Much of the driving force behind the development of gardens during the Victorian period was due to the success and enterprise of Britain’s nurseries and seedsmen. They led the way in scouring the globe for new plants for British gardens and greenhouses, introducing them in to commercial production and encouraging the spread. of gardening through cheap and reliable seeds. Companies like Carters, Suttons and Veitches transformed British horticulture in just a few generations, becoming internationally important businesses. But they were not alone. There were dozens of others, smaller in scale, but no less important in impact, taking advantage of improved rail networks, cheap postage and printing, as well as increased leisure time. This Gardens Trust online talk on December 1 will tell their story, primarily through the example of Carters Seeds, which was the largest in Britain and later one of the largest in the world. This ticket is for this individual session and costs £5 – Register through Eventbrite HERE. Attendees will be sent a Zoom link 2 days prior to the start of the talk, and again a few hours before the talk. A link to the recorded session (available for 1 week) will be sent shortly afterwards.
After a career as a head teacher in Inner London, Dr David Marsh took very early retirement (the best thing he ever did) and returned to education on his own account. He was awarded a PhD in 2005 and now lectures about garden history anywhere that will listen to him. Recently appointed an honorary Senior Research Fellow by the University of Buckingham, he is a trustee of the Gardens Trust and chairs their Education Committee. He oversees their on-line program and writes a weekly garden history blog which you can find at https://thegardenstrust.blog
