My Orchid addiction started.........

[Jef09071984]

Hi All,

Can you please share us a little story, info or idea why you have been in this kind of hobby?
It is always interesting to know others story...(Gossip hahaha!)



My story was when i was little boy, 6 or 7 years old perhaps... my Grandmother used to call me in planting her orchids specially hanging up the pots in branches. Then I started this thing... to have my own plants. Picking some keikis in Grandmas garden and planting it in front of our house. Majority if it died since I dont have much idea with watering, light and correct medium.

[cdayinflorida]

Both my grandmother, aunt and great grandmother all grew orchids. My great grandfather owned a cigar box factory here in Tampa. He imported mahogany. He would buy a bunch of orchids for his girls and bring them in with the shipment of wood. I'm the only one in the family that took up where they left off.

[zainal abidin]

None of my parents love orchids when I was at the age of 4 to 6 years old I was in Singapore my neighbor grew orchids and those orchids were so beautiful I dont know what they are all pink purple color, they influenced me without I realized it.Hehe

[Kmac]

My dad was born in Mexico, and immigrated here at age 11. Our home in Dallas had a large window area where he grew Mexican orchids...my older siblings recall them; I don't (his collection had been wiped out by then, and he never owned another orchid). But, I always heard how gorgeous they were, and in my mind they were very desirable, exotic, and probably too cranky for me...but they stayed in my mind.

Eventually as an adult I acquired a couple of orchids, most notably Eplc Don Herman 'Gold Rush'...which insisted on blooming despite appalling care. Gradually a few more joined Don.

Several years ago, I acquired a few more while visiting in Colorado, when a friend took me to her favorite orchid greenhouse. I hand-carried orchids back on the plane. Mtssa Royal Robe 'Jerry's Pick' thrived, but the rest kinda limped along. About a year and a half ago, I got tired of my orchids looking so shabby, and began to study up on orchids, and just became fascinated with their history, the many types, their stories. Joined this forum & my local OS, and before you know it, I went from about 10 to well over a hundred. Yikes!

[Cjcorner]

My husband let me tag along on one of his trips to a big box hardware store and I ended up coming home with a phal. When it still had flowers weeks later I decided it was time to find out about this plant.

[angela]

Had no interest in Orchids, just liked gardening and collecting ornamental plants. My brother, who had recently started to collect orchids, gave me Dendrobium for my birthday. After the B'dy celebrations I just hung it from a tree in the garden and left it there. The thing just refused to give up, and kept on sending spike after spike so I started to lke it and gave it a little more care.
Sadly ,my brother passed away in 2000. I got some of his modest collection and have since gone on to collecting over 200 plants of various species.

[Naoki]

About 12 years ago, one of my friends bought a Condo and she asked for an orchid for her house warming gift. I knew nothing about it, nor where I could even find it. At that time, there was an orchid store locally. As I walked into the store, I was so facinated with the flowers. Phals, Dens, Oncidiums, etc. Not only did I get a gift for her, but also I ended up bringing one for myself. As I walked into the store second time, the store owner shared when they get a new shipment every week with me. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

That's how it all started.

[paphioboy]

My name is paphioboy and I am an orchid addict. It all started from a trip to the local Sunday morning market when I was about 11 or 12. I was amazed by the hanging cattleyas, strap-leaved vandas, phals and dends one of the sellers had. Needless to say, I have been buying from him for more than 10 years now and I'm glad to be an addict..

[mysbhvn]

We had been visiting some friends in Oklahoma a few years back. They took us to the place they got married called the "Crystal Gardens". It is a beautiful place full of orchids and butterflies. After seeing all those beautiful orchids I thought I would like to try and grow one. I didn't want to spend a bunch of money in case I wasn't successful. I ended up purchasing one thru an online auction. A catt by the name of 'First Love'. I had no idea what I should be buying so I just went for what I thought was pretty!

When the box showed up on my front porch with "Live Plant" written all over it I was in a panic. I had found out a few days before that a supervisor friend of mine at work had been growing orchids since the 70's. He knew I was awaiting the arrival of my first orchid. I called him at work, freaking out, just sure the plant was going to die if I didn't get it out of that box!! After he quit laughing at me he very kindly explained what I should do next. The plant survived and I was hooked!

[otis226]

My grandmother always had orchids hanging from her citrus trees down in Coral Gables when I was growing up and I always enjoyed watching her tend them on our visits. They were mostly Catts., I believe, but I never forgot how beautiful they were as well as the amazing roots and how differently they grew from other plants I was used to. I tried my hand a one Catt. when I was in my early 20's. A beautiful white hybrid with huge blooms, (typical corsage orchid for that time). Which I did manage to rebloom for several yrs. Jump ahead about 40 yrs. and I never forgot my fascination with those amazing plants of grannny's. Now, retired and living in North central FL, I'm happily trying to grow various Catts, vandaceous, dends. and a few Oncidium and Phals. A big box Phal last year, has turned into about 80 plants, in that short time. (Mostly young plants and seedlings).
Tony