Orchid goosebumps surprise

Alright all you plant nerds out there.....put your seat belts on.  We're taking a trip to an amazing local I discovered this last week.  I drive past it two times five days a week and never bothered to check it out until now.  What am I talking about?

Orchid's by Hausermann. 

It's a very deceiving place from the street.  You see some of the green house but everything is down this long drive behind some residential houses that I later found out belong to different members of their family.  I've also since found out through their website that they are the oldest and largest orchid growers in the Midwest.  It's a 4 acre orchid ranch!  I had no idea what I was in for when I went their as all this information was acquired after my visit.  Why then did I go?  I was having a rough day, needed a distraction and saw on their sign they were having a sale on perennials.  Of course.  A SALE!  And off I went down the inconspicuous driveway to a little parking lot. 

I spent a little time walking around outside in what I thought was the majority of the plants they had, all perennials, veggies and annuals though, the selection of which was pretty awesome.  I was getting ready to leave when I thought, hmmm, didn't the sign say orchids?  So where are the orchids?  Well I looked around and there was this tiny sign that read "Orchids This Way" with an arrow.  I of course followed the arrow around a dark corner.  I got goosebumps when I was confronted with this.

The hallways that wove through the series of greenhouses was like a maze.  It seemed like every time I would hit the end of one there would be a little sign saying "More Orchids" directing me onward. 

There were orchids on tables, on the walls, and even hanging from the pipes above my head.

More and more and more rooms full of amazing color.  Now I've seen alot of orchids in my day and even shipments of them coming in from overseas but never anything like this.  Finally I realized they were closing in 2 minutes and I had left my cart of plants somewhere a few greenhouses away so I ran back to find it.  After chatting with the lovely lady at the checkout I went back to my car and just sat there for a minute thinking "Did I just see that?"  I liken it to walking into the Willy Wonka of orchid factories.  Oh yea I'll return, maybe with backup, when I have a few more hours to wander the isles of orchids, if nothing but to just take more pictures.  Don't cha just love surprises like that?

Garden on!
Anita

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