THE ORCHID OBSESSION grew slowly. I bought a $7.50 Dendrobium in Hawaii, and as that plant grew into a monster over many years, I was hooked. Eventually, I needed a greenhouse for plants that did not fit in trees or pots along the patio. An inexpensive greenhouse of PVC tubing and a plastic cover eventually gave way to a more classic and sturdy design of aluminum and double-walled polycarbonate. As life took me from Los Angeles to the San Francisco Bay area and back over 20 years, orchids in three separate greenhouses provided a tranquil oasis from an otherwise stressful world. Like other hobbyists, I navigated the world of evaporative coolers, thermostats, misting systems, water lines, humidistats and heaters to maintain environmental control to support an ever-changing collection. I loved it, but there were constant challenges: electrical outages, water leaks, replacement of aging parts, etc.
[1] A quiet side patio provided a wonderful environment for enjoying fresh air, but the layout of hardscape and green areas did not accommodate a lathe house.
By 2018, a simpler life away from congested Los Angeles had more and more appeal, and the small (by LA standards) coastal town of Ventura, 60 miles (96.6 km) to the west, beckoned. Properties near the beach are small, and the quest began for a home that could accommodate my orchid passion. In practice, that meant finding a south-facing yard with sufficient light. Eventually, I moved into a house with a relatively small 42 ft × 22 ft (12.8 m × 6.7 m) front yard behind a 6 ft (1.8 m) fence that seemed like it could work. That is when the transformation to life beyond the greenhouse began.
Unlike my three previous homes, in Ventura, I wanted to cultivate orchids without a greenhouse. I envisioned a lathe house that would harmonize with the small space yet provide appropriate growing conditions for selected plants. The first action item was to change the yard’s hardscape to one that could accommodate an attractive, yet functional lathe house.
[2] A local cement contractor removed the existing patio and replaced it with a walkway that fit with the plan to construct a lathe house.
The existing cement patio was replaced with a walkway, allowing sufficient room for the lathe house. Next, I needed a design that would be easy to build and attractive to view because I and everyone else entering the property from the street would see it immediately. Equally important was access to the plants for maintenance and appreciation. After consultation online and in books about greenhouses, I sketched out a design that was 20 feet (6.1 m) long, 21⁄2 feet deep (0.75 m) and 61⁄2 feet (2 m) in height. The concept provided easy front access to a plant bench, as well as plants mounted on vertical elements and along the back. I also wanted to limit direct sunlight through the back, sides and roof. In addition, I wanted to ensure that the structure was not visible from the street to limit the number of passersby who might be tempted to investigate on their own. Positioning the structure on an east- to-west axis meant that during most of the day only limited direct sunlight would enter. As it turns out, however, some direct sunlight does enter the front during the longest summer days.
[3] Schematic vision of the 20-foot (6.1 m) lathe house with recommendations for materials.
I sent my sketch to two local carpenters and eventually began working with one I met on NextDoor. After the existing vegetation was cleared, eight cinder block piers were buried in the ground and a 4-inch × 4-inch (10 cm × 10 cm) redwood frame was bolted in place. Then a horizontal bench was secured at a comfortable 30 inches (0.75 m) above the ground, and the back and top were secured. Included in the design were window boxes on either end that accommodate sun-loving plants without protection under lathe. Laelia superbiens is one such plant that is thriving in these areas. With the frame constructed, a water-repellant wood stain was applied, and wire mesh was positioned along the growing platform.
At this point, the growing area was almost complete, but to shade the plants, I purchased custom-cut Aluminet panels (40 percent shade) online with sewn-in grommets to cover the three open front sections. A similar Aluminet panel was ordered for the roof. The front panels are secured to the top horizontal beam, and to access the plants inside, the panels can easily be turned up from hooks on the bottom. The roof panel is secured to the frame; it remains in place from late February to mid-November to reduce sunlight and is removed in winter.
[4] The lathe house after construction.
With the lathe structure complete, greenhouse plants were moved to their new home. I was grateful for friends willing to provide homes for some warm growers I knew would not thrive outdoors. Not surprisingly, some plants resented the move outdoors, while others seemed to perk up with fresh air and cooler conditions along the southern California coast. One adjustment was needed before winter arrived, and double-walled polycarbonate panels were installed on the sides, back and roof to keep winter rains at bay. Rain, of course, can blow in any direction, but most severe winter weather in southern California comes with south or southeast winds. With the lathe house situated east to west and open access on the north, the polycarbonate panels do a good job to keep rain out. The original thought was that these panels would be removed during the summer, but it has been useful to keep them in place all year. With the lathe house open only on the front, the air inside stays a bit warmer in this cool coastal location, and when high winds blow through the area, the plants are somewhat protected. The three closed sides may also increase local humidity after watering. The last improvement was to cover the exposed soil underneath with weed cloth followed by attractive, sand-colored river pebbles.
[5] Plants inside the lathe house in the spring. Cattleya intermedia, Cattleya maxima, Cattleya lobata, Leptotes bicolor and assorted hybrids in bloom.
All in all, I find that with selection for plants that thrive in this relatively cool environment (summer high temperatures often do not exceed 70 F [21.1 C]), such as laelias, cool-tolerant cattleyas, oncidiums, sarchochilus and the like, plants are thriving in this partially controlled environment. To give the plants the best opportunity to prosper, I installed a 20-gallon (75.7 l) reverse-osmosis system nearby and located a hose bib under the lathe’s left side. Ventura water is notoriously hard, often with dissolved solids exceeding 1,000 ppm, and I believe many of the plants prefer the pure water. Although some plants would no doubt do better under controlled greenhouse conditions, plants bloom throughout the year, and some prefer the conditions outside with excellent air flow and temperate conditions. To make sure that plants do as well as possible outdoors, it is still essential to attend to plant requirements for fertilizer and occasional pest control, but life beyond the greenhouse also means no more hassle with electrical controls or worries that something will go awry when I am away from home.
[6] The lathe house with plants inside and Aluminet panels and beach pebbles in place.
Acknowledgment
I would like to thank Birute Anne Vileisis, Ph.D., for encouragement and editorial support for this article.
— Marc Better has been growing orchids for almost 40 years. He is a past president of the South Bay Orchid Society and the Southland Orchid Show Committee. He is currently a member of the Ventura Orchid Society and the Malibu Orchid Society, where he is a member of the Board. Marc holds a Ph.D. in Biochemistry and works in the biotechnology industry (email: marcbetter@yahoo.com).
