Hello!

[Peithecelt]

So, I posted this yesterday, I apologize to anyone who already responded, but there was some mod confusion (), it was deleted, and so here we go again!

Hi! I'm brand new to orchids, and wouldn't necessarily say that I'm addicted yet, my decision to buy my v. planifolia has more to do with the fact that I am an absolute vanilla JUNKIE. I use it in everything I bake, I love the scent of it for perfume (real vanilla oil though, not the chemically vanilla perfumes), just adore vanilla. Though I must admit that as orchids have become more popular here (seriously, you never used to see them, and now the super market carries them!!!), I have been tempted, they are lovely!

I guess I am somewhere between a beginner and intermediate gardener, I can keep plants alive, and start them from seed and have them do well, but I am still learning a lot about the plants I keep! I am most experienced with flowers and berries, my hubby handles all the veggie gardening for the family..

I am just shy of 30, living on 9 acres in the lovely Finger Lakes of NY with my husband (Greg), our 4 year old daughter (Fiona), 1 cat (Tiger), 1 dog (Maggie), and currently 7 chickens. That number will be changing over the next few weeks, we have 6 more pullets (young hens) and a new cockerel (young rooster) coming in mid-may, and my current rooster will be coq au vin sometime in the next week or so (he attacked my daughter this past weekend, so he pretty much signed his own death warrant (she is fine for the record)).

I am, in a very quick nutshell, a hippy trying to be more self sufficient, leaving a smaller impact on this beautiful planet upon which we live, while working a desk job, with a penchant for wearing heels and makeup, who thinks that if you're going to eat chicken (or beef or lamb or whatever), it should have spent it's life in the sun and on the grass. I am always good for a laugh, or at the very least, a strange look.

I look forward to meeting everyone!

[cb977]

Hi Pei...I promise I won't delete this one

Sounds like you've got a wonderful life happening up there The Coq au Vin sounds yummy and I'm happy to hear your daughter is fine

What kinds of orchids do you have so far...and I say "so far" because now that you're here, that number will quickly increase



If you need help with anything, let us know

[Peithecelt]

Originally Posted by cb977

Hi Pei...I promise I won't delete this one

Sounds like you've got a wonderful life happening up there The Coq au Vin sounds yummy and I'm happy to hear your daughter is fine

What kinds of orchids do you have so far...and I say "so far" because now that you're here, that number will quickly increase



If you need help with anything, let us know

*laughs* Technically, I have none, my Vanilla Planifolia hasn't arrived yet, I ordered it Sunday.. lol (Though it should be here soonish, I hope!!).. So when I say that I'm a newbie, I'm new enough that I don't technically own *any* orchids! I just wanted to make sure that I'd done my homework before it got here, so I had a better chance of not killing it!!!

I'll probably hold off for a bit before I buy any more after it does arrive (though all the pictures here are VERY tempting), this is our first summer in our new house and the butterfly/hummingbird garden has been my big project, and until I get all my seedlings outside, and netted against deer (and bunnies, and chickens, and etc.), I think my husband will *kill* me if I bring any more plants into the house.. The vanilla and coffee tree (yeah, I bought one of those at the same time) were acceptable just because, well, they're vanilla and coffee, how can you say no!?!

And it is a good life up here, a little strange sometimes, but... I'd probably get bored if it wasn't..

[cb977]

Congrats on your new home!

Be prepared...we're all enablers here...big time!
It'll happen sooner than you think...and our significant others all soon come to the realization that OAD (Orchid Acquisition Disorder) is unstoppable!

[Peithecelt]

Originally Posted by cb977

Congrats on your new home!

Be prepared...we're all enablers here...big time!
It'll happen sooner than you think...and our significant others all soon come to the realization that OAD (Orchid Acquisition Disorder) is unstoppable!

I'm getting that impression.. lol

Thankfully he loves flowers nearly as much as I do, and really enjoys having a house full of green (and white and yellow and purple and so forth) too, so.. Once there is just a bit more room I think he'll be fine.. Right now things are just.. uhmm.. a bit.... crowded with 2 roses that are cuttings from our old house and are finally ready to go outside*, 1 largeish jade, 1 succulent the name of which I always forget, 3 canna bulbs* that didn't get outside quite in time, 1 something or other I rescued from my boss who was killing it, 1 geranium, and about 150 seedlings between just sprouted and 8 inches tall (the sweet peas are doing really well and need to be moved outside BADLY, I just didn't have a chance this weekend)... (* are non-seedlings that will not be staying in the house, but moving outside). So we're seriously outnumbered by plants right now.. lol

[plantaholic]

Welcome. Sounds like you have a great place to live, good life. Sure you want to risk OAD?

I understand the 'living in a jungle' situation. My husband was warned but really had no idea what he was getting into when he married me...
I keep wishing and hoping that it'll finally stop freezing outside so I can get most of my non-orchids out of the house (and free up more space for more orchids) It really helped when he learned that orchids and some other plants are super air purifiers. Taking all that nasty CO2 and giving us wonderful fresh oxygen. Now he seems to actually be getting a small touch of the plant/orchid bug himself...

with your new vanilla orchid. Be sure and put up pics!

[Ranchnanny]

Welcome to the OB you will love the folks here and the information you will gain is wonderful. The Finger Lakes area of Central New York State is really lovely. I had the occasion to visit there when I lived north of you in the leather stocking country Carthage, NY. I lived that for 4 years.
Remember you have to send lots of of your 'chids' cause we love
Again welcome

TTFN - Sheridan

[Peithecelt]

Originally Posted by plantaholic

Welcome. Sounds like you have a great place to live, good life. Sure you want to risk OAD?

I understand the 'living in a jungle' situation. My husband was warned but really had no idea what he was getting into when he married me...
I keep wishing and hoping that it'll finally stop freezing outside so I can get most of my non-orchids out of the house (and free up more space for more orchids) It really helped when he learned that orchids and some other plants are super air purifiers. Taking all that nasty CO2 and giving us wonderful fresh oxygen. Now he seems to actually be getting a small touch of the plant/orchid bug himself...

with your new vanilla orchid. Be sure and put up pics!

Thanks so much, I will do!!! What's funny is that I grew up in the burbs, with parents who have a hard time keeping native grasses alive (okay they're not QUITE that bad), so he's gotten ME into gardening.. It's just my projects that are taking over the house right now lol

And I think, so far at least, I'm only moderately tempted by all the pretties, though they *are* awful pretty... and there is that orchid place down the road that I keep saying I want to stop into....


NOOOOO!!!!!!!

[Peithecelt]

Originally Posted by Ranchnanny

Welcome to the OB you will love the folks here and the information you will gain is wonderful. The Finger Lakes area of Central New York State is really lovely. I had the occasion to visit there when I lived north of you in the leather stocking country Carthage, NY. I lived that for 4 years.
Remember you have to send lots of of your 'chids' cause we love
Again welcome

TTFN - Sheridan

Thank you for the great welcome.. It is beautiful up here.. Never meant to stay for more than a few years, but here we are 7 years later truly settled.. Somehow the springs/summers always make the winters feel like they're worth it.... well, until the snows start..

And I'm totally looking forward to getting pics of my vanilla up once it's here.. I'm getting very grumpy with the seller, I haven't heard ANYTHING from him (it's an ebay purchase).. (he's got fantastic feedback and a LOT of sales though, so I'm not worried, so much as annoyedly impatient )

[justatypn]

Aboard, sounds like you have landed in the right neighborhood and so many here to help you along the way. Don't forget to share a or two of your new addition (s) had to as the plural

We all have wondered into e-bay land and when you do, pick your vendor "seller" respectfully. Actually one of my first ones came from e-bay, still holding on a few more years and it should, I say should, bloom.

Glad your here....