Why not grow orchids?

[piping plovers]

I was on the waitlist for nearly a year to receive this import from ecuagenera:  Cattleya mossiae coerulea 'Blue Bird' x 'Herrerae'

Unlike the small cattleya dowiana sent last month, they sent me the largest cattleya I ever received from them; even has two leads with sheaths.  

photos from their website on what i can expect for blooms someday.

 

Edited July 9, 2022 by piping plovers
Edit

[Silas_Sancona]

5 minutes ago, piping plovers said:

I was on the waitlist for nearly a year to receive this import from ecuagenera:  Cattleya mossiae coerulea 'Blue Bird' x 'Herrerae'

Unlike the small cattleya dowiana sent last month, they sent me the largest cattleya I ever received from them; even has two leads with sheaths.  

photos from their website on what i can expect for blooms someday.

 

  VERY nice!!    ..Adds to list, haha

[Tracy]

First flower on my Epidendrum raniferum since I acquired it early in the spring.

[piping plovers]

 

I’m already seeing buds in the sheaths on my Cattleya mossiae coerulea 'Blue Bird' x 'Herrerae'.  What a bonus - can’t wait to see these blooms.

 

 

[Silas_Sancona]

4 hours ago, piping plovers said:

 

I’m already seeing buds in the sheaths on my Cattleya mossiae coerulea 'Blue Bird' x 'Herrerae'.  What a bonus - can’t wait to see these blooms.

 

 

Fingers crossed, but don't be surprised if they abort this time ( Hopefully they mature and open )

[piping plovers]

6 hours ago, Silas_Sancona said:

Fingers crossed, but don't be surprised if they abort this time ( Hopefully they mature and open )

Yes, fingers crossed in these situations. The advantage is that it is occurring in summer; if it were winter my chances of it aborting would be likely —based on conditions in the sunroom last winter.

[Silas_Sancona]

2 hours ago, piping plovers said:

Yes, fingers crossed in these situations. The advantage is that it is occurring in summer; if it were winter my chances of it aborting would be likely —based on conditions in the sunroom last winter.

Very true...  I remember some Catts.  I'd had that would try and produce buds in mid winter, only to abort them. ...and that was sitting outside on a bench / hung on a fence when I was in FL.                                                                                                                                                               

[John hovancsek]

Some orchids from this mornings walk around the garden 

[John hovancsek]

[Tracy]

The Phaleonopsis rescue project is almost in full bloom now.  This was found discarded in the street last year after it finished blooming.  I just dropped it in the backyard in a shady spot with some other orchids and waited for the reward.

[piping plovers]

17 minutes ago, Tracy said:

The Phaleonopsis rescue project is almost in full bloom now

Looks fantastic in bloom and I like the orchid pots and palm fronds in background.  

[Tracy]

Another first time bloomer for me this summer is an Encyclia allemanii.  I believe these come in different colors and mine is one of the least colorful with the yellow/green.  These are not fragrant, but can push blooms out over a long period.

[piping plovers]

Very attractive, I like lime green, chartreuse colors.  If you set this in a vibrant cache pot while in its long bloom period , say a glazed magenta or violet-blue type colors would really amplify the bloom colors.  For the past 10 years I’ve been growing chartreuse coleus with magenta or hot pink impatiens and the combination is so much greater than the individual plants.

[piping plovers]

54 minutes ago, Tracy said:

Another first time bloomer for me this summer is an Encyclia allemanii.  I believe these come in different colors and mine is one of the least colorful with the yellow/green.  These are not fragrant, but can push blooms out over a long period.

Meant to add these pics of the coleus and impatiens combo:

 

[John hovancsek]

On 6/19/2022 at 2:27 PM, piping plovers said:

Beautiful blooms.  Is that last photo a stanhopea?

Coryanthus 

[Silas_Sancona]

In another thread, i mentioned the discovery of some new Orchid species i'd found while surfing through articles from the same source. 

Here are a few of the notable new finds to take a look at.  5 were discovered in Ecuador, the other found in Peru. 

Maxillaria anacatalinaportillae, Ecuador.

https://phytokeys.pensoft.net/article/77918/

Epidendrum lufinorum, Peru

https://phytokeys.pensoft.net/article/70844/

3 new species of Lepanthes, Ecuador.

https://phytokeys.pensoft.net/article/62671/

Edited September 6, 2022 by Silas_Sancona
edit

[piping plovers]

32 minutes ago, Silas_Sancona said:

Here are a few of the notable new finds to take a look at.  5 were discovered in Ecuador, the other found in Peru. 

Fascinating finds. Ecuador and Peru. I was watching a documentary on Kew gardens (May have been an old one) where a water lily was found in Bolivia or other South American country and its lily pads were even larger than the known Amazon one. Went through all the paces and was determined to be a newly discovered species. How rewarding for the collector/Kew employee.

[Silas_Sancona]

4 minutes ago, piping plovers said:

Fascinating finds. Ecuador and Peru. I was watching a documentary on Kew gardens (May have been an old one) where a water lily was found in Bolivia or other South American country and its lily pads were even larger than the known Amazon one. Went through all the paces and was determined to be a newly discovered species. How rewarding for the collector/Kew employee.

Neat, i can only imaging how big the leaves must be if they're BIGGER than the sp. from the Amazon. 

As mentioned, finding a new species / new population of something, esp. if it is something that hadn't been observed in X area in sometime is always one of those  back of mind " possibilities" whenever you explore somewhere, especially in more remote/ less traveled places..  Don't need to pack for several days of roaming rugged, off trail areas either.. Some pretty interesting new discoveries can occur right under your feet ...in say a pile of rocks along a well maintained trail in a suburban park, or while walking along a shoreline or a creek bed..  It's all about timing, being patient / slowing down, and paying close attention to the finest details in your surroundings as you're poking around..  Do this often enough in the right spot and you're sure to find something.. I've always though it would be cool to name something, or play a part in the re-discovery / new discovery of something..

Think i'd mentioned this in the past but, It was a 4yr old girl who discovered a new -to the area- species of Sting-less Bee in the Bay Area after some scientists who were out trying to find it, couldn't.   ...A 4 year old child..  Pretty impressive.

[piping plovers]

3 minutes ago, Silas_Sancona said:

Think i'd mentioned this in the past but, It was a 4yr old girl who discovered a new -to the area- species of Sting-less Bee in the Bay Area after some scientists who were out trying to find it, couldn't.   ...A 4 year old child..  Pretty impressive.

That’s amazing Silas.  Right place and right time.  Apart from all the  plant documentaries, I’ve been following the search for the thylacine or Tasmanian Tiger, aka marsupial wolf - last officially seen alive in 1936.  Many sightings in Australia and Tasmania, nothing confirmed apparently.  I really hope they find a breeding population 

[Silas_Sancona]

18 minutes ago, piping plovers said:

That’s amazing Silas.  Right place and right time.  Apart from all the  plant documentaries, I’ve been following the search for the thylacine or Tasmanian Tiger, aka marsupial wolf - last officially seen alive in 1936.  Many sightings in Australia and Tasmania, nothing confirmed apparently.  I really hope they find a breeding population 

I do as well..  Alongside new discoveries, there are recent articles in the PhytoKeys works discussing finding several plants that had been thought to be extinct / hadn't been observed in decades.

On a related note, if you hadn't seen it, here's a recent article from last month related to reviving the Tasmanian Tiger:   https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-62568427

A little conflicted on pursuing this / other ideas related to reviving long since extinct animals or plants, but honestly, it would be neat to see these roaming the earth again regardless.

[piping plovers]

On 7/8/2022 at 10:06 PM, piping plovers said:

 

I was on the waitlist for nearly a year to receive this import from ecuagenera:  Cattleya mossiae coerulea 'Blue Bird' x 'Herrerae'

Unlike the small cattleya dowiana sent last month, they sent me the largest cattleya I ever received from them; even has two leads with sheaths.

 

 

On 8/20/2022 at 2:56 AM, Silas_Sancona said:

Fingers crossed, but don't be surprised if they abort this time ( Hopefully they mature and open)

My Cattleya mossiae coerulea 'Blue Bird' x 'Herrerae' bloomed!  need to give most of the credit to Ecuagenera on this one since they grew it all year; at least I didn’t put it in a diagonal reverse in acclimating as I so often do.  😂

mine is less dramatic than the online catalog photos .  Very delicate petals tho, in texture it reminds me of Siberian iris that I started from seed years ago.

 

[Silas_Sancona]

4 minutes ago, piping plovers said:

 

My Cattleya mossiae coerulea 'Blue Bird' x 'Herrerae' bloomed!  need to give most of the credit to Ecuagenera on this one since they grew it all year; at least I didn’t put it in a diagonal reverse in acclimating as I so often do.  😂

mine is less dramatic than the online catalog photos .  Very delicate petals tho, in texture it reminds me of Siberian iris that I started from seed years ago.

 

  Very nice and Congrats!..  As dramatic as online pictures or not at this point, doesn't matter,  that's a winner. A year or two of getting settled in and i'll bet the color intensifies a touch more.  Any scent? ( Not that it needs one )

[piping plovers]

26 minutes ago, Silas_Sancona said:

A year or two of getting settled in and i'll bet the color intensifies a touch more.  Any scent? ( Not that it needs one )

Thanks Silas.  Ah yes, didn’t even think of that, it likely will intensify in color in years.      Something to look forward to.  It actually does have a fragrance; very slights hints of say, an Easter lily or Dutch hyacinth.  Sweet but nowhere as strong as those flower types.

[miamicuse]

some of my wife's current orchid blooms.  she is very upset that probably half her orchids didn't bloom because as soon as the buds developed the next day the iguanas ate them.

[Tracy]

On 9/10/2022 at 7:24 AM, miamicuse said:

some of my wife's current orchid blooms.

I love all the Vanada or similar appearing orchids. 

I'm on a blue streak today after going out front for my blue Puya blossoms (bromeliad), I went to the back yard to see the pale blue orchids Cleisocentron gokusingii (merillianum) which are again in bloom. 

[realarch]

Sweet little orchid Tracy, just looks like it’s fragrant.

Here’s a photo of a palm trunk mounted orchid, a Miltonia of some sort I think.

Tim 

[Tracy]

1 hour ago, realarch said:

Here’s a photo of a palm trunk mounted orchid, a Miltonia of some sort I think.

I love the way you are able to dress up your palm trunks Tim.  While I have had great success with Andy's Orchids on a Stick, it's tough here to get them mounted on palm trunks and get them to bloom. 

Outside my office I have a couple of Cattleya's mounted on Archontophoenix trunks but am still waiting for one to bloom after a few years.  Perhaps I should have tried an easier species to bloom here.  Miltonia regnellii probably would be one I should try (below).  They are a prolific producer this time of year here.  I have the "alba" form of it as well, and should look for other colors to try mounting on a palm.

[realarch]

Oh yeah Tracy, that is beautlimeax. 

Tim

[Tracy]

A hybrid that I picked up a few years ago opened some new flowers this morning, the third flower should be open by tomorrow.  Rhyncholaeliocattleya Shinfong Gold Gem 'Golden Jewel'.

[realarch]

Some more currently in bloom in the garden. Nothing special, just adds color and interest to the garden. 

Tim

[piping plovers]

3 minutes ago, realarch said:

Some more currently in bloom in the garden. Nothing special, just adds color and interest to the garden. 

Third photo —That cattleya with tillandsia? blue bloom are striking together.  Nice pairing!

[Silas_Sancona]

41 minutes ago, realarch said:

Some more currently in bloom in the garden. Nothing special, just adds color and interest to the garden. 

Tim

I'll happily take some of that " Nothing Special ", haha ..   Excellent example of a nicely established Prosthechea radiata specimen ( 1st picture )

[realarch]

Nathan, thanks for the name to my favorite orchid. I can smell the perfume working in the garden from 20’ away.

Tim

[aztropic]

Have had a few cattleyas in pots for years. This one just tossed out a single flower with traditional scent just now. Love it!

 

aztropic

Mesa, Arizona 

[piping plovers]

My dowiana is growing a new lead just as outdoor growing conditions in RI are getting chilly ——the pleasant 75/55 F. temps of the past weeks are quickly becoming 65/45 F. Temps.  

Here’s my winter time plan.  It’s Going to be an energy hog but I’m committed to keeping this dowiana healthy all winter so it can go into spring summer growing-season strong.  Sunny south window, with a grow light for 12 hours, set upon a humidity tray that is set upon a heat mat.  I’ll monitor the night time temps at  the window to see if I need to move it away.

[Tracy]

2 hours ago, piping plovers said:

My dowiana is growing a new lead just as outdoor growing conditions in RI are getting chilly ——the pleasant 75/55 F. temps of the past weeks are quickly becoming 65/45 F. Temps.  

Here’s my winter time plan.  It’s Going to be an energy hog but I’m committed to keeping this dowiana healthy all winter so it can go into spring summer growing-season strong.  Sunny south window, with a grow light for 12 hours, set upon a humidity tray that is set upon a heat mat.  I’ll monitor the night time temps at  the window to see if I need to move it away.

That takes dedication!  I consider myself lazy in comparison. 

[realarch]

Couldn’t resist. 

Tim

[piping plovers]

18 minutes ago, realarch said:

Couldn’t resist. 

Tim

Is the foliage on this orchid as dark as it appears in this photo?  Really nice contrast with the red flowers and dark foliage!

[John hovancsek]

[John hovancsek]

On 9/26/2022 at 10:47 AM, piping plovers said:

Is the foliage on this orchid as dark as it appears in this photo?  Really nice contrast with the red flowers and dark foliage!

I can tell you that Tim would never photoshop a photo. He has one of the most beautiful gardens here and he really knows what he is doing. If u ever head out this way it is something you must see