By
Margaretta wa Gacheru (posted 16 October 2019)
Orchids are
one of the most celebrated plants on the planet. Renowned for their glorious
beauty, diversity and complexity, they can grow almost anywhere. But nowhere
are more exquisite orchids grown than in Kenya, a fact that will be
indisputable for those who attend the 62nd Kenya Orchid Show which
opened last Thursday running through Sunday at Nairobi’s Sarit Centre.
The new Exhibition Hall (named after the Loita Forest) is brimming over with more than 20
exquisite orchid displays, all of which were in competition for a wide array of
donated trophies.
This past
Wednesday, eight judges, headed by one senior judge, Michael Tibbs, spent
several hours appraising every flower and floral display. That evening before
the trophies were handed out, life-long orchid society members, like Heather
Campbell, aged 91, came early to ensure she got a good seat so she could hear
the judges’ selections and see if their choices tallied with her own.
“I’ve been a
member since 1964 when my family first moved to Kenya,” says the nonagenarian
who judged past orchid shows for several decades. “I also won trophies for my
orchids, and I still have a lovely garden. But I no longer play an active part
in the show. There’s too much hard work involved,” she admits.
Yet Heather
fits in well with this year’s Orchid Show theme which is ‘The Vintage
Collection.’ For just as she is a ‘vintage’ society member who has witnessed the
way the orchid show has matured and changed over the years, the theme was also
in keeping with the Orchid Society itself.
“This is the
oldest orchid society in Africa,” observes Michael Tibbs who flew in especially
for this year’s 62nd annual exhibition. “But what’s exciting about
this show is not just its being the oldest. It’s also one, if not the
most beautiful show in the region and possibly in the whole world.”
Having been
a qualified judge of orchids for many years, Tibbs travels all over the world
appraising orchid shows. So he knows what he is talking about.
“This year
alone, I have done it in the US, Guatemala, Mexico and Peru as well as in
[mainland] China, Taiwan and the UK,” he says. “The Kenya orchid show never
fails to amaze me with the quality of members’ orchids and their dazzling
displays.”
Noting that
he has been coming to Kenya for the past 22 years, Tibbs says he’s observed big
and beautiful changes over the years. “One reason the Kenya show has such
fabulous orchids is because its members make the effort to bring in new species
[and hybrids] whenever they go out of the country and come back with new
orchids to plant,” he says.
One other
thing that Tibbs finds impressive about the Kenyan orchid show is that it
displays plants every year that have been there since the society’s inception.
As he speaks, he also points the Dendrobium orchids that are hanging near the entrance of the
show. “There are also Ansellia Africana and Cymbidium which, like
the Dendrobium, were in the first orchid shows over six decades ago,” he
says.
Asked what
he thinks has contributed to the longevity of these species of orchids, Tibbs
is quick to respond. “It’s because they have been well looked after, well cared
for.”
Admitting he
has a deep appreciation of those older orchids, he says, “I prefer old orchids
that have been looked after well more than I do newer hybrids that are grown
badly.”
Tibbs can
easily tell the difference since he has been raising orchids since he was six
years old. Growing up in the fertile Franschhoek Valley, not far from Cape
Town, he recalls how his father built him a green house as a child. “It was
just four poles that he covered in plastic sheet, but I loved it and learned
early about caring for my plants,” he adds.
Tibbs is
like many of the Orchid Society members that I met on the Judges’ day, who grew
up surrounded by flowers. For instance, Nishi Raja grew up on a coffee farm
with a father who also loved tending orchids. “I grew up surrounded by plants,”
says Nishi whose joint display with Nita Shah at the show earned several
trophies this year, including one for having the ‘Best Phragmipedium species’.
Anand Savani
also comes from a family who loved to grow orchids. His display at the show is
beautifully decked out with an elegant array of both exotic and indigenous
orchids.
“We call our
display ‘The Whiskey Room’,” says Anand who created his exhibit to embody the
show’s ‘vintage’ theme.’ Whiskey rooms were popular back in the 1920s during
the pre-prohibition days.
“We only
included tiny whiskey bottles since we knew children would be passing through
the show. We didn’t want to offend anyone,” says Anand as he sits casually on a
cushy leather sofa meant to be a cozy prop in his display.
Anand isn’t
the only one who has included aspects of vintage culture in their displays. One
extraordinary exhibit features an old (but well-maintained) Mercedes Benz from
the late 1950s. The owner has filled the front seat with a beautiful display of
orchids. He also has opened up his Mercedes’ boot and filled it with even more
pots that host more multi-colored plants.
“I believe
this display set the record this year for the highest number of trophies
received,” says Nishi shortly before the winning orchids were announced. “I
think it won 11 trophies altogether.”
Other
displays that have paid attention to the vintage theme include one that has an
antique bicycle with carriers filled with exotic species of orchids. Another
one has a wooden sculpture of an ancient African man seated amidst a gorgeous
orchid display. And right above the old man is a beautiful blood-red Oncidopsis
hybrid that also won a trophy.
The other
group that has stayed true to the vintage theme is the students who took part
in this year’s Orchid art exhibition. Organized by Jackie Guest who’s been
running the exhibition for the last twelve years, the entries came in from all
over the country from 23 schools. The youngest artists to take part are six
years old and the oldest 19.
“When we
launched the art competition, we only received 300 entries. But this year we
received 750, all of which we included in the exhibition,” she says with a
touch of pride. “The idea is to get young people interested in orchids and the
environment generally.”
That
interest is evident in the way the youth include all things ‘vintage’ in their
paintings, everything from old cars, bikes and an antique Victrola to 19th
century ladies fashions and a dusty scull. One student even sculpted an ancient
tortoise which reminded us of the 344-year-old Alagba, who died recently, his
owners claiming he had been the oldest tortoise in Africa.
Jackie’s
young people’s exhibition can be found at the far end of Loita Hall.
Fortunately, she had plenty of room to display all the artworks. “But none of
us was quite sure how we would fit into the new exhibition hall since this is
the first time we held the orchid show in the new wing of Sarit Centre,” Jackie
says.
In fact, the
new hall is more spacious than the old space. But it looks just right for
the 23 members’ displays. There is even room for a glorious display of Michael
Tibbs’ cut flowers that he flew in from Thailand and the Netherlands. “The cut
flowers are purely for display, but I do sell plants for a living,” says the
man with an encyclopedic mind when it comes to orchids and other plants.
Explaining
that every species and hybrid of orchid has a designated name, Tibbs (who also
lectures on orchids and other plants all over the world) says there are
approximately 25,000 species of orchids and between 300,000 and 400,000
registered hybrids.
Asked if orchid
species are more highly valued than hybrids (which are simply the result of a
cross-pollination process, when two or more different kinds of pollen are used
during the planting process), Tibbs explains that both plants are of value. “What
elevates the value of an orchid is its rarity,” he says.
One joint
exhibition that displays a type of ‘rarity’ that Tibbs appreciates is made up
of only indigenous plants. Nishi says the display by Mr. Konos and Mr Sagoo is
receiving a special Firth trophy for each man’s fulfilling the stiff criteria
of including no less than six healthy indigenous orchids in their display.
“Most of
these orchids come from forests in Kenya. They are classified as Epiphytes or
plants that grow on trees, but they are not parasitic,” says Nishi.
What’s
extraordinary about orchids that are epiphytes is that they are aerial and
never touch soil in contrast to terrestrial orchids that only grow in the
ground.
“The one
other classification of orchid is the Lithophyte, meaning it’s a plant that
grows on a rock or a stone,” adds Tibbs who admits that he like millions of
plant-lovers all over the world is deeply fascinated by the infinite variety of
orchids.
“But one
thing that is not always understood about orchids is that they are not nearly
so difficult to grow as some people think. In fact, orchids grow everywhere in
the world apart from on permanent snowcaps and in arid deserts,” he says.
That is to
say that anyone can grow orchids almost anywhere. The secret to being a
successful orchid-grower is looking after your plant with tender loving care.
That is how the Dendrobium has lived for many decades and how your
orchids can also thrive. 
The new Expo
Hall (named after the Loita Forest) is brimming over with more than 20 exquisite
orchid displays, all of which were in competition for a wide array of donated
trophies.
This past
Wednesday, eight judges, headed by one senior judge, Michael Tibbs, spent
several hours appraising every flower and floral display. That evening before
the trophies were handed out, life-long orchid society members, like Heather
Campbell, aged 91, came early to ensure she got a good seat so she could hear
the judges’ selections and see if their choices tallied with her own.
“I’ve been a
member since 1964 when my family first moved to Kenya,” says the nonagenarian
who judged past orchid shows for several decades. “I also won trophies for my
orchids, and I still have a lovely garden. But I no longer play an active part
in the show. There’s too much hard work involved,” she admits.
Yet Heather
fits in well with this year’s Orchid Show theme which is ‘The Vintage
Collection.’ For just as she is a ‘vintage’ society member who has witnessed the
way the orchid show has matured and changed over the years, the theme was also
in keeping with the Orchid Society itself.
“This is the
oldest orchid society in Africa,” observes Michael Tibbs who flew in especially
for this year’s 62nd annual exhibition. “But what’s exciting about
this show is not just its being the oldest. It’s also one, if not the
most beautiful show in the region and possibly in the whole world.”
Having been
a qualified judge of orchids for many years, Tibbs travels all over the world
appraising orchid shows. So he knows what he is talking about.
“This year
alone, I have done it in the US, Guatemala, Mexico and Peru as well as in [mainland]
China, Taiwan and the UK,” he says. “The Kenya orchid show never fails to amaze
me with the quality of members’ orchids and their dazzling displays.”
Noting that
he has been coming to Kenya for the past 22 years, Tibbs says he’s observed big
and beautiful changes over the years. “One reason the Kenya show has such
fabulous orchids is because its members make the effort to bring in new species
[and hybrids] whenever they go out of the country and come back with new
orchids to plant,” he says
One other
thing that Tibbs finds impressive about the Kenyan orchid show is that it
displays plants every year that have been there since the society’s inception. As
he speaks, he also points the Dendrobium orchids that are hanging near the entrance of the
show. “There are also Ansellia Africana and Cymbidium which, like
the Dendrobium, were in the first orchid shows over six decades ago,” he
says.
Asked what
he thinks has contributed to the longevity of these species of orchids, Tibbs
is quick to respond. “It’s because they have been well looked after, well cared
for.”
Admitting he
has a deep appreciation of those older orchids, he says, “I prefer old orchids
that have been looked after well more than I do newer hybrids that are grown
badly.”
Tibbs can
easily tell the difference since he has been raising orchids since he was six
years old. Growing up in the fertile Franschhoek Valley, not far from Cape
Town, he recalls how his father built him a green house as a child. “It was
just four poles that he covered in plastic sheet, but I loved it and learned
early about caring for my plants,” he adds.
Tibbs is like
many of the Orchid Society members that I met on the Judges’ day, who grew up
surrounded by flowers. For instance, Nishi Raja grew up on a coffee farm with a
father who also loved tending orchids. “I grew up surrounded by plants,” says
Nishi whose joint display with Nita Shah at the show earned several trophies
this year, including one for having the ‘Best Phragmipedium species’.
Anand Savani
also comes from a family who loved to grow orchids. His display at the show is
beautifully decked out with an elegant array of both exotic and indigenous
orchids.
“We call our
display ‘The Whiskey Room’,” says Anand who created his exhibit to embody the
show’s ‘vintage’ theme.’ Whiskey rooms were popular back in the 1920s during
the pre-prohibition days.
“We only
included tiny whiskey bottles since we knew children would be passing through
the show. We didn’t want to offend anyone,” says Anand as he sits casually on a
cushy leather sofa meant to be a cozy prop in his display.
Anand isn’t
the only one who has included aspects of vintage culture in their displays. One
extraordinary exhibit features an old (but well-maintained) Mercedes Benz from
the late 1950s. The owner has filled the front seat with a beautiful display of
orchids. He also has opened up his Mercedes’ boot and filled it with even more
pots that host more multi-colored plants.
“I believe
this display set the record this year for the highest number of trophies
received,” says Nishi shortly before the winning orchids were announced. “I
think it won 11 trophies altogether.”
Other displays
that have paid attention to the vintage theme include one that has an antique
bicycle with carriers filled with exotic species of orchids. Another one has a
wooden sculpture of an ancient African man seated amidst a gorgeous orchid
display. And right above the old man is a beautiful blood-red Oncidopsis
hybrid that also won a trophy.
The other
group that has stayed true to the vintage theme is the students who took part
in this year’s Orchid art exhibition. Organized by Jackie Guest who’s been
running the exhibition for the last twelve years, the entries came in from all
over the country from 23 schools. The youngest artists to take part are six
years old and the oldest 19.
“When we launched
the art competition, we only received 300 entries. But this year we received
750, all of which we included in the exhibition,” she says with a touch of
pride. “The idea is to get young people interested in orchids and the
environment generally.”
That
interest is evident in the way the youth include all things ‘vintage’ in their paintings,
everything from old cars, bikes and an antique Victrola to 19th
century ladies fashions and a dusty scull. One student even sculpted an ancient
tortoise which reminded us of the 344-year-old Alagba, who died recently, his
owners claiming he had been the oldest tortoise in Africa.
Jackie’s young
people’s exhibition can be found at the far end of Loita Hall. Fortunately, she
had plenty of room to display all the artworks. “But none of us was quite sure
how we would fit into the new exhibition hall since this is the first time we
held the orchid show in the new wing of Sarit Centre,” Jackie says.
In fact, the
new hall is more spacious than the old Expo space. But it looks just right for
the 23 members’ displays. There is even room for a glorious display of Michael
Tibbs’ cut flowers that he flew in from Thailand and the Netherlands. “The cut
flowers are purely for display, but I do sell plants for a living,” says the man
with an encyclopedic mind when it comes to orchids and other plants.
Explaining
that every species and hybrid of orchid has a designated name, Tibbs (who also
lectures on orchids and other plants all over the world) says there are
approximately 25,000 species of orchids and between 300,000 and 400,000
registered hybrids.
Asked if orchid
species are more highly valued than hybrids (which are simply the result of a
cross-pollination process, when two or more different kinds of pollen are used during
the planting process), Tibbs explains that both plants are of value. “What
elevates the value of an orchid is its rarity,” he says.
One joint
exhibition that displays a type of ‘rarity’ that Tibbs appreciates is made up
of only indigenous plants. Nishi says the display by Mr. Konos and Mr Sagoo is
receiving a special Firth trophy for each man’s fulfilling the stiff criteria
of including no less than six healthy indigenous orchids in their display.
“Most of
these orchids come from forests in Kenya. They are classified as Epiphytes or
plants that grow on trees, but they are not parasitic,” says Nishi.
What’s
extraordinary about orchids that are epiphytes is that they are aerial and
never touch soil in contrast to terrestrial orchids that only grow in the ground.
“The one
other classification of orchid is the Lithophyte, meaning it’s a plant that
grows on a rock or a stone,” adds Tibbs who admits that he like millions of
plant-lovers all over the world is deeply fascinated by the infinite variety of
orchids.
“But one
thing that is not always understood about orchids is that they are not nearly
so difficult to grow as some people think. In fact, orchids grow everywhere in
the world apart from on permanent snowcaps and in arid deserts,” he says.
That is to
say that anyone can grow orchids almost anywhere. The secret to being a
successful orchid-grower is looking after your plant with tender loving care.
That is how the Dendrobium has lived for many decades and how your
orchids can also thrive.
