BERGSTROM ORCHID NURSERY

FROM THE DESK OF

Bill Bergstrom

Dear Orchid Enthusiast: Many years ago when my business was based on collecting and importing rare orchids, I recognized that it would soon become impossible to continue selling wild plants. We looked all over for a place to build a nursery to grow the plants that I had come to love. Being that areas outside the United States were quickly crossed off the list as a result of government interference and terrorist situations, it was obvious that only in the States could a safe and economical site be found. Since we didn’t care for living in Florida, that left Hawaii alone as the most attractive area to grow and prosper. Further, we had a good chance to corral some of you into stopping by and visiting during your vacation. So here we are, happily ensconced on the Big Island of Hawaii, doing what we have always wanted to do. The next big change we had to undertake was an increase in capital, or in layman’s terms, to make more money. The species market is very limited. The amount of money made by us has remained level for many years now. What to do? Since the majority of commercial growers make their money in hybrids, it became clear that we would have to branch out into them also. Consequently, we are going to market Oncidium, Brassia, warm growing Odontoglossum, and Miltonia hybrids in any combination that will do well here in Hawaii. We have found such hybrids to be excellent sellers at the shows we attend, so there must be a demand for them. We trust that this will give us the financial stability to enable us to continue offering the rare species that we have become known for. A few words of explanation in regard to the brochure that will follow. We are attempting to create a full color catalog for the future. We have been beset with one problem after another, but the end is near. This is the next to the last effort. We simply cannot wait any longer for the final product. In the meantime, however, please accept this catalog which should be used for ordering what we have and expect to have in the near future. Hopefully, you will also use it to further your knowledge of orchids, particularly species orchids from around the world. Each species will be accompanied by abbreviations illustrating various attributes as follows:

BS (blooming size) NBS (near blooming size) SDLNG (seedling)

CMPT (in compot, generally 25 plantlets) F (fragrant)

MTD (mounted) SUN (grow sunny) SHADE (grow shaded, about 70%)

COOL, INTERMEDIATE, or WARM conditions.

Please note that it is always a good idea to indicate alternate plants in case we are out of stock on your first choice (hopefully, only temporarily). We seldom wait more than six months for any given item we run short on. The usual waiting period on normal offerings we run short of is two to three weeks. The normal wait for plants in stock during the spring, summer and early fall would be no more than a week or so. Winter shipping can be sporadic to areas that run below 38 degrees Fahrenheit during the daytime. For an additional $25, they can be weather-packed in Styrofoam. Please give your complete address for delivery, to include floor number if you are in a professional building. We at Bergstrom Orchids believe that we can deliver a special product to you and hope that we can satisfy your desires. If we fall short (heaven forbid), we will be more than happy to remedy any shortcomings. We firmly believe that a happy grower is a repeat customer.

Thanking you for your patronage,

The Bergstroms & Sibelius (our mean cat)