Yesterday I brought the Laelia anceps ( with several good spikes), Schomburgkia superbiens (also showing spikes) and the
Laelia autumnalis v. atrorubens inside. Now this last one is a tough one for me to bloom, in many years I see beautiful spikes only to shrivel up and never to develop properly. This spike came along ok outside, but I would very much doubt the other still smallish spikes will make it.
So, happiness is a single spike in bloom on Laelia autumnalis var. atrorubens

And there is my Lc Mary Elizabeth Bohn 'Royal Flare' with a first spike of the season. This one needs the most light/sunshine I can possibly give it, or it blooms and grows poorly.

And say goodbye to Habenaria medusa, it was the whole time/weeks producing blooms and these are now the last ones.

My Odontonia samurai finally managed to bloom. Can never gauge whether it prefers Spring blooming or Fall blooming..glad to see it back though. I got worried for awhile that it may blast, our Fall temps has been swinging cool then now back to low 90's:

Sweet one, Tarev. I love its cute little dance dress.

Thanks Elaine..yeah..it does seem like a tutu

Carol,

Next year I'll have to let you know when I am coming for the show so that we can meet in person! I had so much fun at the show. You are very lucky that it has so many international vendors.

While I was away in LA, look what bloomed! It smells so awesome!!!! This is Cattleya Dinard. It is an old heirloom cross from 1930.
It really has a bluer lip but my iPhone camera didn't pick it up very well.

That's a beauty, Melissa! By all means, do let me know when you'll be here. We actually had 4 shows this year. The vendors got together and asked for an extra one in Aug. It was nice but not all of the regulars showed up. The best is the Spring Garden Show at South Coast Plaza ( across the street), in April. All locations are 15 min. drive for me, so of course I go.

Pretty bloom, Tarev! now I have to picture a Samurai in a tutu.....

Melissa, what a beautiful bloom. Nice color, nice shape.

The Cattleya Dinard is a winner! Beautiful color!

I've been out in the OC fooling around with my new orchids and saw these new bloomers:
Spathoglottis Grape Swizl


Bc. Memoria Vida Lee (Bc. Binosa x C. Brazilian Treasure)


Psychopsis Mendenhall alba form.


C. George Baldwin X C. Trithena. After cutting off a third for Elaine, it still flowered. George is tuff.


Bc. Fladosa 'Hawaii' (B. nodosa X C. crispata) has a new spike. The first picture was taken with a flash and came out yellow. It is really orange


Jim

Oh, so gorgeous, Jim. I love 'Hawaii' but I am always a fool for the warm colors anyway.

I think we should nickname Big George "Jaws" don't you? As in "you're gonna need a bigger pot" for that monster.

I love them all, Jim!
Your C. George Baldwin X C. Trithena looks a lot like my Mary Elizabeth Bohn, I love that color!

Caulocattleya Paul Vondersaar opened a nice spike. Pretty fragrance too. The first two pics are "in-situ".

My V. 'Sunlight Orange' now has its third stem loaded with bulbs. This will thus be the third time it has bloomed since June. I have a question about that brown growth off of an old stem. I never noticed it before I saw the new stem growing and don't know what it is. I have never seen a growth like this on any of my orchids. What do I have here?

It looks like an old spike tried to put out a leaf, then aborted the effort. Strange looking

Fall arrived in Odessa last night. When I went outside to go to church the humidity was gone, the sky was crystal clear and there was a bit of a chill in the air. The high today was 77 degrees, about 12 degrees cooler than yesterday. I spent a few minutes just taking deep breaths and enjoying the refreshing air. It has been hot and humid since mid-May and I'm glad to see it gone.

Jim

I forgot to comment on Ursula's pretty Caulocattleya Paul Vondersaar. Good growing!

Jim

thank you Jim and Glen!

Ken, I thought it was either a spent flower spike or a spike, which dropped its buds.

Not a flower or an aborted bud. It developed off the spent stem. Notice that above this (whatever?), the stem is brown but at and below, the stem is green. Thus, this developed well after blooming was done. I wish I had seen it develop, but alas, I paid no attention to the plant after blooming.

Cleaned and organized the GH today. Took awhile but I'll have some great blooms soon. The only one that was photogenic today is Rth. Burana Beauty 'Burana'

Yum!

It is 38 degr F on my deck this morning. The heat is jumping on in the house.

Oh, BRRRR! We are really enjoying the first taste of cool, dry air here. I actually had the windows open all night, and had to find a blanket to put on the bed at 4am because I was chilly. What a great feeling! It will warm up a few more times, before this is established, though.

My cage is getting power-washed today. All my 'chids are outside hanging from the gutters etc. On holiday. I'll post pictures of the clean cage and as I re-assemble the orchid display in the next few days on "Our growing area" thread. I'm going to hang up more of my plants, and put the smaller mounted ones on the metal trellises for a nicer display, and also to be able to move them more easily to shelter for cold weather .

Elaine, we were in the mid to upper 40's Saturday and Sunday mornings and this week we'll be in the mid to upper 50's. I moved in my two large vanda plants Friday but left all the other (hundreds of) tropical plants outside (and held my breath!). So far everything seems to have made it through those two chilly mornings in good shape. I hope to leave everything out a couple of more weeks before bringing them all in. I head up to Kentucky for a football game in Lexington the week of Oct. 21, so all my plants will probably be inside before that road-trip.