Appreciation of Cymbidium Orchids Cultivated
He started with one cymbidium from Sears “because every Hawaiian wants to grow an orchid in his yard.”
Now Everett Stockstill cultivates more than 1,000 potted orchids around his Harbor City home, and he’s become a show judge, hybridizer, orchid society officer, speaker and prize-winning exhibitor.
Stockstill and many other orchidists are preparing for the orchid event of the year, the Santa Barbara International Orchid Show, which will be held Friday through March 25.
Hundreds of species and named varieties will be exhibited at this show, considered by many to be the biggest orchid event in the West--and perhaps in the country.
Although there are numerous species of orchids, Stockstill concentrates on only one kind--cymbidiums. These cool-climate orchids thrive in Southern California, especially near the coast. Some orchids may need special treatment in hothouses to bloom, but cymbidiums are happy outside. From February through May, they will produce long-lasting spikes of exotic waxy blooms in maroon, pink, green, white, orange and gold.
The beauty of these flowers and their easy cultivation has completely captivated Stockstill. Cymbidium orchids bulge from nearly every inch of his patio and yard. His wife, Violet, wistfully suggests that perhaps his collection might be reduced. With a melt-your-heart smile, Stockstill agrees.
Then he starts to search for a new spot for the hundreds of orchid seedlings that have just arrived in glass flasks. These babies, resulting from crosses he made a year and a half ago, were germinated in a Santa Barbara orchid laboratory and will require three to five years of nurturing before they bloom. Only then will he know if the new plants are worth keeping.
A big man who grins readily and laughs often, Stockstill is a first-grade teacher at Eschelman Avenue School. His spare hours and summer vacations are spent either tending his orchid collection or conducting the business of several orchid societies in which he is active. Next fall, he and Violet will travel to New Zealand for the World Orchid Congress.
As he threads his way through the narrow pathway among his back-yard orchids, Stockstill proudly shows off the exquisite blooms of his first show winner, a seedling called Bulbarrow “Violet Stockstill.” This miniature cymbidium, which he named for his wife, has olive-green blooms with maroon accents.
A novice gardener might be surprised by Stockstill’s back-yard collection. For one thing, all the plants are in pots, ranging from tiny 2-inchers to big specimens in 2-gallon containers.
“Cymbidiums are best in pots, where the drainage, soil, water and fertilizer can be totally controlled,” says Stockstill.
The color of the foliage is unusual in this plant collection. Most plants display their health with lush dark-green leaves. Not so with cymbidiums. They are most productive when the foliage is chartreuse-green, indicating that they are receiving ample light. Cymbidiums with dark green leaves aren’t getting enough sunshine; hence, no flower spikes.
A more experienced gardener might suspect that Stockstill’s plants are underwatered because the soil in the pots looks dry. Yet the bulbs are not shriveled and the foliage and blooms are thriving . Cymbidiums don’t like wet feet, says Stockstill, especially in the winter when the weather is cool.
Orchid lovers such as Stockstill will converge on the Santa Barbara show to compete for trophies, medals, cash prizes and ribbons. Each grower hopes to win the coveted Reserve Champion, Grand Champion or Best Orchid in Show prize.
Cymbidium orchids--as well as cattleya, paphiopedilum, dendrobium, lycaste, oncidium, phalaenopis, miltonia and odontoglossum orchids--will be featured at this show. More than 60 displays will occupy the 22,000-square-foot building.
In addition to seeing amateur and commercial exhibits, visitors may attend floral arranging and culture workshops. Every half-hour during the show, an orchid corsage will be given to a visitor. Outside the exhibit area, orchids and growing supplies will be sold.
Admission: $5 for adults; $3 for seniors and students. Children under 12 (with an adult) are free. Parking is $1. The Earl Warren Show Grounds Exhibit Building is at Highway 101 and Las Positas Road in Santa Barbara.
