Return from the past
 

Hi all -
My wife and I first got into Orchids back in 1966. I had a job at the University of Florida. One of my co-workers was John Beckner, an AOS judge. He got us interested in Orchids and we accumulated a small collection before the job ended the next year. We since moved to WV. As soon as we could afford it, we purchased a small (14x14') greenhouse from Turner greenhouses. It was covered with polyethylene plastic (all we could afford) and proved to be a pain. The plastic always needed replacing at the worst possible times. We eventually replaced the plastic with fiberglass and that was much better. Then we had a series of very bad winters. The humidity in the greenhouse condensed and froze - sometimes over an inch thick - on the inside. When it melted, it dripped on the Orchids - they didn't like that a bit. In the late 1970's we finally sold our collection and the greenhouse. We did keep one plant - Potinara Dorothy Adair - it has been in the same pot for over 43 years !! It summers outdoors and spends the winters in a sunny window inside. It used to bloom regularly around Thanksgiving time. I guess it has been getting better treatment lately and has bloomed 2-3 times a year.

We had been growing Daylilies for 9 years, but health issues make carring for them difficult. A couple years ago, we started a new Orchid collection which now numbers around 30 plants. We have managed to get them to rebloom which is encouraging.

I am a retired College Professor (Biology). My wife has been a home-maker (do they ever get to retire??)

Looking forward to chatting...

Carl

Hello Carl and welcome to the forum! I would love to see a photo of the Potinara that has been residing in the same pot for 43 years! What else are you growing in your new collection?

BTW - we wives NEVER get to retire....nor do we want to. ;)

Back from the past
 

Hi Marci -
Thanks for the welcome ! I will try to see if I can get an image of the Potinara and figure out how to send it. It has B. digbyana in its parentage and definitely shows that lip. The basic color is pink with some greenish yellow in the lip. Very fragrant at times.

Carl

sounds lovely! And welcome!

Your Potinara sounds gorgeous. Pink and green combos are my favorite and digbyana 'lips' are hot! LOL Posting pics here is easy. I post straight from my computer. Just find the PICTURES topic, click on NEW THREAD, then fill in the message box , click on the paperclip and go from there. Good luck!

Welcome Carl! Looking forward to photos.

welcome "back"
 

"Welcome back", Carl. Nice that you were able to keep one plant. But great that your back growing orchids. For me, it's been an obsession since I was 7 years old (I'm 50 years old now). What's nuts is that it is an obsession. Enjoy your orchids and welcome to the AOS Forum. Are you a member of the AOS? If not, if you ever have questions, I'm always available to answer them.

dave

Carl, welcome to (back to ) orchids. I remember you and Sherry from daylilies. We, too, have backed away from the hot, mid-summer daylily work and now have about 2500 orchids. Nice to have you here. Glad you guys are doing OK. You can continue going to the Carolina breakfast meeting because Tom Nasser has always been a part of that.

Hi - I replied to this before, but am still learning about this site - not sure if it came through. Are you, by chance, Jim Lurton? If so, good to be in touch. If not, who are you? You mentioned Tom Nassar - yes, we know him from the Breakfast Club and have visited his greenhouses a couple times - nice set-ups.

Carl

OMG I've been outed!! That's OK Carl I think I was pretty well known anyway. Nice to have you here. Yes, we have converted 100% to orchids with a pretty fabulous 30 x 36 foot Conley polycarbonate GH. I knew Tom was a part of the Breakfast Club group that was mostly daylily oriented.

Welcome to both of you. How are Sherry's knees these days.