Winter–The longer it lasts, the nastier and more tiresome it seems–After several spring-like weeks here in Atlanta, it’s back and we find ourselves experiencing lows in the 20’s–However, one thing I like about this time of year is that my Phalaenopsis orchids all bloom–Here they are, starting with the miniatures (unless noted, these are all noid hybrids):
This is a miniature phalaenopsis that has slightly peloric flowers–Orchid flowers are said to be peloric when the two upper petals mimic the shape of the lip (the third petal)–I’m not sure if it is an entirely desirable trait, but I find some of them, like this one, quite lovely–
The small orchid above has the most velvety flowers–Each one is about an inch and a quarter across, if that–The whole plant is about 9-10 inches tall, seen here before the last of the buds open:
Another miniature Phalaenopsis, above–This is the first time this one has bloomed for me–I got it last year in bloom and had forgotten what it looked like until the buds began opening–
I love the contrast between the pale violet-purple flaring out from the center of each flower and the reddish shade in the lip–At the very tip of the lip, there is a touch of the violet–
A lovely purple miniature, above–
Another peloric, above–Note how completely modified the two petals are, very similar to the lip–This is a tiny plant, the leaf span about 4 inches–The blooms are yellow overlaid with a magenta color, which reads as fuschia–It’s not especially striking, this color, but I love the blooms nonetheless–Though a mature plant, this orchid is still young and I suspect there will be better and more blooms in the future–
This celadon green miniature makes me think of things that bloom by the light of the moon–
When my partner’s father died, some dear friends sent a lovely arrangement with this one in it–This is the first time it’s bloomed since–I call it ‘Ray’, to honor the gentleman who passed, a very kind man–I love the delicate color of this orchid, like the flesh of a cucumber–
I’ve had this miniature above, for several years–It’s a reliable bloomer for me–It’s one of my favorites because of the deep veining on the sepal and petals–I also love how the white line around the edges make the flower really catch the eye–
I got two spikes this year, but one is still a slowly growing nub and may dry up–We’ll see if it kicks in when this one fades–Now It’s time to focus on the standard Phalaenopsis hybrids that are in bloom:
This magnificent flower is textured like suede–The name of this registered hybrid is Doritaenopsis Chian Xen Pearl ‘Ming Ho’ Am/AOS–Doritaenopsis is a cross between Doritis and Phalaenopsis—
A close-up of the lip–
This is a young plant, I got it as a seedling and it has bloomed twice for me now–The first time it had a single bloom, and this time, two–I look forward to more in the future–
This bright yellow Doritaenopsis, with the magenta spotting, below, is one I got a little over a year ago–This is the first time it has bloomed for me–It is called Fusheng’s ‘Golden Age’–
The spotting extends down the ovaries in a random pattern–This will be impressive once all the buds open–It is scented, but as of yet I have not detected any–It may be too early or I may be sniffing the wrong time of day–
This is one of the first Phalaenopsis orchids I acquired–It has been a tirelessly faithful bloomer–Sometimes twice a year–I love the colors, the spotting, the daub of mustard in the lip–
A close-up of the lip–I love the dark color deep in the folds–Just a gorgeous bloom–Speaking of gorgeous things, here is another photo of my Phalaenopsis wiganiae, which won a ribbon at a recent orchid society meeting:
I have a number of Phalaenopsis still spiking, and will post as they bloom–One last (somewhat blurry) shot of some of this group, together on a stand:
Phalaenopsis are in my opinion the easiest of all orchids to grow–Give them bright light, no direct sun, water when almost dry, and in the summer weak fertizer every other week–Mine all spend the summer on the deck outside–They love it–
The Orchidist 