates, the same plants can be found. But how often do we stop and think about how these plants came to be here and why? What is their story? In exploring the history of plants this helped me to understand the changes that have occurred over the years since their introduction into cultivation. The diversity in our garden flowers is a celebration of the endeavours and, in some cases, sacrifices of the people who located and recorded them. As empires waxed and waned, plants were gathered and transported back to various countries and the spoils shared among the victors and colonisers alike. Just as the Lewis and Clark’s expedition across the American West after the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 returned with Mahonia aquifolium (Oregon grape). These were the stories that I wanted to tease out.
3. While undertaking research for your forthcoming book, did you come across anything surprising or unexpected?
There were many unexpected stories amongst the flowers I chose. But what struck me most was how the plants we grow and admire each day lost their identity and purpose the further they travelled from their homelands. They received new names often commemorating anonymous people known only to a handful of privileged people. Plants which had fed, clothed and medicated indigenous populations for centuries simply became mere ornaments displayed in glasshouses and herbaceous borders. A great example is Bergenia Crassifolia (Siberian tea), now an indispensable border edging plant in the garden, but has long been the source of a naturally caffeine free beverage in Siberia. In 1794, the German botanist Conrad Moench (1744-1805) created the genus Bergenia in memory of histhe botanist and zoologist Karl August von Bergen (1704-1759), the species name of Crassifolia is derived from the Latin crassus meaning solid, thick or heavy, obviously alluding to the dense leathery leaves.
4. What can audiences expect from your talk?
Someone once said that a garden should be full of old faces, sights and scents. Through a fully illustrated lecture, the flowers in the book will be familiar to everyone, many of them old garden favourites, some of which would have been first encountered in our childhoods. Others may be associated with memories of holidays or honeymoons and form lasting impressions – each time we encounter their unique characteristics or a whiff of their scent, it immediately transports us back to these precious moments. The uses of some of the plants in history may surprise, especially since many of them are now grown solely for ornamental purposes. If people in the audience happen to grow or are familiar with any of the flowers, I am certain they will begin to see them in a completely different light which will broaden their understanding of these plants.
5. What overarching message would you like audiences to come away with?
While exciting, the rapid change in plant trends at flower shows each year lead to the original species or cultivar becoming increasingly hard to come by as they fall out of favour, often only to be found in specialist nurseries, which are already in serious decline, or in dedicated plantsmens’ gardens. The ephemerality of our gardens and in turn the plants constantly make them vulnerable. If people grow any of the plants included in A Short History of Flowers, then I would very much like the audience to discover and hopefully marvel at their journey into a corner of their world.
Website: https://advolly.co.uk
Media page - https://advolly.co.uk/media.html
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