“My mother gave me my first orchid 59 years ago. She grew orchids until she went blind and I got what was left of her collection.”
Diane still has some of them.
Nurturing seedlings is a particular passion. She’s not, she says, a species person.
Rather than favourites for their appearance, Diane says the orchids she cherishes most are her favourites for sentimental reasons — the ones her mother and aunt gave her, or others that bring back special memories.
“I can look at them and look back on who I got them from,” she says.
This summer’s weather has had an impact on her orchids.
She says it’s been “weird”.
“All the rain — and no sun. I think it’s affected everything. Some things are in bloom like it’s spring.
“The orchids that are meant to be flowering in spring are flowering now — we’ve had a bit of warmth and I think they think January and February were winter.”
Diane has had the sales table responsibility for many years and prides herself on the advice she gives.
“If people don’t know much about them, I will ask where they want to grow them, what they want to grow and in what temperatures and I try and get them an orchid that they will succeed with. I try and get them something that they come back next year and say ‘it flowered’ and hopefully, they will want more.”
Diane isn’t sure which orchids she will be taking to the show
“I’ve got some buds that aren’t going to be out when normally they would be.
“That’s what’s happened — it’s delayed everything, but it will be just what everybody’s got — if that’s what we’ve got, that’s what we’ve got.”
She says the society is fun to be part of.
“It’s a small group, but I just enjoy it.”
■ The show is on Friday and Saturday in Te Puke Memorial Hall. Opening times are 10am-4pm both days. Entry is $3 an adult, children are free.
