News, sport and entertainment from the Bournemouth Echo and Dorset Echo.

Roger's little orchid is star of big show

From the Echo, first published Wednesday 12th Dec 2001.

A CHEAP orchid seedling bought on a day trip has blossomed into a perfect-score award-winning flower for Weymouth gardener Roger Russell.

Roger, of Weymouth Bay Avenue, is Wyke Regis Horticultural Society's social secretary and it was while he was on a 1998 society outing he had organised that he came across the seedling.

The newcomer was lovingly brought on in Roger's small greenhouse where the orchid relished cool, shady, moist conditions.

The result was that Roger's orchid earned 16 points last year in a Bournemouth competition where it finished second.

But this year has seen the Masdevallia Decumara flower in all its glory with a range of beautiful purple flowers and immaculate clean leaves.

The result was that when Roger entered it into the open section of Bournemouth Orchid Society's monthly points competition it took the much-prized rosette with a magnificent maximum of 20 points.

His little orchid outshone rivals including some orchids with towering spikes up to four feet high.

Roger, 64, maintains that he is "still only a novice with a lot to learn".

He added: "I could hardly believe it. I was amazed when the result was announced.

"I have only been a member of the society for 18 months, so I was stunned not only to win but to do so with a maximum.

"I hope to be able to put in further entries for the monthly competitions including more from this plant.

"I knew it was promising, but I never realised it was as good as everybody said."

Just how good it was emerged when British Orchid Society chairman Graham Smith described Roger's exhibit as "brilliant, an absolute cracker!"

He added: "You could not fault the species. The flowers presented themselves in absolute perfection and all round it was very impressive."

More praise came from top judge David Hood who said: "The exhibit was as clean as a whistle and could have won at national show level.

"It was so good that in more than 30 years of judging I cannot ever remember having given a maximum 20 points before. I certainly never expected to find such a first-class exhibit on the table."

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