Orchids that you've picked up for free

[Polarizeme]

I received a Pleurothallis macroblepharis from a friend of a grower I visited last January. He stopped by to visit while I was shopping for plants and decided to give me this cute mini.
I've gotten a few plants here and there over the years. I've also gotten some outrageous deals on some wonderful plants in the Pleuorthallid alliance from some wonderfully generous hobbyists.
I must say, I've given a fair number of plants as well.

[weederwoman]

I care for a small town public greenhouse as a volunteer. Now and then people leave orchids and houseplants that they want adopted. Its fun to bring them back to health and find out what they are. Space is limited, so I take many to the orchid society raffle table once I've bloomed them. I've gotten free plants through my orchid society also. Best were 4 good sized stanhopeas, rescue plants from a nearby university greenhouse. One has bloomed and two are now spiking. I'm excited to see what I've got. Hope all four are something different. The society also got rescue plants when a local grower had to move away. I'm bringing along some miltoniopsis, dendrochilum, and cymbidium I got for free. And then there are raffle table plants that only cost $1. One turned out to be a zygopetalum, my first. Some I keep, others I put back to raffle once I bloom them. Life is good.

[ollypolly]

I was at a friends place and he picked up a keikei off the ground and handed it to me saying here have an orchid (it was an epidendrum). I took it home not knowing how to care for orchids I threw it in some cheap garden soil and a year later it bloomed setting off my orchid obsession. I've been given a few divisions by a co-worker and given a few back. Oh and there's the one my mother 'stole' from our old neighbour.

[MCSchrum]

I found a broken off stem (about 3 inches long) of Ludisia discolor laying on the floor of a public greenhouse. It had a couple of wilted leaves still attached that later fell off. I took it home and placed it in a jar with damp Sphag at the bottom. It took root, so I gave it a proper pot and mix. It has since branched from that initial stem and flowered.