DEVELOPING his passion for botany at a young age, Mount Gambier resident Jim Shaughnessy said growing orchids is a bit like a disease that becomes a large part of your life.
Marking 45 years since he first began to grow and show the popular species, the Australian Orchid Council president is showing no signs of saying goodbye to his beloved hobby.
“When I was a child we used to always have picnics at One Tree Hill and there were thousands of orchids around the area – that’s where my interest really began,” he said.
“My grandmother was very interested in showing flowers, so I definitely caught the bug from her.”
Now growing around 30 different species of orchid in his temperature-controlled glasshouses, he has proven he is an expert in the field.
A member of the Mount Gambier and District Orchid Society, he has taken part in a number of annual competitions with many awards to show for his success.
“Since I have retired I have spent more time on it and I can definitely see the results – the orchids are doing a lot better,” he said.
“I am always experimenting with them to achieve better results and this year received the grand champion award.”
Judged on the flower and how clean and fresh the plant is, Mr Shaughnessy said competition participants attempted to simulate the ideal natural conditions for the orchids.
“However, in saying that I have found orchids will adapt to quite a variety of things as long as you keep the basics stable,” he said.
With cold, wet and dark conditions throughout the region this year, Mr Shaughnessy said there was a noticeable decrease in the number of orchids entered into this year’s local show.
“The show was very successful with quite a lot of people coming through the club rooms, however there weren’t as many orchids as we would have liked to see,” he said.
“Unfortunately without the sun, photosynthesis does not occur and the growth slows right down.
“We will perhaps have to look at adjusting the way we grow them.”
Always on the look-out for new members, he said he was pleased to see so many interested people at the recent show.
“We had quite a lot of people inquiring about joining the club, so hopefully we will get some new members,” he said.
“At the moment there are about 25 of us – it is a pretty active club.”
Coming to the end of his five year presidency stint with the Australian Orchid Council, Mr Shaughnessy said it has been an interesting and informative journey.
“We have visited every state, many of the orchid clubs throughout the country and been in contact with growers overseas,” he said.
“Now it is time for someone else to take on that role, however I will still continue my involvement with the local club.”
