"Hoosier Orchid... is going out of business at the end of August. ... William Rhodehamel said the ornamental flowers have become a commodity now stocked even at stores like Costco. "It used to be that if you wanted orchids in Indianapolis, you had to come to us," Rhodehamel said.
Business also withered because fewer people are showing interest in the myriad specialty versions that Rhodehamel raised. Membership in the American Orchid Society, a group of hobbyists and enthusiasts, has fallen substantially in recent years. Rhodehamel started Hoosier Orchid in 1989... He eventually cultivated orchids never before grown from seed, as well as some varieties that have never received scientific names. "We have some incredibly rare plants here, some not maintained anywhere else in the world," Rhodehamel said. "We'll put those in botanical gardens where we know they'll be safe." " URL : http://cms.ibj.com/ASPXPages/6iframes/FrontEndArticlesDetailPage.aspx?ArticleID=17977&NoFrame=1 ************ Regards, VB _______________________________________________ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
