" These boots are made for smoking, and that's just what they'll do, one of these days these boots are gonna smoke all over you!"
My apologies to Ms. Sinatra!
🎼🎼🎼🎼🎼🎼🎼🎼🎼🎼🎼🎼

'fess up Ursula, did you buy those embroidered boots or are they one of your amazing creative projects?

Yes, even flowers on your boots, you should be easy to recognize, Ursula.

I was at Lowe's the other day buying supplies (and rescuing plants from the death rack) and they had a lovely collection of at least 4 different colors of Spathoglottis. I circled them for a while, but managed to resist, since I do have most of those colors already. They're much happier since I moved them into the hoop house for the winter - gentle sun and kept warm on the cold nights, too.

Nice Spathoglottis!

We are back and I am now going to unpack my fairly modest loot. If you are into really nice and interesting species, this was THE vendor event! I picked up some stuff, but had to pass on a lot of plants like Masdevallias and Draculas, since they will be toast here in NJ outside for the Summer.
List and pics to come.

About my shoes - the brandname is Dr Martens and if you check Amazon, they come in the most gorgeous flower prints. Or see here.

https://www.drmartens.com/us/e...
https://www.drmartens.com/us/e...
I discovered a Dr. Martens store at our local Mall, so I could try them on, before I bought them. The flowers on mine are actually embroidered into the leather. They are super comfortable too. They run big, since one wears them with thick socks. Perhaps not the ideal shoe for Floridians, but great in the NE.

Ok, this what we came home with:

Dendrobium unicum
Phal Sogo Vivien ' Golden Leaves' ( variegated)
Tiny Renanthera monachica
Angraecum distichum, 2 small plants from different vendors
Small Grt Why Not 'Roundabout' AM/AOS
Clowesia warczewitzii in bud

Not Orchids: small Nepenthes ventricosa and a Petrocosmea rosettifolia which looked great and I have to look up the second one, it is a new plant for me.

Years ago all the teenagers loved Doc Martens, That was all my niece would wear at the time. I think yours are adorable and while they might be warm for FL, they do look like good snake boots.

Elaine, good to know the Spaths do better with warmth. The one I bought a while ago has lost a lot of leaves, I figured they were deciduous like my Bletillas were. I have a heat mat going on the screened porch, maybe I will bring it in and see how it does.

Nice loot, Ursula, can't wait to see new blooms on those. The boots are really great, too and yes, now that I recall, my kids loved them when they were teenagers, too. My son went years wearing nothing but black nubuck Docs.

Alice, I'm not keeping the Spaths exactly "warm" but the hoop house stays well above 50deg. even on the coldest nights, such as the 30's we had last year on this very day. It's attached to the south facing wall of our shop building so the wall acts as a good 'heat sink' and the building protects the whole thing from the cold north wind. Looks like Sunday/Monday is going to be another good chill.

What a wonderful haul! I wish I had a show to go to. All of this money is burning a whole in my pocket. I can't wait too see the Clowesia bloom. Oh boy!

Forecast is for -2 degrees Monday morning and 3-5" of snow starting after midnight tonight.
I don't think -2 is good for anything except an "Ice Sculpture Contest".

Elaine, the porch faces the NE so it is on the chilly side A heat mat outside just helps radiate a bit of warmth, it does not really warm things like it would do in a GH or sunroom. They are forecasting a low of 36 here on Monday morning, and again in the high 30's next weekend. In the meantime it gets back to the 70's during the day.

Bill, good thing you have those pretty orchids to keep you occupied during the nasty cold days in MI.

@ursula didn't read your post until I got home from the show, I don't recall seeing those boots though, I left there around 12:30.
Bought Laelia anceps mounted on branch
Laelia albida mounted also
Tolumnia velutinum mounted

I had pre-ordered another scented tolumnia but she didn't have it available.

I almost bought that curly leaf Hoya but decided against it as it seemed to have a fungus or something.

There were numerous other temptations there but I resisted

Mike, you left about the time we arrived! I saw that Hoya, but also left it there.
Next weekend is open house at Silva Orchids....

Here are my pictures, fasten your seatbelts:







Alrighty, hope you enjoy!

Simply beautiful! I am going to have to go through them several more times, SLOWLY!!
It looks to be a nice show with many interesting plants.
There seems to be several nice specimen plants! What a wonderful visit that must have been!
Thanks so much for sharing and it was almost like I was there.

Much enjoyed, Bill!! I think my favorite was that massive Cym tracyanum. And those adorable Dendrochilum cootesii, they look like lace! I don't think I ever saw the alba variety before.,

Alice and Elaine , It has to be more than the heat for the Spaths. We have plenty of heat here, but I have never seen one. Maybe humidity? Most of our growers are near the coast where humidity is high but temps aren't. Do they need winter chill? Whatever the reason. I want one, and I've never figured out why they aren't available here.

Wowzers!
Gorgeous displays there...I think Andy's was my favorite...
Thanks for sharing!

Carol, the Spaths do like the humidity and need fairly regular water, too. I didn't figure out not to let them get too cold in winter until I saw that they had taken theirs indoors over at Selby for the winter. They put them out in big, sunk pots in the garden beds for spring, summer and through fall until the nights get too cool. I would think your orchid shack might be a terrific spot to grow one.

Ursula, my goodness, what a wonderful show and great pictures, of course. So many beauties, but all those Paphs are just spectacular. I am thinking the huge, tall Paph with the striped pajamas is my overall favorite, maybe. But then there's that fantastic little Epi. criniferum which actually might grow here. The unnamed grex rosy Cym. with the very dark lip is another that caught my eye.

Those large, spectacular displays of so many amazing blooms are total eye candy, but a bit of an overload for me, actually. I like looking at the individual plants - these shows would be more enjoyable for me if they could just line up the plants each in it's own space. So, seeing them through a camera lens is much better for me than the sensory debauch of seeing them all in person.

A wonderful display - thanks for sharing the photos, Ursula!

That is a really nice Cym. tracyanum, too.

It was my pleasure!

I am happy you are all enjoying the show too!

It was an awesome show for sure, the best orchid society show I've ever attended.
Still going on today and Sunday if your in the area of Rutgers in NJ. (New Brunswick NJ)
Obviously I've only attended shows in NJ and PA, I'm sure the Florida and California shows are spectacular.