People love to fill their homes with beautiful plants, but this is not a new phenomenon. The trade in wild plants and seeds has a complex history that stretches back into the past and across the world.
Ahead of the Gardeners’ World Autumn Plant Fair at Audley End, Amy Matthews is joined by English Heritage’s Emily Parker and Joe Bagley, The Houseplant Doc ... Show More
Mar 26
The Partners: who were Seely and Paget?
Creators of an Art Deco masterpiece at Eltham Palace in London, Seely and Paget were one of the most remarkable architectural partnerships of the 20th century. In this episode, Amy explores the men behind the names, tracing how two well-connected young men who met at Cambridge we ... Show More
50m 18s
Mar 19
The hidden history of women in construction
When we picture the building of Britain’s great country houses, it’s easy to imagine architects, craftspeople and wealthy patrons...but they’re almost always men. However, after a closer look at the records, a different story becomes clear. From brickfields and workshops to famil ... Show More
35m 27s
Mar 12
The secret world of portrait miniatures
Tiny enough to wear around your neck, yet big enough to hold secrets, memories and devotion: portrait miniatures give us an intimate insight into the private lives of the past. In this episode, Amy Matthews is joined by curators Lydia Miller and Peter Moore to explore remarkable ... Show More
48m 21s
Aug 2024
Behind the Garden Wall: A Collection of Musings from Hill to Lange
After a five month break due to health reasons, I'm excited to launch a new Grey Gardens episode with returning guest Brian Buck, who is a long time Grey Gardens fan and admin for the Grey Gardens Facebook group. In today's episode Brian and I want to talk about the garden, the g ... Show More
1h 20m
Mar 2025
The history of British homes: everything you wanted to know
What was history's worst furnishing trend? Why, in 1953, were you more likely to own a television than a fridge? And how can you learn more about the history of your own house? Deborah Sugg Ryan joins Ellie Cawthorne to talk about the history of British homes, taking listeners on ... Show More
48m 21s
Aug 2024
The not-so-secret life of plants
From the perspective of Western science, plants have long been considered unaware, passive life forms; essentially, rocks that happen to grow. But there’s something in the air in the world of plant science. New research suggests that plants are aware of the world around them to a ... Show More
39m 4s