You're right!
February Orchids in 2009
It was a truly beautiful day here yesterday -- one of those times in NE Florida when it is neither too hot nor too cold and no bothersome bugs. We only have a few days in November thru February that meet those specifications.
I took advantage of the warm weather to pull some plants out of the overstuffed greenhouse in order to get a close up view of some of the orchids in flower and pull weeds from pots of tropical plant propagation experiments.
Here is a view of the crowded greenhouse, and this is AFTER I had removed all the potted plants that were pressed up to the door jamb.
Jeremy
This orchid was a surprise. It was in the far corner of the greenhouse and I didn't know it was flowering until I pulled some plants out of the way that were blocking it from view.
It had no I.D. tag, and I have no idea really what the genus might be. It looks like a miniature dendrobium flower, but the stalks are about 2 ft long and tend to twist and curve.
Jeremy
Here's a view of more of the plant. It has another stem going in the opposite direction that wouldn't fit in the photo.
Jeremy
And here's a closeup of the flowers.
Jeremy
I don't have a name for this one either, which surprises me because I bought it from an orchid greenhouse/grower about 30 miles south of Jacksonville on a day trip a few years ago. I think of it as "the Dendrobium that ate Chicago" because of its massive size. The stems are about 3 ft tall and are over 1 inch in diameter at the base of the stems. I think phicks may have the same or similar Dendrobium that he posted several months ago. I didn't like the flower color when it bloomed last year -- it seemed to have a lot of brown in it -- but is more magenta this year.
I divided it successfully last year and have about 4 of these in 1 gal pots in addition to the giant mother plant.
Jeremy
Here's a view from above, showing the leaves that are about 6 inches long and 1.25 inches wide.
Jeremy
And a closeup of the flowers.
Jeremy
They're lovely, Jeremy. That last one is a duzy.
Hap
Your dendrobium is beautiful!! I especially love the first pic of all of them together. It looks so Florida!!
Janet
What great surprises Jeremy!
Thanks for the kind comments.
Very nice "heirloom" family member, Rene. I haven't tried growing any of the large Cats yet.
Here is my orchid that looks similar to Happy's Cat (above - yellow/red). Alas, there was no I.D. tag on this one either, but I'm going to name it 'Ruby-Throated Canary' LOL
The flowers are not quite open yet and have been slowly opening over the period of about a week. Is that normal for a Cattleya?
Here's the closest match I can find from a brief Google search (Potinara Free Spirit from a cross of Potinara Twenty Fourcarat x Sc Beaufort) http://www.paramountorchids.com/jpg/PotFreeSpirit2.jpg
Jeremy
This message was edited Feb 9, 2009 5:04 PM
Here's another view.
Jeremy
And a closeup of one of the flowers.
Jeremy
That's going to be beautiful...or it is, already..
Hap
And for a sadder sight, here are some of my poor Bletilla ground orchids in my garden after enduring temperatures in the low 20s F for prolonged hours on several recent nights. They've never been this badly freeze-damaged in about the 5 years they have been in the ground, but I'm still fairly certain they will return. Fortunately, only one of them had sent up the beginning of a flower stalk.
Jeremy
YIKES!!
Again for the second time today to congratulat you on your surpers plants and flowes. I suppose my initial respnse was overlooked. Lee
Lee, I didn't overlook you. Thanks :-) again.
Happy, about mounting on Epiweb - I use some of the ready made baskets and I also picked up a large sheet of the stuff for mounting. I cut a suitable piece of that and tie the plant simply to it. Soak the plant well, gently shake off old medium and tie it on with whatever you have, sometimes I use phone wire, or simple strong thread or a piece of lace.I place a bit of coconut fiber over the roots so they don't get scraped by the ties and also hold a bit of moisture. Once the roots hold on and the plant starts growing into the mount, one can remove the strings.
Jeremy, your greenhouse looks like fun, so much stuff in there!! The Dendrobium is simply awesome!! So healthy!
And yes, Cattleyas don't open that fast and the flowers will take a few days to mature too. I am hoping you will post that gorgeous yellow Catt when it is fully open!
Jeremy, those Bletillas will surely come back! Around here, I will see the first little green tips around April. ( I grow them outside
against the house wall)
Lorine, your white Catt is beautiful!
Around here my Dendrobium Pixie Charm is blooming its heart out and there are lots more buds to open. I love it.
This is a hybrid of Yellow Chinsai and unicum, and Dendrobium unicum ( which looks almost the same but is more orange) is very tough to grow and flower for many people. Most of the time unicum looks like dried up sticks after the initial green growth stops and is usually reluctant to flower. Now this one grows and flowers like gangbusters without any dry period.
( I got mine from Parkside a couple of years ago)
the plant - not visible here are a couple more growths in bud. This is going to bloom for a few weeks
and the flowers - a closer look
Hope you enjoy.
Ursula, that dendrobium is to die for. You should enter that last photo in a contest. It's awesome!
Sarah.
Ursula,
That is beautiful. It is a very unique looking flower.
Janet
Pixie Charm is a one of a kind. I've never seen anything like it. Beautiful.
fred
Wow - awesome flowers to all! I love looking here daily and add to my ever growing "want" list ^_^
Tlhanks so much for all the info, Ursula. I just bought some lava rock mixture and when that's gone I will give the epi a shot.
That yellow is a real eye-catcher.
Hap
Wow is this months thread growing fast, must be some of that special fertilizer mentioned on one of the other threads.
Fred your Dendrobium Red Emperor is a standout. I don't know how you missed Kathy's (boojum) Phrag. Noirmont, it seems like it is almost always in bloom. Not all Phrags like that much water although most do, there is a listing on line somewhere but I can't find it right now. Phrag caudatum would be in the drier list for example.
Todd, great stuff there. I really like the Cymbidium Dark Spirit and Dendrobium Garnet Jewel. Your Phrag. Will Chantry still looks great, Jerry at Orchids Limited told me to put mine in an inch of water and it might help the distorted blooms the last one that came out certainly looks better and the new bud that is developing looks normal...... Which Phrags of yours are blasting blooms?
Kathy, more beauties. Diacrium bicornutum x Epi. stamfordiana is a real eye catcher for me.
Ursula, your Amesiella monticola is almost whiter than white and Den Pixie Charm sure is cheerful.
Jeremy, great display you have going there, I do hope you will still get some flowers from your Bletilla.
Lovely white Catt, Rene.
Picked this off its side at a local nursery a few years ago. It was way too tall to stand in its small plastic pot in bloom without support. After I got it home and checked name on tag (Burana Fancy) which is green, I realized tag had been switched. As hard as it is normally to identify Den hybrids, I believe it is Dendrobium Copter if so parents would be Den. Copper Queen x Den. Doctor Poyck. It is a very deep burgundy that almost turns black in sunlight. I have the same problem as most have with digital cameras in reproducing the burgundy color range ( they seem to favor the red side). This plant is in bloom much of the time as it blooms several times off the old growths.
Ken
Odontoglosssum Midnight Miracles 'Moonless Pacific' is mildly fragrant that I can smell when I am nearby and isn't much more intense if I stick my nose right up to bloom.
Ken
A NOID Dendrobium that I call Dendrobium Home Depot as that is where it came from about five years ago when they opened the fist Home Depot in our province.
Ken
Nice ones, Ken!!! Especially like the color of Den. HD!
Beautiful blooms everyone. This thread is a true delight. After being cooped up in the dim house for a week, Mr. Mendenhal has celebrated his return to sunshine and fresh air with this bloom. I am experimenting with backgrounds so I put it against my Euphorbia 'Diamond Frost'. I give you Oncidium Mendenhall Psychopsis .
Jim
Great dark dendro Ken.....I'll take a pic of my Garnet Jewel once more blooms open.
Blasted phrags include Hanne Popow 'Flavum', Evening Blaze, Dom Wimber and Michael Tremblay....I've started putting them in a tray of water to see if future ones will spike without blasting....6 others are at the right stage to bloom but no signs yet.
Ken, very nice!
I really love the color on the burgundy Den, and I do understand about having trouble getting this particular color correctly displayed.
Usually I take at least a dozen of pics on some of those and select perhaps one or two.
I noticed that this color comes out best/most accurately, when the picture is taken in ambient light. Also - I take a single piece of white paper and hold that in front of the flash, or perhaps even double the paper. That seems to help a bit!
we overlapped -
Jim, what a gorgeous "Overseer"
This message was edited Feb 10, 2009 6:04 PM
The cold weather is about to produce a reward. After 2 years of no paph blooms, Satchel's Legend is on its way. I couldn't wait to share.
Jim
Nice buds for sure!! The Paph looks great!
Here is Stenosarcos Vanguard 'Fireball' -
If you are looking for an easy bloomer, get yourself one of those "red Spiranthes on steroids"!
My plant never loses all its leaves, which is part of the attraction. Right now, this one is very pot-bound, I will repot it after blooming, which might be another month from now, the blooms last a long time.
This message was edited Feb 11, 2009 1:17 PM
a look at the pretty red flowers
and a pretty leaf
Beautiful, Ursula! And great pics as always. I gave my Stenosarcos to a friend. I should check and see if it's in bloom. Mine didn't have such nice patterned leaves.