Margie Maccoll
The queue when they opened the door to the Noosa District Orchid and Foliage Society’s 40th anniversary spring orchid show last Friday wound half way down Cooroy’s Maple Street, so keen were people to see it, and no one was disappointed in the display.
“This would have to be the best show we’ve ever had,“ Society president Trevor Cook said.
“We’re blown away by the number of flowers. A lot of growers said that dry spell we had a little while ago burnt a lot of their plants or brought them on too soon, we thought, will we have enough to fill the hall, but we had to squeeze them in on the tables.“
Trevor said plants were contributed from their own members as well as neighbouring clubs, the Nambour club, Gympie club, Peregian club and even the guys from Glasshouse Mountains brought theirs up.
The display contained a variety of species from ones like dendrobiums that grow well locally to others like Cattleyas that used to be a common corsage flower, Vanda orchids that prefer tropical climates and Slipper orchids that prefer cooler weather.
“The soft cane dendrobium are spectacular,“ Trevor said.
“They’re relatively easy to grow and very popular with people buying them. We sold out most of them in half an hour.
’Slipper orchids tend to be in cooler climates. They’re very popular in Melbourne and Sydney, but difficult up here to grow, but we have lovely display here.“
The orchids were judged in their different categories before judges selected grand champions from those.
The society will celebrate their 40th anniversary at a special dinner for members later in the year with one of the founding members in 1984, Joyce Cunningham, special guest at the occasion.
