- Veitch Nurseries
The Veitch Nurseries ("Veitch" is pronounced to rhyme with "beach") were the largest group of family-run plant nurseries in
Europe during the 19th century. Started by John Veitch sometime before 1808, the original nursery grew substantially over several decades and was eventually split into two separate businesses - based at Chelsea andExeter - as it became unfeasible to run the whole operation from one location.The Veitch's ability to rear exotic plants is noted in
William Jackson Hooker 's description of "Verticordia nitens ", and they were able to supply a specimen for its illustration. [cite journal|last=Hooker|first=William Jackson|date=1861|title=Verticordia nitens|journal=Curtis's Botanical Magazine|volume=58|pages=Pl. 5286|url=http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Curtis's_Botanical_Magazine/Volume_LXXXVII/5286_Verticordia_nitens]The firm had, by the outbreak of the
First World War , introduced 1281 plants intocultivation , which were either previously unknown or newly bred varieties (seecultivars ). These included 498greenhouse plants, 232orchids , 153deciduous trees,shrubs andclimbing plant s, 122herbaceous plants, 118 exoticfern s, 72evergreen and climbing plants, 49conifers and 37 bulbous plants. In the years to come, more plants followed. The nurseries were most famous for their orchids, although they also introduced several famous plants from other families, such as "Nepenthes rajah " and "Nepenthes northiana ". Thepitcher plant species "N. veitchii" is named in honour of the Veitch dynasty.The Chelsea business ceased to trade in 1914, whilst the Exeter business continued under
Peter Veitch and later his daughter Mildred. She in turn sold the firm in 1969, when it was bought bySt Bridget Nurseries . The business was run as a separate business for a further 20 years, but is now a non-functioning subsidiary of St Bridget.John Veitch, England and Corinthian footballer was a member of the Veitch family and joined the family firm as company secretary.
References
External links
*PDFlink| [http://www.exeter.gov.uk/media/pdf/1/4/veitch_heritage_garden_1.pdf The Veitch Heritage Garden] |132 KiB
*PDFlink| [http://www.tobymusgrave.com/pdf/Veitch_Nursery.pdf Family Fortunes: Veitch Nursery] |722 KiB
* [http://www.caradocdoy.co.uk/veitch_nursery Veitch Nurseries on www.caradocdoy.co.uk]
* [http://www.pacsoa.org.au/places/People/veitch.html Article on John Gould Veitch (1839 - 1870)]
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