"not always the finest pics" yeah sure! those photos are awesome jmorth

Well thankyou bree.

Jmorth, thanks for posting! That's a lot of pretty orchids in bloom there! ( and some interesting other stuff) Now this wild looking Epi is really neat!

Well, I still don't have any of my own blooms to post, but Mom has a few so here they are.

Ctna. Maui Maid 'Mini Blanc' x C. Hawaiian Wedding Song 'V'. She thought it was worth interrupting my nap time to show me this so I guess I had better share it with everyone.



Dtps. Long Pride Venice Kiss



And this one just says Phal. Lisa



Oh, Jim I skipped the orchid auction because I'm still not allowed to buy any orchids until I find more room or learn to bend the laws of physics. But in good news, I thought it would be forever until I had new blooms but I've got two in the works. It's funny, St. Pete Orchid Farm posted a pic on Facebook a couple of weeks ago to advertise their open house. It was Yama. Redlands Sunset and they said they had lots in bloom. Well, I looked at it and thought, "Don't I have one of those?" So when I was out in the shade house the other day I found an orchid in bloom, and sure enough, it was Yama. Redlands Sunset and it had a tag from St. Pete Orchid Farm. I'm glad it's blooming on schedule.

The other one is one that I had to do surgery on after it got black rot last year. It was a big plant - Jim will remember it from last year's Tampa Bay Orchid Society show. I paid $50 for it but it was a huge plant. I thought when I cut the rot part out I might not see blooms again for years but when I looked at it the other day it still is a good-size plant. And it has a sheath that just opened. It's a green bloom; the name is something, something, Ports of Paradise. So look forward to those as long as I can keep the squirrels away!

Melanie, I just ran Ports of Paradise through Orchidwiz and found Rlc. Ports of Paradise (Rlc. Fortune x Rl. digbyana)

Nice Phals.

Jim

Thanks, Jim. I'll get the info off the tag when it blooms and tell you all the official name. That was all I could remember off the top of my head.

Ohh nice Phals! I love the dark color on the Dtps!!
Looking forwards to see the Ports of Paradise!

Some updates here and some new stuff:
I have been watching a large bud ( a first for me on this one) on my Phrag Peruflora's Spirit ( kovachii hybrid) for it seems like weeks! Finally it is open today, but needs to mature a bit and straighten out some more. The flower measures today 6 inches across.

I am thrilled to pieces!


Dendrobium smilliae progresses fine


Lc Fire Dance 'Patricia' has a couple more spikes to go, but some early ones are already going down, so here we are!


Update picture on the Lc Rojo/ Epc Kyoguchi x corner


And here is another first bloom on a tiny plant of Leptotes pohlitinocoi ( what a name…)

Melanie, we are talking about you being able to fit more Orchids into your growing space.
Are you familiar with Dr. Who and his Tardis? You are welcome!
Most of us could probably use one.....

Heavens, Ursula! They are all lovely, but the Fire Dance 'Patricia' is/are simply magnificent!

Oh, I've been watching "Dr. Who" since Tom Baker was the doctor and it was shown on PBS! My Dad loves sci-fi anything. If I had a TARDIS it would indeed have a massive greenhouse or solarium-type thing in it. Maybe both!

Love those Phrags but I don't think they like the Florida climate if I remember correctly? They sure are pretty, though. And maybe it's just me, but that Dendrobium smilliae reminds me of a bromeliad the way the bloom is shaped. (That's a good thing - I love bromeliads!)

I hope you have the Blc. (OK, if you must) Rlc. Ports of Paradise 'Emerald Isle' FCC/AOS. It is a spectacular flower and has a wonderful fragrance. Three years ago mine had 34 blooms, but it was then divided into four plants and has been divided again. I still have the "mama" plant and am letting her get to her original size. She is getting close.

This is the 'Emerald Isle', at least mine, over the last three years.

Very floriferous, Ken. I think I like the third picture best, it has the beautiful large lip!

Melanie, I was happily surprised that this Phrag is blooming for me, since my conditions are warm to intermediate. I seem to be able to bloom Phrags here more reliably than Paphs. ( minimum temps 60 degr in the greenhouse) Since this is a good size plant, I grew it in full sun over the Winter with daily sprays/floods.

Thanks Elaine, I always enjoy the Fire Dance 'Pat's!

Oddly enough, I had this flower from a division of the "mother" plant, and it was the only division of the four with the wide lip. That division is long gone (sold) and I don't know whether the wide lip persisted. I don't know why this happens but from experience, it surely seems to happen quite often. My Blc. Copper Queen's two divisions show two very different colorations. One flower is like the "mother" plant's and the other is much more yellow than orangey-bronze.

It was supposed to rain today and tomorrow so I've been staying indoors, but the noon weather forecast shows all the rain going to the south of us. I think maybe Elaine is hogging it all! I've tentatively scheduled Wednesday to go out and rearrange the orchids (and maybe wash the pollen off my car) as it is supposed to be dry and cooler that day. We have a good chance of rain Thursday and Friday, too so I definitely need to get a good dose of fungicide on the plants.

I've been preparing orchids to take to tomorrow's orchid club meeting. I think I will only take four as I'm tired of breaking spikes on some of the bigger ones.

I agree with Ursula in that Ken's third picture takes the prize. What a beautiful orchid.

Ursula, very nice show. I like them all, especially the Phrag. The Leptotes pohlitinocoi also caught my eye. I've never tried to grow one of those.

Jim

I think some of the difference in the lip and perhaps sepals/petals is an improved camera lens, a difference in flower age, and different lighting and angle. Those "notches" in the lip (I am sure there is a name for them) are still there, but the angle kind of makes it look like he lip is much wider and un-notched. But sometimes my flowers from the same plant vary in color and shape. Don't know why. I just grow them.

Yep, we're hogging the rain down here today, Melanie. It's been raining off and on since before I got up this morning, and the map shows still more on the way. Looks like you guys are getting some now, too.

Ken, no shame in 'just growing them'. We're all in the same boat with variations and anomalies on our flowers I'm sure. We have yet to see if the yellow version of 'Copper Queen' reverts to copper or stays yellow next time it blooms, too. I kind of like the suspense. "What will it look like this time?"

I took a couple of 'rainy day' orchid pictures, didn't even get the camera too wet! Cute little Phal with 2 flowers open now, Green hornet, dripping Gerberara still opening buds, and Epi almost fully open.

Yep Elaine, we ended up getting some rain this afternoon. We just went out for BBQ and it was sprinkling. I also totally agree in "just growing them". I don't pretend to understand orchids; I just let them do their thing and enjoy them. I feel like I will always be a "newbie" when it comes to them, but I've made peace with that.

I would think we are selling ourselves short by saying we "just grow them" ?
We all love to see eye- pleasing form and colors and textures, no?
And many of us have our favorites, some like a frilly Cattleya, some prefer cleaner lines. I love the buggy look of Restrepias, and I do get a kick out of some silly Sigmatostalix bloom contraptions.
Perhaps we don't have an Orchid judge's discerning eye, knowing what a favorable form looks like, but we all surely do more than just growing them.

Just an example - my first Vanda was Vanda David Gardner, it has beautiful fairly flat and large blooms. I still look prefer that flat form when looking at other Vandas and consider the "cupping" flowers on my V. Robert's Delight a major flaw.

OK your turn!
Through the years we learn ( killing a few in the process) what appeals to us, which kinds of Orchids love us back and which are best left to others.