SYD Burton’s love affair with orchids began when he was living in Sydney in the early 1960’s.
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A country boy at heart, growing up in the bush meant Syd loved the outdoors and eventually adapted a passion for Australian native plants.
But it wasn’t until Syd married the love of his life that he soon discovered he had a second love – orchids.
It started off with buying one plant and it wasn’t long before Syd had collected and grew several other orchids to breathe colour and life into his backyard in downtown suburbia.
“When I shifted to suburbia with my wife I found it was the only way I could bring a bit of bush into the city,” he recalls.
Syd and his wife lived in Campbelltown for many years before relocating further north to Hallidays Point where the couple have lived for the past 25 years.
Over time, Syd transformed a section of his property into an enormous greenhouse which now houses thousands of white and purple kingianum and delicatum orchids.
“When it was first built there were only these two benches that had orchids on them,” Syd explains of the inside of the greenhouse.
“But now it’s full there’s a couple of thousand in here, mainly Australian native orchids.”
The orchid enthusiast says his love for the unique plant has been driven by the constant challenge of breeding them and the joy of entering them into shows – something he’s been doing since the mid 1970’s.
“I think it’s probably the challenge to improve, that’s why I breed them,” Mr Burton said.
“It keeps you active, keeps you alive, gives you something to live for you know.
“Everybody seems to be fond of orchids they really are a beautiful flower.
“I won my first award in 1975 in Campbelltown at an orchid show for a delicatum and have been entering shows ever since.
“I guess you always hope you’ll have one that’s good enough for an award.”
The delicatum breed is Syd’s favourite because he says he has had the most success with it.
Mr Burton is a life member of the Great lakes Orchid Society and of the Campbelltown Orchid Society.
At 81, Mr Burton still enters some of his own collection into the Forster orchid shows every year and once in a while travels north to Kempsey for a meeting with other orchid enthusiasts.
“On a good season, I’ll enter anything up to 50 or 60 plants,” he said.
“I like doing it and being part of the meetings, you meet a lot of good friends in orchid societies where you can share advice and learn new things.”
Forster Orchid Show is on this weekend
THE Great Lakes Orchid Society will hold its annual spring show at the Forster Public School’s multipurpose hall on the October long weekend – Saturday, October 5 and Sunday, October 6.
The society’s members are hoping for a good display of orchids during the day, which will open at 9am to 4pm on the Saturday and 9am to 3pm on the Sunday.
There will be plenty to see and do with potting demonstrations on both days as well as advice from society members for keen gardeners and plenty of plants will be for sale.
Entry is by a donation at the front gate.
The Great Lakes Orchid Society is a small yet friendly club that welcomes new members to its monthly meetings held at the Forster Public School multipurpose hall on the second Tuesday of every month.
Life member Syd Burton said the group was a great way to learn more about cultivating the plant and to meet new friends.
For more information phone the group’s president Roy Difford on 6554 6209.