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Comment by d'marie on February 27, 2010 at 11:38am

Hello all! I am new to both the list and orchids. Plants and gardening, in general, are old familiar friends that i have loved to keep company with since i was very young. I have always had gardens with plants of various genres including herbs, bulbous plants, (tulips, glads, hyacinth, etc.), flowering, succulents, butterfly/bee & moon gardens, roses, and just about anything that will grow.

Orchids, however, have always been the one plant that i never really devoted any time for. I was more a 'wild nature' gardener, and orchids always seemed too prim and proper. They were out of my league, so to speak. I just never thought i could grow these absolutely splendid plants, (& it remains to be seen if i will as yet be successful!! LOL!). However, my eldest son got his first and that was it. He was hooked. Now, he is a VERY gifted young man, and when he sets his sights on something, he is a sponge that has to learn EVERYTHING possible about whatever it is that interests him. He and his partner now have, at last count, nearing 100 BEAUTIFUL plants. He can name everyone, and every one is beautiful. He lives on the other side of the country as me, (i am in north Florida, and he is in California), so on my husband's and my recent visit, i came home with 2 babies from 2 of his plants. As i don't want to kill them, i thought that i should probably hook up with some knowledgeable folks and see what i can learn so i can take care of these two and 4 others i have, (and yes, i am trying to get him over here too!).

Now i don't know all the scientific names, (YET!!), so i can't tell you what they would be called other than the names given for amateurs like myself. So, i have a 'Dragon Tears', (which had two very long stalks that were teeming with beautiful little flowers that have all gone now, as well as one of the stalks, however one stalk still remains green and long), a 'Dark Star', (which also had blooms, but have dropped the flowers, and now is struggling, but still hanging in there, with new growth popping up, and a wee little one with tiny whitish blooms, with an amazing scent. This one has also dropped its blooms, and it is now two wee shoots, both green, but only one with two little leaves. These three i have had since late October. For these i would like to know what conditions they need to be potted? They are all in the moss, with the 'Dragon Tears' & little guy are in a wooden, hanging orchid basket, though they aren't hanging. The 'Dark Star' is in a clay pot. My son has all his orchids repotted into plastic pots using bark as a potting medium in place of the moss. I have two newer orchids which are doing great, they are still blooming, with new growth. They are in the original moss and plastic pots they came in. One is a 'Harlequin' and i don't know the name of the other but it has gorgeous buttery yellow blooms. The 2 babies that i brought home from California are strong and healthy and sitting in their traveling medium, which my son prepared them for the trip. He wrapped their roots in moss that had been soaked in water. Then wrapped them in Saran Wrap, and put them in baggies. I didn't want to pot them until i knew how to do it correctly and since they are doing fine have left them.

I also see that some of you leave yours outside during warmer months, and this may be a silly question, but what are the rules/care instructions for doing this? I do have a little 'nook' right before you come in the front door where i keep several plants year round, so i could put them there, but want to know how to care for them while outside so i don't lose them.

I will post pictures in a bit, but would appreciate any advice. Thanks and i am sorry this is so long. All the orchids i have seen here are gorgeous. I wish i could get an orchidarium, but it's not possible at the moment.

Thank you for having me, and i hope to learn much here!!!

Comment by Carolyn S. Bolton on February 26, 2010 at 7:12pm

Success! Finally got a pix of me with my grandson. Had to change the file extension. Just wouldn't take the .jpg

Comment by Carolyn S. Bolton on February 26, 2010 at 3:57pm

It is one of the Lorey's at Busch Gardens in florida. I went there with my sister a few years ago.

Comment by Carolyn S. Bolton on February 26, 2010 at 2:06pm

YOur orchids look lovely..btw

Comment by Carolyn S. Bolton on February 26, 2010 at 1:57pm

That worked for adding a pix instead of a comment but I wanted it to the area to the left of the comment where the garden is showing now.

Comment by Carolyn S. Bolton on February 26, 2010 at 1:56pm

Comment by Carolyn S. Bolton on February 26, 2010 at 9:54am

I am trying to upload a photo to appear here on the forum but everytime I try I get a message that it has to be one of the picture file extensions. It is already a .jpg file but won't let me do it on that page. I can upload it when I use the quick add format but it doesn't help here. Any suggestions?

Comment by Carolyn S. Bolton on February 26, 2010 at 9:33am

I grow strictly for pleasure. My goal in 1983 when I started growing orchids was to be able to have an orchid in bloom all year long. I have accomplished this with the addition 2 years ago of the 1000 watt HID light. I, too, started on window sills then went to florescents then the 400 watt HID and finally the 1000 watt. To say the least the light company loves me! I do get inamoured (sp?) of different groups of orchids and have some I have never bloomed! I am challenged by the bulbophyllums and have a dozen or more of them. Occcationally I sell some but they are often divisions of plants I have. I am currently the First VP of our local orchid society and will probably be the Pres for the next 2 years. A local orchid club is a great way to learn about growing this wonderful Family of plants.

Comment by Carolyn S. Bolton on February 26, 2010 at 6:52am

The pansy orchid is actually a Miltoniopsis and is a wonderfully fragrant orchid. I have about 400 orchids that I have in my basement in the winter under assorted lights, 1000 watt HID, 400 watt HID, and a 3 tiered flouresent cart. I summer the plants outside. I put in an orchid exhibit at our annual show and the picture I uploaded to this site is of one of my exhibits. Even with all the plants I have I still don't have enough plants for an exhibit so I borrow flowering plants for it.

Comment by Susan Nichols on February 26, 2010 at 5:14am

I have two of these marvels in the classroom that have had blooms since before Christmas! I don't know how I do it really. I leave them on the porch all summer. Then, when I bring everything to school in the fall thay all start blooming! My theory is that the drastic change causes them to think they are dying so they bloom to help preserve the species. LOL

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