New Hampshire Home January-February 2023 - 49

she also grows many other kinds of
orchids as well, including cattleyas,
dendrobiums, phalaenopsis and cymbidiums.
" Orchids are in every window of our
house, and I have a grow room set up in
the basement equipped with highly efficient
LED grow lights, " she says. " I also
have two large repurposed aquariums set
up with lights and small fans for smaller
orchids that require high humidity. "
Each year she looks forward to the
NHOS show, and since becoming a member
she and her husband have attended
and helped out at almost every one.
" Orchid growing is truly an amazing and
rewarding hobby that anyone can share
in, " she says.
Orchids in the Mist
Gardeners know that the place to go for
shade-loving plants is Mason Hollow
Nursery. Chuck and Sue Andersen have
been selling wildflowers, ferns, perennials,
carnivorous bog plants, trees, shrubs
and their specialty, hostas, for over 20
years. Most of these plants are displayed
outside at the three-acre nursery, but a
step into their 50-by-35-foot greenhouse
offers a glimpse into another world. Here
thousands of orchids-most native to
cloud forest regions around the world-
fill the humid environment from top to
bottom. Most are epiphytes, quite content
to grow clinging to a cut branch or piece
of bark or cork hung on a rack to make
the most of the space, while the larger
ones grow in pots of moss on shelves and
tables. Many are miniatures with flowers
ranging from one-eighth to one-half inch
across, while others have large blossoms.
" If you are not expecting it, it can be
overwhelming. Most people are amazed, "
says Chuck. " It's like a jungle with a new
discovery around every corner. " Though
cloud forest orchids are from the tropics,
they live at high elevations where they are
used to cooler temperatures, a blessing
when trying to provide them with heat in
a New Hampshire winter. " While 70s and
80s are okay during the day, they prefer
night temperatures in the low 50s, " he
says. To keep it cool in the summer, a fan
blows across a special cooling pad, and to
maintain humidity year round, a fogger
blows a fine mist of rain water that is collected
off the greenhouse roof and stored
in an underground cistern. " Rainwater is
best, because it doesn't have the minerals
found in well water, " he explains.
Typical homeowners are not going to
go to such extremes for their first foray
into orchids, but Chuck says that many
miniature orchids can be grown in a
terrarium with the new LED grow lights.
" Some people have converted wine coolers
into grow spaces for cool growing,
high-humidity plants such as draculas
that need 90 percent humidity, " he says.
" Most people can keep their orchids
Vanda Motes Ruby Pixie 'Beswick' AM/AOS-The Andersens received an award of merit from the American Orchid Society for this selection
of a miniature Vanda hybrid they named in honor of Chuck's maternal grandmother Ruby Beswick.
nhhomemagazine.com | January / February 2023 47

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