So, I'm starting a blog.  It took a brand new hobby to prompt this new activity, but I love talking about my orchids, and my family is sick of hearing about 'em.

I started off with a couple of Home Depot Phalaenopsis orchids that died, then a few more that were barely hanging on.  But it wasn't until my nephew (and SIL) got me a HUGE Cymbidium for Mother's Day a couple of years ago that it became a situation.

I thought all I had to do was water it, but when it didn't bloom the next year, I started looking up care instructions.  I ran across a forum called Orchidgeeks, and things got crazy.  I posted my concerns about getting the Cymbidium to rebloom, got some great advice, and set about trying to grow it the right way.

Then, my SIL brought me back a beautiful orchid from Hawaii, and I almost killed it, so back to the Orchidgeeks I went.  Its still alive...barely...but I'm working on it.

The problem with the Orchidgeeks forum is that they are enablers.  They post pictures of all of the beautiful orchids they have that are blooming, and when you see the pictures, you want one!   Well, you go online to find the one you saw, and the vendors post all of these plants they have to sell and in order to make it worth the cost of shipping, you have to buy more than one (or two, or three).

The biggest mistake was trying to buy four (only 4) orchids from Carmela's Orchids in Hawaii.  The cost of the plants was reasonable, the shipping was okay, but they lost my order.  when I called to find out when I could expect shipment, they apologized about the mix-up, and said they would ship it out right away.  "But why didn't you order the 24 plant special?"  I said I wanted the ones I ordered, and the special was for 24 "seller's choice" plants.  There was no guarantee that I would get the ones I wanted.  I was assured that, if I got the 24-plant special, I would get the ones I had ordered, plus 20 additional seedlings AND it was free shipping, so the total cost would be less than what the 4 plants I wanted plus shipping would be.  I said, "My husband will kill me if I get that many plants!"  But I asked him anyway, explaining the cost savings. (LOL!)  He said, "Whatever makes you happy, my love," and a week later I got 24 baby Cattleya orchids in the mail.