As I was watering the Orchids this morning, I looked at my Isabelia virginalis and thought that this tiny Orchid surely belongs into this thread:
How about an Orchid encased in netting? Its blooms are cute too, but I always like the growth on this one.


And there are the also encased pseudobulbs on Inobulbon munificum, I thought they were really neat looking.

Gee, the Isabelia is really fascinating with that pretty netting on the pb's.

It is!

Elaine, talking about variegated Phals - I really like yours.
It was at the Orchid Conference in Dijon, that I came across these type of Phals for the first time, here are some at the Orchid shopping area. ( not for us, I didn't feel like going through the extensive export process, filling out papers and paying extra, only to cause problems at the airport anyway) They were gorgeous! I pulled out this picture taken in 2005.

I did buy one of those a few years ago here at a show…. unfortunately I am a lousy Phal grower….

I have never seen a variegated orchid leaf. Kind of neat.

Yep, one of my first two orchids (my daughter decided it was 'ridiculous' for me not to grow orchids and she started my addiction on my b'day in 2009) was the little Phal. amabilis formosanum var. 'Variegata' on the previous page. It looked a lot like those in your nice picture Ursula, but each summer it suffers and shrivels and generally behaves badly, so I've only had flowers from it once since I received it in bloom. (and all blooms immediately fell)

I'm going to try bringing the Phals and my two surviving Paphs into the house for the summer months and see if that makes them happier. Ken, do your phals live outside in summer? Surely you are almost as hot and humid as we are.

We are hotter and just as humid. We don't benefit from an ocean on one side and the gulf on the other.

Other than my "baby" orchids, all my tropical plants go outside, including orchids. It is a real chore, since I think I now have perhaps 800 plants now (I can't count that high! ). Last fall I got a bright idea that hopefully will help some with my outside plants. I only have eight trees, six oaks and two cedar. I hang the orchids, sometimes in individual baskets and also grouping the "teen" orchids in cedar lattice baskets that I make myself, 16"x16", 20"x20", and 24"x24". So all the orchids are hanging. My other tropical plants - bromeliads (about 175 of them), fiddle leaf ficus (my 25 year old "Mother" plant, several of her divisions, and about 90 "baby" ones), rubber trees, jade, aloe vera, staghorn ferns (90 "baby" ones and a handful of larger ones), and schefflera are in pots and go on the ground. I also hang my tillandsia and mounted staghorn ferns under branches or attach them to the trunks, up high enough so that they can get a few hours of morning and/or late afternoon sun, but not mid-day sun. The pots on the ground are positioned so that some can get very limited sunlight and some can get more sunlight. None get sun between 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM though.

My idea was to build platforms between some of the trees, those who's trunk were 6-8' apart (measuring 8-10' off the ground). I used run-of-the-mill wire shelves, those used in pantries and closets. They were all white when bought but I spray painted them sort of a camo color so that they would blend in with the trees. I'm picky! I attached them to the trees and then supported the outside edges by attaching aluminum wire to the shelves and then to the tree trunks 3-4' higher up. I ended up with three 8-10' ones and two 3' ones. They are either 18" or 24" deep. I figure I can put 50 or so potted plants on the long ones and a couple of dozen on the short ones. That's where I will now put my "teen" orchids (3 3/4" - 5" mesh-pots), and my small bromeliads, fiddle leaf ficus, and staghorn ferns (4" pots). That's my plan anyway. When I run out of room on these "shelves", I will put the overflow back into those custom-built lattice baskets.

I will take some pictures, perhaps before the plants go on and then after they are all loaded with plants.

Ok, thanks that's great info! Would love to see pictures of your summer set-up, Ken.

If it's not then the heat and humidity that's giving my phals trouble, it must be not enough air flow! Maybe I'll hang them all up in the shade and see if that does better for them. Last year they were all on a wire shelf unit in the corner between two patio doors (which I figured would leak some cool air from the house). That corner must have not had enough breeze for them.

Ken, we must compare notes when we bring our plants outside, your happy "ordeal" sound much like mine in the middle of May.

Regarding the Phals - I do ok with them as long as I keep them inside year around, and even better, keep them downstairs in the living room. Unfortunately I have to place them outside in the Summer, otherwise they would not be watered regularly if we were to take a vacation. And that is where they get ruined, the leaves get crappy, they get munched on - not a good treatment at all.

For some reason my Phals, along with all the Cattleya alliance orchids seem to do just fine outside, from April until November. The vast majority of them (not my "baby" orchids) will be under large oak (majority) and cedar trees. My theory is that three factors are involved.

1. The plants ONLY get early morning and/or very late after sun. Otherwise it is dappled shade.
2. There is often a gentle breeze, more noticeable under the canopy of oak/cedar trees.
3. These trees produce a huge amount of water vapor and the hotter the day, the more the moisture. One can stand under the canopy and literally feel the moisture on the skin on really hot days.

I also have four fans going in my "Orchid" gh and three going in my "Everything Else" gh.

Here is another interesting plant-
Oeceoclades ( maculata x rosea - variegata)
hopefully it will grow a little more for me this Summer, but the leaves are pretty.

That is a really pretty one, Ursula. Mine, the 'wild' naturalized version Oeceoclades maculata has completely petered out on me. Something was snacking on the roots last fall, so I guess it was lunch for some critter. It had pretty variegated green/white leaves. I'll see if I can dig up a picture of it. I sent a start to Jim, too. Wonder if his has survived?

Oh, I like the green leaved maculata too.

Now I am going to have to go out and look for Elaine's Oeceoclades. I've got an idea where it is.

Jim

This is, hands down, my most favorite thread in the world! I feel like I've found a whole new world of plants to explore. I want ALL of these...and I love orchids FIRST for their epiphytic abilities, SECOND for their full exposure of all their parts, and THIRD for the flowers. So this was a refreshing, fun post. I'm a foliage nut for sure. Thank you Thank you Thank you!!!

Hi Kate, and to our group of orchid nuts here.

I have a funny growth on a little Den anosmum that I bought in October at the Tropiflora plant festival. It's in a tiny plastic mesh pot with one nice healthy stem of leaves, and has put up this spike that's thinner than the leafy stem, but doesn't look like it's about to make flowers either. It looks nothing like the roots, which are white, and about the thickness of angel hair pasta. Plus it has some hairs sticking out on the last 3in. or so.

Anybody got an idea on this?

Kate, I am happy you are enjoying this!

Elaine, perhaps they will be looking like regular roots when they get bigger?

It looks like a new cane and the sheath cover is just stripping off.

I'll keep my eye on them for sure, and if they start looking like roots, will bend the stem down so they are within reach of the cork mount.

Gosh, Elaine IF you hadn't said that was a new cane (and I am pretty sure it is a cane), I would have said its and old, spent cane that has simply lost all its leaves. I don't think I have ever seen a Den. grow a fresh, new cane without leaves though. All mine grow leaves as soon as the new cane emerges and as it elongates, those leaves just keep coming. Interesting, Elaine.