LOVES IT HERE: Adissak Hongsiak of Thailand
ORCHID VETERAN: Yoshihiro Hanashiro from Okinawa, Japan.
CLOSE TIES: (From left) Orchid Park consultant Au Yong and Puah from Singapore.
OUR PRIDE: Nagata and his wife Mikkie posing with the white orchid he named after her.
KUCHING: A chat with exhibitors at the 2nd International Orchid Show quickly revealed a world where fellowship is valued as highly as the prized orchids that were shipped into the city.
Exhibitors from Singapore, Thailand and Japan had nothing but good words for the show’s organisers Kuching North City Commission (DBKU) and Orchid Park consultant Au Yong Kien Chung, and for one another.
Adissak Hongsiak gets invited to many international orchid shows, but he only packs up his award-winning Vanda orchids for only a selected few, including the 2nd International Orchid Show here.
“I come here for the friendship and for networking,” he told The Borneo Post, adding that Au Yong’s friendship and efficiency in taking care of the exhibitors is a main point for wanting to participate.
A winner of last year’s landscape category, Adissak is Thailand’s Vanda Association chairman and Royal Horticultural Society of Thailand member.
His landscape entry this year includes an artificial waterfall surrounded by greenery and explosions of colourful orchids.
Puah Gik Song and his team from Singapore brought a piece of their country with them to Kuching.
Their landscape entry is a botanical version of Marina Bay Sands and Garden by the Bay. A trio of cats at the edge of the display worked as a finishing touch and a nod to their host city.
“Our association started early in discussing how to best present Singapore in this show,” said Puah, adding they eventually settled for their country’s hottest new property, flanked by a backdrop of high-rise buildings.
Puah, who also participated in the last Orchid Show, said the quality of participation and show management had improved significantly.
Yoshihiro Hanashiro and his team put together a path leading to an archway that welcomes visitors to Okinawa, Japan.
The orchids were arranged on both sides of a pebble path, each stalk spaced out enough to allow these individual white and purple beauties to shine.
Known for their attention to detail, Hanashiro supervised as his team tucks small bunches of grass at the base of some rocks lining the path. Hanashiro has over 35 years of experience in the orchid industry.
“Our culture is close to the Chinese as we are near Taiwan. Our weather is tropical, so orchids are easy to grow there,” he said.
Another Japanese team hailed from Nagoya, and was led by Haruhiko Nagata. Like Hanashiro, Nagata is also a respected breeder with 35 years of experience.
He said this business is virtually in his blood as he was born in his family’s plant nursery.
His team arrived here on Tuesday, and immediately started building their landscape exhibition from the ground up.
When asked, he pointed to a large white orchid that was accented in purple and yellow – the C Mikkie Nagata.
“That one is my favourite. I named it after my wife,” he said.
The See Hua Group of newspapers are the official media of the 2nd Orchid Show.