Victorians Were the First to Go Orchid Crazy
Since tulip mania (or “tulipomania”) reached its height in the Netherlands until the present day no one group of plants has managed to acquire such a firm grasp on popular fancy as the orchids. Believe it or not, though, today’s orchid craze hardly compares to the fanatical devotion that the plants inspired in our Victorian forebears, particularly in England and the United States.
Certainly, of course, many other plants were greatly admired in the Anglo-Saxon world of the latter half of the 19th century. We may count among these the cacti, ferns, roses, chrysanthemums and palms. But orchids to a much greater degree represented the summit of horticultural respectability in 19th century gardens. So highly were these mostly tropical epiphytes held that on May 12, 1885, the first huge orchid conference was held in London. This event brought together both commercial and amateur cultivators to exhibit their prized specimens and to discuss such vital questions as the culture and nomenclature of these fascinating flowers.
At the time of that great conference in London, the exotic tropical orchids had been known to most of the world for only around a hundred years. The Spanish botanist Francisco Hernandez casually mentioned a few orchids as curiosities in his account of his 16th-century voyage to Spanish America. Some 200 years later, naturalist Engelbert Kaempfer and botanist Georg Eberhard Rumphius, employed by the Dutch East Indies Company, described several of the Asian orchids. It was not, though, until just prior to the opening of the 19th century that many Europeans became aware of these exciting, mysterious plants.
By the early 1800s, botanists were working on cultivating a few specimens at such places as Kew Gardens in London. Until 1820 orchids were looked upon as curiosities in botanical gardens, but about that time some showy Cattleyas and other species produced some stunning flowers, piqueing greater interest among the public. By the middle of the 19th century, new orchid specimens were making their way to Europe from all around the globe. Additionally, more and more people were attempting to cultivate orchids at home.
The first great orchid craze was going full throttle by the late 1800s and continued undiminished for many years to come. Somewhat suprisingly, a solid scientific understanding of orchid botany and what was needed to be consistently successful in growing orchids did not arrive until the 1920s.
Nowadays, of course, we have an abundance of good information on the proper way to grow orchids. The most complete guide to today’s orchid gardening, it is widely acknowedged, is Orchid Care Expert by a Mr. Nigel Howard, which is available to be downloaded from the Internet. Howard’s well-written guide constitutes a complete education all to itself. And, it is appropriate for neophytes as well as more seasoned orchid cultivators. Also, visit the Orchid Secrets web site, which contains an ever-growing library of postings on many facets of orchid care.
No related posts.