Orchids- Revisited
“HIP To Be Square”… Design Contest Winner - from my Extremely Talented Flower Friend- Mandy Majerik… from the JTV Days- Watch this Classic JTV episode now…
This week - I’m revisiting Orchids… in several ways… The Behind the Bloom Podcast with J and RJ Pole- is our companion Podcast to Episode #113- of J Schwanke’s Life in Bloom. The Last Episode of Season 1… for those of you that are tuning into our Weekly Free Podcast… this is an exciting milestone… RJ and I have created a companion Podcast for all of the Episodes of Season 1 of Life in Bloom- and now we’ll soon be getting started with Season 2… Listen (and Watch) the Podcast here on uBloom.com
Listen and Watch the Recording of “Behind the Bloom” Podcasts- here on uBloom.com- or on my Youtube Channel… Or Listen anywhere you listen to podcasts too!
For those of you unfamiliar with our Popular Podcast - (and I say- that because we were informed by Apple Podcasts- that our Podcast- that creates these “After Shows” as companions to “J Schwanke’s Life in Bloom”… is ranking #127 in the USA… ) that’s is a wonderful accomplishment- and I have to thank RJ Pole for his visual and guidance in helping us create a Podcast that is being enjoyed so many people… just the “J Schwanke’s Life in Bloom” is reaching millions of Households every week in over 91% of the USA too… So FLOWER POWER is Real my friends. In this week’s Podcast- RJ asks me so many great questions about this Episode that is dedicated to De-Mystifying Orchids… I think that orchids can be a little daunting for some- (*while others have Extreme Green Thumbs when it comes to Orchids too!) In this podcast (And Episode of “Life in Bloom”) we visit an Incredible Orchid Grower- and their Amazing Orchid Farm in Carpenteria, CA! Westerlay Orchids is magnificent… and we visit with Toine Overgag- as he takes us on a tour of what it’s like to grow millions of orchids… and he does it SOOOO Very Well!
We originally visited Westerlay Orchids- for our California Grown Experience- many years ago- and their story- and history is just as compelling today… I’ve visited the farm again- many times- with Flower Farm Tours from our Underwriter- CalFlowers at their Fun N Sun Event- they hold every two years. The FUN N SUN Convention is coming up this summer- in Pasedena CA… and the farm tours will include a visit to a Company that creates the Magnificent Floats- that appear in the Tournament of Roses Parade on New Year’s Day… You can learn more about the CalFlowers Fun N Sun Convention here!
Every time I visit Westerlay Orchids- I find something even more inspiring and beautiful- Westerlay Orchids have a Retail Store- that is open as well- so anyone can drop into their location (off the Santa Claus Exit in Carpenteria… ) and get an orchid or two.
The Overgag’s of Westerlay Orchids Fame… Joop and Toine
One of the Many Things I love about the Podcast that RJ and I are creating- is the opportunity to talk about the stories behind each of the Episodes of “Life in Bloom”- and at the same time- I add FREE links to many of the stories or places or people I talk about in the podcast are added to the description of the Podcast on all the services. You can Watch a Video recording of the Podcast - on the uBloom.com Website - or on my Youtube Channel … at the same time- you can find the Behind the Bloom Podcast with J Schwanke and RJ Pole- on any service where you listen to podcasts… there are dozens of options… so look for Behind the Bloom - on your favorite Podcast Station!
Millions of Orchids at Westerlay Orchids…
One of the Links for this podcast is our Original Visit with Toine at Westerlay Orchids- for the CA Grown Experience- you can learn even more about this Amazing Orchid Farm- that we were unable to show on the Public Television Series…
Another Fun Project that is included in Episode #113 DeMystifying Orchids- is a project that I share- from one of the Most Talented Flower Designers I know- Mandy Majerik- AIFD, PFCI- of Hot House Design Studio in Birmingham Alabama. Mandy entered our Very First JTV Design Contest- way back when … Just check out the pictures of Mandy and I- it’s been a while… You can watch this Classic Episode of JTV here now!
Me and the Incredibly Talented Flower Artist - Mandy Majerik- AIFD, PFCI- way back the day- on JTV… WOW! Watch this Vintage Episode here!
So I thought it was the perfect opportunity to open up the archives of JTV (My First Flower Design Series on uBloom) … and share this episode where Mandy creates “Hip to be Square”… this amazing and beautiful arrangement- that uses Green Cymbidium Orchids- and Burgundy Callas on a Paper-Craft Hydrangea Wreath- that happens to be square! Mandy entered this in the contest and our uBloom Members voted it their favorite so we flew Mandy up to Grand Rapids Michigan and recreated this beautiful design - for the JTV Series… You can watch this Original Episode of JTV- with Mandy- sponsored by our friends at Design Master Color Tool… HERE!
Here’s My Recreation- and you can see it in Episode 13 - Here!
I admitted - recreated this wonderful project in Episode #113- and credited Mandy of course… Watch Episode #113 DeMystifying Orchids here! it’s beautiful- and certainly has stood the test of time… as well as sharing some pretty fun concepts, crafts, hints and tips… It’s worth the watch- I apologize for the low resolution on the film… as we filmed JTV in much lower resolution back then… but that doesn’t diminish the Talent and Creativity of my Friend Mandy! She’s the Greatest!
We drop a NEW Podcast each week… On Mondays to all National Servers- and you can sometimes get a SNEAK PEAK if you check Youtube or uBloom- where we occasionally drop them a day or two early… Just sayin’….
The Podcast and Companion Episode also shares a Wonderful Orchid Flower Food- made specifically for orchid plants by our friends at Chrysal Flower Food… there’s a link in the podcast to that Orchid Plant Food- as well as our Special discount code - UBLOOM10 - that will get you a 10% discount on your order from ChrysalFlowerFood.com - those links in the Podcast are so valuable… and provide lots more online learning after you’re done listening!
The Composite Orchid Project… in Episode #113 of Life in Bloom!
This Episode of Life in Bloom #113 DeMystifying orchids- also includes one of my Favorite Projects… the Composite Orchids… and also a Favorite Flower Cocktail- the Vanilla Orchid Cocktail… You won’t want to miss these TWO Special Treats- in this episode as well.
The Vanilla Orchid Cocktail- a Favorite Flower Cocktail Recipe!
We’ve Completed 21 Episodes of the Behind the Bloom Podcast- and we’re getting ready for our first recording session of 2026… that will help us kick off the companions Podcast to Season 2 of “Life in Bloom” and I understand- that there may be a few guests- coming down the pike as well… so keep listening…
Listen (and Watch) the Video recording of Podcast 21- The Companion to Episode #113 - DeMystifying Orchids … Listen/Watch Here!
One more thing about the Behind the Bloom podcasts… RJ and I agreed that we also needed to have Stand Alone Episodes… that allow me the opportunity to talk about flower themes that are important to me… Like Flower Cocktail Hour- or our Flowers From YOU segment of Life in Bloom where viewers send in pictures that are inspired by Life in Bloom… We’ve also discussed Holidays and Family Stories- and have a special episode coming up about Flower Rituals … there’s so many great Flower Stories tell- and we’re excited to keep them coming - on the Behind The Bloom Podcast!
We are extremely thankful for our Podcast Sponsors- CalFlowers- and Chrysal- for helping us support this Popular Podcast Experience! THANK YOU!
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