SO Gardening (SOG) journeyed to upper St Andrew for an exploration of the garden of businessman Karl Graham, where his orchids were the star attraction.

What was merely a fascination has developed into a passion where for the last 20 years he has cared for over 400 orchids.

Entering the front lawn, you are transfixed by the welcoming assortment of vanda and mokara orchids in different colours. Progressing to the backyard, Graham’s collection expands with more vandas, mokaras and cattleyas on the patio-cum-bar, and surrounding the swimming pool.

While there were not many orchids in bloom on this visit, the select few contributed to a serene ambience that Graham relishes, a testament to how he cultivated his passion for orchids.

“I don’t know what it was, but people always gave me orchids. [However] I would kill every one. And at one point, I said you know orchids were coming up to $10,000 depending on the ones you get and then I said I need to pay attention. I needed to see what’s going on,” Graham said. “So I started to learn about them and study them.

I learned how to grow them, what makes them bloom. They are very complicated; it’s like having a child. They’re expensive also with the different sprays and fertilisers that they need. I’m not a ‘green thumb’ person, I only do orchids and that is what I concentrate on. It’s the challenge that they give to me why I really grow them.”

Graham doesn’t play favourites, loving all his orchids equally. However, his orange cattleyas are of sentimental importance, a tribute to his late mother Sisline Graham who passed away in January 2024.

“I had that for about five years and it never bloomed, and at one point I was going to throw it away because I was saying I can’t help you. And then my mother died and it bloomed and it is blooming now in her colours. She loved orange,” Graham reflected.

While immensely proud of the work he put into its development and maintenance, he is cognisant of the challenges that come with its upkeep, with sudden changes in weather playing a significant role.

“It has become twice as hard because sometimes you have to be bringing them inside and you put them in your favourite spot where they want to be and that’s where they bloom. Because of the heavy breeze that we have been getting, the excessive rain and water, it’s like not a good time for orchids,” Graham said.

Despite those external factors, Graham sees the personal reward in the process of caring for and acquiring orchids. Additionally, he believes that anyone can have a similar collection regardless of any space constraints they may have.

“You can utilise the space [properly]. You can find places to hang them, you don’t have to have that much space. They can go on the walls, orchids will grow on trees. Basically, you’ve got to know how the orchids can exist, then you can use that to make sure your spaces [are suitable],” Graham said.

Graham sees work with his orchids as a labour of love, especially when he is able to see an orchid bloom as a result of his efforts. “A blooming orchid is a smile to my heart,” Graham said.