In Good Thyme - by Mariana Graham

Some of them resemble butterflies. Others look like cobras, poised to strike. There are big, blowsy ones that remind you of senior prom, while others are tiny beauties, barely the size of a fingernail. Some offer a delicate fragrance. All are breathtakingly beautiful.

They are among the 120 orchids that grace the Coupeville home of John and elicia Marshall. John, a retired business manager, and Felicia, a former art teacher, moved to Whidbey Island from Billings, Montana, four years ago to be closer to their children who live in Washington and Oregon.

In Billings, they were active in the Big Sky Orchid Society. Now members of the Mount Baker Orchid Society, they raise orchids year round in a former gazebo John converted into a compact but efficient greenhouse. It's maintained at 70 degrees Fahrenheit during the day and 55 degrees at night to house the orchids when they are in dormancy. As soon as the plants bloom, John and Felicia bring them into the house, where they can enjoy their beauty for weeks. When they're finished blooming, the plants are returned to the greenhouse. There are always orchids blooming in the Marshall home. On any given day, you may find three blooming beauties in the living room, two in the kitchen, two more in the family room, and another in the master bedroom. On a console in the entry hall, a large bowl is filled with a diaphanous cloud of dried orchid blossoms. "Orchids grow all over the world, from the arctic to the tropics," says John, who is particularly fond of the petite varieties. Felicia, on the other hand, favors the bigger, more flamboyant flowers that you can't help but notice. Last year one of her show-off Paphiopedilum orchids took first place at the Seattle Flower and Garden Show. The flower resembles a cobra head, with a green-striped white "hood" over a green, slipperlike pouch. The variegated strap-like leaves are almost as striking as the exotic bloom.

A smaller but no less ornate variety bends gracefully from a bowl on the kitchen counter. A confection of burgundy and gold stippling on white, it's a feast for the senses. Not only is it delightful to see, but it offers its ambrosial perfume to all who pass by. Despite their intimidating reputation, most orchids aren't difficult to grow and maintain, the Marshalls insist. If you can successfully raise houseplants you can probably raise orchids. You don't need a greenhouse, either; you can happily maintain an orchid on a pebble tray on a windowsill or under a fluorescent light. Most orchids are epiphytes, which in the wild, grow on trees and obtain nutrients from bird and insect droppings and other organic detritus carried by rain. These are the easiest type of orchids for a beginner. John and Felicia grow their epiphytes in a mixture of fir bark, charcoal and perlite.

There are other types of orchids: lithophytes, which grow on the surfaces of rocks; saprophytes, which survive on decaying vegetation, and terrestrials, which put down roots into soil or sand, as do "normal" plants. These include the long-lasting Cymbidium, which the Marshalls grow in an earth and bark mixture. They're currently experimenting with raising orchids in coconut husks.

In addition to their interest in orchids, John and Felicia are members of the American Rhododendron Society, Whidbey Island Chapter. When they moved to their present home in 1998, their Pennington Hill half-acre included three rhododendrons, two of which were native macrophyllum. There are now more than 70 rhodies, plus a wide variety of thriving perennials, bulbs, shrubs, berries and vegetables, including John's favorite English peas. Orchids, however, are a special passion, one the Marshalls enjoy sharing. They encourage anyone with an interest to attend a meeting of the Mount Baker Orchid Society, which meets the fourth Tuesday of each month (except July and December) at 7 p.m. at the Washington State University Research Station on Memorial Highway, Mount Vernon. They also suggest obtaining basic information through books or on the Internet.

Spring is the best time to purchase orchids, advise the Marshalls. There are growers who specialize in them, such as Baker and Chantry in Woodinville, or Molbaks in King and Snohomish Counties. However, you don't have to drive off Island or break the bank to own an orchid. They're available at several local nurseries and even in the garden departments of some chain stores. But buyer beware; you may get hooked on orchids. Says Felicia Marshall, "I haven't met a plant I didn't like."

Garden questions or comments? Call 675-6611; fax 675-2732, or wnt@whidbey.net. Mariana Graham is an Island County Master Gardener and member, Garden Writers Association of America.

MASTER GARDENER CLINICS (click on picture)
Master Gardener plant clinics are being held at various Island locations throughout the summer. On the North end, bring questions and plant samples to The Greenhouse Nursery each Saturday in July from 9 a.m. to noon, Cenex on Aug. 4 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. or the Navy Exchange Garden Shop June 30th from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. In Central Whidbey, it's at the Coupeville Farmers Market each Saturday through the end of July from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. South end clinics include Freeland Ace Hardware from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on June 23, July 28, Aug. 25 and Sept. 22. You can also find Master Gardeners at South Whidbey Tilth on July 7, Aug. 4, and Sept. 1 from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. Clinics are held at Bayview Farm and Garden June 30th, July 7, 14, 21, 28; Aug. 4, 11, 18 and 25. Clinics may be scheduled at other locations when volunteers and resource materials are available. 'Can't make it to a plant clinic? Call the Master Gardener hotline (360) 679-7327 each Monday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. through the end of September.