THE BACKBONE
a publication of the Connecticut Orthopedic Society
Volume 6 - Fall 2003
WHEN I’M NOT PRACTICING MEDICINE
Now when I come home from the office, just like you, I’m pretty pooped. But do I sit back with a scotch, newspaper and ballgame and crash before dinner? No way. Though I don’t count myself a particularly spiritual man, I find the tranquility and peace I need to recharge my batteries lies just a few steps away in the greenhouse.
I grow orchids, and not that stuff you find at Home Depot… real orchids from so very, very far away. There are upwards of 30,000 species and many are so fantastic it boggles the mind. This is no small endeavor, but an endeavor that utilizes all my clinical skills to be successful. And because many orchid societies exist, there are opportunities to rub shoulders with experts who make acquiring the skills a pleasure. That’s how I learned. It can take many years, but what worthwhile enterprise doesn’t? An opportunity to share, travel, exchange ideas …you get the idea. These plants, like all the others, will tell you just what they need. Learn to read the signs and symptoms and voila….it’s just another kind of medicine. Semiology but without the benefit of English. Winning awards at shows is only half the thrill. I’ve had photographs of my plants published, I have delivered talks at various society meetings, and I have traveled to the four corners of the world to get a better understanding of just how these critters live when left to their own devices.
Even without a greenhouse, one can be quite successful. Hanging outside in dappled shade, they’ll grow like crazy from mid May till Labor Day. Indoors, under fluorescent lights, you have total environmental control. Many folks just grow their orchids on trays on a windowsill. The key to success is to read, visit others with similar setups, and join a local orchid society where folks are happy to share their knowledge. Why not check out the annual Orchid show this spring in NYC (Rockefeller Center)? Here, you can see a wide cross section of species and hybrids on glorious display. I guarantee you’ll see plants from Australia, Burma, New Guinea, India, Ecuador, Columbia, Panama, and the list goes on. There’ll be seminars and discussions about various aspects of orchid culture and vendors from near and far. (The show is densely crowded on weekends. Consider Thursday or Friday.)
So when I come home and ask “How was your day? Can I get you a drink?” It’s not always my dear wife I’m talking to.
~Lawrence Schweitzer ,MD is a general orthopedist who practices in Danbury.~
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