New Zealander David Dowd had always intended to be a vet but
when he left university he went to Medical School. He hated
working with sick people and got degrees in anatomy instead
and did research on the hearts of primitive mammals and hypertensive
rats before teaching Veterinary Anatomy in New Zealand and
then Human Anatomy in Papua New Guinea for 8 years. After
sailing back to New Zealand in a steel yacht he built in PNG,
he eventually graduated in Veterinary Science.
Although Med School was an academic mistake it gave David
the opportunity to meet Dorothy, another med student and now
a doctor and his wife of over 40 years, mother of their seven
children and partner in all his various activities. The Dowds
first came to Bali in 1989 as tourists when he and his wife
had to cancel a trip to Fiji because of a military coup there.
They immediately liked Indonesia and kept coming back until
eventually the Dowds bought land and built a house in Tabanan
Regency, West Bali.
How did you first get interested in orchids?
I was always interested in natural things and grew succulents
as a kid and then when we bought a house with a glasshouse
which had some orchids in it, the addiction bit. During our
time in Papua New Guinea we collected and grew tropical species
but on return to New Zealand we grew cooler varieties again.
Why did you decide to base your business on Bali?
Bali attracted us because of its climate and people. We wanted
something to do that would fit the climate and after seeing
tourist orchid gardens in other parts of the world decided
to start Bali Orchid Garden to fill a gap here.
Does Bali have any native orchids?
Bali has many species of orchids, probably over 200, but most
are found elsewhere in Indonesia also. Indonesia is a big
centre of orchid evolution with many thousands of native species.
What is the rarest orchid that you cultivate?
Many orchids are now rare in the wild because of over-collection,
so it’s hard to know what is most rare. Deforestation
destroys them also. Many species have a very local habitat.
What makes orchids different from other flowers? Why do people
become so passionate about orchids?
Orchid flowers are characterized by having 3 outer and 3 inner
petals with one of the latter modified to facilitate pollination.
Hybridization has produced over 100,000 varieties with many
spectacular species in shape or color. The endless variation
of orchids stimulates an addiction to try and grow more and
more.
Does the public have any common misconceptions in regards
to the cultivation of orchids in the tropics?
Contrary to most peoples’ beliefs, tropical orchids
are generally fairly easy to keep alive in the right environment,
though a little harder to grow well. Many people over-fertilize.
What is special about your orchid garden compared to others
in Bali and Indonesia?
Bali Orchid Garden is the only garden of its type in Indonesia
designed for tourists to see a wide collection of species
and hybrids from around the world grown in natural conditions.
The Kebon Raya in Bogor, Indonesia’s National Gardens,
have only local species more for study than for display. We
also offer a variety of Indonesian orchid seedlings that can
be taken home and other unique souvenirs with an orchid theme.
What were some of the most difficult obstacles you faced in
the course of establishing your gardens?
Administrative hurdles posed a challenge to someone from NZ
where a company setup can be completed in one day, not one
year! Once the company was complete then the actual garden
construction and planting took another year before opening
in mid 2000. The first bomb, followed by SARS, the Iraq war
and the latest bombs have added challenges but throughout
my Balinese staff have been great and the plants kept growing
now better then ever.
What would you do over again if you had the chance?
If I had the chance to start again I would be fully hands
on from the beginning rather than rely on other management
so the garden would always reflect our dream for it. For the
last year I have resided in Indonesia and feel more comfortable
that way. We are currently design and plant consultants for
a new orchid garden being developed on Aruba in the Caribbean
and that will be a chance for new ideas to come out.
Do you have any future plans for the gardens?
We hope to add a new section solely for Indonesian species
with a cooled area included so higher altitude species can
also be displayed. We are also developing extensive cut-flower
gardens to supply tropical varieties within Indonesia and
later for export.
What advice do you give for someone interested in cultivating
orchids who has never done it before?
Visit orchid collections to know what can grow well here and
then talk to people growing them. Orchid people throughout
the world are renowned for friendliness and helping beginners.
Visit us at Bali Orchid Garden, Jl. Bypass Tohpati and we
can also introduce you to the Bali Orchid Society which meets
monthly at various locations.
For anyone interested in being considered for Siapa, please
contact : <pakbill2003@yahoo.com>
Copyright@2005 Al Hickey
You can read all past articles of Siapa at www.BaliAdvertiser.biz
