by Margaret deWeese 2006
Leslie Drew gave a riveting talk to the VRS at the March meeting
on B.C.'s most successful nurseryman, Richard Layritz of Victoria.
She began by introducing Liesel Jakeman, his great niece, and
thanked her for her help with family photographs, details of the nursery
and the man. Leslie's talk was peppered with extracts from early
catalogues, early photographs and rhododendrons listed in his
catalogues, more with each catalogue produced. New and seasoned members
benefited from hearing the pioneering names of the people responsible
for introducing rhododendrons to Vancouver Island: the Stokers
and Buchanan Simpsons of Lake Cowichan, Ted and Mary
Greig, George Fraser, and especially Richard Layritz.
Born in Germany and trained in
horticulture there, he emigrated to Canada, the Land of Opportunity, as
advertised to healthy young immigrants from Europe pre-First World War,
arriving in Victoria in 1888 at the age of 21. The nursery based at
Wilkinson Road prospered as Victoria and Vancouver grew into major cities.
His big sellers were first of all, fruit trees for orchards of the B.C.
southern interior, roses, and then ornamental evergreen shrubs and trees.
Rhododendrons were important throughout. When the genus was emerging, he
could provide the first hybrids in quantity. He introduced and propagated
a vast number of these new and beautiful plants and sold them far and
wide. From his own experience and by consulting his customers, he
strove for cold-tolerant plants and gave sound advice on planting. So
many old favorites were imported from England and the Continent
and propagated, from the early Ironclads through to hybrids raised
from seed collected by the great plant explorers in Southeast Asia.
Leslie is searching for a complete
copy of the Layritz catalogue of 1940, his Golden Jubilee edition. Your
help in finding a copy would be greatly appreciated. Thank you,
Leslie for such an interesting historical talk on a great nurseryman
of British Columbia. Now as we drive by the Sequoia giganteum in
front of the Legislature, and the great trees looming on Wilkinson Road we
know more about the pioneer who planted them for posterity.