Do you guys ever get strange looks when buying orchids?

[AussieVanda]

I usually get the stupid comments and looks at work. My orchid nursery is on one side of town and I live on the other. I work in town itself.....so I usually go to the orchid nursery during my lunch break and then go back to work with my orchids before taking them home. It amazes me that after all these years of working in the same place with the same people I still get the same dumb arse comments by those same people!

[Bulbofett]

Originally Posted by gngrhill

You guys that actually have stores to go to for orchids are so LUCKY. We have nothing around here to see but Phals. There is nowhere within 200 miles or more to find an orchid nursery or even a garden center that has orchids unless you just want to keep getting Phals from Home Depot or Price chopper.

Even though C&H is about 2 hours from Charleston it still isn't that bad of a drive. Definitely makes it worth it when you finally get there. I won't live here forever though, so I hope the next place I move is even closer to an awesome nursery. Is that what I should tell the realtor?

[No-Pro-mwa]

I don't really have a place to go other than Home Depot either and guess I have never gotten to many at a time so haven't gotten funny looks from strangers.

My dear hubby and family do however think I have lost my marbles.....eh..................they have always any way. I guess the orchid craze is just the next in a long list of me being........well, a bit different. Hehehehe goodness I got use to it a long time ago when I went to raw feeding my dogs.

Now that, I really get some good looks over, so I'm use to it by now. Also it seems the older I get the less I care what people think of me. I think most of them are supper strange.

[Jenn4a]

Yay for raw feeding! Haven't tried that yet, but I have a German Shepherd.

Same here. No places except hardware stores: Menards lowes and Home Depot OR the occasional meijers and target.

Where are good places to go generally? There are greenhouses in my area but nothing on their websites indicate anything of orchids or products for orchids.

I'm in Indianapolis area btw

[DweamGoiL]

I raw feed my 2 kitties, also. They are the healthiest cats among anyone else's I know; luxurious fur, clean teeth, active and at a good weight, great eyes, etc. They are both nearing middle age and act like kittens because they feel great! Sorry, back to the main topic

[lotis146]

I'm SO glad to read this, though I'm not saying I'm glad about your experience!!

The first time I visited Hausermann's I was there for oh I don't, probably 4 hours. I was so happy and talkative, it was kind of a mixed bag. There were some ladies who were newbies to an extent and they were rather interested in talking to me (me who at the time had really only just begun the addiction part of my growing) and we talked at length (I even directed them to come here!). But of course I got plenty of looks at my cart because I think I had 11 or so plants on my cart, all in some stage of flowering. I felt a little embarrassed because I think the only other people who were buying more Orchids than me were clearly getting them for events because they were getting a lot of the same thing.

I guess to be honest I was expecting more crazy addicts. And no offense to them, but I was also a little surprised that the staff wasn't a little more...helpful, talkative, friendly? Not that they were unfriendly but if I didn't know any better I would have thought I was an orchid lover buying from rose lovers!

I would guess though that it probably depends on the day too...and the fact that I can be long-winded (as seen on OrchidBoard posts! LOL). But it was nice those ladies were so receptive! Maybe next time you go you'll run into some addicts. It sounds like you showed up on a non-addict day and ran into some rude terds!!

[Leafmite]

I have found that the more you frequent a place, the better they get to know you and the more friendlier the service becomes. I see this even online.
It is always fun for me to connect with other orchid and plant-lovers.

[Bulbofett]

Originally Posted by lotis146

I'm SO glad to read this, though I'm not saying I'm glad about your experience!!

The first time I visited Hausermann's I was there for oh I don't, probably 4 hours. I was so happy and talkative, it was kind of a mixed bag. There were some ladies who were newbies to an extent and they were rather interested in talking to me (me who at the time had really only just begun the addiction part of my growing) and we talked at length (I even directed them to come here!). But of course I got plenty of looks at my cart because I think I had 11 or so plants on my cart, all in some stage of flowering. I felt a little embarrassed because I think the only other people who were buying more Orchids than me were clearly getting them for events because they were getting a lot of the same thing.

I guess to be honest I was expecting more crazy addicts. And no offense to them, but I was also a little surprised that the staff wasn't a little more...helpful, talkative, friendly? Not that they were unfriendly but if I didn't know any better I would have thought I was an orchid lover buying from rose lovers!

I would guess though that it probably depends on the day too...and the fact that I can be long-winded (as seen on OrchidBoard posts! LOL). But it was nice those ladies were so receptive! Maybe next time you go you'll run into some addicts. It sounds like you showed up on a non-addict day and ran into some rude terds!!

My next time going will definitely be on one of their non open house days. It was wall to wall people for the 40% off house plant sale they were having so I understand I didn't run into too many orchid folks. I keep hoping I'll run into one of you lovely folks some day!

It wasn't that I had a bad experience with Carter and Holmes at all. I understand they had a lot going on, and couldn't tend to every client. I can't wait to go back. If it snows at all this year or beginning of next year I might go on that day. I wouldn't expect too many people to show up on a snowy day.

Originally Posted by Leafmite

I have found that the more you frequent a place, the better they get to know you and the more friendlier the service becomes. I see this even online.
It is always fun for me to connect with other orchid and plant-lovers.

I do wish I could go every single weekend. They're 2 hours away from where I live though so I can't frequent often enough for them to remember me

[ollypolly]

Originally Posted by AussieVanda

My orchid nursery is on one side of town and I live on the other.

If I may ask you, AussieVanda which FNQ town are you in?

The most I've ever bought is three orchids, I'd probably be staring enviously at someone who bought 10. Nursery people don't seem to notice me, once I even had the sprinklers turned on me.

[RandomGemini]

I don't feed raw, but you should see how much I spend on dog food (I will never buy grocery store dog food, heck, Petsmart doesn't even carry my brand) and supplements for my dogs and fresh fruit and veggies for my dogs... I have 2 labs. I might be able to save money if I just fed raw, but what I'm doing works so I stick with it. I try to be the same about my orchids, but so far, I haven't had one that's motivated me to get that crazy... Yet.