Let me introduce myself ...

[Luc Gilgemyn]

.... and from me, also a warm welcome on the best Forum in the world Heinie !

Veel plezier ! 

[ChrisB]

Welcome Heine, lots of people mad about S.African plants, me included!!!

[Paul T]

And some of us are just plain mad! (me included)

[LarsB]

Hi,

I'm new to this forum. I found it through the Pleione website nad that give a small hint about my main interests, namely Orchids. I've been growing a wide range of tropical orchids for many years. I have kind of specialised in Disa and Pleione, but a couple of years i ran out of space indoors, so hardy orchids suddenly became interesting as well. I grow a bit of everything in my garden.

I love to propagate plants, which is the main cource of my space problems. My childrens pet rabit was probably the only rabit in Denmark that was fed Disa seedlings.

Kind regards

Lars

[Lesley Cox]

Do you mean you DELIBERATELY fed him Disa seedlings? Lucky bunny

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Welcome Lars !!! 

[JohnnyD]

Having posted a few things since giving up my career as a ‘lurker’, perhaps I should introduce myself.
My name is John Dower, my wife of 43 years is Clare, and we live in Frodsham, Cheshire with a tiny garden. The two kids, 42 & 39, have now left, (though much of their ‘stuff’ has yet to follow!) 
Our son Andrew and I own a small company specialised in the development and manufacture of non-combustible composites for ships, and which consumes far more time than is appropriate to the full enjoyment of alpines.
Specialisation – none really, except an ambition in respect of plants that don’t die!
Success rate – lousy, but hoping to do better with the recently commissioned alpine house.
Currently very interested in bulbs, and especially pleased to have discovered the bulblog -  thanks Ian. I have also had some success with mini gardens, which have been a passion from the start.
Clare and I have been showing at AGS shows for the last 15 years or so and Clare now needs just a handful more firsts until we both have our gold medals.
We both enjoy mountain holidays in Europe, especially the Picos de Europa, and hope to do more once Andrew allows me to retire!
We are both enthusiastic members of the East Lancs local group, (you know the one – the Smethies, Bookeroo etc.!), where I am now being recycled in my second stint as vice-chairman.
Perhaps the nicest thing I can say about the SRGC forum is that it has the same approachability, camaraderie and innate (and slightly potty ) sense of humour which we have in the East Lancs group. Long may it continue. 
John.

[WimB]

Lars and John, welcome to this forum.

[LarsB]

Do you mean you DELIBERATELY fed him Disa seedlings? Lucky bunny

When you grow orchids from seed yo uget a lot of plants. If you are stupid enough to grow something like Disa, which is hardly never grown, you end up feeding seedlings to the rabit or the compost heap. The rabit liked them, perhaps because they were so crisp and crunchy

Kind regards

Lars

[Maggi Young]

It is super to have these introductions from Forumists to tell a little more about themselves, thanks for your posts  

Lars, I must admit my first thought on reading about the rabbit diet was to wonder which you strangled first, the rabbit or the children?   Now I see it was a re-cycling policy.... very good!
You will find quite a few dedicated orchid growers in these pages and I hope you will enjoy the forum and share your experiences with us.


JohnnyD, it's good that you come right out of the garden shed and tell us everything!!  Was particularly interested in your comment "Perhaps the nicest thing I can say about the SRGC forum is that it has the same approachability, camaraderie and innate (and slightly potty ) sense of humour which we have in the East Lancs group. "  Words sincerely and kindly meant, thank you, but I'm sure you must realise that all gardeners really SHOULD have a potty sense of humour.... unlike farmers, whose humour comes out of left field............

[JohnnyD]

I stand corrected Maggi.
J.

[Maggi Young]

I stand corrected Maggi.
J.

Blast, that wasn't a correction... it was meant to be a joke..... I must be losing it... I'll fine myself a bar of chocolate forthwith....

[Lvandelft]

Oh dear, when even you British don't understand the jokes.... how should
we "foreigners" do then?? 
Please have a look at this Site:
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/potty

You will understand what I mean, I hope.

A lot of "potty" there. Which one was meant by Johnny D. 

[JohnnyD]

Hi Luit,
I think there is no really accurate dictionary definition of 'potty' which describes what we mean in this case.
It might be 'silly' - but that would be rude.
It might be 'crazy' - but that only applies to either a) getting up in the middle of the night to take plants to a show, or b) filling pots of such a size that a hospital appointment should be planned before lifting!
It could certainly be 'slightly intoxicated' - see shows above,
But it is NEVER 'trivial' or 'of little importance'.

Being a self-deprecating view of how others might see us, it is a warm and friendly condition which we should all enjoy hugely.

Do you not have such a term in Dutch? I cannot believe a nation with such a finely tuned sense of humour cannot be described as 'potty' in one of its definitions!

Thanks for the dictionary by the way, I shall be looking into that further.
Cheers,
John.

p.s. Maggi, I think you should make that TWO bars.
J.

[ranunculus]

Hi Luit,
Do you know of the Goons and their radio shows?
They were perfectly 'potty' ...
If not, then please do not investigate them on Google ... we may lose you to this forum!

By the way Luit ... Johnny D. was actually modelled on one the characters in the series, but I am not at liberty to say which one!

(To newcomers and friends from across the water - J.D. and I are (should that be were) very good friends!