By RYOKO OHNISHI, Rafu Contributor
GARDENA — The South Bay hobbyist group Gardena Cymbidium Club (GCC) is hosting its 28th annual Cymbidium Orchid Show at the Nakaoka Community Center, 1670 W. 162nd St., Gardena, on Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 28 -March 1.
Co-sponsored by the City of Gardena’s Recreation Division, the event is free to the public.
James Umemoto, former president of the club, says, “This year, the weather is a bit funny —?hot and cold. Hope you enjoy the good blooms that our members bring into the show.”
The GCC was originally formed in 1985 by a group of cymbidium enthusiasts, primarily Japanese Americans, to perpetuate the cultivation and presentation of cymbidium orchids. Cymbidium is one of the orchids that can be grown in backyards in the Southern California weather and there are many variety of colors, shapes and styles.
For the show, judges from an internationally graded association of the Cymbidium Society of America (CSA) will evaluate the members’ plants. The award-winning plants will be displayed after 12 p.m. on Saturday at the main lobby.
The show will run on Saturday until 5 p.m. and on Sunday until 4 p.m. One of the most popular events, the plant sale, will begin on Saturday at 10 a.m. Usually, buyers will form lines before it opens.
Dividing and potting demonstrations will be held in the auditorium in English on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. and on Sunday at 1 p.m. The demonstrations will be given by Gary Kennell, the president of the GCC. Those who participate the demonstration will receive a free raffle ticket to win garden supplies at the end of the session.
The plant sale will include various types of cymbidiums, such as pendulous, miniature, cascading and cattleya.
The group meets every third Tuesday evening at 7 p.m. at the Nakaoka Community Center. “You will be able to learn more about how to grow orchids such as about virus and fertilizer at our monthly meetings. Everybody is welcome,” Umemoto says.
For information about the show and club activities, contact GCC President Gary Kennell at (562) 242-6724 or James Umemoto at (310) 326-3730.