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The thread "Our Orchid blooms in June 2018" in Orchids forum


It is July 1. we have a heat wave and we need a new thread for the month!
Temps are supposed to hit a 100 degr F. today around here. We have one casualty already, a third bloom on my Stanhopea nigroviolacea actually got cooked before opening fully, along with the blooms


and in the now clean greenhouse in the hope of getting a better picture

The flowers are incredibly scented, I love it!
This Stanhopea is now planted into this super open holder, and one bud still managed to get stuck and opened somewhat pushed together. I think I will grow it just held from a chain.
We came back from Pennsy yesterday evening, and all buds and blooms were cooked and brownish. Next time keep it inside at that stage. I am glad I took pictures before we left.

Please all join in and share your blooms!

What a great way to start the month with a Stanhopea!! Some of the most beautiful, intricate, confusing flowers on the planet are Stanhopea. It is a shame that you lost the flowers. I guess it is "better to have seen and lost rather then never to have seen at all!!"

That's how I felt, Bill.
This one is strange, I looked at my Stanhopeas last week, no spikes on superficial inspection. I sure would have freed that spike on top if I had seen it.
That scent is just awesome.

These flowers and others like Coryanthes are some of the Lords' most beautiful works!! I also view these with an extra sense of awe.
One time at a NYC Show, I was leading a small tour through the 40+ exhibits in the show and I stopped to tell them about a Coryanthes with 2 flowers. I got into why it was called the "bucket orchid". How it attracted the pollinator, how they slid down the internal slide and how they fell into the bucket of liquid. I spoke of the only way out, past the pollinia, how it sticks to the pollinator. They had no idea and really why would they?
However they gained an appreciation that there is more than just what we notice on first glance!

I agree, I find the whole structure and the scent of these type of Orchid blooms totally fascinating.

YIke, 100's is awfully hot up there. Have you got your fans and hose misters rigged up to keep the orchids cool? Shade cloth?

We had a high of 84 here yesterday with clouds and rain off and on. I guess I won't complain when it gets to 90 today, if the sun stays out. Still a few thunderstorms lurking off shore that might keep it cooler. That's the beauty of the summer weather here, if it clouds over in the middle of the day it really doesn't get too oppressive, and if there is a breeze the evenings can be very nice.

Really enjoying the pretty little Bulbines that Patty planted for texture in my east side border. The foliage is thin and bunchy like chives, so a nice offset to the large-leaved specimens we have going there in "the sunny spot".


Renate is showing off in the morning sun, and opening a second spike. The blue Catts are just about done, but each plant has a new spike coming along - bonus blue flowers,

Pretty! Renate looks gorgeous!!

I myself can take hot weather quite well, and the cage is protected to the left by a Cherry tree and to the right by the Japanese Maple. I never use shade cloth over the cage, but I did install the Aluminet shade cloth in the empty greenhouse, as I always do in early Summer, otherwise that one will heat the house. At temperatures like that I let the Sprinkler mounted on top of the cage cool down the whole thing, 15 min. at 12 pm on the right side and 15 min. on the left at 1 pm. If they are parched again in the evening, I water them with rain water a bit.

What a beautiful start to the month..and the Dog Days of Summer.
I've got a mess of plants in bud and they are taking their sweet time opening...
but Bsn. Maikai 'Louise' looks pretty nice this afternoon.


and the heat doesn't seem to be cooking my flowers...those afternoon showers are REALLY helping!

Beautiful bench there Lindsey.

Oh I sure echo that!! What a nice Show!

a lot of beauties there, but I'm especially over that big one there! Looks like a yellow/lime with ruby/purple ?!! Gorgeous! What is it's name?

Glorious show, Lindsey. 'Louise' is just an elegant flower and that plant is displaying itself to best advantage.

Even though it rained off and on all day yesterday, I misted the Vandas an hour ago because the sun is just so hot today. We were supposed to get more showers, but it seems the rainy weather moved north and left us to the merciless blazing sun. Turned on the fan after I moved my huge Vanda Jairak Heartthrob so that I could see the flowers when they open. Any day now . . . First Vanda I've had bloom in over two years. Tree trimming did the trick for more sun, it seems, at least for this one.

My reward for bumbling around with the gigantic Vanda (leafy stem is over 5ft. and the trailing roots are another 6ft, I'm sure) was discovery of a new flower open on my Miltassia Luke Skywalker. Always enjoy the color and markings on this one.

Thanks all!
Tara, that is Rlc. Yen Surprise 'Seiko'. I got it from Odom's.

That one is now on my wish list! Thank you!

A beautiful gift from Jim, last year..
Is blooming for me today.
Brsdm. Golden Gamine 'White Knight '

Neat blooms!

That 'White Knight' has really elegant blooms. Love it. Doesn't Jim give the best gifts!

Been so long since I've seen it, I'd forgotten what it looked like. Here is finally my V. Jairak Heartthrob with it's little blushing freckled face showing. Looks like it's sister is going to be open tomorrow, too.


And in the "third time lucky" department, Psychopsis Mendenhall 'Hildos' popped it's petals open this morning. It's living up to it's psycho name, however and won't stand still for a photograph. Sorry they're a little blurry, his fault not mine with that long stem and a little breeze.

Heartthrob is a good name for that one.

How pretty!!
I am looking at your Psychopsis, such a gorgeous bloom! I lost my plant this Spring, I think it bloomed itself to death and didn't add any new growth!

Some stuff in bloom here -
a second spike on Coelogyne Burfordiense

and on the Vandachostylis Viboon Velvet

Vandachostylis Charm 'Blue Star' again

Renanetia Sunrise

Jumellea comorensis

And there is the Nageliella purpurea with about 20! long, very wiggly spikes. This one always starts breaking out blooms on those seemingly dead tips as soon as it goes outside in May and blooms all Summer long outside in the cage.

And the Vanda Pachara Delight 'Blue' one more time.