ORCHIDS: A NEW GARDENING PASSION

                                                A New Malaysian Garden

In these difficult times, when many of us are practising social-distancing in our homes, what better activity can we indulge than to spend time relaxing in, and admiring, our outdoor and potted gardens. It is our wish that you remain safe and healthy in this global Covid-19 crisis… Please take care.

But what to do when unable to spend time in a garden? Or, when you are waiting for your fruit trees and other plantings to mature?

Clockwise from top... Phalaenopsis hybrid, Degarmoara Jacqui Louise 'Olympia', Oncidopsis Nelly Isler and Miltassia Charles M. Fitch 'Izumi'

Residing for more than a year in a rental property severely limited my ability to spend time in a garden. However, with three orchid societies in the local region, each holding two or three orchid shows during past years, it was clear that this was an excellent area in which to grow orchids. So, with time on my hands, I decided to add to my small collection of cymbidium orchids which had travelled from Sydney with us.

Part of my father's former collection of cymbidiums

Having travelled extensively over the years throughout warmer climes, I had taken a fancy to the colour and charm of Dancing Lady orchids… members of the Oncidium Alliance. These were regularly offered for sale at those orchid society shows and were also readily available at a local garden centre. 

The glorious display of Burrageara Pacific Panache 'Fire Side Fever'. I will discuss the care of this orchid in my next blog post

Exhibiting a broomstick of more than 200 flowers, Odontocidium Everglades Elegance 'Nancy Lee'... I wait impatiently for its next massed display as a more mature plant

Besides these, I found that high-quality Moth Orchid plants, Phalaenopsis, were easily obtainable from a local department store. 

A secondary stem shoot of five flowers from this unnamed Phalaenopsis hybrid. I suspect that this variety is I-Hsin 'Yellow Leopard'

And, finally, and most gratefully, I was gifted an additional number of beautiful Cymbidium orchids… So, these have become the core of my new gardening passion.

For the past two years, firstly at our rental residence and later at our new semi-rural home, we have enjoyed continuous, year-round orchid colour… and a little accompanying fragrance. 

Wishing you hours of enjoyment and contentment in your garden…