<Orchid News>

Read on for…shows and events around the country and at the nursery this month, seasonal growing tips, special offers, plants in bud and new additions.

July once again sees the wonderful Royal Horticultural Society's Hampton Court Palace Flower Show held in the deer park of the estate from 8th-13th July. It is a beautiful setting, as long as the weather holds out, and a very popular show with many visitors prefering it to Chelsea now. It is larger, certainly, and more spread out so you have more space to move around and see everything.

We will be in our usual spot, just inside the south entrance to Floral Marquee 2, stand number 12. Although the displays at Hampton Court are not as large as at Chelsea, ours included, we will have an attractive range of different orchids on show plus a good selection for sale which can be taken away on the day! So if you are planning a trip to this year's Hampton Court Show, make sure you pay us a visit and maybe even treat yourself to a special orchid!

All our plants are well packed for travelling home from the show and come with full instructions. We will even have some fertiliser and books available too, but if there is something specific you would like to pick up then please let us know as we are happy to bring along any pre-placed orders, no obligation. Please let us have your requests by Friday 4th July at the latest.

This month at the nursery we will be holding a beginner's workshop entitled 'Orchids for your Greenhouse or Conservatory', it starts at 2pm and is FREE! This talk and demonstration looks at how to grow orchids under glass and how to create the right environment for them. Many people have conservatories these days so come along today to learn how to make them 'orchid-friendly'

If the event above wets your appetite and you would like to learn more then our full day orchid course could be just for you. Held in conjunction with the Royal Horticultural Society, 'Welcome to the World of Orchids' will give any orchid novice all the basic knowledge needed to start on this fantastic hobby. The day includes an introduction to the family of orchids, potting demonstrations, detailed care of beginners' varieties, a nursery tour and refreshments throughout, including lunch.

Tickets are available now priced £45, RHS members £40. Numbers are limited to keep the class size down so book early to avoid disappointment!

If you are coming from afar to take part in our orchid course then here are a couple of lovely local hotels where you can find good accomodation:

This is the third time the orchid festival is being held at the historic Scone Palce near Perth, Scotland. It is the home of the Earl of Mansfield and has had a large orchid collection for many years. As you wander around the beautiful rooms, there are often orchids in flower on display. There will be a large range of orchids on show and for sale in the festival, which is situated in large marquee adjacent to the palace, from nurseries from around the UK and Germany, sundries too. If you want to learn then there will be a programme of talks over the weekend too, all geared up for beginners. We are happy to bring any orders along so please let us know by Wednesday 30th July please.

Palace entry fees apply but is well worth a day out, see www.scone-palace.co.uk for more information on the 'The Crowning Place of Scottish Kings'

We are pleased to be returning to this popular venue in Templepatrick, Northern Ireland for another busy orchid day! We only visit every other year so make sure you don't miss out! There will be lots of orchids on sale plus sundries too and a FREE beginners' talk and demonstration in the afternoon at 2pm. Save on the high delivery costs and pre-order any plants, sundries etc by Wednesday 13th August please.

This is being held again at the Dinton Pastures Country Park, Winnersh, Hurst, Berkshire, RG10 0TH.

A huge variety of orchids on offer from the bizarre to the most exquisite from top UK and overseas nurseries. Admission is £2 per person (accompanied children under 15 free), car park £1 per car.

There are also lots to see at the country park including walks around the beautiful lakes, so a great day out for everyone!

Remember to keep watering those plants that are outside for the summer months. When the weather is very warm and you may be watering the cymbidiums every day or two to prevent them from dehydrating. Take care not to get waterlogged though when we have heavy rainfall. Keep them well shaded and sprayed over the leaves to keep them cool.

If growing in the greenhouse or conservatory, raising the humidity is a good way of decreasing the temperature and keeping the plants cool, even the hottest ones don't like to overheat. Heat damage can debilitate a plant severely and even kill it.

Growing in the house is a more controlled environment where the temperature will not rise as much as in a greenhouse but humidity still needs to be provided by misting of the foliage and keeping plants together in a group will help improve the environment.

Misting the leaves as they grow on the more leafy orchids will also prevent ‘concertinering' of the leaves. This is where new shoots become too dry and get stuck together as they grow so causing a concertina effect.

Here some of our most Frequently Asked Questions, for more visit the FAQs page

Q: What do I do with the aerial roots?
A: Many orchids produce aerial roots outside the pot, this is due to how they grow in the wild, on trees with their roots exposed to the moist atmosphere. If an orchid such as a Phalaenopsis makes lots of aerial roots it is a sign that the plant is happy in its environment and the roots should be sprayed regularly. Healthy roots have a grey covering and often green growing tips at the ends. If the roots turn brown and die it is a sign that the environment may be too dry for the plant. On the other side, it can also mean that the roots inside the pot have rotted if the plant has been overwatered. Check the state of the pot roots to monitor the watering.
Healthy roots = healthy plant!

A: The home can be a dry place with central heating but by growing your orchids over a humidity tray filled with damp pebbles, this will help to raise the humidity around the plants. Make sure the pot is not stood in water or taking it up through the base at all. Also mist the foliage regularly on the bulbous orchids, avoid this with Phalaenopsis, wipe their leaves often to keep dust free. Grow other houseplants alongside yuor orchids to create a better overall environment.

A: Conservatories can have extreme environments as they can be very hot in the day and cold at night, this is not ideal for orchids.Â To make it 'orchid-friendly' shade it and keep well ventilated in summer and provide warmth and insulation for winter.

Q: Is the orchid compost for sale in garden centres OK to use on my orchids?

A: Orchid composts that have are produced by well-known compost manufacturers can be very high in peat content and although there are some bark chippings mixed in, we generaly find that people keep their orchids too wet when growing in this time of compost. We prefer to use an open, pure bark medium which allows plenty of drainage. If you do have to use other orchid composts then just be aware of the fact it will not dry out very quickly and water the plants very sparingly to avoid overwatering problems.

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