Orchidelirium | Why are People so Addicted to Orchids? My Story

[@pauladixon-williams3246]

Love your video. I grow in my house on shelves with grow lights. I live in California and have around 300 orchids in my house. I started growing orchids when I lost my husband. I received 2 orchids and said if I keep these 2 alive then I will start growing them. So they are my therapy for dealing with my husband’s death. 3 years later I’m still at it, and I love it! Thank you Nicole❤

[@NicoleDeanna]

@@pauladixon-williams3246 ❤️ I'm very sorry for your loss! I can see why orchid growing helps with the grief, you're giving life to 300 beautiful plants and they show you that they appreciate your care and give you the most wonderful treat when they bloom. Thank you for supporting my channel 🤗❤️

[@pauladixon-williams3246]

@@NicoleDeanna 💖💖💖

[@denisesase]

This is such a touching comment. ❤

[@pauladixon-williams3246]

@@denisesase 💖

[@emmanuelV37]

I agree with everything you said on this video about why we are addicted to orchids haha! To me, it's because they look like something from a different planet and when they blooms its like a little miracle! Love this video!

[@NicoleDeanna]

@@emmanuelV37 thank you friend ♥️♥️♥️

[@TerryMcGearyScotland]

I get that ‘little miracle’. And I get a feeling of achievement that I’ve managed to help the orchid do it. Also chuffed with myself that I propagated a Dendrobium from keikis😁🤗😊

[@rutherosado8718]

Girl you just hit the ball out of the park with this clip👏👏👏but let me explained something I was a serial orchid killer before I became a true orchid grower🤣🤣🤣I think I can write a book “ One thousand ways to kill an Orchid” and I mean the same orchid🤣🤣🤣The struggle was real 😫😫my collection is small now only 53 and all are outside (cover Patio) I live in the Caribbean and I have hot and humid weather. I used to have over a hundred but decided to gift many of them now I can pay more attention to my orchids without getting overwhelmed. I confess I do watch video after video all orchids related 🤣🤣🤣

[@NicoleDeanna]

@@rutherosado8718 thank you so much! We do learn from killing orchids! I'm lucky I still have my first phal. I think it's only alive because it was bigger, I killed so many mini phals after that because they were less forgiving when I didn't know how to water. Thank you for watching ♥️

[@TerryMcGearyScotland]

Wow! Caribbean versus Scotland. I might just away with mine outdoors under cover to avoid overwatering 😂

[@crazykittensmiles]

I really like that the whole plant including the roots are paid a lot of attention to. Most house plants you put them in soil and perlite and thats that. But orchids are more intricate and specialised. More thought and effort goes into them than most other house plants. 😊

[@NicoleDeanna]

@@crazykittensmiles I agree with you :)

[@richarddrake9650]

It's a Great way to wake up. Orchids are checked before my coffee

[@remaeburney832]

My orchids are checked , blinds up before my tea! 😊

[@NicoleDeanna]

Excellent! I do that sometimes too :))

[@richarddrake9650]

I have 6 phals. 1 raisin pie, 2 cattelaya so far asked my friend to grab me a bellina while he's in Florida lol...I'm hooked..

[@kat1984]

I have 45 orchids and grow in my bedroom. I love growing things in general but got hooked on orchids because of the variety of colors and growth habits. I love when I find a new flower spike or even new roots. I'm definitely addicted but I'm trying to keep my collection manageable

[@NicoleDeanna]

@@kat1984 keeping it all manageable is key, you want it to be rewarding and not a huge hassle ❤️

[@TerryMcGearyScotland]

I’m a new fan of the orchid and have only a couple of windowsills full. I’m surprised how little care they require: but that little bit has to be just right!😊

[@marylalone7104]

This was a wonderful video! Excellent topic for all of us orchid addicts. It’s addicting and de-stressing at the same time 😍

[@NicoleDeanna]

Thank you so much

[@rickl.orchids]

.....what a great idea for a video, and your orchid story was a wonderful journey supported by your mother......your sentiments about the orchid community were spot on....a really good video

[@NicoleDeanna]

Thank you Rick! Yes, I have a collection because if her :) I agree that the community is wonderful!

[@annatydniouk5739]

I am a good example for this video. I started growing orchids approximately a year ago and now have over 100 orchids. I could not stop buying them this winter. I have been so excited by variety of forms, smells, colors. Now I am trying to grow them well, which is not easy, but when they grow well and eventually flower, it makes me very happy.

[@NicoleDeanna]

I completely understand! They bring so much joy but we have to keep it manageable. Thank you for watching :)

[@Hollywiththeflowers]

I completely agree with all those reasons ! I’m completely obsessed with orchids. I’m coming up to my second anniversary of getting my first one. I know I will always want them around me for the rest of my life. I’ve grown houseplants since 2010 but they never drove me to obsession like I have found with orchids. They are such an escape from reality when reality is bad. I experienced a bereavement in 2022 in the April & by October I found orchids. It may sound a bit nuts, but orchids helped me through & have given me something to look forward to. Getting my first rebloom was so rewarding, even my kids enjoyed going to the orchid festival. I currently have two of my Vandas in bloom & achieving that rebloom indoors in gloomy and cold England felt like such an achievement. They are just fascinating, with all their variations. I found wild orchids, what a buzz! I honestly was so bored in my spare time before the orchidelerium kicked in. ❤️.

[@NicoleDeanna]

@@Hollywiththeflowers I'm so sorry for your loss! Orchids do help us get through though times. The do smile at us when they bloom :) it makes things better, it gives us hope and shows us the beauty in the world. I hope things are better for you. Appreciate you dropping by ♥️

[@erint5373]

I only have 19 😂 and my partner already says that's enough (until we have a bigger flat!) - I found orchids by accident: on KZbin during lockdown I came across a Brassia type "spider orchid" and just became fascinated by the whole species the more I learned. For me it's definitely a way of being in awe of nature, diversity and the strangeness of the natural world ❤ One day I would like to have a large collection like yours! But I am still figuring out the basics of care- had my first me-made flower a few months ago - Phal Little One) 💐❤

[@NicoleDeanna]

@@erint5373 I completely understand! It's such a great hobby, and you'll start seeing what you like more of and explore more new ones. You will have that collection one day :))

[@TerryMcGearyScotland]

Congratulations! I got a real buzz when I got my first one to flower again. I still get excited to see a new flower bud😊 I’ll happily buy bargain ‘past it’ ones to take on the challenge😂

[@anndriggers6660]

Hi Nicole 👋 Really enjoyed your video. I grow right outside Austin Texas and i have around two hundred orchids that i grow inside on shelves with lights mostly. Its too hot here in the growing season to keep them outside, i believe. I love the anticipation of all the different flowers! There are just so many different orchids. Its therapy for me.

[@NicoleDeanna]

@@anndriggers6660 TYSM ❤️ It's so exciting to watch them bloom!

[@edithagalang6269]

Same here ,keep buying more ❤️

[@NicoleDeanna]

Such a struggle haha

[@virginiadendy]

I’m definitely an orchid addict. Amazing perspective in this video. Thanks for all you do!

[@NicoleDeanna]

Thank you for watching :))

[@ninan3311]

Superb and so true! I've gone from 5 to 150 in 4 years!! The cataleya keiki haul I have also done! 😊

[@NicoleDeanna]

@@ninan3311 isn't it wild how quickly we can get out of control with them? So worth it though :))

[@mariapina1755]

All of it perfectly said!!! Orchidelirium is a real condition 😂

[@NicoleDeanna]

@@mariapina1755 so true 😂❤️ and then add the hoyas and we just have jungles 😭😂

[@mariapina1755]

@@NicoleDeanna yes!!! Nonstop addictions lol

[@remaeburney832]

I also 😊 have a first orchid. 15 years old. I learned a lot from her. My addiction started after illness forced me to retire. My daughter gave her to me to cheer me up.

[@NicoleDeanna]

It's wonderful that its alive! 15 years is incredible! I'm glad you were able to find a bright spot despite retirement. I also hope you're well

[@hillbillyorchids]

Hey hon great video! I have been told im weird for growing orchids but not a serial killer. 😂😂😂 my thing is the blooms. Im infatuated with blooms! It really is pretty blooms must have! 😊😂

[@NicoleDeanna]

@@hillbillyorchids 😂😂😂 I love blooms too! FRAGRANCE, omg, fragrance really does it for me you. Appreciate you friend ❤️

[@ColinP-u4e]

just bought 6 Phals for the grocer, following some great advice on You tube and looking forward to new spikes and blooms.

[@wandashaw3551]

Hi Nicole, Thank you for this video. Right now, I have 50 orchids in my plant collection. I AM IN LOVE AND OBSESSED WITH THEM. Knowing I can get an orchid to flower indoors for me because she's happy with my care is amazing. I love everything about them, from the roots to the tips of their leaves. ❤❤❤❤

[@NicoleDeanna]

@@wandashaw3551 thank you for watching and always supporting my channel Wanda ♥️ 50 is a nice amount :)) They are such a joy to care for, watch grow, repot and flower. Appreciate your lovely comments always 🤗

[@wandashaw3551]

You're very welcome. Nicole! Enjoy the rest of your weekend. ❤😊

[@edieroe1520]

Great video. I started with one orchid a couple years ago when one of my step sons gave me one for Mother’s Day. I had no idea how to grow orchids but thought I’d better learn fast as I didn’t want to kill it. It has since bloomed two more times for me and the obsession began. I have 28 now and love them all. ❤❤ 🇨🇦

[@NicoleDeanna]

How lovely! All it takes is just one, it's such a joy to grow!

[@TerryMcGearyScotland]

Good morning! I was surprised and delighted by my recent bargain Oncidium when the dancing lady flowered and has occasional interesting scent. I’ve only bought supermarket and garden centre ones.

[@justinsdutchtropics]

Nice story Nicole, nice of your mum to get you in on it! I know what you mean about the fragrances, that really adds another dimension. As far as addictions go, I think orchid addiction is a great one to have, if you've gotta have one, let it be that😂. I think I'm over 300 plants now, but who's counting😂

[@NicoleDeanna]

I agree that this not a terrible vice to have at all 😂♥️ Thanks for watching :))

[@elsapanta9251]

Hi, yes it’s a hobby that is so rewarding especially when I see the plant that is giving new roots and then the leaves are growing and one know the plant is doing fine 🥰… right now I have around 20 orchids, I love to put them in decorative vases around my house by windows sills to show off their beauty 😊they relax me!.. ps: I just bought 5 today my first 3 specialty orchids, another fragrant phal an one oncidium so now I have 2 of them different varieties, so excited about them! …love your videos!

[@NicoleDeanna]

@@elsapanta9251 thank you so much! They are such a pleasure to grow and bloom ❤️

[@lenorepeloso2378]

My daughter grows two orchids that she totally neglects and are gorgeous. At that time I had killed three phals. I was determined to learn to grow them. I started with the two that I almost killed. Listened to the Orchid Whisperer, and to Nicole, got grow lights, and never looked back. I now have 18. I especially love Bellina’s, but I’m pretty much only raising Phals. I have limited space so I’m going for smaller plants now. When my first phal bloomed, the one I killed, I was sooooo excited. It’s the beauty of the flowers I love. Orchids have taught me patience. They have taught me that I have to surrender to their whims. All life lessons.

[@NicoleDeanna]

What a lovely comment at the end. You're so right! We just need to surrender to their will and not force anything. Rules of life! :) As for the phals, wait till you try cattleyas, you may end up with more :)) Thank you for watching, I'm so glad my videos have been helpful!

[@MariaAvila-Wallace]

Thanks!

[@NicoleDeanna]

@@MariaAvila-Wallace thank you so much ❤️

[@simonaivanica8283]

Hi Nicole, thanks for your chat. I am a plants lover since I can remember😊. I discovered orchids due to one work colleague and I consider them interesting and challenging friends. I started also with Phalaenopsis and now, after 8 years I have some Cattleyas, Oncidium and Vandas. I grow them in a balcony and apartment conditions. Cheers.

[@NicoleDeanna]

So nice to expand to other types!! They are so rewarding to bloom, especially the vandas since they are more challenging (at least for my conditions). I appreciate you watching :) ♥️

[@simonaivanica8283]

@@NicoleDeanna I'm still learning about vandas, they are more finicky than the others, 🙂

[@OrchidboyTroy]

I think for me it’s history and culture that has come with my copious hours of orchid research. I know more about Borneo, Thailand, Brasil, etc than I ever did before. I added a lot of orchid dense areas to my weather app to see first hand their temperatures and humidity across the year. I love learning about the hybrids that have been created over the years. (Especially white Cattleyas). And I like following hybridizers’ work. It’s amazing how the modern hobby began in the 18th century and hasn’t skipped a beat over hundreds of years. Awesome share!! 😁

[@NicoleDeanna]

@@OrchidboyTroy great perspective! I also think the hobby is going to continue to grow :) Thank you for dropping by!

[@crazykittensmiles]

Obsession for sure lol I definitely didn't buy 8 new orchids this week 👀

[@NicoleDeanna]

@@crazykittensmiles 8 is nothing... There's always room for more 😂😂😂❤️

[@crazykittensmiles]

😍🌸

[@denisesase]

😂 OK, we'll all pretend you didn't. But we all know that you definitely did. Enjoy 😁🤗

[@shirleyholt898]

You did a fantastic job on orchid addiction. It is fun to get them to bloom. I’m probably getting to my max with 140. I think having on line friends and belonging to an orchid society makes it easier to learn, share, and grow in knowledge. Thank you Nicole. I always enjoy your video’s. 💞🤗👏💐

[@NicoleDeanna]

@@shirleyholt898 thank you so much Shirley! 140 is a lot of work, but I'm glad you recognize you're at or near your max. I am too, any more and I don't think I can handle any more, but it's the hoyas that got me that I need to stop with now 😂🥹 they get big very quickly! Have a great weekend ♥️

[@shirleytaylor9267]

Another great video! I have been growing a few different specimens sized cattleyas (that have resulted in several almost specimens sized divisions for each) and multiple divisions of a Sharry Baby outdoors for years and they have rewarded me with gorgeous blooms every year. A manageable collection but when I started watching several orchid channels a few years ago, my orchid addiction was born 😊. At first I would buy a mini phal from the grocery store or Lowe’s and try to grow it on a windowsill….if it made it, great and if it fizzled out, at least I hadn’t spent much for the time I enjoyed the blooms. It’s over the last year that it’s grown from an ember to a flame as a way to cope with stress from my husband’s major health issues. I have 50 indoor orchids (phals, cattleyas, dendrobiums, tolumnias, and oncidiums 🤪) and have added a few more cattleyas to my outdoor crew (16-20 depending on if my neighbor wants some divisions). Still trying to get most of my indoor orchids to rebloom, frustrating at times but that just pushes me to get more knowledgeable and try different things until I succeed. Thanks Nicole for inspiring me to keep growing 😊❤

[@NicoleDeanna]

@@shirleytaylor9267 ♥️♥️ I'm glad it's a stress reliever for you! It's also wonderful you have a neighbor that you can share divisions with. You will rebloom your plants :) it's just patience once you have their care down. I'm really glad you enjoy the videos 🤗

[@Marvel170]

Around 2013 I got into bonsai. I saw the displays and some of them had neos as part of the seasonal element of the display. While I was doing research into elements of a good display I fell down a rabbit hole of plants that could be displayed along with the trees. 2 years later (2015)I discovered what a beautiful orange flowering plant I saw in kroger was called. An oncidium orchid after I saw the shape of those. The grocery store flowers with no smell never interested me. I bought a couple to see if I could keep them alive. I succeeded in keeping a standard and mini phals alive. One of the minis that I picked up was a very reliable bloomer and it reminded me of cherry or apple blossoms. I always thought I could smell something from it. My success gave me confidence. I had limited space because I still lived at home with my parents. I started searching the web, and found Tolumnia orchids and bought a couple of those. Again I succeeded in getting those to bloom almost regularly with little to no knowledge of what the heck I was doing. I then found out about orchid shows and went to one. Falling in love with scented orchids. Buying my first oncidium and falling head over heels for brassia orchids. Oncidium Sharry baby sweet fragrance. I found a very large Miltassia Shelob Tolkien, it is literally my most favorite orchid ever. I have never smelled a peppery anything and liked it as much as that orchid. After that I was officially hooked, but took a break for about for about 4-5 years focusing on school, work, and building a life. I just lost that first Sharry baby I got all those years ago. Now though I have atound 50ish orchids and a different environment. It really is just trial and error trying to find what grows good in this house I have. Seeing how my skill level has improved over the years is nice, but there have been some plants that have kept me humble. I am and will always be still learning from these beautiful plants. My collection consists of plants I find beautiful, want to try my hand at, dedicated to a lost one, fragrance, and novelty. Thank you for listening to my ted talk lol.

[@NicoleDeanna]

@@Marvel170 sounds like a wonderful journey, and breaks from collections are common, but when we have time, we build them back and with more experience and better :)

[@BlueJays_Orchids]

Thanks for sharing so cool that your mom was into orchids. I am the first orchid person in my family. But I read an entertaining book called Orchid Muse I think? It talked some about orchidelirium. Yes about our plant community too it had been such a joy meeting everyone in the plant community 🤗

[@NicoleDeanna]

I heard about that book! I have to check it out! the community is amazing 🤩♥️

[@Joe-nj3bb]

Orchids interest me because of their abilities to imitate pollinators and clone themselves through keikis. I think there's a lot about nature that is still unknown. The exotic flowers also remind of tropical places such as Hawaii and they've been around since the dinosaurs. I currently have 38 orchids including phals, cattleyas, paphs, dendrobiums, a mounted gastrochilus, the coconut orchid, and a miltoniopsis. 12:52 I saw the Leopard cattleya at Logee's for the first time last month. I took a video of the orchids they had and it's at the end. I think it had a sweet cinnamon type of fragrance.

[@NicoleDeanna]

@@Joe-nj3bb orchids are so cool! Blc. Waianae Leopard smells like a cinnamony rose 🌹 it's strong and really nice! Thanks for watching :)

[@bukskarl]

I love orchids, I collect mostly scented flowers Orchid, have got around 36 with scented flowers and like 6 with unscented. I have a natural perfume in my house. I don't feed them anything, I only use rain water for all my indoor plants, as I live in Auckland, New Zealand and it rains at least twice a week and more sometimes.

[@NicoleDeanna]

@@bukskarl lovely! I find the same, when orchids are blooming, it smells wonderful ❤️

[@guaynabicha]

One more reason for loving orchids: I don't have to deal with soil. 😂 I grow mine in bark and charcoal. ❤

[@NicoleDeanna]

Facts! Haha, it's a teeny bit less messy haha :)

[@denisesase]

Hi Nicole! I've watched a lot of your videos and think they're awesome 👌 ❤. I'm a huge fan of your cat Zoey 😍. A friend I used to work with is called Zoey (she enabled me to buy a lot of orchids, although she doesn't really grow many herself 😂). I've shown her one of your videos with Zoey, the cat, and we both think it's hilarious. All orchid growers should have a Zoey in their life 😂😂. As for your comment on orchid growers tending to be really nice people 👌 👏 I couldn't agree more - I'm always saying that too 😂. The growers I've met in this hobby are some of the kindest people ever. I think if someone has the patience and diligence to nurture and care for plants 🪴 they're a special kind of awesome ❤❤. And finally, onto the orchid addiction topic - I find it very therapeutic looking after my plants. I first came across orchids when my dad dabbled in their cultivation a long time ago, and they've always had a special elegance about them. I was gifted one by some colleagues and bought one of my own when I was going through a really hard time. I kept being drawn to the blooms wherever I saw them on sale. I didn't have much success with some of my earlier plants and almost gave up on the hobby. Luckily, I gave it one last shot and did a lot of research on how to care for them. Thankfully, my more educated efforts were successful, and I kept going. I just adored my orchid blooms and their fragrances so much that I kept adding to the collection. It can be demanding looking after more than 70, but they are also very rewarding ❤.

[@NicoleDeanna]

Thank you so much for watching my videos. Your comment put a smile on my face. I agree with growers being very kind - and you described it very well - we have the patience and diligence to grow and care for (sometimes tricky) plants and we are indeed a special kind of awesome. I really like this community. I'm sorry about your tough time, but I'm glad orchids were able to pull you through. I think it's often a balance. I have too much and went through a difficult time 2 years ago myself and found myself neglecting the collection for a while and I couldn't keep up, but when things improved, they were there and like a sunshine ready for me to tackle. Have a wonderful weekend

[@denisesase]

@@NicoleDeanna 💖

[@NicoleDeanna]

As for Zoe hahaha, i love her but she drives me crazy eating all my orchids. She once knocked down my oncidium back when I only had like 3-4 orchids, when it was in spike and it only blooms once per year. I was so mad at her lol. But she's loving and adorable.

[@denisesase]

@NicoleDeanna That's why I live vicariously through your videos 🤣. Before orchids came into my life, cats were my favourite 😍...now I don't know if I could cope with a cat eating my eagerly awaited blooms 😂. Hats off to you for your patience with Zoey 🥰

[@YRMYPPPT]

❤ awesome chat ❤

[@NicoleDeanna]

😍

[@ileanavalerio3637]

Hi Nicole, great video. For me, Fragrance and breauty together will wake up our adiction/ love receptors in our brain 🧠 lol 🤪. As always, your an excellent Orchid mommy. Its your moms fault, she hooked you un-unoticeably jiji 🤭. I think I may have more or less 200 orchids! I should not buy anymore …. Ahhh I have no space… but, hum, let’s see. 😅🤭💐

[@NicoleDeanna]

I say the same thing all the time. I need to stop accepting hoyas, those take up so much space because they grow fast and take space from the orchids. Orchids are THE BEST ♥️ thanks for watching!

[@richarddrake9650]

Love the Sherry Baby...

[@NicoleDeanna]

So good!

[@gwenncoath8941]

Yes, I have found something similar - usually the cat people and plant people are very nice people…or sometimes very different but friendly people. I speak from experience since I’m a cat and plant person…. 😉

[@NicoleDeanna]

@@gwenncoath8941 ♥️🤗 it's a wonderful community!

[@genizi]

Beautiful video. I have 250 orchids. I grow outdoor in South Florida. I grow mainly Dends, Vandas, a few Catts.Oncidium, Ilove phals but have difficulty growing them so my focus and collection is less on them.❤🙏,

[@NicoleDeanna]

@@genizi I hear that a lot about phals in very humid weather. I have issues with vandas here but I keep trying :) Ty for watching!

[@MSgrismelda]

Definitely no serial killer have time for orchids ahahahahahahahaha

[@NicoleDeanna]

You were the one who told me that and I never forgot hahaha. You like the thumbnail for this video? Its your collection :)

[@MSgrismelda]

😂😂😂😂❤❤❤❤❤❤ Thank you!!! I love the video ahahahahahhaaja 😘💚💚💚

[@tuulavirtanen2920]

So. Qhy you didn't talk talk about orrrchids with. Your mother . ? She obviously knew something about. Growing. Them .

[@NicoleDeanna]

@@tuulavirtanen2920 she's shy ♥️ I'll try to see if she can join me one day. She makes cameo appearances in my orchid show videos 😉