Hello from Holland! - Orchid Board

JandenHeld · #1 (**permalink**) 09-19-2009, 03:09 PM

I live in the Netherlands and started growing orchids about 25 years ago. At first on the windowsill, then in an indoor greenhouse (a plastic affair in a spare bedroom), and the last ten years in a real 6m by 3m greenhouse.
Orchids fascinate me because they live 'from nothing', their roots just growing in the open air. For the average terrestrial plant an epiphytic orchid must be something like a ghost.
My special interest: every species of orchid. Alas, my rather cool and shadowed greenhouse prevents me from growing spectacular groups such as Catasetums and Cattleyas. But I do have a lot of Dendrobiums, Bulbo's, Coelogynes, Pleurothalloids and some Gongoras and Stanhopeas.
I don't have 'green fingers' (or is it a green thumb in English?), so learning to grow orchids is a slow and sometimes painful process for me, the road behind me strewn with the corpses of murdered (mostly drowned) plants.
In this forum I hope to learn a lot about orchid cultivation, and of course to share what I have learned myself.
Have a nice day!
Jan

camille1585 · #2 (**permalink**) 09-19-2009, 03:14 PM

Welcome to OB!

It's nice to see someone else from the Netherlands here! I'm not Dutch, but have been studying there for the last 3 years. You're lucky to have a greenhouse, it makes orchid keeping much easier! I hope you didn't have too much trouble heating it during the major cold snap last January. What region are you in?

Don't hesitate to post photos, we always love to see what others are growing.

Robe · #3 (**permalink**) 09-19-2009, 04:44 PM

Hi Jan and welcome to OB!
Here you can find people from all around the world, it's simply fantastic!

So you've been growing orchids for 25 years... gee!!!!

I am just about 21... Knowing that you grow orchids when I didn't exist yet makes me feel a greenhorn!

Which is your oldest plant? It should be huge!!!

RosieC · #4 (**permalink**) 09-19-2009, 04:59 PM

Welcome to Orchid Board!

JandenHeld · #5 (**permalink**) 09-20-2009, 10:06 AM

Camille, thanks for your reply. I'm in the east part of The Netherlands, near Zutphen. Heating was no problem this winter, but keeping the humidity sufficiently high was difficult!

Robe, my oldest plant is an Epidendrum x Boundii (radicans x burtoni). This plant is widely grown in gardens in tropical Africa, both on tree trunks and just in huge flower pots standing on the ground, and I took home a cutting from a garden near Lake Naivasha in Kenia in 1982, when I was working there. Well, this story makes me feel old!! It's not that big at the moment, because I keep giving away cuttings to other growers.

Jan

camille1585 · #6 (**permalink**) 09-20-2009, 10:18 AM

That must be a gorgeous cross! Do you have a photo of your plant? I can't believe that the plant is older than I am. I hope I can keep an orchid alive that long.

I'm not very far from you, I'm in Wageningen!

Are you going to the NOV dag show in Utrecht in 2 weeks? I'm itching to buy more orchids there!

Grandma M · #7 (**permalink**) 09-20-2009, 11:49 AM

Welcome to the OB.

I live in Michigan but only a couple mile from the town of Zutphen, a town founded by the Dutch, and many Dutch people still live there.

Marilyn

Sicco · #8 (**permalink**) 09-21-2009, 11:02 AM

Hi,
As I live in Bennekom, I work in Wageningen, where I grow some orchids in the windowsill of my 'office'.
On the item 'old', my start was about 33 years ago, but I do not have plants from that period anymore. During a stay abroad frm about 7 months, my housekeeper did not do well and none of my plants have survived. I started about 5 years ago again....

camille1585 · #9 (**permalink**) 09-21-2009, 11:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sicco

Hi,
As I live in Bennekom, I work in Wageningen, where I grow some orchids in the windowsill of my 'office'.
On the item 'old', my start was about 33 years ago, but I do not have plants from that period anymore. During a stay abroad frm about 7 months, my housekeeper did not do well and none of my plants have survived. I started about 5 years ago again....

You live in Bennekom???

I live in the student building right next to the Wageningen University campus, so I'm less than 5min away from Bennekom by bike! I go to the supermarket in Bennekom often since it's less crowded. I guess we must both shop for orchids at the same garden center too!

I currently have about 40 orchids on my windowsill.

Sicco · #10 (**permalink**) 09-21-2009, 11:35 AM

Http://www.orchidboard.com/community...lies/hello.gif Camille,

I have about 40 plants. I do not think that we buy our plants at the same place as I have collected them mainly by Internet.