Let me introduce myself ...

[BryanEmery]

Hello!
I guess it is time I introduce myself... My name is Bryan, and I am from Victoria BC Canada. I feel like I know many of you already, as I have been lurking on the forum for a little over two years!... I really enjoy spending my mornings and evenings reading your posts. I have a number of plant related interests. I have a collection of orchids, mostly cloud forest species from south America (Masdevallias pleurothallids etc) and bulbophyllums, as well as strange species from India. My orchid collection is only around 1600 or so....    then there is the Agave collection, and the bulb collection. Most importantly the alpine troughs and 35 foot alpine bed along the drive. Like many of you I also collect non alpine perennials (I like strange and interesting things in the perennial  borders) and interesting shrubs and trees. I also grow pelargoniums some vary old varieties (some date back to the 1700s) from cuttings (I do 700-900 each year) then in the back yard I have my veggie patch, where we grow many different veggies all year long. Last summer I grew 33 different varieties of heirloom tomatoes. So in short I like all of you enjoy the occasional plant or two. Some people at work think its an addiction but as long as I don't admit it I won't have to get help for my non addiction...

Bryan

[ranunculus]

Many congratulations Bryan on concealing yourself and your passion for so long on this remarkable forum.  It must have taken nerves of steel and very disciplined fingers not to respond to one or other of the topics.
Welcome, finally, and I hope your 'lapse' will permit/force other long-term lurkers to leave the shadows and join us all at this Mad Hatter's Tea party of a forum.
Consider that you have just given yourself a wonderful (and certainly not addictive  ) Christmas present.

[BryanEmery]

Oh yes! I can hardly count the number of times I almost said something... Now that I have started, good luck keeping me quiet...

B

[Anthony Darby]

Now that you've spent time looking in, once you are through the looking glass you will find that you are indeed in wonderland, and a very welcoming place it is.

[angie]

Hi Bryan pleased to have come aboard. Nobody needs to tell you how much fun it is here as you have seen this yourself. As you have seen we are a friendly bunch and our boss Maggi keeps us under control 
It's fantastic that we can share, give advice and just be friends from all over the world.
I am looking forward to see some lovely pictures to brighten up my days.
Welcome 

Angie

[annew]

Hello Bryan. At last- I knew someone was looking over my shoulder! Looking forward to seeing some of your bulbs.

[David Nicholson]

..........So in short I like all of you enjoy the occasional plant or two. Some people at work think its an addiction but as long as I don't admit it I won't have to get help for my non addiction...

The first time I read this I was sure it said "pint" and not " plant". Never mind, I'm addicted to plants as well!!! A warm welcome Bryan, you'll like it here.

[Paddy Tobin]

Bryan,

Good to have you with us; you are obviously an accomplished gardener and will find good company here - David Nicholson is a good chap if you feel like going out for a pint.

Paddy

[Richard Green]

Bryan, I am sorry to confirm that you do actually a very serious addiction if you have over one and a half thousand orchid plants.............

[BryanEmery]

Bryan, I am sorry to confirm that you do actually a very serious addiction if you have over one and a half thousand orchid plants.............

But most of them are miniatures, so they hardly count... Although the ones that are not minis are rather large...

My chadwell seeds arrived today! So excited! 55 packages to drool over

[cohan]

Welcome Bryan! always good to see another Canuck on here-- though climate-wise, we might as well be on different continents
How/where do you grow the cloud forest orchids? I'm very interested in such things, though my skills/habits are more pleasing to my cacti and succulents indoors! I always tell myself that with the right set-up...... What about the Indian orchids, what sort of habitats are they from?

[BryanEmery]

I grow my orchids in an 8 x 20 section of my friends 8 x 75 greenhouse. The GH has radiant floor heating and is equipt with humidifiers and a misting system. My Indian collection is mostly coeloegny bulbophyllum and "painted leaf" orchids, with some other jems mixed in (biermania oberonia Tania liparis etc...) the cloud forest species are best if humidity can be kept at 80% or higher with good air flow. In the gh we use 2 fog America foggers. They seem to keep the humidity up well for me. Some of the Indian species may do well for you, some of the bulbophyllums are deciduous and really only need care for six to nine months a year.

B

[cohan]

I grow my orchids in an 8 x 20 section of my friends 8 x 75 greenhouse. The GH has radiant floor heating and is equipt with humidifiers and a misting system. My Indian collection is mostly coeloegny bulbophyllum and "painted leaf" orchids, with some other jems mixed in (biermania oberonia Tania liparis etc...) the cloud forest species are best if humidity can be kept at 80% or higher with good air flow. In the gh we use 2 fog America foggers. They seem to keep the humidity up well for me. Some of the Indian species may do well for you, some of the bulbophyllums are deciduous and really only need care for six to nine months a year.

B

Tks, Bryan- that's the way to grow orchids I know there are some species that do well in the house and with occasional water lapses-just needs careful selection! I had more some years ago, but after some moves, only have one Brassavola  now; I've seen some really amazing Madagascar spp, haven't tried seriously to source them- though tender orchids are probably the easiest category of tender plants to source in Canada!(not counting mass market stuff)

[BryanEmery]

what kind of Madagascar stuff you looking for??? I have a bunch from there too.... maybe I do have a problem...

B

[Maggi Young]

Bryan, I am sorry to confirm that you do actually a very serious addiction if you have over one and a half thousand orchid plants.............

Goodness me, Richard... it's the season of goodwill.... why are you breaking bad news to poor Bryan at this time?    Wait till the new year... then we can enrol him in the self help group......