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Fenland Orchid Society |
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Newsletters |
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The New Orchid Interest
Now because of mass production orchids are becoming fairly commonplace in a lot of homes. This has led to the de-mystifying of these ‘EXOTIC’ plants. To the real orchid growing enthusiast who liked to show off their latest flowering plant as something special this has now been downgraded to an extent by people saying “my/our orchid is doing well also” and so taking the shine off the true orchid grower to some extent. This has lead the orchid grower looking elsewhere for another challenge to demonstrate their skills, so it’s out of the greenhouse and into the garden. Terrestrial orchids are the new challenge, but these have been grown by many for a long time but now seem to be gathering pace as more hybrid types are produced and put onto the market. Newspaper and magazines often have adverts for terrestrial orchids or garden orchids within there pages. The most common garden orchid is the Bletilla, an easy growing orchid when grown in moist soil and really just left to it’s own devices. It can make large clumps fairly rapidly. A lover of shade and woodland type conditions, coming in a variety of colours from white to deep purple depending on the hybrid type. If you have a moist to wet bog type area in your garden with light shade then the Epipactis or Hellorborines can be a good plant for these conditions. Growing to some 1 metre (3foot) tall Epipactis gigantean with flowers of tan to scarlet can make a good showing after just a few years. The marsh or common spotted orchid Dactylorhiza, a vigorous growing tuberous plant with spikes of dense flowers and a lover of moist to wet soils (hence marsh orchid) grows and increases well if left alone once acclimatised. The native British species of orchids so admired by people as they see them in the wild must remain just that, wild, they must not be dug up or removed to your garden. Specialist orchid growers with the correct approval now grow and breed new hybrids for your garden and it from these people that you must obtain your plants. Prices vary from £12 and upwards depending on the orchid you are buying. Epipactis, Dactylorhiza, Ophrys, Orchis and many more are becoming more readily available on the open market and with care and consideration of the plants requirements you can have a good show of these fascinating plants in your garden. A wet pond edge is a good place to try growing Anacampis laxiflora, pale pink to deep purple flowers can be a little more appealing than common pond weed. Dactylorhiza praetermissa is another that can do well around wet pond margins. A small section of lawn can also grow orchids, and for those who hate cutting grass can be a godsend because once the orchid is growing the grass should not be cut until the orchid has produced seed and dispersed the same to the wind. The common bee orchid Ophrys apifera is a good lawn orchid as fascinating as it is colourful, and it looks just like a bee. There are many terrestrial orchids on the market that it may be worth you taking a punt at one or two and see how you get on, the results can be rewarding. David Morgan.
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June 2010 Abridged |
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Min.cymbid Strathmore.raine j w |
