They come in all shapes, sizes and colours. Some are fragrant, others need heat to thrive. Some look like cockroaches. The restrepia guttulata to be precise.

It's one of John Edwards' favourite orchids and one he will be showing at the Tauranga Orchid Society's annual show at the Tauranga Racecourse this weekend.

John has been growing orchids for more than 20 years. He had always been a gardener but it was wife Winsome who first introduced him to the orchid family.

'We had a spa room that was rather bare so we got some cymbidium orchids to fill that up and then we moved to a house with a glasshouse window kitchen and I bought him a phalaenopsis for his birthday,” says Winsome.

'I loved it so much,” says John, 'I thought I'd better look up some care instructions and that got me hooked. I got a few more and a few more.”

The 'few more” has extended to more than 200 plants, including those housed in a special indoor heated cabinet he designed and built himself.

'Two hundred is quite a nice number to look after,” he grins. 'It does take quite a bit of effort by the time you water and fertilise them, but it's a wonderful hobby and there are so many different types of orchids, from little tiny ones you need a magnifying glass to see, up to really big showy ones. The variety is one of the most interesting things about growing orchids.”

John has been a member of the Tauranga Orchid Society for about 10 years and loves the free advice, and sometimes free plants, which come with being a member.

'We swap plants and every year we have an auction, which is a really fun night where we bid for plants. You can always get a nice plant for two or three dollars.”

John and Winsome will be at the show this weekend, with John hoping to better his second place at last year's show with his coelogyne christata.

'I haven't won a first yet so I'm still trying. It depends what the judges are looking for.”

As well as the restrepia guttulata John will also be showing a paphiopedilum, otherwise known as a slipper orchid, which he grew from a plant he won in a raffle.

The 2018 ‘Queen of Flowers' orchid show will be at the Tauranga Racecourse from Friday, September 28 to Sunday, September 30 from 10am-4pm.

Barry Curtis will run his popular re-potting demonstrations throughout the weekend and society members will be on hand to offer growing advice. The show also includes plants for sale, a massed display of flowering plants, raffles and a cafe. Cost $3 per person and children under 12 attend free. Free parking.