The Victorian garden would be filled with hollyhocks—tall with spikes of rosette flowers, snapdragons, asters, chrysanthemums, yellow and red calceolarias, marigolds, pansies, violas, hyacinths, lilies, irises, sweet peas, and red hot pokers—trawling the globe for the bright and beautiful. There were also rhododendrons, azaleas, camellias, sycamores, oaks, elms, and chestnuts.
The garden would be laid out in styles that reflected the interests and activities of its owner: arboreal for a tree surgeon; aquatic for a fish farmer; hybridizing for an agricultural scientist; and so on. Some gardens were purely functional, while others were designed to be beautiful, attracting people into their midst. They offered food, entertainment, education, and therapy. Some gardens had special meanings for their owners: a widow used floral tributes to mourn her lost husband; a slave owner planted cotton as a reminder of the labor he performed; and a soldier returned from war built himself a garden as a place to relax and reflect.
Victorian gardens were not just about beauty. They served a purpose too. They were places where families could gather, socialize, and enjoy nature all at the same time. A stroll through a garden was known to heal the body, mind, and spirit. It was said to be good for your health! And if you happened to meet someone there...
Top eight Victorian flowers
Fruit and cones, as well as foliage like as olive, ivy, and laurel, were frequently planted alongside the flowers. Flowers such as dianthus, daisies, lily of the valley, lilies, violets, roses, and primroses were utilized. During this time, Christmas wreaths were introduced. They consisted of greens with berries, citrus fruit, or other seasonal materials thrown in for good measure.
Leaves were also used to decorate buildings and roads at this time. They were usually placed in bunches on sticks and attached to fences or lamp posts. These leaves would be gathered by children on Halloween (then called "All Hallows' Eve") when they were hung from windows or doors in order to scare away evil spirits.
Another use for Victorian-era foliage was in funerals. Trees were often grown specifically for this purpose. Their branches were allowed to grow naturally so that they would be full and lush when the body was brought home for viewing.
Finally, plants were used to create memorials to those who died. These flowers would remain in the family for many years after the death and serve as a constant reminder of what had happened.
These are just some of the ways people used Victorian-era foliage. Foliage was also used to create indoor decorations. For example, baskets of green leaves would be placed on tables at dinner parties to give them a lived-in look.
Beads, tinsel, paper decorations, and jeweled baubles were used to decorate fresh-cut evergreen trees in the Victorian era. Despite the Victorians' preference for natural greenery, artificial Christmas trees were equally popular holiday decorations. A tableau of miniature dwellings made a lovely winter setting beneath the tree. These displays usually included wooden houses with clay or plaster roofs and walls, painted bright colors.
The first commercially manufactured Christmas trees date from about 1846. Previously, people had decorated fresh trees by cutting them down under conditions that would not damage the wood too much and then hanging decorations on them as they grew back again.
Christmas trees are known by several names around the world. They are called "julbord" in Sweden, "nativity trees" in Germany, and "reindeer trees" in Finland. The American tradition of putting up Christmas trees began in Pennsylvania where German immigrants brought the custom from their home country.
People all over the world have been decorating Christmas trees for many years. Nowadays, this activity is popular at Christmas time, but it also takes place other times of the year. Children like to dress up trees with dolls' house furniture and other accessories.
In conclusion, Christmas trees were originally green plants that people decorated with plastic toys and metal objects before they were put under the roof of a house during the Victorian era.
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