I just watered and look what I discovered!! It is definitely Spring, this is Trichopilia Charles or Suavemargin. This one usually starts blooming now and then gets a second flush of blooms when I place it outside in May.

Ooooooooo!

don't you love trying to get good pictures of those downward facing blooms.

Beautiful colors and markings on that one!

I did!
I have a chain hanging from a ceiling bar right when you walk into the place and I usually hang not too heavy plants in bloom from it for display. It's a good spot to be able to shoot upwards if needed.
Besides hanging blooming stuff from this chain ( and in general bringing blooming Orchids to the front) allows Klaus to see them easier/ without testing his "sideways" moving capabilities….

Bree, that totally looks like something I would buy!

Jim, speaking of Den. nobile - you cut me off a piece a while ago and I want to report it is doing well! Shortly after I potted it up, it sent a new growth out of the ground but then it kind of just sat there all winter. But the other day when I was looking at it the main stalk had two sections of new growth on it so that's kind of exciting! I would have been really embarrassed if I killed it so I'm glad it's doing well.

My small potted up Leptotes bicolor is blooming, (while my mounted one takes its sweet time....).
After shooting it with my IPad right there on the shelf, I took it downstairs for some shots without vegetative background.
it sure is another one needing to look upwards to catch the turned-about blooms.

My Leptotes bicolor is also dragging it's feet, but I do have a few open today.
Blc. zul 'Waiomao fantasy' NOID Cymbidium





My two Chamealons hang side by side on the porch. Gerberara snow ballet goes from purple to white and Lc. firedance X nodosa goes from red to gold





Den. proud appeal 'Ace' still going, Burr. Nelly Isler 'Swiss Beauty', and Brassanthe (Brassavola X C. aurantica) 'Bill Worsley'



Maxillaria curtipis


If our weather will stop going crazy, I'll get a couple more this month. We're going from a week of 60s to a week of 80s yet again!

Carol, I love the show! You've got some gorgeous colors there! The gold to red is really attractive!

I wonder if Elaine is already on "diaper duty". Perhaps we will see a picture of a little one soon.....

Nope, not on diaper duty yet, sadly. I thought for sure she would pop this week, but . . still waiting for The Call.

Carol, you been holding out on us! My gerberara is never as purple as yours, maybe when she grows up she will look more like her mama? I just love the peachy shades on the Waiomaio fantasy.

Is that the nice orange Cym you got at Costco last spring? I am green with envy, my two that I got there have not bloomed. So far at least.

Elaine, I think, especially after our discussion about temps affecting color, that your weather doesn't stay cold as long, or at the right time for the deeper color on the Gerberara. I could be wrong though. I've never been able to figure it out. Sometimes it starts light pink with more yellow in the throat, and sometimes as you see it. I just don't know if it's temps or light that makes the difference, or a combination of both. It sure is a trouper though! Mine stays out on the covered porch, year round, but though we get close now and then, we rarely get down to freezing. That isn't the Costco Cym. That is one I bought at a show in about 2007, in bloom, that hasn't bloomed since, until last year. None of my Cyms. have done well this year, between repotting and the strange weather. Come to think of it, the Costco Cyms. are the ones that didn't bloom at all.

Hmm, we did have some cold nights in December and January, but I brought the hanging 'chids into the house when it was forecast to go below 50deg., incl. Gerberara. She's been in bloom for months now, it seems.

Guess I'll have to take a chance on her next winter and see how things pan out with the colors if I let her get colder. Jim even gets a bit more purple than I do, but possibly his plant gets cooler on the cold nights because mine gets the 'diva treatment'.

So much for getting 'bargain' Cyms at Costco, huh? Maybe next year . . .

Well, my Blc. Ports of Paradise 'Green Ching Hua' opened up. It's much more yellow than I remembered. I'll have to go look at last year's photos and compare. I think I bought it near the end of its bloom so maybe it will change color or maybe it was affected by its growing conditions. Orchids are a mystery.



And here's a picture of my hand holding Yama. Redland Sunset (or whatever they're calling it these days). I wanted to give you guys some perspective on its size since I was trying to describe it. As you can see, it's not that big of a plant. And I imagine it was a little smaller when I bought it (I think this time last year since this is the first time it rebloomed that I can remember). Since it was in bloom when I bought it, I imagine it doesn't even have to be this big to bloom. But at least now you have some idea. Oh, and FYI, I have normal size hands so consider that when you're extrapolating. Oh, and do the roots growing out of the pot mean I need to repot this thing once it quits blooming? Is it crying for attention?

Yup, I think that gorgeous Redland Sunset deserves a new pot when it's finished blooming, Melanie. Look at the size of those fabulous new pb's it's got!

I have a new bloomer finally today, Den aggregatum just burst into flower overnight!

Well, the Master Gardener visit was a success and most of this spring's talks are behind me. Time to do my taxes, catch up here and relax a little bit. There were 35 people here Thursday and between the garden and the OC, I think they all were impressed.

Melanie, very nice Yamadaara (Yam.) Redland Sunset you have there. Note the correct name according to Orchidwiz. A synonym is Bullara (Bul.) Redland Sunset. I'm glad your Dendrobium nobile hybrid is doing well. Here is what mine looks like today with about half of the blooms open:


I don't see any repotting emergency unless the bark medium has turned to dirt. It is a sympodial orchid and it is walking across the pot just as it should. Those exposed roots look happy to me.

Carol, look at you! Wonderful show! That Burr. Nelly Isler 'Swiss Beauty' is stunning.

Ursula, that Leptotes is just as cute as it can be! I am also quite fond of your Trichopilia Charles.

Other blooms out in the OC include Blc. Golden Tang with three open blooms now and lots of promising buds.


Also blooming is Lc. Canhamiana, Var. Coerulea 'Azure Skies' AM/AOS.


And still blooming is Lc. Eva. I just thought of Little Eva who had the hit song "Locomotion" back in the 60s, but I digress.


Now for something a little different. One of my fellow Master Gardeners, who also speaks on orchids, was diagnosed with cancer a few months ago and has been undergoing treatment. To try and help, I offered to do all of her scheduled talks for her and that is part of the reason I have been so busy. She and her husband came through here on the MG tour last Thursday and gave me a special gift. It seems the husband does ceramic work as a hobby and he made me this as a token of gratitude. It stands 17 inches high and the orchid is 7 inches across. It will forever occupy a special place in the OC.


Jim

Elaine, we cross posted. Nice Dendrobium species there. Love the yellow color.

Jim

Wow, where to start!!

Melanie, I love your Blc Ports of Paradise, nice shape!
I never worry about roots growing over the edge of the pot, as long as they look happy. When they do that and they get too long, I simply keep on growing that plant hanging from a hook of sorts.

Elaine, nice Den aggregatum!

Jim, that Dendrobium is a MONSTER!! I love the Lc Eva!
And that is a thoughtful present! Hopefully the lady comes through it alright!

Melli, Those are both beauties!

Elaine, I really like the Den. aggregatum!

Jim, I too love Lc. Eva!

still have Lc. Mildred Rives x Blc. Burdekin Bells looking nice, such big flowers.

Cant get a clear pic of this Vanda Chang Siew Fong
love the pattern on the flowers.
and a tiny flower on a unknow

Such lovelies, Bree. The picotee edge on that floofy lip of Burdekin Bells is just fabulous.

I also have a nice start of Jim's gorgeous Den. nobile pictured above, and it's done exactly what Melanie's did, sat quietly all winter, put up new growth this spring. But . . it's gonna take years so I honestly couldn't snatch this little nobile fast enough as I walked by the rack at Home Depot today. It practically jumped into my hands!



Naturally, it is stuffed into a pot with no holes at all, drainage or otherwise, and handfuls of sphagnum moss around a tight little 'brick' of solid roots. But . . the roots look healthy, so hopefully it will grow.

Ohh, so pretty, Elaine! It looks a lot like my Den Love Memory 'Fizz', that one is a nice bloomer, it should do well for you!

Bree, the Lc. Mildred Rives x Blc. Burdekin Bells is lovely! Nice Vandas too, the close up on the white one shows the details clearly.