A few weekends ago, visiting one of my botanical buddies over in the Netherlands, I was taken on the most eye-opening nursery visit of my life. During lunch he announced, with characteristic Dutch directness: “Do you want to see a room of 2m orchids? You should take pictures, as after this winter this will only be seen in history books.” With an offer like that, who could say no?
A short drive later and we were sliding open the doors of one of the largest moth orchid growers in Holland, who had announced only earlier that day that they were shutting up shop after decades in business. Glasshouses the size of football pitches had been entirely emptied, the plants having been evacuated to smaller sections to save heating costs. A good 10-minute walk through abandoned corridors, I stepped into a misty room – easily double the size of the baggage claim halls of most international airports – where tables of closely crammed plants sat in full, dazzling flower.
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