Name: Carol Santa Ana, ca Sunset zone 22, USDA zone 10 A.
That Phal. looks like the one I had...something Leopard...that bloomed itself to death. It kept adding new buds on several spikes for 11months, then died.
The others are all pretty! love the shades on 'Hihimanu' !
Regarding the Orchids blooming from what it seems like a dead sheath - most of my Spring - flowering Cattleyas like to do that. They produce a nice green sheath, which then turns brown. Still, comes March, April, they do start budding and manage to bloom - Cattleya skinneri comes to mind and and also Lc Rojo will fill up those dried up sheaths with swelling buds, just to mention a couple.
Name: Elaine Sarasota, Fl The one constant in life is change
Lindsay, it's just an open house at one grower here in Sarasota, but they are a favorite of both Jim's and mine. In fact I really laughed when Jim said he made the trip to the Redlands show in Miami a couple of years ago and it turned out that almost all the orchids he brought home were from Plantio la Orquidea.
Anyway, they are a delightful Venezuelan family that have a small greenouse operation here, on the same property as Tropiflora which is a huge specialty nursery for bromeliads and tillandsias.
I'll be wanting to go in the morning, as I have an appointment in the afternoon, too. Probably only shop for an hour or so, but it's a really enjoyable stop and we could do lunch if you come. Let me know.
Elaine
"Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm." –Winston Churchill
Thanks for this info Ursula...some of my plants bloomed like clockwork...almost to the day every year..but just once a year...most of my plants ( it seemed) bloomed on every new growth..so there would be 2 or 3
( if I were REALLY lucky!) blooming periods...and then there were a few..that did this with the apparently dead sheath...I just wrote it off as something I had done wrong..and the plant got over it...MONTHS later!
a second spike on my new Blc. Copper Queen
and a visitor that I hope is not one of the invasive Cuban Tree Frogs that live in Florida.
Elaine, I looked at their website and put 3 of their plants on my wish list...I think though that I will take a pass this time as my check book needs an infusion after my 2 bathroom redo's! ( and the 10 plants l bought in Miami a few weeks ago!) Have fun and shop for all of us!
Name: Elaine Sarasota, Fl The one constant in life is change
That's fine, Lindsay. I can see how it wouldn't be worth such a lot of driving this time. Next time you're coming down this way, though . . . plan to visit Tropiflora and also Selby Gardens for sure.
I fear that might be a Cuban Tree Frog. You need to check the toe pads (I can't see them too well) and if they are large and round, it's a Cuban. The UF site recommends you capture them in a plastic bag (don't touch their skin, it has a noxious irritant in glands on the back of the neck) and put them in the freezer. If you can't catch them easily, spray them first with any antihistamine spray like Benadryl, and they will go to sleep for you in about 20 seconds.
When my husband finds frozen frogs in the freezer, he grumbles "Geez, more frog-sicles?".
Elaine
"Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm." –Winston Churchill
Name: Elaine Sarasota, Fl The one constant in life is change
Yes, lovely colors on Copper Queen, and look at the color change between the two flowers!
I have a new bloom open on my little noid Onc from Trader Joe's. Another "energizer bloomer" this one is on its 3rd bloom cycle since I bought it, just over a year ago. A huge, tall bloom spike with dozens of buds, too.
Elaine
"Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm." –Winston Churchill
I was happily busy with the grand daughters the last couple of days here, but I did manage to capture a couple of birdies in the greenhouse.
Gongora/Acropera armeniaca
We arrived home last night and I went directly to choir practice. Today was laundry day and catch up day for the yard and OC. Everything looks reasonable well. One orchid was toppled and the pot broken but that was the worst of it. These orchids caught my attention first. Look at the flares on Rlc. Kuwale Gem (Rlc. Segundina Vizcarra x C. Shellie Compton)!
I guess David Sander was just waiting for me to leave before blooming. Only one flower but it is huge. Rcv. David Sander (B. cucullata x Rl. digbyana)
Bsn. Maikai (B. nodosa x Gur. bowringiana) is in full bloom.
Here is the orchid that only Ursula can pronounce, Epi. Güarionex (Epi. Lime Drop x Epi. macrocarpum)
Ett. Volcano Trick 'Fireball' (Ctt. Trick or Treat x Epi. stamfordianum) is really looking good.
Big George seems completely recovered from surgery and is putting on lots of pretty blooms. (C. George Baldwin X C. Trithena)
Here is this crazy C. Irene's Song (C. Mari's Song x C. Irene Finney (1964)) It should be in a carnival.
This is Bc. Fladosa 'HBB' (B. nodosa x C. crispata)
This purpurata cross is fully open. The name is Laelia [L.] purpurata f. werkhauseri (Now just Cattleya) X Cattleya [C.] gaskelliana var. coerulea
Oops, forgot this NOID mini Phal.
Jim
"Advertising may be described as the science of arresting the human intelligence long enough to get money from it." -- Steven Leacock
holy cow Jim...what a show!
your Rlc. Kuwale Gem is spectacular ! Is it fragrant as well? I might have to add that one to my wish list!
the Ett. Volcano Trick 'Fireball' is sure loaded with blooms and buds...love the flowers on that one.
Name: Elaine Sarasota, Fl The one constant in life is change
Beauties all, Jim and Welcome Back! We missed you.
Rafael asked where you were when I saw him this morning. Guess he's used to seeing both of us at once! He had a really good turnout for his Open House.
Your David Sander bloom is very elegant, as always. A bit more white and less pink than mine was.
Elaine
"Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm." –Winston Churchill
Beautiful color, Ken, and the little guys look adorable!
I had a little bit of an Orchid-related heart break here -
My new Monn. Millenium Magic 'Witchcraft' did really well during the Summer outside and I brought a lush plant inside (one growth just lost its leaves) with THREE FULL spikes. I mean really lots of buds. They all progressed nicely inside, everything looked good I thought. Until they started to shrivel or abort. Taking a close look I found two fat green and white Caterpillars munching the spikes!! I fed them to the Fish, at least they enjoyed them, yum!!
One spike was totally gone, the second had one bud leftover and the third had just a few left to tease me. At least those buds made it, and now a few weeks later they are open and full of drama!
