Thank you Elaine. I have taken numerous divisions from that huge Den., but it hasn't reduced its overall size. I guess without those divisions, I would not be able to lift it! Sometimes I think I want to sell those two specimens, but since they bloom so well every year, I just can't seem to make that move. The way the Sunlight is growing roots up its stem, I guess at some point I could divide it. I have never divided a Vanda.

Ken, your Vandas are gorgeous!! Great job growing them!
Regarding the division of Vandas - every so often they produce keikis and I have removed those once they had decent roots.

Coming back from a Pig roast ( yum) , I now have some time to post stuff from the cage -
My C. Penny Kuroda 'Spots' was ready to pop when we left to go on vacation and I was hoping it would still bloom on our return. It did!

This noid Miltoniopsis was also ready to bloom, 5 spikes this year. Added later - this is Miltoniopsis Saffron Surprise x sib

Angraecum didieri has two blooms on this bare root plant

Stenocoryne aurea-fulva

Vanda Peddler's Velvet Gold

Phrag Sorcerer's Fire is one happy camper

and Cattleya Sacramento Rose blooms again

the (Gongora) Pterodactyls are flying, but this corner of the cage is not well lit and the Pterodactyls move at the slightest breeze....

and finally some Encyclias, probably tampensis

It is great to have you back, Ursula. Gorgeous eye candy.

Jiim

Love C. spots! Could your Miltonia be 'Hombre"? That's one I lost.

Could be, Carol. I just don't know. It does have a lovely scent, I took it inside yesterday. I bought it a few years ago, I am happy it actually re-bloomed for me.

Thanks Jim! I always enjoy our vacations, (although I could do without some of the endless and repetitive checks at airports ), but I am always very happy to be home again. Oh btw, at Heathrow a bit of skin cream in a clear small container, which went through several inspections, was then deemed to be a liquid and had to be analyzed. The fellow in Frankfurt only stopped trying to pry the IPad cover off, after I told him HE better get it back on too. And so it goes....

Ursula, thirty years ago, flying was a treat. Now it is, at best, a nuisance and a pain in the a**. Were you anywhere near the Kiel Canal?

We did a two week cruise on the Azamara Journey and spent a full day on that canal. It was a delightful experience. Along the entire waterway, German citizens who lived along the Canal would come out of their homes cheering the ship and waving American flags. One fellow who was in a car with an American flag hanging out a window, met the ship as she entered the Canal lock. As we cruised the Canal, he would go ahead of us and stop at every little town along the way, waving the flag and cheering the ship and us passengers. I thought that was so neat and the German people's apparent appreciation and respect for America was touching.

Hi All!

We have finished several projects (repaired siding on the house), new HVAC unit is here and patiently waiting to be installed, and boards for the fascia repair are cut. But enough about boring house projects.

The GH is doing okay. The extreme heat has been challenging, but we are learning new stuff every day. I have a bugger of a case of spider mites. The battle continues every three days. I think I am going to have to resort to a full dunking.

Only a few blooms right now. I have finished my new Vanda area so I'll post a few photos of my "new" blooms. Hubby and I never thought we could grow them, but after two Motes seminars and reading his books I am going to give them another try. The colors of Vandas are too tempting!

This is Vandaenopsis Prapin (Phal pulcherrima x V. Pralor). I have had it 5 years and this is the first time blooming. It did not inherit the peloric (or did not have a peloric cross, for which I am glad)!


This is Vandachostylis Claire Florist, a primary hybrid of V. tessellata and Rhy. coelestis. It is the end of the bloom and the plant is recovering from leaf drop (cold damage). I learned about that in Martin's book and will do better this year!


This is Van. Thai Noi x V. cristata, a new cross from Motes. I bought it blooming and am excited about the color. It should improve.


This is first blooming of V. Hiroshima Choice. It is growing on me. After seeing several falcata crosses in judging, I realize that falcata is temperamental. Unless there is distinct color in the falcata parent, the white is dominant. I feel pretty lucky to get some coloring from this cross. The others have been very pale. I expect the bloom to get better, but I'm not sure if it is award-worthy. We shall see.


And here is a picture from Graduation last Saturday. I received my MBA in Global Business Management.

Congratulations, Melissa. With that degree you could move to Thailand and REALLY grow orchids!

Wow, congratulations, Melissa. Love your unusual Vandas there, too. The colors on Prapin are just sublime.

Ursula, such a wonderful show of blooms! Penny Kuroda sure did save a nice bouquet for you and I am just crazy about the little Miltoniopsis with that lovely subtle color. I surely know that I couldn't grow it here. Will just have to enjoy pictures of yours. What a magnificent Phrag, too.

Wow Ursula, and Melissa! BEAUTIFUL!!!

I'm celebrating today...last night the Stan. was not open...this morning when I went outside to look, there it is, all open. Today is my birthday and this Stan. is now officially my 'birthday orchid'! Such a wonderful, fragrant birthday present from Mother Nature!

Gorgeous, Patty. And Happy Birthday!

I like the little face on the Stan lip.

Happy birthday, Patty. You have great birthday flowers.

Happy Birthday Patty! This is for sure a very lovely present!

Melissa, you have some lovely blooms there and congrats on getting your degree!

Btw my noid Miltoniopsis has a name, it is Saffron Surprise x sib and I will now edit my post above.

I was about to celebrate 24 hours without rain when I was jarred into reality by loud thunder. The sky is growing ever darker and I'm guessing 10 minutes before yet another storm. Lots of other good news to celebrate, however. Melissa, congratulations on your MBA and I must say that is such a nice picture of you in your graduation attire. I love your Vandas, especially the Hiroshima Choice and Claire Florist.

Happy birthday Patty, and congrats on the Stanhopea. It is a beauty! Mine has faded already and I see no spikes on the others. We had some family over last night to celebrate my birthday which is coming up this Tuesday. I'm turning the big 70 but I feel great so I see it as just a number. A big number yes, but just a number.

Ursula, I love your show from the cage! It seems like it has been a long time in coming. That pig roast indeed sounds yummy. I've been to a few of those and the food is always wonderful. I love Penny Kuroda and the Angraecum. It is always a treat to see Miltoniopsis and Phrags since neither grow for me. I must to go out and investigate as to why my Pterodactyls are nesting while yours are in full flight.

I've been syncing the garage door opener and neighborhood gate with the appropriate buttons on the new car. These cars are as bad as the cell phones in that few can master all of the fancy features. I can remember when you could just preset the radio buttons and you were good to go.

Jim

My 1994 Silverado is still that way Jim, just a radio to set.

You need to 'borrow' somebody's teenager for 15 minutes to program all that stuff for you, Jim. I have my cell phone 'tuned up' every time I go to Salt Lake. My kids are no longer teenagers but they have grown up with all that gadgetry so it's easy for them.

Plus your kids always love to show you up . . . Oh well, I'll be teaching them about gardening until I die, I'm sure.

dyzzypyxxy said:You need to 'borrow' somebody's teenager for 15 minutes to program all that stuff for you, Jim. I have my cell phone 'tuned up' every time I go to Salt Lake. My kids are no longer teenagers but they have grown up with all that gadgetry so it's easy for them.

Plus your kids always love to show you up . . . Oh well, I'll be teaching them about gardening until I die, I'm sure.

LOL! I've found that the gadgets are really distracting. My last rental car I couldn't even figure out the radio and I almost ran off the road. I gave up and pulled into a rest area and attached my iPhone so I could hear my tunes.

Thanks everyone!

With rain forcasted for the entire week, on top of all the rain we've had for days now (when did Florida get a monsoon season?!) I spent half the day moving all my soggy orchids on to the porch where they will get no more liquid sunshine! I figure the vanda's are all okay out there, and a lot of the mounted ones should do alright but I ran out of room for hanging any more on the porch, so there are still a few I'm concerned about....I'll see what happens over the next few days.

Happy early birthday, Jim! So does the bloom help clarify the name tag for you at all? I finally figured out what it smells like...a hot buttery cinnamon roll straight out of the oven! Mmmmmm!!!

Happy Birthday Patty and Jim!

I found a bottle of Isotox in my stash and have finished round one of spider mite dunking. I wore heavy duty gloves. And just for giggles, I mixed up a batch of Mancozeb for fungus and stuff. After the dunk, sit in front of fan blowing away from me...spray with Mancozeb...sit in front of fan.

Eating a late dinner and then round two. I have had it with the mites. I'm hoping this is the kill batch if it doesn't kill the orchids.

I'm with you, Patty. Most of my 'chids are under cover as of this afternoon, although the ones left out did get a little bit of breeze and drying today before the afternoon rain showers arrived. Tomorrow, I have a small tarp I'm going to put over the rest of the potted ones, and as you said, leave the Vandas and others on mounts to enjoy the bountiful rain.

Yikes, Melissa. You are breaking out the big guns there! I hope the mites are murdered by now. Thinking that mites are just about the only thing I haven't had to battle here - but I wonder if it was just because they loved the big Brugmansia plant that I had in the pool cage shading the orchids . . . it is now outside, so I hope they all went with it.