Addiction to orchids

Dennis Frank, of Fairy Hill, admires his champion phalanopsis, which obviously thrives on coconut chips, at the Casino Spring Orchid Show.

DOUG EATON

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Toowoomba City Grand Champion garden

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Toowoomba City Reserve Champion garden

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IT'S an addiction like none other and it's always the same old story.

It starts with casual attendance at orchid shows and leads on to experimenting with a little paphiopedilum or dendronium.

Before they know it the susceptible are hooked on rhizanthella gardneri and aerangis rhodosticta.

The Northern Star caught up with orchid addict Dennis Frank, of Fairy Hill, at the Casino Spring Orchid Show on Friday where he told his sorry tale.

Still high from taking out champion novice for his phalanopsis, Mr Frank said it was 'a bad disease'.

“You buy one and then you go and grow more, different sorts, colours and sizes,” he said.

Mr Frank said all orchid addicts kept secrets.

“Everyone has their own secret recipe or ingredient,” he said.

His was coconut chips in which he grows his plants.

The large orchid show was run by the Casino and District Orchid Society.

This year about 200 orchids were judged against set standards for characteristics like petal shape and the overall plant shape.

The orchid show was entered by contestants from all over the Northern Rivers and featured spring flowering orchids, pot plants and floral art.

The champion entry of the show went to B McClymont for an oncidium alliance and reserve champion went to F Causley for a dendrobium.

The champion cattleya was won by A Lavis, and the champion species went to R Hiscodes.