The Language of Flowers

The Dahlia

The dahlia didn't arrive with a meaning. It accumulated one. In our titular episode, we trace how a sacred Aztec crop became a smuggled treasure, a botanist's legacy, and eventually a word in the Victorian language of flowers. Executive Producer, Writer & Host: Nina Ozier Co-host and Episode Cover Artist: Jake Kaplan Audio Producer & Sound Mixer: Elliot Terzian Theme Music: Paul Oliphant Episode References: 1. Seaton, Beverly. The Language of Flowers: A History. University of Virginia Press. 2. Greenaway, Kate. The Language of Flowers. London, 1884. 3. Cavanilles, Antonio José. Icones et Descriptiones Plantarum (1791–1801). 4. Sahagún, Bernardino de. Florentine Codex (Aztec botanical traditions). 5. Smithsonian Gardens. “The History of the Dahlia.” 6. Royal Horticultural Society. “Dahlia: History and Origins.”

The Blue Cornflower

Some symbols, however small, earn their weight through the specific, irreplaceable moments in which they were held. In our first episode we trace how a wildflower that grew at the margins of cultivated fields became a vessel for grief, resistance, and national memory. Executive Producer, Writer & Host: Nina Ozier Co-host and Episode Cover Artist: Jake Kaplan Audio Producer & Sound Mixer: Elliot Terzian Theme Music: Paul Oliphant Episode References: 1. Christopher Clark, Iron Kingdom: The Rise and Downfall of Prussia, 1600–1947 2. Monika Wienfort, Monarchy and Modernity in Prussia 3. Paul Fussell, The Great War and Modern Memory 4. Jay Winter, Sites of Memory, Sites of Mourning: The Great War in European Cultural History 5. George L. Mosse, Fallen Soldiers: Reshaping the Memory of the World Wars 6. Beverly Seaton, The Language of Flowers: A History