Green Spaces, Empire's Traces: A Victorian History of Houseplant Horticulture with Lindsay Wells

Name: Green Spaces, Empire's Traces: A Victorian History of Houseplant Horticulture with Lindsay Wells
Start: 2025-01-29T19:00:00-05:00
Location: Online event

Schedule

Wed, 29 Jan, 2025 at 07:00 pm

UTC-05:00

Location

Online event | Cincinnati, OH

As coal consumption increased in nineteenth-century Britain, so did the need to innovate new forms of gardening that could protect plants from smoke and air pollution. Advances in glasshouse technology, along with the emergence of parlor and window horticulture, subsequently allowed the Victorians to cultivate miniature gardens within their homes. Over time, these spaces became showcases for elaborate collections of ornamental plants, many of which were sourced from Africa, Asia, and other regions tied to British colonialism. This talk will explore the Victorian history of houseplants, highlighting how indoor gardens entwined a growing desire for environmental renewal with the global politics of imperial expansion.