Unappreciative Neighbor - Wardii

[taradale]

Well, Wardii is in full youthful bloom and I asked my neighbor if she would like to see him. His sepals span 5" across his mouth is just swelling waiting for the occasional bug. So I walked her out to my Paph's outdoor home on the deck overlooking the forest floor; where all three of my Paph's are in various blooming stages. And may I mention, they are all exotically potted in matching glass vases of various sizes with black stones in the base so they do present well from that aesthetic value too.

AND all she could muster up was "oh, it looks like it's coming along." This is from a women who can't keep her begonias alive and probably has never seen a Lady Slipper in her life. Then she commented on my deck view (which really isn't all that much) and dismissed the glory of Wardii all together. Umph....

Am I taking this way to personal? Do your friends not understand the beauty of orchids?

I mean I could have handled "Oh, isn't that an odd (or exotic) looking flower" but "it looks like it's coming along" - I'm just livid.

Tantrum done.

Kath-
Wardii, Tallulah & Freddy (the Paphs)
Moxie & Buster (the Airedales)

some people don't appreciate the most highly evolved plant in the kingdom. ;}

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

Well, thankfully, it was your neighbor and not your spouse. Try growing orchids for 45 years, and your spouse of near 40 years couldn't care less, unless you tell him he will be able to eat some part of the flower or plant. Cynthia, Prescott, AZ

[Molly Taco]

Cynthia are you venting as well? Some people just don't see the beauty of Mother Nature, they can't even see the sunsets. Too Bad for Them!!!

[Cynthia, Prescott, AZ]

Not really venting. My husband couldn't be more supportive of my hobby. He knows it is my passion, and he wants me to be happy. I haven't been able to drive long distances lately, so my husband has been driving me the 2 hours each way to Phoenix twice a month to attend orchid society meetings there. But, he sits in another room reading a book. The last meeting was on the history of vanilla, somethig you can eat. He almost sat in on the meeting, but he had brought a particularly good book, and the book won out. It's not that I really need someone to share my hobby with, the orchid societies work well for that, but that I think he could get so much joy out of this hobby, after all, I want him to be happy too, but he doesn't see it that way. So, that's just the way it is. I am very thankful for his many other wonderful attributes. Cynthia

[marco5011]

I just want to thank you, Cynthia, for the way you talk about your husband.
After appreciating all the useful advices on orchids care you give to anyone is in need, I feel that you are now teaching something much more important: how a long lasting relationship should be managed (obviously your husband's nature takes its part).
Thanks and congratulations.

Marco

P.S.: Please forgive my bad english. I barely practiced it since I graduated, as a foreign exchance student, from a U.S. High School back in 1968

[Molly Taco]

Marco you english is wonderful and you certainly have no reason to appolgize. There are many of us who speak english every day who don't do as well as you do. I to would like to congratulate Cynthia, it is wonderful when you have a wonderful relationship even if you don't share the same interests.
C

It sounds to me as if your neighbor was really, really jealous that you're growing orchids. There is, after all, a certain mystique to it, and she probably couldn't handle it, especially since she can't grow anything. It might be something she'd really like to do, but can't. And you can.

[I. C. Unicorns]

Cynthia, tell your husband to take you on vacation to Turkey where they make ice cream from salep, which comes from orchid roots.

[Srivida]

Hi
Whether we want to accept or not there are many who don't know how an orchid looks. (few even think it's a place where it always flowers) KIDDING. But we have to understand that many people don't understand orchids. They know roses, tulips and daffodils but not orchids, passionflower, gardenia,etc. So may be your neighbor might not be aware of how passionate we are all about these wonderful flowers.
Just my 2 cents.
Srivida

[Nantay]

Your neighbor's disinterest is not unlike that of millions of people who can recognise only a robin outdoors,and see and hear nothing out there. She would probably prefer to watch TV or go shopping.

Nancy

[MrSarge]

HAHA this thread is hilarious! Love it!

Our neighbor has a backyard sanctuary where she tends all kinds of plants and flowers. Quite the nature lover, except her habitat has brought in nature that she deems not worthy of her back yard. I noticed that she has started putting out large traps for some kind of animals out back. WTF? You want the rabbits, deer, and squirrels but groundhogs and chipmunks need trapped and killed? She is the suck!

Mr. Sarge

[Eximili]

hey, well i have a personal story of my own, i actually was the same way, i never appreciated nature or plants, i would rather read a book or something else, but i attend brooklyn college and i took this botany course with Professor McGowan. Thats when my whole perspective of plants and nature changed, and while he was teaching us, we went through the orchid section and i fell in love with the plants immediately. Recently my gf bought me a phalenopsis(sorry might be wrong spelling) prince leopard something. Its really great. Some people just need to be taught the stuff before they learn how to appreciate it.

[Ellen]

Very well said, Eximili! This applies to all aspects of life, not just orchids.