How I was Bitten:

The story of my first five orchids -

A year ago (i.e. 2002), my mother, sister and I saw a guy selling orchids from a truck on the side of the road. We stopped the car to take a look and they were absolutely, the prettiest flowers I had seen in my life. I didn't know what kind of orchid they were (at least I knew they were orchids!) but my mother identified them as PHILODENDRON. I found out from the guy that they were in fact Phalaenopsis orchids. So I think my mother was just on crack briefly as she has had many orchids when we lived in the Caribbean years ago, they were mostly of the Cattleya tribe. Anyway, Philodendrons do not look like orchids at all so I don't know what my mother was thinking.

After buying that first purple Phalaenopsis I was almost hooked. Well really, I didn't know I was hooked yet. It wasn't until a week later when I went to Target® to get a calendar, that I spotted an Onc. Grower Ramsey for sale. I know those are perhaps one of the more common varieties of orchid but when I was a little girl, my mother had one hanging from our Barbados/Trinidad Cherry tree in the back-garden. I use to call it the 'tiger' orchid because the colours reminded me of a, well, tiger. DUH! I bought it immediately, you know, just for the memories. This was actually the beginning of my obsession. Hee!

Then while I was driving along with my sister and mum, on the same road a few days after the Target® excursion we saw the orchid guy again. Of course I made them stop so I could see what else he had. Looking into the back of the truck, tucked into corner; I saw the most beautiful, crystalline white phalaenopsis orchid outside a nursery (though I didn't know how good it was yet). It had seven large, healthy leaves and 12+ flowers and buds growing on about a two foot spike. Just absolutely lovely. I found out that it was the same price as the other orchids and bought it immediately.

While I was still there, I also spotted what looked like a cross containing an 'Ever Spring' (I know that now, I didn't then) somewhere in it's parentage. I bought that also, unfortunately as this was my first foray into the world of orchids, I killed the the 'Ever Spring' cross. I almost cried, *sigh*. After that one died, a few weeks later the purple one died. I almost cried again. The white one is doing quite nicely though.

None of the Phalaenopsis' I bought from the guy had tags so I don't know what there were/are called. Actually, as I never saw him there before and he hasn't been back since, I have a sinking feeling they were stolen phals. Unfortunately, as I can't do anything about it now, I do keep a lookout for, and stay clear away, from people who look as though they may have stolen orchids, i.e. sellers on the side of the road.

Now, the fifth orchid was an impulse buy. I was in Walmart® buying fetilizer for our roses when I saw a tall Oncidium with about 50 buds on an almost three foot spike on the 'orchid shelf'. I thought to myself, "I'll get that for mum," so I did. As it turned out, it was a Colm. Wildcat 'Doris' I'm not terribly fond of that plant. Oncidium and its alliances aren't my favourites but I do enjoy some of the minitures and the more colourful and fragrant flowers of the genus.

Well, that was just the beginning of my obsession. During the past year I've collected around 40 plants, mostly hybrids from various shops and a nursery called Impact Orchids. I'm planning on buying more of course, I can't help myself. Then again, can any of us? I'm still a student however so the buying will be slow until I get a good job, then I can go CRAZY!

All written words and all but three pieces of photography copyright & copy; 2003 - Desireé H.
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Webmaster: Desireé H. desireéorchid@bellsouth.net