Few orchid blooms – but good smells

Not as many bloomers in the greenhouse this week as in previous weeks. But the ones that are showing their colors are quite lovely…and one has a famous and fabulous scent: Maxillaria tenuifolia. The red flowers on this orchid, with its grass-thin leaves, make the greenhouse smell like a cocktail lounge serving only piña coladas. The [...]

Read Full Post »

3 Phragmipedium tips and a sick Phalaenopisis solution

Last weekend I attended the Orchid Society of Greater Kansas City’s exhibit at the KC Lawn and Garden Show. The OSGKC invited several regional societies and national orchid vendors to join our local group for this big event. Attending a show like this is a great opportunity to learn from some of the best growers [...]

Read Full Post »

Frustrations and Aggravations

Several nice blooms this week. See the Photos page for Laelia anceps, Slc. Livingston Sunset Fire ‘Flame’, Lc. Gold Digger ‘Orglades’ and  Pleur. platystames. Lc. Drumbeat has been blooming for about two weeks. The larger of the two plants has seven fully opened blossoms and three more inflorescences swelling in their sheaths. The second pot [...]

Read Full Post »

Remounting the Bulb. jersey

Remounting the Bulb. jersey was on the agenda this weekend. I bought the plant four years ago as a one-year-old seedling, and when it languished in a plastic pot, almost dying during one winter, I decided to mount it, since I’d had luck by mounting my other bulbophyllum. Although my mounted Bulb. jersey has now [...]

Read Full Post »

Winter hits hard

Winter took its toll last week. Kansas City’s temperatures hit the single digits, with wind chills in the minus range. Snow fall approached blizzard conditions. When the greenhouse’s night temp dipped to 49 degrees, I opted to turn on the auxiliary heater, a Kenwood Electric Oil Filled Heater, with programmable clock timer and thermostat (Model [...]

Read Full Post »

8 new greenhouse blooms…and a friend’s windowsill bloom

Nine new blooms appear on the “Photos” page…eight from the greenhouse and one from a friend, Mark Prout. The greenhouse Pleurothallis ornata (formerly shiedei) is one of the oldest Pleurothallid Alliance plants still in my collection. Often in spring the plant is covered with the thin-as-hair inflorescences and the tiny, spotted flowers.  A long branching inflorescence of Phal. stuartiana [...]

Read Full Post »

When to prune…and when not to prune

Two orchids are posted to the Photos page: Rlc. Iroquois Trail ‘Midfarm’ FCC/AOS and Phal. tetraspis. The velvety Rhyncholaeliocattleya flower, with its 6.5 inch wingspan, is a deeper red than the photo reveals.  The phalaenopsis photo shows the plant’s first bloom of the season – always a white background with quirky red markings.   About pruning…Years ago someone [...]

Read Full Post »

Favorites from the Collection, Part 2 of 4

Still using the five-point system mentioned in the last post to rank the 32 Top Favorites in my Collection, these 13 orchids received three points (Note the ones with an asterisk *. In a few days, I’ll do a special post about these.):  Aerides houlletiana (durable plant, scented and profuse bloomer) Barkeria “Cherry moon” (reliable [...]

Read Full Post »

Favorites from the Collection, Part 1 of 4

The Collection list is complete (see The Collection tab above). The number of my orchids is down considerably from a year ago. In an effort to trim the collection to a more manageable size , I’ve sold plants and discarded the sickly and incorrigible ones. Of the 118 orchids that remain, a dozen or so are little more [...]

Read Full Post »