Famous Firsts

Posted in Used Books by admin on September 30, 2009

Famous Firsts

When And Why Did People First Go Crazy Over Orchids?

Orchid appreciation is so widespread today that it is hard to imagine a world without these marvelous flowers. But, not very long ago, the inhabitantspopulace of the so-called civilized world were completely in the dark about the overwhelming majority of species of orchids.

Europeans of course were familiar with their local orchid varieties, such as the much acclaimed Bee Orchid. But knowledge of the many lovely tropical orchids had to await the results of explorations into the jungles and mountains of South America and the eastern Indies. Even then, specimens were slow to make it back to places such as England, Germany or Spain.

Perhaps the first living orchid to find its way from the tropics to England was an Epidendrum cochleatum, one of the more showy of its family. It flowered in London in the year 1787. Another species from the same family was brought to England in 1778. It took a decade for its caregivers to bring forth flowers from the plant.

Admiral William Bligh, of Mutiny on the Bounty fame, brought in 15 species of epiphytal orchids from the West Indies in the early 1790s. These were put on display at the well-known Kew Gardens in London. For many years thereafter the West Indies, along with India, were the central sources of tropical orchids in Europe. In 1793, however, a species of Oncidium was carried to England from Panama, followed several years later by some orchids from Uruguay.

By 1818, Brazil was at the forefront of was contributing to what had become a steady stream of orchids back to England and other countries of Europe. By 1830 the Royal Horticultural Society had sent representatives traveling throughout Brazil looking for rare species.

The orchid trade quickly turned into a serious money making endeavor, with businessmen in Brazil negotiating deals with their counterparts in London to ship plants to England for resale there. William Harrison, a stationed in Rio de Janeiro during the 1830s and 1840s, sent many gorgeous orchids to his brother Richard in Liverpool. Richard’s house quickly became a magnet for orchid enthusiasts who pilgrimaged there to see the latest arrivals.

Introducing orchids to Europe was one thing, but cultivating them successfully proved quite another. It has truly been said that for more than half a century, England was the graveyard of tropical orchids. The plants that survived did so in spite of rather than because of the treatment they received. Growers kept experimenting and making mistakes until, by about 1850, they had mostly figured out the art of orchid cultivation. That is when the orchid craze really exploded, because now the knowledge was available by which even non-botanists could grow these stunning plants.

Knowledge of how to successfully grow orchids has greatly expanded during the intervening years and today we know so much more than did those Victorian devotees. We also have, of course, better technology to aid us in the greenhouse and garden.

The most complete guide to modern orchid growing, it is widely acknowedged, is Orchid Care Expert by Nigel Howard, which can be downloaded from the web. Mr. Howard’s ebook is a complete course in itself, suitable for neophytes as well as those more experienced. Also, be sure to visit the Orchid Secrets web site, which has a growing library of postings on many topics of orchid cultivation.

Famous Firsts (featuring Mort the Ostrich and Roland)