Blooming success

In a quirk of fate, Alan Koch is splitting time between shows, lectures and Mother's Day."Mother's Day is by far our biggest holiday," said Koch, owner of Gold Country Orchids in rural Lincoln. "I probably sell at least 500 orchids from right here. And that doesn't count all the orchids bought by commercial sellers."Koch said it's somewhat difficult to pin down exactly how many orchids he sells that are given to moms on their special day. Just last week, a Sacramento-area nursery placed an order for 50 orchid plants. Other nurseries and florists also have placed orders.Gold Country OrchidsWhere: 390 Big Ben RoadPhone: (916) 645-8600The orchid is the No. 1 flower, in terms of industry sales, Koch said. It's even more popular than roses.And, its popular holiday season comes during the orchid's show season, which runs from the second week of January to the third week of May.This week, Koch heads to Denver and Salt Lake City, where he is scheduled to deliver lectures about orchids. Following that is a large show in Florida. Added into the mix was an open house last weekend, where several hundred enthusiasts stopped by Gold Country Orchids' greenhouses on Big Ben Road."It's an addiction," Lincoln's John Hughes said of his orchid collection.Hughes has been collecting them for about four years and figures he has more than 60 plants. He got started in the hobby by accident, thanks to Koch."The first orchid I ever bought, I bought from him at a show," Hughes said.Hughes has been going back to Koch ever since."He's very helpful and knowledgeable," Hughes said.So knowledgeable, in fact, that Koch lectures at international shows. He was one of the main speakers at an international show in Frankfurt, Germany; last year, and he was the keynote speaker at a show in Toronto.He also speaks at smaller clubs, discussing how people can improve their orchid experience, and he has conducted classes, including ones at Sierra College."I want to teach them how to grow orchids," Koch said, noting the biggest mistake people make is over-watering orchids."I don't want them to kill my plants," he added.About half the people who visit his greenhouses are novice orchid growers, Koch estimated."It started out as a backyard hobby for me," Koch said, "something to help relieve stress. I'd come home and just go out and be with my flowers that were blooming in my greenhouse."That was 1969, when Koch was living in Southern California. Pretty soon, orchids began consuming his time."My wife, Cheryl, finally told me to make orchids my business or make it smaller," Koch said.In 1978, Koch decided to get into the orchid business. When he moved to Lincoln 18 years ago, the business moved with him.Orchids bloom all season long, depending upon the variety, Koch said, adding the two peak seasons are in the spring and in the fall. Koch has approximately 5,000 varieties of orchids, about 200,000 plants total."Almost 90 percent of the orchids in the greenhouse are my own breed," Koch said, adding he is the No. 1 breeder of miniature cattleyas in the world today.Most orchids have exotic names, while there are a few that have sentimental value. One of Koch's creations is called Court Jester, because of its vivid colors, and another is called Mt. Whitney, named because Koch likes the California peak.One of the orchids Koch developed is the Garrett Collins, named for the son of one of Koch's friends. The boy, who was about 12 at the time, bought an orchid from Koch. The youngster entered it in a show and won an award. Because of that, Koch honored the youth by naming the orchid after him.Besides developing his own orchids, Koch has a number of famous orchids, including the national flowers of Costa Rica and Venezuela. He has orchids from every continent except Antarctica.Perhaps the rarest orchid Koch owns is one that was growing near the Mt. Pinatubo volcano in the Philippines."When the volcano blew (in 1991), it destroyed all of the habitat there," Koch said. "I had the chance to get an orchid from there. It's the only one in the world that I know of."Properly cared for, Koch said orchids can live for 20 years or more. In fact, he noted he has an orchid that was made in England in 1886. It was brought to the U.S. in 1922 and is living in Koch's greenhouse.While that is a rare orchid, Koch also has common flowers used in corsages. He noted he has a number of orchids that sell for around $20 that make good Mother's Day presents. He even has some that sell for $12.50 for children who want to honor their mother.One of Koch's favorites is an orchid it took seven years to develop. While it costs $40, Koch noted where else could someone find a better deal than an orchid that blooms for three months and produces 500 flowers about 1 ½-inches in diameter?Georganna Risch, the former owner of Lincoln Florist & Gifts, has been buying orchids from Koch for 15 years."It's always fun to go out there and pick the orchid plants for my special orchid orders," Risch said. "The new owner of Lincoln Florist as of May 1, Jennnifer Ibarra, said she also plans to continue going out there to pick orchids for her special orders."