Here comes Belgium

Hello all,

My name is Laurent, and I am relatively new to the orchid hobby, the true start dating back to 2004.On the way back from Australia, I had a stop at Kuala Lumpur, and visited the orchid garden there. As I was mostly ignorant of CITES regulations, I had a heavy shopping there, and brough back home a bunch of hybrids. Those died quite promptly, but I was tied! Since then I progressively directed towards cooler growing species, favouring miniatures in order to save space.

So now I am a compulsive grower of Pleurothallids, especially so Masdevallia, Dracula and Lepanthes, and I am assembling a good collection of Oxyglossum and related sections Dendrobiums, too.
In the first years I grew mainly outside (in summer) and inside terrariums in winter, but there was an obvious lack of space! Now I have a cool greenhouse (an old, small, brick stable whose roof I replaced with polycarbonate multilayer panels) 15 sq meters, which is quite efficient from spring to fall, but horribly dark and cold during winter, so I had to install some fluorescent and HPS supplemental lighting, as well as a small electronic petrol stove last winter.

besides growing the plants, my main interest in orchids is breeding with them. I would say that I consider my plant's flowers just as potential capsule manufacturing organs ;-) I have sown over 800 crosses in the last 4 years, but I lack growing space in my flasks room, so many of them end as "too long forgotten overcrowded" in the rear corners of the closet where I keep them. Anyhow I have some nice successes, especially with Lepanthes, many species and hybrids are flasked now. I also like to make hybrids with Oxyglossum species, in order to get small growing, temperature tolerant, and brightly coloured Dendrobiums.

I'll try and find some hours for posting pictures from the most recent bloomings, as well as some views of my (already overcrowded) greenhouse!

Laurent

P.S. and yes I like beer ;-)

 

thanks for your welcome!

I appreciate beer's tatse, but as I don't like being drunk, I drink not so often. My preference goes to strong, sweet & spicy beers, as well as fruity ones, like the famous Kriek made with sour cherries!

So now let's look for some pictures of greenhouse/flask room...