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Job In An Exotic Location

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By JUDY SILVERSTEIN GRAY, Tribune correspondent

Published: October 20, 2007

NORTHDALE - Only minutes from shopping malls in northwest Hillsborough County, sits a 5-acre secret garden that is home to nearly 30,000 orchids.

Paul and Patricia Phelps raise the colorful tropical flowering plants for retailers and wholesalers, selling blooms and bulbs to those addicted to the beguiling beauties.

'People respond to the intrigue of orchids,' said Paul Phelps, 53. 'It's the mystery and the beauty - and that they're so exotic. They're perceived to be so rare and delicate a plant.'

That is somewhat of a myth, he said, because most are not that difficult to grow.

Still, patience is a virtue in the orchid business, where some plants take years to bloom. But contrary to popular belief, not all orchids are delicate. They have outlasted the dinosaurs and can be found in nearly every climate and environment in the world.

With more than 120,000 documented hybrids, their adaptability - first documented by Charles Darwin - is legendary.

A lifelong plant lover, Patricia Phelps got her first glimpse of orchids when a neighbor took her to visit a grower. Her first orchid was a Dendrobium, with floating purple blooms. Later, the two attended the first meeting of the Tampa Orchid Society, and Phelps was hooked. From Cymbidium to Vanda, Oncidium to Phalaenopsis, each graceful plant offered a chance to delve into the unknown.

A confirmed Cattleya fan, Patricia Phelps, 50, is protective and meticulous with the orchids that dangle from her porch or are in the 90-degree greenhouse at Phelps Orchid Farm.

'They're kind of like pals. You get attached to each one,' she said. 'They're all different colors and configurations - single flower, multifloral - and each one will surprise you. It's pretty much addictive.'

Raising orchids can be challenging, said Paul Phelps, settling in on the porch under a chime of driftwood and shells. Shadow, the couple's six-toed descendant of a Hemingway cat, was stretched out in a sliver of afternoon sun beneath a potted orchid with blooms that dangled close to his whiskers.

Paul Phelps talked about epiphytes - a type of plant that includes some orchids - that attach to host trees from which they derive no nutrition. With aerial roots, these are a good match for tropical climates, but the plants prefer filtered rather than direct sunlight.

The challenge in raising orchids, he said, 'comes from understanding the culture of your plant.'

'If it won't grow in a container, you can try a piece of bark,' Patricia Phelps added. Other potting mediums include fir bark, sphagnum moss and volcanic rock.

Caring for orchids involves planning, although the couple said most types are easier to raise than people suspect. Each month they use 25 pounds of fertilizer for their plants, which drink nearly 2,000 gallons of water each week. 'People typically don't do enough of two things: watering and fertilizing,' Paul Phelps said.

'There's also OMD, old mix disorder: the inability to drain or get oxygen,' Patricia Phelps said.

Paul Phelps has developed 789 hybrids. Not all make it to his greenhouse. The seed pod may not take, or it may not make a viable seed. It's the process he finds intriguing.

'The practical application of the science of orchid growing is fascinating. And it's the diversity that interests me,' he said.

Phelps, who also devotes his time to maintaining the company Web site, said he enjoys learning and sharing information with others. The couple are involved with the Tampa Orchid Society, where Paul Phelps often leads informational workshops, urging the uninitiated to try their hand at orchid growing.

'The reward comes with the blooms,' said Patricia Phelps, who connects a special memory to each plant.

Phelps Orchid Farm is open for purchases by appointment only. The couple get frequent calls from customers seeking to expand their collections and from others with concerns about their plants.

What began as a hobby when Paul Phelps worked in the flooring business has led to a successful and fulfilling calling. The Phelpses have been cited by the American Orchid Society for their work, amassing several merit awards, Highly Commended Certificates, and show trophies for the best exhibits. The couple are quick to deflect attention and credit others in the business with teaching them the ropes.

They met in 1971 when Paul Phelps was attending Leto High School and Patricia was enrolled at Tampa Bay Tech, where Paul's brother attended.

Although orchid growing is a passion, so is their love for the land. Native trees dripping Spanish moss and a natural cypress head running through the property give the property a lush look. Their residence is an old barn they converted into a three-bedroom house.

But the real rewards are in the greenhouse, awash with color and healthy bloom spikes. From the deep-veined purples to the iridescent blues and ruby-throated and ruffled whites, each beckons.

Some flowers are the size of an orange, others tiny, delicate and almost imperceptible in a greenhouse full of color and long, lush stalks. Others are spotted like leopards, and plenty are sensual and frilly. Orchids have an array of potent aromas - a mingling of root beer, chocolate and coconut.

Paul Phelps warned that some are less appealing.

'Those less desirable scents will attract certain pollinators, such as carrion beetles and blowflies,' he said.

He noted that orchids do not expel large amounts of pollen, making them the official flower of the Asthma and Allergy Foundation.

In the distance, Patricia Phelps spotted a stalk of new, red blooms she hadn't noticed before. She was visibly pleased.

'You always see something different, and that's what makes it satisfying to grow orchids,' she said.

For information, go to www.phelpsfarm.com, or call for an appointment at (813) 961-8427.

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