VIDEO | A growing orchid legend

"It was destroying the house. We had algae growing on the windows. It was horrible," Varady says from the Mountain home where his obsession took root.

Varady used to be a cactus collector. He made the about face from prickly succulents to precious orchids on the suggestion of his wife, Conchita Orpia. Orchids were the star plants from her native Philippines.

Click here to watch the short video of Varady's huge orchid collection.

Phalaenopsis Rotterdam is the type of orchid seen in supermarkets, and gets many people started on the road to collecting orchids. - Kathy Renwald photo

Two years ago, Varady built a 96-square-foot greenhouse and moved tray after tray of orchids out of the house. At the same time, he and his wife started C&C Orchids. They sell orchids, and special fertilizer, mostly as he says, to feed their obsession.

"I buy about two new orchids a week he says," noting the most he has paid is $350 for one plant.

This delicate looking Laelia orchid is native to Central America. - Kathy Renwald photo

Growing in a greenhouse has uncomplicated his life. Watering takes three to four hours a week, and maintaining humidity at about 70 per cent is easier in the controlled space. Temperature is maintained at 21 C in the daytime and 15 C at night. Heat is supplied by a heater hooked up to the natural gas line. This avoids the potential disaster of a power failure shutting down electric heaters.

The little greenhouse built for C&C Orchids is heated by natural gas. A fan blows across a bowl of water to boost humidity and create air circulation. - Kathy Renwald photo

In the tiny greenhouse, the orchids hang from rafters, grow on bark in baskets, line benches and populate the floor. There's just enough room for two people to poke around.

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Photo Credit: Kathy Renwald, The Spec

Source: The Spec