I know there's more than six orchid growers in Florida!!! Can you see my little seed pod on my Laelia anceps x Laelia aluminata. It's right there under the grapefruit tree. If some of you are excited about looking at houses in Google earth, you might also find Zillow interesting Barb

If the smaller orchid nurseries in Australia were to form a consortium or a loose association that united in producing advertising in the publications of local Australian orchid societies or in promotional efforts at local meeetings where the real interest in orchids can be found then that could be a direct challenge to this larger grower. If you are vying for competition in the flower market then that is a horse of a different color though small growers can pool their crops with united sales programs but overhead of such may prove just too much to be worth the effort. In the USA this phenomenon is occurring throughout the agriculture industry as the costs of running a family farm skyrockets and corporate ventures move in and simply out compete them. It is a market economy and the politics of that market really dictate the reality of survival.

Oh my gosh, Denise, those are some real beauties!!! You are definitely doing something right! My orchids are soooo neglected, you put me to shame. Have not repotted anything in 4 years, truly. Shameful. Have not fertilized in a couple or three months, and barely water once weekly, even in this awful, awful heat. Shame on me. Despite me, my orchids are mostly surviving, not thriving. I have been busy with life, and what little time I have, I have been spending it in the veggie garden, or trying to get the yard under control. In better times (when I used to repot on occassion), I used combinations of medium charcoal chunks, tree fern fiber, and then I'd throw in stuff like coconut chips and aerolite. I would just mix it together in a large plastic storage container. Stuff that I thought might need a bit more moisture I might put a little canadian peat moss. Really no set formula. The main thing I would avoid is bark, as that rots and makes repotting necessary every couple of years if you want the plant to survive at all. I am too lazy for fir bark. As a matter of fact, that's why my orchids have survived so many years of no repotting. There is mostly charcoal and tree fern fiber in all the pots. A few might have coconut chips. I used to get the stuff from my local nursery, or if I needed a lot, from OFE (are they still around?). Michael, I too find catts to be the toughest of the orchids. They tolerate more cold and more light variation than any of the others. I have all of mine in pots, but they are in a covered (some kind of lexan-type stuff) screened house. Last year we got down to 33-34 several times in winter and I never brought them inside. They survived. Some of my phals really suffered (I am sooo bad), and have not fully recovered. Obviously, I would not recommend this, but it probably won't change this winter either (sooo bad). My MIL is a snowbird and hangs the few phals I've given her in their pots, under a ligustrum standard 6 months of the year and they bloom for her every year. Not great, great, but they do bloom enough to suit her. Keep in mind you are in 9a, and I am borderline 10a, so you will probably be carting them in several times a winter. My advice is to not get too many to make this a big job. Phals are much more sensitive to cold than catts. Phals also need more regular watering to do well. If you attach your plants to driftwood, you will probably need to water quite a bit more. All things to consider. Anna

I recently selected and got a tower tree at Excalibur; and I thought when driving around there I did see a few larger P. rupicola in 65 or 100 gal containers. Geiger Tree is getting mroe common at larger nurseries and also Excalibur has them and HK ORchids, not sure what size,I say 7 or 15 gal size. Good luck wrestling others for Cassia trees. It's very difficult to locate C. fistula, leptophylla, grandis, etc in all of SE FLorida as they are soooo in demand and with hurricane damage, stock is limited or non-extant. If you want a tab--I'm assuming you're looking for T. caraiba as compared to chrysotricha? Many of those are field-grown. I'd honestly just drive around to nurseies one day and stop. YOu can be shocked at some of the things you'll come across in seemingly run-of-the-mill nurseries, and in your case, ones that will sell directly to you retail. In Loxahatchee off the "LETTER ROADS" you'll find wholesalers that'll sell to you. Plant Factory, Vila and Sons, and they'll refer you to their nursery neighbors if they don't have what you want. Also, off of Atlantic Ave in Delray Beach, turn south on One Mile Rd (is it?), which is the only "T" stoplight between the Turnpike and 441. All kinds of places in and out and off that main paved road are places. I've seen the most Tabebuia impetiginosa in 7 gal pots I've ever seen in Palm Beach County there recently. Tree Ferns...well, Excelsa in Loxahatchee has em, but I don't think they'll do random retail to you.