One of my favorite orchid suppliers is hosting its annual Orchid Fest today through Sunday. Parkside Orchids is normally only open to the public a few afternoons a week, but once a year, it hosts a three day event in which other vendors rent booths, and set up tables and tents to sell their goods.
I prefer to call it Orchid Feast. “Feast your eyes on me, and buy me,” scream the pristine orchids the vendors choose to bring for sale.
Parkside’s regular gravel parking lot is really only big enough for maybe 10 cars, so for this thing, we get to drive onto the lawn and park in rows. One time, perhaps seven or eight years ago, some guy was directing traffic onto the lawn on Saturday, telling us where to park. Back then, I was working in NYC, and had to drive an hour and a half to get there. It was like showing up for free fireworks, and having to park in last year’s corn field.
Ottsville isn’t that far away from me now, so I can go there this afternoon. Hopefully, most of the vendors will be there, and parking won’t be such an ordeal. I told S that if I buy more than five orchids, he can shoot me, but if I only buy five or fewer, he’ll just have to continue to put up with me, and the orchids.
J&L, Oak Hill, Waldor, Lois Duffin, and Woodstream will be there. I’ve never received a bum plant from any of them. Oak Hill Gardens in Dundee, IL, is one of my absolute favorite vendors — Liese and Greg are wonderful (I’ve met Liese in person a couple of times, but not Greg). I hope to see one of them there. If I’m lucky, Cordelia from J&L in CT will be there; J&L has the most wonderful pleurothallids.
I’m getting all giddy just thinking about what I might find. Floofy hybrid cattleyas, phaelenopsis, and oncidiums that most newbies ooh and ahh over don’t really rock my socks. OK, I admit I have a soft spot for Onc. Sharry Baby, which smells like warm chocolate when it blooms, and harlequin phals, which just look pretty instead of smelling like anything, but that’s about it. Well, add a hybrid vanda or two that has a lot of coerulea in its lineage . . .
Do I sound like a total hypocrite? Yeah, well, live with it.
I’m normally a species gal. In particular, what grows best for me are species coelogynes, maxillarias, and a whole variety of things from the pleurothallid family.
The doors open at noon, and you bet your booties I’ll be there.
Or-kids . . . they take your money, but at least they don’t talk back.
I love to look at orchids and enjoy their beauty, but I’m too much of a coward to try and take care of one myself.