Visit to North Carolina

My trips around the world not only taught me about orchids, but helped me pick up small bottles of vodka from the airline, that came in handy.
My niece, who I am very close to, came to visit.  After a fun day of eating, talking drinking wine,  she asked if I was O.K.  This was a strange question, but I said "yes, why are you asking" the retort was maybe I was a bit depressed? which I confess, leaving L.A., family, friends I had my moments here of feeling utterly hopeless.  In fact, for many years, I had a one-way ticket back to L.A. in my night stand.
I asked Stephanie why she thought I was depressed and she answered " I see all these little bottles of vodka half empty around the house.
You can imagine, I started laughing.  I told her they were for the orchids.  Really? yes.  You see orchids tend to attract meely bugs.  They look like flecks of snow on the flower and leaves.  Once meely bugs attack, you  have to take care of them because they sap the life out of the orchid.  I showed Stephanie a cotton swab that I dipped into the vodka bottle and cleaned the orchid with it.  Maybe the orchids enjoyed the drink because the meely bugs were not there after the touch of vodka.  I had these bottles around the house because I was lazy to go to the cabinet and bring it out everytime I needed to clean the orchids. 
I was able to start Stephanie on growing orchids,  we still use this method.

Living in Winter Wonderland?

My first Winter in No. Carolina was an experience.  I knew it would be cold but did not expect it to be so------------------------------cold.  I am not sure what I expected, but after So. California? what was I crazy?
It was early November and in comes Jim carrying a few of my orchids? "what are you doing" says I.  Orchids have to come in says he or they will freeze? I did not even consider this issue, as my experience, living in So. California was leave orchids out, pay some attention, do not water them too much and they bloom.
But I am not living in So. California anymore, so comprise had to be made and all 50 orchids, pots and all, had to come in.  This house looked like a jungle.
To keep the humidity high, Jim suggested, if the mood hit me, to spritz them twice a day.  That lasted one week and I cut it down to once a day.  It was really quite a job.
In cold climates, orchids tend to bloom in the winter mostly, that is not to say you can not have some bloom in the summer.  I presently have one that is about to bloom, which I shall post once in full bloom.
A sight to behold was orchids blooming in the house, with snow outside.  That was my winter wonderland

Living In No. Carolina

I arrived in No. Carolina in August.  Was it hot ... So. California was never like this.  Too hot to go out, but the orchids were loving it.
My cousins were coming to visit from London so I went looking for orchids in the area.  (I was till very very new so did not know where to go.)  I wanted a beautiful orchid for their room, so I found a place that had a lovely white Cattleya, which, believe it or not, I still have. Over the years, Jim has divided it giving me many more of this variety. Jim told me that one has to divide orchids when they get to big for the pot.  I just assumed they would be the same every year just giving me blooms.  How silly of me, everything grows, that is the way orchids or plants multiply.
My sister and her husband thought they would surprise my cousin, so they came to visit as well.  The hunt went on for more orchids.
I wanted every room and bathroom to have beautiful orchids, but that was expensive.  This one orchid was as expensive as the flower shop in Beverly Hills.
I was so happy when my family arrived, enjoying the orchids with us.

Decisions

After travelling the world as export manager, and looking for orchids, the company that I was associated with insisted I move out of Southern California to North Carolina.  I was besides myself.  What was I going to do and how was I going to leave family and beautiful So California. 
I discussed this with Jim, who was a very good friend at the time, and said "what am I going to do?" I have no one in No. Carolina, just business friends and where would I live.  He promptly suggested we build a house together and I said "O.K." I thought I could stall, but pressure was mounting.  So as not to lose my position, I decided to move lock ... stock and orchids.  Other plants I gave away, but orchids were my babies, and I was going to take them.  The percentage of the orchids surviving in a closed moving van cross country was really slim.  Keeping fingers crossed.
The house was ready, so the fatal day arrived for me to leave.  Was I sad, yes, still could not believe I was making this move.  Five days later, the moving van arrived - the first thing I looked for were the orchids.
Happy to report they all made it.  In fact, I still have most of the original ones.  I was worried they needed water, but Jim told me not to worry, orchids do not need water except once a week and depending on the heat, maybe every 10 days.

Re-blooms

another orchid that bloomed in January 2013 without a green house.  Took a great deal of patience which I do not have.

Rebloom orchids

These are some orchids that have re-bloomed for us without a green house.

Orchids in Brussels

I travelled a great deal with my position as Export manager for Textile mills in the United States and one of the job description's was to set up the stand at trade fairs.  I think I drove the hotel in Brussels which was the beautiful Amigo (previously a prison) in the heart of the Gran Plaz, mad.   I had my own personal support system from the hotel that helped me hunt orchids down.  I was not going to decorate for a trad fair without my orchids.
Finally, after much searching, we went to an area that had the most beautiful furniture, in one of the shops was a pot of Cymbidiums - they were the coolest green with hues of yellow.  I asked if I could buy it, but the nice store owner said an emphatic "no".  Not one to take that for an answer, my next request was can I rent is for the show.  After convincing him that I would guard it with my life, he agreed.  Needless to say I had a couple of sleepless nights worrying about the orchid.  The orchid was a show stopper, enabling me to meet more customers and make new friends. 
I must tell you it broke my heart to return this beautiful orchid, but I promised.

Travelling through Orchid Land

The Far East is a haven for orchids of all kinds.  Varieties are unbelievable.  Orchids that you will not see anywhere else.  Of course I have not travelled extensively through Central or South America so really can not judge.  But The Far East is impressive. 
I was in Singapore working for a week when at dinner this nice American came up to me and asked me to join him.  Oc fourse one of the many topics were Orchids. At that point he invited me to join him to "see orchids" in beautiful Penang, Java, Phuket.  We could travel for a week and really enjoiy the sights.  I was tempted, and was thinking about it.  If I did this, would Jim mind? surely not, not doing anything wrong.  Just travelling with another person.  By the time we were ready to leave I lost my nerve and did not go. So I stayed in Singapore and found out more about orchids.
I noticed roots hanging out of pots and asked about it.  Yes, roots can be out of pots, orchids like the air.  You can tell if the orchid is healthy by looking at the root.  If the roots are solid and green they are good.
Many a time, I had orchids where the roots did not look healty and tried to nuture them with no luck.