I couldn't resist. I went to our new Home Depot and with all the Phals they had for sale, the temptation was too great. However, expecting wrong labels, I wrote down the name of this one to check it out first...surprisingly it was correctly labelled! So this is my latest purchase, Phal. I-Hsin Blackjack.
You picked up only one plant.....??
Nice purchase!
Todd, you're a pillar of discipline!
I've got a private tour of Andy's Orchids with Andy the second week of May. I'm counting my change jars, and looking in the couch cushions for a species orchid shopping-gasm...lol.
What a beautiful flower that is.
That's a nice find! I'm suprised you found it with the accurate label, HD is known for mislabeling, unknowledgable workers, etc.
I used to find it hard to garden shop there when I was begining because I didn't know much. But now it's even harder because I know what I want and I need specifics and no one seems to be able to tell me where things are, so on.
drdon,
I hope "we" didn't deplete Andy of all of his plants here at the NY Orchid Show last week. One had no problem finding his stall with all his eager customers swarming about. Just kidding, I am sure you will enjoy your tour with him.
I bought a very pretty Trichopilia tortilis in flower from him. Also a good size slab having a nice growth of Bulbophyllum alagense ( lots and lots of tiny plants, they look like little growing necklaces, very cute ) and a Barkeria spectabilis on a branch. Fun!
I'm sure 90% of the phals were mislabelled...I saw this spotted one the day before I bought it. I wrote the name down then did a search and found it to be correct...I was thankful the orchid was still there the next day. They had a wide range of colours, but I never has a spotted hybrid so decided to bite the bullet. At this stage, I hate to buy an unknown hybrid.
Dear All,
I am a little puzzled why HD or other similar places still seem to be the primary places where many people purchase orchids and expect them to be both healthy and correctly identified. Perhaps it might be an outing, a nice experience, if one were to go to a reputable dealer (there is probably one not so far away wherever one lives) and browse amongst their offerings.... Just a thought....and the prices are usually quite comparable.
Hi everyone, please excuse my puzzlement, I am new to the board.
Cheers.
Huiray.
I do find that the prices at HD for orchids are a little high, considering I can get more special species or cultivers for that same price or less. Probably in better condition too.
I'm a little proud to say that I haven't yet bought one from Home Depot. But then I'm not a big fan of phals. If they had something else that was on my list I'd probably cave. Just because I go there frequently for supplies, why not pick up a plant too is how I see it. Some times I just can't help myself with some of their other finds.
The closest reputable orchid nursery to me is 1500 miles away! Trust me, when I get to an area where there is a real orchid nursery, I prefer to purchase my orchids there. I visit my brother in Calgary and they are home to Paramount Orchids....huge selection at reasonable prices. I prefer Oncidium alliance and only rarely does HD or Kents (my equivalent to Lowes) have anything other than Phals (although Kents did have Odcdm Wildcat 'Whitelip' and Odcdm Jungle Monarch 'Everglades' last month which I quickly purchased).
Obviously, if you buy orchids from HD or thier equivalents, you have to buy them as soon as they arrive as they quickly go downhill due to lack of proper care. I guess in fairness to them, they are not at fault in mislabelling the orchids. They arrive that way from the dealer. Costa Orchid Farm in Florida is the main supplier of all orchids in Newfoundland stores and they apparently are the ones at fault in labelling (or maybe THEIR supplier if they are the go-between which might very well be as many of their Phal hybrids at least seem to be of Taiwan origin).
I guess for the beginning orchid grower, the HD makes the orchids available. So they should be complimented for that at least. Once people get into them, they often branch out to mail-order or visiting real orchid nurseries. Of course, the one drawback with mail-order is you can't pick out your own plant (and may be dissappointed with what you do get)...there is something about selecting you own that makes the HD appealling.
hiya RUK,
I was aware that Andy was off to NY, and I figured there would be a rather significant depletion of his stock afterward...lol.
My hopes are that there are still a few Sobralias, Masdevallias, and Draculas remaining.
I've been to his booth at a show in San Francisco. He really does have a following.
drdon,
you are into the " very clean mountain water - orchids"? Do you have some growing /flowering at the moment?
hiya RUK,
It would seem odd that someone with the worst tap water in the known universe would be an upper elevation species orchid nut, but it's true...lol.
I have a Masdevallia coccinea in bud and an Encyclia vitellina I've been waiting for since it was quite young. It's only days away from its first blooming. Very exciting. I collect a few Sobralias and when they bloom I'll be sure to post. Ecyclia marae will also be showing it's lovely face soon.
Keeping the greenhouse cool in our hot weather is/will continue to be a real challenge.
drdon,
I am sure you looked into all sorts of cooling mechanisms.
This particular reflective shade cloth is very effective in lowering the temps by a few degrees, although I don't know if it would be sufficient in your zone.
http://www.charleysgreenhouse.com/index.cfm?page=_productdetails&productid=2124&cid1=204&cid2=814&cid3=-99
looking forwards to the pics of your pretty stuff!
Hi all,
Just came back from an orchid show in Northampton, MA of the Amherst Orchid Society. Will make a thread as soon as I can. I broke down and bought my first paph (Henrietta Fujiwara-yellow/chartreuse) and my first miniature (encyclia bractescens-hi drdon!). Here's HF. This one has another bud behind this one and maybe a baby bud below.
I have bought several orchids from a local grower, but he has mostly cattleyas, so I have bought 2 phals and 2 dendrobiums from HD. I had to repot one in bloom!! to save it, but it's now very happy. You get what you pay for, but sometimes I can't resist an orchid for $12.95! I would have grabbed that Blackjack, too, Todd.
The encyclia has 2 tiny baby spikes, but here's a blurry pic from the show.
Dying to see pics off your newbies RUK and drdon's encyclias. One more blurry closeup (sorry couldn't tell they were this bad).
Just gorgeous boojum! I especially like the species pic. Nice images indeed. And it seems as though Todd finds the coolest deals. Who'd of thunk that there would be such a selection of cool hybrids available up there in the land of Seal Flipper Pie...lol.
For the record, I HATE Seal Flipper Pie!!!!!
rotf....hahahahaa
lol. Btw Todd, Pam and I will be in Calgary this fall. One of our horses that is being trained in B.C. is competing at Spruce Meadows. We are driving both directions to see a bit of the northwest. Perhaps we can stop by Paramount when we are there. Do they allow decadent U.S. citizens to enter?...lol.
Your collection is very impressive. Big Box store or not.
boojum,
here are the plants I picked up from Andy's:
the first one is the Trichopilia tortilis
next a single flower of the Tpla tortilis
they are on their way out by now, except for this one, it is still hanging on.( I took these 2 pictures right after I bought the plant.)
and more?
the Bulbophylum alagense small form
Each little plant measures about 1 cm. I think this one is really cute, I expect lots of weird tiny flowers.
I took this picture of the Barkeria spectabilis just this afternoon, the spikes are progressing
Perhaps you might enjoy this one? I bought it exactly 2 years ago at the GNYOS.
Bulbophyllum graveolens 'Mount Millas' AM /RHS x self
The flowers measure singly almost 4 inches and smell slightly "funky" during daytime. The lip wiggles!!!
About the Encyclia bractescens, I bought one too at the GNYOS from J&L Orchids. I think they do mailorder)
Very pretty and delicate. I also had trouble taking a decent picture from that one. Not enough contrast?
Seal Flipper Pie????
hiya RUK,
great specimens! Hybrids are fabulous, but I am just drawn to their parentage plants. Great plants indeed. I have Barkeria vanneriana (lindleyana), it's just starting to come out of dormancy. Just noticed today that two separate spikes are starting on Lycaste aromatica. This is it's first year with me (from Andy's) and I'm excited about my first try with this genus.
It looks from the photos that you've got a great greenhouse. Mine is only small, and rather empty since I just finished building it in late Feb. It's 12'x28'. I've used different densities of Saran shade cloth to create different light conditions in different areas. I am installing a permanent swamp cooler to go with the portable I constructed from some plans off the internet a while ago. Heat is a Modine/propane fired (35,000btu) and ventilation is a two speed Canarm (24") fan and a thermostatically controlled backdraft vent. I did a lot of research before building it, but it was my first and if I build another there will certainly be improvements.
The previous pic was taken a few days after the paint fumes dissipated. This is it today...lol, a bit of a mess, but it's spring and the propagation bench has been going full speed.
I love Bulbophyllums! They grow so well for me in the wrong conditions. They seem very forgiving.
Does Mount Milas really move???? The B. alagense is really cute!
The Trichopilia is beautiful, any thing with ruffled petals usually is! It looks like a laelia. Are they related?
RUK you no doubt have a wonderful collection. I envy those with a greenhouse. I have 36 orchids, all growing on windowsills. However, I am now working at our local botanical garden as their research horticulturist. They have two large greenhouses which still have space for a few orchids (in fact they do have 6 not-well-cared-for orchids). I might slip a few up there as I will be there nearly as much as home. I'm sure they won't mind!
I've never tired Bulbophyllums or Barkeria....I have had poor luck with mounted orchids so I avoid them. What are the chances that Home Depot will ever have Trichopilia? Guess I have to be content with mostly mis-labelled Phals!
DrDon, Paramount orchids has some wonderful plants at reasnable prices. You will have to have a cities and import permit to bring the orchids into the US, but it might be worth it. Have you checked their website? http://www.paramountorchids.com/plantlist.html
Wow, RUK! Those are so beautiful! I especially love that bulbophyllum graveolens! What conditions do they need? I am very new to orchids but with guidance from you and Todd, I'm starting to love my new hobby. BTW, I am speaking from my DBF's computer because I had a major meltdown last night (of my hard drive) and may have lost all my photos of my trip this week and the orchid show. I will try to be brave, but this is the third time this has happened to me. I wasn't done editing photos so I didn't back them up. Sigh.
misc
drdon, your greenhouse will be jam-packed in no time flat!! It looks like you are commercial, great set up. I do remember your thread about the swamp cooler – I am curious how that worked (out)? The tap water might be of poor quality but you do have RO, that should help your touchy Orchids a lot?
Our greenhouse was built on top of the garage which measures 10 x 20 feet. To make the glass panels fit, the dimensions are just a few inches in both direction beyond that. Closet shelves are placed on top of light-weight Aluminum rods. ( DH deserves all the credit for that set up.) So the whole set up is very open and spacious. The house has oil heat and central air conditioner, so we had the ducts routed through the garage and up into the greenhouse, but it has its own thermostat. I rarely use the air conditioner, because my stuff goes outside over the summer.
It is my first Barkeria. I am learning how to keep that one. They are beautiful, after seeing a lot of gorgeous pictures of those from a friend, I had to buy one!!
About the Bulbophyllum graveolens – yes, the lip is hinged and it does wiggle. ( picture the pollinator on a springboard?....) It is a very neat flower. I grow that one fairly bright, I have it placed next to an Encyclia brassavolae, a few scented Geraniums and some smaller Cattleya types, to give you an idea. It will go outside into a slightly more shaded area under a tree. It does get watered with rainwater usually twice a day. Since it is in tree fern ring ( is that what one calls it?), it dries up just as quickly as the “orchids on a stick”, it needs lots of water and good drainage.
Boojum, I really feel with you on your computer troubles, I do hope you can recover the stuff on your harddrive.
Todd, your job sounds great!!!
Also, do you need permits to import plants to Newfoundland? Just log on to.... and have 'em shipped?
And , CM
here is another pretty Trichopilia for you. This one came from Santa Barbara Orchids. I bought it a year ago in flower and happily it produced again two flowers this spring. They named this one Trpla Suave Margins, it is a hybrid of Trichopilia suavis x Trichopilia marginata and it is not yet registered.
SB Orchids has beautiful plants and they are not too expensive, especially if one were to try the “Orchid of the Day”. ( today's is a really neat plant, the flowers look like cooked Lobster claws)
http://sborchid.com/
This message was edited Apr 25, 2005 11:41 AM
RUK,
The swamp cooler was pretty straight forward to build and it works okay. I like the idea that there is no loss of humidity (a real challenge here) when it's working. I will need to add another unit before the real heat kicks in and I found a rather neat unit that is on casters at our local HD. Because we are so dry in the summer, I cannot move any but the most dry tolerant of my little collection outside.
RUK, we do need an import permit to bring plants into Canada from the US. There are only a couple of orchid mail-order nurseries in Canada so it is best for me to stick with them and hope for the best. I will probably make an order for more special orchids come late May when the weather gets settled. With the green house facilities at the Botanical Garden, I could grow mini-cattleya type hybrids and even try some mounted orchids. the possibilities are endless now! (if only the money was!)
Those are so pretty with the spots. Did you buy the P. tribuloides?
CM
no, I didn't buy the tribuloides. I thought you might go for it???
Years ago, when placed my very first order with Andy, he included one as a bonus. It is a cute plant, small and not fussy.
I'm trying my best to hold off on buying more until I get a GH. It's hard! Some are really tempting.
It looks like I might finally get one by the fall because I've decided to go and get a job just for that. I'm going to miss it when I move out of my parents house. Lol, I sound like a bum.
Hey, gang, don't mean to intrude on your thread, but I saw your reference to evaporative coolers to cool down your greenhouse and mine just got delivered by Fed-Ex yesterday. It's a 10.5 gallon (not a typo) ten-and-a-half gallon, PORTABLE evaporative cooler I snagged at 'greenhouse mega store' (also might be found searching under " IGCUSAstore" --international greenhouse central usa store. They have 3 different sizes of portable evaporative coolers just as another option to Home Depot or Charley's Greenhouse.
I haven't had the chance to look at the instructions yet---- too much at work the last 4 days. I'm having an 18'x 24' x 10' GH built for me (lazy and incompetent I guess to tackle this project on myself ;) ) and I'm excited to see how the cooler will work.
Just got the directions to look them over and apparently, you have the NICE OPTION (I'm big on options and flexibility)-- of connecting your garden hose to the cooler for a continuous supply of h20 OR, you can employ the water/ice inlet located at the top of the unit (MODEL # QC16D3 for those of you taking notes) to fill 'er up to the 10 1/2 gallon mark noted by your WATER LEVEL INDICATOR!!! (Yeah, boys, fire it up :-) !!!!)
Anyways, International Greenhouse has 3 models of evaporative coolers to choose from . Happy shopping! Remember, if it's for orchids, you NEED to have it. Either: a. work more b. spend less on other non-essentials (food, mortgage, gas, etc.) or c. get another job ! ;)
That's great information! Here's the plant for those (like me) who think about building one first, then find out my cooling needs exceed the size unit I built...lol
