Gigi is on the comeback trail.

That is a very pretty bloom, Bree.

That troop of hand puppeteers who were visiting Ursula's place a coupe of weeks ago, have shown up here in Florida. Their new trick is called Sarcoglottis sceptrodes.


Jim

The creatures are coming.....aren't they neat?

Cattleya Janice Evans 'Sweet Sixteen' -
this one didn't like the outside last Summer, new growth succumbed to Black Rot. But it added two new healthy growths this Spring and here it is in bloom. Some of the small old leaves are a bit bleached out, I started to give it some Magnesium.

Thanks Ursula and Jim I'm drooling over your orchid collection. They look amazing! Let's see how my purple Vanda works, if they do great, I wil buy more.

Perfect name for that Catt, Ursula. And where do you and Jim find these oddities?

It is!
Digging around the Vendor tables at shows and open houses.... and many times, the vendor will point out interesting characteristics.
You know, when I bought my Sarcoglottis sceptrodes, I had no idea it had such interesting/ weird/neat blooms, I bought it for the pretty leaves. Only when it started to bloom the first time and I took pictures did I really see the "creatures". That actually happens to me a lot - I start seeing all sorts of things when I look at blooms under higher magnification or use different angles. So many Orchids have great character, many times going much beyond the obvious beauty.
Jim?

one of the Trader Joe's unknown, Miltonia I guess.... nice pastel yellow flowers, but they look white in the photo.

Probably Miltonia Andrea West, Susan.

And it looks very nice!
I was yesterday at Trader Joe's, they were lots of people buying Phals for Mother's Day! They looked really good and were cheap on top of it!

I found my Sarcoglottis sceptrodes at a orchid show/sale. I was attracted by the beautiful foilage and the bloom came as a surprise some months later.

Ursula, very nice sweet sixteen. I love the form.

Just before the last Apopka trip I ordered a couple of orchids from Paul Storm at Meke Aloha Orchids in Sarasota. I had been on a quest for Mcv. Frances Fox 'Sunspots' after seeing it on the web. Elaine was kind enough to pick it up for me and bring it to Apopka. It was in spike and that spike has just produced this flower. I hope you can understand why I made such an effort to get it.

Jim

Yes, this is gorgeous!! Love the speckled lip, great color!

Oh Jim, it is just lovely, what a color combo! Heavens, it's a whole month since we all met up in Apopka. That little plant sure took her time opening a flower.

I have nothing new, but some more flowers on my noid Phal, and Enc. alata X Early bird now has 3 open, one to go, and another branch of 3 buds on this spike.



Also I have hopes of seeing a flower on Rhyn. David Sander if I can just keep him happy. He's mounted on a big hunk of tree fern, and I am dunking him every second day.

Wow! That is gorgeous, Jim

Keeping fingers crossed on both David Sander plants blooming this Summer, yours and mine....

All your blooms are beautiful !!!
It is fall here, and my oncidium gower rampsey is blooming.

Charming blooms!

Miss my Gower Ramsey-it took a nose dive and never recuperated. Jim, that is to die for. I'd say you owe Elaine!!

Here is another pretty Neofinetia falcata starting to bloom, this is Gekkeikan and I love the beautiful variegation. I kept it yesterday evening downstairs in the living room right next to me and enjoyed the lovely scent.

Love that Neo, Ursula, and such a pretty pot, too.

Kathy, I was just the delivery boy for Jim's Mcv. Frances Fox 'Sunspots' but now that I've seen its flower, I'm going to get one for myself, once the grower returns from up north.

So, now that I think about it, Jim owes me bigtime for all the trouble he gets me into, falling in love with one more orchid after another . . .

Now Elaine, I did offer to take you down to Redlands with me. That should be worth something.

I noticed my Francis Fox has more red in it than the photo on Paul's web site: http://www.mekealohaorchids.co... I am wondering if mine will turn more yellow as it ages. I'll take another photo of it in a day or two. Just looking at his photo gallery makes me want to buy more.

Jim