I believe, no, I am absolutely certain, that flowers have been loved throughout all times. People have always strived to engage in gardening and flower cultivation, regardless of era, race, or part of the world. How can one not pay attention to such amazing creations that nature has crafted? Today, I want to chat about the favorite flowers of the Victorians. The Victorian era is my favorite era, and flowers are something I love so much and want to share as many facts as possible on my blog.
I found out that the araucaria was popular in England since 1793 but became especially widespread in the early 1840s. At that time, people could impress passersby with a five-foot tree that cost only 5 pounds, a bit less than a maid’s annual salary. Flower hunters scoured the planet in search of new specimens.
Once, a certain Robert Fortune embarked on a dangerous journey to China, where he managed to find Japanese anemone, winter jasmine, and the spring-blooming forsythia for his home, as well as forty varieties of tree peonies.
Victorians, like today, loved orchids. Particularly famous for them were the Loddiges nursery and the Royal Horticultural Society garden in Chiswick. Besides orchids, dahlias were in vogue. They were widely advertised, but those who bought tubers had to be cautious. Some housekeeping magazines stated that such tubers were often useless despite the glowing recommendations from nurseries.
Roses were cultivated as well. There was even a catalog at the time that listed around 1500 varieties of roses, which is quite a lot. Back then, roses could only bloom once, with no repeat flowering. Classic roses, bred in 1820, grew in rose gardens. Despite the love for such a classic flower as the rose, Victorians were obsessed with ferns, both local and exotic.
Among the favorite flowers of Victorians, who loved color contrasts, was the red pelargonium. You might know this plant as geranium, although botanically, this is incorrect. Petunias and verbenas were also included. The bright foliage of coleus contrasted with equally bright flowers in the flowerbed.
Victorians loved using carpet bedding of flowers. All gardens were filled with wonderful floral carpets, created through continuous planting and the use of cheap labor.
I hope these facts were entertaining for you and inspired you to create something delightful in your garden or on your windowsill. I’m attaching a few photos from my garden here.
Looking for more botanical or gardening inspiration, check out my recent posts on this topic – Wild plants you can eat and Idea for a summerhouse on your garden plot.
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