Hello from London

[Elessar]

Hi everyone,
I am just starting out growing orchids and am particularly interested in Cymbidiums, Lycaste, Paphiopedilum and Phragmipedilums. This Forum looks super interesting and I am looking forward to meet some of you and exchange ideas and knowledge.

I am currently looking at European bay sellers and was wondering if anyone has some recommendations?
Trying to get my hands on some Phrags like Kovachii and Fritz Schomberg. Classics....

Hope everyone is having a nice weekend!

 

[eds]

Hi Elessar,
Buying from Europe will be a little awkward now thanks to BREXIT. Many smaller businesses aren't trading with people in the UK thanks to the government's idiotic idea to get them to charge and pay the VAT. (Not to mention all the additional paperwork costs now.)

There are some great UK sellers that might be better until it all settled down. I've had great plants from Elite Orchids, Spicesotic plants (on eBay) and Laurence Hobbs Orchids (website isn't great but I gave him a call and got a great selection when I was getting back into orchids.)

 

[Elessar]

Hi Elessar,
Buying from Europe will be a little awkward now thanks to BREXIT. Many smaller businesses aren't trading with people in the UK thanks to the government's idiotic idea to get them to charge and pay the VAT. (Not to mention all the additional paperwork costs now.)

There are some great UK sellers that might be better until it all settled down. I've had great plants from Elite Orchids, Spicesotic plants (on eBay) and Laurence Hobbs Orchids (website isn't great but I gave him a call and got a great selection when I was getting back into orchids.)

Hi Ed,

Completely agree - ALL my favourite EU nurseries, not just for orchids but for rare houseplants too, have now suspended shipping to the UK. It's eye watering...

That's great advice - I actually have just ordered a few plants from Elite Orchids so I'm very excited to see how they look. I do find Elite Orchids quite expensive though?

Will definitely check out spicesotic and Laurence plants - thank you!

Also always interested in private sellers...

 

[Guldal]

Hi Elessar,

Wellcome on board from mainland Europe!
I don't envy, you guys, being trapped in the splendid insulation of Great Brexitannia!
I'm not quite aware of the rules and regulations, especially in regard to CITES, if you import orchids from Europe after you left, but if CITES-papers are needed, I guess, it could be a rather costly and bureaucratic affair.
If not, I have over the years acquired a lot of nice plants from among others: Popow Orchids (same name on ebay), Asendorfer Orchideensucht (ebay: orchideengier) and Orchideenhausasien (ebay: same).

PS. Do at all cost avoid the following uk-based ebay vendors: falconer, airplanefran and blakesbotanical - they are a fraudulent lot.
As you have noticed, Eliteorchids can be on the pricey side, but can also have very good offers. I've only got good quality plants from Mark at Elite!

Kind regards,
Jens, Copenhagen, Denmark

 

[monocotman]

Elessar,
welcome from Cambridge!
You will find a wealth of information and knowledge here if you are just starting out with orchids, just ask.
Ed is right about the EU vendors. I hope that, in time we will find a ‘work round’ for importing small orders but at present, it’s a no go.
the recommendations already given are excellent. It’s worth ringing and speaking to nurseries. They are, without exception, very helpful. Quite often they have stuff not on their web site.
Burnham nurseries are about the biggest UK vendor left standing nowadays, worth a look.
I use the ‘orchid wire’ website to locate nurseries and other orchid sites of interest. It’s world wide.
just yesterday I used it and discovered a relatively new vendor in the Bristol area called Trey Sanders ( orchidbotanics.co.uk) and ordered a FS cattleya trianae ‘Orion’ from him.
Ebay can be a minefield. You can find bargains but also real con artists. The recommendations above about some of the vendors are correct. If in doubt, ask here before committing to buy. Some of the vendors with the largest offerings are also the worst. If it looks too good to be true with a stunning photo, it generally is. Checking out the feedback is a good place to start. Several people have been badly burnt and we know who the good and bad vendors are.
If you want to start and describe your growing area and techniques, we can help with suggestions.
good luck,
David

 

[southernbelle]

Hi everyone,
I am just starting out growing orchids and am particularly interested in Cymbidiums, Lycaste, Paphiopedilum and Phragmipedilums. This Forum looks super interesting and I am looking forward to meet some of you and exchange ideas and knowledge.

I am currently looking at European bay sellers and was wondering if anyone has some recommendations?
Trying to get my hands on some Phrags like Kovachii and Fritz Schomberg. Classics....

Hope everyone is having a nice weekend!

I’m in Virginia, US, so can’t help with vendors, but did want to welcome you. IMO you have hit the mother lode of helpful orchid information groups. Very knowledgeable folks who are very willing to share and help. Happy growing.

 

[NYEric]

Welcome from NYC. Good luck.

 

[PamO]

Welcome Elissar. This is a great group to help you with your growing. Have fun!

 

[Elessar]

Hey thanks everyone - what a warm welcome!

@Guldal - thanks for the recommendations I really loved the orchid vendors you recommended - I thought I knew most German vendors but clearly I didn't!

I also agree re EliteOrchids. Mark was so helpful and spoke to me a lot before choosing the plants - that's worth so much!

@monocotman - I came across OrchidWire the other night and was overwhelmed by the amount of information! I will check out Burnham and Sanders! Thank you.

I am trying out a few things at the moment. I live in a basement studio flat in London so my growing condition are far from ideal. The orchids need extra grow lights in order to thrive down here (only have a small east and west facing window). I just bout an IKEA glass cabinet that I want to re-function as a mini green house. Any tips welcome.

I also have been watching YouTube - there are some great channels from local growers like Eds Orchids or Rogers orchids etc. Not sure if anyone has seen them...

@southernbelle @NYEric @PamO - thank you for welcoming me - it seems there is a great big community behind orchid growing and that's fantastic!

 

[Guldal]

There are a lot of people in here with quite some experience in growing under artificial light. I don't think, it would take you a lot of time to find some, that can help you out in this respect...
However, I could steer you in the direction of two, thinking of it, and I'm sure they wouldn't mind, if you pm them through the conversation feature here (if they have any objections, you can always blame it on me! ): the famed DrLeslieEe of Canada, working wonders in his skyline appartment, with a wee bit and very slight natural light as supplement. And my compatriote, Per (a.k.a. P.K.Hansen), who is very succesfully growing his Paphs exclusively under artificial light! I hope they might be able to guide you in the best direction (you might also get some inspiration by browsing through their posts!).
And should you take a step too many down the slipper(y) slope, rest assured: there will always be room for yet another broken soul at our transcontinental meetings in OA (Orchioholics Anonymous)!
Happy growing! Jens

 

[Duck Slipper]

Welcome to Slippertalk from Kentucky!

 

[Elessar]

There are a lot of people in here with quite some experience in growing under artificial light. I don't think, it would take you a lot of time to find some, that can help you out in this respect...
However, I could steer you in the direction of two, thinking of it, and I'm sure they wouldn't mind, if you pm them through the conversation feature here (if they have any objections, you can always blame it on me! ): the famed DrLeslieEe of Canada, working wonders in his skyline appartment, with a wee bit and very slight natural light as supplement. And my compatriote, Per (a.k.a. P.K.Hansen), who is very succesfully growing his Paphs exclusively under artificial light! I hope they might be able to guide you in the best direction (you might also get some inspiration by browsing through their posts!).
And should you take a step too many down the slipper(y) slope, rest assured: there will always be room for yet another broken soul at our transcontinental meetings in OA (Orchioholics Anonymous)!
Happy growing! Jens

Hi Jens,

Ah thank you so much - had a look earlier and just reading through it is very interesting but I will try my luck! My greenhouse cabinet is arriving on Thursday so once I have everything set up I will take some pictures to see what everyone has to say!

Ha I hope I won't kill a plant anytime soon but I guess you learn with practice ://

Daniel

 

[Guldal]

Hi Daniel,
I'm very curious to see your greenhouse cabinet - and hopefully get some inspiration. I kind of have to get some more structure, when it comes to the growing areas of my plants, as they have a tendency to overflow my home as well as my work place!
(I'm kind of the continental equivalent of NYEric in these pages, albeit en miniature, i.e. with no orchids spread over the stove in the kitchen! ).
And rest assured: every orchid grower will once in a while experience the loss of a plant - what probably makes the difference between the merely dabbler and the more serious grower is, that the latter over time to some extent tends to learn from his or her experience! And sometimes the most important lesson learned - after a couple of essays - might be to realize which plants simply do not fit with you or with your growing conditions, no matter how much you want them to (as in Masdevalias for me!).
As the treasurer of my orchid society always says: "We are not choosing the orchids, they choose us!".
Keep us posted!
Kind regards, Jens

 

[Linus_Cello]

What about the Eric Young Foundation on the Isle of Jersey?

 

[SuperPaph]

Hi Elessar from Cuba.
Sorry, I do not know about Europe vendors, but I can tell you that here, in this group, all your doubts will be elucidated. Many of the best Paphiopedilum growers are members of this forum, and are constantly keeping abreast for helping all those who need it, besides showing the must spectacular Paphiopedilums you can imaginate!!
I have learned a lot!!!!!

 

[Guldal]

What about the Eric Young Foundation on the Isle of Jersey?

That's a good bid, too, I think...at least if you are situated in Great Brexitannia! They are closed for visitors at the moment due to Covid, though.

 

[monocotman]

The EYOF is a stunning place to,visit but they do not sell,plants. A few occasionally make their way into the market through nurseries like Burnhams.

 

[Don I]

Welcome from Canada.
Don

 

[musa]

Daniel, wellcome from Austria!
It probably is no consolation to you when I tell you that Brexit is a desaster the other way round as well. In December I got my last order from Mark Turner, what will be difficult now.
The list of European vendors is perfect, there is one other Franz Glanz in Wössen. He did lots of well known crosses. His homepage is small, but he has lot more in his greenhouses.
Looking forward to see your growing space solution! I have a mix of sun and artificial light (still experimenting as professional systems are unaffordable for me).
I grow on metal shelves, the kind they use in supermarkets. Used they are cheap and waterproof.

 

[DrLeslieEe]

Welcome Daniel... to our addiction, where you will find all kinds of enablers, share your blooms, your experiments, culture, your happiness, your heartaches, immerse in gossip, pass rumors, trade plants, lament over dying plants, empathize with widowers of orchid plants, and partners up with like minded plotters. It is a big melting pot of plant lovers from all over the world who will mostly likely be the only people who will ever truly understand the predicament you find yourself in inadvertently by the draw of the greatest aphrodisiac immortalized by the finds of the greatest orchid adventurers in Victorian times. You my friend, have come to the web of support that will help build and secure your budding collection.

Please reach out to any of us trapped in here for advice, support and enabling activities.

I grow Indoors under lights in my apartment suite with 7 triple layer shelves and 3 orchid miniature tank , so I can buddy up with you on that if you chose.

You can see in my posts I have mostly paphs and cattleya species, with some miniature thrown in for good measure.

Cheerios Mate