Click here to view Yoshi's orchid photos as slide shows

All of the photographs shown on this site, except for those in the "Contributors' Galleries" and "Ron Griesbeck Mem. Photo Gallery" were taken by me.   Some of them are old photos which were recently scanned in with a Hewlett-Packard PhotoSmart Photo Scanner, and the rest were taken with an Olympus D-600L digital camera (1998 - April 2000) and Olympus C-2500L SLR digital camera (May 2000 - Dec. 2004).  I started to use Olympus E-300, a digital SLR camera in December 2004.

All of the flowers and plants that are shown, with the exception of those in the "Orchid Shows" gallery and the "Contributors' Galleries", are or were grown by me.  Some of them have since gone to the Orchid Heaven or been given away!  Although I don't have a greenhouse, I do have two greenhouse windows and a skylight where I keep sun-loving orchids in winter.  Many of the blooming plants decorate the greenhouse window over the kitchen sink. Phalaenopsis and the other genera that do not require high light, are kept under fluorescent lights.   Also, I have two small Wardian cases.  In summer most of them go outdoors.  Cymbidiums and some cold-tolerant orchids such as Australian dendrobiums, laelias, lycastes, masdevallias, odontoglossums, and sarcochilus, stay outdoors all year.  Although it is slightly too cold in winter for them to bloom well, they manage OK under the eaves on the south side of the house. 

In June, 2002, I completed a covered porch in my backyard where I grow most of my collection from early spring to late fall.  Here is a view from the dining room.  The porch takes advantage of the L-shaped corner of the house that opens toward North -East. Its dimensions are 8' x 14'.  Orchid plants receive direct sun from early morning to about noon, although the ones in the back receive for shorter durations. In the afternoon, they are protected by green shade cloth.  I grow cymbidiums, Nobile-type dendrobiums, and mounted  laelias on the South side of the house.

Since I decided I did not wish to take care of the lawn (by watering, fertilizing, and then mowing!), I have no lawn what so ever.  Both the front yard and the backyard are full of trees, bushes, and plants.   I use large bark chips to cover the unplanted areas.  This scheme has worked out very well so far.