Good Online Orchid Source?

[wendlynne]

Hello again,

Looking to invest in a new phal - not yet brave enough to try anything else yet, and I'm wondering what sources you suggest for purchase? My local options are pretty limited, I'm in Southern California but pretty far east and somewhat remote. My local growers had pretty dismal choices, and hardly any were even labeled. I suppose it's an online purchase then, after all the criticism I've seen against retail sources like Home Depot. I'd like to choose a reliable source and possibly look through a catalog? Not sure where to start, any recommendations for fun phal sources are appreciated.



Thanks,

Wendy

[Hummer344]

Get Jerry Meola's info. He is on here all the time and I have heard nothing but praise for his orchids. I have ordered from Oak Hill recently and they have sent me very nice orchids. I am sure that there will be others voice their opinions soon

[made4engineering]

Oak Hill Gardens for phals I say.

[sandra]

I'm with Aaron...Oak Hill!

[articuno75]

Hi Wendlynne

Are you wanting a hybrid or species or just something that's eyecatching? Then there is price.

[brookn]

Oh, this is just Pandora's box waiting to be opened. I can give you the name of several places that have wonderful Phals. Could you give me a ballpark on what you are willing to spend? I always look for deals, but I am on a strict budget. I have lists of cheap, midprice, and exorbitant Phals in my favorites . Oh, and everything in between. You could also describe what you might like, and someone (Jenny probably, she's always searching lol), will be able to point you in the right direction.

[patticake]

There are so many! The ones already mentioned are great!
Carter & Holmes are known for their Catts., but have some gorgeous Phals-also. very high quality, too.

[wendlynne]

Oh oh, now I don't know! This has been enormously helpful - or, arguably, you are all enablers for my new habit =)

I didn't realize the price moved so rapidly from one to the next until I looked at the Oak Hill site. My price experience is limited to home depot, so I was expecting 15-25 range depending upon size.

I looked at Oak hill, they have some LOVELY phals. With the hybrids though, would I risk having to adjust care? I've JUST got the watering, light, and potting media sorted out, and some now-happy phals- - I'd hate to rock the boat with a new one and set it off on a sure-fire course to death in the Murphy home.

So, I REALLY like these two (yes, it's already grown to two )

PHALAENOPSIS bellina (violacea ‘Borneo')
Color - white/green/lavender
Fragrant - Yes
Season - SU
Light - Low Info - W
Pot Size - 3.5"
Price- $20.00*
Web ID - 1956

PHALAENOPSIS stuartiana
Color - white w/ brown spots
Fragrant - No
Season - W
Light - low Info - W
Pot Size - 3-3.5"
Price- $10.00*
Web ID - 2070

So so pretty - do you think they will be happy in the same eastern kitchen window that the Phals love? So what happens when they come? Are they pretty small? How do they handle the shipping? I have visions of tiny, sad plants in fed-ex boxes. Will my other phals be jealous that one is fragrant??

Oh, I can already see this is dangerous business. I met someone once, who had a greenhouse full of orchids, his father had a serious habit. I didn't understand it at the time, thought he might be a little odd - - NOW I want to look him up and wander his greenhouse!!

[kid a]

LOl, I want to go wander the greenhouse too! When I first met my son's dad I thought he was crazy because he so many orchids and spent his divide between the orchid and coral reef tanks. He is the one that started it all. It is very contagious!!!

[brookn]

Well Miss Wendy! I own the bellina, and the stuartiana. My bellina I have had for a year, but I did not get it from Oak Hill. It is very sensitive to temperature flucuations, below about 57 F and it is not happy, I almost killed it when it got below that in the window. Mine has grown very fast since I bought it, and it likes being potted in sphag moss in a clay pot. My stuartiana is a hapy little camper, and I did buy it from Oak Hill just a couple of months ago. It was small when it got here, but it has doubled in size since I bought it. It did not even skip a beat when I repotted it, and I definitely recommend getting one. I put a pic of my stuartiana on here for you. I love the leaves.

[PhalPal]

Hi again Wendylynne! I just wrote you a post on your keiki thread and mentioned a show in Santa Barbara in June. By FAR, your best choices (as a beginner) and prices will be at a show. I have never paid more than $20 for a beautiful, double or triple spiked Phal at a show, the average is probably $10-12.
If I need to order online, my first choice is Oak Hill if they have what I want. Normans has LOTS of Phals but are a little pricey. (ORCHIDS.COM Your Mother's Day Orchids Source and Gift Certificate) These growers make their living shipping most of their plants and do a very good job of it; don't worry about the trip. They know how to pack them and won't ship if there is a heat wave or it's too cold anywhere in route.

I have both species that you are considering and think they are the easiest of my Phals to grow. My reasoning is that species culture is more exact, you'll know just what they need, where hybrids have many lines in their parentage and I'm not always exactly sure which line is dominate. I need to say also that I have mine mounted (don't let this scare you!); it virtually takes the fear of root rot out of the equation and mine have flourished. Keep in mind that species flowers are almost always very small and few in number, but delightful. If you want the large sprays of flowers you are used to seeing this may not be what you want at this point in your collection. Pictures are not good at letting the viewer know the size of the flower or plant itself, read the description. With that said, my Phal Bellina scents my whole kitchen with just four blooms. Let us know what you decide, there are NO bad choices! Oak Hill is a great place to order little species and at their prices I say GO FOR IT!

[JLu]

Big Leaf for phals, PP.

[MARYANNA]

Carter & HoLmes have package deals in five or ten plant deals with some in bloom and others in spike. Very Very reasonable. You can have it all! M.A

[PhalPal]

JLu I think Big Leaf is way too expensive and I get tired of the political comments he feels the need to express on his home page. I grow orchids to escape from the ills of the world and don't appreciate his 'in your face' approach, even if I may agree with something he may have to say.

Bar none, shows are the best!!!

[JLu]

Okee doke, How about HP Norton. Greatest folks you ever saw.

Inhaling that worm tea is making you cranky. :>)

[PhalPal]

JLu I'm rarely cranky. It's just that orchids and political statements should never mix and there are too many other websites that are more pleasant.

[JLu]

PP are you sure we're talking about the same place? My wife has been buying plants regularly from Peter Lin (Big Leaf) for a couple of years and has never seen any political content on his web site. We both just checked and there is nothing controversial at all there. Maybe you are talking about something else?? BTW his plants might cost a lttle more, but they are well worth it.

You didn't comment on HP Norton. Those are high class plants. Cutting edge stuff.

[PhalPal]

I'll look through my file of orchid sites, but I'm pretty sure it was Big Leaf. Perhaps he has taken the political stuff off in the past year???

I'll check out HP Norton; they are new to me. Thanks for the tip! Yet another place to throw my money at!!

[JLu]

OK PhalPal I got it................ Peter Lin at Big Leaf Orchids in Texas is one one of the world's good guys. He has nothing resembling a rant of any kind at any time on his web site.

The one you are talking about is Bedford Orchids (Howard Ginsberg) in Canada (I think he has a US GH also). He has all kinds of obnoxious rants about Dell Computers and every thing imaginable.

It ain't Big Leaf!!

[articuno75]

Connie I think you're thinking of Bedford also. Remember when we were looking for the Phal Penang Girl 'Ching Ruey' ?? Bedford had them and also there was some information that he had we were looking up. We ended up with more info than what we intended!

[PhalPal]

THAT'S THE ONE!!! He has some great plants but the entire home page always had something to say about some corporation, the US government, or just stating his opinion in general.
It makes me all the more aggravated now that I know he's Canadian and everything he b*****s about is American!!

I think I will just have to place an order with Big Leaf to say I'm sorry I thought he was a bad guy.