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More growing area, just in time -- for what?

15 years ago

Had a win win situation this week. In laws from Guatemala spent a week with me. After their kids dragged them to the Getty museum, Sea world, Disney Land and God knows where else, the exhausted couple decided to spend the weekend at home with me before moving on to other adventures.

The guy is an excellent carpenter and has been eying an old pile of 2' x 4's left over from the last effort. "Let's drive some nails" he requested. So Sat and Sun saw the creation of 200 additional square feet of benches and lath house.

I don't need any more growing area since I keep proclaiming I have too many orchids. But how can you deny a request like that? The area involved had nothing on it except maybe some grass and flowers and stuff like that so no loss what so ever, I certainly did not want to hurt his feelings. No doubt the new space will fill up with orchids by some miraculous way I don't fully comprehend.

Can anyone think of a reason why I should not have done this?

Nick

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Comments (5)

mrbreeze
15 years ago
Splinters!

You're lucky to be alive.
richardol
15 years ago
{{gwi:161385}}I could send you a piece of Oncidium sphacelatum. That will use up a decent part of the space in a couple of years.

This is mine out by the front door as one of my container plants. It is about 1/3 of the original plant. It has three spikes still growing. It will put on a good show in a month or so.

For me, winter is the problem. It is so big that it shades a lot of plants and adds significantly to the duck and weave necessary to walk through the greenhouse.

I think it would do well for you.
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whitecat8
15 years ago
(Caveat - I've still got more orchids than I enjoy, so I may be putting myself in your shoes a bit too much.)

So, it was *either* an orchid structure *or* relative's hurt feelings? Sounds suspicious...

Did you want 200' sq. more? How many 5" pots is that?

Synapse! Move your orchids into the new place, then tear down the old place and plant grass and perennials. Or make a storage shed out of it - something that doesn't admit light. :)

If you truly have more orchids than you're happy with now, maybe you could sleep on it for a few nights before making permanent decisions to expand the collection.

Whitecat8
orchidnick
Original Author
15 years ago
I'm only giving lip service to the addiction. I would not part with any of them and will never say 'No' to new arrivals. I have a number of huge specimens, numerous large D speciosums and a very large Onc spacelatum as was previously mentioned. The largest is a D speciosum grandiflorum that now exceeds 6' horizontal spread. So the first order of business will be to spread the excisting ones out and give them more light.

I'm also into growing up seedlings (clones but small, 2 years out of flask). Have about 700 of them in small pots which will need more space. Once they bloom, many will end up on our raffle table or on the silent auction. I may sell some on Sat mornings when our street is thronged with Garage sale bargain hunters.

Grass with perennials is what was there before. That's like suggesting healthy spinach and broccoli to someone sitting in a # 1 sushi bar!

Not loosing any sleep over it, just amused how this thing grows like a benevolent tumor. Love every minute of it.

Nick
whitecat8
15 years ago
See, you've got it all figured out. And if it turns out to be too much, you'll change something. What could be better?? WC8

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