Out And About (Tall Tales but Very True)
A special event at Ken Russell’s Orchid Glen Nursery
This spring was a very special event for me and a good old friend which you all know, that lives about half hour away from my place. I will hold you in suspense for a moment. At the age of 14, I became a member of the Berowra Orchid Society. I turned up at the Thursday night meeting, with a couple of flasks of Den. Andrew Pearson that I had just bought of Wal Upton. I was hoping to get some advice on de-flasking but no one was very forthcoming. Then our president Lorry Swenson said, “You will not have much luck with them son, go and see Ken Russell at Dungog. He has them already growing and some ready to flower”. I thought to myself, “Who was Ken Russell?” Being only a first year apprentice cabinet maker, my boss thought that I would not be able to concentrate on my work until I got what I wanted; so he offered to take me up the following weekend. Making the most of it, I said to him, “While we are up there, have you ever been to the Allyn River?” It was a magic place. We made a big day of it, left Sydney at 4 am got to Kenny’s at 9 am, (over the years hundreds of Sydney and Melbourne growers have made the same trip). Well bugger the Den. Andrew Pearson. There were so many beautiful orchids that I had no idea about. I was in paradise! That was my introduction to Kenny. There were many more trips up in later years.
On a particular warm spring day at Ken’s Orchid Glen Nursery, I was invited to the inner sanctum (only for honest customers and if he likes you). In those days it was a double layered plastic enclosure to stop the cold and burn, with a fan running. Ken has a famous phrase especially when you think you can out gun him with a beautiful orchid you have grown and taken to show him. He will say, “That’s not bad but just have a look down here.” He always has something up his sleeve to blow your mind away.
Well this particular day was special, I saw a Dendrobium Sunglow ‘Sunrise’ flowering with 3 or 4 huge inflorescences. They had 20 to 30 large flat flowers on each with the colour of burnt orange. What a site and the perfume was superb! He gave me two selfings of it; they were only for his best customers.
Unfortunately, Ken lent this plant to a breeder for cloning or hybridizing and never got it back! It died or was pinched (the story was not clear) and he was very upset about it.
Sixteen years have gone by since then. I could not flower the plants after 15 years of nurturing them, and gave the two plants to Dan Tomich and George Oehm to work their magic and try to get them to flower.
Dan got the bigger plant to flower its head off! So this year was the return of Sunglow ‘Sunrise’ sibling – flowering like its mum did. So the plan was made to surprise Ken at his place and get some photos of his reaction. This time he did not say, “That’s not bad but just look over here”. Our Ken was a bit stuck for words and was very quick to take the pollen off some of the flowers (knowing the true value and potential of the orchid, to use on something special no doubt).
While I was there, Ken gave me the grand tour like he does with everybody and Noelene (his partner in orchid bliss) got the coffee ready. God love them.
Email Mark: strongrow.orchids@gmail.com
