# Your opinion about collection



## Shadow (Sep 27, 2006)

What is the ideal orchid collection in your opinion? What can you call The Collection? 

Should it consist of only species, species of specific family, species from specific country or location, hybrids, only hybrids with traceable genealogy or simply unnamed orchids that you like?


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## SlipperFan (Sep 27, 2006)

Any and all of the above, and more...


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## NYEric (Sep 27, 2006)

Anything as long as one is not killing rare species. E.


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## gore42 (Sep 27, 2006)

I think that we'll find that it all comes down to a matter of personal taste, since we all have different interestes in growing orchids. Some people like them primarily as Pretty Flowers. Others are interested in more scientific/conservation minded aspects. Some enjoy the challenge of growing difficult plants. I'm sure there are dozens of reasons that we grow slippers, and I suspect that most of us have many reasons.

For me, The Collection would contain each and every Paph and Phrag species (and probably all of their varieties). I'm sure that there are some hybrids that I'd want in there too, but if I had all of the species, I think I'd be satisfied. In addition, the perfect collection would ideally have some specimens of each species that are similar to their natural, wild state, and probably some that have been bred for beauty.

Once I get that settled away, I'll move on to other genera  Probably Cyps.

- Matthew Gore


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## paphioland (Sep 27, 2006)

For me lots of multifloral species, especially roths, since I am a roth fanatic, parvis and complexes with a few select phrags.


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## Shadow (Sep 28, 2006)

I'm glad to hear such opinions on collections. The reason why I've asked you that question is that I'd read an article written by one orchid breeder. Unfortunately I cannot give you direct link, because it is not in English, so here is my brief translation - narration of paragraphs that made me confused.

There are only three types of collection. Others are their varieties. First is the collection of cactuses. The aim of cactus collection is to collect all species and to adapt them to indoor living. The second collection is the collection of African violets. The aim of the violet collection is to enjoy the varieties in plenty. Third is the orchid collection. But not all orchids deserve to be a part of collection. In order to deserve the place in collection the orchid should be rare and it should be aesthetically superb. I'm not talking about species. Collecting of species is feckless spending of time and money. It is the same as collecting the wild dog-rose instead of roses and such collection is simply unsophisticated. This collection can be justified only if collected by botanical garden. The species are still common in many collections only because of poor quality of many hybrids. That's why the orchid collectors have to choose between unsystematic collection of species or hybrids that are low quality. Moreover, keeping an unnamed hybrids in collection (for the purpose other than training) is vandalism and popularization of such activity is aggressive vandalism that is typical for mass production. So, to deserve to be a part of precious collection the orchid hybrid should have proven genealogy and specially selected parents. And the aim of my club is to breed such hybrids. Feel the difference. 


So, do you think it is just cheap advertisement? Yesterday I've bought an unnamed hybrid in a local shop. Personally, to be honest, I don't feel myself like I'm a vandal. :sob:


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## Heather (Sep 28, 2006)

Shadow said:


> Moreover, keeping an unnamed hybrids in collection (for the purpose other than training) is vandalism and popularization of such activity is aggressive vandalism that is typical for mass production.



My mother is a vandal. 
Not to be confused with vanda, mind you. 


> van?dal? [van-dl] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
> –noun
> 1.	(initial capital letter) a member of a Germanic people who in the 5th century a.d. ravaged Gaul and Spain, settled in Africa, and in a.d. 455 sacked Rome.
> 2.	a person who willfully or ignorantly destroys or mars something beautiful or valuable.
> ...



Hrm...I would say, definitely not 1., in my mother's case, and 2. well, only if she then kills the plant.


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## ScottMcC (Sep 28, 2006)

Shadow, perhaps I'm just too laid back, but that little article smacks of snobbery, and nothing else.

Sure, I'd like to have nothing but top-quality hybrids, but not at the expense of cool species. Also, some of my favorite plants are my noid flower shop hybrids. Besides, like Matt said, the species plants provide a link to nature and the way things look in the wild, something which is lost with the 20 parent complex hybrids.

So perhaps my ideal collection is along the lines of "everything which I like, including good hybrids, cheap hybrids, and cool species. just no bad smelling ones."


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## Shadow (Sep 28, 2006)

Heather said:


> My mother is a vandal.
> Not to be confused with vanda, mind you.
> 
> 
> Hrm...I would say, definitely not 1., in my mother's case, and 2. well, only if she then kills the plant.


:rollhappy:


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## Shadow (Sep 28, 2006)

ScottMcC said:


> Shadow, perhaps I'm just too laid back, but that little article smacks of snobbery, and nothing else.



The article is big enough to spread over few orchid club websites (all those websites belong to only one orchid club). I'm just too bored with it to translate it all, so I picked only few paragraphs.


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## SlipperFan (Sep 28, 2006)

Shadow said:


> ...So, to deserve to be a part of precious collection the orchid hybrid should have proven genealogy and specially selected parents. And the aim of my club is to breed such hybrids. Feel the difference.


Sounds to me like someone who is promoting himself as the best orchid breeder of all, and is trying to intimidate anyone who thinks about purchasing any but his plants.


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## NYEric (Sep 28, 2006)

The referenced article is pretty funny. [And smacks of pompousity.] Sometimes people need to be reminded that species should be collected and propagated for preservation reasons. And as for hybrids some just like pretty flowers. E.


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## Ron-NY (Sep 28, 2006)

There are many orchid species that are worthy of collecting. I have a varied collection of orchids. In paphs I have a love for rothschildianum and it's primary hybrids. I also collect Bulbophyllum and Maxillaria species. Most of my Catts are hybrids. I really think it is a matter of taste. I do stay away from hybrids without tags and have so since shortly after starting this hobby


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## Marco (Sep 28, 2006)

I think if you like it and you've never tried it you get it. Regardless of how hard, ugly, pretty, small, big, blue it is.


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## Rick (Sep 28, 2006)

On the other hand I'm kind of a species snob. The variety, color, shape, and pollination strategy of the species orchid is too fantastic for mere humans to improve upon.

But I enyoy giving my wife big foofoo Catts for her to enyoy, and I would never dare put down another growers collection of hybrids. There's plenty of room in the hobby for everyones interests and passions.


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## bench72 (Sep 29, 2006)

Definitions (google websearch): Collection - 
* several things grouped together or considered as a whole 
* An aggregation of one or more items
* any group of items that has one or more properties in common

so... sounds like all those aggregated pots, grouped under the bench with the common property of dead plants would be a collection


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