Orchids grown on a grand scale

David and Jane Edgley live in greater La Conner. They moved here five years ago from Whidbey Island. David is an enterprise architect with a large computer company. His hobby and passion is growing orchids. He has over 200 orchids in a climate-controlled greenhouse he built on the flat roof of his garage.

He built his first, small greenhouse at their home in Seattle, and when they moved to Whidbey Island he built a new greenhouse for his orchids. When they moved to La Conner, he made several improvements to a new, larger greenhouse.

Edgley developed his interest in orchids as a teenager living in Subic Bay, Philippines, where his father worked for the Department of the Navy. One day he spotted a curious plant growing on a tree in his backyard. He learned it was a species of orchid native to the Philippines and the spark ignited. Five years later, back in the states, Edgley bought a few orchids at a Vashon Island nursery. He bought grow lights, built a small greenhouse of redwood and fiberglass and when he moved to Whidbey in 1994, his hobby had become a “serious” effort.

Edgley’s primary interest is Phalaenopsis orchids. This genus has their growth spurts in the spring and summer. Some are summer bloomers but most of his orchids bloom from February through May. Some bloom two or three times a year, others only once.

Edgley controls the greenhouse’s summer temperature at 85 degrees. At night, the temperature drops into the low 60s.

He likes to experiment developing orchid hybrids. Many of his hybrids are registered, unique specimens. Other orchid growers grow only orchids that grow in nature – no hybridizing.

Orchids are the largest plant family in the world with over 30,000 species. Edgley has plants that are tiny – no more than an inch high. Others are very large with big leaves, taking up several feet of growing space. Many have hanging roots, others, barely any roots. When they flower, their shapes and colors are diverse, and wonderful.

Edgley welcomes visitors to his greenhouse several times a year. He is an accredited judge with the American Orchid Society, a member of the Mt. Baker Orchid Society and travels frequently to judge and provide his expertise to other orchid groups.

Edgley just returned from judging an orchid show in B.C. He says Canada may have more orchid growers than the U.S.

The Mount Vernon yearly orchid show is held the first weekend in March at Skagit Valley Nursery. The American Orchid Society has information: AOS.org.