Harry Veitch

Like many notable horticulturists, he was of Scottish descent, his great-grandfather, John Veitch having crossed into England toward the close of the eighteenth century to take up the offices of steward and bailiff to Sir Thomas Acland at Killerton, Devon.

Veitch was educated at the Exeter Grammar School and at Altona, Hamburg, Germany,[1] before attending the course of botanical lectures given by Dr. John Lindley at the University College, London, where he learnt the management of the seed business.

[1] At the age of eighteen, he returned to England to help his father in the management of the Kings Road, Chelsea nurseries, which had been acquired five years previously from Messrs. Knight and Perry.

One of the first steps taken by the new company, in accordance with the firm's earlier practice, was to send out Ernest Henry Wilson to China and Tibet to collect plants.However, the business proved too much for James, who suffered a nervous breakdown.

Following John's death in October 1914 at the age of 45, and the expiry of the lease on the land at Coombe Wood, Sir Harry (who had been knighted in 1912) closed the business, there being no successor in the family.

Rather than risk losing the recognised reputation which the firm had acquired, Harry disposed of the nursery and sold the land for redevelopment.

As early as 1869, together with Sir Joseph Hooker (director of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew), he was among those present at the first international exhibition in Russia, which was held at St.

[1] For nearly twenty-five years, Veitch was chairman of the Gardener's Royal Benevolent Institution, ably conducting its affairs and contributing generously to its funds.

[6] The grounds of Birr Castle, Ireland were planted with trees and shrubs purchased at the sale of Veitch's London nursery in 1914.

Included within this collection were a number of Wilson introductions from China; an exceptionally rare Carrierea calycina, specimens of Rhododendron yunnanense and a very fine Magnolia delavayi still survive today.

In his obituary, published in the Gardeners' Chronicle on 12 July 1924 it was stated, "Sir Harry Veitch may be regarded as the most outstanding figure in contemporary horticulture, and during the last fifty years no one has exercised so great an influence on all things pertaining to gardening".During his lifetime Sir Harry and his wife amassed a substantial art collection, which also included decorative art.

On his death he bequeathed the entire collection to the Royal Albert Memorial Museum in Exeter, including works by Myles Birket Foster (1825–1899) and Kate Greenaway (1846–1901).