Nick, beautiful plants! The Coelogyne is gorgeous Nice Paph too!

Lucy, I think Andy's species mistake is adorable! Very cute!

I think I have that orchid Lucy. The only Masdevallia I have ever been able to keep alive here in Florida

Lucy and Gina, please check out Masdevallia erinacea. It might be a match for your little unknown beauties!

Mine was sold as Masdie horrida, the Goblin Orchid, from Andy's

Yes, that is as it should be. Masdevallia horrida is a synonym for erinacea! Or visa-versa.

I have erinacea/horrida (also from Andy's). It's got little fuzziness all over it. This one has no fuzzy anywhere.

I can't keep Masdie's alive here. Or Draculas. Even in the house and certainly not in the greenhouse. They'd melt almost instantly out there. Its a shame, because I love those flowers

Same here! They will do ok over the Winter inside, but the NJ Summers outside eventually kills them. I gave up on them.

I have luck with Draculas outside year round in the Pergola. But only in a certain shady spot. Masdevallias, well, I keep trying.

Here is one final look at the Laelia anceps!

Very excited today to discover that my one big pot of Cymbidiums has no less than 4 ! ! bloom spikes coming along. I took this picture that shows 3 of them, then moved the plant and the biggest 4th spike showed up, almost ready to pop! It was lurking back there amongst the bamboo culms.

Elaine, I would be tickled pink!

Rth. (Pot.) Cape Scarlet Glow 'NN' decided to open up. The name really describes the color

Hey Ted, that is a pretty Cattleya. The color is just gorgeous!!!

Ted5310 said: Masdevallias, well, I keep trying.

Shade, humidity, cool temperatures and lots of (distilled) water. The cool temps are the biggest problem for me so all mine live inside in terrariums and jars with lids.

I only have one Dracula as they appreciate the same conditions but are mostly too big for small terrariums.

Ted, pretty Cat! Nice red!

There are a few Dracula species that can take warmer conditions. But warmer is a relative term. Having visited J & L orchids numerous times, they preached medium light, moisture, an open quick drying media and very good air movement. They specialized in Dracula's and Masdevallias.
As far as temperature goes, 80-82 degrees was maximum for the warmer growers. Low 70's for others. Humidity levels of 60-80%. Nights in the low to mid 50's were best.
I would imagine that humidity couple with an 80 degree maximum for a precious few would prove difficult for most of us.
Plus they have spikes that grow downward making growing them in a pot a bad idea. Growing them mounted a or in plastic new pots would allow the spikes to grow downward and not to abort the spikes inside a pot.

Yes, J&L did really great with difficult cool species, they had a swamp cooler in their greenhouse. I managed to pick up one of the "easier" warmth tolerant Draculas, Dracula bella. I actually got it to bloom that year. But, I grow outside in Summer, and that was it.
It might have been the same year ( 2003) I had picked up a gorgeous large Masd. tovarensis in bloom... Memories..

Maybe I need to move the Masdevallias close to the Draculas