Winter Show 2008

17 August 2008

The Sapphire Coast Orchid Club presented its annual winter show at Twyford Hall, Merimbula, from 15 to 17 August. In spite of the recent cold weather, there were plenty of wonderful orchids on display, with the ever popular and reliable cymbidiums providing a blaze of colour. Australian native orchids were also well represented, providing a hint of what is to come in the months ahead. A variety of exotic orchids with their flamboyant blooms provided extra interest.

Paphiopedilum Personality Lilumdale, beautifully grown by Brogo growers John & Irene Stubbs, so impressed the judges that they awarded it Grand Champion of the Show. This very large, perfectly shaped slipper orchid was also awarded Champion Paphiopedilum.

Kevin Ward from Moruya had a very successful show. His lovely little moth orchid, Phalaenopsis amabilis ‘Formosan’, scooped the prize pool, gaining no less than four championships. This charming little plant, carrying a gracefully arching raceme of crystalline white flowers, was awarded Champion Vandaceous Orchid, Champion Species Orchid, Champion Novice and Reserve Champion of the Show.

The Cymbidium classes were again hotly contested. Ulladulla growers Rob Pollock and Brenda Western were awarded Champion Cymbidium 90mm and Over for their very large flowered green Cymbidium Royal Fare ‘No 5’. Rob and Brenda also won Champion Cymbidium Seedling with their pretty pink Cymbidium Sylvan Star x Peggy Foo.

John and Pat Tanner from Pambula also featured amongst the winners, gaining Champion Cymbidium 60-90mm with their beautiful clear yellow Cymbidium One Tree Hill ‘Mount Beenak’. John and Pat were also awarded Champion Specimen Orchid for their eye-catching Cymbidium Lunar Wall ‘Dural’. This plant carried 6 racemes with a total of 43 orange blooms.

Eden growers Bob and Muriel Bell were awarded Champion Cymbidium Under 60mm with their perfectly flowered Cymbidium Shoalhaven ‘Touch of Class’. Bob and Muriel had more success with their dainty little native Dendrobium Jonathan’s Glory ‘Dark Joy’, winning Champion Australian Native or Native Hybrid.

Sylvia Hawkins from Batemans Bay was the winner of Champion Laeliinae Alliance, with her beautifully flowered Cattleya Burdekin ‘First Light’, carrying 8 very large pale pink flowers with contrasting yellow and purple lip.

Shirley Bedingfield from Merimbula again dominated the Australian Natives and Pleurothallids sections, gaining Champion Orchid Any Other Genera with a lovely specimen of Dockrillia fuliginosa, and Champion Seedling Other Than Cymbidium with her Dendrobium Intense ‘Mary’ x Tyabb ‘Heather’. Shirley also came away with the overall point score and received the AOC trophy.

Doug Schofield from Eden was again rewarded with the Junior Championship for his well flowered dark red Cymbidium Ruby Eyes ‘85’. The Floral Art was taken out by Joy Richardson and Alf Rizzetti from Tura Beach with an arrangement featuring yellow cymbidium orchids.

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, for their very generous support of our show.

© 2008 Ulli Cliff
Publicity Officer