Orchids on show

This year’s Tauranga Orchid Show will celebrate the diverse countries and climates where the magnificent plants are found growing naturally.

President Conrad Coenen and vice-president Barry Curtis have put their heads together to come up with the Queen of Flowers theme which will show just how widespread these plants are.

“Orchids are found on six continents and are one of the largest family of flowering plants in the world,” Conrad says. “We’re representing where the orchids that we grow come from — Australia, Latin America, Asia and Africa.”

He and Barry have designed five stands, one for each geographical area, and Barry has also made a larger-than-life crown which will be filled with orchids as the show’s centrepiece.

“People think orchids must be temperamental plants because the flowers look so exotic,” Conrad says, “but there are plenty that are easy to grow in this area without any extra heating, including Cymbidium orchids from the Himalayas, Laelia from the highlands of Mexico, Zygopetalum from Brazil or orchids native to Australia, such as Dendrobiums and Sarcochilus.”

When: September 28-30 (FridaySunday), 10am-4pm Where: Tauranga Racecourse, Greerton What: Massed display of flowering plants, plants for sale, growing advice, repotting demos, raffles, cafe´. Free parking. Cost: $3 entry (under 12 free).