Oh my goodness, Bree...I don't know who's worse off you or Jim. You are going to need a second story on your orchid house.
Ursula, that Schomburgkia superbiens is a spectacle ! How cheery on a snowy day, makes me smile..almost as good as daffodils!
Todd, Wilsonara Pacific Panache has beautiful markings and colors, and multiple spikes too..got to love that!

I'm worried about Bree. The news from Australia is bad.

All of my orchids are back inside as of yesterday and today I spent 5 hours covering the tropicals. Many plants are either brown or mush. I hate this.

Jim

Ken, the Bakerara Truth 'Silver Chalice' AM/AOS is very pretty!
And Todd, nice one too - Wilsonara Pacific Panache. You two make me revisit this group of hybrids....

Bree, your terete Vandas are beauties! I would love to see more of the those ( plants) when you are out of trouble and find some time.

Jim, we overlapped. You don't get a break either, do you now!

No rest for the wicked and we take turns being wicked each season!
Tell us more Bree. How are you coping? Looks like the orchids are fine though! Definitely want more pics of the terete vandas!!
I used to think the definition of eternity was two people and a ham but now I picture it as Jim protecting his tropicals. You must be exhausted!

Im fine here no storms really just water,only shallow water in our yard. We had a worse flood a year or so ago but we have a tall house and boats. hehe! I don't live in QLD, which is were alot of the storms and flash floods are happening that you'd have seen on your news. Yeah defenatly bad up there. Think our peaks soon and its not to bad, we were ready for the water, i even pulled a heap of cacti and succulents out of my garden and stacked them in plastic pots, hope the water goes soon so i can replant them. hehe!
Them topcut Vandas i got not very long ago on ebay and ive just tied them to a trelis bare rooted and the spikes they had on them are just starting to open.

think this is a schombocattleya?

It looks like it Bree. But I wouldn't know which one....
Thanks for the Vanda pics, they look great. I have to look for one at the upcoming Winter open house/shows. I am glad you are not in total trouble, I had visions of you sitting on the house roof, surrounded by water....

I like that schombocattleya, Bree, but more importantly I'm glad you have the weather under control. Best of luck to you.

There was ice in the fountain this morning for the third time this year. Once again, I could break it with my fingers so I am guessing another 29 to 30 degree night. I just remembered I forgot to bring in the potted starts of allamanda, curly Q copperleaf and passion vine that I made in the fall so I imagine they are history. 5 hours of working in the cold and wind and I always forget something. It looks like a warm up for the weekend so I will pull the blankets on Friday and move the orchids back outside on Saturday.

I know some of you northerners have little sympathy for all of my whining over a low of 30 degrees so let me say a little in my defense. Northerners know for certain that come October, the gardening season is over. You can cut down the plants and spend a few months sitting by the fire planning for spring. Here in Florida, we don't have that certainty. In fact, October through May is our gardening season. We expect balmy temps and low humidity. It is the time to put in new flower beds, grow vegetables and sit outside in the patio furniture. After all, we have been inside by the airconditioner for 5 months and are ready to have at it. We went for 8 years without a frost or freeze and have slowly pushed the zone to include more tropical plants. When we do get a cold snap, we do our best to protect our plants because there is always a warm up and we always think it's over for the season. It is this inconsistency, this tease of a reward, that drives us. When we get pounded like we have the past three years, we not only lose plants but also lose our gardening season. There is nothing much left to do until March, when I will go out to clean up the mess winter has brought me. If God laughs in flowers, then He must get a huge kick out of Florida gardeners.

Jim

That explains it so well Jim!

Jim, I actually truly do understand!!
I really fret when I place my plants outside in the warm and balmy Spring weather and the cold and wet weather returns until the middle of June!! I worry about my Vandas and my other warm growers in the chilly rain.
I place my Cacti and Succulents ( large Epis too) on the deck starting April and usually have to cover them up once or twice with a large tarp to protect from late frost. And I have a large Lucite plate which I can pop within a couple of minutes over the Stapeliad shelf, so as not to have them rotted from excessive rain under cool temps.
I am sure Kathy thinks of you when she covers her Orchids with the tarp in the middle of Summer, again....?

Some stuff blooming here -
The Epicattleya Rene Marques 'Flame Thrower' ( you see the whole plant in my Schombo plant picture above) has now 5 blooms.


Frilly Dendrochilum cootesii is fully open


Dendrobium kingianum is opening spike after spike, they are quite a few more in the works. The plant hangs right next to the entrance, so you get hit with a really nice sent when you walk into the greenhouse.


Ursula popped the first bloom. ( Phaiocalanthe Kryptonite 'Ursula'). The plant has dropped all leaves already, which is normal.


Lc Love Knot coerulea is scenting again


Stenorrhynchos millei is blooming along. (I had posted this into the "fancy leaves" previously)


and talking about the best scents - everyone needs a Tuberolabium quisumbingii!
Blooming again, yum!


I also posted into the miniature Orchid thread...here is the link
http://cubits.org/orchids/thre...

Ursula, your kingianum is lovely! Wish I had a striped one. My regular one is just starting to spike.

Perhaps a little off topic, but I wanted to share my ginger, Hedychium horsfieldii. I grew it from seed. Only grows 18-24" tall. The flower is pathetic but the seeds are spectacular. They last like this for over a month.

Thanks Todd. My regular kinginanum is just opening a few spikes too, but this one does better for me.

Interesting looking Ginger! neat!

Love the colors too!!

Hanne Popow flava managed two blooms at once.


Paph. Golddollar


Goodaleara Dancing Matador

Oh wow! Great flowers/great pics, Todd!!!!

Cattleya Mini Purple 'Candy Tuff' opening today.

All 4 flowers open on Ctna. Maui Maid x Epc. Morea.

Schom superbiens.

Vandofinetia blaupunkt continues.

Vanda lilacina x Aerides houlletiana gets yellower.

Max. variabilis with 4 flowers open. And 2 buds to go...

Oh yes!! Nice show, both of you!!

Wish I had the light for Schoms..they are so exotic.

Yes, full sun year around for this one!

Todd, just remember how giant they are!!