CityView Magazine

CityViewNC.com | 19 Keith Clayton cultivates beauty in The Orchid habitat By COurTnEy PhILLIPs M ost days, Keith Clayton can be found in his expansive green- house on Yarborough Road in Gray's Creek, tending orchids, a plant with an ironically temperamental reputation, as re- search suggests it has been in existence for more than 85 million years. What began by happenstance with just one plant, a Phalaenopsis purchased on a whim at Lowe's by his wife in 1990, has become a quiet passion. "I really should do an in- ventory," he said. "But right now, there are too many plants in his greenhouse to count." Both originally from New Jersey, Keith and his wife, Kristine, made their home in North Carolina's warm cli- mate aer raising two sons and Keith's retirement from the Air Force as a C-130 pilot. Keith acknowledged that Kris isn't particularly fond of the humid summer months of the South, but like a true gardener, he quipped, "I don't start to wilt until 90 degrees." Perhaps it is no coincidence that Keith and Kris chose to "put down roots" here in North Carolina, despite the humidity, as the Old North State is home to an impressive 50 species of orchids which grow in the wild. While most orchids indigenous to North Carolina are terrestrial, or grown in the ground, the northernmost epiphytic (grows in trees) orchid in the continental United States, the Epi- dendrum magnoliae or Green Fly Orchid, grows unassum- ingly in the trees of the Green Swamp. All Work and All Play Aer retiring to rural Cumberland County, Keith's first order of business was to build a greenhouse and fill it with orchids. But, his gardening endeavors don't end at the door of his climate-controlled specialty greenhouse: From the- matic gardens of bamboo and cypress to fig, persimmon and loquat trees, his goal is to have something in bloom in his yard, year round. Naturally, there is an orchid presence on his property, namely the Cranefly orchid, a terrestrial plant that grows wild in the mountains, Piedmont and on the coast of North Carolina. In addition to spending what Keith estimates as two to three full workdays per week in his own greenhouse, "e Orchid Habitat," he works on weekends at Green Side Up Gi and Garden Center on Wilmington Highway, where he sells orchids on consignment. Of the popularity of his flowering plants, Keith humbly and simply said, "I make enough to pay for the hobby." Whitney Allen, general manager of Green Side Up, lends a bit more insight into his highly sought-aer skill set, as Keith's reputation precedes him: "We have customers com- ing into the store asking for Keith because they know he is the orchid grower." Of only covering the cost of his hobby, Whitney added, "His orchids sell very well at Green Side Up! Most people are timid about this plant because they require a certain care and knowledge. Keith breaks it down for the customer and eliminates that fear, which gives them the con- fidence to own one. I think that's a reason they sell so well." Where the Blooms Are living

• Cover