Author: Bob

Bob has been growing orchids since 1985 and commercially since 1989. He has had several orchid articles published in the AOS Bulletin, AOS Culture Guide, and in Orchids Magazine. He currently resides in Chapel Hill, NC and runs Carrboro Tropicals, Chapel Hill's only provider of locally-grown orchid plants.

March Blooms

There are orchids blooming in my greenhouse all winter, but really the bulk of the flowering takes place in the spring and fall. These were blooming in March. Note that most of these plants are from my personal collection that I have accumulated through the years, and are not for sale, but we have many equally nice plant in our shopping section – see the “Shop” link on the menu at the top.

  • C. amethystoglossa
  • Bl Morning Glory ‘H&R’
  • Blc Hawaiian Lightning ‘Fiesta’
  • B. nodosa
  • Slc Circle of Life
  • Bl Morning Glory
  • Bl Yellow Bird
  • Bl Morning Glory
  • C. aurantiaca
  • C. amythystoglossa
  • Pot. Elizabeth Thurber x Slc Dream Catcher
  • LC Oprah Winfrey seedling
  • C. aurantiaca

Orchids for the Holidays

A well-arranged display of orchids can do much to add excitement to the interior of any house and can provide you with a chance to show off your growing skills to your family and friends during holiday gettogethers.

Often I have wonderful plants that bloom in the greenhouse, but as often as not, I am the only one who gets to see them. But especially during the holidays when we entertain, I get to share the beauty with my friends by creating orchid arrangements in the house for all those holiday parties! Continue reading “Orchids for the Holidays”

October means flowers!

Generally I am not a fan of autumn; it means that winter heating costs begin and that orchid plant growth slows down due to lower temperatures and a limited amount of sunlight from shorter day length. But it also means the blooming season for fall Cattleyas has arrived, and this year I have more blooming size plants than ever!

I often get the question “in which month do you have the most orchids in bloom?” The answer is always overwhelmingly October.  Continue reading “October means flowers!”

Spring time on the farm

Spring is a busy time on a farm; the days get longer and the amount of work expands accordingly.

So much to do this time of year, especially after working in Raleigh all winter long. I got my garden seedlings planted at the correct time this year and ended up with the most beautiful batch of seedling ever. With Flora’s help in weeding, most of the planting beds are ready and much of the garden is producing. Following are some photos of what happens in my life each spring.

Kale
Broccolini
Greens mix
Bok Choy
Roma tomatoes
Pole Green beans
Beets
Onions
Blueberries
Winter garden kale
Leaf mulch
Hardwood mulch
Crown of Thorns
Overgrown Cattleyas
Purple iris
Cream colored iris

Mid-February greenhouse pictures

This winter I have been working a 9-5 job in Raleigh, so I have had less time than I would like to keep this blog up to date. I will add to the sparse descriptions as time allows.

The early spring-blooming orchids are starting to pop. As you probably know, most orchids bloom in either the spring or the fall with many fewer in summer and mid-winter. I like spring flowers the best; after winter I am ready for some flowers! Oh, and the Brassavola nodosa has been in on our bar in the dining room for 2 months now, perfuming us every evening!

Blc Goldenzelle ‘Prelude’
Brassavola nodosa
Paph Fairre Helen
Phal. Benedict Masson
Phal. Benedict Masson
Bl Yellow Bird
LC Jumbo Beat
Vanda coerulescens ‘Pink’
C. harrisoniana