Hello from Denmark!

[Kim Brown]

Hey, guys/ladies!

I've grown orchids in the windowsill and garden on and off for most of my adult life. Indoors, I've been most successful with Paphiopedilum (and of course Phalaenopsis hybrids), but my great love right now is large-flowered Cattleyas (especially the lavender blue varieties, though I also love pink). This last month, I've ordered 10 or so, and my east facing windowsill now looks like a rainforest. I can't wait for them to flower. I've also tried my hand at Vandas - I absolutely love them, but they inevitably enter a spiral of death for me, so I've given up on those.

I also grow roses and North American pitcher plants.

[CourtneyT]

Your garden looks beautiful! I wish I have a greenhouse like yours!

[Kim Brown]

Thank you so much, Courtney!

Actually, my greenhouse is a bit cluttered right now. I store my potted roses and semi-hardy terrestrial orchids there in the winter months. If I had lots and lots of money, my greenhouse would be larger - and heated!

[estación seca]

Welcome to the Orchid Board!

The plants are very beautiful. How cold does it get in your part of Sweden?

[Kim Brown]

Originally Posted by estación seca

Welcome to the Orchid Board!

The plants are very beautiful. How cold does it get in your part of Sweden?

Thank you.

I think my part of Denmark - Sweden is our neighbor - is around hardiness zone 8a or 8b. This winter, temperatures have dipped as low as minus 10 degrees Celcius / 14 degrees Fahrenheit, but most winter days have stayed above the freezing point. The challenge with certain plants here is not so much low temperature extremes, but more the length of winter and temperatures rising above the freezing point only to fall below freezing several times during the winter months.

[CJ Green]

Welcome! Your collection sounds really nice, and that pitcher plant is cool!

[Kim Brown]

Thanks, CJ Green! The pitcher plants are fun, some grow quite tall, have unusual flowers, and they are of course carnivorous. That said, they are even more demanding in terms of water quality than many orchids. Rain water or demineralised water only. Tap water will burn their roots.

[estación seca]

Originally Posted by Kim Brown

Thank you.

I think my part of Denmark - Sweden is our neighbor - is around hardiness zone 8a or 8b. This winter, temperatures have dipped as low as minus 10 degrees Celcius / 14 degrees Fahrenheit, but most winter days have stayed above the freezing point. The challenge with certain plants here is not so much low temperature extremes, but more the length of winter and temperatures rising above the freezing point only to fall below freezing several times during the winter months.

Sorry. I don't know where that came from.

[Kim Brown]

Originally Posted by estación seca

Sorry. I don't know where that came from.

No need to apologise. We’re a small country, and you’re not the first to lump us together with our neighbor Sweden.

[DeaC]

Lovely fotos and glad you're here.