Blooming marvellous
THE chair of a leading horticultural organisation has welcomed the increasing popularity of indoor gardening amongst young people ahead of Scotland’s Orchid Fair this weekend.
Alan Mackenzie, of the Scottish Orchid Society, spoke to the Glasgow Times ahead of the event being held at the Botanic Gardens in the West End and he was buoyed by the rising interest in keeping houseplants.
He said: “What we’ve noticed is that since Covid, a lot of people have taken up indoor gardening. When I first became interested in orchids, the people at meetings tended to be elderly. But you’re now beginning to see more and more younger people.
“We’ve been lucky in that we’ve attracted quite a lot of younger people. We’ve got a mix of people and ages.”
The sprouting of this new generation of horticultural hobbyists is of particular importance in the context of orchid conservation, he said.
“Orchids are endangered in the wild, so in the future I think we’re going to have to concentrate on conservation. People in the UK are growing orchids that may be rare or extinct in the wild, and it’s a matter of trying to keep these in cultivation,” he explained.
Alan hopes to see many enthusiasts at Scotland’s only dedicated Orchid Fair tomorrow and Sunday in the Botanic Gardens’ enchanting Kibble Palace.
When asked about what makes orchids so appealing, he said: “It’s the fascination of form, colour, variety. There are so many different shapes. If you look at a daffodil, most daffodils will look the same. But with orchids, the variety is enormous.
“There’s something like 30,000 species of orchid. There’s the weird and wonderful, the big and the blousy.
“You can have extremely large ones, and ones smaller than your fingernail. And the smells! There are pleasant smelling ones, and there are ones that smell like 10 rotting elephants.”
Visitors at the free event organised by Glasgow City Council will be treated to a sensory banquet of flowering orchids and other tropical plants, with friendly experts on hand to answer any houseplant related questions.
Attendees will also be able to purchase orchids and exotic plants from reputable and ethical British nurseries – including species rarely available in the UK – as well as specialist accessories and supplies.
The Botanic Gardens also holds the national collection of dendrobium orchids, and tomorrow afternoon orchid propagator Christine Nicholson will be giving an exclusive behind- the- scenes tour of the greenhouses.
The Orchid Fair takes place between 10am and 6pm on May 11 and 10am and 5pm on May 12.