Best of Natural History Radio

Natural Histories : Fern


Listen Later

For a plant that we generally associate with shady, damp places, a plant that has no flowers or scent, the Fern has drawn us into her fronds and driven an obsession that is quite like any other. Pteridomania or Fern Madness swept through Victorian Britain in part thanks to the availability of plate glass from which manufacturers could build glass cases for growing ferns. The trade in ferns all but wiped out some species from parts of the UK and fern hawkers sold specimens on street corners in London. Brett Westwood and Verity Sharp trace our relationship with the fern on a journey from a slide of spores in Durham, to the art of Nature Printing via a garden fernery and discover that the fern is still weaving its magic spell over us.

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Best of Natural History RadioBy BBC Radio 4

  • 3.9
  • 3.9
  • 3.9
  • 3.9
  • 3.9

3.9

72 ratings


More shows like Best of Natural History Radio

View all
Radiolab by WNYC Studios

Radiolab

43,837 Listeners

Global News Podcast by BBC World Service

Global News Podcast

7,913 Listeners

Newshour by BBC World Service

Newshour

1,067 Listeners

In Our Time by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time

5,576 Listeners

The Documentary Podcast by BBC World Service

The Documentary Podcast

1,808 Listeners

6 Minute English by BBC Radio

6 Minute English

1,729 Listeners

Learning English Conversations by BBC Radio

Learning English Conversations

1,018 Listeners

The Infinite Monkey Cage by BBC Radio 4

The Infinite Monkey Cage

1,952 Listeners

13 Minutes Presents: Artemis II by BBC World Service

13 Minutes Presents: Artemis II

4,186 Listeners

You're Dead to Me by BBC Radio 4

You're Dead to Me

3,245 Listeners

Americast by BBC News

Americast

779 Listeners

The Rest Is Politics by Goalhanger

The Rest Is Politics

3,858 Listeners

Chris Skinner's Countryside Podcasts by High Ash Farm

Chris Skinner's Countryside Podcasts

10 Listeners