Places to Get Your Interest to Flourish

The best way to find out more about growing cymbidium orchids is to talk to people who grow them. Following are some good places to meet orchid enthusiasts:

* Orange County Branch Cymbidium Society of America: Meets the second Thursday of the month (November through June) at 8 p.m. at the Westminster Community Services Building, 8200 Westminster Blvd., Westminster.

* Newport Harbor Orchid Society: Meets the third Tuesday of each month at 8 p.m. at the Neighborhood Community Center, 1845 Park Ave., Costa Mesa.

* South Coast Orchid Society Inc.: Meets the fourth Monday of each month at 8 p.m. at the Whaley Park Club House, 5620 Atherton St., Long Beach.

To see show-quality cymbidiums, corsage and flower arrangements, view demonstrations and buy plants from private gardeners as well as professional vendors, visit the Orange County Cymbidium Society’s annual show at the Huntington Beach Mall, 7777 Edinger Ave. Show times are Feb. 12, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Feb. 13, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Feb. 14, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission is free.

Good books on orchids include:

“Sunset Orchids,” (Sunset, $7.95) edited by Kathryn L. Arthurs, 1989. Available at most libraries or nurseries.

“Your First Orchids and How to Grow Them,” ($6) a publication of the Oregon Orchid Society Inc., 1988. Available at Brecht Orchid Gardens in Costa Mesa or write P.O. Box 14182, Portland, Ore., 97214.

“American Orchid Society Handbook on Orchid Culture” (American Orchid Society, $6) is available from Brecht’s or the American Orchid Society, 6000 S. Olive Ave., West Palm Beach, Fla., 33405