Lois Walters became hooked on orchids when as a 12 year-old Sydney girl she was given a handful of cymbidium back bulbs and told if she looked after them they would flower in five years.
“When I was 17, they flowered,“ she said.
Growing orchids has presented her with a challenge ever since.
Sadly, when she moved to Noosa 20 years ago, the differing climate prevented her from growing the same orchids she had in NSW and despite her efforts, her Sydney cymbidiums have never flowered in the sunshine state.
Last weekend Lois won second and third placings at the Noosa Orchid Show at Cooroy with John Green, the Noosa Orchid and Foliage Society life member and local orchid legend submitting the show’s champion.
“The thing with orchids is you have to replicate the conditions they came from in the world,“ Lois said.
Things can go wrong without the right amount of watering, the right potting mix, keeping them tight in their pots or having the right climate.
Grown under shade cloth at her house is her collection of a variety of orchids and foliage which she checks on daily.
When Lois moved to Noosa she joined the Noosa Orchid and Foliage Society where she has learnt much from her peers and enjoyed the experience.
“It’s a lovely club, lovely camaraderie,“ she said.
“Everything in the orchid world is a challenge. There’s a lot to learn. Often you learn it the hard way when you kill your plants.“
