CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF ORCHIDS

Were you at the Orchid Show at the Ambassador Hotel two weekends ago?  If you weren’t, you missed a real treat.

It was a very special show, entitled “a Golden Celebration”, in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Trinidad and Tobago Orchid Society (TTOS).

Exquisite Orchid blooms of all colours, shapes and sizes were everywhere, filling the show rooms to their limit.

Several horticultural organizations and nurseries joined in the celebration by mounting beautiful displays, and there were some stunning Overseas displays - mainly from countries regionally but also from as far away as Hawaii and Taiwan.

There was a record number of entries, and judging from the number of blue and red ribbons, there must have been a lot of happy exhibitors. 

As usual, names like Gibson, Laurent, Chin Fatt, Lutchman and Pantin made it to the top of the winners’ list, but this year, they were joined by new names such as Samuels, Maharaj, Ali and Latchman.  The standard of exhibits was very high.  Congratulations to all the exhibitors who won prizes.

Our Orchids continue to be of a high international standard, as five American Orchid Society (AOS) judges presented no less than seven Awards of Merit.  They also presented the AOS Trophy for the Best Overseas Display to the Barbados Orchid Society.

The TTOS president, Paula Pantin was high in praise of the way the Show turned out.  She said that it was a good representation of what the Society could do, and that they had a lot of fun doing it, and fun was what it was all about.  On that note we say congratulations to the Orchid Society and wish them another 50 years of success and fun in their  endeavours. 

BONSAI MANIA

If you would like to learn more about bonsais or show off one of your plants, the Bonsai Society is hosting an afternoon of “Bonsai Mania” on Sunday November 19th at   the Chinese Association from 2 pm.  Admission is free.

There will be a work shop / demonstration, competition and display, and bonsai tools and pots, plants and soil will be on sale.

For further information, phone the Secretary, Mary, at 662-7194.

GARDEN CALENDER

The Garden Club’s long awaited 2007 garden calendar featuring some of Trinidad’s most beautiful gardens is now available.  They can be obtained from Chancy Moll at 676-0128, Janice Potter at 674-1160 or Jennifer Knaggs at 624-1215.

PLANT SALES

The Garden Club’s annual sale is on Saturday November 4th at the Trinidad Country Club from 8am to 1pm, and the Horticultural Society’s is on Saturday November 25th at its headquarters on Lady Chancellor Road from 7 am till 1 pm.

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If you have any gardening news or tips you would like to share, or if you are having a problem in your garden, e-mail me at thehappygardner@tstt.net.tt

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