Diana,

Orchid boarding is for a completely different social class/demographic.

The people who board orchids are well-off to insanely rich. Time is their
most important commodity. They just want pretty flowers at all times and
aren't as interested in the horticultural aspects of having orchids. And
even if they are interested in the horticulture, they don't have enough time
in their busy busy days to even think about it.

I'm friends with another big boarding grower, one not mentioned in the
article, and what Mary Nisbett from California Orchids said is absolutely
true - the plants come back from their blooming time at home looking
horrible. And the "amateur" growers who *think* they know how to grow
orchids frequently kill the plant in the short 4-5 weeks it's at their house
through overwatering. The worst clients are the rude idiots who treat their
boarding company like any other servant to be ordered around. Said friend
won't tolerate those clients and drops them like a hot potato if they become
verbally abusive.

As with all endeavours there are the good people who know how to take care
of their orchids and are interested in building a real collection but just
don't have the space for a greenhouse themselves and/or the time to maintain
it. Obviously those customers are valued the most as they are actively
engaged in the hobby and don't treat their boarding service like a common
servant.

Mary Nisbett at California Orchids is one of the nicest orchid people you
will ever meet. She keeps a low profile - her nursery is almost impossible
to find up in Bolinas, a town on the coast in Marin County with a reputation
for wanting to be hard to find. And she can grow plants like there is no
tomorrow. She's only open for retail sales twice a year during Open House.
Those sales are anxiously awaited and well-attended. And her displays at the
Pacific Orchid Exposition are top notch.

-Eric in SF
www.orchidphotos.org

"Diana Kulaga" wrote in message
. ..
I think I'd miss the excitement of finding that sheath or spike on my own,
poking around the plants. I wouldn't miss the bug treatments, however!

And the repotting - we all moan about it, but doing it ourselves gives us
the opportunity to decide whether to divide, save a back bulb, etc.

Just my 2 cents.....

Diana