# Orchid exposure.



## NYEric (Mar 20, 2008)

Today I read a post about someone who went to their first orchid show and it brought to mind a conversation I had w/ Marco and LIJane about going to greenhouses. Jane said she didn't like to go to vendors gh's. but that's the only way I know to search out and find stuff they don't have on their website or that they don't even know that they have. Now I know some neophytes might not belong to a local or national orchid society [yet!], or that some people live in the sticks far from any vendors , and not everyone has Lowes or Home Depots that sell orchids in their areas, so... I was wondering about people that found this site but don't have personal experience w/ shows or societies or visiting open houses or vendors? Anyone care to comment, and why?


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## Hien (Mar 20, 2008)

Make sure you don't catch orchid fever after the INITIAL EXPOSURE.
I accidently stumbled on an exposition in a mall. Bought my first NOID cymbidium , and my health & my wallet have been deteriorated since then.


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## swamprad (Mar 20, 2008)

As a kid in rural Mississippi, trust me, NOBODY gave a crap about orchids except me. All I had were catalogs and AOS Bulletins (now known as Orchids Magazine). 30 years later (I was a very young kid!) I finally find myself settled into a city (Memphis) with a great orchid society and it is wonderful! There are dozens of folks here in town that are EXTREMELY knowledgeable and experienced in growing orchids. Of course, there are all of you great folks I have come to know on Slippertalk, too! So anyway, I just wanted to say that it is wonderful to connect with all the great people who share my passion for orchids -- much better than those lonely days with nothing but a Jones & Scully catalog!


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## NYEric (Mar 21, 2008)

You would think that w/ the temps in Miss. you could have orchids growing off trees near any water.


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## Marco (Mar 21, 2008)

I love going to green houses. Seeing stuff in person is different. I like it more so than seeing them at a show because the selection at the show is limited. 

Who's Marco?


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## NYEric (Mar 21, 2008)

Lurking ninja!


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## eOrchids (Mar 21, 2008)

Hey Marco! Gald to see the taxes didn't get to ya!

I simply love going to greenhouses. As stated already, the choices far exceed catalogues and you are surrounded by orchids.


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## cyp8472 (Mar 21, 2008)

I was a member of this site for about a year before I even knew there was an orchid society in my area. I meet a member through the two forums (Paphreek) and each month now I can't wait to go.:crazy: I like to think of the meeting as orchids anonymous. But they only encourage my addiction.

At my lowes, It is my job to take care, sell, and order all the plants. I always make sure I have a healthy supply of Phals, Dend., Cymbidiums, Oncidiums, and Vanda. I even discussed trying to get some orchids from Orchids Limited with my boss. To my surprise she was ok with it. You don't have to tell me twice to get more orchids.:clap: 

-Jeran


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## Yoyo_Jo (Mar 21, 2008)

Hilariously, I was always afraid to buy an orchid from Home Depot or Walmart, etc. because I didn't know how to take care of the things. After lurking on the orchid forum of a large gardening website for about six months, I bought my first orchids from a grower's greenhouse last March. I was able to get lots of information from the grower as to how to take care of them. Plus it's heavenly just to walk around their greenhouses, especially in the winter, and take in the tropical atmosphere. Yummy. 

I recently joined our local Orchid Society and also the AOS. I went to my first orchid show in Edmonton last month. I found _this_ website a couple months ago, I think thanks to Toddybear. Now my orchid "room" has a humidifer, a fan and I'm thinking of adding a three-tiered grow light system because I talked the hubby into removing the futon-bed that was in the room and there's space... After one year of collecting, I own 32 orchids and can't imagine stopping now...:rollhappy:


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## NYEric (Mar 21, 2008)

Good stuff, come on you lurkers spill the beans!


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## shakkai (Mar 21, 2008)

Going to Open Houses has had a direct influence on what I grow. Going to a nursery when they aren't having an open house is even better because they have more time and you can really see things. I think that's probably why I don't really like spending too much time at shows - its certainly difficult to 'browse' and the vendors rarely have time to do more than move on to the next customer. That said, I've found that even with vendors that I've only dealt with on-line, most are very happy to have a look in the greenhouse if I ask them about something specific that I'm looking for.


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## SlipperFan (Mar 21, 2008)

I'm not a lurker, but I am jealous of cyp's MN Lowe's. Now and then a see a couple of common Phals at ours.


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## cyp8472 (Mar 21, 2008)

SlipperFan said:


> I'm not a lurker, but I am jealous of cyp's MN Lowe's. Now and then a see a couple of common Phals at ours.




Before I took over the job all we had were phals., but I changed that quickly. Now hopefully I can get some stuff from Orchids Limited! Maybe some slippers?

-Jeran


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## cwt (Mar 22, 2008)

Started when I was six years old, and there were a lot of nurseries in my country, and hobbyists. International exposure was the AOS Bulletin, and dosens of cataloques a year from firms like Rod Mclellum, Macbeans, Fred A Stewart, Armacoast and Royston and a few others that were willing to send it to me.
Now,forty years down the line we only have three real orchid nurseries, and they are all selling the same stuff mainly from Tailand and Taiwan. Not a lot of orchid lovers as well, but were trying to revive the hobby.Good slippers are not really available, we rely on internationals to visit the country to pre-order.
So you must enjoy what you have in breeders and commercial establishments whenever you can. Expose yourself to orchids(I wonder who remember that ad from Emmerson Doc Charles?)


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## MoreWater (Mar 22, 2008)

I kinda hate shows but deal with it. (I may even end up at Parkside on the SEPOS weekend - I don't think I'll spend all that much time at the show.)

I like to go to ghs because it's nice to know what kind of environment the plants are growing in - sometimes I decide never to buy from a particular vendor because of what I saw at the gh. But most of the time the ghs are really enjoyable and I come out with 10x more than I intended. 

I hope Al is able to get up and running again, because his place was always a delight to visit.


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## Heather (Mar 22, 2008)

I have to say, we don't have many greenhouses near me so I generally shop online or at local shows. One of these days I'd like to get to Parkside's fest and maybe Chicagoland but who knows when that day will come.


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## MoreWater (Mar 22, 2008)

Heather, you'll need more than one day, and no, the day won't miraculously come. Chicago should be easy - just go buy that plane ticket! oke:

Parkside was more fun than I expected so I'm hoping I'll make another visit.


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## MoreWater (Mar 22, 2008)

you know, though..... the plant budget is pretty horrendous already, and the plant-travel budget is also getting out of hand.... Not to mention that going to these places means more plant purchases and less time to earn the $$ to pay for it all.


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## NYEric (Mar 23, 2008)

Going to shows is worth it. Stop drinking the morning lattes and save up a few bucks!


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## Carol (Mar 24, 2008)

I have been to Parkside Fest a number of times, but it could not compare to Chicagoland in the fall. There is something about visiting each each greenhouse that is so worthwhile. Also there are guest vendors at each greenhouse. My husband was working in Chicago at the time so I just tagged along for the weekend. I made the circuit by myself with a GPS unit, but it would have been much more fun with an orchid fiend like myself.


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## NYEric (Mar 24, 2008)

GoldenRose and others in Ill/Michigan area may make that trip if you ask nicely!


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## Corbin (Mar 24, 2008)

Heather said:


> I have to say, we don't have many greenhouses near me so I generally shop online or at local shows. One of these days I'd like to get to Parkside's fest and maybe Chicagoland but who knows when that day will come.



Sounds like I ought to go to Parkside since he gets most of my money anyway.


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## NYEric (Mar 25, 2008)

Parkside fest is fun. Good vendors, you can preorder and have them deliver. And the greenhouses have more stuff than the website!


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## goldenrose (Mar 27, 2008)

Carol said:


> I have been to Parkside Fest a number of times, but it could not compare to Chicagoland in the fall. There is something about visiting each each greenhouse that is so worthwhile. Also there are guest vendors at each greenhouse. My husband was working in Chicago at the time so I just tagged along for the weekend. I made the circuit by myself with a GPS unit, but it would have been much more fun with an orchid fiend like myself.


 LUCKY YOU! Did you come a year when every major expressway was NOT under construction? This last fall, I could have drove to New York & back in less time & hassle! 



NYEric said:


> GoldenRose and others in Ill/Michigan area may make that trip if you ask nicely!


 AH Shucks! You're so hospitable, as long as all I have to do is ask cause I don't (_X_) but very well!


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## NYEric (Mar 27, 2008)

I'm sure your arm wouldn't need too much twisting.


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## duane mcdowell (Aug 14, 2010)

cwt said:


> Started when I was six years old, and there were a lot of nurseries in my country, and hobbyists. International exposure was the AOS Bulletin, and dosens of cataloques a year from firms like Rod Mclellum, Macbeans, Fred A Stewart, Armacoast and Royston and a few others that were willing to send it to me.
> Now,forty years down the line we only have three real orchid nurseries, and they are all selling the same stuff mainly from Tailand and Taiwan. Not a lot of orchid lovers as well, but were trying to revive the hobby.Good slippers are not really available, we rely on internationals to visit the country to pre-order.
> So you must enjoy what you have in breeders and commercial establishments whenever you can. Expose yourself to orchids(I wonder who remember that ad from Emmerson Doc Charles?)



I remember the ad. I used to have a copy of the picture, but I lost it somewhere along the line. A friend and I were just talking about our visit to him in 1984. He's not an orchid grower, but he still remembers the picture!


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## NYEric (Aug 14, 2010)

Welcome Duane.


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## cnycharles (Aug 15, 2010)

I'm surprised I didn't see this thread before! I first saw orchids in my living room, where my mother was trying to grow a cattleya hybrid. she had lots of other houseplants but the orchids were too dark I think and rotted. I had a few from a vendor in ithaca and tioga gardens near owego, but really took off after my mother repeatedly told me about an orchid greenhouse that she had stumbled upon in homer, ny. I soon became a regular at Rice's Orchids as they had three houses with lots of orchid species from three different climate zones. Poking around revealed a treasure trove of different orchids, many of which I wish I still had today  . Going to a greenhouse is the only way to go; if you can't, it pays to have friends who can poke around and let you know what they find or a vendor like Andy's Orchids who can tell you what unlisted plants they have available. ... most frustrating is the vendor who doesn't know what they all have available and doesn't list very much; when you ask them over the phone or by email what they have available, the say "well what are you looking for?" (sigh) you know what you want when you see it, not just from a name on a list! these places usually don't do much business with me


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## Kavanaru (Aug 15, 2010)

same as you, Cnycharles... surprised I had not seen this before 

ok, I somehow grew up surrounded by orchids. Being a Venezuelan "country-side"-boy, orchids were present in almost all trees around the house, and almost everywhere we went for holidays. One of my aunts had a very large collection amnd was member of the Orchid Society in her city.. however, nothing of that had an impact on me at all... they were just plants like many others growing around... One day, I had the chance to have in my hands some of the first Ctsm. pileatum var. imperiale that Dr. Pierre Couret had re-discovered in Venezuela... That was the moment when I got stung by the fever... I had seen many Ctsm pileatum in the wild, tehy grow wild not that far from our house, but a red pileatum was just fantastic... next time we went to the region I only had eyes for Ctsm pielatum... I wanted to find one imperiale myself or one aureum... it took me many many years until I could find one imperiale by myself, but at that time I was already lost to orchids... teh collection grew very quick and I was more than happy.... most of the plants are still growing on the trees (that's teh way I grew most of them) around my mother's house...


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## NYEric (Aug 15, 2010)

Good stories!


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## SlipperFan (Aug 15, 2010)

I love going to orchid shows and greenhouses -- sensory overload! I've learned to take my plant list along because if I don't, I invariably buy something I already have.

The first time I was exposed to orchids was at a friend's house. She had beautiful Cattleyas blooming in an area she had cordoned off in her basement, surrounded in plastic with artificial lighting, humidity control, etc. I was impressed but said to myself I'd never want to grow plants if I had to grow them in my basement, enclosed in plastic, etc.! So here I am with a basement "greenhouse," surrounded with plastic, artificial lighting, humidity control...!

What hooked me was going to another friend's house. He had orchids just sitting out all over. I remember saying to him, "Those can't be orchids, they are not in a special environment!" So he gave me one -- it turned out to be Paph. Bruno which I almost killed, but still have. So I started going to the local orchid show, joined the orchid society, and started working at Porter's Orchids (the day after I retired from teaching). The rest, as they say, is history. Now I have too many plants, but can't bear the thought of getting rid of any of them. Which I should do for the sake of space...


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## NYEric (Aug 16, 2010)

SlipperFan said:


> in an area she had cordoned off in her basement, surrounded in plastic with artificial lighting, humidity control, etc. I was impressed but said to myself I'd never want to grow plants if I had to grow them in my basement, enclosed in plastic, etc.! So here I am with a basement "greenhouse," surrounded with plastic, artificial lighting, humidity control..



I was going to say, that sounds familiar!


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## goldenrose (Aug 16, 2010)

:rollhappy::rollhappy: I like the part - _'I love going to orchid shows and greenhouses -- sensory overload! I've learned to take my plant list along because if I don't, I invariably buy something I already have.'_ :rollhappy: That's something I do! :crazy:


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## NYEric (Aug 16, 2010)

Me too!


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