Summary
Eva Morse, 65, has run the Town Clerk's Office from her home for 40 years. Calais recently started construction on an office that will operate independently of Morse's residence. But for now, citizens in search of voter-registration forms and other bureaucratic paperwork are bathed in the perfume of Morse's orchids. What is it about these flowers that provokes such passion? "They're so chiseled and so perfect," Morse sighs. "You almost don't believe they're real."
Morse isn't alone in her "orchidelirium"; societies have sprung up all over the country for the flower, and there are enough orchidists in Vermont to support three far-flung clubs: The Twin State Orchid Society in Norwich, the Green Mountain Orchid Society in Warren and the one Morse belongs to: the Gardener's Supply Orchid Club in Burlington, where orchidists meet monthly to discuss flower families such as Dendrobia and Cattleyas, and trade tips for growing orchids. At their April meeting this week, orchid-expert Steve Frowine talks about "Growing Orchids without a Greenhouse."Hope Riehle, 71, of South Burlington bought her first orchid when her son was 2 years old. That son now has children of his own, and Riehle has more than 200 orchids. "When I'm in the greenhouse, I completely lose myself," she admits. Her collection has waxed and waned in the past 30 years -- sometimes dramatically, as when her son shipped 150 plants to her from Thailand -- but more often in plant-by-plant increments. "You can't just buy one; you're hooked," she says. "It's really a disease."See the full content of this document
Extract
Enticed by Orchids; How a Flower Can Grow On Its Owner
The sexiest plant I have ever seen is perched on a filing cabinet, reproductive parts unabashedly exposed, rouged flesh bedewed with thick, sticky, come-hither nectar. Its petals are waxen to the touch and have the delicate, maroon-to-yellow blush of a Gala apple. This Cypripedium, or Lady's-slipper orchid, is one of more than 300 orchid plants in residence at the Calais Town Clerk's office. Behind the photocopier, an open door leads to a small greenhouse, where the limpid green leaves and th...
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