About Orchids
A Chat
A bright, funny, and curious stroll through Victorian orchid mania, About Orchids invites readers to listen in on a chatty natural history of plants, places, and peculiar people.Frederick Boyle's botanical essays mingle nature writing with humorous observations, turning a simple study of orchids into a window on Victorian London, travel, and garden culture. The form is intimate and lively, blending keen observation with light irony, and a deep respect for plants as witnesses to travel, science, and everyday wonder. This is not a dry catalogue but a conversation about beauty, curiosity, and the stubborn charm of the living world-an invitation to wander among scent, colour, and curiosity.A note on literary and historical significance: the book sits at the crossroads of botany and travel writing, a charming relic from garden literature classics that captures the wit and wonder of its era. It rewards casual readers with accessible delights and rewards collectors with texture, voice, and a sense of a vanished London and its botanical passions.Selling points:Out of print for decades and now republished by Alpha Editions.Restored for today's and future generations.More than a reprint - a collector's item and a cultural treasure.
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Frederick Boyle
Frederick Boyle (1841-1914) was an English author, journalist, barrister, and orchid enthusiast. Born in Stoke-on-Trent, he was the nephew of Joseph Meyer and attended Brasenose College, Oxford, where he began his academic journey. Boyle was called to the bar in 1866, though his true passion lay in writing and travel. In 1863, he journeyed to Sarawak with his brother, and their travels inspired a book as well as chapters in other works documenting their experiences in Asia, South Africa, and the Americas. Boyle's interests also extended to archaeology, as evidenced by his donation of numerous artefact from Nicaragua to the British Museum in 1866. As a writer, Boyle contributed to various newspapers and journals, including the Daily Telegraph, Pall Mall Gazette, and The Illustrated London News. He also wrote novels and articles, showcasing his versatility in literary pursuits. Boyle's work spanned many genres, and he frequently collaborated with others, such as Ashmore Russan, on works serialized in popular periodicals. Boyle spent his later years focused on literary work, leaving behind a legacy of both travel writing and horticultural passion.
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