A World of Orchids

A World of Orchids is a roadside attraction from a bygone era. I first read about this shop on the internet, and all of the reviews had nothing but terrible things to say about it. I’ll tell you I found it to be underrated. Sure, their exhibition greenhouse has clearly seen better days, there are holes in the roof, the HVAC system is falling in, the orchids are scarce and in poor condition and there are many other dead tropical plants scattered about….. But it does not take much to see it was once someone’s true pride and joy and a sight to behold. I can imagine the greenhouse full of all different types of blooming orchids and other tropical plants. But those days are gone and A World of Orchids greenhouse looks to be a continuous state of decline.

The front store is another matter. The plants for sale looked healthy and mature, and there were many nice vanda, cattleya, and paph’s to choose from. They also had a healthy amount of supplies available from media to containers. For every review I found on the internet that said to stop by, there were ten that said not to. Well, I feel I would have missed a piece of what Orlando once was, and what the future holds for these roadside attractions. I really thought it was worth my time. This is an article from a local paper that really rings true for me. Your mileage may vary….

Orchids of Orlando

Last week my family and I vacationed in Orlando, FL, and I thought why not visit a few orchid shops. I really had no idea who was even selling in the area, so I cruised the internet and found “A World of Orchids” and “Tom Ritter Orchids”.

Our first stop was Tom Ritter’s. My only experience with orchid growers has been in Virginia, so to see how things differ in Florida was very interesting. One thing I noted right off was the difference in greenhouse construction. In Virginia winters are hard, snow weight on the roof of the greenhouse is a serious concern and as such the roof structures tend to be robust. In Florida snow threat is almost zero, and the overall construction of the greenhouse in much less intense. Hoop-house construction with light weight panels was the theme at Tom Ritter’s and it seemed to be working well for them.

 One of the next things I noticed right away at Tom Ritter’s was the impressive number of plants. They were packed in every inch of bench space and hanging overhead. They had an impressive number of cattleya ranging from seedling to blooming size. Unfortunately for me they were mostly all hybrids, some of them very nice awarded plants.

They also had an absolutely stunning number of Vandas. In Virginia, with winters full of low humidity and cold temperatures, Vanda growers are confined to greenhouses and require more than a little effort. At Tom Ritter’s they were thriving.

 Another aspect of their greenhouse I really enjoyed was their abundance of miniatures. I do not have many myself, but as my growing area shrinks they look more and more appealing.

The last observation I had at their greenhouse was the staggering amount of work it must take to maintain that many plants. Overall, their plants were in great shape, but there was the occasional plant that had been knocked over or fallen from its hanging home, clearly laying where it fell some time ago. There was the occasional plant showing signs of decline or virus, but with the number of plants they have, that sort of thing seems unavoidable. In the end, they seem like a good growers, friendly folks and an excellent place to visit if you have time.  

More to come on A World of Orchids…..

Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden

I am fortunate to have Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden virtually in my back yard. They have an amazing, extremely well manicured out door garden and a very impressive Conservatory. Within the Conservatory they have amassed an impressive orchid collection with well over 1000 plants. The Conservatory itself serves as a show case for what is in bloom and they bring in new blooming plants weekly.  This afternoon we went out for a visit and as always I was impressed with the orchids (but only took pictures of the cattleya, yes I know it is a disease…) as well as some other very impressive tropicals. If you ever find yourself in Richmond, stop by and have a look around. You will not be sorry.

This Jade plant was very impressive and in bloom.

This Crinum stands well over 6 feet tall and the bloom! Wow...

And, lets not forget about these...