A nursery garden in China circa 1820-1840. Shipping Chinese flowers to Europe became big business in the 19th century, but seawater initially killed many plants en route until trial and error brought about a solution. Photo: Getty Images Europe’s obsession with Chinese flowers through the centuries Among the most unexpected exports from China to Europe in the late 18th and throughout the early 19th centuries were live plants destined for botanical gardens and burgeoning… | 