INTRODUCTION
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The main objective of the living orchid collection at Kew is to cultivate the most comprehensive range possible of this enormous family, and in this it differs from the majority of nurseries and private growers. |
| The scientific interest in orchids at Kew is immense and includes the study of aspects such as taxonomy, cytology, anatomy, tissue culture and conservation. Many of these are made easier by the availability of live plants. The study of the form of an orchid flower, for instance, is very difficult from a preserved specimen, whilst the remarkable variety of structural arrangements that ensure cross fertilisation can only be studied in the living state. |
| Although many of the most popular species are represented in the Kew collection, it is particularly rich in those species which at first glance lack visual appeal, but which a closer study will show to possess great charm and interest. |
| The constraints of space mean that the hybrid content of the Kew collection is relatively small and concentrates on those hybrids which have played an important part in breeding programs. It can certainly never rival the displays staged at the Royal Horticultural Society Shows by private growers, societies and nurseries with their emphasis on the more flamboyant hybrids. Nevertheless Kew can offer much for the visitor to admire, particularly in the winter and spring, when there are invariably more than 100 species in flower at any one time. |
The Kew collection has continued to increase whilst the famous collections of the past have come and gone, which demonstrates the advantages of the continuity provided first of all by royal patronage and subsequently by governmental support since the founding of the Royal Botanic Gardens in 1759. Nowhere is this continuity better illustrated than by several plants whose documented histories show them to have been at Kew for more than a hundred years.
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THE HISTORY OF ORCHIDS AT KEW
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| Tropical orchids have been cultivated continuously at Kew for over two hundred years, making the collection one of the oldest in the world. Phaius grandifolius (now called P. tankervilleae), introduced from China by Dr Fothergill and illustrated in colour in the first edition of Aiton's Hortus Kewensis (1789) can lay claim to being the first tropical orchid to flower at Kew. It can also boast a further distinction, because it was from the cells of this orchid that the distinguished draughtsman Francis Bauer first discovered and drew the nucleus of the cell. |
| As far as can be ascertained, it was only the second exotic orchid to have flowered in the British Isles, the first being Bletia verecunda, introduced from the Bahamas in 1713 by Peter Collinson. Fifteen non-British orchids are listed in the first edition of Hortus Kewensis, published in 1789. We know that the first tropical epiphytic orchid to flower at Kew was the West Indian species Encyclia (Epidendrum) fragrans which flowered in 1782, followed by its close ally E. cochleata (the 'cockleshell orchid') in 1787. One hundred and fifteen species are listed in the second edition of Hortus Kewensis (1813), including 84 exotics in 39 genera. Most of these, according to John Smith in his Records of Kew, originated in the West and East Indies, the Cape of Good Hope, and New South Wales and reflect the expansion of British influence throughout the world. |
| The collection continued to increase throughout the nineteenth century, particularly through the interest of Sir Joseph Hooker. He supplied orchid flowers to Charles Darwin, for the studies which led to his scholarly work on orchid pollination entitled "On the various contrivances by which Orchids are fertilised by insects" (I862). Queen Victoria donated a large collection of orchids to Kew in 1845, which had been amassed originally by the Duke of Bedford at Woburn Abbey. In 1848, John Smith was able to record 755 species in the collection, and this had increased to 830 by 1850. |
| The collection surprisingly suffered a decline over the next few years, so that in 1885 Sir Trevor Lawrence commented at the opening of the first orchid conference held by the Royal Horticultural Society that "there is no sufficiently representative collection of orchids there (at Kew) at present". Spurred on by this criticism, and aided by the generosity of establishments such as the Royal Botanic Garden at Glasnevin, and of various individuals, including Sir Trevor Lawrence himself, the collection was rapidly augmented, and Rolfe, in his first Handlist of Orchids cultivated in the Royal Botanic Gardens (1896), lists 1800 species in 200 genera. |
| Despite occasional setbacks, particularly those caused by two World Wars, the collection has continued to increase to serve scientists and visitors from all over the world. The strong horticultural connections initiated by Kew's first orchid taxonomist Robert Allen Rolfe, and fostered by his successors, notably Victor Summerhayes, have ensured that the links between the scientists and horticulturists have endured to the present. Indeed, it was Rolfe who in 1893 founded The Orchid Review, the longest surviving orchid journal, and one which continues to have strong links with Kew. |
| Today the Kew collection is larger than ever, with approximately 3750 taxa represented in around 390 (excluding hybrid) genera. As a source of material for scientific study it is incomparable, but it also serves a pressing need as a source of germ plasm for helping to protect and save endangered species. Orchids particularly have suffered from the depredations of collectors and from the destruction of their habitats. Most grow in the tropical forests which are rapidly being felled, and the survival of some of the showier species is dependent upon their successful propagation at Kew and similar institutions and in nurseries. |
One of the more esoteric uses to which the collection is put, and one of the most delightful, is the painting and photographing of plants for books and journals. The majority of the orchids illustrated in the Kew Magazine, for example, are from the Kew collection. The original paintings by artists such as Walter Fitch, Matilda Smith, Lillian Snelling, Margaret Stones and Pandora Sellars are preserved in the Library at Kew, an form a permanent record of the glories of Kew's living orchid collection.
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THE CULTIVATION OF ORCHIDS AT KEW
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| An orchid collection such as Kew's has to accommodate the twin demands of research and display, which historically has led to specific areas or houses being designed or used for either function. Rolfe commented in the late 1890's that the arrangement and management of houses for the growing of large research collections of orchid species were "such as to preclude the admission of visitors", adding the rider that it was "of the less consequence, as when out of flower, their general aspect for the most part is not, except perhaps to the expert, either instructive or interesting". This comment largely holds true to the present day, and although a more naturalistic approach has since been adopted in the design and management of display houses at Kew, by far the greater part of the collection is still maintained in a number of reserve glasshouses, to be brought into the display areas when in flower. |
| With such a long history of orchid cultivation at Kew, virtually every system and method devised for the growing of orchids has been used at one time or another. This has led, as the knowledge and skill of the growers has increased, to the current situation whereby orchids from all parts of the world are being grown successfully in a range of glasshouse environments from cold-hardy to lowland tropical. The early history of orchid growing at Kew (as elsewhere), was not conspicuously successful. Indeed, until the mid-1 9th century, few establishments were able to grow orchids successfully for prolonged periods. A clue to their problems is given in the general belief of the time, (founded upon insufficient and erroneous data), that the requirements of orchids in cultivation were for continually high temperatures and humidity, and deep shade. If one adds to this methods of growing generally prevalent in the early days, where plants were potted into "common soil" and plunged into hot beds of tan bark, there can be little wonder that the survival rate of epiphytes in particular was very low. |
| It is of interest to note that, even in these early days, some voices in the wilderness attempted to bring about a change in the accepted wisdom. In the early 1820's it is noted that a number of epiphytes were received from Trinidad, and subsequently cultivated with some success at Kew. This success had much to do with the detailed instructions sent by their donor David Lockhart, and was also due in great pall to the fact that many were sent still attached to their original branches and thus avoided the fate of being handled in the manner which led to the demise of so many imported plants. |
| It was around the 1840's that progressive gardeners such as Joseph Paxton, then at Chatsworth, began to implement novel growing regimes with lower temperatures and increased light and ventilation, which were eventually combined with improved heating systems using piped hot water. Thus we begin to see conditions in orchid houses more nearly approximating to those which we know today. H.J. Veitch, writing in the R.H.S. journal in 1889 was able to summaries the major features of the then current practice, namely, "larger and more airy structures, with separate compartments for different climates (for large collections even different houses); a lower average temperature; the admission of more light and air; and a better system of hearing, shading and ventilation". Bearing in mind the introduction during the preceding years of more open composts based upon mixes of sphagnum and peat, it can be seen that by then the genesis of modem cultivation practices was almost complete. |
| The collection has been housed in a number of areas of the garden during the two hundred years of orchid growing at Kew. In the mid-19th century, glasshouses on the former Fernery site were used to accommodate what Sir William Hooker described as "a rich and estimable collection of orchideous plants", a gift from Queen Victoria. One of these, the stove (hot) house, had a raised central walk - "enabling the visitor to look down upon each side of the house, while, over his head, and from the rafters on either hand, are suspended wire baskets filled with beautiful tropical epiphytes". Alongside this house was a small stove, with a somewhat cooler atmosphere, to which plants in flower were taken in order to preserve the blooms for a longer time. Although these were initially considered highly satisfactory for the collections, the plants eventually were removed due to the cultural problems suffered there, to a range of houses near the site of the old T-range which had been remodelled and fitted with hot water heating. |
| Construction of the display houses known collectively as the T-Range began in the 1860's. From 1863 until recently, the orchids were accommodated in a number of houses around this area. By 1898 the reserve collection was being kept in a number of conventional and "pit" type houses in the T-Range, while the display plants were grown in Houses 13 and 14 leading to the Victoria amazonica waterlily pond with four separate compartments to provide the regimes required by the various groups. Plants were displayed mainly on tiered staging, on tree branches, or hung from the superstructure. In the early 1970's a new approach to plant display was introduced at Kew, and many of the houses previously given over to benches and staging were landscaped. The orchids were similarly treated and grown either in the open ground or mounted upon prefabricated cork oak 'trees' according to their requirements. As part of this operation the display collection was moved into the houses in the 'stem' of the T-Range, notably Houses 8,8A and 9, and the old display houses were given over to other plant groups. Eventually House 7 was also given over to orchids, housing a collection of hybrid cymbidiums. |
| The permanent displays proved highly satisfactory for a number of the more robust species, but undoubtedly the capacity to "ring the changes" was affected, and the space for temporary display of plants in flower rather restricted. However, the vigour of some of the plants in the display houses, especially species of Bulbophyllum, Cymbidium, Vanilla, Maxillaria, Eria, Coelogyne, Epidendrum, Encyclia, Flickingeria (syn. Ephemerantha) and Sobralia, led to large and handsome plants developing on the trees and in the ground, giving the visitor a better idea of how orchids grow in the wild. |
| Towards the end of the 1970's, various problems with the now rather dilapidated T-Range houses led to the reserve collection being transferred in 1979 to better accommodation in the Lower Nursery close to Kew Palace. At first, most of the plants were in house 36, with a few in other houses in the Nursery. These were followed by the bulk of the display material in late 1981, prior to the demolition of the T-Range to make way for the new .45 hectare (1.1 acre) Tropical Conservatory. A small landscaped display of orchids was set out in House 4, with a display case for plants in flower: however the constraints of space (as other tropical plant collections also had to be accommodated in this house) necessarily made this a token arrangement until the new Conservatory opened. |
| The plants soon settled down in the Tropical Section Nursery and since 1980 a rapid expansion of the collections has taken place. The collection now occupies some 862 m( (9500 ft() of space in five houses, one of which was generously donated to Kew by Sir Robert and Lady Sainsbury to accommodate the specialist research collection of terrestrial orchids. There are eight compartments within these houses, allowing for the provision of a considerable range of environments to suit the various requirements of this diverse collection. |
| Orchids are grown from seed in the Micropropagation Unit at Kew. Seed may come either from pollinations made in the Kew collection or from United Kingdom or overseas sources. The trend now is for plants to be raised from seed rather than for plants to be taken from the wild. Seedlings are reared in a small greenhouse and transferred to the main collection as they become established. Surplus seedlings are used as material for exchange with other orchid growers throughout the world. |
| It should be stressed here that it is not only in the Tropical Section that orchids are grown at Kew. Many are grown in the Alpine and Herbaceous Section, where they are split between hardy species growing in the open ground, mainly in the Rock Garden and Alpine House areas, and a collection of tender, cool-growing species under glass. |
| Two zones within the Princess of Wales Conservatory are devoted to orchid displays. Zone 6 houses warm growing tropical orchids and Zone 7 cool growing tropical, subtropical and temper-ate orchids. The bulk of the display area is landscaped and here the planting is permanent with the aim of showing how orchids grow in the wild. Additionally each Zone contains a small area of temporary planting demarcated by glass security screens. Orchids which are flowering in the Nursery Collection are displayed here so that they can be enjoyed by the visitors. These displays are normally changed at weekly intervals so that they are always fresh and colourful. It is intended that these displays will become more thematic in future.
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