I will like to share and hear how your love for Orchids started it?

[Hedge]

I started with a large Phalaenopsis Noid on a shopping trip to IKEA, it was admired and I got another from my sister and then my husband staarted to look out for them and it grew from there. That was about 6 years ago, and I now grow Phals, Paphs, Cymbidiums, Miltonias and a few Ondotoglossum intergenerics. as well as Dendrobiums . I have lots of different windows and light levels, so I'm able to mix it up!

[jrodpad]

Ysa,

Thanks for sharing - it's so compelling when OB folks get personal.

I always had a "green thumb" but never pushed my luck with anything beyond the average houseplant. Then, I discovered that I lived within walking distance from a historic greenhouse in New England. I returned from my first visit with a beautiful white phal - it was an experiment. I really had no idea if I could keep it alive. Moderate success with that first phal and discovery of the OB has turned that experiment into an obsession.

Thanks Lyman Estates Greenhouse!

- J

[shadytrake]

Well my husband has always had a green thumb and my mother grew competition roses.

I got a beautiful Phal for my 10 year anniversary which I killed, but in trying to save it I discovered this wonderful Orchid Board and so it began.

I have a shadehouse/greenhouse combo which hubby built for me and we have over 200 orchids now. Most are babies and will take a while to get to blooming, but I have a bunch of mature chids too.

Like Connie, I am trying to rein in my focus to the genera which will grow in my conditions but there are so many orchid types out there that it is tough for me to stick to one or two types.

I have to say that I fancy Dendrobiums the most and have been the most successful with them blooming but right now, I am still in the "whatever strikes my fancy" and fits the temperature range here phase.

[Call_Me_Bob]

im also in the " whatever floats your boat" stage of just trying different things. but ive had success with catts,phals, and dens. i havent had onc. enought to judge. the same goes for masdevallia, but im just in love my my little masdie ( now has first spike )

[Ysa]

I love all this wonderful stories. Thanks for sharing

[Izzie]

My love for orchids blossomed from a large phal compot (three large plants in one pot) purchased from Costco. I bought it to help brighten my dreary dorm room while I was in college, 12 hours away from my garden and family back home. It's name is now 'Daphne', and we're both enjoying being back home now.

[King_of_orchid_growing:)]

About 17 yrs ago, I was growing bromeliads, specifically from the genus Tillandsia.

After several failed attempts, my mother told me to try growing orchids, and that they might be easier to grow.

There were some failures at first, but over time, I got good at growing a few.

Then eventually, I learned to grow several different kinds.

I'm still learning about the many different orchids that are out there.

I also got good at growing Tillandsias too, btw.

[Triffid]

Beautiful story Ysa, thanks for sharing. It's wonderful way to remember a loved one.

It is interesting to see how folks started with this Passion/Obsession (you can't really call it a hobby now can you!? )

As for my (probably rather common start) I was given an Orchid as my 4th Anniversary gift by my husband. He started calling my Queen of the Triffids years ago not long after we started living together, so he was brutally aware of my fondness for green things. However it was an off hand comment I made once, that I had always wanted to grow Orchids but was to scared to. It was literally a throw away comment because I had long ago become resolved to never being able to grow an Orchid of any kind for two reasons, I was always led to believe that they were:
1, Expensive
2, Extremely Difficult to grow.
Something I found out later was not necessarily true (depending on the Orchid in question).

Well Sascha (My first Noid Phal and Anniversary gift) is alive and well. My Husband did well very on the selection even though he was lacking in knowledge, it was healthy and still is. It is also pushing up two new spikes for me! I bet my lovely hubby wished he'd got me something else now, as the plants are slowly taking over :

[Paul Mc]

For me, I slowly developed my green thumb through the years by growing lots of tropicals (currently at 84 pots filled with various tropicals - sometimes 4 to 5 per container depending upon size). People have always been shocked when they see my tropical collection as they have never seen any of them at the size they eventually became.

Then, when searching for a new tropical I ran across a cheap orchid and thought, "well, if I kill it at least it is cheap, and I'll probably kill it as orchids are hard to grow." When that orchid rebloomed the next year, I was hooked. And I still own that original phal.

[orchidvalley]

Hi,I love hearing all the great stories about getting started. I have been gardening ever since my father could get me into the garden to help(a long time) I don't have the space for a vegetable garden like we had in my yard so I grow lots and lots of perennials and hostas. I have always had house plants and have run the gammot of what I had. When I was attending a local garden fair with a friend I found a booth that was selling orchids. I looked and then passed it by because there were so many people in the booth. I came back a little later and purchased a little Cattleya which I still have. That was about 8 years ago. It took off slow from there till my husband showed me a newspaper clipping of a local orchid show that was to take place in a few weeks. He sent me there with money in my hand and there it started. I now have 53 plants, more than half of them are cattleyas. He also built me a greenhouse before this all started which I use in the summer as it is not heated. He is so sweet and understanding about it. I think that he even loves seeing the blooms too even though he doesn't admit it.