WILMINGTON — Tucked away in Stephen Tobiassen’s backyard lies a “winter wonderland” full of the regions’ most valuable, and decorated, orchid collection.
On any given day, Tobiassen will head out to his greenhouse to check out who’s blooming and to read the headlines.
“This is a place to escape things,” Tobiassen said. “Some of them bloom forever, some of them bloom for a week.”
The more than 200 orchids in his greenhouse flower at different times throughout the year. At least 15 of his plants are in bloom on any given day.
The homemade nursery is “toasty.” In the winter, it maintains a temperature above 50 and below 90 degrees, with humidity in the 70s and 80s.
Tobiassen will let the plants breathe outdoors in the summer and on any day in the winter that the weather permits.
“Flowers are like people. We all have a prime.” — Stephen Tobiassen
Since plants produce oxygen and consume carbon dioxide, he’ll open the doors and let air flow through.
“So I don’t choke them to death,” he said.
Life cycles
Barren or blooming, Tobiassen finds beauty in all of his plants. Some are over 25 years old, and past their budding prime.
“Flowers are like people,” he said. “We all have a prime.”
One of his favorite orchids, the dendrobium farmeri “April Tobiassen,” named after his daughter, once had 1,260 flowers blossoming at once.
It earned him a Certificate of Cultural Excellence through the American Orchid Society in 2016. Though he has won numerous awards through his passion, including “Grower of the Year” from the Cape Fear Orchid Society, his competing days are over.
No price on passion
It all started in 1989, when he visited the Orchid Jungle with his wife, Karen. Together, they picked out five plants for $50.
Now, he believes he has the largest orchid collection in the region and estimates it could be worth up to $15,000.
“There’s probably a lot of value in it,” he said. “I’m not into selling plants.”
With a neverending cycle of new blooms and buds to visit, Tobiassen doesn’t get bored watching his plants grow.
“It gives me something to wake up and check on every day.”
Johanna Ferebee can be reached at johanna@localvoicemedia.com or @j__ferebee on Twitter
