Come with me everybody

[SouthPark]

Thanks Roberta for letting us know more about that host!

True!!! Rancho Santa Fe, California!!!

For me - even though it is a video tour, it's on par with visiting disneyland etc!!!!!!

It's awesome that you've actually been there!!!!!

[Roberta]

So many different styles of growing! Debby's place is so clean and orderly and spacious. My place, on the other hand, is a disorderly jungle. Both work. Her plants look better than mine and the whole environment looks better. But I love my jungle.

[SouthPark]

Your place Roberta is orchid paradise too!!! We're all involved in growing and enjoying and looking after orchids. It's just awesome we have the internet to share the images and videos of orchids. Thumbs up for internet technology including all those technologies that allow/allowed it to happen! (and OrchidBoard too!!!) and all the orchid growers around the whole world.

[Dollythehun]

Roberta, I knew you would know who she was when I saw she was from California. Lol

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by Dollythehun

Roberta, I knew you would know who she was when I saw she was from California. Lol

Well, California is a really big place... I'm starting to learn some of the folks from the San Francisco area, partly by reputation and now because I joined them to attend Zoom meetings. (Amazing how technology can shrink 8 hours on the road... it's about 400 miles away to the north) I'm finding the San Diego species fanciers through the Species Study Group of SDCOS... it's at the outer edge of commuting for Saturday mornings (90+ miles south for most of the members, a few of the meetings are somewhat closer. Meetings in the middle of the week, no way - instead of 2 hours it would be closer to 4 with traffic)

And actually, there's as much of California north of San Francisco as south of it, but relatively few people.

[ArronOB]

I’m trying to understand the context of this.

To me this looks like several interconnected greenhouses (better called conservatories) attached to a house. I presume there are other, larger greenhouses located elsewhere on the property, which house a much larger number of plants. I assume plants are bought into the conservatories when flowering ? I assume a very much larger collection must be maintained to produce this many specimen plants all flowering at once.

I’m just curious as to whether some one could maintain that density of flowering plants in their growing environment.

Ps. Not trying to detract from her superlative growing skills or dedication, just trying to understand the resources required to put a display like that together.

PPS. SouthPark thanks for showing us this.

[Roberta]

Actually, Debby's place is pretty much contiguous. A large greenhouse, with adjoining outdoor growing area. The plant benches are arranged so that there is a substantial area in the middle (making room to sit and enjoy) So to see all the plants, one must turn in each direction. But it's all under one roof. She's a superb grower, with a lot of specimen plants. Big plants make lots of flowers. And some of them (like the Phals and some of the Dens, stay in bloom for a long time). She picked a great time of year... but right now is pretty fantastic too, if my own yard is any indication... But she showed some really nice things at today's meeting so her place is, I'm also sure still wall-to-wall flowers, though not the same plants.

Secret to always having something in bloom... acquire them at different times of the year. And once they get some size, lots of flowers.

[ArronOB]

Originally Posted by Roberta

Actually, Debby's place is pretty much contiguous. A large greenhouse, with adjoining outdoor growing area. The plant benches are arranged so that there is a substantial area in the middle (making room to sit and enjoy) So to see all the plants, one must turn in each direction. But it's all under one roof. She's a superb grower, with a lot of specimen plants. Big plants make lots of flowers. And some of them (like the Phals and some of the Dens, stay in bloom for a long time). She picked a great time of year... but right now is pretty fantastic too, if my own yard is any indication... But she showed some really nice things at today's meeting so her place is, I'm also sure still wall-to-wall flowers, though not the same plants.

Secret to always having something in bloom... acquire them at different times of the year. And once they get some size, lots of flowers.

So are you saying the undercover space she showed us in this video is pretty much all she has - there isn’t a much larger space of greenhouses full of non-flowering plants?

I ask because my own ratio of flowering to non flowering plants is so low I would need about 10 acres of greenhouses to put that many flowing plants together.

As I mentioned before, I’m great at growing big, dark green orchids with no flowers.

[Roberta]

Yes, that is it. There are lots of non-flowering plants on the benches behind the flowering ones... she would move the blooming ones into the front spaces and move the others back. But a pretty high ratio of blooming ones. The space is pretty ideal for a lot of things - great light, this time of year not a lot of need to heat or cool. (The climate is also pretty terrific) I don't know how much she needs to cool in summer... location is inland a bit but up on a hill so good breeze. Likewise, some heat in winter but not much.

If your orchids are big and dark green and not blooming, that's a clue that light is likely an issue. Can you increase it? (Gently, of course) Ideal time to increase the light gently is late winter/early spring before the sun gets too intense. So in the southern hemisphere, in about two months, time to start thinking about it.

[ArronOB]

Originally Posted by Roberta

If your orchids are big and dark green and not blooming, that's a clue that light is likely an issue. Can you increase it? (Gently, of course) Ideal time to increase the light gently is late winter/early spring before the sun gets too intense. So in the southern hemisphere, in about two months, time to start thinking about it.

No,I can’t increase the light without chopping trees down - which the Council won’t let us do because they are, apparently, part of the ‘endangered Bouddi Peninsular spotted gum ecosystem’.