Learning how to arrange flowers

MANILA, Philippines - No flower arranging skills? No problem. Just reach in to your inner self and pull out your creativity and let it flow. No rules, no patterns and no restrictions. Garden shows have the ability to bring out the creativity of all plant lovers as they stage a grand and impressive orchid show.

Although an orchid flower is beautiful as it is, it is not surprising to find orchid shows with elaborate landscape designs being used as a backdrop to display their beautiful blooms. This is why many orchid growers and hobbyists I know have suddenly turned into landscape designers and florists and are very good at it.

Putting up an orchid landscape display can be very costly and the effort to do so can be taxing. This is not to mention the stress the orchids go through when taken out of their growing space and transferred to a new environment. It is no secret that many fine orchid specimens have had their last farewell in garden shows because of the hostile surroundings.

This dilemma has brought about the emergence of a new category in orchid shows, which is now being practiced worldwide: The Orchid Showpiece Arrangement Category.

It is a category that orchid growers have welcomed, most specially the small orchid hobbyists, because they can now be part of a grand show.

The Orchid Showpiece category is simply a small orchid display showcasing the blooming flowers of the hobbyist set in a miniaturized arrangement in an artful manner. It is more than just putting the flower in a vase but an expression of the hobbyist’s hard heartfelt work.  These are orchid arrangements that make you stare and think, not just glance and leave. What comes out of these small masterpieces are very surprising and some are very impressive — definitely a showpiece with the hobbyist’s personal touch.

The other great thing about the Orchid Showpiece Arrangements is that they are inexpensive and easy to do. No need to haul in trucks of driftwood, boulders and ornamental plants. No need to stress the orchid plants because you just use the orchid blooms.

So, orchid hobbyists would be glad to know that the Philippine Orchid Society in cooperation with the Quezon City Memorial Circle Administration will be holding its 67th Mid-year Orchid & Garden Show at the Quezon Memorial Circle, Hardin ng mga Bulaklak Area (Flower Garden) with its entrance at the East Avenue Gate, in Diliman, QC, from Aug. 30 to Sept. 9.

The show will feature the best of Philippine orchid species and hybrids in exquisite garden landscapes and showpiece arrangements. A plant bazaar will also be set up offering orchids, ornamentals, and all other garden peripherals at farm gate prices. Everyone is invited to attend the free daily lectures on orchid care and gardening. Lectures will start daily at 3 p.m.

For more information, call the POS secretariat at 929-4425 or text/call 0917-8485468. The show is open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. Entrance fee of P30 and P20 for students and senior citizens with valid ID.