So who are you and what do you do?

[paphioboy]

hi, guys...
okay, my contribution to this thread... I am 19 this year, and currently taking Australian Matriculation. I intend (hopefully) to pursue my studies in agricultural science in Australia next year.. Actually, I am more interested in horticulture, so maybe i will focus on that.
My orchid addiction started 7 years ago.. there is this guy who sells pot plants at a weekly market where i go.. i started off with a few dendrobium seedlings, then slowly advanced to some cattleyas and phals and now graduating with paphs.. i currently grow about 50 paphs (species and hybrids), dends, some coelogynes (although they hate me..grrr), and i am falling in love with smelly bulbos... I also keep some vandas and other interesting non-orchid stuff like CPs and water plants..

 

[Bolero]

Hi I'm Darren and aged 39. I work for the Australian Federal Government and enforce child support payments.

I have been a student judge for nearly 4.5 years and hopefully in the next year or two I will be a fully accredited orchid judge. I still have a lot to learn of course. I have been growing orchids for about 6 years.

I did serve in the Australian Air Force for a period of time and have been a government worker since in different departments.

I love reading literature, listening to classical music, repotting orchids and drinking as much red wine as humanly possible before I die........;-)

 

[Candace]

I work for the Australian Federal Government and enforce child support payments.

My hero!!

 

[Hien]

Hi I'm Darren and aged 39. I work for the Australian Federal Government and enforce child support payments.

I have been a student judge for nearly 4.5 years and hopefully in the next year or two I will be a fully accredited orchid judge. I still have a lot to learn of course. I have been growing orchids for about 6 years.

I did serve in the Australian Air Force for a period of time and have been a government worker since in different departments.

I love reading literature, listening to classical music, repotting orchids and drinking as much red wine as humanly possible before I die........;-)

I read your post too quick and thought you said you work for Australian government enforce ORCHID support payment! silly me!

 

[Corbin]

Hi, My name is Ed. I am a construction superintendent for a large design build company, Burns & McDonnell, in Kansas City. I was born in Texas and that is where my home is but for the last 8 years I have worked out of an apartment in Smyrna, Ga. (read suburb of Atlanta). I have only been growing orchids for a little over two years an so I do not have many.

 

[Persephone]

Please have patience, this is going to be a long one...

As you may have already assumed, my real name is not Persephone. Persephone is the name I gave to my very first orchid - a paph I fell in love with at the NY Botanical gardens orchid show. I am ancient..59 years old and have four children. Oldest is married, second is working on doctorate in some sort of ecological marine stuff (too many syllables for me to remember), third is about to graduate with a 'very useful' political science degree and the fourth a university student majoring in sustainable landscape horticulture.

Presently I work as an Employment Specialist in the Welfare to Work program, but formerly was the Director of Enviornmental Affairs of my county in New Jersey. (think Sopranos) It is partially because of my lack of political "savvy" or, as I call it "presence of integrity" that I no longer hold that position.

I have an MFA from Pratt Institute, have worked as art department coordinator in an advertising agency, taught art in the South Bronx "Fort Apache" in the '70's , have studied medicinal herbalism for a few years and hold a certificate, am formerly an avid organic gardener, am presently serving my second term on my township council, the founding president of a park conservancy and environmental commission.

At one point, our household consisted of not only myself, my husband and the four kids, but six cats, a cockatiel, two hamsters, an iguana because didn't eat bugs, hermit crab and several pet plants. People used to get dizzy when they visited. I pride myself in being the kind of mom who took her kids out of school so they could experience a total eclipse of the sun in our back yard. They are well versed in cloud shape watching, mud pies, singing sily songs and dwadling.

And.....Persephone is expecting after a year and a half.

 

[SlipperFan]

And.....Persephone is expecting after a year and a half.

Which Persephone???

 

[Persephone]

Which Persephone???

Hahahahahahaha!
The paph.

 

[philoserenus]

the name's Nick. i just struck the 20th mark not about 2 mths ago. a student at York University. honours chemistry (hoping to get into pharmaceutical and biological chemistry). i current work in a genetics lab (dun ask me wat a chem major is doing in a bio la, haha...). i got hooked beginning of May 2007. finally got brave enough to buy my first phal--which is still around growing quickly ^^ i havent really lived through my first winter with my orchids so i still do not know who will survive nor wat i like best; i seem to like all genera. i seem to have the wondering heart, haha. a windowsill grower for sure, and hoping soon some of my unbloomed orchids will bloom ^^

 

[NYEric]

At one point, our household consisted of not only myself, my husband and the four kids, but six cats, a cockatiel, two hamsters, an iguana because didn't eat bugs, hermit crab and several pet plants. People used to get dizzy when they visited.

Sounds like Eric Meulbauer's house, :rollhappy:

 

[cyp8472]

I guess a little overdue for my intro but I will give it a whirl. I am 20 years old and work at Lowe's as the Live Nursery Specialist which I love because they actually pay me to work with plants plus it pays for my extremely big orchid budget. When people come to my store asking for orchids I always give them the speech that you can grow orchids and almost always they walk out with an orchid but not before I refer them to Orchids Limited or Winsome Orchids. When I was in high school I tried to hide my hobby because I played hockey but it got out and my teammates and friends had a good laugh about it thinking I grew drugs. But after I explained to them what I did they took it seriously. I go to college now for horticulture which is fun because now school is actually interesting.

Now where it all started, I get my green thumb from my grandma who passed away before I came in to my own as a grower. When my relatives and friends of the family see my plants, they always say, "she would have been so proud of you" which to me is no higher compliment.

As for orchids I got orchid fever when my Aunt gave me a phal for my 13th B-day. Why I don't know, I grew regular plants outdoors like daylilies and iris but to me this was odd. So I researched orchids because I go big or go home when it comes to plants. In my research I found out that my state flower was an orchid, Cyp. reginae. For a couple of months I was obsessed over it because I wasn't being challenge as a grower. My parents finally broke down and bought me one for Christmas.(Best Christmas ever!) This one I still have to this day as well as the phal.

Over the next few years I focused on the indoor orchids like phals, oncidiums, ghost orchids, vanda, psychopsis, vuyl and few other here and there. I found paphs which have completely taken over my growing space alittle later. All parvies and a few brachies. But lately I have broken down and got a few phrags.

About this time is when I discovered other hardy orchids. I discovered that there were more then one kind of Cypripedium and it has been a never ending quest to own them all. Before I worked at Lowe's I didn't have much money of my own, and my parents spent more then I am willing to admit before they finally cut me off, so I only bought seedlings and the main reason I took to flasking.

This will be my 7 th year growing orchids and 5 th years flaking orchids, mainly cyps but a few other hardy orchid thrown in there. Expanding in to paphs, vanda, and phrags this year so that is something to look forward to plus I have the right equipment now to better do the job.

This has been the biggest year for me with orchids because having money helps but I joined the two slipper orchid forums and met and talked to some really good people. I even joined my local orchid society which tomorrow will be my second meeting. I have extremely expanded my collection of cyps in one form of another. As to whether the new arrivals will grow is up for debate but even if I manage to kill one I learned what not to for next time. Also as I mentioned before most my money goes towards orchids.

Ok, this weird it is about 12AM and a ice cream truck or something with the music on just drove by my house.

That's me in a nut shell. -Jeran

 

[goldenrose]

Delightful intro Jeran! Good for you, I'll keep my fingers crossed for successful flasking!

 

[isaias m rolando]

who am I? i wish i could know...
male, 51a, medical doctor, PhD, ophthalmologist, principal profesor at medicine faculty, associate researcher in infectious diseases at a private university. member of the Amercian Academy of Ophthalmology.
orchidophile since january 1972 ( 35 years). founder and past president of the Club Peruano de Orquideas. member of the AOS Conservation Committee. Members of the Orchid Specialist Group IUCN/UNESCO. founder and past director of the Orchid Garden in Macchu Picchu Pueblo Hotel.

 

[goldenrose]

WOW - you've got your plate full!

 

[SlipperFan]

Isn't this a wonderful place?! People of all ages, nationalities, backgrounds, etc. all meeting here because we all share the same passion.

I agree with goldenrose.

 

[isaias m rolando]

I am also here because I like to share, information and good pictures.
I truly beleive we do not owe anything, we just need to share what we have what we care the most: our orchid heritage is in this planet to be shared...
have a nice week

isaias m rolando

 

[biothanasis]

Hello all,
I thought I had already posted here but I just figured out I haven't!!!!

Well, in real world I AM YOU... AND YOU ARE ME!!! Or ... I AM I!!!! These are the words of someone wise and I think they define more or less everyone of us!!!
In physical (material) world I am a 23 year old, male, human being that just resently took his degree in Biology!!! At last!! Now I am thinking on having a master!!! Time will show!!!
I love orchids, aquariums, several pets and every living or non living being!!! (Sometimes I get frustrated by some (mainly humans!!!!), but I get over it soon!!!) I like to collect things like stamps, phonecards and (semi)precious stones! I love to go to the cinema and I enjoy creating handmade things! When time is much and free I play PC games!!! I am also a volunteer/member to the Greek Wild Life Hospital, Greek Ornithological Society and Chrysaetos (a team that concernes in preserning the 4 European Vulture species in W.C. North Greece)
When I firstly got into university I couldn't even imagine that, after five years, I would do such things, that I only dreamed of!!!

I think I have a lot of things to experience from now on, too!! LIFE here I come!!!!

Thanasis...

 

[Heather]

Hey y'all - just bumping this up as it's time for some new folks and some updating.

Oh goodness! I see it is also time for a major update of who I am and what I do!

I'm 36, back living in Central Mass. Still working for a fairly small Non-profit but a different one from my first post, most of you already know I'm sure, but now I am with New England Wild Flower Society @ Garden in the Woods botanic garden, now working in Development (fundraising, wahoo!)

No SO, Yes evil cat, and pseudo mom to new puppy.

I don't really grow slippers anymore (that is hard to say!) I have a nice Mexipedium who is revolting a little bit this summer, 6 Neos and a Dend. kingianum. The Japanese plants seem to be working out really well here so I am planning to expand the collection a bit this summer.


NEXT!!?!

 

[Wendy]

I guess I should update as well....it's been two years since I started this thread. Time does fly dosn't it?

I still have my house cleaning business although it's been scaled back a bit to accomodate our new business adventure. Hubby and I are part of a group of friends who have started manufacturing composite decking. We bought (as a group) an old factory, renovated it ourselves and now make decking. Hubby is plant manager and I make sure the place is clean. Long, long hours but it's worth it when you own part of it. ( www.northerncompositeproducts.com for those who want to check it out)

Son, Ben, is now 19, out of school and working full time for a year or so before college. He wants to study a trade but needs time off to chill first. Steve and I celebrate our 21st anniversary next week. He needs a medal for putting up with me and my orchid hobby.

It's now over 7 years that I've been growing orchids. Most of them are multifloral paphs but I do like species Catts as well. (ok I confess to having a few 'other' orchids as well. ) I really enjoy reading and posting to this board...thanks Heather for starting it!

Oh and we still have three catts and a JRT.:sob::clap:

 

[biothanasis]

My turn to update too...

I started my master in Environment Conservation and Management of Protected areas in Aristotle University of Thessaloniki here in Greece, in March 2008 and in the forthcoming week the first semester ends. I must say that I am way too thrilled with this master, although I was a bit hesitant at the beginning...

Since my last post in this thread, my collection has grown drammatically and there is no discrimination on which orchid to obtain as far as it can grow under my conditions!!!!!! I have both epiphytic and terrestrials... Thank's to all of you, I have gained some experience in growing orchids (When I joined this forum I new mosty nothing in orchid culture) and managed to bloom some... I really appreciate all of you... Thanks...
I have also changed my aquarium set up from Amazon biotope to Malaui species tank. (Much easier...)
I am planning to move in a new house so that I can obtain more orchids and improve my growing conditions, but it is a long term plan...

Well that's all for now... Be Happy and Laugh a lot!!!! (it costs nothing and makes our lives easier...!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)