Posted 9:16 pm Sunday, March 28, 2010
Collecting Orchids Is A Passion For East Texans
|
By COSHANDRA DILLARD
Staff Writer
For Mitsi Runyan, orchids are more than a hobby -- it's a lifestyle. Her home is filled with books, pictures, figurines and jewelry that feature the blooming plant. It's also filled with the real deal -- orchids ranging in height, size and colorful blooms. More importantly, she has a greenhouse lined with more than 600 orchids. She's collected the distinctive plant for 34 years, and has one that is at least 34 years old. She estimates that her collection may be worth more than $80,000 in retail.
Staff Writer
For Mitsi Runyan, orchids are more than a hobby -- it's a lifestyle. Her home is filled with books, pictures, figurines and jewelry that feature the blooming plant. It's also filled with the real deal -- orchids ranging in height, size and colorful blooms. More importantly, she has a greenhouse lined with more than 600 orchids. She's collected the distinctive plant for 34 years, and has one that is at least 34 years old. She estimates that her collection may be worth more than $80,000 in retail.
The retired physics teacher is skilled in all things orchid, from their nourishment and curing bacterial infections to the varieties and the plants' pollination.
She has varieties that look like dancing ladies, other have "mustaches" and many are fragrant. She has a deep connection with the plants, noting they are a destresser. And like her pet rabbit, Shiloh, she endearingly cares for them.
"I'm constantly rotating what I have. There's some I like so well that I keep until they go to that great orchid beyond. They're like the rabbit, they're my children."
Strolling through her greenhouse behind her home, she's able to describe each plant's characteristics and many have a little story behind them.
"He only blooms once a year and at night he's fragrant," she says about a Brassalova digbyana, her favorite orchid, which is native to Mexico and Central America.
FOR THE LOVE OF ORCHIDS
Orchid lovers say caring for them is relaxing. They are also keen on the uniqueness of the plant and its blooms. Some blooms are open for just six hours, while others can last up to several weeks.
Keith Billings, a new orchid enthusiast, has been with the society for more than one year and is just starting to learn about the plant. He has a personal collection of about 20 orchids.
"I joined to learn more about orchids so I could hopefully be successful in growing them," he said. "It's like any hobby. You can be in it very small or you can go overboard and go crazy and make it a full time profession if you want."
He added, "It's something new and unique so it's exciting when I start seeing a spike which is going to be a flower bud and then eventually open flowers."
People get intimidated by orchids, Ms. Runyan said, but they are not hard to care for, she said.
She doesn't spend a lot of time on them and admits that while the plants look and are perceived as delicate, they are actually tough plants. Some go days without water and they do not require a lot of attention. They can grow in the Arctic Circle and around the equator.
"They grow under all kinds of conditions," she said. "Most people kill them by overwatering. You just have to give them enough light."
Ms. Runyan uses a peet, pearlite, and charcoal and fur bark mixture to feed her orchids, noting that everyone has their own special blend.
But they do have an interesting origin, Billings said.
"They are unusual plants," Billings said. "They are very difficult to reproduce and most of the reproduction is done by cloning and hybridization.
"Orchids can be grown from seeds but the plants rarely produce seeds so the seeds are not always viable. When you see an orchid plant at a greenhouse or at a Lowe's or a nursery, the majority of plants are grown from meristem (cell division) which is taking a growth bud from a plant and splitting it into the individual cells and then they are grown like bacteria for two to three years. So the plants you see in bloom in a nursery or a greenhouse can be anywhere from three to 10 years old before you get the first bloom."
There are thousands of species of orchids and some can be found here in East Texas.
"The plants are found on probably six of the seven continents and in Texas, there are about 53 native varieties, meaning they occur here naturally. Most of those are very small and they are protected and can not be collected from the wild," Billings said.
Ms. Runyan added, "Most around here are hard to spot. You'd see them and think, 'oh, that's a wildflower.' You wouldn't think to say, 'that's an orchid,'" she said.
THE SHOW
This weekend, other orchid enthusiasts are flocking to the Discovery Science Place to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Central East Teas Orchid Society during "The Golden Age of Orchids Show." This is the first judged orchid show in Tyler in 30 years, organizers say.
The organization has about 20 members have welcomed individuals, orchid societies, operators of commercial greenhouses and orchid producers from around the Texas and neighboring states.
At least 19 displays are featured at the event and vendors have orchids for sale. There's still time to view orchids today and admission is free. It will be held from 12 to 4 p.m. at the Discovery Science Place Annex, 302 N. Broadway Ave.
Vendors include: Clown Alley Orchids, Houston; Charles Hess Orchid Art, Dallas; Orchids and Tropicals, Houston; Orchid Konnection, Dallas; and Orchids Plus, Breaux Bridge, La.
