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wichenburi

I know on Teakdoor we have many clever gardeners and people who can design a whole house in minutes, I want to build a modern, non rustic orchid house in my garden. But as to the design i have no idea. But i do not want to use bamboo poles or black netting. Any body have any ideas. Cost does not come into the issue. The size I think 4 X 6 meters or some think like that.

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wichianburi

Gipsy

Just a few questions:

* Only orchids, or also bromeliad's, begonia's, water plants, epiphytic cacti, ferns, mosses or anything that likes a humid and semi-shaded environment?
* How high could the structure be? You prefer square/rectangle/round/free shape? Would it have a water sprinkler/misting installation?
* Will the structure be in the open field or close to a house or big trees? Will it have enough 'air flow' or does it need extra ventilation? What about electricity?
* Does the orchid house need to have a place to sit/relax with many people and/or a place to work with the plants, and possibly store potting materials?
* Do you need a 'separate' area for the 'youngsters/cuttings', or the ones with a different water-regime?
* Do you prefer to have your plants in baskets and pots, so you'll be able to move them when they get bigger, or flower, or need to be photographed? Or you want them 'fixed' to poles, roofs and riggers, buried in media in the soil as well?
* Are you the type that likes the 'jungle' look, where plants 'can do whatever they want', or the type that likes them 'organized', displaying their beauty at eye level and away from it's neighbors like in most nurseries?
* Any idea what sort of orchids you want to grow? The 'showy' colorful hybrids and/or the more 'hidden' wild Thai orchids?
* I understand 'non-rustic', so no fake cart wheels, (cement) tree trunks, garden gnomes and other kitsch, but how modern is modern? As in a 'plant gallery'?

I know... a lot of questions. But answers might help you to define a more specific brief. And us, to help

wichenburi

Gypsy, you are indeed the expert gardener. I think what i really need is you.

I am a beginner, but i know what i like and orchids are indeed first class. The showy hybrids sound very good. I have seen the orchid houses in the garden centre and they are not for me. I think something like a gazebo may be the answer. I am having one built now for eating outside, so i did not really what another one. But i was thinking along those lines. I understand the Orchid family is big, but i really only know what a Phalaenopsis, looks like but that is enough to want to have a collection of them, I understand that airflow is needed. But can only picture a gazebo to sort the problem. I think the answer would be a nicely designed modern Gazebo. When i say modern i mean as modern as you can get.

I think showy orchids at eye level would be nice. the structure would be built in my walled garden so it would be no more than 2 meters away from a wall on one side and open for viewing on the other 3 sides. The height i hope you would advise me on that. But yes it would be nice to have some hanging plants. I think the orchid house would be used just to display the flowers. Not for sitting in or eating, no children to worry about. A beautiful picture to look at.

I need your throughts

Norton

Simple is best. Hanging plants and surrounding plants can really be nice and peaceful. Something like this. Might be a bit rustic for your tastes and too small but you can build larger of a couple of them. Covered or open as you prefer.

Gipsy

No, have to disappoint you... I'm not an expert gardener, not at all. Just started 'first time gardening' here in Thailand, a few years back, and every day I make silly mistakes, lose or mistreat some 'green things', but at the same time I learn and discover new plant genera, new ways of growing or propagating, and I have slowly started to build up a green collection. I love to read my plant books, my reference encyclopedias and to digest the internet, more than often feeling 'jealous' about what other people know, have or can grow, and I can't (yet). I am also happy to have Maejo Agricultural University close by; a helpful source for information and a handful of seedlings now and then. (The advantages of walking a young labrador dog that strays off in every university park, garden and pond it can find) I also have a forest nearby, full of wild orchids, and a long walk through the forest after a big storm or rain brings many.

I do have about 250 orchids, 99% 'wild' ones, and mostly hanging over water, above my fish tank and shaded by the black netting, in which i cut holes . This is just a temporary solution as I hope to build a more permanent orchid house in the future on another piece of land. But for the time being they seem happy, keep me busy and I enjoy learning about their ever changing shapes, growing habits and needs. The reward is the yearly 'splash' of colors and new growth.

As for your orchid shelter, I would keep it as simple as possible, until you know what you really want/need, which does not seem the case now. A gazebo seems fine, as long as the materials used are water resistant, as long as you can keep humidity at high levels when wanted, and as long as the roof can be adjusted to different light needs. 4 x 6 meters is big and unless you manage to get some light through the middle part of a solid roof, you might end up with some 'dead area' where orchids will hardly grow and probably never flower. Gazebo's are made for people and to shelter them for rain and sometimes also for winds. To keep thing out. But orchids do like the seasonal rain, need humidity and the proper light/heat to complete their annual growing cycle.

I don't know your green skills, you mentioned being a beginner. I was, still am, and I'm very happy I not spend many money and time on my orchid housing yet, as my ideas of the 'wet garden' keep changing by the week. Why not make a simple 'tent-sort-of-thing' first, learn the basics and then make something beautiful, more permanent? As time goes by, you will discover many new species and maybe you want a different set up/lay-out/function. Buy yourself enough orchids to be a'gardener at work' and grow them for a (few) season(s), see if you can keep them alive, make them grow and flower again. Read some good books and explore the internet. Visit nurseries and flower shows, and pick the ones you or your wife like. There are over 20.00 different species of orchids worldwide, more than 100.000 hybrids, and new ones are either found in the wild or home-made every day. If you like Phalaenopsis, you will also like Vanda and probably the Cattleya hybrids as well, all with enormous, long lasting or stunning flowers, in almost every color thinkable.

Maybe you discover after a while the hybrids sometimes 'hurt your eyes' and sunglasses are needed. Maybe you like smaller flowers but coming in hundreds on a long flower stalk. Or the minuscule, but strong scented flower of a wild one might surprise you… who knows. Take your time, you won't have a nice orchid collection overnight. Or you might have, but lose it the day after tomorrow as you probably don't know how to take care of them properly, yet.

In case you want to go ahead with the gazebo idea, just google 'modern gazebo' or 'modern pavilion' and if there's anything of your liking, post it here, and I'm sure we can turn that into a nice environment for even nicer plants.

wichenburi

Norton, I know you are right and i think the design of yours is 100% correct for growing Orchids. ( I have been doing the homework) I will build the same. Thanks for the picture.

wernerfreitag

I have been growing orchids for more than 30 years now. Just brought my collection from Germany to Thailand. You may think , stupid idea, but it is hard to give up plants you have owned such a long time.
OK , I like Norton's design. Probably something I will build next year near the house for "showing" plants in bloom and some nice looking plants..
For just growing purposes I make it much simpler as most orchids do not look so good when not blooming. Will add a photo later.
Gipsy is right. You are not in a hurry. Get some experience first. There are plenty of orchids, species and hybrids with different needs for water , sunlight etc.

Even for me growing in the tropics is a new challenge. What kind of substrat, how much water, how much shade ....................?

But it is fun, hard to stop once you got into this hobby.

Norton

Thanks but not my design. Picked up the picture from a garden design site. Might be more stuff there of interest for you.

Thai Garden Design - The Thai Landscaping Experts

wernerfreitag

Not very nice , but I needed a shealter for about 300 plants soon.
It is 6X3 m.

wernerfreitag

Norton,

Thanks for the link! Great web-page!

Werner

wichenburi

Another nice reply, Yes, it is a challenge in the tropics, but my wife seems to able to grow anything. If she remembers to water the things they are lucky, but keep on flowering. Abuse seems to be the key.

I am convinced the nicest people garden, some one will shoot me down for that comment. Thanks once again for the reply.

jandajoy

My misses uses lengths of bamboo strung between the uprights of the car port. She's got hundreds of the buggers hanging there.

wichenburi

The site is excellent, i have started half my garden it looks like this, http://teakdoor.com/Gallery/albums/u...humb_6%7E0.jpg

The orchid house i mentioned is going in the other half soon i hope. This is a design my garden man produced.http://teakdoor.com/Gallery/albums/u...3/thumb_18.jpg

wichenburi

Picture would be nice jandajoy

jizzybloke

^^ Here you go wichenburi

jandajoy

In Aus. at the moment, but I'll post one when I get back. Apparently she's got some very rare orchids, stolen from trhe mountains behind out place. But then again i know nuttin about flowers.

wichenburi

That will be nice, Have a good time in Aus

wichenburi

Thank you for the posting, I cannot undertsand what i did wrong.

wichenburi

I hope this works, if, it does, i will be happy, its a water feature, only just gone in, not sure about the liner. But when I get a few plants in it will look better.

Norton

Better than your first try. Still a bit to go though.

DrAndy

wot me?

wichenburi

there are exceptions.

Norton

A few ides here. Not many buy a couple nice ones.

http://teakdoor.com/farming-and-gard...-features.html (Thai Water features)

wichenburi

My gate correctly posted on this site a triumph, thanks norton very much.

jandajoy

nice bit of wood there, mate.