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The thread "Our Orchid blooms in September 2014 and some chat about stag-horn ferns....." in Orchids forum

It is October 1. and it is time to start another thread to post our Orchid blooms and share our experiences. Please all join in and have a good time.
Let me start with Cattleya Chocolate Drop 'Kodama'. I like it when the sun brings out the wonderful scent.

And I am sure glad the fan kicks in on most days, as the temps in the greenhouse usually climb into eighties F. Bulbophyllum echinolabium continues to bloom from two happy spikes, which started in Summer outside. WHEW.
I love those curly tendrils.

And Octomeria grandiflora has another flush of blooms. This one just blooms every so often like that, It doesn't seem to have a regular blooming season.

Beautiful start to October, Ursula I figure you set the Bulbo next to Chocolate Drop to even out the fragrance. Pretty Octomeria grandiflora. Rainy morning and heavy rain over night. The swamp is expanding.

I'm off to talk about roses at the Davis Island Garden Club this morning. I should be back mid-afternoon.

Jim

Thanks, Jim. They are pretty close to each other; the Bulbo wins if I stand on that side of the greenhouse. To sniff the Kodama, I stick my nose into the cluster from the other side!

That Bulbophyllum makes one smile, Ursula.

Thanks Glen!

Wow, such lovelies! I sure hope my 'Chocolate Drop' grows up to make beautiful bouquets like yours, Ursula. The scent really is wonderful. Mine just dropped the last flower a couple of days ago, so that is a long lasting bloom, too.

I was thinking of buying some Pleione bulbs. Do you recommend the orchid? It seems they are easy to grow for a terrestrial.

http://www.whitehousenursery.c...

I bought some last Winter and got some pretty blooms. They are still green right now, haven't dropped their leaves yet. Hopefully they will bloom again next year for me. I like them a lot!

Glen, I did look at trying Pleione a while back and decided against it because the temperatures they prefer are cooler than what I can provide. I have to satisfy my longing for terrestrials with Spathoglottis which do very well for me and bloom almost year 'round here.

Elaine, if the temperatures are too warm where you are for Pleione than it will be the same for me.

Yup, I think our climate is very similar to yours, Glen. Just judging from what I see you growing on other forums here.

I mainly nixed the Pleiones because of not enough winter chill. I briefly considered keeping them in a pot and putting them in the fridge every fall for a month or so, but that would get old with me very quickly. I have enough non-fussy orchids to keep me happy without that.

Great start for the month! I love all of them.

This will probably be all I have blooming in Oct. Have a few sheaths but we're expecting winds and high temps again this weekend, after 2 weeks of perfect weather. Had to turn these for photos, as they are reaching for the sun. After one or two spikes at a time since spring, Gerberara snow ballet is happily blooming now, though the sun does fade it fast, and Zygo redvale 'fire kiss' has 7 spikes.

Those brown leaves in the background are Coel. mooreana. Coel. barbata looks even worse. They don't like city water at all!

Those two look simply wonderful! Sorry about the Coelogynes!

It is what it is. The Coels. look terrible, but they are growing well. Everything on the porch gets watered with the hose, and those seem to be the only ones that object.

My Octomeria is budded. Maybe they are not as random as you think, Ursula.

I'm off to the Cycad Garden in Lakeland for a Master Gardener tour. Tomorrow I meet Elaine at Tropiflora to shop orchids and Bromeliads. Never a dull moment.

Jim

Sounds like fun on both accounts, Jim!

Kathy, good to know, thanks! We need to sync more often!

Looking forward to it, Jim! Polishing up the buying shoes.

Don't forget the fire retardant, Elaine.

I came home today with a new palm, Cryosophila albida or rootspine palm. The pot was too big to get inside the cab so I had to haul it in the truck bed. The wind beat it up pretty good. Hope I can save it.

Jim

Hm, last time I brought home a tree too big for the cab, the nursery lady wrapped the top hamper firmly in burlap for me, and that helped a LOT. I have definitely blown the leaves off a few trees in transit, too. Very sad but they usually recover, especially palms. They're built for it - hurricanes y'know?