As Ursula gently bows out....:-)
February Orchids in 2009 part 2
Rene, better thank Ursula first. I can hear her foot tapping...
Kathy, lovely Miltonia. I think I'll add it to my want list.
Jim
Cool.
Learning my new program and working on a report for work. I feel stupid!
Brilliant yellow on that oncidium Ursula. Congrats.
Jim
I can't get really good pics of these in the orchid case, but I tried.
NOID Phal.
Close up. Kinda pretty, huh?
NOID Phal.
This one is really the same color all over, the color of the lip. Kinda of a deep maroon color,
NOID on this either.
Hmm, looks like a pretty good pic to me? Nice Phal.
Rene, ( Lorine?) no problem.
Thanks, Jim.
Donna, we overlapped. Looking pretty!!
This message was edited Feb 25, 2009 10:42 PM
My DH liked this one. It wouldn't have been my choice. So it is his Valentine's Day present.
NOID Phal.
HappyJack - by "orchid case," do you mean you grow your orchids in something like a terrarium/glass enclosure? I can see the reflection of the light in the glass in your photos. Is the case closed with glass on all sides? Very interesting growing method that I've not heard of previously.
Jeremy
My Paph Julius is just starting to spike. This is my most treasured orchid, as it was given to me by an older member of our society, because he was so proud of the display I did last year, and of winning the AOS trophy. He was the founding member. He passed away in the summer.
Anyway, this is a multifloral, anyone have any idea how long I will wait to see blooms??
Thanks.
Janet
Closer pic of buds.
Donna, you take nice pics! I love the close up.
How long does it take for those buds? I don't know - but I sure like the anticipation.
As Kathy pointed out, my Sedirea japonica opened its first spike. ( there are 2 :-) )
I have three plants, two are potted, but the mounted one is the only one blooming. The others look fine, perhaps they will do something one of these days.
The wonderful and pretty scent is somewhat lemony, I love it.
The spike -
And the plant "in habitat" -
Janet, it will be a while yet. That spike gets quite long but I can tell you it's a beauty!
Thanks, Todd.
I was thinking that it might take a month, maybe two??
Jeremy,
No that's not glass. My DH found some wooden panels thrown out at the dump, made an enclosure with open back. We had some very heavy vinyl that is used for covering tables, seat covers & etc. It was long enough to go from the front of the case, up over the top and down the back side. We have plastic storage boxes with gravel in them, a small fountain, grow lights, thermometer/humidity gauge and everything is on a timer. The case is painted all white to reflect light and the back panel is an old quilt to protect the plants from the cold window behind the case in the winter time.
I think I will wish for a new larger case to be placed here in the den. It will include a small (computer like) fan for a little air movement. Also thinking about maybe being able to use Rino lining to paint the bottom of the case so we won't have to use containers for humidity and as catch basins.
Donna
Left side of Orchid Case
This message was edited Feb 26, 2009 5:08 PM
Right side of Orchid Case
Rene,
We're in North central AZ in the National forest. We have severe winter storms at times, so have to have our orchids indoors. Those of you in FL are really lucky to have milder weather in order to grow orchids outside.
Donna
NOID Phal.
Finally...a third Orchid has bloomed for me - thought I remembered this one's scent being similar to a tuberose...hopefully by tomorrow, I'll be able to tell. First a close up of the Cattleya walkeriana v. alba 'Pendentive' AM/AOS bloom
And both blooms together...
Chantell,
Those are so pretty. Let us know if it does smell like tuberoses.
Donna
Walkerianas are my favorite cattleyas beside laelias. I only have a tiny one.
Are most of them fragrant or does it differ with each of them?
Chantell, I would think they probably all are fragrant - since I have never read anybody mentioning that theirs wasn't scented.
Hmm strange logic :-)
I have some hybrids with walkeriana and every one of them smells nice too.
Here is another one which smells very pretty
Neostylis Lou Sneary 'Bluebird'
I have a few small plants of Lou Sneary and I love them all. These are compact plants and won't take up much room.
How small is that?
And one more flower....
Very interesting setup for your orchids, Donna! You sure get beautiful results from it. In my opinion, bigger is always better when it comes to providing space for orchids. LOL
I happened to have dinner with a group of friends this past Wednesday and a local florist that I had not previously met was part of the group this week. He is the scoundrel that I had heard mentioned that buys live orchids plants, cuts the spikes off for floral arrangements, then tosses out the plants. I scolded and chastised him soundly and said to call me whenever he had orchid plants to throw away, but I don't know that he will bother. His comment was that if he saved every orchid plant he used as a source of flower spikes, he would have 15,000 orchid plants. Perhaps a bit of an exaggeration, but I told him I would gladly tend to that many orchids. I may go camp out by the dumpster at his business location and dive for orchid plants on a regular basis.
Jeremy
I don't blame you, Jeremy. Have fun.
Hap
Ohhh dumpster diving what fun, fun!!
Ursula - OMG those pics are stunning!!! And what a beautiful flower - so delicate in appearance!!
Donna - today I'm getting more of a lily type fragrance...will be able by tomorrow to know for sure...very pretty scent!!
Jeremy,
Dang, if we lived closer to you, my DH would be right there in the bottom of the dumpster handing the orchid plants up to you! No, on second thought, maybe he would want to keep them. Then he said, "Well, we could share?" LOL
In the 50's, he had built us a 8'x12' greenhouse for our orchids. We sold the blooms to a local florist. She requested that we provide her with Catts in white with yellow throats, so we ordered 50 thumb pots of Catt. Bow Bells. As it turned out, we decided later to raise Siamese cats, the orchids had to go, traded them off for a '54 Chrysler (with a 331c.i. Hemi) and the greenhouse became a cattery.
Donna
DD sitting on bench in greenhouse, 1959.
Beautiful pics Ursula.
Hap, my datura seeds arrived today! Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Jim
Thank you Chantell and Jim!
As this month comes to a close -
a second bud opened on my Laelia lundii x Epidendrum longipetalum. I had bought it exactly one year ago with a fading flower. So this is flowering right on schedule. If you compare the flowering habit of this hybrid to that of Laelia lundii -
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/fp.php?pid=6145729
(see the new growth in front, hopefully those are buds too)
if you see leaves on a new growth of Laelia lundii, it will NOT have produced a bloom on that growth and will NOT flower that season. This hybrid grows a regular little pseudobulb with leaves and the spike emerges from the center of the leaves.
and another view -
I found the blooms to be delicately and prettily scented!
