Customer Reviews

The Classic Cattleyas

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

As a commercial grower and as a collector, I eagerly awaited the publication of this book. The book does not contain passages on every Cattleya out there, but for the species selected as "Classic" it is an invaluable resource. I also appreciated that Chadwick did not bow down to what I consider to be the over burdensome and ill conceived new classification system. Chadwick articles are frequently featured in the American Orchid Society magazine and I would consider him one of the foremost authorities on the subject. This book is very readable for the everyday collector and does not get overly involved in hyper-technical scientific jargon. Plus, the photography is beautiful. Anyone who enjoys orchids, or is interested in their history, would love this book.

For those who enjoy the beautifull of the Royal Flower of the Imperial Europe, this is the book.
For those who look for beautifull photos with true colors of the Cattleyas, this is the book.
For those who love the history of how the Cattleya becamed the Star of the Orchids, this is the book.
For those who want to study and make success in growing the large-flowered Cattleyas, this is the book.
For those who accept that brazilian Laelias are in now living in the Botanical Orphanage of the Cattleya genus (and admit that "eight polinias in this large brazilian species are just a trivial difference"), this is the book.
And for those who try to find in this book the bifoliate, multi-flowered Cattleyas, well, try to consider another book. This book lacks of them.

Alejandro E. Taborda

This is a fine book for lovers of orchids. It is, first and foremost, a history, even though there are rudimentary chapters on botany and culture. Cattleyas began the orchid-mania that swept Europe and this book charts that passion and the subsequent struggles to cultivate, progagate and hybridize. The classic cattleyas are described in great detail -- including brief cultural advice for the grower.

This is an outstanding book on the Cattleya's, but who would expect any less from the Chadwick family, orchid growers par excellent. Beautiful color photos on nearly every page, and a good section on culture as well. One of my favorite orchid books. 5 stars!!!!!

The book is fantastic, well written and great pictures. It goes through the large flowered cattleyas and laelias one by one, in the order in which they were introduced to the European market. The history behind the species is fascinating and the specific cultural requirements of each cattleya species is addressed along with a brief of their use in hybridizing. The general cultural chapter is also excellent. My only regret is they didn't get to the bifoliates, maybe in the next book!

This book is my favorite orchid book because it is about my favorite species. It is written by a wonderful man and his son. Amazing photos and information that could only be acquired by a long time dedicated and intelligent orchidist! He made a thriving business out of his LOVE for orchids! They have a website that has his American Orchid Society articles that I reference to help with my growing needs. The book is a must have for any serious cattleya species grower!

Just what I wanted! "The Classic Cattleyas" by the father and son team
of Arthur A. Chadwick and Arthur E. Chadwick, gives the reader the historic
past of each orchids discovery,as well as,it's natural origins and habitat.
Observing where each plant grows in nature and recording the clutural
history, Arthur A. Chadwick with his sixty year growing experience gives the
read information on how to grow each species. Easy reading with excellent
illustrations, photographs and classic botanical prints show the
characteristics and beauty of the classic orchids. The book obviously shows
a lifetime of studying these plants.

This is an extremely well-written, easy-to-read book and loaded with information on these orchids. The text is clear and concise. The photography is beautiful and placed within the text so you are not scrambling through pages to find the appropriate photograph !

The Classic Cattleyas is really a history book and covers what happened from the time of discovery to what happened once it reached the Northern Hemisphere. After discussing each species there are notes on how to grow that species and there are also photos showing that species along with some of the cultivars. The book has a chapter on hybrids and hybridizing from the old to the new and the photographs in this section are stunning.

At the end of the book there are chapters on how to grow your own cattleyas and dealing with any pests and diseases which may assail them from root to flowers.

I believe this book would suit growers of all levels from notice to experienced.

As an orchid grower for almost 26 yrs, I've always been fascinated by the large Cattleyas. This book gives any afficcionado a great insight on the types and subtypes of large Cattleya species as well as the many nuances of their culture. In this beautiful hobby, detail and care are everything. There are tips for the beginner and the seasoned grower alike.

If you, like myself, like to discover a bit of the origins of famous clones and see how they look like, this is also the book for you. It serves also as a reference to help you correctly identify each species so that you can avoid buying hybrids for species.

A great value and a great reference !

Cheers !

This book is also a must for every serious orchid lover. Good in detail, Word and photo as well. A recommendation for sure.