Craze for Collecting - In the Footsteps of..

Were they intrepid explorers and suppliers of beauty and scientific advancement, or imperialist plunderers and destroyers of fragile environments? The reputation of plant-hunters as brave adventurers tracking down botanical wonders has taken something of a battering in recent years. Make your own mind up about their role and continuing importance as we share some plant-hunter stories in this new series. Learn about the exploits of the late-18th century ‘father’ of modern plant-hunting and the adventures of a once-celebrated woman who led botanical expeditions to the Andes. Hear tales from those who’ve followed in the footsteps of famous collectors, revisiting the native habitats of exotic plants which are now staples in the British garden, and ponder on ideas about the very different role of collectors today in plant conservation and public education.

This ticket is for this individual session and costs £8, and you may purchase tickets for the other individual session via the link below, or you may purchase a ticket for the entire course of 5 sessions at a cost of £35 via the link here. (Gardens Trust members £6 or £26.25).

Ticket sales close 4 hours before the first talk

Attendees will be sent a Zoom link 2 days (and again a few hours) prior to the start of the first talk (If you do not receive this link, please contact us), and a link to the recorded session will be sent shortly after each session and will be available for 2 weeks.

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Week 1. 15th October: She Sleeps on a Volcano! Dora Stafford. First in this series of 5 online lectures, £8 each or all 5 for £35 (Gardens Trust members £6 each or all 5 for £26.25)

Week 2. 22nd October: Sir Joseph Banks. Second in this series of 5 online lectures, £8 each or all 5 for £35 (Gardens Trust members £6 each or all 5 for £26.25)

Week 3. 29th October: In the Footsteps of.. Third in this series of 5 online lectures, £8 each or all 5 for £35 (Gardens Trust members £6 each or all 5 for £26.25)

Week 4. 5th November: A mid-summer Expedition to Yunnan. Fourth in this series of 5 online lectures, £8 each or all 5 for £35 (Gardens Trust members £6 each or all 5 for £26.25)

Week 5. 12th November: Dispatches from the Cape. Last in this series of 5 online lectures, £8 each or all 5 for £35 (Gardens Trust members £6 each or all 5 for £26.25)

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Week 3. 29 October: In the Footsteps of… with Toby Musgrave

An account of Toby’s experiences of following in the footsteps of two plant hunters: Sir Joseph Hooker (1817 – 1911) in the Himalayan wilds of northern Sikkim, India and George Forrest (1873 – 1932) amongst the dramatic landscape of the biodiversity hotspot of Yunnan Province, China.

With a degree in horticulture and a Ph.D. in garden history, both from Reading University, Toby Musgrave is an independent scholar, lecturer and author specialising in garden and plant history. His fifteenth book will be published by Phaidon in Spring 2026. Toby lives in Denmark where he gardens one of the historic De Runde Haver. He is also a submersible pilot.

For more information, please visit www.TobyMusgrave.com

Image: Plant-hunting above the Yangtze River ©Toby Musgrave

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