1 Lots of relatives who were farmers and gardeners (but no orchid growers) taught me how to grow vegetables and flowers;
2 A grandfather who indulged my many requests to visit the Mitchell Gardens dome greenhouses in Milwaukee, Wisconsin - one temperate, one tropical, one desert;
3 A visit to Orchid Jungle in Florida when about 9 years old while visiting family friends who retired to Miami. I went nuts. I still clearly remember the scent of Aerangis flos-aeris. My parents (wisely) said I wouldn't be able to grow an orchid in Milwaukee.
My dad was very disconcerted; he didn't approve of boys playing with plants. So it was quite a while before I had an actual orchid plant, after it became clear I was a very headstrong boy.
|
Threaded Mode
