Commercial horticulture – The Bell Bookshop

Orchids

Emma — Thu, 05 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

So you’ve been given an orchid.

This ancient flower is one of the most popular plants cultivated today, and has amassed a wealth of symbolism throughout its history.

However, they are famously fussy. Everybody has a different tip, trick or close-guarded secret for keeping orchids alive you’ve probably heard of using icecubes as watering technique, or sunning the roots for example. With so much debate this beloved species, it can be hard to separate fact from fiction.

We’re here to cut through the noise and give you exactly what you need to keep your plant happy, healthy and continually blooming. All you need is the patience of an orchid

This is how to keep an orchid alive.

An Almost Impossible Thing

Emma — Thu, 04 Apr 2024 00:00:00 +0000

While working at the Royal Horticultural Society, Fiona Davison discovered a cache of letters from a young gardener who was denied a scholarship by the RHS, on the grounds that she was female. Appalled and intrigued to find out what became of Olive, Fiona began to research the wider story of early female professional gardeners and discovered a group of pioneers whose struggles against patriarchy changed forever the rights and opportunities for women gardeners. 'An Almost Impossible Thing' follows six hitherto littleknown women gardeners in the years before the First World War, and examines their lives in the context of suffragism, collectivism and Empire.