Home and Backyard Orchid Growing
How SAOS Members Grow Their Orchids
We feature the different growing areas of SAOS members in the newsletter for you to view how others grow their orchids. Let us know if you would like to share your growing area. We can help write up your techniques and take photographs.
Orchids on Back Porch and Backyard Trellis
Viv and Mitch AndersonViveca has orchids everywhere, inside and out. Husband Mitch recently built an orchid trellis in dappled shade for her sun lovers and her shade lovers are on the back porch. The trellis is filling rapidly with all those raffle plants Viv wins. (Apr 10)
Dianne's Attached Greenhouse
Dianne and Drake BatchelderDianne's homeowner association wouldn't allow a free standing greenhouse, so she built a greenhouse attached to the house with sliding glass doors for great air movement. (Sep 22)
Leslie's Orchid House
Leslie and Chip BrickellYou know the moment you turn into the driveway that this is the home of a gardener extraordinaire, just take a look around the yard and all the manicured beds of blooming perennials and roses. (Jul 16)
Orchids on Porches
Mary and Louis ColeeMary grows her orchids where ever she has an open space. It's easy to find a place in the summer, but where to house her growing collection in winter? Her back porch is the perfect winter home. (Mar 14)
Custom Built Shadehouse with Retractable Curtain
Janis Croft and Alan WinerJanis planned, designed and built her custom shadehouse, that is open and airy during the summer months and enclosed with a retractable curtain during winter, opening on a thermostat to keep the temps within the desirable range. (Sep 18)
Orchids on Racks in a Pool Lanai
Bill and Karen GourleyBill grows his orchids outside in his lanai. He has several rolling benches that he has built or bought and fit with shade cloth. His latest creation can be winterized by enclosing with plastic and a small heater. (Sep 09)
Growing Orchids in Backyard Greenhouse
Courtney Hackney and Rose GanucheauCourtney grows his cattleyas and other orchids in a backyard greenhouse. The external panels are removed during the warm months so air can freely pass through screens and put back on in winter when the propane heaters help maintain temperatures. (Aug 11)
Growing Orchids in Orchid Pavillion and Rolling Winter Rack
Penny Halyburton and Michael RourkePenny grows her orchids under oak trees in a beautiful engineered structure crafted by Michael, who also built a winter rack that can be rolled in and out of the garage depending on the weather. (Nov 11)
Custom Built Shadehouse with Retractable Curtain
Mike and Kaycee HeinzMike grows orchids in a greenhouse and under trees. During the warm months, his cattleyas, encyclias and vandaceous orchids relish the light and air hanging on wires. During the winter, his greenhouse is packed with plants. (Dec 09)
Building a Hobby Greenhouse
Josh JonesJoshua has a growing orchid addiction. Luckily he also has the know how to build a hobby greenhouse and shares his step by step instructions for the orchid obsessed. (Sep 11)
Growing Orchids in a Condo
John LaurensonJohn has built an orchid tree to which mounted orchids are attached and individual mounts can be brought into the condo when in bloom. The tree normally sits on the balcony. (Nov 13)
Orchids in Backyard and on Back Porch
Bob and Pat MartinBob grows outside and on a screened porch now, but had lots of experience growing under lights when living up in Chicago. He winterizes his porch so the orchids have a cozy home during the cold months and grows on the screened porch, under trees and in a shade structure during the warm months. (Jun 09, Feb 11)
Backyard Under Oaks on Racks and in Garage
Dick and Joan RothDick grows his orchids outdoors during the warm weather and moves them into the garage area retrofit with growing lights during the cold weather. His vandas are hanging from shepherds hooks and cattleyas and dendrobiums are on growing tables. (Jul 09)
Under Oaks on Fence & Rods and Portable Greenhouse
Viv and Tome RoweVivienne is in the throes of orchid addiction, growing them outside in the backyard under tall and stately oak trees hanging on a fence with pot clips and hanging from shepherds hooks. (Aug 09)
Backyard Under Oaks and Shade Structure
Debbie and Bob SandyDebbie and Bob grow lots of different types of orchids under oak trees. In the cold weather, the plants are brought into the shade structure, the vinyl curtains are dropped and a portable heater keeps the temperatures above freezing. (Nov 09)
Growing Orchids Under Oaks on Wire and Pot Clips
Lola and Chuck StarkLola grows vandas, cattleyas, dendrobiums and a host of other plants under huge oak trees in the spring through fall and brings the plants into a greenhouse structure during the cold winter months. (Oct 09)
Backyard Greenhouse
Linda StewartLinda grows orchids that are delicate, unusual and attractive, including tolumnias, neofinetias and renantheras. Her 20 ft x 30 ft greenhouse is equipped with a seating area so she can spend quality time with her orchids. (Aug 13)
Adjustable Racks in Pool Lanai
Suzanne and Robert SuskoSuzanne and Robert Susko have a unique division of labor, he picks out orchids with an unusual growth habit or beautiful flowers and she figures out how to grow them. Okay, maybe it’s not quite that simple, after all Suz picks out some of her own orchids too! (Nov 15)
Under Trees and in a Greenhouse
Jim and Linda TaylorJim and Linda built a greenhouse to house their orchids during the winter cold and also grow some under trees during the warm summer months. (Jul 11)
In Pool Lanai on Benches and Orchid Tree
Maria and Richard YessianMaria grows a wide variety of orchids in the pool lanai on the Island. There are cattleyas, phalaenopsis, dendrobiums, bulbophyllums, oncidiums and a few more, all happy on benches and orchid trees under the covered roof between the house and the pool. (Apr 10)
Indoor Sunroom
Kathy and Mark YoungMark and Kathy Young grow their orchids in a south facing sunroom inside the home. It is a small room off the front entryway where the outside wall is mostly glass, just perfect for growing orchids. (Feb 15)