Fox Valley Orchids, Ltd. - Greenhouse, Spring 2020.

[tomkalina]

Thought you all might like to see the magical place I'm lucky enough to work in every day. I thought the Redbud tree branches (Cercis canadensis) in front added to the photo interest.

 

[Linus_Cello]

Can we get a video tour?

 

[abax]

Lovely photo of your habitat Tom. Have you
seen a Forest Pansy Redbud?

 

[tomkalina]

Can we get a video tour?

It's re-potting season, Linus; I'd be embarrassed to show the mess inside the greenhouse. Maybe this Summer?

 

[tomkalina]

Lovely photo of your habitat Tom. Have you
seen a Forest Pansy Redbud?

Haven't seen one Angela. What's different about it compared to the typical Redbud?

 

[Duck Slipper]

Beautiful! What size is your GH? What brand or manufacturer?

 

[abax]

Forest Pansy has dark purple/red leaves and
is generally a more compact tree. The dark
pink blooms really show against the foliage.
If we ever have a tractor trailer coming your
way, I'll send you one. We do sell in IL.

 

[KateL]

Beautiful. Spring is my favorite season - some of my earliest memories are crocuses popping up through snow and watching buds swell on trees and bushes, hoping that the lilacs would bloom soon.

 

[tomkalina]

Beautiful! What size is your GH? What brand or manufacturer?

It was manufactured by The Superior Greenhouse Company and erected on site in 1964, our first year of business. We started Fox Valley here, quickly outgrew the 16 x 24 glass to ground structure and built a larger greenhouse in Northbrook, IL; then moved to Hausermann's in 2000 and finally downsized back to the original greenhouse in Naperville in 2011. Most of our breeding plants are located here.

 

[NYEric]

Man, I remember how hot it was in your GH at Hausermann's!!

 

[KateL]

I saw my first live orchid at Hausermann’s in February of 1980. It was love at first sight and it turned out to be a life-altering event.

 

[tomkalina]

Man, I remember how hot it was in your GH at Hausermann's!!

Me too, Eric! No mechanical cooling in my area, just ridge ventilation and some summers it got to 100F on a sunny day. I would carefully hand-mist the plants to cool the leaves taking care not to let any water accumulate in the crowns. It's a lot easier to grow well in the Naperville greenhouse, because we have evaporative cooling and ventilation (and shade cloth!) But we learned a lot about growing nice plants from the Hausermann's during that ten year period of time.

 

[NYEric]

Hopefully, people will buckle down and we will settle this COVID-19 thing in time for Chicagoland!

 

[tomkalina]

I sure hope so Eric; I would love to see an East Coast contingent there.