Ken, you are so lucky to have a greenhouse! That is so cool! Since I placed my order with you, I started thinking of trying to propagate the epiphytes and a greenhouse would be awesome. I think my husband would kill me if I turned our spare room into "greenhouse" with misters and lights and all. Plus, my cats would go nuts!

One of the best things that I did when I moved into our new house 2 1/2 yrs ago was to enclose a large, east-facing porch. I had it done professionally, screening it in, with aluminum base panels and framing. I then had custom-made, clear, marine-vinyl panels made to attach to the outside framing so that I could heat the porch in the fall and winter. There are three ceiling fans to give me good air movement which is important for the health of plants. So the porch becomes a screened in room during the spring and summer and a "greenhouse" during the fall and winter. I then built my second and third "true" greenhouses from kits. They are both approximately 10x12' and were not all that hard to build. The foundations were they most time-consuming and difficult part of their construction. All three become jammed with plants from November until March.

WOW! That is dedication, Ken!

I love it. If I had space and time, I would have a small upright greenhouse with lights and shelves in the apartment. Because of the cat and her climbing to the top of doors etc. everything would topple to the floor and the plants would be shredded.

Ivy

I know what you mean. We have a cat. Her name is Puff.

Ken, you grow beautiful Orchids!
You might give the Orchid forum a link/or some pictures of the stuff you are selling?

thanks, Ursula. Will do.

Puff has some very nice markings. From the the photo because of the closeness, I can't tell but is she considered a calico or a black grey and white cat and how old is she?.
As for getting the Staghorn plant, I will have to straighten up my growing area to see where I can place it. The majority of my plants are the kind that are on the dryside. Cactus, epiphyllum, hoya, screw pine, begonias and 1 adenium, I switch them back and forth between work and home, that is why they have survived so far. The Tillansias, I just keep replacing them since they are on the small side. I will need to go over the growing instructions again to familiarize myself with the staghorn plant again.

Ivy

Puff is a 8 yr old calico. I know the picture was not too good - cheap camera!. She is a "Daddy's cat", at least that is what my wife tells me. She is an inside cat, though she lovea to roam outside if she can sneak out the porch door.

You and I are kindred. When I lived on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, I grew almost nothing but "dry" plants. In 1980, my wife and I flew to El Paso for a college football bowl game, rented a car, and toured the desert southwest for a week, seeking cacti. We brought home a treasure-trove of cacti for my collection, some of which were, let's say, were not so-legal to collect, such as a nice specimen of Sequoia. I had a very nice collection of plants. I even had an indoor area, adjacent to floor to ceiling glass. This area was under a suspended staircase, with a tiled in 10x10 ft area and a 24 ft ceiling, that was filled with plants, all "dry-loving" plants. A 1985 hurricane wiped out practically my entire collection, including my 36'x15' custom built glass panel/aluminum frame greenhouse. I rebuilt the greenhouse but never replaced the collection of plants. That is actually when I began to collect tropical plants, so I guess the hurricane in a way nudged me toward what has now become a passion and a small business after I retired a year ago.

The purpose for getting "dry" plants is the lack of water and time that is needed to care for them, in my case a bit of neglect because I come home so late in the evenings. The grow lights keep them green but not flowering which is fine with me. I just remembered that I have a orchid at work also. All of them are my favorites.

Good evening Ken,
I imagine that since you have a large collection of tropical plants, do you grow the orchid that has the vanilla bean pod in your greenhouses?. If you do, have you ever used the bean that you grew in your recipes?.
I will contact you next month about a staghorn plant. Is that alright?. Only one plant a month. Something else to take care of, I don't mind.

Ivy

Ivy, I do not have that orchid. I ship plants to the northern tier of states through October (sometimes later, if weather permits), and to the southern tier of states until the middle of November, again depending on low temperatures here and where I am shipping.

Ken

Ivy, here are a couple of shots of Puff, better pics than the one you saw.

Oooooh! Puff is definitely a torty - we had a little tortoise shell girl who went to heaven a few years ago. Puff is a doll. And I love her primitive looking friend next to her! Sooo cute!

That's her hidey-hole. When it storms, that is where she goes. It is the base of a long bookcase and I guess for some reason, she thinks that ceramic cat will protect her.

That is funny!

Now that I can see her colors, she is pretty.

Good morning all.

Finally bought 2 staghorn plants and 2 tillandsias that I was asking about. I am so glad that I have them in my home. They are larger than I expected and arrived nice, plump and green. Since they are so healthy, they will have a better chance living in a apartment under lights especially during the winter. I will slowly replace the plants that I lost at work (4 beefsteak begonias, hoyas, screwpine, orchids and cactus among other cuttings) since the hurricane. We still can not get into the building where I work for awhile.
Thank you Ken for such a lovely pick-me-up. I will order from you again, can't wait.

Ivy

OH Ivy sorry to hear about loosing your plants

Ken and i have been friends for a while and he does have and supply great plants he takes the up most pride in his plants and only sells the best!!!



mike

I agree, will most likely buy more staghorns and tillandsias. They are compact and eye catching. The price was also good.