Almost akin to last year, the cold weather tried, yet failed, to hamper the upcoming Berwick Orchids Club’s September spring show, as the flowers bloomed in preparation.
The plants, budding with life, have begun to soak in the warm spring sun, pushing through the recent hail and bouts of rain, as Murray Harding, president of the club, readies himself for a busy weekend.
“They’re a bit late, because the warmer weather’s sort of been holding off, but they’re also doing very nicely,” Murray said.
“You know, the season feels like it’s dragging its heels by a couple of weeks, but the club is moving and growing in leaps and bounds, I’m proud to say.”
The show will run this coming weekend, from Saturday, 27 September to Sunday, the 28th.
In 2024, there were over 600 people who attended, with Murray saying then that it was “the best show we’ve ever had”, and something he is looking to recreate, or maybe even surpass this year.
“Believe it or not, we’re in the top four clubs in the state for membership, we’re pretty close to 100 members, and we’re hoping that this show will attract enough people to join and put us past that number,” he said.
He said previously, having been, and continuing to be, an orchid judge for the event, Murray has heard that while there were other shows that were as big as the club’s, it was difficult to find one with a larger attendance rate.
In the meantime, Murray has surrounded himself with the plants in the greenhouse, watching as each blooms, and hoping that all will do so in time for a more than colourful display on the weekend.
Speaking on the preparation for the event, Murray said that “I don’t want to sound panicked, but I was before”.
“We’ve got hundreds of orchids that have yet to flower, and then there was a show coming up, and they were not quite there yet.
“But the last few days have been warm enough, so as long as we don’t have a cold snap between now and the weekend, it’ll be alright,” he said.
Of course, once the panic subsided, Murray was excited to see so many come along to attend the event, whether it be long-time orchid lovers or just residents who are keen to see some colour and beauty.
“Saturday is our biggest day of attendance, so I’m hoping for a lot of happenings that day,” Murray said.
