Mary, our Club Treasurer, was recently interviewed for the Alloa & Hillfoots Weekender.  The article is reproduced below:

MARY Fletcher is hooked on orchids and, as the treasurer of the Forth Valley Orchid Club, she thinks it won¹t take much for anyone to come under the flower's charms.

Mary (64) has been involved in the lovely-scented world of orchids for the past four years ever since coming across a "rescue orchid" that she nursed back to health.

Her love affair has taken her from picking up just a few rescue orchids to a collection of 75 flowers from up to 12 different families of orchid. Her hobby led her to work at an orchid nursery and become more and more involved with the Forth Valley Orchid Club where she is now the treasurer.

The club meets every six weeks or so in Alloa, choosing various days of the week to accommodate the needs of its members.

Mary, who lives in Riverside, Stirling, told the Weekender how she became enchanted by orchids.

"I kept seeing orchids at shops and supermarkets but they can be quite expensive.

"I bought a rescue orchid four years ago this summer which made me become a little more interested and the next thing I know I have three rescue orchids.

"I then worked for a while in an orchid nursery and now I have 75 orchids. I have orchids in my conservatory and in my shed. I finally want to get myself a greenhouse this summer to give them a dedicated place."

As treasurer of the Forth Valley Orchid Club, Mary has the pleasure of sharing her passion with other members.

The club was formed just over a year ago in response to requests from clients at Regal Orchids, Scotland's only orchid nursery which is based at Tulliallan Castle in Kincardine.
She said, "There are one or two experts in the group but everybody has a similar story as to how they became involved with orchids and every story starts the same 'I was given an orchid and' ­ that's all it takes to become hooked.

"The club is perfect for people looking for advice on how to keep orchids as they are different from the average houseplant.

"Many types of orchids don't need a lot of water but they do need moisture and most like bright environments but not direct sunlight."

With 75 orchids in her care, the Weekender asked Mary if she had a favourite, "I have several favourites. I particularly like the Phalaenopsis because it has a nice big leaf and is very delicately scented. It's a lovely, light scent which will be much more noticeable when the sun is out but when it clouds over, it stops."

Mary says that she has a lot to learn when it comes to keeping orchids and says she is trying to become an expert in the orchids she currently owns before her collection gets any bigger.
And while collecting and caring for orchids may seem like an expensive hobby, Mary says it certainly doesn't need to be.

"Obscure orchids can be expensive and the more unusual an orchid is, the more it will cost. But you can buy fresh orchids at good prices at supermarkets. IKEA also gets fresh orchids in. Although when you buy them from places like these, there won¹t be a label and they only come with basic caring instructions. But there are lots of on-line nurseries. I've even bought some using eBay from someone in Germany."

Mary has words of encouragement for anybody thinking of buying their first orchid.
"Go for it. But beware, they are addictive. You'll be hooked when you watch one of these things flower. They are really quite special."

For information about the Forth Valley Orchid Club, go to www.forthvalleyorchidclub.org.uk or call 07005 801177.

Article copyright and reproduced with kind permission of the Alloa & Hillfoots Weekender.