Orchids then and now. The story of 13 orchids and counting..

So now you know!
I know I did many stoooopid things, but I really love them and I'm trying to make it better. So, if you have any ideas for me, please...

Lots of hugs,
Alexandra

That is a lovely story, Alex. While I am enamored with orchids have never had the nerve to try to grow one. I admire your spunk in a number of ways. Another great husband looking out for his sweetie's happiness.

Yeah, we really do have good hubbys, Christi!

Enjoyed your story too, Alexandra! With such care and all the love you give your babies, they are going to be beautiful! Looking forward to seeing them as they bloom, I hope you will post pictures!

Morning Christi!

Thanks, Jen! I certainly hope to keep the number. 13 was a good one for me, got married on a 13th, and seems like my best achievement so far!
If we ever get out of this mess, I'll have all the babies showing their cute little faces here in TZG forum!

Good Morning, Jen.

Thanks for the pictures Alexandra! A beautiful collection.

I vote for Ascocentrum garayi.

What kind of Vanilla is that? It looks much different than my Vanilla planifolia vines. Have you ever had flowers? It is easy to grow your own Vanilla beans if you hand pollinate the interesting green flowers.

Aloha, Dave

Dave, thanks for watching. My Vanilla is a V. planifolia. Let me show you "the mother":

and still the Mommy, closeup with flower

and Mommy again, with a closeup of the bean. It was handpollinated (Florida doesn't have the special bees that would normally do it)

My baby is a bit over 1 year old, and quite fast growing. It doubled (if not tripled) its size. I've read somewhere that they need to reach a certain size in order to flower, I'm not sure about that. I would love to have her flower, and produce my own bean(s), but I'm in the "dream on" stage...

This is a close-up of my baby's leaves and aerial roots (when she was still on the wall in Miami)

Edited to say very little over 1 year old, I've got her October 13th last year.

This message was edited Oct 19, 2008 1:40 PM

That's a beautiful Cattleya you have. I'm always asking: is it scented?

here's another view of the A. garayi, if you don't know its size already...

Thanks for the Vanilla shots Alexandra!

Interesting how much variation there is in Vanilla planifolia. My vines have much larger less twisted leaves, and the flowers are a pale yellowish-green.

Dave, where do you grow yours? maybe the quality of light is important as well. If you look at the mother, the leaves seem more straight than on mine... mine is potted, not growing directly in soil.

Thanks for the other photos! The Cattleya has a cinnamom scent.

I will take some photos of the wild orchids around here and post them.

Oh goody!
Pinky also smells cinammony, here's a closeup.

My Vanilla vines are growing in 'ohi'a (Metrosideros) trees and Citrus. I find that the more direct sunlight they get, the more flowers they produce.

Your mother plant has more compact growth than mine, and the leaves still look more twisted.

I find that the most flowers are produced on vines that were grown the previous year. The vines that grow this year will produce next years crop.

I was afraid to place mine in more sun, and here I am definitely not going to; I have very little shade and part shade, and lots of full sun, but where the full sun is, there's also the desert "breeze" that is sooo dehydrating. I believe the flowers are fragrant, but they were too high for me to sniff!

I had to go and see those Metrosideros trees, that gave you your DG name! Very interesting and cheerful flowers, wonder how tall they can get, as there is very little info in PFs.

Since I scrolled for pics in my "visit to nursery" folder, and for our previous discussion about coffee, here's a pic of a coffee bush at the same place, never posted it before, as I don't think it's a high quality or very suggestive photo. I've never got there when it was in bloom :o(

I'm a sucker for fragrant flowers! I'm happy that my gardenia decided to enjoy El Paso, and I have a small Stephanotis grown from seed. Love their leaves too, so nice and green, and shiny! Plus Natal plum/Carissa macrocarpa grown from cuttings.
7(?) of my orchids are fragrant (if I count the Vanilla).
Freesias are my favorites of all times.
As I love to baby from seed, I purchased several other vines and flowers that are fragrant, lately with the drought-resistant feature in mind. And my first ever trying for Plumeria (still from seed).

Eh, I keep rambling! Waiting for pics...

Several species of Orchids are wild on Kilauea; they were brought here for different reasons.

This one is Arundina graminifolia, the Bamboo Orchid. It was introduced to the area as a cattle food.

This is the foliage of the Bamboo Orchid; the source of fodder.

The flowers can be eaten in a salad, or used as an edible decoration on a platter.

This is Epidendrum x obrienianum, the Butterfly Orchid. Escaped from cultivation.

This is Spathoglottis plicata, the Philippine Ground Orchid. Purposely introduced by the famous Hawaiian plant collector Harold Lyon in the early 1920's.

Here is my Vanilla on 'ohi'a trees.

Here are a couple Vanilla beans; the leaf and beans are about eight inches long.

The Vanilla is cultivated but the other Orchids shown above are now naturalized in Hawai'i, and there are a few more whose flowers aren't in season right now.
Nice to have good looking weeds! (Please excuse the picture quality, I'll work on that.)

Aloha, Dave

Beautiful weeds and wild flowers indeed! Wonderful color for the Butterfly orchid. And that Phillipine ground orchid! Do the cows really eat orchids? Now that's a luxury!
You are right, the leaf shape of your Vanilla is a bit different. So, you played bee? or you have the special bees? Are these your first beans?
Thanks for all the pictures.

Have a beautiful evening,
Allexandra

Hey Alexandra, you're up late!

I've been growing Vanilla since 1997. It's a very popular Christmas gift, and my homemade extract makes the best homemade chocolate!
I just learned to pollinate the flowers a couple years ago, and my production went ten-fold!
I live to make homemade chocolate, coffee, vanilla, cinnamon, cloves, black pepper, chili pepper, mint, citrus, etc. Everything that makes people happy.

Nothing more fun than beautiful plants that you can grow and eat! (This gives me a great idea for a new thread, but will have to wait till tomorrow as the Sun has already gone down in Hawai'i!)

Aloha, Dave

Yep, usually late-night owl. But I'm also in Mountain Time Zone, so not too bad! I've been searching and creating a wish list for seeds.
Mouthwatering here! Lots of goofy-happy-making things there!
I'll be watching for that thread!

Have a great day everyone! Hugs,
Alexandra

Well, it's 4.45 am here - now we will get to see if Dave is an early bird! Can't wait to see the new thread, homemade chocolate and vanilla - yummy!

I wish I were better at growing orchids, but I have done much better since I shoved them in the garden and neglected them than I ever did trying to grow them in pots. Still don't look as beautiful as the above!

Jen,
Shoving them outside worked lovely in Miami (which made me believe I'm quite good at orchid growing, LOL), here it would mean certain death!
Yesterday I washed the ceiling dust (and the dust, generally) off of half of them, and already started to populate the shelf. This morning around 7:45 (one hour ago, my time) the sun started to caress my window. I looked carefully to see how much it gets on the leaves. A little later , the sun will rise more, and there will not be a problem. Bright light, air movement from the ceiling fan, and probably tonight the humidifier on the second top-shelf.

beautiful as in the first (Miami) pics, or El Paso pics?

I'm trying to be a cheating early bird (to wake up when my hubby does, at 5:30, walk him out for work, then have a second nap until 8:00), but I'm definitely an owl.

Hugs,
Alexandra

Oh Alex! Your collection just absolutely has to thrive! I have rarely heard of anyone so compassionate about her plants. When they realize how much you and your DH do for them, they will adapt to El Paso and thrill your neighbors with tropical beauty. I was just recently given a vanilla plant and now I am excited about watching her grow. I have her outside on a table at the moment, but I may change that after some research.

Your whole collection is wonderful, and I am sure they will do fine. Good Job Kiddo!!!!

Yokwe,
Shari

Great story and pictures, Alex! You are doing fabulous!!!!!!!! Congratulations!!!!

Thanks everyone! Do you really think they look fine?

I'm still quite worried by the D.C. More leaves turning yellow and probably will fall until tomorrow. Only one plump pseudobulb, that is leafless...
For the first time in his life (and our life together) my DH said I cannot buy any more orchids until either I figure out how to keep them happy, or we move back on the east coast (oh, sweet humidity!). Well, I know my hubby, he's not mean or cheap. He just hates to see me crying, and I really cried for this one!

Got the tray, stones&shells, water, fan. The hanging pots I shower almost everyday, but until nighttime they are bone-dry. I'll take some pictures tomorrow to see the arrangement.

Have a beautiful evening and a great night.
Alexandra

OK, update. As it turned out, didn't have enough stones and shells for the two trays that I've got. Because the next free day my hubby has is long way away (the 28th), I had to improvise.

Soooooooo, I thought, what would be the difference between pots in stone-laden trays with water and trays anchored under the top shelf (grills)... I encouraged myself, saying "I'm a genius", and got to it.

So I poked 4 holes in the tray "handles", and tied the trays with wire. Then, filled them partially with some water. I don't know right now how sturdy my assembly is, so I didn't fill them completely.

Here's the result:

A different angle:

The sad part of the update is the D.c.
It keeps getting yellow leaves that than fall. This is how it looks now

I am helpless with this one... hoping for the best, but I don't really see it. I wish right now that, in case of its demise, I can get another one, but I don't know if I have the guts to try it again.

The only thing left (orchid-wise) is to bring in the Vanilla. Now, the question is, where do I put it? I have two spaces next to the shelves: one that gets early morning sun, then bright light, and the other gets noon sun, otherwise bright light. I will need to wait for my husband, it's a bit difficult to manage her, being so tall.

Necessity being the mother of invention, you did real good Alexandra! Your set-up should keep the humidity up nicely. I don't think you need to worry too much about your d.c. I have noticed that after a very heavy rain, some of the lowest leaves on my orchids turn yellow and fall. I think this is just what the older leaves do. The rest of the plant seems fine - and mine here never show any trauma from that happening. Hang in there kiddo. Try not to overstress about your lovelies. I have also noticed that mine do best with benign neglect. Very easy to kill with kindness, so remember the old fashion adage: Less is more.

Yokwe,
Shari

Thank you, Shari!
Have a nice weekend everyone!
Alexandra

Very clever. Hope it works for you. Looks like it should! You have a great weekend also!