Lee Anne, what a gorgeous stand of Cypripedium reginae!
Thanks for sharing!

I'm glad I could share it with you all!

Soooooooooooooo pretty!

A few today.


Bletilla ochracea.


Phals. The little one has birdie eyes on some.

I especially like the Bletilla and the Phal. with the "birdie eyes"! All pretty though!

Bletilla ochracea - I really need one! Pretty!

Hello,

My Name is Inge. I live in Alabama and until May I never thought I would ever attempt to grow Orchids. When Kathy welcomed me and ask if I am growing Orchids I wasn't sure at all if I was able to grow Orchids.

By chance I had found an Ornithophora radicans . This small Orchid attracted me and I could not resist buying it. An impulse buy!!! The plant arrived with several brown leaves but still had enough green that I was hopefull. Sadly this plant was dying little by little. In an attempt to save the plant, I found Ursula's wonderful Ornithophora radicans on the Internet and joined this forum to ask her for advice. Not even Ursula's good advice could safe my plant.

While looking for another Ornithophora radicans, which I have not found, I did find an Odcdm. Blackwood and a Sand. Black Star. I couldn't resist. To my great surprise, they are growing and one plant is blooming. It had very small buds when it arrived.

Full of confidence that now I have a handle on the situation I ordered a Pleuro niveo-globula orchid. It arrived yesterday, what a wonderful little plant it WAS. Today it certainly does not look anything like it did yesterday. (The pictures are from today). After calling the grower and learning about how to water this Iittle guy, I am hopeful that it might survive.

I have been a member of this forum since May 27 and have enjoyed looking around. It certainly is an informative and fun forum.

Pictures of my three more or less surviving plants are included. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.


Sand. Black Star


Odcdm. Blackwood


Pleuro niveo-globula


Pleuro niveo-globula

Hi Inge. My Ornithophora radicans is also slowly dying. No idea why. That Black Star is wonderful! As for how the plants look. They look normal to me. Those of us without a greenhouse can't grow orchids as impressively as those with a good greenhouse (IMHO). But we do well! Mine don't look the same as the nurseries though. I know pleuros like low light and daily water, especially mounted. Is that what the grower told you?

Kathy,

I purchased the pleuros on ebay, from a Seller by the name of Marni Turkel.

Stony Point Ceramic Design & Orchids
http://www.marniturkel.com

With proper care for only a couple of hours, the plant already looks better. I am very impressed with Marni, what a wonderful person. Not only did she return my call but followed up with the email below:

Hi,
It is New Zealand sphagnum moss that you should use. It will be hard to find a small amount on line, so I am putting an envelope in the mail tomorrow with more than enough to do this plant. Soak the moss in water until if plumps up. Squeeze out most of the moisture so it doesn't drip and then fluff it up. Wrap it around the bottom of the wood mount so it just comes up to the base of the plant where there is already a little pad of moss and set it in a pot. Put in enough more moss around it to fill the pot, but don't stuff it in hard. Just enough to make the mount stand up. You want to keep the air spaces in the moss. Also, don't use a really big pot, 2.25 to 2.5 should be big enough. Don't try to get all of that moss in there.

Good luck,

Marni

Marni Turkel

Inge, welcome to participating here!
This is probably better discussed in the Orchid chats and Orchid care threads, but if I may - Inge, you don't mention the source of your Orchids. Especially in the beginning it is very important to buy good plants, hopefully of good size and being healthy, ready to take off in your possession. Buying from established reputable Orchid vendors is important.
Also, in general hybrids are easier to grow than species.
It may not what you did to an Orchid ( in your case the Ornithophora radicans) for it to decline, but you might simply had a poor plant to begin with. Or, your conditions are simply not a good match with the cultural requirements of the Orchid.

Inge, we cross-posted! Marni Turkel is well known.

Ursula, I only purchased one plant from Marni, the Pleuro. An outstanding healthy looking plant when it arrived. I can't say the same for some of the others.

While visiting the "What else do you grow" forum, I discovered that we like many of the same plants.


http://public.fotki.com/seetru...

Inge, you only get to see them if you are a member....

Ursula, sorry! I think I fixed the problem.

I see them now. Just amazing pics. I think you should put the link here, too. http://cubits.org/orchids/thre...
BTW, I buy from Marni too. Maybe you can comment here. http://cubits.org/orchids/thre...

Lee would like opinions about his post. Thanks.
http://cubits.org/orchids/thre...

Welcome Inge, I enjoy your pictures!

The Bletilla yokohama 'Kate' p.p.a.f. continues to open flowers.


Another look at Epicattleya El Hatillo 'Pinta'


Jim

And don't they look great together!!

Welcome Inge! Lovely photos! I am new to orchids, too. It has been little nerve wracking, because I know I am doing things wrong, but this cubit (well all of the wonderful folks on the cubit) have been VERY helpful. Good luck!

Thanks Jo. No such thing as wrong. Now where is my rubber chicken.... (I actually have 2 for my teen students).