If you’ve ever watched Adaptation, you’ll know that it’s based influenced by Susan Orlean’s The Orchid Thief. Rather it’s heavily inspired by The Orchid Thief, which is the whole point of the narrative. If you haven’t seen it and this makes about as much sense as genitals on a toaster, then get thyself to a video store and watch one of the most brilliantly confusing movies ever made. The point is, The Orchid Thief is a wonderful read about orchids, their origins and their fanatical and sometimes criminal collectors. It mightn’t seem like a page-turner, but you underestimate their enticement.
Did you know that orchids have seen scores of poachers travelled the globe throughout the Industrial Revolution, risking headhunters, starvation or other modes of almost certain death? Did you know that it takes seven years for a plant to bloom, much to the consternation of breeders and collectors alike? Did you know that the humble terrarium was invented by Dr. Nathaniel Bagshaw Ward to transport orchids and ferns from faraway lands and was once called a ‘Wardian Case’? Well you do now.
In line with the current trend of old-world revival items comes Samuel Wilkinson‘s “Biome” terrarium. A far cry from the bottom cut off a Pepsi bottle and stuffed with moss found in the garden, the London designer has created a sexy looking object for the home or office that ”promotes ‘digital downtime’ by finding an alternative use for smartphones and encouraging their owners to consider a slower life.” With adjustable temperature and humidity controls and low-energy lighting, aspiring gardeners can replicate the natural environment of whatever the Biome houses in a microcosm of wonder. Sounds pretty ideal for the brown thumbs amongst us.
Published on 12 November 2011 by Agony Uncle