Jim, guess who has it!

Love that peachy Gongora too, Carol, but I'm sure as heck not buying one from Andy.

Home last night, and was greeted by a wonderful perfume out in the pool cage. B. nodosa and B. nodosa 'Big Jim' are both blooming nicely. I have a bit of snail damage, as it's been raining like crazy every day this week, and Big Jim had half his lip chewed off, sadly. But I went on a snail hunt last night and caught at least a few of the slimy devils. They ate the stem of a 3-bud Cattleya spike, and I found it lying on the pavement. But the plant has another spike with only incidental damage, and another is showing a hint of color as well, so more flowers soon! I do love coming home after a trip to see all the new growth! No scale damage that I've seen so far, and just one plant with black on the leaves, already cut off.

They look very similar, but Big Jim's flowers are way bigger. Smell the same, too. Lovely. Spathoglottis still going strong, too.

with Elaine. No more purchases from Andy, I don't care what it is.

Welcome back Elaine and keep the umbrella handy. A thunderstorm just went through here and dumped a month's worth of Ted's rain in an hour. The lake is high and the garden mushy. They are trying to trap a big gator living in the front retension pond before he eats one of the kids waiting on the school bus. Yes, they're a few of us rooting for the gator.

I still envy Big Jim. He is hard to find and expensive to buy.

I'm still working on my new orchid presentation. I could do an hour on naming conventions alone. I'm sure my photos will make this talk.

Jim

Gosh. I have had only good experiences with Andy. I guess I'm your balance Jim!

Kathy, I'll send you my $65 Harbenaria medusa that has never produced anything that looked alive and you can fight with him. I even took it to Redlands and showed it to him. He took the rhizome out of the tiny pot and said it looked good. So here it sits, nothing. What's worse is I bought one 10 times bigger and in spike at my orchid club meeting for $25. To sum it up, bad plant, bad price and bad service.

Jim

I want to support Jim, and I also think Andy's prices are way out of line anyway. (but then I'm a cheapskate Scot so . . . ) Btw, my Big Jim is growing so well, it's possible I'll have a division to share with you next year, Jim. You really should own one of those.

Big crackly thunder sounding outside now, Here we go! I have covered the main shelf unit of orchids up so they can keep drying out even if it pours, which it looks like it might.

Here's my little bowl of Howeara Lava Burst 'Puanani' with two spikes open and about 8 more coming along. The flowers are small, and face all directions but up, so hard to get the colors, but they really do look like a lava burst.

Lava burst is cute! I'm looking forward to having a piece of 'Big Jim'. Thanks in advance!

Jim

I think you Fla. folks are just spoiled because you have so many growers close by. I've had mostly good luck with Andy's plants, and his prices seem to be pretty standard for here.

Elaine, The Spath. is always a treat to see. No growers here offer them, so they must not do well here. If I remember, I'll have to ask Andy about that at the Sept. show. I haven't seen 'Big Jim' offered by any locals either, though SBOE does list a couple of "large flowered" ones.

Carol

Elaine, nice stuff! 'Big Jim' looks great!
And it is tough to have perfect blooms when growing outside!

Mix today -
except for the Bulbo echinolabium - I took this picture a couple of days ago. And I am always happy the main flowering of this plant takes place in Summer - outside!


Neofinetia falcata Shunkyuden has progressed nicely


Laelia crispilabia surprised me this week with 2 nice blooms


Ceratostylis rubra starts up again


The Papilionanthe teres x Neofinetia falcata is now fully open, I took it inside to take some pictures with a neutral background.


And hopefully better pictures of the Vandofinetia White Crane


Vanda Sansai Blue 3N unfurls some buds


and Tolumnia Pink Panther tries to look cute.

You are such an amazing grower Ursula! My laelias rarely bloom and grow so slowly. You have incredible growth on Laelia crispilabia! I also have a flower open on Ceratostylis rubra! I lost Bulbo echinolabium a long time ago-blessing in disguise?

Beautiful blooms, and thanks for the kind words, Ursula. "outside" is my excuse for all flower woes and I'm stickin to it. I do love that Spath too Carol. It's been a great bloomer. My purple ones have not bloomed much this summer, but that may be because I mercilessly divided them in the late spring.

I agree, we are spoiled here in FL. There is lots of competition to keep prices in line here and even into GA and the Carolinas. I just got a fall catalog from Carter & Holmes in SC and their most expensive plant in the catalog is $35 for a blooming size Paph. Sanderianum (so cool!) http://www.carterandholmes.com... or Vanilla planifolia in a 6in. basket. There are some pricey ones on their site, though.

Andy charged Jim $65 for a "dormant" dead Habenaria and then did not even offer to replace it! Then Jim got one here in spike for $25. I saw 3 of them for sale - in bloom - at a show in Salt Lake City last fall for $25 each. Sadly they were all sold, or I would have snapped one up even though I'd have had to carry it home on the plane in my purse. Anyway they aren't that rare and that's gouging in my book. Out of curiosity I looked up Andy's price for Neofinetia falcata, and I know they vary wildly according to hybrids, but his blooming size one was $24 and C&H has them with similar white flowers also blooming size for $12. http://www.carterandholmes.com...

Guess where I'm buying? Maybe I'll get two. Sadly have to wait until September for the weather to cool off so they won't cook in transit.

I agree Andy should have settled with Jim in a better way for that Habenaria! But I also understand that sellers try to charge what gives them a profit after they buy the plants or flasks. We never know what they have been charged. Or how often they make no profit at all. I am sad that a few of my fav sellers have raised their prices to the point where I just can't buy from them. But that's the reality. (I can't blame them for charging that much. In my experience, I haven't seen anyone who is getting rich in this business!) I just buy elsewhere. Nothing personal, just business. Good for you Elaine for doing your homework and finding a better price.

Thanks Kathy and Elaine!
Kathy, for some reason this Laelia really took off the last couple of years, other rupicolous Laelias don't grow that fast for me either. It has a few more sheaths, so I am happy.
Bulbophyllum echinolabium rots easily in my hands, it really needs to drain well, so that the newly emerging growths dry up without problems. And it wants it warm. Mine started to do better when I switched it to the Epiweb basket, it is growing now for a few years without any other medium.

I always get the Carter and Holmes catalogs both by email and hard copy. I buy occasionally from them, mostly Neofinetia hybrids, which I like very much. Their plants are very nice and healthy and I don't have any problems with their Neo x, but - if you look at the Cattleyas, most of them are very reasonably prized, but look at the size! A 2,5 inch pot? At my age I may never see blooms on those. Those are babies! Healthy, ready to grow, but not blooming that soon. At least many of them in their catalog fall into that category. Surely one could call and ask for a larger plant, but it will surely cost more.

Regarding these terrestrial Orchids like Habenarias, Pecteilis etc. In my hands it is a crap-shoot!
Let me start with Pecteilis sagarikii, a really cute Orchid. here is an old picture of mine, from 2006

I saw plants in bloom at Hoosier Orchids in 2003 I think, was totally smitten with them. I tried to grow from some corms, nothing! Either they didn't come up at all or the crown rotted.Then I found some corms at the Orchid fest in Chicago in 2005, tried them - again no dice. Either they didn't start up, or rotted out or the birds pulled out the Sphagnum and everything was tumbling about - broken.
The year later I found one at Parkside, I had it for a couple of years, got it to bloom and then it was done. Well, at least it was blooming for me.
This Winter Ten Shin Gardens sold them at the NJ OS, I had to try again. I am looking at the pot right now - shall I sing zippiydidoodah? Nothing! I have to take a look if the corm is still there.
Also from Ten Shin Gardens this Winter - I bought a corm of Habenaria lindleyana. Result? Zippydi......again! Nothing at all. Have to check the pot if they are still in there!

Now some years ago I bought corms of Habenaria radiata from a nursery (which to this day bombards me with email- ads). I placed them into the bog outside. They were not to be found again. Forward a couple of years - last year in Fall a small plant popped up in the bog near where I had placed those corms. It looked great! So I potted it up and kept it inside over the Winter. It did beautifully, I had to put it into a larger pot this Spring. No blooms on it yet, but it looks suspiciously like a Habenaria. We shall see.
What I am trying to say here - bottom-line: I don't think these type of terrestrials Orchids are that easy and straight forwards to grow. But that is just me.

Heh I forgot the Australian corms, I forget the name of that one.... Someone was kind enough to share some with me. No dice either, I never saw growth on them.
So this pot of Habenaria medusa I have growing now is a real treat for me. I was holding my breath to see it blooming last year and this year I am just tickled pink, the spikes look really great. Will it bloom next year? I would consider that a big bonus and I will be happy as a Lark if it happens.
Did I say Crap shoot?
Ok, that was my song and dance regarding this kind of Orchids.

The few terrestrails I have bought haven't done well for me either. I think it's best to buy from local growers whenever possible. Saves the shipping costs, and the stress to the plant. It also gives a better chance of success if one sticks to varieties that do well in your area. We don't all have ideal conditions, or green houses. I do agree, however, that Andy should have made good on Jim's plant.
The couple of his that I lost were due to my poor care, but I do have a couple that just sit/hang there, doing nothing, after years. All in all, I'm happy with his plants, but all but one have been bought at shows where I can pick and choose. Luckily (or not) I see him 4 or 5 times a year.

I do agree on Andy's part in that deal. I am amazed/ surprised he didn't make somehow good on Jim' s plant. That has not been my experience with him at all. Sorry you got treated that way, Jim.
Buying from local vendors is surely the best way to have Orchids thriving in your care, after all they were subjected to similar conditions and don't need super aclimatizing. I think that's why I like vendors like Waldor and Silva so much. Not cheap, but always worth it!

Great show, Ursula. Your Bulb. echinolabium looks something like my Bulb. Jersey shown here. It probably smells the same too!


I also have the son of her, Bulb. paluence 'A-doribil' X Bulb echinolabium.


The Laelia crispilabia is a lovely looking plant and the blooms are beautiful. I'm going to have to go look for my Neos. I haven't heard a peep out of them for a few years.

Jim

Wow, what great flowers. That Acropera galeata is outstanding, Carol.
Ursula, is that Tolumnia Pink Panther in a pot?
Bulb. paluence 'A-doribil' X Bulb echinolabium is just so elegant, Jim.
I have learned from Carol to not only look at growers in my area, but also to compare our growing conditions to the conditions of the prospective purchase. My plants are outside in a shade cloth covered area and that's it. Most come in the unheated garage for the winter. I now look more closely at cool-intermediate growing plants, low humidity plants and those from Mexico

Jim, I like both your echinolabium offspring. Does you Bulbo Jersey smell? Mine does not, do I have (happily) a dud? Echinolabium has got to be the worst stinker!!!
I love the deeper color on your Bulb. paluence 'A-doribil' X Bulb echinolabium, elegant is right, as Ted says.

Ted, yes, there is a very small clay pot in there. It is now somewhat overgrown. But in my picture you can see another pot in that rack below it, it is from a different plant.

Jim, I know you just love the new names.... Thought you might get a kick out of this thread.
http://forum.theorchidsource.c...
Whatdafunkara....