QUESTION:
These potted bulbs caught my eye at Nooroo Garden in Mount Wilson last spring. Are they a type of orchid? And are they difficult to grow?
ANSWER:
They certainly catch the eye in spring, particularly in cool-climate gardens. These are Pleione orchids, native to southern and eastern Asia. Their miniature, cattleya-like flowers emerge from rounded pseudobulbs, usually before the leaves appear, creating a spectacular display.
At Nooroo Garden they are traditionally grown in shallow troughs, but they can also be grown successfully in the garden in a sheltered, shaded position with compost-rich, well-drained soil. Keep them moist during their active growing season and feed with an orchid fertiliser over summer to encourage strong flowering the following spring.
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