Gardening: Unusual orchids galore at annual floral show this weekend

Orchids have been surrounded by mystery and intrigue for centuries. In the 1800s, European collectors would fund expensive plant hunting expeditions around the world just to say they had a plant that their rivals didn’t. Even today, orchid collectors continue to search for new varieties on all the continents except Antarctica. With over 30,000 species already named, collectors still want to find plants no one else has.

If you are curious about orchids, you don’t have to go to the ends of the earth to see the most unusual ones. All you need to do is head down to the Spokane Orchid Society’s annual show this Saturday and Sunday at the Spokane Community College’s Lair Building. The show features a juried show of plants as well as vendors from all over the world. This year’s show will also feature houseplants for sale that you won’t find at the box stores. The event runs 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday. Cost is $5 and children 16 and younger are free. SCC is located at 1800 N. Greene St.

This year, the show will feature plant vendors from Peru, Ecuador and Thailand as well as vendors from across the Northwest who feature plants, pottery, mounting materials and other supplies.

“The vendors are the heart of our show,” said Linda Drummond, this year’s show chair. “Most of our vendors come every year from all over including this year from South America and Asia.”

There will be classes on beginning orchid growing, cultivation and breeding of plants and how to mount orchids for display. Throughout the two days of the show, docents will be offering tours to share the in-depth history and cultivation of the different plants. If you have orchids at home that you’d like help with repotting, the group is offering an orchid repotting service at the show for a fee.

After introducing houseplants to the show last year, the society is expanding the houseplant part of the show.

“We hope to offer people an opportunity to see unusual and unique houseplants you won’t find at the grocery or box store,” Drummond said.

These will include carnivorous plants that feed on insects, cacti, succulents and terrarium plants. The popularity of houseplants has skyrocketed in the past few years so this will be a good opportunity to add something unusual to your collection.

If you’ve always wanted to enter your prized orchid in a show, you are encouraged to enter them for judging. To do so, you will need to bring them to SCC between 3 and 7 p.m. Thursday.

There will also be children’s activities to encourage their curiosity about the world of plants. “We want to support the next generation of plant enthusiasts,” Drummond said.

If you want to get more involved with the world of orchids, the society welcomes new members. They meet monthly on the second Wednesday of the month at 6 p.m. at the Manito meeting room in Manito Park. Contact the group at their webpage: spokaneorchids.org.