On my recent vacation in Hawaii, I visited two orchid nurseries. There were a few plants that I couldn't identify so was hoping someone else could.
Photo 1, 3, and 4 were taken at Olomana Orchids. The owner, Peter Neifert, has accepted orchids as gifts from people over the years and isn't quite sure what they are himself. He's a software engineer that inherited this place from his Dad. I have always felt he was on the verge of shutting it down but couldn't quite let it go. This year, his family is involved - he has a new attitude about the business but is still not in it for the orchids. He is not propagating any of these orchids, just keeping them in his private collection. The orchids he sells are pretty much run of the mill (he sells a ton of white Phalaenopsis). He no longer is crossing his own plants but instead, ordering flasked orchids from Thailand. But he is fun and once in awhile, has something worth looking at. #3 and 4 are the same plant. Peter has no idea what it is. Also, #1, no clue.
Photo #2 was taken at Kawamoto Orchids. Mr. Kawamoto may know what it is - I didn't ask because I assumed I would find it online. No such luck. They too are no longer growing their own orchids but getting flasks from someplace else. # 5 is a shipment they had just received and were in the process of untangling.
Its fun to go see what's in these nurseries but the owners are going with what's profitable. So although there are reminders of another era, it's the common stuff that makes the big bucks. Now if I could just figure out how to talk them out of the unusual stuff, I would be all set.
Daisy
