Dear visitor,

I am interested in botany for more than two decades. What began first with a weakness for carnivorous plants, evolved over the years more and more to a passion for wild European orchids.

Since then I visited countless positions in Germany as well as in many European countries to photograph these exquisite plants. Partly beautiful photos were generated on these tours which I will now share with a broader circle of botanical interested persons.

At the same time with increasing age and increasing domestic orientation the desire for enjoy plants right on the doorstep was also increasing. Since then I aim to replicate some habitats in my garden. I will inform you about my experiences as well as about the culture of exotic fruit plants. Let me at the end be concerned about the topic of nature conservation. Your visit on my site pay tribute of the fact that you have already been concerned about this topic.

Therefore I will confine my remarks on the parts which I touched upon on my sites. I guess during a visit of endangered species it is natural to limit your ‚hunting‘ on specially photogenic specimens in a prominent location (e.g. at the wayside) to minimise your damages of the habitat. Is it really neccessary to search a habitat in wild zigzag to make ‚photographic proofs‘ of each specimen? The dealing with the knowledge of a habitat of an endangered species requires a sense of proportion. On the one hand you want to share your knowledge with friends, to exchange information, on the other hand you will unfortunately find people to whom this knowledge isn’t in good hands. But I guess you know whom you trust. For that reason I will never publish exact positions on my sites, but withhold them my circle of friends. Please don’t gather a rare plant or parts of it (e.g. seeds) from nature if you want to settle it in your garden. At first it is indispensable to afford the concerning species best possible location conditions, that you are allowed to rejoice in the species long-term. You can buy every species from in vitro propagation on the cheap. Search for specialised nurseries on the internet. Economise your usage of peat in your garden. For the most fields of applications are functioning alternatives available. Please keep in mind that peat theoretic isn’t finally indeed. But one square metre bog requires a time period of 1000 years for the production of one cubic metre peat. Please contribute that also future generations can enjoy the whole diversity of flora.

Best regards,

Michael Richter