I've been sorely neglecting the photographing of my orchids. They've still been blooming. I just haven't been documenting. Darn work. Always getting in the way of life. Today I finally got around to photographing what's in bloom today.
Dendrobium moniliforme 'Sekkoku'.
I've loved this plant since I purchased it a few years ago. In my conditions, it's easy, blooms a lot, produces many keiki's, and has a delightful fragrance. What more can one ask? I missed the peak bloom, which has been going on for the last week or two. The flowers are starting to fade.
I was on a rampage of purchasing grocery store miniature phalenopsis when I bought this one. Definitely some P. equestris in its background, as last year's stem now has a keiki at the end.
I like the backs of the flowers more than the fronts.
Another grocery store phalaenopsis. When I saw it, it called to me: "save me!" I could not resist the call. I love the spots, no matter how common this type of phalaenopsis is. When this type of phalaenopsis goes out of fashion, and people stop producing them, and all those other ones were tossed into the trash when they were finished blooming, I hope I still have this one.
Dendrobium 'Micro Chip'
I purchased this at the San Francisco orchid show a couple of years ago from H&R Nurseries. When I got it home, all the new growths shriveled and died. I thought it was a goner. It has made a comeback, however, and it is amazing. The flowers are numerous, charmingly formed with cute maroon spots, it is easy to grow, the flowers last an incredible amount of time, and to top it off, the flowers are lightly fragrant. Actually, to top off the top-off, each growth can produce consecutive spikes of flowers in a season, and they can re-bloom the following season! Some of my growths have produced 4-5 spikes. It has even produced flowers from leafless pseudobulbs. How amazing is that?!?! I've never seen an orchid like this.
Dendrobium moniliforme 'Himeginsetsou'
Also purchased a couple of years ago at the SF Orchid Show, from Andy's Orchids. This is the second flush this season, the first one covering the leaves with the pale pink, lightly fragrant flowers. When I got this one home, it had come loose from the mix, and I was worried. It has recovered nicely, however, and the variegated leaved definitely add something to my collection.
Neofinetia falcata
It's not that these haven't been blooming that I haven't been photographing them. On the contrary, they've been blooming all winter (the nice thing about having a dozen divisions). I need to show them more love. I also have a number of the non-blooming collectors varieties, that are grown for their leaves. But I don't have the blooms to incite me to take photos.
Lc. Rojo 'Barbara'
I expected this to produce a lot more flowers this year than last year. Nope. The growth is larger, but it is losing the leaves on the older growths, so that there are only two growths with leaves. I guess it doesn't like my conditions. It makes me very sad. Lc. Rojo was one of the great loves of my youth.
I've loved this plant since I purchased it a few years ago. In my conditions, it's easy, blooms a lot, produces many keiki's, and has a delightful fragrance. What more can one ask? I missed the peak bloom, which has been going on for the last week or two. The flowers are starting to fade.
I purchased this at the San Francisco orchid show a couple of years ago from H&R Nurseries. When I got it home, all the new growths shriveled and died. I thought it was a goner. It has made a comeback, however, and it is amazing. The flowers are numerous, charmingly formed with cute maroon spots, it is easy to grow, the flowers last an incredible amount of time, and to top it off, the flowers are lightly fragrant. Actually, to top off the top-off, each growth can produce consecutive spikes of flowers in a season, and they can re-bloom the following season! Some of my growths have produced 4-5 spikes. It has even produced flowers from leafless pseudobulbs. How amazing is that?!?! I've never seen an orchid like this.
Also purchased a couple of years ago at the SF Orchid Show, from Andy's Orchids. This is the second flush this season, the first one covering the leaves with the pale pink, lightly fragrant flowers. When I got this one home, it had come loose from the mix, and I was worried. It has recovered nicely, however, and the variegated leaved definitely add something to my collection.
It's not that these haven't been blooming that I haven't been photographing them. On the contrary, they've been blooming all winter (the nice thing about having a dozen divisions). I need to show them more love. I also have a number of the non-blooming collectors varieties, that are grown for their leaves. But I don't have the blooms to incite me to take photos.
I expected this to produce a lot more flowers this year than last year. Nope. The growth is larger, but it is losing the leaves on the older growths, so that there are only two growths with leaves. I guess it doesn't like my conditions. It makes me very sad. Lc. Rojo was one of the great loves of my youth.
