In a national webinar, BBC’s Advolly Richmond shares backstories of our favorite plants
The beautiful floral illustrations in Advolly Richmond's new book are by Sarah Jane Humphrey. Illustration by Sarah Jane Humphrey, courtesy “A Short History of Flowers” (Frances Lincoln)
Here’s an opportunity to immerse yourself in garden knowledge – and still beat the heat: A virtual (and beautiful) history lesson on the origins of our favorite flowers.
Set for 11 a.m. PDT on Thursday, Aug. 8, “A Short History of Flowers: The Stories That Make Our Gardens” traces how many ornamental plants found a home in our landscapes and our hearts. Garden and social historian Advolly Richmond of BBC’s “Gardeners’ World” will share some of her favorites (both plants and stories) from her new book, “A Short History of Flowers,” illustrated by Sarah Jane Humphrey.
To be held via Zoom, the one-hour online presentation is part of The Garden Conservancy’s series of Virtual Programs. Advance registration ($15) is required. Find the link here: https://www.gardenconservancy.org/education/education-events/virtual-talk-a-short-history-of-flowers.
(Unavailable to sit in on the live Zoom? A recording of the webinar will be sent to all registrants a few days after the event. The Garden Conservancy encourages interested folks to register, even if they cannot attend the live webinar.)
The author, podcaster and TV presenter will take participants around the world and back through time on a journey full of flowers – and wild adventures.
“Advolly Richmond’s beautifully illustrated talk highlights some of the flowers featured in her book, ‘A Short History of Flowers,’ ” say the organizers. “Many of the plants we love and grow as ornamentals first appeared in early herbals for medicinal and culinary use. But how often do we stop to think about how these beautiful flowers ended up in our tiny corner of the world?
“Flowers have played pivotal roles in societies for centuries, from the wild fuchsia hedgerows of Ireland, to the lily of the valley bringing luck and making a bold fashion statement in Paris. All of these blooms hold a treasure trove of stories,” they add.
“Have a giggle, shed a tear, but most of all, enjoy the tales of exploration in disguise, enduring love, cultural appropriation, and hybridization that Advolly will bring to life in this webinar. You will also get a glimpse of some of the gorgeous, specially commissioned botanical illustrations which appear in the book.”
Based in England, Richmond is best known to Americans for her work on BBC’s “Gardeners’ World.” Producer of “The Garden History Podcast,” she adds history and context to BBC garden features as well as contributes plant history profiles on BBC Radio 4. Her new book, “A Short History of Flowers” (published by Frances Lincoln, 208 pages, March 2024, $24.99 hardcover), features 60 plants and their backstories – full of intrigue and surprising twists.
As in the book, the flower stories will be accompanied in Thursday’s presentation by gorgeous illustrations. It’s a thought-provoking way to enjoy some serious (and light-hearted) gardening on a 100-degree day.
For more on The Garden Conservancy and its programs: https://www.gardenconservancy.org/.
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Garden Checklist for week of Nov. 3
November still offers good weather for fall planting:
* If you haven't already, it's time to clean up the remains of summer. Pull faded annuals and vegetables. Prune dead or broken branches from trees.
* Now is the best time to plant most trees and shrubs. This gives them plenty of time for root development before spring growth. They also benefit from fall and winter rains.
* Set out cool-weather annuals such as pansies and snapdragons.
* Lettuce, cabbage and broccoli also can be planted now.
* Plant garlic and onions.
* Keep planting bulbs to spread out your spring bloom. Some possible suggestions: daffodils, crocuses, hyacinths, tulips, anemones and scillas.
* This is also a good time to seed wildflowers and plant such spring bloomers as sweet pea, sweet alyssum and bachelor buttons.
* Rake and compost leaves, but dispose of any diseased plant material. For example, if peach and nectarine trees showed signs of leaf curl this year, clean up under trees and dispose of those leaves instead of composting.
* Save dry stalks and seedpods from poppies and coneflowers for fall bouquets and holiday decorating.
* For holiday blooms indoors, plant paperwhite narcissus bulbs now. Fill a shallow bowl or dish with 2 inches of rocks or pebbles. Place bulbs in the dish with the root end nestled in the rocks. Add water until it just touches the bottom of the bulbs. Place the dish in a sunny window. Add water as needed.
* Give your azaleas, gardenias and camellias a boost with chelated iron.
* For larger blooms, pinch off some camellia buds.
* Prune non-flowering trees and shrubs while dormant.
* To help prevent leaf curl, apply a copper fungicide spray to peach and nectarine trees after they lose their leaves this month. Leaf curl, which shows up in the spring, is caused by a fungus that winters as spores on the limbs and around the tree in fallen leaves. Sprays are most effective now.
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