Orchid show returns to Port Moresby

The National Orchid and Flower Show has returned to Port Moresby, celebrating Papua New Guinea’s Independence Day with a beautiful display of flowers. The two-day show, held on September 12 and 13 at the National Parliament, featured florists from around PNG exhibiting their blooms.

Among the local florists taking part was The PNG Gardener & Flower Shop, a respected business in gardening, landscaping, and floral design. Ranjith Ravikumar of the shop explained that the display included orchids gathered from Papua New Guinea’s lowland and highland regions, alongside imported blooms from Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, China, and other Pacific countries.

The Show’s Highlights

According to Ravikumar, the event aimed to highlight PNG’s native plants alongside international varieties, letting attendees see how local species measure up against global floral trends. Visitors could admire rare purple Phalaenopsis orchids presented in custom packaging, as well as creations shaped into large bird-of-paradise sculptures.

Fresh flowers adorned traditional masks, while others were woven into cultural garments and handmade hats. The exhibition blended artistic expression with national heritage, appealing equally to casual observers, gardening enthusiasts, travelers, patriots, industry professionals, and collectors.

Preparation and Future Plans

Admission was free, with the exhibition open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. over the weekend. Organizers spent nearly three weeks preparing, bringing in many overseas plants specifically for the display. Every arrangement was meticulously crafted for visual impact, Ravikumar noted.

This article was first published in the November 2026 – January 2027 issue of Paradise, the in-flight magazine of Air Niugini, and it highlights the success of the National Orchid and Flower Show, which featured PNG’s roughly 3000 species of orchids, showcasing the country’s incredible flora alongside flowers and plants from other countries, and demonstrating that PNG’s orchids more than hold their own on the world stage, as evident from the thousands of visitors who attended the show in Waigani.