On Thursday 7th April, 14 members of The Bridford and Teign Valley Garden Club visited the family run business, Orchid Paradise, (Burnham Nurseries), near Newton Abbot. We began with tea and delicious homemade cakes in their Vanilla Cafe. Sara, third generation of the Rittershausen family, gave a talk
informing us that her family had 70 years of growing experience beginning with her grandfather Percy Rittershausen. Sara’s knowledge and expertise were immense.
 
There are some 30,000 species of orchid in the world and over 150,000 man-made hybrids. Orchids are found on every continent except Antarctica. They can be classed as epiphytes (grow on trees), terrestrials (grow in the ground) and lithophytes (grow on rocks). There are different types of growth, monopodial (growing upward from a single point), sympodial (branching pattern of growth) and pseudobulbs (a storage organ composed of thickening of the part of the stem between leaf nodes).

Following Sara's talk, we were allowed to wander through the growing houses and marvel at the variety of orchids with their beautiful, exotic blooms. The species on show are from around the world, many of which you won't see anywhere else in the UK. Due to the large variety, the growing houses are kept at different temperatures, cool (8 degrees), intermediate (12 degrees) and warm (18 degrees). Sara advised us to try the Moth Orchid (Phalaenopsis) as it likes house conditions and the flowers are long lasting.

She runs an Orchid Clinic on the first Wednesday of each month providing expert advice for problem plants with re-potting if necessary. They also run fun, full day Orchid Masterclasses in Spring and Autumn, a "basics' one for Beginners and a 'how to expand your collection' one for Improvers. Whether you are a serious orchid enthusiast, a keen gardener or looking for a memorable day out, Orchid Paradise is well worth a visit.

From their website 'The nursery has a huge collection of orchids from all around the world, many of which we grow onto large specimens to then use for propagation and display. In this area, you will see a selection of these special plants on show when they are in flower, different species with each month of the year and always something interesting to see in bloom.
In addition to the flowering orchids we also now have a series of informative and educational displays. See how the orchids grow from tiny seeds, and learn more about their habitats and habits of growth. Plus there is a historical timeline of how our nursery has grown over three generations of the Rittershausen family.
Even if you know nothing about orchids you will be in awe at the range and diversity within the orchid family. It is the world’s second largest plant family with over 30,000 species and in excess of 120,000 hybrids. Whether you are a serious orchid enthusiast, a keen gardener or just looking for a memorable day out then make sure that our nursery is somewhere you visit this year!
Our orchids in bloom are ever-changing with rare and exotic to the popular and latest varieties. Many of these orchids you won't see anywhere else in the UK and are part of the nursery collection built up over 70 years. The flowers on show change from season to season making it always worth a visit!'