Despite the erratic flowering season, the Sapphire Coast Orchid Club presented its
Summer Orchid Show in Pambula Town Hall, 1 st & 2 nd November. This show was
principally staged to display Australian Sarcochilus orchids but also included other
Orchids in flower at this time. The show has grown significantly in recent years both
with the number and quality of the Sarcochilus on show but with an ever increasing
display of Soft Cane Dendrobiums, and featured late flowering Cymbidiums with their
long trailing inflorescences, Masdevallias and other exotic species.
The show was supported by a small group of Bonsai growers who mounted an impressive display.
Choosing the best Sarcochilus proved as usual to be a very difficult task as the
quality presented was very high, however the Champion Sarcanthinae Hybrid and
Grand Champion Sarcanthinae Orchid went to Richard Skitt with his Sarcochilus
Kulnura Whisper (Kulnura Press x Kulnura Rusty). This plant had predominately
white flowers but with a strongly marbled red centre, very well displayed.
Interestingly a sibling of this crossing was Grand Champion last year.
Champion Specimen was a very large Sarcochilus hartmanii ‘Albus’ carrying a full
covering of dainty white flowers presented by Keith Barrett.
Of the other part of the show, for plants other than Sarcanthinae, Graham Gray
presented a very large Cymbidium Cricket sporting more than 30 racemes of
cascading flowers in prime condition which was judged Best Specimen, Champion
Any Other Hybrid and Grand Champion Any Other Orchid. This plant ‘s small brown
flowers with their very distinctive dark purple lip were at their peak.
Champion Any Other Orchid Species was awarded to Kaye Bowles for her Bifenaria
harrisoniae, it’s yellow flowers with their distinctive purple striped labellum made
quite a splash on the bench.
On the Novice bench Roger and Anne Skitt moved closer to the Open section with a
very nice Sarcochilus Kulnura Frenzy (Parma x Kulnura Hysteria). This very well
flowered plant sported some very strongly coloured orange flowers which displayed
well above the plant.
Congratulations to all winners, exhibitors, and helpers for putting on another great
show.
Sapphire Coast Orchid Club would like to thank our Major Sponsors, Robert Smith
Complete Furnishers of Pambula, The Bendigo Bank, Club Grants and The Little
Bouquet Florist of Merimbula for their very generous support of our Shows.
