Spring 2009 Project - Suggestions
 

When we get together in January (the first chat is scheduled for Sun Jan 14 at 8pm est, check our OB calendar), the first thing we'll need to do is decide on a vendor for the upcoming project. It makes it much easier to choose a plant if we are all looking at only the stock available at a particular vendor, otherwise we'd be all over the place and that's not good ;)

I thought we could use this thread to start listing what vendors we may want to check out. Keep in mind the vendor we use MUST have a good reputation, first and foremost. After that, prices come into play. A good range for the project plant is around the $20-$30 mark.
It must be a vendor with a large enough stock to be able to supply the project participants with plants that are all at the same stage of growth preferably Blooming Size or close to it.

In the last project, we had 19 people purchasing.

Once we get an idea of who we might use, I'll contact them to see if they'd be willing to give us a discount, as Andy's and OakHill Gardens did for us in the previous projects.

Let's remember our member/sponsors here at OrchidBoard while we're doing this.
Our sponsors are a major part of what makes this place work! :cheer:

I'm interested in suggestions from any member...whether you are planning on joining the project or not.
Okay...let the suggestions begin...

Yippee :cheer: , it's that time again, what fun it will be to have another project in the works. We have many more members and hope we get double the participants. You can count me in. I personally would like to have another mini and thinking for a few others as space might be a major and a considering factor for the small home growers.

I was and still am extremely happy with OakHill, they went the extra mile for us, a gracious discount and there plants were superb....just my 2 cents worth.

Let's hear from our other members on there choices. :banana:

I agree with Cheryl, Oak Hill is great to work with. Jim.

I am in total agreement about Oak Hill...their orchids are top-notch as are their staff.

I just think it would be nice to use a different vendor for each project...it will allow members to get a sample of a new vendor's wares.

We can certainly keep both Andy's and Oak Hill on the list but let's get some more ideas...

By the way, in project #2 we made sure that the plant chosen was also available at Paramount in Canada for our Canadian members. I'm hoping that we get some of our new members globally involved in this next project. I don't think it's feasible to confirm availability in a number of different countries...let's just say we will all work together to try choosing a 'chid that will be available to all who choose to join the fun...

...and I'll be starting a new thread (which will be closed to replies) for keeping track of who is interested,
and another one listing suggested vendors. We will fine tune the lists as we progress. If you think you'd be interested, please post a reply here so we have your name and please be sure to include your location. You'll see as we go along that having details makes my 'job' a little easier :)

Count me in....MDK (Marie) Pennsylvania. My favorite vendors are Andy's and Parkside.

:cheer:

I'm interested. What about shipping here in Canada. It's too cold right now. When is the project starting?

:clap: Great, Wendy :)

We're going to start actual discussions on Jan 14 with a projected order date of April 2007 so the weather will be cooperating for everybody.

Depending on how many different countries join us, we'll have to figure out what plant is available to all :shock:

During project #2, we had our friend Marleneann in Australia fending for herself (and she managed it for both projects 1 & 2 :clap: ) and a number of our Canadian friends along with many members in the US. We concentrated on choosing a plant that was available at Oak Hill for the US members and Paramount for those in Canada.

We, as a group, will manage to come up with something that all who are "playing" can get.

Very happy to hear you're interested in joining us, it'll be lots of fun :cheer:

Cool! When the plant is decided upon would i be able to get mine from a vendor here in Ontario? I'd prefer that to having one shipped if possible.

We will try our hardest to make it a plant that you can order from a Canadian vendor. It worked the last time :)

If we get members from all the new countries showing up here (that would be SO cool!), it may be a little more difficult but I'm sure we'll work together towards a commn goal...
that's what we're all about here, right? :cheer:

How about Clouds Orchids or Orchids in Our Tropics here in Ontario? I know that Clouds can do group orders and they have wonderful plants.

http://www.cloudsorchids.com/

I'll add them to the list and they'll be part of our discussions come January :D
Thanks :clap:

*It won't actually be a group order since we each order our plant individually, shipped direct to the member, paid for by them at time of order. With the 2 previous projects, I contacted the vendors (they both gave us discounts) with the names of the participants and they did what they had to do on their end. Only members who are committed to the project and are involved in the process will be added to the list of names.

How dose one get on the list for OB project#3 Thanks, Jim.

You just did it, if you'd like to join us :cheer:
Just let me know where you're located and I'll add you to the list.
Do you have a suggestion for a reputable vendor we might use? :hmm

My favorite vendor is me! *GRIN*

Oak Hill is always a good place to work with though. I buy more plants from them than anybody else.

Rob...you're one of my favorites too!

I'd love to use a board member/sponsor for this project...can you come up with a few dozen of the same plants...in about the same stage of growth? :hmm

For anybody reading this that has not checked out Rob's site ( www.littlefrogfarm.com ) ...take a look! I've always been very happy with the stuff I've gotten from him...and he's one of our sponsors!!! Besides that...he's a nice guy too ;)
:cheer:

Would depend on the plant, but sure. I have a couple dozen of three Gongora species right now... Lots of mini-catts, paphs, phrags, and of course jewel orchids. If there is a certain plant that everybody wants to try and i don't have it, I'd be happy to try to find it wholesale and share the discount.

Happy, happy, joy, joy! :dance: :dance: :dance:

We're only at the very beginning stages, actual discussions won't start till January and we won't order till April due to weather conditions that some people have in winter :roll:

I am adding you to the list of prospectives...
that would make it a true OrchidBoard project, at least for those of us in the USA.

Thanks Rob :)
Merry Christmas :dance:

Sue. I live in the Chicago area,so needless to say Oak Hill, has my vote. Jim.

Okie-dokie, you're on the list :banana:

I'm very interested to join this project:cheer:
When you know what the orchid is, I could seek it to some Europien vendor. Some mini-catt sounds fine to me?:biggrin:

YAY!!! :banana: :banana: :banana:
Fantastic...we're really broadening our horizons!
Thanks Ludisia, it'll be great fun.
You will be involved in the choice we make as a group, so if mini-catts is what you'd like, it will be discussed once the project starts in January :D

:clap: :clap: :clap:

Me too! Me too!
I'm looking forward to this project -
Sarah in Oregon :biggrin:

:banana: :banana: :banana:
You're in! :D

You know I'm in, but none of that Dendrobium BS. :biggrin:

I think everybody should try to bloom a Paph kokopakingii... Start with a seedling, first one to bloom (or last to die before their plant blooms) wins!!

Tony...would I do that to you? :evil: Nah!
You're on the list!

Rob...very funny man, ya know ;)

I think it would be great to use an OB sponsor :clap:
Count me in .. As long as it is a big Dend. :poke: <---Tony :coverlaugh: Gin

:dance: :dance: :dance: :dance: :dance:

I'm in not as a vendor We are still growing and have limited species but I would love to participate as a grower

Rob would be great for the vendor :clap:, thought about that but was not sure if he had enough to go around, sounds like a great plan to get an OB sponsor and have never been disappointed with Rob's plants and I also have to add it passed the "d*&% it, I dropped my box of orchids test" and it passed with flying colors...:lol:

It's great to see Ludisia joinin' in...:cheer:

:banana: :banana: :banana:
That's great, Christina!
I'll add you to the list :)

You can count me in. How about something like Paphiopedilum venustum. On second thought is there such a thing as a mushroom orchid that will grow in the dark. The sun just doesn't want to shine, (at least on this side of the clouds) here in Atlantic Canada and if it were to, the daylight hours are very short right now.

Sue, good luck keeping track of who signs up in each of the different threads on the go.

My note is actually to say I with Wendy as far as Cloud's Orchids or Orchids in Our Tropics here in Canada.

If I did it in the last project ( :shock: ) , I'm sure I can do it for this one :dance: I might be certifiably nuts by the end but what the heck ;)

I'm adding you to the list and the 2 vendors mentioned are listed too. Once the plant is chosen, we'll see which of those two places has the one we're getting. Whatever the choice is, it's best for everybody in one country to buy from the same vendor, so the quality has a better chance of being the same.

Gonna be fun... :banana:

One of the largest newspapers had funny scoop in the front page yesterday: Sun is shining first time since one month??

Sue, another suggestion for a plant might be Lockhartia or some other such plant known more for it foliage than the bloom but is not a jewel orchid.

Ludisia, sounds like we have the same weather problems but you are even further north so your daylight hours must be very short right now.

I have Lockhartia but I'd be intersted in anything pretty :D You'll see...by the end of this I'll be agreeing to just about anything!!! :coverlaugh:

Keep a little list going for yourself, and when the discussions start, you'll be ready.

I have 2 or 3 on a list already.

Hi. Count me in, especially if we're getting the plants from Clouds. This does sound like fun. And if we are starting this experiment in the spring, I will have a reason for visiting Clouds again.:evil:
P.S. Ironwood: think I saw a couple glimpses of the sun the last couple days. Still suffering sunblindness!:shock:

You're in!!! :cheer:

We haven't even started yet and we already have 16 people interested in joining the project!

Way to go!!! :cheer: :cheer: :cheer: