Inside Kew Gardens’ spectacular Orchid Festival with 6,000 plants under one roof

THE launch of Kew Gardens’ annual Orchid Festival was breathtaking this week.

The spectacular event is themed around China, and 3,500 orchids are among the 6,000 plants packed into a giant glasshouse.

Whether hanging from the ceiling, bursting from moss-covered crevices or standing proudly in the soil, the full range is mind-blowing.

Often known as “fussy flowers”, orchids symbolise love, friendship, prosperity and beauty.

No wonder so many are given as gifts.

If you have received one from a friend or lover, or bought one for yourself at the local supermarket, the chances are it would have been a phalaenopsis, a moth orchid.

But don’t be nervous. The author of new book Orchids: How To Keep This Alive has given Sun Gardening a guide to their care.

Writer Julianne Robertson says: “Phalaenopsis are not fussy or precious. They’re colourful, meaningful, non-toxic to pets and long- lasting.

“A healthy plant will flower for two to three months. Not only that, but they can bloom all year round, and repeat flowering is typical with the right care.

“It can withstand mistreatment, so perhaps instead of, ‘How do I keep this alive?’, we should be asking, ‘How might I kill this plant?’.”

WATERING: Orchid roots do not want to be sitting in water all the time. So have a good look at them — it is one of the reasons they come in clear plastic pots.

If roots are green, they don’t need water. Silver/white means they do. If they are shrivelled, they’re under-watered and if they are soft and brown, they have been overwatered.

Water from the top. Running water through the bark chips they are potted in will flush out anything that’s not helpful.

Room temperature rainwater is best. Mist on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

LIGHT: Moth orchids are happy on a shaded, east-facing windowsill or close to a west-facing one.

Keep away from direct sunlight from spring to autumn, as it can scorch leaves and cause wilting.

HEAT: If your orchid is beside a radiator or on your sunniest windowsill, it can quickly develop scorching and leaf collapse.

Too cold and it can stop flowering. Ideally, aim for daytime temperatures over 20C and no lower than 16C at night.

FOOD: Orchid fertiliser comes in two types — grow or bloom. You can dilute into water and give it to the plant.

Spray the leaves, roots and bark chips with a foliar feed, which has the added bonus of increasing humidity.

Alternatively, try a drip feeder. You can give general- purpose houseplant food, but it might need to be half-strength.

For more tips, see Orchids: How To Keep This Alive, available now, DK books, £9.99.