Victorian Orchid Greenhouse

This modular design of orchid house could be either 18 or 20ft wide. The tiered stages in the centre were built of cast iron and had slate shelves, but the staging around the sides of the greenhouse used 3" laths held in position by patented sockets on the iron rails. Wet trays underneath helped maintain the hi humidity required, as did the water tank running through the centre of the house.

This orchid house section was 12ft wide and boasted improved staging and fittings. The incoming side ventilation only entered the greenhouse from under the staging so the warm foliage was never affected by cold draughts. The incoming cold air had to pass across four 4" diameter hot pipes which served to preheat the fresh air.

On the roof can be seen the external frame arrangement for the lathe shading device used in the summer which allowed cooler air to flow over the shaded glass area. 

This dual aspect orchid house consisted of a cool house facing north sepearated by a wall. On the south face of the wall was a hot or stove house for orchids.

Wealthy Victorians were great collectors of orchids and to satisfy their craving many nurseries operated throughout Britain, Europe and America. James Veitch and Sons were a local Devon nursery based in nearby Exeter between 1832 and 1853 when the nursery moved to London. The nursery business of James Veitch and Sons broke up a few years after the death of James Veitch in 1907, the son with the same name as his father.

The final images include various orchid houses: the left photograph showing the use of external roller blinds for cooling; and on the right, a whole range of orchid houses for a specialist collector, Major W.G. Blake of Eccleshall, Sheffield.