Happy New Year 2012 !

Masa berlalu, kita tiba di tahun baru, umur pun tambah lagi satu, akan bertambahlah lagi koleksi orkid dari yang terdahulu..ha..ha..

Time flies...We are getting a year older, and so our orchids..ha..ha..well, lets celebrate!

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012 EVERYBODY !

And now lets watch a time lapse video of  a phalaenopsis in bloom, I want to regard this as a symbol of a new year with a new beginning..

Jom kita lihat video gerak cepat orkid Phalaenopsis yang berkembang..pada saya ni adalah simbolik kepada satu permulaan tahun baru yang akan kita tempuhi nanti..

SELAMAT TAHUN BARU 2012 !

A new year is unfolding, like a blossom with petals curled tightly concealing the beauty within

- Sarah

Meaning and Symbolism of Orchid

Kali ni malas pulak nak translate ke bahasa Melayu..jadi sudi-sudikan baca..

          Orchids are beautiful and delicate. They seem almost to be the anti flower with their geometric shapes the antithesis of the soft, rounded curves of more common flowers. It is this very unusual quality that makes them so exotic and desirable. Orchids have had a long history and have different meanings. Do we ever wonder what orchid means? Sometimes we see orchid bouquet or plants presented to somebody as a gift and so on..Well, here it goes..

            

            Orchids are a long-lasting and particularly elegant type of flower, making them the perfect gift for many occasions. Their graceful appearance draws immediate attention, and their reputation as an exotic and unusual flower evokes a sense of refinement and innocence. With many orchid varieties to choose from and the meanings of orchids being so special, you are sure to find one that can express the right message, whether it be Thank You, Happy Anniversary, Congrats on Your Promotion, or anything in between.

           Whatever meaning you choose to take from these beautiful flowers there can be no gift more unusual, unexpected or beautiful than a carefully made up bouquet of these flowers. The orchids add another dimension to such a gift.

Fertility

           In ancient Greece it was believed that orchids were a symbol of fertility and virility. It was even believed that consuming the flower could determine the sex of an unborn child. If the father of an unborn child ate large, new orchid tubers then the woman would have a boy.
On the other hand if the mother ate small orchid tubers she would have a girl. If you are trying to have a baby this could be a meaningful gift to your spouse. Or this could be a pretty and meaningful gift for someone who is expecting a baby.

Luxury

           In Victorian England orchids took on the mantle of luxury. No doubt this image stems from the fact that these flowers are hard to find anywhere but tropical places. Anyone during this era who could afford to buy these exotic blooms would have to be a rich person. Orchids still have a connotation of luxury as they are still hard to find and exotic.
  

Perfection and Beauty

            Today, the meanings of orchids are generally regarded as symbolic of rare and delicate beauty. The shape of orchids has been mentioned as geometric in comparison to the curvier forms of other flowers. The straight lines that run through these flowers have led them to be a symbol of perfection and beauty. This has to do with the notion that beauty can be found in symmetry. The varied colors of these flowers will give you many choices in terms of which beautiful bloom you wish to use or present someone with. The orchid flower meaning symbolizes a beautiful lady according to the Victorian era.
 

Love

           Orchids stand for the symbol of love and affection. It has the ability to grow anywhere and has the resistance power to bloom under any condition, that makes it a symbol of love. During the Victorian Era, it was said, the gifting a flower that was found with much difficulty, means the love has deeper affections and emotions. A pink orchid conveys pure affection. The Cattleya orchid denotes mature charm, and is often used in corsages for Mother's Day.

 Other

          The ancient Chinese interpreted the orchid flower meaning as a symbol for many children. It also signifies refinement, and innocence.

          In Japan, Neofinetia falcata has a long history within the Samurai culture. This little jewel long treasured by Japanese royalty for its fragrance and foliage. It is known as an orchid of wealth and nobility. Samurai warriors would travel for miles in the search for this tiny orchid to bring back to the royal court. If the warrior succeeded in his quest, it was considered a sign of his bravery. 

        The Aztecs were said to drink a mixture of Vanilla orchid and chocolate to give them power and strength.

If instead of a gem, or even a flower, 

we should cast the gift of a loving thought into the heart of a friend, 

that would be giving as the angels give 

- George MacDonald

 

My first Orchid Decorated Cakes..

           Hi..we meet again.. my blog is not very productive this month, theres a lot of stuff going around so I try my best to update the posts..

          This time its about my first orchid decorated 3 tiered cakes..I was actually a part time amateur cake decorator cause I've only learned the craft through books and my mother, because we have this little bakery business, so I've been doing this since I was 14 years old, helping her, besides nobody in my house was willing or skilled enough to do this ..we don't have a bakery of some sort just customers ordered by phones..For my part I was only did the decoration as I told earlier..I think I did post one picture of my decorated cake somewhere in this blog, Oh wait, its in my post about cake decorating using fresh orchids..

          Well, about this cakes, actually It was one of my orchid friend Mr. Ahmad Makarimi from Orchid De Dangau blog..that wanted me to do a 3 tiered cakes for his niece's wedding, He said to me that he wanted it to be decorated in a minimal way plus he wants me to use fresh orchids for decoration, In my country, using the real flower for decorating cakes are quite rare, they normally use the usual stuff like buttercream, royal icing or fondant for the flower, roses are themost common, so this is new experience for me to use real orchids for decorating..and here's the results..

          Sibuk, tak sempat nak buat pos baru..tapi kali ini tentang kek untuk majlis perkahwinan pertama yang saya hias dengan menggunakan bunga orkid...Sebenarnya saya ni adalah buat sedikit kerja-kerja menghias kek di rumah, belajar menghias pun sendiri, tengok internet, buku..dan dibantu sedikit oleh ibu saya..sebabnya famili saya menjalankan bisnes bakeri secara kecil-kecilan..jadi tak ada orang lain di rumah yang boleh buat hiasan kek, jadi sejak tingkatan 2 lagi saya dah kena buat..

         Berkenaan dengan kek 3 tingkat ni, sebenarnya kawan sayalah, En. Makarimi yang pesan untuk majlis perkahwinan anak saudaranya, dia minta saya buat hiasan yang ringkas tetapi bunga untuk hiasan, mesti guna bunga orkid segar, Di Malaysia ni jarang dilihat kek yang dihias dengan bunga segar..selalunya dengan aising juga..Jadi ini satu pengalaman baru, hias dengan bunga orkid pula tu.. Jadi inilah hasilnya..

           Well what do you think?..I forgot to take pictures of the process before the end product..but nevertheless this was how it turned out..I use fondant to cover the cakes and add a ribbon trimming..because the decoration is very simple, I've made a big flower spray in cascading style to add a little 'drama' on top..so it balances everythings up..As you can see I use 3 types of orchids in harmonious colours, white phalaenopsis hybrid as a main flower, green dendrobium hybrid in the middle and the lower ones are Encyclia tampensis var alba..The interesting thing is the white Phalaenopsis and green dendrobiums are from my plant, and the Encylias are from Mr. Makarimi's plant..so I joined everything together arranged it nicely add some ferns and fine leaves from my garden to make the spray 'fuller'..then just place it on top if the cake..done!

           Macam mana ok tak? Saya terlupa nak ambil gambar masa proses nak menyiapkan kek ini..tak apalah mungkin ada lagi lain kali..Di sini saya gunakan ising fondant untuk menutup permukaan kek dan hanya kemaskan dengan riben di bawahnya..disebabkan hiasannya yang ringkas saya buat jambangan orkid berjurai yang agak besar di atas untuk seimbangkan semuanya..Saya guna tiga jenis orkid iaitu Phalaenopsis putih, Dendrobium hijau dengan Encyclia tampensis var alba..Yang menariknya Phalaenopsis dan Dendrobium adalah dari koleksi pokok orkid saya manakala Encyclia dari pokok En. Makarimi sendiri..Jadi saya cantum dah gubahkan semuanya, tambah daun pakis dan daun-daun halus yang diambil di kebun untuk memenuhkan jambangan ini, kemudian letak atas kek..Siap!


Sampai jumpa lagi..dan Terima Kasih kepada Mat Anggerik dan Zambri yang sudi menjadi 'follower' saya yang ke 9 dan 10..

Personality is to a man what perfume is to a flower 

- Charles M Schwab

 

WOC - World Orchid Conference 2011

            Finally..one of the worlds biggest orchid 'fiesta' is here in Asia, The World Orchid Conference (WOC) making it's comeback every three years.. I've planned to attend this big event since last year, luckily for me, things has going down well as planned, minus some 'glitches' here and there..at last I was there..yay !

            Now, its Singapore's turn to host this most grand event in honouring orchid as one of the most celebrated flower in the world..This is the 20th time for WOC to be held. Malaysia and Singapore are neighbouring countries so without wasting any time me and my orchid 'gang' booked the tickets and fly there..

           Words cannot describe the excitement and anticipation that was mounting inside me before the exhibition door was open..

           Akhirnya..salah satu 'pesta' orkid yang terbesar diadakan di Benua Asia..World Orchid Conference (WOC) kali ke-20 telah berjaya dianjurkan sekali lagi selang tiga tahun..Negara yang terpilih kali ini ialah Singapura..Walaupun masa ni saya tengah sibuk sangat, tapi orkid punya pasal apapun sanggup, ialah bukan senang 'event' ni nak sampai ke rantau sebelah sini..lagipun dah plan dari tahun lepas. Apa lagi saya dan 'geng' orkid pun book tiket terus terbang ke sana..bagi yang 'gila' orkid, rugi sangat kalau ada masa dan wang tetapi tak pergi...

 This is a MUST post here..take a look..

 Arrived at Changi Airport, There I was greeted with a nice display of orchids already..

 'White Dendrobium tree' adorned the left and right along the corridor lead tu the main 

exhibition hall..

 We arrived there quite early,  people are starting to come in..

 Get our tickets..

 And the exhibition hall was open......up front, a very nice display from Papua New Guinea..

 PNG display was among the best this time..If I'm not mistaken they got the first place in this category.

 The uses of orchids, the choice of colour/arrangement combined with traditional giant wooden mask makes a very striking display.

 This is the first time that I see Dendrobium cuthbertsonii live..cause  it cannot be grown in a lowland condition..sad...

 Another PNG orchid displayed, Dendrobium hellwingianum. Nice bluish shade!

 PNG display again..with a water feature..

 Another display, I think this is from Japan.

 Another orchid display

 and another..

  Cymbidiums and giant fans.

 A 'kampung' style display complete with a wooden house..

 Pink Calanthe hybrid on a group display..

 Deep red Calanthes on a post draped in fishing net in this seaside themed composition..

 'Avatar' inspired display..

Wow..ni macam filem 'Avatar' la pulak..

 This is the time to promote cultural diversity joined together with orchids..

 The famous Bali mask, adorned with orchids..

 This is one of the store selling orchids..lots of interesting stuff indeed!

Memang banyak jenis orkid yang dibawa masuk untuk diual di sini, tumpuan kami tentunya yang dari Amerika Selatan, bukan senang nak dapat..nak pi sana tambangnya pun dah berapa..

 An array of orchids cuttings that is hard to find in Malaysia, but be careful..checked their growing requirement first!

Fuh..memang rambang mata tengok semua orkid-orkid ni...pilih mana yang berkenan tapi kena tau jugak keperluan pertumbuhannya, tak boleh main sebat je..

(poket pun kena tengok jugak..he..he..)

 There are also seedlings in a flask offered for sale..

Rasa nak murah tapi banyak, beli la yang dalam botol ni tapi berjanggut la pulak nak tunggu besar tu tak kira yang mati lagi tu..

 Other store from Taiwan selling mostly Cattleya and Phalaenopsis..

 An miscellaneous mix of orchids, bulbs and cuttings from Thailand.

Masa ni la nak tengok orkid yang pelik-pelik yang susah sangat nak jumpa dijual di Malaysia..

What a colourful display of Cattleyas in one of the store..

 Cattleya, biasa la warna dan saiznya memang gah..!

 Nice splash!

 Besides orchids, there are other decorative plants like this Sundews..

Tak minat orkid, pokok lain pun ada diselit sekali..ini ialah pokok karnivor (makan serangga) iaitu Sundew..

 A very tempting but warm to cool growing, the selected clone of Sophronitis coccinea, nice round shape and flat opening petals, just look at the price..! 

 

 Kalau tinggal di kawasan rendah jangan harap nak tanam Sophronitis coccinea ni, lain la kalau ada 'cool house'.. Ini adalah klon terpilih gred A..Tengok la harganya..! tengok aje leee..

 Many orchid enthusiasts from around the world crowding the orchid selling sections..

Berbagai bangsa dari serata dunia datang ke sini untuk mendapatkan orkid..

 A store from USA selling a variety of Bromeliads..

Gerai dari USA ni tak jual orkid, tetapi pokok Bromeliad saja..

 A gorgeous display of Cymbidium hybrid..

 Different types of Jewels orchid offered for sale from a Malaysian store..

 A selected species and hybrids for sale in Taiwan store..

Spesis terpilih yang dijual pun adakalanya lebih cantik dari hibrid, hargapun meletup jugak, tapi memandangkan takut tidur tak lena, seluk juga poket..

 There are good array of orchid themed books offered, just choose the one you like!

 Souvenirs with an orchids that you can buy for momento..

 A learning sections..

 One of the nice orchid flower arrangements with 'under the sea' theme..orchids and other decorative foliage are camouflaged to look like colourful corals..

 Another arrangements using Renanthera orchids..

 The grand champion winner of 2011 WOC in orchid competition..

 Another winner..miniature type best dendrobium hybrid..

 A nice hybrid of Rhyncholaelia digbyana x Brassavola nodosa

 Visitors admiring all the bouquet displayed in the flower arrangements section..

 This is a very nice Dendrobium johnsoniae hybrid..sadly only for display, not for sale..

 Among the awards..Crystal and metal trophies..

Tak dapat award dapat orkid pun dah cukup baik..!

One of the a large scale flower arrangements.. among many other creations..

 Orchid art..Orchid painting competition in a gallery like display..

  Winner 1

 Winner 2

 Pitcher plants are among the displayed plants

 Paphiopedilum hybrid in a group display

            Its time to go now, Don't know whether I'll be in another WOC in future..cause next country to host the event is South Africa, next three years..

           Akhirnya poket pun dah kering kenalah balik, apa nak buat kami pergi pun dengan motto 'Alang-alang membeli biar berhabisan' ha..ha..Entah bila dapat pergi ke WOC lagi..lagi tiga tahun giliran Afrika Selatan, nun jauh di benua lain...Manalah tau ada rezeki lebih dan masa yang bersesuaian mungkin akan sampai kut..he..he..(berangan tak salah..)

The fact that I can plant a seed and it becomes a flower, 

share a bit of knowledge and it becomes another's, smile at someone 

and receive a smile in return, are to me continual spiritual exercises. 

-Leo Buscaglia