Hope it's not a fluke. Ursula can I get the leaves wet? I've been wiping them off daily (along with my phals) but that takes TIME!

Hmm, I always water from the top, picture nice rain showers. Kathy, I have never worried about wet leaves.

Think no greenhouse. They don't dry here. And the leaves fall off and get all spotty.

I hear you and that does make sense. Yes, then I would be cautious.

When we start to grow wecarefully follow everyone's advice, but in the end we have to learn about our own conditions!

Absolutely!

I am carefully following everyone elses advice

We also discovered a small spike on the Mexipedium here.

And here is my progress picture on C skinneri alba 'Debbie', a couple more weeks away from blooming.

Oh that's great news about the Mexipedium and so many buds on Debbie!!!

Mexipedium today.

Darwinara Fuchs Cream Puff x Ascocentrum miniatum! V. Pachara Delight. Neostylis Lou Sneary 'Lea'.

Is this a spike on Darwinara Charm x V. amesiana from Ursula?????

Lots of buds on this Phal lueddemanniana.

It looks like it!

I thought these were growths but they're spikes on my Den dichaeoides.

http://bit.ly/f6j0RP

Wow! Looks good!

Around here the Bletillas are coming up and the ones closest to the house wall are in spike! The second picture gives you an idea about the density of the plants. It is a bit tough to weed this spot, I don't want to step on upcoming plants.


And I was happy to see the Calanthe Kozu coming up again in the cage.

Hi Ursula, I was wondering if Bletillas were winter hardy around here. I may have to try some out. I understand deer don't bother them which is a big plus where I am. Are they only growing next to the foundation, or are those the ones that come up first? Do they naturally spread?

Bill

Are you z6 Bill? I am supposedly z5 but we have z4 winters every 3 years so I don't dare plant here.

Bill, I am in zone 6 b.
I have tried in the early years to grow them in different spots in my garden and I have always lost them. Then it was pointed out to me that at the Heart's Ease greenhouse ( Orchid grower) in Tewksbury, the Bletillas were growing right against the greenhouse wall where they were very much protected.
So I planted (many years ago) some against my South facing house wall and that seems to be a good spot for them. They only grow in a swath a bit wider than a foot along the wall and hardly spread away from that. To answer your question, yes, they do multiply.
That spot gets full sun and surely the stone wall provides some stored warmth. I mulch them well in Fall by throwing a large pile of leaves over them and remove that when I see the first crocus nearby coming up.

Looking at the Zone maps, I'm in 6B, but there's a good 5 degree difference between Ursula in Bergen Co. and where I am in Orange Co. between Newburgh and West Point, in winter. My grass is just starting to green up and my brother in Glen Rock is already cutting his. I guess I'll just enjoy Ursula's pics.

Bill

I used to grow Bletilla at the old house in a woodland setting, it was late to come up...not flowering till late June or July. I would give it a try Bill, I hardly mulched mine either but the soil was very well drained as our house was built on top of an old quarry. The drainage played a big part probably, I tried growing it here but it died off after a season, it didn't like the clay.

Very interesting!