Scattered Chapters of an Ancient Orchid Manual

AnonymousJun 2024

2.9

Word count: 1.9K words
Chapters: 7

Summary

The orchids of Ningyuan: spring orchids mostly come from Mount Mao; summer orchids mostly from Anhui; and Shaoxing lanhui occasionally arrive as well. Whenever new flowers reach the market, buyers are numerous, yet once they have bloomed no one looks at them again; those cultivated in gardens are left to live or die, and those set in pots have no chance of survival. The plants may not fail to stay green, but they will certainly never bloom again. In my neighborhood, Wang Jihou heard a gardener say: those who do not know how to appreciate orchids generally spend the first year enjoying the flowers, the second year enjoying the leaves, the third year enjoying the roots, and by the fourth year they are done. Some put it even more wickedly: enjoying the roots, then enjoying the pots. Mencius said: If it gets its nourishment, nothing fails to grow; if it loses its nourishment, nothing fails to perish. How much more so for orchids!

Editor's review

Though brief, "Scattered Chapters from an Old Orchid Manual" is an insightful essay on orchid culture. The author is unknown. It begins with the actual conditions of the Ningyuan orchid market: spring orchids mostly come from Mount Mao, summer orchids mostly from Anhui, and Shaoxing lanhui occasionally arrive as well. New flowers draw crowds of buyers, yet once they have bloomed no one looks at them again; those cultivated in gardens are left to live or die, and those set in pots have no chance of survival. Quoting the gardener Wang Jihou, the text sums up the fourfold fate of those who do not know how to appreciate orchids—first year the flowers, second year the leaves, third year the roots, and by the fourth year they are done. The words are humorous yet hit the mark. It closes with Mencius's saying, "If it gets its nourishment, nothing fails to grow; if it loses its nourishment, nothing fails to perish," elevating orchid care into a universal principle of nurture. Short as it is, the piece clearly sets out the fashions of the orchid market, common mistakes in cultivation, and ideas about care. It has value as historical material and can also be read as a horticultural essay. It suits readers interested in traditional orchid culture and the history of flower cultivation; as they read, they may wish to reflect on their own experience of growing orchids and weigh the three words "gets its nourishment."

Who it's for

A good fit for

Gardeners who love traditional orchids and want to understand the old orchid market and cultivation fashions
Readers of history and belles-lettres interested in the history of flower cultivation and local customs
Home growers who have repeatedly failed with orchids and want to rethink their approach to care
Readers who enjoy short, pithy classical essays and notebook-style writing

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking a systematic orchid manual, variety guide, or pest and disease handbook
Researchers expecting a full-length monograph or detailed textual scholarship
Beginners who find classical Chinese difficult and need vernacular translation and annotation

Reading tips

Read it through once, then return to the lines "first year the flowers, second year the leaves, third year the roots, and by the fourth year they are done," comparing them with your own experience of growing orchids.
As you read, compare the orchid-producing regions mentioned—Mount Mao, Anhui, Shaoxing—with today's orchid market and note how fashions have changed.
Read it alongside traditional orchid books such as the Lan Pu and Jinzhang Lan Pu, comparing their different emphases on care versus appraisal.
After reading, write a short note recording your own lessons in orchid growing, both where you "gave nourishment" and where you "failed to."

版权信息
古兰谱散章之一《玩盆》
古兰谱散章之二《宁野倚云之艺兰》
古兰谱散章之三《元人艺兰》
古兰谱散章之四《宋明人艺兰》
古兰谱散章之五《兰蕙镜自序》
古兰谱散章之六《陶歇庵养兰说》

FAQ

What main lesson does this short essay convey?

Starting from the phenomenon that many buy orchids but few know how to grow them, the essay uses the gardener's words to point out the fate of those who do not know how to appreciate orchids: "first year the flowers, second year the leaves, third year the roots, and by the fourth year they are done." It closes with Mencius's saying, "If it gets its nourishment, nothing fails to grow; if it loses its nourishment, nothing fails to perish," stressing that the key to orchid growing lies in giving proper nourishment, not in momentary enjoyment.

What does "enjoying the roots, then enjoying the pots" mean?

It is the gardener's wry way of describing the end of failed orchid growing. The orchid declines year by year: first there are no flowers to enjoy, then the leaves lose their green, then only the roots remain, and finally neither roots nor pots are worth enjoying. The irony mocks those who seek only momentary bloom and do not understand long-term care.

Is this book suitable as an introductory guide to orchid growing?

Not really. It is a short essay on orchid culture, focused on criticizing fashions in orchid growing and clarifying ideas about care; it does not systematically cover varieties, potting media, watering, disease prevention, or other specific techniques. For an introductory guide, choose a modern orchid book with illustrations and step-by-step instructions; this book can serve as a supplementary reader on principles.

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About the author

Anonymous Author

Anonymous is not a real personal name but a general Chinese designation for authors whose names are unknown, lost, or unsigned. Neither nationality nor dates of birth and death can be verified, and available public information is limited, so the works attributed to this name are the only basis for description. The collection holds 2,078 works under Anonymous, spanning medicine, classics, historical readings, ancient poetry, classical literature, and philosophy. Representative works include The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon: Lingshu, Mencius, The Book of Documents, Nineteen Old Poems, Complete Song Ci, and The Peacock Flies Southeast. Most of these works took shape through long transmission and editing, emerging either from collective folk creation or from authors whose names were lost over time. In ancient China, the Book of Songs, the Great Learning, and many popular storybooks and plays were signed Anonymous because their authors could not be traced. Anonymous works cross the classics, histories, philosophical writings, medical texts, and poetry; their subjects are broad, and their styles vary from archaic simplicity to clear naturalness, making them important and influential sources for understanding ancient Chinese thought, medicine, and literature.