What got you hooked growing orchids?

[Chubidubi]

I got hooked after a friend gave me a Noid Catt (which is the pic on my avatar). After it flowered that great fragrance got to me and so LOVE began. I thought it was the most amazing flower in the world.
Now 2 years later I'm quit an Orchiholic
I STILL DON'T HAVE ENOUGH!!!

[Nita M]

Originally Posted by sucuz

Shortly after our local botanical gardens opened in 1995, I began volunteering in the horticulture area. .................liked the way the display looked, so that became my regular Saturday job.
.

Fredrik Meijer Gardens, perchance? Daughter lives in Grand Rapids. If you do your orchid duties every Saturday, I'll have to come and visit.

Nita

[Nita M]

This was a really interesting thread - probably took me two hours to read it from beginning to end. I enjoyed reading everybody's experiences.

My parents always had gardens (I'm NOT a gardener - had to pick potato bugs off of potato plants as a kid, carrying a coffee can of kerosene to drop bugs and eggs into). Hate weeding and don't like all the mosquito bites! Most exotic plants my Mom ever had were African violets. My thumb is not as green as hers was, but nevertheless I wound up with several hundred AVs under grow lights for several years - then I got sick and things went downhill. Not sure how I got interested in orchids - probably when we ran across our first local orchid society show in the local mall and got absolutely bitten by paphs. I wound up with probably a half a dozen, but with working full time, they were sadly neglected. Had walkout basement (in Illinois) so think they all got a little too chilly. Never lost my interest in them and kept saying, 'some day.' Also had episcias, siningias, and all those other plants related to AVs. Also tried bonsai and managed to watch them slowly wither away. Then we retired, sold the house and went on the road which is NOT conducive to carrying around lots of plants. Collected cacti when we spent winters in Arizona and they traveled on a tray on the bed - until the day hubby stepped on the brakes a little too hard and tray and all slid on the floor. Gosh, is it fun to clean up dirt, rocks, cacti from the carpeting and out of the hot air register in the motorhome!! End of cacti and a couple of AVs. I STILL love AVs and buy one every so often and when they quit blooming, out the door they go.

Then we bought a place in central Florida and saw all these orchids in all the big box stores. Finally succumbed a little over a year ago and bought a little vanda seedling in one of those plastic bags in Lowe's. The girl in the garden dept said, just water it every day. I put it into a wood slat basket, watered it every day, hung it outside under the car port, transported it back to Illlinois, hung it outside all summer, kept watering it (notice I never mentioned fertilizer) and here it is June 2008 and my seedling is STILL ALIVE. Well, now, that just encouraged the heck out of me and when we went to flea markets and saw all the gazillions of orchids (mostly phal noids) - I couldn't resist. Now I have several phals, one oncidium, 4 vandas, and my newest acquisition (Mom's Day gift) a Wilsonara Red Pacific 'Deep Shadows'. I still want to buy paph or two. Have attended a couple meetings of local orchid society in Florida and have learned to use fertilizer! - imagine that! Plan on joining orchid society when we get back to FL next fall. And, oh yes, have one bonsai. I'm incurable - that's my story and I'm stickin' to it.

Sorry this is sooooo long, but I tend to have diarrhea of the fingers.

Nita M

[JudyC]

I started helping my grandmother with her veggie garden when I was about 9. When I was 11 I asked my parents if I could have a plant in my room. They got me a pothos ivy, they figured it would be dead in a week or two. A year later it was over 6ft long. (I didn't know at that time that you can cut them off at a node and put the cuttings back in the pot).

So we moved into this house (12yrs ago on Halloween) and then I found out I was pregnant (2nd time) hubby was tired of being kicked out of his computer room so he added on a 12'x14' den, I got a 9'x14' sunroom out of the deal. I had all this wonderful sunny space and couldn't wait to get to home depot and fill it up. I got sucked into orchids that way. Slowly the houseplants moved out and more orchids moved in, then I found mail-order and went totally nuts for a while. At most I had 210 plants, way too much for 9x14ft. It was hard but I got rid of all the buggy ones and took some to auction. Now I have about 110, still all inside (except for the vandas, cymbidium and a couple of dends outside)

[kiki-do]

Judy, that must be a beautiful sunroom! How about some pictures????? I too have a sunroom filled with orchids. Not quite that many, but it's my favorite room in the entire house. please??? Only if you want to, that is.

[JudyC]

Let me see what I can find

Here's some old photos when I was at my max, I'm figuring out how to load the new ones in.

jcmcse's photos and albums on webshots

[Nita M]

Judy, I only have one question..................HOW ON EARTH DID YOU WATER all of them, since it appears that many are hanging on (painted?) walls???

Otherwise, what a wonderful collection.

Nita M

[kiki-do]

Water them, yes....how do you do it? That is such an awesome display. It must be heaven to sit out in your sunroom and be surrounded by so many beauties. Another question I have....how long do the lights stay on each day? Thank you so much for sharing these pictures.

[Bird Song Farm]

OMG, such an awesome room with so many very happy plants! I'll be looking for the answer to the watering question as my orchid room is going to become a reality soon! A 14' x 16' room with cathedral ceiling.........I can't wait! Any tips you have will be appreciated!
Al

[ilurk]

My dear mom bought me one of those 'Dancing lady' orchids and it survived for years. Mostly because i was in college and barely watered it. Eventually i repotted it in of all things, Miracle Gro garden soil. Heck, i didn't really know what an orchid was at the time. Still it clung on to dear life for a couple of years through my constant neglect, until i started paying more attention to it by watering. Then it died.
After that some more years passed, bought a couple of cheap oncidiums at costco for bargain basement prices. Huge specimens, they thrived, got divided, and i went on from there.