Springfield Orchids in Kalamunda, Western Australia, Australia | Garden centre

Springfield Orchids

Locality: Kalamunda, Western Australia, Australia

Phone: +61 8 9293 3196

Address: 32 Lyndhurst Road, Kalamunda 6076 Kalamunda, WA, Australia

Website: http://www.springfieldorchids.com.au

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25.01.2022 Even though the nursery doesnt re-open until April, it has not stopped this visitor from popping in and checking out the surrounds.

24.01.2022 Even though the nursery doesn't re-open until April, it has not stopped this visitor from popping in and checking out the surrounds.

24.01.2022 The following photos show whats currently for sale in the nursery.

23.01.2022 Some seedlings that flowered for the first time this year.

23.01.2022 TWO FOR THE PRICE OF 1! A first for me. Very surprised to see two different flowering orchids in the pot. ... Obviously, a slip-up some time ago. Well, someones going to be happy when they buy it. They are siblings - but are clearly different. Incidentally, the plant name is appropriate - DESIRABLE.

23.01.2022 Hes still around! This docile little fella has been around since April (see 14.4.19 post) and bobs up in different places in the shadehouse from time to time. Another of lifes little pleasures.

22.01.2022 "Creature of the Night" Lovely to start the first day of the new season with a special visitor tonight.

22.01.2022 Another Rescue.... Just when I thought my first rescue early in June was a "one-off", Ive just discovered an even trickier one that Id like to share. Like the first, one flower spike also decided that it would change its occupation to underground miner!... Hopefully, the outcome will be positive. Will keep you posted.

20.01.2022 Its a privilege to own and grow "original" orchids that emanate from the wild. Some cymbidium species that flowered for me in 2018 are shown below.

19.01.2022 Something old, something new, something different...... 1. A couple of back bulbs (i.e. leafless bulbs) with a flower spike - a rare occurrence. 2. Conjoined flowers buds - the cymbidium equivalent of Siamese twins!... 3. Brunette Chocolate Mint (on the left) - a diploid i.e. 2n Brunette Tetra Mint (on the right) - the tetraploid or 4n version of Chocolate Mint.

19.01.2022 Pleased to report that the nursery will be re-opening on Wednesday, 13 May. Also some 2020 first blooming seedlings are featured below.

18.01.2022 WHY I LOVE HYBRIDISING Below are more examples of why I love being involved in breeding cymbidium orchids. All three plants have the same two parents.... They are certainly not triplets.

18.01.2022 What a difference SUNSHINE makes! Check out the two photos. The first plant was put under a solid roof much earlier than the second. Note the variation of colour.... Both photos are of the same orchid - Alexandra Beauty Orange Crush. The lesson to be learned? Keep your orchids in bud exposed to natural sunlight (in my case, the shade house) for as long as possible - especially if you want the richest colour. In other words, dont place them under shelter until the flowers start to open. Incidentally, the flower size will also be larger for those left out longer.

17.01.2022 Now is a good time to visit and see the orchids in bloom.

16.01.2022 I hope that you enjoy these first flowering seedlings that bloomed over the past month. By the way, all now have new owners.

14.01.2022 The journey begins...... Just received over 600 babies (seedlings) that were germinated in a professional lab some 15 months earlier. They have been growing cosily in flasks with up to 30 siblings in each and they come in a range of sizes.... They are washed clean with warm water and graded. Only the most mature plants are retained (generally 20 - 25 plants) which are potted into 125mm (5") pots - in a mix of sphagnum moss and perlite. They are then watered with Seagold - a liquid kelp (seaweed extract) to help cope with the stress of transplanting. As it is winter, they will spend the next few months in an incubator where the temperatures will not get below 14 C - but if put straight into the shadehouse, would experience temps as low as 3 C, and would set them back. (Incidentally, the maximum reached 11 C today - probably half of what they they have been used to since germination). Q. How long before they will be big enough to bloom? A. About 3 years.

13.01.2022 UNFORTUNATELY, WITH THE CURRENT COVID-19 SITUATION, WE ARE NOT ABLE TO OPEN THE NURSERY TO THE PUBLIC. THIS WILL CONTINUE UNTIL THE EXISTING RESTRICTIONS ARE RELAXED. WE APOLOGISE TO OUR CUSTOMERS FOR THE INCONVENIENCE, AND HOPE THAT SOME SORT OF NORMALITY COMES SOONER RATHER THAN LATER.... In the meantime, I intend posting photos of new appealing seedlings as they bloom, as well as other orchid happenings of interest that you may enjoy.

12.01.2022 FIRST TIME New flowering of a cymbidium species that Id only seen in photos, until now. It is the red form of dayanum, and is both cute and heat tolerant, having coped with a 40 degree Celsius day just over a week ago.

12.01.2022 What would these plants be saying if they could talk? "come on, get me out of here and into a pot where I am comfortable" The pics show the plants literally climbing out of their pots (BEFORE) ... and several minutes later after repotting (AFTER). All three plants went from 5" (125mm) pots into 7 (175mm) pots. The other photo shows the excellent roots of one of the plants.

12.01.2022 FIRST TIME New flowering of a cymbidium species that I'd only seen in photos, until now. It is the red form of dayanum, and is both cute and heat tolerant, having coped with a 40 degree Celsius day just over a week ago.

11.01.2022 A Rescue Job...... part 3 (Final) Remember the orchid flower spike that was headed underground in my June 9 posting? Well, the operation was a success as the the plant has now flowered.... Have a look at the before and after photos - which are nearly three months apart. Its name? - (Winter Wonder x Dorothea Paige)Freckles.

10.01.2022 A NEW BEGINNING! Just got some seedlings back from the lab, and the following pictures show the transformation from flask to community pots (with about 12 babies in each). In 6 to 9 months time, the orchids will be planted into their own pots and will take another couple of years of growing before they are mature enough to bloom for the first time.... In the breeding game, patience is certainly a necessity.

10.01.2022 A big thank you to the South of River Gardeners' Club for their visit yesterday - and especially to Maggie and Eileen for co-ordinating it all. A great time was had by all as we were blessed by lovely weather. Thanks also to Christine for looking after the refreshment side of things while I was busy answering questions in the nursery. A group visit first for me - as all the members of the Club that came were ladies!

10.01.2022 Whats New? A selection of recent first blooming seedlings is probably a good place to start.

09.01.2022 Getting ready to go to family, friends and the pollen bank.

09.01.2022 Why I Love Breeding/Hybridising Check out the following four seedlings. All are siblings - having the same parents (the last two images).... Such diversity! The crossing of floribundum with Alexandra Beauty has been registered as Tammy.

08.01.2022 The Experiment. It started a few months ago. Two similar sized community pots (i.e. with about a dozen small plants in each) of a particular crossing were singled out.... One was left in the shade house to cope with winter on its own, whilst the other was placed in my incubator with other very young seedlings. The temperature in the incubator was consistently about 10 degrees warmer than the outside air temperature. The photos below show the two pots in June, and again three and a half months later, in late September. The incubator pot is on the left, while the shade house pot is on the right. Without doubt, the incubator seedlings had outgrown the others foliage-wise. However, what was surprising was that the roots were definitely better on the shade house grown plants (see the last set of photos). Why? Still thinking about that, but Im guessing that the availability of rainwater and greater air flow in the shade house was largely responsible for the superior root development. It appears that the more comfortable incubator conditions primarily aid leaf growth. Time for more experimenting......

07.01.2022 Just a reminder that the nursery will only be open for several more days this season and closes on Friday 30 November.

07.01.2022 A big thank you to the South of River Gardeners Club for their visit yesterday - and especially to Maggie and Eileen for co-ordinating it all. A great time was had by all as we were blessed by lovely weather. Thanks also to Christine for looking after the refreshment side of things while I was busy answering questions in the nursery. A group visit first for me - as all the members of the Club that came were ladies!

05.01.2022 MOVING OUT The last 12 seed pods from 2019 crossings were sent to the lab today. Plenty of variation in the size and shape of the pods. Should see the first of the "babies" come back in flask in the spring of 2021.... A 9 month old pod that looked good enough to eat is also pictured- before and after being sliced in half - to reveal literally 1000s of seeds.

05.01.2022 They said that youd never make it..... A happy conclusion to the late July rescue of Magic Devon Maisie. The errant flower spike (see July 30 post) has finally opened and has been well worth rescuing.

04.01.2022 Some Things That You Dont Often See With Cymbidium Orchids! 1. A leafless bulb (i.e. back bulb) with an emerging flower spike. Back bulbs normally produce new growths (leaves) or simply waste away or rot.... 2. A tiny immature first growth on a seedling with a flower stem of two buds coming - not from the base, but from the centre of the plant. This is about two years earlier than can be expected from a plant of this size.

03.01.2022 He's still around! This docile little fella has been around since April (see 14.4.19 post) and bobs up in different places in the shadehouse from time to time. Another of life's little pleasures.

03.01.2022 What's New? A selection of recent first blooming seedlings is probably a good place to start.

02.01.2022 Apart from being one of my breeding plants, whats special about the plant in the first photo? Well, all 4 flower stems are coming from the one bulb! A fluke? Not for this plant, as it has done it before.... Normally, cymbidiums produce one flower spike per bulb and less frequently, two. Its name? Beau Guest Glenn (also pictured when in bloom).

02.01.2022 AND NOW FOR SOMETHING DIFFERENT! This is zygopetalum Advance Australia Springfield - a beautifully vibrant and fragrant hybrid that I made about sixteen years ago. Zygopetalum orchids are indigenous to parts of the South American continent, but do very well in Perth.... They have broader and softer foliage than cymbidiums, produce flower stems from immature new growths and often flower at different times of the year, as well as flowering several times a year. They last about two months in flower on the plant, but sadly collapse very quickly as a cut stem - lasting only several days. If grown in a frost-prone area, they would require some protection during the winter/early spring. They can be treated in much the same way as cymbidiums but prefer to be grown in shadier conditions. I find around 90% shade is ideal.

01.01.2022 Northam Photography Group A little over four weeks ago on a delightful Saturday morning, I had the pleasure of hosting this enthusiastic group of photographers for a Workshop held at the nursery. I have just seen some of the images captured from that visit, which highlight the different approaches used by the participants.... A big thank you to Jenny Utting for organising the event. To see some of the results, simply click on the link below: http://jmu460.wixsite.com/nothamphotogroup/workshop

01.01.2022 What a beautiful sight! (Check the centre of the image) This little fella has been amongst the orchids in the last few months.... Pleased to be able to take this photo earlier today - and to get our first lot of rain in five weeks.