We're coming from here http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1234115/ Happy New Year to all! Come share your resolutions (like acquire orchids), photos and chat.
I'm starting the month with Vascostylis Viboon Velvet, a small Vanda cross.
This message was edited Jan 1, 2012 10:46 AM
Here it is with an Ascocenda cross for a flower size comparison.
Thanks for the new thread, Laurel. Very nice start!
A humbling confession: This is the first time I've EVER rebloomed a phalaenopsis. I think I've grown them too shaded in years past. Only two buds, but at least they didn't blast this time. It's the little things...ha ha!
Happy 2012 to everybody!
Dendrobium flowers (no ID on this one) last for weeks-on-end in a vase. A welcomed cut flower in winter...
Thanks for the new thread, Laurel, and I see it is off to a good start.
I think I should begin with an update on Laurel's gift Cym Leodogran 'Cradlemont'.
Jim
A closer look.
Jim
Not wanting to wait for the new year, this Maxillaria setigera opened yesterday.
Jim
The plant has two open flowers and a fat bud.
Jim
Blc Goldenzelle 'Frank Smith' put out a third flower.
Jim
These blooms are 6 and a half inches across. Here is the plant:
Jim
Schomburgkia (Now Myc.) Louise Fuchs 'Weesie' AM/AOS is just fantastic. This may have been my best 2011 acquisition.
Jim
Bulb. paluence 'A-doribil' X Bulb echinolabium has produced another sequential flower.
Jim
One more look at the huge Lc. Orglade's Grand. It is as big a bloom as Goldenzelle.
Jim
This is a great year for Spathogolttis plicatta.
Jim
This message was edited Jan 1, 2012 3:08 PM
Sorry, obviously the wrong photo. Here she is:
Jim
Yet another new bloom on the Arundina graminifolia.
Jim
Love the laelia tenebrosa jim!
That Arundina is so graceful, Jim. Looks like it is out in the garden? Does it live outside most of the time?
Hope you're ready to cover up all those wonderful blooms? Cold winds a-comin starting tomorrow and temp down to 35 Wednesday morning. Arrggh. I've been out today grouping all the tender pots together so they'll be easily covered tomorrow. Hard to believe given how lovely it's been outside today . . .. (sigh, it had to end)
My two phals and Little Stars that are in bud are going to have to come into the house.
Elaine
Thanks, Bree. That is a picture from March, 2011, and I have no idea why it appeared in that post. Must be the wine.
Jim
Elaine, Arundina is a ground orchid and is called the bamboo orchid. I have it in a very large pot beside a large live oak tree but it gets lots of sun. It's pretty tuff but I'll throw a blanket on top of it tomorrow. The Cyms will be fine but I'll have to cover the Spaths and Bletilias. At least there will be no freeze so I won't have to worry about the mango tree and other tropicals.
Jim
Yeah, my mango has blossoms, some are all the way in bloom, and much of the tree has buds. Sure hope it doesn't lose all this bloom.
I think Arundina is going on The List!
Hey, Jim, where have you been hiding that Max.? Very naughty!
We've got a week of kids and company. I'm time crunched.
Here's Masdevallia vargasii.
The plant...
That Masdevallia is lovely, Laurel. Such a pretty plant and more blooms on the way?
I just got back from an impromptu orchid hunt - there was an ad on Craig's List for a wonderful 3-tier, 6ft. plant stand that will hold my Earth Boxes really nicely. In fine print at the bottom of the ad it read "Greenhouse full of orchids, supplies, pots - all must go"
This is a local (small scale) grower, Orchids Etc. about 5 min. from our house, an older fellow who has just recently become ill, and is now in long-term care. His son and daughter-in-law are going about selling off his orchids. He says he has about 4500 left. I'm sure the place is full of treasures, but as I had DH with me to check out the plant bench (which we got for $100) I didn't have much time to go around and read labels.
I did get a big specimen-size Blc. Chia Lin 'New City' with two fat buds (which I'll show when they open) and this pretty little Bc. Little Lulu (B. Little Stars x C. Lulu). In fact I got two, one in bloom for $10 and the other in bud $7.50. The fellow said he had seen a B.'David Sander' somewhere in the place, but he couldn't put his hand on it, so he's going to call me if he finds one.
Oncidium 'Carnival Costume' in full bloom with another spike coming.
And here's the full plant.
This is a catt that has been in the tree for three years now. Has 3 more blooms that I hope don't freeze off these next two nights! Always blooms this time of year like clock work!
Elaine-- I found an orchid grower in Weirsdale going out of business as well!
Debi
Great start to 2012, already!
By the way, Laurel, another good reason to break-up long threads is for those who use smartphones to keep-up with DG on the go. It can turn into lots of scrolling on my Droid. Thanks for doing that.
While running errands today, my truck took me to a greenhouse nearby. I grabbed this new phalaenopsis with 2 spikes on the 'mother' plant, and another 2 spikes on a keiki that already has good roots. I figured with that many flowers on the way, I couldn't pass it up...especially with a bonus plant...
Wow Elaine, If you get a chance to go back there I'm on the hunt for mini's..
I think I might be going back there pretty soon Mj. I really need to take some time to look, and see if I can find a couple of my Wish List varieties. Have you looked at Lowe's recently? Last time I was there they had some lovely little mini-Phals.
Franco, your 'Carnival Costume' is really gorgeous.
Debi, so that's what happens when the cat stays in the tree for 3 years, huh?
Scott, that phal is a raging bargain, Nice buy!
Elaine
This message was edited Jan 2, 2012 9:11 PM
My cat decided he likes the taste of my orchids. Luckily he waited till after I took pics to break the long bloom stem on "Hilo".
The seller in Weirsdale has mostly cattleyas . It's Village Nursery and is going out of business. I'm going on Thursday afternoon and will report back--IF the show I'm doing has internet access. It's the one thing I forgot to ask her about since it's not a show that needs USEF numbers. It will be a fun excursion!
Wind wind wind all night and this morning!
Debi
Yes, wind, wind, wind. I have spent the last two days trying to cover all of the tropicals in my gaden. I came home today to fine the little tent I built over the lychee tree was scattred about the yard. In fact, much of what I had accomplished yesterday had to be redone. The good news is it is 63.5 degrees in the greenhouse so the orchids and the other plants I stuck in there are doing fine. They are calling for 27 degrees tonight so we'll just have to wait and see. I have done all I can do.
It is interesting that folks who live close to me are finding good orchid buys in Lowes and HD. Those big box stores close to me are awlful. I haven't bought an orchid there in years.
Jim
Windy here, too. The gusts overnight were crazy. Our low tonight is supposed to be 22 degrees - which makes me cringe. Oddly enough, we're supposed to be back up to 70 degree by the weekend. I'm surprised plants can figure out WHAT time of year it is. I even have spring bulbs trying to grow...allium, etc...but they should be put back to sleep tonight!
Jim, you know an orchid to us beginners is a different thing than an Orchid to an expert collector like you. You're looking for more specific (and exotic?) varieties, rather than just, for example for me specific colors and fragrance are important. I'm also looking for anything I might be able to grow in the ground, on the fence or in the trees in my protected landscape areas.
As far as good buys go, the Spathoglottis have certainly been a great buy for me so far. I think it makes a difference who the nursery manager is at a given store. Some are more adventurous than others, and Mj even has one that would rather sell off stuff at huge discounts than return the plants to the wholesaler.
I have definitely seen a lot of orchids dying at both Lowe's and HD that are potted up in 'death traps' like glass containers with no holes at all. My instinct there is to "rescue the poor little orchids" but I have resisted, thanks mainly to all the good advice you and Laurel have been so generous with.
I must say, though, the mini-Phals I saw at Lowe's in December were really lovely, and nicely potted in lava rock/bark/charcoal mix, not a wad of soggy sphagnum as I've often seen. Wish I'd taken pictures.
Look out for the cold to really descend once the wind dies down, if the skies stay clear. I'm off outside to re-pitch all the tents . . (sigh)
This message was edited Jan 4, 2012 3:10 PM
My tents and blankets are all in place and a pot of hot chili is cooking on the stove. Temps are holding well in the greenhouse and the rest is out of my hands. Good luck everyone.
Jim
I just got back to Atlanta. It was in the teens in the mountains this morning. Brrr! I've got two heaters running at full tilt in the greenhut. It's in the low sixties in there. I'm thinking about putting in a third heater on a big extension cord for the night. We are supposed to be having a number of days in the low twenties over the next weeks.
This is a one night wonder for us. Rapid warming begins tomorrow. My yard looks like a civil war encampment with tents everywhere and lights in many of them.
Jim
hope you all don't lose any thing or not much I look forward to your photos to get me through the lon cold winter here !!!!!
good luck
It varies at those stores here, Jim. I'm overly familiar with the garden center manager near me, because I'm in the store several times per week. I've literally carried her an armload of dying orchids, ferns, and bromeliads in small pots and said "Can we work out a deal, or do you have to finish killing these?" Fortunately, she has a sense of humor. I agree with Dyzzy that some of them are eager to get rid of unhappy plants. Being in the store so often, I catch them clearing benches during seasonal changes anyway. I've bought things just for the nice cachepot - for a couple bucks - so if the plant also survived, it was a bonus. By the way - you should be proud of the microclimate you've created for your plants! I'm thrilled the basement has yet to drop below 58. Tonight will be the test.
Dyzzy, those spaths you got looked great! I had just bought some bare-root pseudobulbs for the same price, unfortunately. My local stores don't sell spathoglottis. I'm hoping struggling bulbs will catch-up.
Welcome, Franco. You can see the tolumnia influence in that compact oncidium plant...but big flowers in comparison. Nice colors!
So sorry about 'Hilo,' Qwilter! :o(
I probably need to throw a blanket over some foxtail ferns. Dang, and there's a trailing jade out there still. Everything else is on its own. I mean it this time!!
