Orchids at Acadia March 15

BY WENDY ELLIOTT

Kings County Register

Step away from winter and see the annual orchid show in Wolfville Saturday, March 15 at the Irving Environmental Centre, from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

David Latter from Halifax will give a 2 p.m. talk on some of the orchids he is bringing. He also plans to show slides from the recent World Orchid Congress he attended.

Orchid grower Paul Cabilio of Wolfville suggested the theme of orchid hybridization, based on the new stamps issued by Canada Post. The four flowers illustrating the new definitive stamps are hybidized orchids developed by Canadians. This year's series features the Odontioda Island Red flower on the domestic rate stamp. The U.S. rate stamp features the Potinara Fire Dancer, the oversize rate the Laeliocattleya Memoria Evelyn Light and the international rate the Masdevallia Kaleidoscope “Conni.”

There are over 30,000 species of orchids in the world; the majority are native to tropical regions.

March 15, plants will be available for sale and a supplies raffle will be held. The show is sponsored by Orchid Society of Nova Scotia and the Harriet Irving Botanical Gardens, organized by Valley orchid growers. The society is a hobby organization dedicated to the cultivation, study, conservation and enjoyment of orchids.