Sharon's Orchid Page

SHARON'S ORCHID OBSESSION PAGE

I started my landslide into orchids with some Orchids that I started acquiring 4 years ago. Luckily, when we moved up here to Washington, I was able to keep them alive in the U-Haul truck. We took them out each evening, in 3 HUGE boxes, and put them in the room with us. After we got here, we had no where to put them, living in a 10x24 ft home. A friend kept them for almost a year, but she had them in an upstairs loft, and had wood heat. They took a lot of heat and not enough water, so I lost about half of them. That was actually ok, since I would not have room for all of them as it has turned out. They are now all quite happy in a greenhouse bay window and a sun room we built on the south face of our cabin.

Originally, I bought a Dendrobium (unknownium- meaning no name tag on it) from a local hardware store. Bad move, they are more addicting than ANY drug known on the face of the earth. It flowered, then lost every single leaf. I thought it was dead, so I got a book on orchids. The book said "No, it is not dead, it is resting". So rather than having a requiem, I kept watering it and then quit watering it the next winter, like the book said. Voila, it sprouted a new cane this year. I bought a couple more Dendrobiums, a Phalaenopsis, and a Cymbidium unknowniums at the same store. The Cym immediately dropped all its' flowers, it is too HOT to grow under my conditions. This winter it is on the porch keeping "cool". Then one spring, they got knocked out of the window by the blind, onto the floor, and broke off the flower spikes on the Phal and one of the Dends. SOB... Oh well. I bought more to console myself. By now, I had gotten into a local Orchid society, and bought another type of Dendrobium, one of the Nobiles, "White Christmas 'Maiko'". I also bought a Laelia Cattleya, "Prism Pallete 'Christmas Candy'" in bloom, smelling and looking incredible! Also, my first bare root plant, from South America, an Oncidium Lanceanum.

About this time, May, I had seen folks talking on the Orchid List Digest about putting their orchids outside. I thought I would try it, with the Dendrobiums. They took off and really did very well outside on a south porch. We have lots of big oak trees, so they got some mottled shade too. They put on a lot of growth and got all the rain water they could. I have since found out that the LaeliaCats and Cats would have liked to go out too, and the Onc. Lanceanum would probably like it in the shade there too. I will try putting them outside with the Dends next year.

Well, when we had the wedding at the house, we had to have some in bloom, so we went to the Dallas Home show, which had a huge sale by the orchid society, Greater North Texas Orchid Society. I bought a miniture purple Dendrobium, "Lim Chong min", and a Brassolaeliocattaleya (BLC) Bryce Canyon 'Splendiferous' x BLC "Champagne Ball 'Pizzaz'". (Sounds like a better pedigree than mine!!) On the honeymoon, I got brave and bought a flask of Phal "Makie Watanabe" (Romance Miki x Otchime) seedlings. I finally unflasked them, some did ok for a while, but I am down to ONE lonely survivor, doing well.

The web has lots of orchid sites, check them out below. It also puts you in touch with lots of the growers. One of them had a nice sale, so for Christmas (early??) for myself, I ordered a "bunch". Here is the list for orchid fanatics:

BLC Ronald Hauserman 'Carl' AM/AOS

LC Orange passion 'Kosaki'

Dend Orchidwood x Dend Williamsianum

Dend Bella Marcee

Cat Chocolate Drop 'Kodamda'

Dend Lisianthera

Cat Amethysoglossa var Coerulea

Cat Aclandiae 'Diane' x sibling

BLC Herons Ghyill 'Nigrascens' AM/AOS

Epidendrum diffusium x sibling

Laelia Purpurea var. Violet Blue 'Crente' x L.P. var. Ardosia 'Becker'

L.P. var Striata 'Millioneria' x L.P. var. atropurpurea 'Doesente'

L.P. var Russeliana 'Gracicata' x L.P. Russeliana 'Delicata'

L.P. var Analata 'Adams 1' x L.P. var Ardosia 'Select'

L.P. var Striata 'Millionaria' x L.P. var Striata 'Princesinha'

Dend Smilliae

Encyclia Lancifola x sibling

(Please forgive spelling and typing errors)
Some of these plants got eaten by the killer squirrel from orchid Hell... during the summer of 1997 when I put all the plants outside. But the rest are all doing well, the Laelias are trying to take over the growing table these days!
Here are some photos of some of my orchids, including one I got as an Oncidium that was not... but incredibly lovely anyway.
AND NOW!!! THE ONCIDIUM LANCEANUM WAS IN BLOOM!! CHECK THE PHOTOS!! WOW!!!!!!
Then at the Shreveport, LA show in December 1998, I found a miniture Cataleya: CTNA "For Naught" by Gold Coast Orchids. Allen gave a great slide show that I learned a lot from. They bred this from: CNN "Why Not" X C. Forbesii.
A lady on the Orchid list digest was selling some of her plants, and had one that sounded like something I would really like, and should grow well for me. It was a Brassovol nodosa crossed with a Cattleya Amethystoglossa. It should be fragrant, purple and small in stature, all of which I really like. It shows evidence of prior blooms, so we shall see.
The Phal unknowninum that fell out of the window, breaking the flower spike, is IN SPIKE now! I was so amazed to see a spike coming off the broken one. It is about 5 inches long after about 3 weeks. The new Mini Cat has put up a spike too, and I don't know when that will bloom.
I have learned a little, and am learning more and more daily, through the help of some great folks on the web and near my home. They have answered my silly questions and unusual wonderings. I have killed only one plant so far, a miltonia that got too hot. I am hoping that with more time, more knowledge and more teaching by some of the most wonderful folks, I can learn enough to get my plants to bloom, and bloom again. There are so many variables with each different kind of orchid; temperature, humidity, light conditions, air circulation, diseases, and watering and pot medium, just to name a few of the more important ones. I am rising to the challenge, as I think the reward of a beautiful, blooming wonder is something I want, and can attain.
I finally joined the American Orchid Society, when my great husband bought me a membership for Christmas. They have incredible resources, a huge book list, and a wonderful publication periodical.
Orchids are not cheap, but nor is anthing of value. The books on orchids are not in the bargain bin either... I have paid up to $75.00 per book and have found one I want for only $149.00. Oh well, the plants are worth it. Is that not the definition of "Obsession"?
Ah, but what a glorious obsession!!!

Since I hate to look up new sites, here are some of my orchid bookmarks.

Send me some e-mail !

Thanks for dropping by.

Many thanks for the wonderful graphics by: