Why do you like orchids?

[camille1585]

What I love about orchids is their beauty and diversity. At first I got hooked to the native alpine orchids, and found them so colorful and exotic.The problem is, you can only find them in certain areas during a small 3-4 month period, which isn't very practical. Once I discovered the normal orchids, I think that got me hooked is that each species needs different care, and it feels so good to figure out what they like and see them thrive. Then I like watching slowly put out leaves, roots, growths, and then the ultimate reward, the flowers! And then I just need more and more of them.

[Swamper]

I love their ability to adapt to all my faults and screw-ups. I love them blooming, I love them growing or resting. I love watching a root growing and grabbing a tree trunk, with green fingernails. I love the way rain drops hang on to them before they fall off. I love their fragrance specially when someone says "I don't smell nothin!" Other than that ..I can't stand them.

[flhiker]

I cant imagine anyone not wanting to see Nature at its best. Heres my 4 reason for loving orchids. Need I say more.

[cb977]

I love the diversity, the challenge and the feeling of peace I get when I'm working on my collection.

I also love that I've met so many wonderful people who share the same feelings and I now call a number of those people Friends

Our community here at Orchidboard is such an amazing place...we've "met" people from all walks of life and from all over the world, most of whom we'll never meet in person yet our lives are intertwined because of orchids...

Thank you Marty for giving all of us a place to meet

and thank you Nico for getting this conversation started

[SP2340]

I love creating, or helping to create. I love when I work on a project and step back and admire it when it's complete.

In the case with orchids I'm helping to create by taking care of it. And when it flowers I can step back and admire it. I just love watching them grow.

[susiep]

Nico, I never really thought about the spiritual side of my relationship with orchids, but now that you mention it... there is a sense of peace and contentment that I get from my orchids that is very similar to the way I feel after leaving church on Sunday! The colors, the scents, even the air that surrounds them is like nothing else that I know. I feel like I have a relationship with each and every one and they all have something resembling a personality. I have very old ones that I worry about, young ones that give me trouble, tempermental ones that just can't be pleased, and old reliable friends that bloom no matter what. They have taken over part of my mind! I am blessed with many friends, a great family, and nice coworkers, but none of them understand my love of orchids. Thank you Marty for Orchid Board! I am so glad to have met all of you and be able to share my love of orchids with people that truly understand!

As a side note... I have a very old NOID catt that I call the hurricane orchid. It has been blooming during everyone of the bad hurricanes for the last 10 years. I have to put it in the garage during the storms because the scent is too strong for inside the house. Plus it makes so much sugar that it attracts ants. I noticed today that it has a bud that will be open within the next week to 10 days. Hopefully he is not trying to warn me of something bad... but you never know.

[cb977]

Susie, can you dump that one somewhere? Please?