THE Tamworth Orchid Society has battled through one of its toughest winters ever to put on its annual spring show this week.
Growers battled the fabled “black frost”, icy temperatures intensified by next to no moisture in the air.
Society publicity officer Cheryl Harris has been growing orchids for 18 years with her husband and she said the winter was unprecedented.
“It was absolutely hell on earth,” Mrs Harris said.
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“We’d never lost an orchid.
“This year, we lost 20 or 25, it’s a bit of a kick in the pants and it upset us immensely, but you’ve just got to pick up the pieces.”
She said it had been a difficult winter for all gardeners with people losing plants which have never succumb to the elements before.
“A plant I’ve had on my front porch for 43 years got hit,” she said.
The wicked winter weather came after a strenuous summer which saw Cymbidiums effected by the dry heat.
Nonetheless, the show goes on at Shoppingworld from Thursday and Mrs Harris said there would still be a “tremendous display of colour and variety” on show.
She hoped the community would come out and support the society’s show after the challenging season.
The society meets at the St. Stephen’s Church Hall, Matthews Street on the third Wednesday of each month at 7.30pm.
The show will be display at Shoppingworld until Saturday.
Jacob McArthur
Jacob McArthur is opinions editor for The Canberra Times and Australian Community Media. As part of the Canberra Times' production team, he helps the people of Canberra and beyond get the stories they need, when they need them across a range of platforms, while helping maintain a high editorial standard. Before moving to Canberra in 2020, he started with Australian Community Media in 2015 as a journalist for The Northern Daily Leader in Tamworth where he kept a close eye on Tamworth Regional Council. Jacob was also the co-host of ACM's Water Pressure podcast where he and Jamieson Murphy took a deep dive on issues and key decisions arising during one of the region's worst droughts on record.
Jacob McArthur is opinions editor for The Canberra Times and Australian Community Media. As part of the Canberra Times' production team, he helps the people of Canberra and beyond get the stories they need, when they need them across a range of platforms, while helping maintain a high editorial standard. Before moving to Canberra in 2020, he started with Australian Community Media in 2015 as a journalist for The Northern Daily Leader in Tamworth where he kept a close eye on Tamworth Regional Council. Jacob was also the co-host of ACM's Water Pressure podcast where he and Jamieson Murphy took a deep dive on issues and key decisions arising during one of the region's worst droughts on record.
