Author Archives: The Garden History Blog

Towards the end of the 18thc botany had become  a fashionable subject amongst the educated class in Britain, and in particular it was thought the study of plants was a suitably feminine pastime. So when Erasmus Darwin  (who I wrote … Continue reading →

We’re all heard of Charles Darwin, and indeed the last couple of blogs have been about one impact of his ideas on evolution, but who knows much about his grandfather? I certainly didn’t until I chanced across something he’d written … Continue reading →

The man-eating tree from Madagascar I wrote about last week turned out to be an elaborate hoax, albeit a very long lasting and successful one. Nevertheless it struck a chord in the public imagination and from then on there has … Continue reading →

Let’s get the New Year off to a scary flying start with a look at monstrous even man-eating plants.  There have always been strange or mythical plants but from the second half of the 19thc they take on new and … Continue reading →

Tomorrow the blog celebrates its 10th birthday! The first post was on New Years Eve 2013 and  the numbers reading  have continued to grow apace with over 222,000 views  over the course of the year,  well up on last year’s … Continue reading →