Botany, Poison, and the Victorian Imagination

Step into the shadowed parlors and autumn gardens of the 1880s, where beauty and danger often grew together. In this richly illustrated talk, local author Jocelyne Waddle explores the fascinating world of Victorian botany, when plants were far more than ornament. They were instruments of power, medicine, coded communication, and, at times, lethal malice. Drawing from her Lady Aurora Mysteries, Waddle reveals how real 19th century botanical knowledge shaped daily life, women’s agency, and the darker corners of the era’s imagination.

Attendees will discover:

• the Victorian language of flowers, especially in mourning and remembrance

• the medicinal plants every household relied on, and the toxic look alikes that could prove fatal

• how women used botanical knowledge as influence, resistance, and survival

• the real historical plants that inspired scenes in Waddle's Death Comes at First Light, A Mermaid’s Drowning, and the forthcoming Silence Over the Poisoned Hills

• why the Victorians were captivated by poisons, antidotes, and the thin line between healing and harm

Atmospheric, engaging, and perfect for an October evening, this program blends history, mystery, and the natural world. Whether you love gardening, historical fiction, or a beautifully crafted suspense story, you’ll find something to savor.

A signing will follow, with books available for purchase.