Well, I did not know that orchids had a scent! When I lived in Hong Kong, I loved going to the Chinese New Year flower market as they always had a great selection of orchids for sale. The plants I tended to buy were for indoor display and they certainly didn’t smell. But yesterday, on the recommendation of a friend, Lawrence and I visited the Abdullah Orchid Nursery just north of Pontian and learnt more about orchids than I ever knew before!.
Here we met the delightful owner of this orchid lovers heaven, Abdullah. He was very generous with his time, telling us about the plants and allowing us to wander around to take photos. He has 500 - 600 different species of orchid here and the variety of flower shapes and colours is tremendous. His plants come from Malaysia, Indonesia and Papua New Guinea.
I have recently started turning my little balcony into a garden, so I was looking for a few plants to add a pop of colour to my mostly green plant set. I also wanted plants which would survive if I was away travelling (yes, I live in hope!).
And this bundle on the left is what I came home with, along with this delicate yellow Dancing Lady orchid (photo right) which is planted in lumps of charcoal.
The orchids on the left belong to the Vanda genus of orchids. They are primarily epiphytic, which means they attach their roots to the surface of a nearby plant or debris to obtain moisture and nutrients, rather than growing in soil. So, I have tied them to my balcony railings, with the roots dangling free off the ground. I do not know if the light conditions here will suit them, as orchids tend to like shade, but for the moment I have a lovely display of colour. My friend tells me I should spray them with water in the early morning (to provide moisture to the roots) with a once-weekly spray with fertilizer.
So here are some photos of my new instant flower-supplemented balcony garden to add to my herbs planters provided by Edible Garden by Radiant - EDGE.
And here are some close-up photos of the different Vanda…
The Abdullah Orchid Nursery is about a 10 minute drive north from Pontian, on the way to Batu Pahat. You may not want to go all that way just for orchids, but this visit could be combined with a trip to Pontian, Kukup or Tanjung Piai (which reopens on 11th March 2021). Abdullah is happy to tell you how best to keep your orchids alive and thriving, so do ask him anything. I am pretty sure that he knows everything there is to know about orchids!
Here are Abdullah’s details…
And on the next page I will show you a selection of photos of orchids whose names I do not know, but will give you an idea of the huge variety out there.
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