cymbidium

To help conjure up images of exotic eastern temples under the scorching summer sun, use beautiful cymbidium orchids and dazzling dahlias in vivid colours of burnt orange and fuchsia pink to create a fiery arrangement.

A FEW weeks ago, I was lucky enough to bump into a lady from Honley who told me of her cymbidium collection.

Cymbidiums have long strappy leaves and copious, but smaller flowers than the moth orchid, are borne right up relatively straight spikes.

In summer, put cymbidiums outside in a sheltered shady spot or cool well-ventilated greenhouse, and keep watering.

Cymbidiums love to be crowded in their pot, resist transferring into something larger until you can see the pot actually breaking.

She tucks them in among her tomatoes and bell peppers, fuchsia, ivy, geraniums, cymbidiums, hanging orchids, hydrangeas, gardenias, shamrocks and ginger.

Cymbidiums, like many other plants, made their way into British gardens mainly during the mid-19th century, and their immediate favour led to great interest and hybridisation.

Cymbidiums are the most beautiful of indoor orchids, but also about the easiest.

But only two or three groups are usually sold as houseplants - Slipper Orchids (Paphiopedilums), Moth Orchids (Phalae-nopsis) and Cymbidiums.

Fertilize azaleas after bloom finishes; feed cymbidiums with half-strength fertilizer every week or so.

Take the mystery out of feeding cymbidiums and caring for other orchids, at 9 a.

7 If warmer weather prevails, many houseplants such as cymbidiums, azaleas, ivies, coleus, fuchsias and geraniums will benefit from a holiday out of doors.

David is another fan of monochromatic statements, but he prefers shades of green found in an eclectic mix of roses, horse tail, hydrangeas, calla lilies and cymbidiums.

10 Repot cymbidiums and other early spring flowering orchids, using proprietary orchid composts.

Generally we enjoy cymbidiums at ground level, but I have a lovely deep red cymbidium that hangs in my patio outside the dining room window.