Lovely, Ursula. The Mediocalcar has pretty little flowers, and a very attractive plant, too. Heavenly color on the Laelia.

I'll be MIA for a few days here, going up to Vancouver to visit family. I may have time to get online once in a while, but look forward to all the pretty pictures here when I get home.

Thanks Elaine!
You are so lucky, going to Vancouver! We spent a few days in Vancouver ( and visited Butchart Garden too) some years ago and we loved it!!
Have fun and take some pictures please!?

Ursula, I've been reading about Epidendrum parkinsonianum and think my summer temps may be too high for it. It likes about 78 degrees and I have 4 months of 90 plus.

Jim

Jim, our day time temperatures are now in Summer always in the eighties to the middle nineties, NJ is fairly steamy and hot in Summer. Those temps here are not a problem. On very hot days I cool down the whole cage with a good spray of regular water around noon time in addition to the rain water later on in the day.
It might be one of those Orchids one picks up if the price is right and see how it does?

I guess I keep going....
Ctna Why Not opens a spike


Jumellea comorensis is getting to be a pretty large plant, it blooms almost year around. The fragrant ( a touch of cinnamon and some green notes.) blooms wiggle gently in the breeze outside.


Bulbophyllum Jersey is happily unscented, although echinolabium is one of the parents of this hybrid.


Bl Tiny Kiss shows another surprise single bloom


And Lc Love Knot v. coerulea is doing well, the blooms are prettily scented.

More beauties, Ursula. You're on a roll. Bulb Jersey is very impressive with two flowers open and more buds to open. Great growing! I also like Bl Tiny Kiss and Lc Love Knot. Good color and form on both.

I worked in the garden this morning until I couldn't take it anymore and then had to go to the Apple store as I managed to break the glass on the front of my IPhone. I got a new phone for $200 so it was a costly accident. 92 degrees and a afternoon thunder shower make for a normal Florida August day. Mid-October seems like a long way off. Not much activity in the OC as the heat rules.

Jim

Amazing - that iPhone is pretty sturdy. Did one of your Alligators take a bite ?

In the meanwhile, I think I have easily a couple hundred Paradise Fish babies in the pond, the water looks like it is boiling during feeding time!
They are very cute!

Wow Ursula, you have so much going on right now in your cage...beautiful!
Jim, I got an 'Otter Box' for my phone...it's waterproof and helps with protecting the glass...cheap insurance!

first time blooming Otaara Jane Fumiye 'Hawaii' AM/AOS

and the whole plant, this one has a really stout spike and does not need to be staked.

Thanks Lindsey!
Good looking Otaara!

I am amazed at how much you all have in bloom since I have almost no blooms this time of year!

Thanks Kathy. The cage inhabitants have their ups and downs, but in general they are happy this Summer.

The cage always makes me think you are growing wild animals in the wilds of NJ! I guess the fishies are wild.

My neighbors surely think that about the cage!

Keeps 'em on their toes!

The silly story of my IPhone woes is that I was in my recliner with the phone on the arm when it slipped down between the arm and seat. Instead of going to the floor, it landed in the gears of the chair and when I put the foot rest down to get up, it crushed the phone. The phone still worked but the glass front was shattered. They make no repairs on IPhones so I had to get a new one.

As for my orchids, I'm with Kathy in that nothing much is blooming. My Brassia Ftitz Boedeker 'Witch Doctor' spike is fully open:


And a couple of NOID Dendrobiums are looking pretty:


Jim

In other words, the chair ate the glass. Not nice!

Although Summer is not exactly Orchid blooming season, something still blooms for you!

I have a friend who just lost her phone while driving a golf cart...
she found it a week later melted to the exhaust system.

I just noticed Ctna Maui Maid X Mcp Brysiana has a new 3 foot spike in full bloom. The spikes are so long the flowers are easily missed. The plant has lots of Schomburgkia in it.


Also blooming is Blc Golden Tang with new spikes coming on as well.


Jim

Love that Maui maid X, Jim! Blc Golden Tang looks almost like a Daffodil...

I agree, both are gorgeous!