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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Food in My Back Yard Series
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April 29: What's (already) wrong with my tomato plants?
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April 8: When to plant summer vegetables
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March 25: Fertilizer tips: How to 'feed' your vegetables for healthy growth
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March 11: Ways to win the fight against weeds
March 4: Potatoes from the garden
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Feb. 18: How to squeeze more food into less space
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Garden Checklist for week of May 4
Enjoy this spring weather – and get gardening!
* Plant, plant, plant! It’s prime planting season in the Sacramento area. Time to set out those tomato transplants along with peppers and eggplants. Pinch off any flowers on new transplants to make them concentrate on establishing roots instead of setting premature fruit.
* Direct-seed melons, cucumbers, summer squash, corn, radishes, pumpkins and annual herbs such as basil.
* Harvest cabbage, lettuce, peas and green onions.
* In the flower garden, direct-seed sunflowers, cosmos, salvia, zinnias, marigolds, celosia and asters. (You also can transplant seedlings for many of the same flowers.)
* Plant dahlia tubers. Other perennials to set out include verbena, coreopsis, coneflower and astilbe.
* Transplant petunias, marigolds and perennial flowers such as astilbe, columbine, coneflowers, coreopsis, dahlias, rudbeckia and verbena.
* Keep an eye out for slugs, snails, earwigs and aphids that want to dine on tender new growth.
* Feed summer bloomers with a balanced fertilizer.
* For continued bloom, cut off spent flowers on roses as well as other flowering plants.
* Add mulch to the garden to maintain moisture. Mulch also cuts down on weeds. But don’t let it mound around the stems or trunks of trees or shrubs. Leave about a 6-inch to 1-foot circle to avoid crown rot or other problems.
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