From seedlings to show-winning

Orchids are a common sight in garden centres and shops, but they often have a reputation for being difficult to keep alive. 

For Ōrewa-based orchid growers Wen Teo and Sue Chau, turning a seedling into a mature, award-winning plant takes patience, care and an understanding of what each variety needs.

Teo, a New Zealand Orchid Society judge, and Chau have spent years cultivating orchids at home, with many of their plants going on to receive awards. One of their 2025 award-winning orchids was Cattleya ‘Mari’s Love Taka’.

The pair began breeding orchids around 2021 during the Covid-19 lockdowns, with Teo drawn to the uncertainty of growing a plant from a seedling.

“It’s the anticipation, you have to give it time to see what it could be, like colours, shape, patterns,” he says.

From those early stages, an orchid’s development can be influenced by a range of factors. Light is particularly important when deciding where to grow a plant, Teo says, as different varieties have different requirements.

While orchids are sometimes considered difficult to keep alive, Teo says their wide range of varieties means there are plants suited to many different growing environments.

“There are orchids for almost every home,” he says, with plants varying widely in colour, shape and size.

For those wanting to see the results of years of growing and learn more about caring for orchids, the Hibiscus Coast Orchid Society will hold its 41st Spring Show at Ōrewa Community Hall on October 9 and 10.

Entry is free, with orchids on display and information available about growing and caring for them.

The club meets on the second Sunday of each month at 1.15pm at the Masonic Lodge in Ōrewa and welcomes anyone interested in orchids.

For more information, email hibiscuscoastorchidsociety@protonmail.com