MECHANICSBURG, Pa. (WHTM) – John Stoner of York, Pennsylvania has been growing orchids for 40 years and has been sharing his love of the plants with Central Pennsylvania residents through the Susquehanna Orchid Society for over a decade.

“It’s a challenge trying to grow them,” Stoner said. “It’s almost like a chemistry experiment.”

Stoner has a greenhouse attached to his home that is his orchid oasis. Once your step over the welcome mat that says, “Grandpa’s Playhouse”, which Stoner says was not his idea, and pass the push-pin board displaying at least 50 blue first-place ribbons from various orchid societies and shows you are transported into a jungle or orchids.

There are over 500 orchids in Stoner’s greenhouse, which includes about 75 species and several hundred hybrids of orchids. They are hanging from the ceiling of the greenhouse, surrounding the edges of the greenhouse and covering tables. There is a wall at the entrance of the greenhouse that is made up of a bunch of micro-orchids.

Each have their own unique colors and patterns, and some have specific smells unique to the orchid species. There’s one in Stoner’s greenhouse that smells exactly like coconut.

“There’s so many different varieties so there’s something for everybody, which is a nice thing,” Stoner said. “I like growing (some) kinds of orchids and then other members like growing different ones and everybody has their things.”

Stoner says no matter what type of home someone has, they can grow an orchid.

“You can grow on windowsills, you can have a sunny window or a shady window or a cold place in your house,” Stoner said. “You can grow all sorts of types.”

Stoner said that he can’t choose one type of orchid as his favorite, but he has a special place in his heart for his oldest orchid. He’s had that orchid for 40 years; he got it while he was attending the University of Michigan.

“I always say if the house is burning down, that’s probably what I’ll grab first,” Stoner said.

Stoner’s orchid “addiction”, as he calls it, began when his wife was in the hospital. The person in the room next to her was discharged, and there was an orchid left behind. Stoner brought the orchid from that room into his wife’s room.

“We had one and then I got another one, and then I got another one, and then I got another one,” Stoner said. “And then I built a greenhouse. And then I built another greenhouse. And now I’m working on my third greenhouse. It’s kind of an addiction.”

What kept Stoner infatuated with orchids was the science that goes into caring for them. Stoner, who is a physician, likes the educational component of maintaining the plants.

“Everything’s different and that’s part of the fun of this,” Stoner said. “I have to remember what this one likes and what that one likes. If you get it all correct, you’ll hopefully get it to bloom.”

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Stoner shares his love and knowledge of orchids with the public through events with the Susquehanna Orchid Society. They hold an annual show the first weekend in February called ‘For the Love of Orchids’ where people can bring their orchids and ask questions.

There are also informative presentations from the members; last February, Stoner gave a talk entitled ‘How not to kill your orchid and get them to bloom’.

“We have a lot of very knowledgeable people that can answer questions and hopefully. . . promote (attendees) interest in orchids and have them enjoy the process of growing them just like I do,” Stoner said.

Stoner said the most common orchids, the ones people can buy at the grocery store, are phalaenopsis. For those who purchase these, Stoner stressed it’s important to not overwater them and to place them in a pot with drainage holes.

Stoner also noted that these orchids need to experience colder temperatures in the fall. They must be exposed to the mid-60s for about two weeks in order to bloom.

“Put it on a cold windowsill and that will initiate and stimulate flower spike production,” Stoner said. “You have to have a temperature drop to get it to bloom.”

Stoner encourages anyone interested in learning more about orchids or who are thinking of growing their own to attend one of the Susquehanna Orchid Society events. When not helping out at one of these events promoting orchids, Stoner can be found tending to his own extensive collection of orchids.

“(If) my wife can’t find me she knows where I am,” Stoner said. “I’m in (the greenhouse).”

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