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A. pedatoradium from Chiapas

Windy, do I know that and I sure wish I had your weather! 

We are now considering selling our 120 year old colonial home with the atrium attached and move all the rare and wild collected specimens plus starts of most everything from NW Arkansas to Little Rock.  As some of you know my eventual goal is to donate the entire collection to the Little Rock Zoo to be displayed in a new rain forest exhibit they are hoping to build.  Almost all the plants in the ground will stay as well as the hanging log since I'm afraid I would destroy it by trying to take it down. 

My goal is to build a building twice this size so I can add even more "logs" as well as many rare and large aroid species.  Due to Dr. Croat's work my concentration is now on Ecuadorian species and I need a lot more room for plants to climb as well as places to hang all the plants from the ceiling as they grow.  As you can see we use a lot of 12 inch square orchid baskets to grow our large Anthurium species so they at least appear to be in their natural epiphytic form.  We already have specimens hanging over the walkways with 6 foot spans, especially on the opposite side of the pond and waterfall which isn't shown! 

I'm hoping showing these photos does not violate my trust with Derek since they were taken for an Aroideana article in the next issue.  As you can see we've used up just about all the room.   You'll at least get to see a bit of color here on one photo including our large epiphytic log which is now beginning to produce blooming orchids as well as many bromeliad species with an inflorescence!  The center post has large species growing as high as 18 feet already!  And by the way, if you want to buy a "rain forest" this one may soon be for sale, at least a lot of it!

 If you want to see more my article telling of all the mistakes we made while building our "rain forest" plus a lot more good reading will be in the next issue.  If you're not already a member you need to go to the International Aroid Society right now and join on the IAS website.  That way you'll receive the next issue of Aroideana plus a lot more!   http://www.aroid.org/

Steve Lucas
www.ExoticRainforest.com

PS:  All of you are welcome to visit anytime!  We host lots of guests.


Windy Aubrey wrote:
Steve,
 
Although at times it seems that room to grow 'everything' seems impossible, never give up!
 
Even though I am lucky to live in an environment conducive to grow just about anything 'tropical' without a greenhouse, I continue to grow my plants on benches and contained in a hard roof greenhouse. 
 
I do hang a lot of plants, but the majority of everything I grow is up on benches.
 
To fill my space as full as possible I have even employed tiered benches, and that allows for even more.
 
Remember....If there is a will, there is a way! ;>)
 
Windy
oid-l

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