Tuesday 24th September
7.30pm in the Village Hall
‘Plant Hunters and Pioneers’ – a Talk by Caradoc Doy
Members: free. Guests: £3.
The Veitch Nurseries were the largest group of family-run plant nurseries in Europe during the 19th century. They were the first commercial nurseries in Britain to sponsor their own plant collectors. The original nursery was eventually split into two separate businesses, based at Chelsea and Exeter. The Chelsea branch ceased to trade in 1914, but Exeter continued until 1969.
Experienced speaker Caradoc Doy is an authority on the history of the Veitch Nurseries. The nursery’s plant hunters introduced 232 orchids, nearly 500 greenhouse plants, 118 exotic ferns, about 50 conifers, 153 deciduous trees, 72 evergreen and climbing shrubs, and 122 herbaceous and 37 bulbous plants from around the globe, many of which are popular stalwarts in our gardens today.
The story of how plant hunters managed to discover new plants and bring live specimens across the world in an age when travel was arduous and often dangerous is a fascinating and enthralling topic for a talk, and I hope you can join us to hear it.
Marion Jay
Chairwoman, Wootton Courtenay Gardening Club
Wootton Courtenay 