Age of Flora

The passion for flowers in the colonial period among the European powers, especially the Dutch and the British, is somewhat forgotten today. In Britain in particular, 'plant hunters' brought back bulbs, seeds and sometimes even seedlings of native species from Asia, Africa and the Americas, which were then propagated, crossbred and adapted to the cold climate by gardeners back home. This seemingly impossible project was supported by a flood of funding from patrons, mainly royalty, aristocrats and wealthy families.…