About Orchids: A Chat

by Frederick Boyle

Frederick Boyle (1841-? ) was the author of: Adventures Among the Dyaks of Borneo (1865), About Orchids: A Chat (1893), The Woodlands Orchids: Described and Illustrated With Stories of Orchid- Collecting (1901) and The Culture of Greenhouse Orchids: Old System and New (1902).

Genres: Nonfiction

154 pages, Paperback

First published July 14, 1893

Reviews

[Don H.M · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book changed my life.

I found the audiobook on librivox and YouTube and it put me to sleep.
(https://youtu.be/NdhZyWIrhp4)

After weekly bouts of insomnia, i was miserable. And finally I was able to sleep. I found this audiobook was much more effective than sleeping pills, codiene, melatonin or the audiobook of a court of thorns and roses which were all effective to a degree.

Admittedly, I couldn't listen to more than 10 minutes but I think the book's content is about some guy's obsession with flowers. The narrator is not boring, his voice is magical it literally cures anxiety. He is the best ASMR narrator, and he isn't a creepy amateur like the ASMR YouTubers. He is enjoying reading about a dude ranting about flowers, god bless his heart.

I am not being sarcastic in my praise. This audiobook can help you if your mind races before bedtime. If you focus in on the narrator's magnificent soothing voice and drift off into a healthy slumber. I know some of you can benefit greatly from it.

[Amz · Rating 4 out of 5]

The colonialism, exploitation of indigenous cultures, and terminology used to describe said culture was difficult to stomach. The international business aspect and transportation of orchids was interesting. The details of growing cold, warm, hot, and hybridized varieties was fascinating, and the style of story telling was delightful.

[Andrea Hickman Walker · Rating 3 out of 5]

I know nothing about orchids, but have been considering growing one at my desk, so I thought this might be interesting. It is an overview of the history of orchid cultivation in Europe and is interesting purely on those grounds. It's not terribly practical for contemporary South African cultivation, but that's beside the point.

[Haley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I clicked on this audiobook without knowing anything about it, and it is so up my alley. At certain points it's almost an adventure book. The librivox audiobook is very good quality, and the writing style is really nice and easy to listen to. The author goes into detail about his garden and his own experiences with growing orchids in the mid-1800s, mainstream gardening and hobbyist sentiment about orchids at the time, orchid auctions and what happens at them, orchid collection expeditions and the difficulties of getting orchids back to England, and which orchids are around and popular at the time.

[Iami Menotu · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Captivating Snapshot of a Colonial Hobby

About Orchids: A Chat by Frederick Boyle is a book that perfectly embodies its time. Written in 1893, it offers a fascinating, if somewhat unsettling, glimpse into the world of orchid cultivation as a leisurely pastime for the wealthy and well-connected in the colonial era.

Frederick Boyle writes with a genuine passion for his subject. His "chatty" style makes the intricacies of orchid care accessible, and his anecdotes about orchid auctions, the triumphs of a successful bloom, and the challenges of cultivation are engaging. There is a clear sense of wonder for these exotic plants.

[Anna Urbanek · Rating 4 out of 5]

A surprisingly in-depth look into early European trials and errors of orchid cultivation.

[Erica]

Listened to this as a podcast. Great view into the orchid hunting & growing world of late 19th c Britain.