On Sat, 8 Jul 2006 13:13:08 -0400, "Ray"
wrote:

Joe,

I've been growing for over 35 years, and the "philosophy" behind my
collection has varied all over the map.

My advice is to thoroughly analyze your easy-to-provide conditions and focus
on anything that will fit that. As your collection grows, you may find
plants you just generally prefer, so you can specialize a bit.


Joe -
It is like picking your better half -- G You meet them and you like
them and you can get along. So you choose them. The only thing about
plants is that you can stretch your budget, likes, and change you mind
more easily.

The longer you grow the more you try to avoid the 'impulse' buy.

When I started, I grew every back-bulb and division my mentor would
share. That was 50 Hausermann Catts one weekend from a repotting
session. I also shopped every gh in range - (we were in Chicago at
the time and the OS would sponsor open house trips to various gh
complexes.) Anyone remember Black River in MI along the lake? We
bought in bloom at the gh tours so we knew what we were getting and
when it should bloom again. We had Catts, Paphs, and a few Epi/Enc
and Den.

Lost most of it to a bad thermostat and freezing weather.
Now I grow Ascda and Bulbos, John grows Paphs and Phrags. We also
have a few Dens, Enc, crosses ( who can avoid Sharry Baby?) and Cym.
I love Wendy's BIG Cym. I have to make do with the summer cym and the
miniatures that are not cold dependent.




SuE
http://orchids.legolas.org/gallery/orchids