South Auckland Orchid Society show coming to Pukekohe
The South Auckland Orchid Society is back in business after a Covid-19 induced hiatus, bringing its orchid show to Pukekohe on Saturday September 03.
The colourful and dynamic orchid has been one of Ernie and Margaret Harvey’s great loves for most of their lives.
Their bright colours and hardiness mean they are blooming in the Harvey’s Mangatāwhiri home year round. And now you can see them too, at the Pukekohe Town Hall, alongside dozens of other blooms with their proud growers.'
Margaret Harvey grows her orchids in pots, so she can move them around as she likes. At one stage when the couple lived in Pukekohe, her shade house held around 200 orchids.
The Harvey’s have been members of the South Auckland Orchid Society for just about as long as the society has been running. Founded in the early 1970s, many of the society’s members are either longstanding like the Harveys or sadly passed away.
The couple are eager to see younger people join in and get as excited about orchids as them, and enjoy just how much joy they can bring to their home.
“The biggest thing with being a member is you learn from other people’s mistakes, or problems. You can learn what results people get, and what’s the best thing to grow them in.”
They said while the internet can offer a lot of information, other Kiwi growers are the best source of knowledge because of our unique climate, with a lot of information out there based on the United States’ weather.
Ernie and Margaret said the society has been a family to them over the years, providing much more than advice on orchids alone.
Margaret said members also offer each other garden tours to visit their own growing practices.
“Because we’re a small number, we’re all friendly, we all go have a coffee and chat and things like that,” Ernie said.
“And not only in our club, you make friends in other clubs – Howick, Waitākere, Waikato and even North Shore clubs - we all get together and have a natter.”
The South Auckland Orchid Show will be on Saturday, September 03 from 10am until 3.30pm at the Pukekohe Memorial Town Hall.
What's your favourite tomato recipe?
Kia ora neighbours. We know your tomato plants are still growing, but we're looking ahead to the harvest already! If you've got a family recipe for tomatoes, we'd love to see it and maybe publish it in our magazine to share with our readers. Send your recipe to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, and if we use it in the mag, you will receive a free copy of our February 2025 issue.
Live Q&A: Garden maintenance with Crewcut
This Wednesday, we're having another Neighbourly Q&A session. This time with John Bracewell from Crewcut.
John Bracewell, former Black Caps coach turned Franchisee Development Manager and currently the face of Crewcut’s #Movember campaign, knows a thing or two about keeping the grass looking sharp—whether it’s on a cricket pitch or in your backyard!
As a seasoned Crewcut franchisee, John is excited to answer your lawn and gardening questions. After years of perfecting the greens on the field, he's ready to share tips on how to knock your garden out of the park. Let's just say he’s as passionate about lush lawns as he is about a good game of cricket!
John is happy to answer questions about lawn mowing, tree/hedge trimming, tidying your garden, ride on mowing, you name it! He'll be online on Wednesday, 27th of November to answer them all.
Share your question below now ⬇️
Poll: Should all neighbours have to contribute to improvements?
An Auckland court has ruled a woman doesn’t have to contribute towards the cost of fixing a driveway she shares with 10 neighbours.
When thinking about fences, driveways or tree felling, for example, do you think all neighbours should have to pay if the improvements directly benefit them?
-
83.3% Yes
-
14.3% No
-
2.4% Other - I'll share below
Loading…
