Recorded Talk. The Nineteenth Century: The Quest for Novelty

This is a replay of the fourth series of our online course, which looks thematically at gardens of the 19th century. Originally run in early 2025, it was praised by attendees first time round for ‘the consistently high quality of the speakers - the breadth and depth of their knowledge and their excellent presentation skills.’

A History of Gardens from the Gardens Trust is suitable for anyone curious about gardens and their stories – whether absolute beginners or those with some garden history knowledge. It aims to help participants recognise important eras, themes and styles in mainly British garden history from the earliest times to today, grasp something of the social, economic, political and international contexts in which gardens have been created and find greater pleasure in visiting historic gardens.

The recordings will be available to view until 20 January. You can buy a ticket for the whole recorded series, or for any of the individual sessions. All attendees will also receive the short reading list produced for the original run of the series.

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The 19th century was a time of massive industrial, technological and social change, and that is true in the microcosm of the garden as much as in society more generally. The vast wealth generated by industrialisation and empire led to extravagance and swagger in gardens in a gaudy variety of styles, alongside huge investment in obtaining and cultivating exotic plant species. In many cases, the fashionable features and gardening activities of large country estates were miniaturised and transposed to suit the burgeoning middle-classes - and popularised through flourishing horticultural magazines edited by the likes of JC Loudon.

We’ll be exploring the period thematically, with five talks highlighting some of the key innovations, styles, people and networks that together came to define 19th-century gardens.

This ticket is for this individual talk and costs £8, and you may purchase tickets for other individual sessions via the links below, or you may purchase a ticket for the series of 5 available talks in our History of Gardens 3 Course at £35 via the link here. (Gardens Trust members £6 each or all 5 for £26.25)

Tickets will be released on 5th Dec, and the recordings will be available to view until 20th January 2026. The Zoom links will be in the confirmation email sent directly after booking, if you do not receive that email, please contact us.

Ticket sales will close on 20th January at 10am.

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Recording 1: Garden Technology with David Marsh. First in a series of 5 online lectures, £8 each or all 5 for £35 (Gardens Trust members £6 each or all 5 for £26.25)

Recording 2: Head Gardeners - the Forgotten Heroes of 19th-Century Horticulture with Toby Musgrave. Second in a series of 5 online lectures, £8 each or all 5 for £35 (Gardens Trust members £6 each or all 5 for £26.25)

Recording 3: The Rise of the Gardening Press with Francesca Murray. Third in a series of 5 online lectures, £8 each or all 5 for £35 (Gardens Trust members £6 each or all 5 for £26.25)

Recording 4: High Victorian Design with Ben Dark. Fourth in a series of 5 online lectures, £8 each or all 5 for £35 (Gardens Trust members £6 each or all 5 for £26.25)

Recording 5: The Quest for Novelty: Colonialism, Trade and Plant Collecting in the 19th Century with Keith Alcorn. Last in a 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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Recording 5: The Quest for Novelty - Colonialism, Trade and Plant Collecting in the 19th century with Keith Alcorn

During the early nineteenth century, new plant introductions into Britain accelerated as opportunities for plant collecting opened up through colonial exploration and the growth of British trade. This talk explores how plants came to Britain in the 19th century and who was responsible for the influx of new discoveries. We will examine how sponsorship sent plant collectors to South America, southern Africa, the west coast of North America and China, and how networks of colonial service and trade enabled private landowners, botanic gardens and nursery businesses to expand their collections. We will also consider how these new plants were used in British gardens and landscapes, and the inventions required for them to thrive.

Dr Keith Alcorn is a Visiting Tutor in the History department at Royal Holloway University London, where he is researching the trading and colonial networks that enabled plant introductions to Britain during the 18th and 19th centuries. His book, ‘The Empire in the Garden: How Exotic Plants Came to Britain’, will be published by Yale University Press in 2027. When not researching or writing, Keith attempts to garden on sandy soil at the edge of the Surrey hills.

Image: The Wardian case enabled plants to be transported around the world, from J. Van Voorst, On the growth of plants in closely glazed cases (1852), Biodiversity Heritage Library, public domain

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We’re grateful to Wooden Books, sponsor of the first five series of A History of Gardens.

Wooden Books, the world’s leading Liberal Arts and Sciences pocket series.

From Mazes & Labyrinths to Mathematical Functions, from Mythological Animals to the Miracle of Trees. From Portals, to Proportion, to Poisonous Plants and Poetic Metre & Form. Wooden Books are beautifully illustrated on every page. Learn about Li. Slip into Shadows. Get a grip on the Golden Section. Small books, big ideas.

"Fascinating" FINANCIAL TIMES. "Beautiful" LONDON REVIEW OF BOOKS. "Rich and Artful" THE LANCET. "Genuinely mind-expanding" FORTEAN TIMES. "Excellent" NEW SCIENTIST. "Stunning" NEW YORK TIMES.

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