- A FRESH PERSPECTIVE ON ORCHIDS Bloomin’ Marvellous

By: Anneline Ferreira

An opportunity to visit an orchid nursery holds the exotic promise of delight and wonder, a treat that should involve far travels perhaps… but Eikenhoff Orchid Nursery requires no more than a short drive along the Papiesvlei Road.

Members of Stanford Garden Club recently had the privilege of a private function at the nursery, owned by Debra and Pierre Martheze. From a talk and demonstration by Pierre, who has been growing orchids since he was 13 years old, we quickly learned that these exotic beauties don't all require the extreme pampering we've been led to believe for years.

Pierre generously shared his extensive knowledge with passion and humour, giving tips and tricks in an informative and inspiring demonstration, and had us all gasping as he literally hacked away at some plant roots!

Members were allowed to stroll through the nursery and choose from a vast array of plants or just purchase a few stems of beautiful blooms. They also stock fertilisers and potting mix and are most generous with advice throughout your visit.

Eikenhoff breeds and cultivates their own varieties and imports plants from all over the world - and Stanford turns out to be one of the best areas to grow especially garden orchids such as Cymbidiums as the climate is ideal.

The nursery is open to the public by appointment only, so it's best to contact them beforehand. Keep an eye on their website or Facebook page for information on their much-anticipated Open Days during flowering season – a delight for both the novice grower and the more experienced collector.