Orchids were my love for about 10 years of my life and a major part of my education.
Being me, I had to know every single thing ever written about them, which also led to many other topics and learning experiences.
One of the Miltonia’s is marked in such a manner that it looks like the markings on a Big female Bumble Bee in the jungle, it is pollinated, when the male bee rapes it and the pollen sticks to his back, to be deposited on the next flower.
Darwin did a lot of study on the pollinating of orchids in the jungle, one orchid has a tube under the lip, and the nectar is at the end of the tube.
Darwin predicted that a moth would be found with a tongue long enough to reach the nectar, and it was, the tongue was 14 inches long.
While the moth drank, the pollen attached itself to his body and he took it to the next orchid.
Orchids were my first writing experience, both on the shows that i worked on and then my own scripts for tv and radio on the history of orchids, to promote our shows, that were known world wide.
San Diego in the 1950/60’s had shows, that were a jungle theme, with floating gondolas and 2 story water falls and the creme of the orchid world, with exhibitors from all over the world.
The last that I went to about 20 years ago, were a few tired orchids, on table tops.
Yep, I am a snob, worked hard and earned the right to be one.
When I started in orchids, it was with a 9th grade education, so you know how much I have needed to learn.
I quit school 3 weeks into the 10th grade, went to work in a cafe and got married.
My sister insists that my Indian name is “Seeker of Knowledge”.
She is younger and I helped her get through school, only one brother has the burning desire to learn, LOL, the other is a teacher.
So are there still orchid growers trying to improve the flowers, or has it faded from interest? It seems such a shame, all that knowledge and effort disappearing.
I see movies or pictures from the 1950s and early 60s, and how elegantly people dressed - then came the “anything goes” era of the hippies and all formality was frowned upon. It is more comfortable to wear jeans all the time, and I realize people can’t afford fancy clothes, but people dress so slovenly these days.
No one wants to dress up any more - except at our church, the older ladies do dress up. I enjoy seeing them and try to dress respectfully. It would seem wrong to wear pants to church - I never have (well maybe at Sunday evening or other church shindigs, but not to worship service).
I guess I’m a snob too. Smile back at you.