One of the hidden treasures in suburban Chicagoland is an unassuming, somewhat rundown set of greenhouses that makes up Orchids by Hausermann. Set in a gritty and unattractive industrial park area in Addison, IL, Orchids by Hausermann is the largest grower of orchids in the Midwest. I’ve been there a few times in the past with my friend Kevin who, as long as I’ve known him, has loved orchids and has successfully grown them for years. I’ve loved them too but somehow they have always been intimidating for me. Plus they generally are quite expensive to buy. Secretly I’ve wanted to own orchids for quite a while but I had held off.

Michele’s Uncle Tim gave me two of his orchids to grow last summer when he was downsizing after his divorce. I was pretty excited to get them. But I have no idea what kind they are and they haven’t bloomed yet under my care. I’m kind of nervous about whether I’ve treated them correctly or not!

After church today we decided to make the long drive to Addison so that I could show Michele and the kids the Hausermann place. It’s quite a special place to visit, especially on days like today when the wind is cold and there are snow flurries (yikes, when will Spring ever get here?). You walk in to this unassuming complex and immediately you are greeted with gorgeous, exotic blooming plants everywhere. They stretch as far as the eye can see in all directions, row upon row and greenhouse following greenhouse, full of beautiful orchids. I never really knew that orchids could be quite fragrant. Today there were several kinds of fragrant orchids and their heady perfume filled the air. The little kids were sort of in awe and I had to remind them that they needed to be extremely careful not to disturb or touch any of the plants.

After wandering around trying hard to focus — which I found hard to do with all of the bright, colorful varieties surrounding me — I decided to purchase two small orchid plants, one a Phalaenopsis and the other a Paphiopedilum. The Phalaenopsis is a variety created by Hausermann called “Hausermann Shorties.” In other words it has been bred to be more compact and small in size. The Paphiopedilum is also quite small when full grown. I’ve included a photo of each to give you an idea of what they look like. Let’s hope little hands and fingers will keep away from them and that my big hands and fingers won’t mess up their care any so that they will continue to grow and bloom for many years to come!