Welcome, Maia!

Okay, guess it's my turn.

Diana Kulaga, Port St. Lucie, Florida. Um, I'm a gal, according to my ever
patient husband. We have 250-300 orchids and grow outside around and near
the pool, under screening. We have lots of Cattleyas, many Dendrobiums and a
load of Vandaceous plants. Oncidium intergenerics and plenty of odds and
ends hang out with us, and we grow a bunch of Phals on the patio under
cover. We outgrew the pool area a few years ago and added a 12 x 18
extension to the original screen cage.

I'm 62 and vice president of the local orchid society. We've been collecting
since we bought our first 2 orchids (2 no-tag Dends - who knew??) in late
1999. We try to sell divisions at society meetings and auctions, in order to
make room for new ones and the annual Redland orgy plants.

I can think of two accomplishments. The first is that I don't have 1,000
orchids! I call that will power! The second is that my husband, Frank, no
longer denies that he grows orchids. That stopped when he said he would
"specialize in Vandas", which then became "specializing in Phals", LOL.

As for miscellaneous stuff, no one is more surprised than am I by the fact
that orchids are now a passion for me. I never would have predicted that.
Before moving to FL from CT, I wrote seminar material and did motivational
speaking gigs. I started a novel prior to moving, but it has taken a back
seat to my primary addiction. One day, I'll get it done, though the theme
has changed to include - you guessed it - orchids!

DK