Trinidad and Tobago Orchid Society Annual Show 2008
Last weekend the Trinidad and Tobago Orchid Society had their annual show.
On Sunday evening mom, dad and I went. It was held at San Fernando Technical Institute (now a part of UTT). There were two sections, the display or the show and sellers. The show was in their air conditioned hall and the stalls were setup outside in the corridors.
There was quite a lot of space in the hall. But the stalls…were rather too crowded. And just think, we went on Sunday evening…the second day…last evening…it must have been even more crowded on the other day? And considering they were in the outside corridors, there was more room to expand. Why so cramped? *sigh*
Anywayz, about the show itself. You must know that I’m not a gardener. All I know about orchids and other flowers and plants is the occasional watering of my mom’s plants. And shooting them. Although this hasn’t helped me be a better photographer (yet?), it has made me better able to recognize some orchids and know some names.
So I saw things I’d never seen and things that made me ooh.
One of my favourites is actually not an orchid but the dwarf ornamental pineapple.
On the whole, it didn’t really wow my parents. Dad wondered if it was due to the fact that mom had so many orchids and he’d become accustomed. But they remember going once or twice before and it being huge. I liked it but I know it wasn’t great.
Also, around half-way through my picture taking, I realized I didn’t know the names of the flowers. I remembered that I should take pictures of the names so I could remember. But I didn’t see a lot of tags with names. Maybe I just didn’t know where to look.
I saw a Paphiopedilum (lady slipper) for the first time and that was cool.
Even the Bonsai Society was there.
You can see the whole photoset here.
I didn’t take shots of the stalls. It was so crowded that I didn’t bother.
We didn’t buy a lady slipper :-(
Mom wasn’t sure how to grow it and from the instructions from one of the attendants we were confused. What he said sounded like we could/should grow it inside but when he checked he said no. But later I found out we could. Ah well.
We bought four orchids. I saw a very tall bamboo orchid (Arundina graminifolia) and it was awesome! Hehehe. In another stall we bought two stalks and hope they’ll grow.
We also got a Brassia REX and a Dendrobium Uraiwan x Iasienthera. Mom bought one when I was staring at the bamboo orchid and I can’t remember the colour of the other one.
But we got a black orchid! :-)
Well, hopefully.
A Dendrobium Black Spider x Lisa Kanayama.
I hope they all grow nicely.
But strangely enough for an orchid show, what got me most excited was the purchase of two herbs, a rosemary plant and a lemon basil. Yes. They’re edible/seasoning plants. Wooohooo! They’ll go well with the new mint plant and the celery and bandania, yes? :-)
Well we were all happy to have gone and it was nice but…not the greatest you know.
I have a follow-up story to tell you…just wait…but I got more posts to get out of the way first…and my camera to unload.
woohoo, black orchid huh? shades of Brenda Starr,all you need is an eye patch
Comment by Chennette — Thursday 1st, May 2008 @ 12:49 pm
they were orchids? not tulips?
man! it’s so long i can’t remember!
Comment by Lilandra — Thursday 1st, May 2008 @ 12:51 pm
for some reason, after my comment I had a same frisson of doubt…was it black violets??
but google confirmed it and hence no correction comment
Comment by Chennette — Thursday 1st, May 2008 @ 2:47 pm
I bet Dad chose the orchid. He’s the only person I know (besides maybe sister-the-elder) who’d still read Brenda Starr
Comment by Chennette — Thursday 1st, May 2008 @ 2:48 pm
haha
I WANTED IT
i’ve never had a black flower
:-p
Comment by Lilandra — Thursday 1st, May 2008 @ 2:49 pm
Sorry to disappoint you but the black spider is a very dark brown…so the hybrid you bought will be a dark brown and not black. I myself was looking for a black spider but i was stuck at teh door selling tickets….sigh….
Comment by Rashid — Tuesday 6th, May 2008 @ 3:14 pm
thankfully a dark brown would be good enough for me :-)
one day a black flower will be in my grasp…one day!
ticket selling…so necessary but so tedious!
Comment by Lilandra — Tuesday 6th, May 2008 @ 4:40 pm
[...] my dwarf pineapple (yes! remember the dwarf ornamental pineapple from the orchid show? A couple days later we went to the place mom buys a lot of her plants and there was one! Just one! [...]
Pingback by lilandra.com » Gross Plants — Sunday 18th, May 2008 @ 1:31 am
There is NO known orchid that producer a true black flower.
Comment by Ernest Dobbs — Tuesday 24th, June 2008 @ 10:38 pm
i know! isn’t it sad?
i’ll have to just live with a fictional one…
or maybe dye one of my mom’s white orchids :-D
Comment by Lilandra — Wednesday 25th, June 2008 @ 6:04 pm
Hi Lily,
I came across your blog while googling for a mint plant in Trinidad. I was wondering where you got yours and if there are more available so that I can purchase one. I have searched most plant farms that I know and I can’t find it anywhere.
Recently, I’ve started a herb garden with both local and “foreign” herbs (the ones that are not common to Trini cooking). So far, I have dill, sage, thyme, parsley, rosemary and chadon beni of course (no garden in Trinidad would be complete without that!). I also put some cilantro, oregano and basil seeds to germinate a week and a half ago. The cilantro and basil are successful … waiting patiently on the oregano :) It seems as though the only one I am missing is the mint. Any info I can get would be appreciated.
Thanks much,
Danielle
Comment by Danielle — Sunday 12th, October 2008 @ 11:07 am
Hi Danielle!
One of the other teachers at mom’s school gave her the mint.
Are you sure that La Vega doesn’t have mint?
http://www.lavegaestate.com/
We keep meaning to go there to get MORE stuff for our garden but haven’t yet.
I’d love oregano and basil.
Comment by Lilandra — Sunday 12th, October 2008 @ 3:56 pm