Tag Archives: orchids

William Bull – Horticulture in Excelsis

Posted on 29/07/2023 by The Garden History Blog

As regular readers will know I have a soft spot for the stories of once-famous and now overlooked or even forgotten Victorian nurserymen.  William Bull is another one you probably haven’t heard of, but who was absolutely pre-eminent in his … Continue reading →

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Benjamin the orchidologist

Posted on 15/04/2023 by The Garden History Blog

These days we think nothing of having orchids as pot plants around the house. They’re piled high and sold cheap in every supermarket,  having been  grown by micropropagation in plant factories and then air-freighted in from all round the world. … Continue reading →

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Jungling with Lady Charlotte…

Posted on 23/05/2020 by The Garden History Blog

A few years ago I spent a month in Burma, and one of the highlights of the trip was to see  the  National Botanic Gardens at Pyin Oo Lwin, way up in the hills near Mandalay.    It was rather … Continue reading →

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Orchids, Ferns, Fossils and the Great Flood

Posted on 23/03/2019 by The Garden History Blog

We often hear that grand gardens cost money: it’s as true as the old cliché which says “money talks.” But there is a world of difference between a grand garden and a great one.  Great gardens develop when that money meets … Continue reading →

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How Orchids became a Librarian’s Nightmare

Posted on 16/02/2019 by The Garden History Blog

It maybe a strange title but this is really the story of a rich young man and his passion for plants or rather one particular kind of plant.  James Bateman was the grandson and son of rich industrialists who had … Continue reading →

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