My name is Claudio, and I've been growing orchids since 1975. Those who know me in the orchid world automatically associate me with paphs and sometimes phrags. But, those who really know me, know that under the right conditions I will become an afficionado of just about any genus. Like many, I have gone through phases of being obsessed with many genera, definitively needing to possess EVERY species belonging to each genus ! This is not particularly practical, but it is nonetheless a trait of mine, and one that I have now confessed to the world !
We buy most of our orchids in flask. It is more economical and gives us access to a much greater variety of plants. We want to try to encourage more orchid enthusiasts by offering really neat things for good prices... plants that are established and growing WELL ! We've fallen prey to disreputable dealers myself, and far too many times.
In the early 90's I began studying to become an AOS judge, and completed the program 7 1/2 years later. I travel regularly to judge orchid shows and give lectures on orchid topics. I have also appeared on several gardening shows to share our hobby with the rest of the world.
Cloud's Orchids came into being in the late 80's with a strong emphasis on species and slipper orchids. Since it's birth in a 300 sq. ft. greenhouse, we have now grown to a nursery operation of 39,000 sq. ft. in the Niagara Peninsula.
As the business grew, the need for visionary management presented itself. Warren took on this task in the mid-90's, catapulting Cloud's Orchids into the retail marketplace, beginning with a simple but very user-friendly web-presence. In 2001 we acquired a retail outlet to service our expanding client-base. Warren managed this location in addition to dealing with the internet demand.
Due to the increased demands on our time, we closed the Toronto retail location as of Dec. 24, 2004 to give us the time to focus on our large nursery facility. We are now proud to service a number of nurseries within Canada, the U.S. and even overseas.
We are constantly evaluating new media and products, and when they meet our expectations and high standards, we offer them to our customers. The mixes that we offer for sale are the same blends which we use, and have been arrived at through many trials and evaluations on our part.
For the past few years we have also been concentrating much of our efforts on breeding sturdy plants which are reliable bloomers. We choose plants for bright colours, ease of growth and fragrance, which makes orchid growing a pleasurable experience for us ... and it will for you too !