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Ray Barkalow

Male, 52, married 30 years this coming July, 2 kids - one due to graduate
from college this Spring, the other from high school (so I can avoid missing
a semester of tuition payments).

Have grown orchids for almost 35 years, in every condition from windowsills
to lights to greenhouses.

Most significant orchid accomplishment? Most would say development and
introduction of semi-hydroponics, but I would say "not committing suicide
after losing a 20-year collection to a heater failure..."

I grow anything that doesn't die under my "care."

--

Ray Barkalow - First Rays Orchids - www.firstrays.com
Plants, Supplies, Books, Artwork, and Lots of Free Info!
..

Hi all.

My name is Dave, male, 37, married 4 years, a winemaker originally from
Toronto but now living in Northern California.

I have grown orchids for 6 years, mostly under lights and in windows
until last month when I got a greenhouse. There are still about 100
Paphs under lights. I have about 300 plants in total, and most are in
semi-hydroponics.

My biggest orchid accomplishment is (will be) my first flasks of Phal
seedlings from a cross I made last year that are due to be released
from the lab any time now.

I grow a wide range of orchids, but I am focusing on species these
days.

Dave

Kenni Judd, co-owner [with husband Mike Baum] of Juno Beach Orchids.
Female, just turned 46 last week. I started growing, on a hobby basis, in
1992

Orchids are a second career for both of us -- I was a lawyer and Mike was a
cabinet-maker/finish carpenter. We decided to make the change in '96, built
the nursery in '97, and hung our first plants in the new shadehouse on
Groundhog's Day 1998. So far, we have managed to survive the economic
disaster resulting from 9/11 in '02 and the hurricane disaster(s) of 9/04
.... but we could get our repairs done a lot faster if y'all would place some
big orders G.

We grow whatever will grow well and easily for us under mostly natural So.
Fla. weather conditions -- no cool-growers, few intermediates, nothing that
requires "fussing over." So we have Catts, Dens, a smattering of Oncids
[only those with sufficient heat tolerance to live here], a nice selection
of Vandaceous, and some Phals.

I really can't identify a single "greatest orchid achievement." We are
very proud of our 2 AOS awards to date, HCCs on both Smbcna. Garnet Glory
'Juno Beach' and Van. [Rhv.] Ocean Storm 'Juno Beach' as well as the 3 Best
in Show trophies our Blc. Golden Tang 'Juno Beach' has collected, but there
are many other moments over the last nearly 15 years which certainly
compete -- the first time we bloomed a plant grown from flask; our first
successful hybridizing [a re-make of Epi. Orchid Jungle which I hope to have
available in compot this coming spring] ... and I look forward to more
"firsts" to come.

I sympathize with Ray over his heater failure. Back in the hobby days, when
I only had 1000 or so plants, I went to bed on a weather forecast predicting
a low of 49F -- no problem, my plants were hardened, they could take that.
When I woke up the next am, it was 37F on the porch and of course much
colder out in the yard. Only about two dozen plants were a total loss, but
many more were set back severely, required lots of nursing, and didn't bloom
on schedule for the next 3 years. So when our gas tank for the heateres
here at the nursery floated after Hurricane Jeanne, I was seriously sweating
it. Fortunately, we got it re-connected the day before we had to use it ...
--
Kenni Judd
Juno Beach Orchids
http://www.jborchids.com

"Ray" wrote in message
...
Ray Barkalow

Male, 52, married 30 years this coming July, 2 kids - one due to graduate
from college this Spring, the other from high school (so I can avoid
missing
a semester of tuition payments).

Have grown orchids for almost 35 years, in every condition from
windowsills
to lights to greenhouses.

Most significant orchid accomplishment? Most would say development and
introduction of semi-hydroponics, but I would say "not committing suicide
after losing a 20-year collection to a heater failure..."

I grow anything that doesn't die under my "care."

--

Ray Barkalow - First Rays Orchids - www.firstrays.com
Plants, Supplies, Books, Artwork, and Lots of Free Info!
.

Hi, my name obviously is Nancy. I am retired military and rapidly
approaching the big 50. I've posted here a few times with questions.
I bought my first orchid in 1997 at an orchid show in Huntsville, AL.
The show had a big banner and I stopped out of curiousity. Funny, I
bought a paph seedling that lived for a few years, just long enough to
give me the orchid bug.

Fortunately or not, Huntsville had a reasonably decent orchid society.
I bought some divisions and seedlings, and won a few of the ticket
drawings at the meetings. The meetings were lively and interesting,
show and tell was challenging, and the shows were an inspiration.
After moving to Missouri, I've missed my "support group".

Most of the orchids I have were on the cheap (rescued from retailers,
thrift stores, seedlings, back bulb divisions, and grab bag assortments
from online venders). Sounds tacky here and now, but until '02, I was
never sure when I'd have to pack my duffle and abandon everything
(again) for another overseas asssignment.

Having orchids and tropicals has turned into the $10,000 dog I had. He
wasn't valuable but he did that much damage. Last year I added a grow
room to the house, in the spring when I started transplanting, the new
pots and medium cost nearly as much as my expenditures for the orchids.
I am trying some S/H and CHC in clear pots.

It is always exciting when any of my orchids bloom. I've had no luck
so far with a Den. loddigessii, but am trying a cooler and dryer rest.
That's my chief aim now, get that rascal to bloom. The vanda's I
bought bare root for $5 finally bloomed after 5 years, of course they
were small and I have high hopes. Now if I can only keep the ants away
from the rubber trees.

Best wishes, and happy holidays

Nancy

Missouri Central Missouri Orchid Society
(2nd Sunday, monthly, 3:00 pm, except July and August)
Barbara Giles
4028 Grace Ellen Dr.
Columbia, MO 65202
USA
Tel: 573-474-9337

Web:http://cmos.missouri.org

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Orchid Society of Greater St. Louis
(2nd Friday, monthly, 7:30 p.m.)
Alwin O.Mertz
1328 Barnsbach Rd.
St. Louis, MO 63131
USA
Tel: 314-966-6353

Web:www.geocities.com/osogsl

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Southwest Missouri Orchid Society
(4th Sat., mon., 3:00 pm (winter),4th Thurs.,mon,7 pm(summer))
Brandy Nichols
2265 So. Catalina Ave.
Springfield, MO 65804
USA
Tel: 417-883-1756

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Springfield Orchid Society
(3rd Tuesday, monthly, 7:00 p.m.)
Mary M. McGovern
1320 W. Normal, #C
Springfield, MO 65807
USA
Tel: 417-862-2873

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Nancy G." wrote in message
oups.com...
Hi, my name obviously is Nancy. I am retired military and rapidly
approaching the big 50. I've posted here a few times with questions.
I bought my first orchid in 1997 at an orchid show in Huntsville, AL.
The show had a big banner and I stopped out of curiousity. Funny, I
bought a paph seedling that lived for a few years, just long enough to
give me the orchid bug.

Fortunately or not, Huntsville had a reasonably decent orchid society.
I bought some divisions and seedlings, and won a few of the ticket
drawings at the meetings. The meetings were lively and interesting,
show and tell was challenging, and the shows were an inspiration.
After moving to Missouri, I've missed my "support group".

Most of the orchids I have were on the cheap (rescued from retailers,
thrift stores, seedlings, back bulb divisions, and grab bag assortments
from online venders). Sounds tacky here and now, but until '02, I was
never sure when I'd have to pack my duffle and abandon everything
(again) for another overseas asssignment.

Having orchids and tropicals has turned into the $10,000 dog I had. He
wasn't valuable but he did that much damage. Last year I added a grow
room to the house, in the spring when I started transplanting, the new
pots and medium cost nearly as much as my expenditures for the orchids.
I am trying some S/H and CHC in clear pots.

It is always exciting when any of my orchids bloom. I've had no luck
so far with a Den. loddigessii, but am trying a cooler and dryer rest.
That's my chief aim now, get that rascal to bloom. The vanda's I
bought bare root for $5 finally bloomed after 5 years, of course they
were small and I have high hopes. Now if I can only keep the ants away
from the rubber trees.

Best wishes, and happy holidays

Nancy

You can also look for a local society on teh OrchidMall society page.
http://www.orchidmall.com/society.htm

K Barrett

"Nancy G." wrote in message
oups.com...
Hi, my name obviously is Nancy. I am retired military and rapidly
approaching the big 50. I've posted here a few times with questions.
I bought my first orchid in 1997 at an orchid show in Huntsville, AL.
The show had a big banner and I stopped out of curiousity. Funny, I
bought a paph seedling that lived for a few years, just long enough to
give me the orchid bug.

Fortunately or not, Huntsville had a reasonably decent orchid society.
I bought some divisions and seedlings, and won a few of the ticket
drawings at the meetings. The meetings were lively and interesting,
show and tell was challenging, and the shows were an inspiration.
After moving to Missouri, I've missed my "support group".

Most of the orchids I have were on the cheap (rescued from retailers,
thrift stores, seedlings, back bulb divisions, and grab bag assortments
from online venders). Sounds tacky here and now, but until '02, I was
never sure when I'd have to pack my duffle and abandon everything
(again) for another overseas asssignment.

Having orchids and tropicals has turned into the $10,000 dog I had. He
wasn't valuable but he did that much damage. Last year I added a grow
room to the house, in the spring when I started transplanting, the new
pots and medium cost nearly as much as my expenditures for the orchids.
I am trying some S/H and CHC in clear pots.

It is always exciting when any of my orchids bloom. I've had no luck
so far with a Den. loddigessii, but am trying a cooler and dryer rest.
That's my chief aim now, get that rascal to bloom. The vanda's I
bought bare root for $5 finally bloomed after 5 years, of course they
were small and I have high hopes. Now if I can only keep the ants away
from the rubber trees.

Best wishes, and happy holidays

Nancy