Gardeners and growing of Botanical Rarities

Eight Shillings

It was not easy being a gardener at the turn of the 20^th Century. Apprentice gardeners were paid a paltry eight shillings a week while a basic gardener, with five years experience could hope for 21 shillings. Glasnevin staff worked long hours under difficult conditions and lunch was had while resting on bags of coal. Moore regularly complained to his superiors about the living conditions on site and eventually, in 1907, bathrooms were added to the apprentice dormitory and a mess room was provided for the non-resident staff.

Moore was also one of the first to employ female apprentices. On 20^th June 1898 Gertrude Webb and Mary Graves from Swanley began work in the gardens on a trial scheme, leading to 60 young women being trained in Glasnevin over the next 30 years (Ingram & Forrest, 1997).

To be a head gardener or foreman at this time meant your standing, and therefore your living conditions were much improved from that of a gardener. It was often that a foreman would accompany his employer to visit other gardens when many plants would be donated to the collections.

'Such generous gifts would cease if Moore and his foremen were prevented from travelling to visit private gardens and nurseries.'

(Nelson and McCracken, 1987)

Indoor Foreman

Moore was very encouraging of his senior staff. Two in particular were William Pope and Michael Conway.  Pope began as orchid gardener and worked in Glasnevin until 1899. He is remembered in Sarracenia × popei, a hybrid pitcher plant.

Michael Conway became Indoor Foreman in 1934 and was very much encouraged by Moore especially in expanding his experiences. On Moore's instigation, Conway moved to Trentham House in Staffordshire in 1896. He was promoted to Foreman and moved to Veitch’s nursery in Chelsea in 1899. He returned to Glasnevin and was appointed Indoor Foreman in 1934. He retired with poor health in 1942 and died 3 months later.

Conway was well educated and could read Latin and often gave tours of the gardens to foreign visitors. Moore was not a prolific writer like his father, but he did encourage Conway, considered his protégé, to write articles. Articles by Conway on Glasnevin orchids were published in the Orchid Review in the late 1920s.

Growing Orchids

Orchids were a formidable challenge to most gardeners during the 19^th/20^th century. Little was known of how to grow these tropical rarities and conditions in the glasshouses were far from ideal. During this time, many gardeners had to experiment with growing techniques, which was acknowledged by Moore when he referred to Coelogyne triplicatula. 

'It is a pity that young gardeners know what an orchid is, as they immediately seem to think some extraordinary kind of treatment is necessary.  There is much force in this remark. The name orchid seems to suggest shade, heat, and moisture, but these conditions are absolutely unsuitable for many species.'

(Moore, 1908)