By Ethan Benedicto
Although colder weather is still biting through the populace’s clothes, spring has sprung and is well underway at the Berwick Orchids Club, as it readies itself for an end-of-month celebration and showcase of the best it has to offer.
Teeming with life and the yellow glitter of sunrise, the orchids have taken well to the weather, according to club president and event curator Murray Harding, with their current growth patterns looking promising for the 28-29 September spring show.
“I’m standing in my orchid house at the moment and I would suggest that I’m looking at over a thousand flower spikes,” Harding said.
“So if we can get to the end of the month while those things are still in that kind of condition, the show will be outstanding.”
The club itself grows a wide variety of plants, with orchids as the main focus; but the majority of these orchids originate further north in either New South Wales or Queensland – areas with warmer and more varied climates which tend to be better conditions for growth.
However, according to Harding, things are looking bright if spring and the coming summer are to be anything like the previous year, where the orchids matured early.
“Well, the thing is, you’re in the hands of the weather,” Harding said.
“Whether these plants will actually open and be at their best depends entirely on whether we get some warm weather or whether we go back to being cold again over the next few weeks.
“So, you’re in the lap of the gods, but the odds are in favour of an excellent show.”
Orchids are among the most prolific plant families in the globe, with over 25,000 species spread across nearly every continent save Antarctica.
To Harding, this means that most families have some form of connection with orchids, from either a member owning one or simply being given one.
“There’s a story that goes with every orchid, and there are orchid clubs all over the world, and something around 40 in Victoria,” he said.
The love for orchids is widespread, with Harding emphasising the impact of its beauty and people’s appreciation for it through his experience at the 23rd World Orchid Conference in Taiwan, which was held from February to March this year.
“I think there’s an orchid that speaks to everybody and will have a pretty serious number of different forms and so on.
“So having this space, such as the Berwick Orchids Club is important for these people,” he said.
The club, which roughly has 70 members sees a general attendance of around 40 every meeting has one main goal: to share their knowledge of the plants in order to get the best results.
Harding, who was first inspired by his father to grow orchids, currently houses over 10,000 orchids in his 12-metre by 18-metre orchid house – and to him, it’s “not commercial, it’s a hobby”.
“I’m 80 now, and ever since I retired I’ve been working with and about orchids,” he said.
“And honestly, I think this is keeping me younger than I would have been if I was sitting around watching TV.”
Looking forward to a vibrant weekend, Harding is confident of not just his, but the club’s orchids and their beauty.
“If people even have the slightest interest in orchids, but [also] if they’re interested in knowing how to grow their own, this is just the place for them,” he said.
