November 1982
“For all your gardening needs ...all year round.”
ealland Cullen NURSERY GARDEN CENTRES
CIVIC GARDEN CENTRE HORTICULTURE AND GARDENING MAGAZINE
WHY NOT ORCHIDS?
COMING EVENTS
by Gerda Ferrington
November
In the Link Gallery: Isabel Agnew, watercolours If you are tired of Scheffleras, Dieffenbachias and ferns, why not try a few orchids? They are not at all as difficult to grow as is generally supposed and neither are they all that expensive. Although most of them bloom only once or twice a year, their flowers last on the plant as long as six weeks; some even longer with a bit of extra care.
As with all plant management, the thing to do is find out where a plant hails from and thus what its requirements are. Duplicate these as closely as you can and success is yours. There are about 30,000 orchid species. Think of it: one in every ten flowering plants in this world is an orchid! And there are countless hybrids so of course you can find one to suit your growing
area as well as your purse. With the advance of tissue propagation, even awarded clones are no longer out of reach for the average person. For your first orchid, do buy a plant in flower. You will know what the flower is Tike instead of finding that your treasure pro-
duces only crippled blooms and if next year's flowers are better, you will be proud of doing well. If they are not, at least you will now it is not the plant's fault. It is most disheartening to have to wait for five or six years for the first blooms of that sturdy seedling you bought for five dollars.
Buy from a reliable source and be advised by the grower. Reputable
In the Auditorium: Eleanor Boston and Sylvia 0'Donnell, paintings In the Studios: November 8 to 17 Botanical Art Show by Civic Garden Centre students
November 1
firms have lists in their catalogues: plants for beginners, plants suitable for a Tight set-up, plants with fragrant flowers, miniatures. And of course they give blooming times so you can choose plants that bloom in winter when the average mortal needs flowers the most.
1
Attracting birds to your garden 20
terrestrials require very open soil for perfect drainage, far more so than suits your Dieffenbachia. High humidity is another must so it is good practice to stand the pots on continued page 3
TIkebana International Show
10.00 a.m. - 4.00 p.m.
ally, not parasitically), on rocks (1ithophytic or rupicolous orchids)
Intermediate Needlepoint Corn husk crafts
Orchids grow on trees (epiphytic-
and in soil (the terrestrials, mostly the slipper types). Even
Pressed flowers
December In the Link Gallery: Pat Copeland, paintings of animals In the Auditorium: The Horizon Group, paintings continued page 2
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