Orchid exposure.

[NYEric]

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

 

[Corbin]

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.

 

[NYEric]

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

 

[goldenrose]

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!

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!

 

[NYEric]

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

 

[duane mcdowell]

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!

 

[NYEric]

Welcome Duane.

 

[cnycharles]

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

 

[Kavanaru]

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...

 

[NYEric]

Good stories!

 

[SlipperFan]

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...

 

[NYEric]

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!

 

[goldenrose]

: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:

 

[NYEric]

Me too!