It’s nearly 50 years since Peter Fisher swapped car racing for orchids after a promise to his wife Rosanne, and today they continue to judge one of the most diverse plant families in the world.
Before orchids, Peter raced “all sorts” from saloon to sport cars and took part in the Tāhunanui Beach motor racing.
“I said I’d give up racing when we started a family. Rosanne was into orchids and I went to a meeting and thought it’s something we can do together.”
Rosanne got her first orchid when she was just 14 – and it didn’t survive. But it didn’t dent her enthusiasm and today the Nelson couple have about 25 orchid species at home.
They’re in the orchid house at either the hot end or the cool end, depending on the species; they’re in the trees around the garden, growing in pots and spread through the house.
Yet their abundance of orchids is still just a tiny selection of about 25,000 species found around the world and the number continues to grow as they are discovered in areas still being explored.
The place to see a few of those species is at the Nelson Orchid Show in Motueka Library on March 16.
It’s the “luck of the draw” to have plants flowering on time for a show and this year luck didn’t play ball for Peter and Rosanne who will not have orchids to display in Motueka.
That’s part of the appeal of growing orchids though – the variation and also the challenge.
“It depends on what orchid it is and where you put it. They’re easy or difficult and what grows for you might not grow for someone else.
“They all come from different parts of the world, so all need their own climatic conditions to flower successfully.”
Peter has been judging since 1984 and chaired the Orchid Council of New Zealand for 12 years, with Rosanne following into the field of judging as the family got older and she could also travel to national shows and meetings around the country.
It’s a hobby that has dominated much of their lives together – and their garden.
People don’t have to go far to see New Zealand native orchids – and there’s about 120 - as Rosanne says some of them can be found in the Brook Waimārama Sanctuary.
“A lot of them are at ground level and people walk along looking for the birds and don’t look at where they are putting their feet.”
A good way to see a selection of orchids, buy one, see a potting demonstration and learn more, is at the show.
Motueka Orchid Show, Sunday 16 March, 9am-1pm, Motueka Library.
