December - the end of the 2008 orchid season

Lee, just more of the same. I'm waiting for a few buds to open. It's dark and snowy this AM. Lots of 2 hour delays for the local schools. No flowers on any cyms for a while yet. Only one is definitely in spike.

I was hoping you would have a few more days off work. You could sit around with the lemon rice cookies and herbal tea. Doesn't that sound nice? Will eagerly wait for more pics as I know more of your beautiful collection is coming. Lee

In the meanwhile -
I have been patiently waiting for the 11 spikes on my Laelia autumnalis var. atrorubens to open. Since the spikes sway ever so gently in the breeze, I had to shut off the fan and tried not to breathe - while taking about 60 pictures to get some which I thought were most representative.

All 11 spikes -

A look at some single spikes

a single flower using black felt as background

and the plant itself

For comparison - the humble beginnings of this Laelia are documented here
http://www.kammlott.net/Laeliaava.html

What a plant! Great job Ursula!

Jim

Lovely Ursula, from the increase in size and production it surly likes what you are doing for it.

Thanks!! I love the plant!!
Here is my Dendrobium nobile alba which is hanging underneath this Laelia and so it got watered PLENTY.

It is producing a few buds on several very green canes. The scent is lovely!

I cut one of the Zootrophion serpens ( see this thread) flowers open to see what the inside looks like

Once I had cut it, I didn't have much time to take pictures, the flower went limp rather quickly.

Well, now we know what goes on inside the little slippers?

That laelia is beautiful! What a lovely shade of pink.

My orchids, especially the phals, really seem to like our new sunroom.

Here's Blc. Momilani Rainbow 'The Gypsy'
Fred

brought these in from the mean outside.

I divided and repotted this 'lost tag' back in May. It was in bad shape but here we are all nice and new again.

Hello RUK, Good job on the Zootrophion serpens. Now that's the kind of orchid I'm very fond of because, to me at least, it's unusual. Thanks Ursula for posting it.
Fred, the Blc. Momilani Rainbow is beautiful. I usually ask this but does it have a fragarance? To me, a pleasant scent is almost as important as the flower.
Lee

Makes me feel nice and warm just looking at the pic of your sun room Fred! The Rainbow one--beautiful!

Update on the results of the surprise frost a few weeks back. So far, just one Den. NOID is showing signs of damage to two canes where nost leaves were lost except for the top two on each cane. These appear healthy and hopefully indicate that the plant will recover. The older canes seem unphased, though they were leafless to begin with. A couple of Mtssa./ brassia types show stress in an ocassional leaf, but appear to have little damage otherwise. Most of the Phals seem to have been stimulated and are senting out spikes. Looks like I'll have flowering plants in my office for Jan, Feb and March

Wow! Ursula and Fred, great show!!!!! I hope my laelias grow up big some day! Only 2 spikes here. Love the "lost tag" orange, Fred. Todd, do you have any laelias? I just moved my Laelia lucasiana to more light and heat. It has 2 tiny buds that just aren't doing anything. Slc. Firelighter (compact ruby red) opened the fourth bud today and I just noticed 2 more besides the one I knew about for a total of 7 this year!! Meanwhile I keep repotting various plants growing in sphagnum (arrived that way) that are starting to go downhill. I'm really starting to hate that stuff....
I will take pics now. It's sposta snow all afternoon and night.

Hello Boo, you stay warm up there. I'm hoping that you don't get all that much snow. Lee

Stu, sounds like you were quite lucky!! And isn't it neat to know that cold as well as light can trigger those pesky phals!

Hi Lee, we're sposta get 6-12". Snowshoe time tomorrow.

Well then, it's time for snuggling under a throw and have some lemon rice cookies and tea. Don't over do the shoveling. Lee

This stuff we can snow blow. I only shovel slush. Oh drat, I'm out of lemon cookies today. Maybe I'll bake. Snow does that to people.

Lee & Phoebe,
yes the there is a perfume like aroma. It get's mixed with the other smells though unless I stick my nose right into it. :-)

The sun room was just finished and we are enjoying it with some measure of abandon. It turned out better then we could ever have hoped. It's like being outside without being exposed to the temperature variance out there.

Here's another shot.

and in the other direction

AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! ^_^

Splendid sunroom!!!

Wonderful, Fred!

This is what's out my window Fred

Phoebe, your view just sent a shiver up and down my spine. It's 80 here again today.

Fred, wonderful sun room. I've been thinking about convnerting my screaned lanai into something like that but it would still have the pool inside. Also, love the Blc Rainbow. It's a good season for Catts.

Jim

Phoebe,
now you know why people turn into snowbirds. Too bad so many have to get old first. :-)

Fred

Well it started like this at 12:20.

Then it really came down. That snow line on the barn is the snow residue from the last storm's snow blowing.

My orchids are really happy they no longer live on that wall! Laelia gouldiana all open today.

I just adore laelias. Sometimes I just want laelias and cymbidiums.

But then I smell the Tuberolabium quisumbingii's almond fragrance, and I'd hafta have that one too.

And then there are the loyal workhorses like Phrag Noirmont which just opened for the season.

And Den. Nora Tokunaga!

And I just found an eighth bud on Slc. Firelighter......