Vibrant colours at clivia show

MBOMBELA - Walking into the area in the botanical garden where the Lowveld Clivia Club hosted its Clivia Flower Show, you could see the hard work and dedication that goes into maintaining these plants.

Sue Kloeck of the Lowveld Clivia Club said there were as many as 32 classes that could be entered into. These classes cover a variety of colours, from red, orange, yellow and pink to apricot and peach. Then there are flowers that exhibit more than one colour, and some that seem to have had their tips lightly dipped in a different colour.

There are also classes that look at the leaves of the plants, specifically paying attention to their colour and how they fall around the flowers.

Some classes also look at the number of tepals of the flower, with some having as many as 10.

Taking up growing clivias as a hobby is not something to be accomplished overnight. Some people spend years getting their plants to a level worthy of competing in shows like these. This should not discourage newcomers, though, as there are also classes for novices to enter.

Ian Radmore and Image Makoni with the winning plant. Ben van der Merwe with some of his clivias. Paul Kloeck took the position for first and second runner-up. Larissa Aucamp, Danielle and Dawie Wolmarans and Sunel Aucamp.

Jason and Raine van Zijl-Pieterse.

The flowers of the overall winning clivia.