February/March 2017 71 Their seductive allure helps to explain why Rogers has dedicated his life to these beguiling blooms. His knowledge of the flower’s 25,000 to 30,000 different species helps transforms his Facebook page into a visually radiant online encyclopedia. “I don’t know why it swept me away like it did, to be honest with you,” says Rogers, who has worked with orchids for nearly his entire life. “They are so beautiful, unique and special. They fill every empty hole in my soul.” Writers, artists and poets understand. Susan Orlean chronicled the story of an obsessed orchid poacher John Laroche in her book, “The Orchid Thief,” that in turn inspired the manic Hollywood movie, “Adaptation.” While orchids are found on every continent in almost every climate except Antarctica, most of us are familiar with popular commercial species and those native to the hills and mountains surrounding the South Bay. New varieties are discovered all the time, including the Yosemite bogorchid identified as its own distinct species in 2007. The plants and flowers come in all shapes, colors, fragrances and sizes, from three inches tall (growing among California’s giant redwoods) to one of the largest orchids on record, a tiger orchid estimated to weigh 4,000 pounds. “You are amazed when you see them. You can’t believe it,” says San Jose orchid expert Angelic Nguyen about the plant’s diversity. “Sometimes they look like insects, or swans, a duck, or a monkey. It’s fun to find out all about them.” “The South Bay is very orchid rich,” Rogers says. That array of choices is evident in the supermarkets, big box retailers, home improvement stores and farmers markets that brim with orchids in full blooming splendor. Regional experts like Rogers, along with members of local orchid societies make up an expanding community of floral aficionados who are eager to help novice orchid hobbyists efficiently nurture their plants. For those with black thumbs who want to see their favorite orchid bloom year after year, an entire cottage industry has sprung up: you can board your orchids, much like you board your pet. For a monthly fee, growers and consultants with greenhouses feed, water and groom your plants between blooms. One of the biggest and oldest boarding businesses in the area is Brookside Orchids, headquartered in Menlo Park in the foothills near Stanford University. FROM TOP: ROX COX; COURTESY OF ORCHID DESIGN; OPPOSITE: BRUCE ROGERS Mini Dendrobium YOU ARE AMAZED WHEN YOU SEE THEM. YOU CAN’T BELIEVE IT.” —Angelic Nguyen
South Bay Accent - Feb/Mar 2017
To see the actual publication please follow the link above