what got you hooked

[ThePinkCucumber]

Once I remember at a show, there were these noID phals for like 2Eur each, so I pick one up - let me just say there was about 10 of them - and this lady standing next to me hisses at me 'These are MINE!'. She took them all! I couldn't believe...as I said - bargain bin makes people crazy

[phalnoob]

I just googled there and i missed like the only local one on may 😢 wahhhhhhh

[ThePinkCucumber]

There will be more! And if there is a show, there must be nurseries somewhere around you!
When we travel, I always google for nurseries, growers, or even orchid societies who you can contact and ask if there is anything going on. Even if you can't attend their meetings, I'm sure they'll be glad to let you know about any shows

[Plodde]

two words, Dendrobium kingianum!

[phalnoob]

I just googled that......its lovely!

[estación seca]

I started with plants when I was tiny. My grandmothers and mother showed me how to grow vegetables and flowers. Then came cactus, still my first love.

When about 9 we visited my grandparent's friends, who had retired to Miami. This was in the days of all the family-run tourist attractions that have sadly disappeared. My parents took me to Orchid Jungle. Riveted in my mind still is Arachnis flos-aeris and its smell, which seemed to me exactly like church incense. I begged for an orchid but my parents wisely realized that with us living in Milwaukee, this was not a good idea.

In my teens we lived not far from Paul Brecht Orchids on Harbor Boulevard in Costa Mesa, California. We had a small greenhouse in which grew numerous orchids.

I moved around a lot for education. Sometimes I had orchids in terraria and windowsills, and sometimes orchids didn't fit into the climates or living quarters.

I settled in Phoenix 30 years ago. I'm in cactus heaven. It's really hard to grow orchids here with or without a greenhouse, and I gave up when the first Catt hybrid died in days. But still Die Lorelei called to me endlessly over the years. I heard her song almost constantly. I found out Eulophia petersii is as easy to grow here as sunflowers, and years later found a few of its relatives at succulent nurseries.

Retired friends are in the local orchid society. Finally I could resist Die Lorelei no more and I surrendered to my fate in her clutches.

[disalover]

My mother onced recieved a Noid yellow phalae as a gift. So i l got hooked.

[Trollsvans]

Originally Posted by phalnoob

Lol trollsvans i thought my little house is turning into a garden if its not orchids its something else, but 150+!!!! You could have charged admission for a 'jungle experience'

Yeah, I really should have. Six fish tanks and three tropical vivs... windows plastered with greenery three rows high and two rows deep.
Cloud forest area (fell asleep with two foggers running on max...and a broken timer).
Ah, the good old days.

Needless to say, that was all total overkill, and way over my head, both in terms of care difficulty levels and sheer maintenance, and it all ended in catastrophe.

These days I try to keep it at a level where every bit is still more fun than effort, and focus more on my dream plants rather than "come on, it's just 25000 species, of course there's room for them here!".

Pro tip, that'll save you tons of excruciating cravings and a black hole for a wallet;
Don't use Google image search... :-P

---------- Post added at 11:05 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:33 PM ----------

Originally Posted by ThePinkCucumber

Once I remember at a show, there were these noID phals for like 2Eur each, so I pick one up - let me just say there was about 10 of them - and this lady standing next to me hisses at me 'These are MINE!'. She took them all! I couldn't believe...as I said - bargain bin makes people crazy

Yeah, at times people go berzerk over trinkets.
Saw two women struggling over a noid phal at a local nursery. We're talking tug of war here!
One ended up with all the flowers, the other with the pot, and the plant, spikes stripped, all over the floor.
Then again, this was the same week some bloke cracked a telly over another bloke's head in a struggle over it at a Media Markt sale, so there might have.been something in the air.

[lotis146]

Great stories everyone, seems there's a nice mix of people growing up with plant fever & those who got bit once and that was it.

I've not seen anyone fighting over orchids, wow I'm sorry but I'd have had to laugh even as I treasure mine. I can say that I've been at shows and greenhouses and have felt and folded to the pressure to buy a plant or two b/c I was afraid someone around me would decide faster than me!

I can and can't imagine 150+ plants in a flat but I sure do know how that happens! Perhaps the next question in this 'series' of how'd you get started should be aimed at the greenhouse growers!

[Leafmite]

Rex Stout mysteries and discovering fragrant orchids.