Hills District Orchids was originally registered as a partnership in 1978 between Graeme and Lynette Banks. The nursery was first located at Winston Hills, but moved to the current address on half an acre at Northmead in 1980. Later their son David, who started growing plants at the age of five, became part of the business and subsequently took over its ownership and operation in 1996.
Northmead is located in the Hills District of north-we
stern
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia and is roughly 30km from the coast.
Temperatures at
Northmead
have fluctuated from lows of -3ºC in winter to 47 ºC on rare occasions in summer
– a variance of 50ºC! We experience numerous frosts during winter, however these
do not last long as the weather generally warms up quickly and is aided by
breezes due to the location on top of a ridge that Windsor Road runs along
through this section of the route.A wide array of orchids and other interesting plants are grown, with emphasis on species and hybrids that grow “out of doors” in Western Sydney without the need for artificial heating or cooling. Our plants are tough!
The nursery specialises in species orchids – especially the genera Bulbophyllum, Coelogyne, Dendrobium, Dendrochilum, Dockrillia, Epigeneium, Eria, Maxillaria, Mediocalcar, Paphiopedilum, Pholidota, Phragmipedium, Pleurothallis, Sarcochilus, Stanhopea and Thunia plus a very comprehensive collection of Laelia anceps varieties and cultivars and “softcane” Dendrobium hybrids. Graeme Banks, who has been growing orchids for over 50 years, continues his fine complex Paphiopedilum breeding, with selected plants released (in bloom) at our Winter Open Day.
Over the past decade David has been involved with the absorbing hobby of growing and breeding horticulturally superior colour forms of Clivia miniata. Seedlings from his breeding are often available for sale. We also have an extensive collection of carnivorous plants (especially Nepenthes species and hybrids) as well as bromeliads (the genus Tillandsia being a favourite), and a comprehensive assortment of the South African succulent genus Haworthia. There is a further array of other rare, desirable and collectable plants.
