How I Became an Orchid Addict

While it is true that I have always had a love for plants, I had never known much about orchids, much less attempted to grow one.  If I had any thoughts at all about them, it was that they were some sort of exotic plant, to be grown by the wealthy in fabulous conservatories.  Totally not my situation, that’s for sure!  Little did I suspect that, about twenty years ago now, things were about to change…

One winter afternoon, cold, snowy, dark – the kind of day where you just want to hang out inside with a hot cup of tea next to the fireplace, dreaming of a warm, sunny day with toes in the sand – I just happened to be at my local Target picking up various sundry household items when out of the corner of my eye, I saw something bright and tropical looking.  Lo and behold, it was an orchid and it was only $19.99.  Without a thought, into my cart it went!  Mind you, I knew nothing about orchids, not even that there were various kinds and that they just might require some special type of care.  All I knew for sure was that this plant made me feel good and I had to have it!

And so it began…

Within a few days, I had started researching orchids and trying to figure out how to keep this beauty alive.  I soon made my way to the local orchid nursery to gather more intel and, along the way, it just so happened, more orchids.  Within a matter of months, my one orchid had multiplied to about 50 and, by the time a year rolled around, I was at well over 100 plants!  Along the way, there were successes and there were failures, but there was always something new to try and I was honing my knowledge and skills and learning what would thrive in my home environment.   

My search for others like me soon brought me to the Orchid Society of Minnesota where, the minute I walked through the door of my first meeting, I immediately felt at home, innately knowing that these were my people.  These fellow orchid hobbyists got me and I knew we were kindred spirits!  I have since traveled many roads with this group, literally and figuratively, and the journey never gets old.  I am constantly invigorated by new orchid finds and enabled by the assistance and enthusiasm of the people who surround me.

I am, I am happy to admit, an orchid addict.  And that is not a problem for me; instead, it is a gateway to excitement, adventure, and deep friendships with fellow appreciators of these most amazing plants.  I’m bubbling over with excitement to see what orchid is around the next corner!  Won’t you join me?  

Photo Credit Steve Fillmore