Where to buy ?

[snowflake311]

I want to be able to walk into a store and buy a nice Paph or better yet a Phrag. What type of places besides an orchids show can I find these orchids.

I am going to the Bay Area, CA in a little bit and want to check out places down there. I found Brookside orchids and will check them out. I found Orchid Zone but they look like you can't just go and by 2 plants it is for whole sale. SO WHO BUYs THESE PLANTS WHOLESALE WHERE DO THEY SELL THEM? Why is it so had to find these fancy orchids.

Thanks

[estación seca]

With the transition of the US economy over the last 20 years or so, from quality goods and services to puerile entertainment, shoddy objects and disgusting snacks, requiring massive advertising to sell to lazy simpletons, a lot of businesses catering to knowledgeable customers have closed.

This includes specialty nurseries who grow their own stock, rather than reselling whatever mislabeled wholesale crap arrives from the mega grower. How many family-owned nurseries are left in any metropolitan area?

Even the big-box stores have drastically reduced nursery stock over the last few years, to the few items that sell the most. The focus has switched from giving the customer what the customer wants, to providing the lowest-quality product or service that will entice the customer to turn over the money.

Orchid growing is expensive in terms of heating, cooling, water purification and finding / training / paying staff who know what they're doing. A lot of the remaining orchid nurseries don't have regular business hours, but are open by appointment. This is to reduce costs associated with a display area and sales staff.

Companies on the Internet, whose real business usually involves identity theft, often provide lots of stuff for no exchange of money. Customers have been trained to think everything should be free or cheap. Witness the numerous threads here started by people who were swindled on eBay because they thought they could get a bargain almost too good to be true. At local garden society silent auctions, I put minimum bids on plants I donate of $2 - $5 rather than the 25 cents most other people put. My plants sometimes don't sell, even though they are usually worth over $10, or otherwise unobtainable.

People in your area can probably point you to regional growers who would welcome a visit. But don't get them started on how is business.

[AnonYMouse]

Nevermind

[Dollythehun]

Originally Posted by estación seca

With the transition of the US economy over the last 20 years or so, from quality goods and services to puerile entertainment, shoddy objects and disgusting snacks, requiring massive advertising to sell to lazy simpletons, a lot of businesses catering to knowledgeable customers have closed.

This includes specialty nurseries who grow their own stock, rather than reselling whatever mislabeled wholesale crap arrives from the mega grower. How many family-owned nurseries are left in any metropolitan area?

Even the big-box stores have drastically reduced nursery stock over the last few years, to the few items that sell the most. The focus has switched from giving the customer what the customer wants, to providing the lowest-quality product or service that will entice the customer to turn over the money.

Orchid growing is expensive in terms of heating, cooling, water purification and finding / training / paying staff who know what they're doing. A lot of the remaining orchid nurseries don't have regular business hours, but are open by appointment. This is to reduce costs associated with a display area and sales staff.

Companies on the Internet, whose real business usually involves identity theft, often provide lots of stuff for no exchange of money. Customers have been trained to think everything should be free or cheap. Witness the numerous threads here started by people who were swindled on eBay because they thought they could get a bargain almost too good to be true. At local garden society silent auctions, I put minimum bids on plants I donate of $2 - $5 rather than the 25 cents most other people put. My plants sometimes don't sell, even though they are usually worth over $10, or otherwise unobtainable.

People in your area can probably point you to regional growers who would welcome a visit. But don't get them started on how is business.

Preach it!

[snowflake311]

So the days of buying nice orchids at a store are gone?

Now I am really kicking myself for not getting another Paph at the orchid show.

[estación seca]

Trader Joe's, many supermarkets, and big box hardware stores often retail nice orchids. They often lack nametags, and may have rotten roots from poor care at the retailer. TJ frequently sells Paphs.

Realize slippers are propagated by seed or division, not mericloning, so they are precioussss. One does not simply walk into Phrag store.

[Chris17]

The Tiny Jungle in Daly City comes to mind, they have a Facebook page.

[snowflake311]

Originally Posted by estación seca

Trader Joe's, many supermarkets, and big box hardware stores often retail nice orchids. They often lack nametags, and may have rotten roots from poor care at the retailer. TJ frequently sells Paphs.

Realize slippers are propagated by seed or division, not mericloning, so they are precioussss. One does not simply walk into Phrag store.

Yeah That is what I am asking. Can you find Phrags at stores? Do you have to buy them online? I know they are grown from seed. Some place has to sell locally in Nor Cal? I don't mind spending money on the plant. I just don't like spending it on shipping for a plant I don't get to see before I buy you know.

I have found some good plants with name tags at TJ in the past. I am looking for different types of Paphs and Phrags . I am looking for plants like Phragmipedium Schroderae, Paphiopedilum armeniacum , and Paphiopedilum Richardianum or Hybrid of that. I should have bought it at the show. I guess I will just wait till the next orchids show.

[Ray]

Originally Posted by Chris17

The Tiny Jungle in Daly City comes to mind, they have a Facebook page.

Yep, and Chris is one of the nicest people you'll ever meet.

[AnonYMouse]