Читать книгу Orchids For Dummies - The Editors of the National Gardening Association, Steven A. Frowine - Страница 36

An orchid specialist is always my first choice when I’m buying orchids. Reputable suppliers in this category have been selling orchids for many years before it was the chic thing to do. Almost all of them are orchid fanatics whose hobby grew out of control — so they were forced to either stop buying more orchids or start a business. They know everything about their plants — where they came from, their attributes, and how to grow them. They almost always have the largest selection and cater to both the beginner and sophisticated, experienced growers. They love to help other people discover the pleasure of growing orchids and are full of helpful information.

The only disadvantage of specialist growers or suppliers is that you may not have one near where you live. Of course, that doesn’t have to be a deterrent. It just means you’ll need to do some planning and search out these growers so you can take your own orchid-buying safari! I urge you to seek out these dedicated growers. Unfortunately the number of these growers seems to be dwindling because most folks now purchase their orchids through other convenient channels, but these growers are breeding and growing the less known and fascinating orchids. If orchid aficionados like you and I don’t patronize these committed folks, we risk losing the diversity of orchids that only they supply and now enjoy.

The orchid societies in Appendix A give up-to-date orchid suppliers. The American Orchid Society has recently started offering an Orchid Marketplace on its website that allows you to search for orchid suppliers by location, product category, and genus.