'Hortus Veitchii', and the History of the Veitch Nurseries of Exeter & Chelsea

Caradoc Doy is engaged in on-going research regarding the story of the Veitch Nurseries of Exeter & Chelsea, and he is available for bookings to give illustrated talks on the subject.

Please contact Caradoc for bookings & availability.

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To mark the centenary of its production in 1906, Caradoc published a numbered, limited-edition facsimile re-print of James Veitch & Sons' seminal work, Hortus Veitchii in 2006.

Copies of this 2006 re-print of Hortus Veitchii are available from leading gardening booksellers, or online and direct from Caradoc Doy.

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The Veitch Heritage Collection

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Research has so far covered the nurseries of John Veitch in Killerton; of James Veitch in Exeter, later James Veitch & Son; of James Veitch & Sons and Robert Veitch & Son, Exeter; and the landscapes they shaped.

Caradoc has also been researching Veitch plant collectors, leading hybridists and other staff as well as the plants introduced or raised by the Veitch Nurseries.

In addition, Caradoc is creating an archive of information about Veitch – and has been collecting & growing a range of Veitch-introduced plants in anticipation of creating a Veitch Heritage Collection for posterity, study and conservation.

To mark the centenary of its production in 1906, Caradoc Doy published a numbered, limited-edition facsimile re-print of James Veitch & Sons' seminal work, Hortus Veitchii in 2006.

Caradoc formally published this hardback version of Hortus Veitchii for the first time in its 100-year existence, as the original copies had been produced and given away by Veitch 'for private circulation only' to leading botanists, horticulturists and botanical institutions of the day.

Copyright law regarding the 2006 centenary re-print has been followed and respected in full.

Copies of the 2006 Centenary Edition of Hortus Veitchii are available from leading gardening booksellers, or online and direct from Caradoc Doy.

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Coming soon... Notes for the future

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I am currently working on an index of Veitch-introduced plants as listed in Hortus Veitchii that will become a useful point of reference for those wishing to have a greater understanding of the wide range of plants introduced by Messrs. Veitch.

More importantly, I hope this list will form a framework for laying the foundation for the Veitch Heritage Collection of plants.

I am also in the process of building up a seed-bank of plants, introduced by Veitch from material already growing in The British Isles, with a view to expanding this collection where possible.

It is my intention to cross-reference this proposed list with current botanical names, as well as their older or archaic synonyms.

This is a major undertaking, and may be published on this site in the future.

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Contact Caradoc Doy regarding the Veitch nurseries' history

Please feel free to contact Caradoc Doy should you have any information relating to the history of the Veitch nurseries.

I'm currently creating an archive of information relating to the history of the Veitch Nurseries, including past employees and apprentices.

I would be delighted to hear from anybody with information of those who may have once worked at any of the Veitch nurseries.

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Caradoc's particular research areas of interest are:

• Past employees
• Gardens influenced by John Veitch
• Gardens landscaped by James Veitch & Sons
• Gardens landscaped by Robert Veitch & Son
• Receipts and invoices of plants or work supplied by Veitch
• Catalogues of James Veitch & Sons
• Catalogues of Robert Veitch & Son

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✉ Please feel free to contact Caradoc Doy should you have any information relating to the Veitch nurseries' history.

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© 2004-2024 Caradoc Doy. All Rights Reserved.

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© 2004-2024 Caradoc Doy. All Rights Reserved.

Please feel free to contact Caradoc Doy regarding the Veitch Nurseries of Exeter & Chelsea, for gardening talks or for garden-planning and planting advice.

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