While there are many beautiful NOIDs out there I pretty much stay away from them. I stick to strictly named plants, mainly species, in two groups, Phaleanopsis and Cattleya Alliance. I do have a few vandaceous and also a few hybrids in those catagories as well.

yay,

I'm a noobie so pay no mind to me, but collecting or not collecting an orchid or orchids is really a very personal thing.

I see 2 distinct groups..The Scientific people and the Grocery Store 10 dollar orchid people like me. I don't know about others, but I'm already seeing the noses being turning up on my kind and I think thats very unfair bec its all love we give them whether its awarded or been a noided.

So your collecting or not collecting should reflect the type of response you expect to get with the orchids you have.

Me, I just collect the ones that talk to me ;)

I'm a new collector, so I pick an orchid for its
color mostly, a color I don't have. I'm finding I really enjoy the mini's in the window sill, they are cute and pretty in bloom and so far easy to care for. I trying to look for and buy with a tag, but sometimes the noids have the prettiest flower.. They all have their own uniqueness and become special to me. After I've been collecting awhile I'm sure I find some do better for me than others. and they'll be my favorite. but then they will all become my favorite when they flower.

Isn't that the truth!! :):biggrin:

There's nothing like seeing a nice bloom.

Rosie... my daughter and I gave some our own names too!! I'm sure that is frowned upon, but instead of calling it Phal noid, I call it Phal. Wedding Day, because it has large white flowers and my husband gave it to me for our anniversary one year. Then I have an Onc. start from a neighbor named Nancy, but she doesn't have her plant tag, so for that one I named it Onc. Fancy Nancy, because it just seemed better to call it something than Onc. noid. ;) hahaha! And wow Rosie, 100 lbs. that is incredible, what a life changer. I love the insights you have gleaned from your experiences.

Stephen... I like your thinking... take all the advice and throw it out the window and make it into what you want. That is I think the best way for me to enjoy this.

jkoffer... on growing with lights... I think I may do that, as our winters in northern UT seem like they last forever and I will have a great laundry room that will have plenty of space, but I will need lights for sure. The room will have some lower temperatures, so I am sure I will have to research what to do about that ;)

I love hearing all about how you developed your hobby and collection style. Thanks for sharing with me!

This is a great question, and all of the answers are valid. Here's my take:

I started with a NOID too, but quickly learned to insist on a label. I'm glad I did because I would have never thought my passion would have progressed the way it has. I've gotten into breeding and have started going to a few shows. Noids would be worthless for either of these purposes.

After a few years of growing I started looking for awarded plants - divisions and mericlones. These can be rewarding to grow, and are readily available. BUT, once I started going to shows I realized that these previously awarded clones would rarely (if ever) be selected for another AOS quality award.

So, 10 or so years into growing I had an epiphany. SEEDLINGS! Seed-grown plants from good breeding stock are the awarded plants of the future -- and present. Unlike common clones, each seedling is one-of-a-kind and is a potential award winner. Even re-makes of classic crosses with modern superior parents can produce new and exciting results.

My advice is to focus on what you like and find a few sources for seed-grown hybrids or species from quality parents.

What an excellent question, and I have loved reading everyone's responses!

I'm also new to orchids...I started in September 2009 with a freebie handed out by my office and was immediately hooked! I have about 36 orchids at the moment, 14 of which are NOID phals and phal-type dendrobiums (all handouts from the office). The rest are oncidium intergenerics (I love the foliage!) that I purchased strictly based on the flower color - if I didn't have a flower that color, I picked it up. Most of these are named, but the flower shape and color is what catches my eye.

Since I'm still learning, I tend to purchase warmer growing orchids. My growing conditions in Dallas, TX are definitely in the "warm" category (if not oppressibly hot during the summer!). I grow most of my orchids outside during the summer, but some I've left indoors under the lights just for kicks.

Also, I have a 2 1/2 year old daughter who loves to help me water. I love it that we spend time together every day checking on the 'chids, and I would love to continue growing them with her as she grows up. Honestly, I think that's the most valuable part of my orchid growing experience so far...watching her dote on the orchids and smile when one blooms and shriek "I did it, mama!".

Named or NOID - it really doesn't matter to me at the moment. Right now, I'm enjoying every bloom, every new leaf and even the new roots!

Mary Helen

Lady T, if you look in the Phal Hybrids section of the forum you will see a thread I wrote called Mini Phal - extreme makeover. It's about a little Phal noid I bought at Ikea and I've named her Cinderella because she changed from a scruffy little sparrow to a lovely yellow canary! lol

Marion

if it will grow in my conditions and i like it. and if it isnt too expensive

Royal, thank you, this is very insightful. I don't exactly want to limit myself, because who knows what the future holds. In some of my dreams I think if I won the lotto I would open my own orchid greenhouse and sell them and be around them all day long, but that of course is just the dreamy side of me, who isn't concerned with my lack of knowledge.. the smart side of me thinks that that dreamy side is brainless and should stick only to day dreams. haha.

Anyway, tell me more about what you mean of seedlings? You mean me crossing them myself, or could I purchase from others via online? What are some sources for this that you recommend? I like this possibility, as I think it would be rewarding to watch it develop from a little thing to something that you get to see what it will be.

smiles!