Orchids have long held a place of esteem and fascination in the horticultural world. In the 19th century, orchid collecting reached new fanatical heights, with explorers dispatched to every corner of the globe in search of new varieties that could be auctioned at extravagant prices, and orchids are still one of the most popular flowers to breed and buy to this day. These beautiful, diverse flowers are one of the two largest families of flowering plants, with over 30,000 species and over 181,500 hybrids and cultivars.

The RHS Orchid Committee have commissioned watercolours of over 7,000 award-winning hybrids that demonstrate particular value in their fabulous array of colours, patterns, sizes and shapes. Through these paintings, stories of high stakes orchid breeding and exhibiting are explored, with a cast of characters who helped shape the horticultural world we know today, alongside the dedicated artists who still support their endeavours.

长期以来，兰花在园艺界一直享有崇高的地位和魅力。在19世纪，兰花收藏达到了新的狂热高度，探险家们被派往全球每个角落，寻找可以以高价拍卖的新品种，直到今天，兰花仍是****的花卉之一。这些美丽多样的花朵是开花植物中两个**的家族之一，有3万多个品种和超过181500个杂交品种和栽培品种。

皇家园艺协会兰花委员会（The RHS Orchid Committee）已经委托对7000多个获奖的杂交品种进行水彩画创作，这些杂交品种的颜色、图案、大小和形状都非常有价值。通过这些画作，作者探讨了高风险的兰花培育和展览的故事，这些故事中的人物帮助塑造了我们今天所知道的园艺世界，同时还有那些仍然支持他们事业的敬业的艺术家。