Harvey has been growing orchids for over 60 years, having received an overgrown Cattleya trianae as a gift from a family friend at about 10 years old, living in what became Silicon Valley.  This was placed in a gift greenhouse.

As an adult he has grown a wide variety of genera in California, Michigan, North Carolina, Nebraska, Mississippi and now coastal Washington in several greenhouses. He has won a number of AOS awards and belonged to local orchid societies as well as the AOS.

Harvey is an historian as well as librarian serving mostly in academic libraries. Perhaps his favorite was at what is now called the California Botanic Garden.  He especially enjoys learning new methods of orchid culture and sharing this information.