Laeliocattleya Dinard "Blue Heaven" AM/AOS

Just received this guy today from Kawamoto Orchids. One sheath and counting the days...

Gastrochilus Retrocallus

Water: Mounted: Drench entire specimen whenever moss is dry. Potted: every 2-3 days

Humidity: High

Fertilizer: 20-20-20

Temperature: day: 70-80°F ; night: 10-15°F cooler

Light: mid-level light

Air: Mounted specimen allows easy airflow.

Flowering: Reportedly fragrant. I have not caught any scents from my specimen yet.

Repotting: Mounted is best; Pot: medium fir bark or sphagnum moss

This orchid has been undergoing an identity crisis. According to the February 2014 Genera Orchidacearum, this is now a Retrocalla. You might know it as Haraella retrocalla or Haraella odorata.

This native of Taiwan (my genetic motherland!) is another old faithful of a flower with constant eruptions of another bud behind every bloom. Mounted on a stick with moss affixed with fishing line.  I acquired my original stick mounted beauty at the 2013 GNYOS Orchid Auction (see pictures below). I since gifted that specimen to cousin Ben who owns a bright green thumb. However, he is an orchid neophyte. The ease of care and high yield rewards of this specimen made it a perfect starter orchid for him. Despite the joy of sharing, I felt a huge void in my collection and would not rest until I acquired another specimen from Andy's Orchids of Encinatas, CA at the Philadelphia Orchid Show in April 2014. 

Lives at elevations of 1000-2200m. 

Other References: https://www.aos.org/Default.aspx?id=397

Coelogyne amber (speciosa x ovalis)

Fuzzy lip!

Update August 25, 2014: "Amber" brags with eternally dovetailing blooms since April. Each bloom is slightly different. This one glowed a pale green.  Note the dramatic back sweep of the thinner petals ------------------->

Mounted on corkboard. Incredibly hardy. Frequently blooms.


Orchid from 2013 GNYOS Semi-Annual Auction.

Do you have pearls of wisdom on this orchid? Share them in the comments below!

 

What a bud looks like...

Miltassia Charles M. Fitch (Brassia verrucosa x Miltonia spectabilis)

Last updated September 18, 2014.

Affectionately called by Andre and me as "The Charles".  The Charles opened over 3 hours early this morning, documented in the first five pictures in this post. At one point, he looked like he had his arms up and hands clasped in a victory air handshake. He opened five minutes after that shot into a joyful jumping jack.

A subtly sweetly fragrant boy, The Charles exists in a constant bloom since I got him at the GNYOS 2013 Annual Orchid Auction. Right now, he is sporting two spikes! He dangles around as a gorgeous cork mounted chandelier of a specimen. You can see his distinctive orb gracing the shower curtain rod on the left in this old picture of my bathroom greenhouse (below). This picture was taken when my orchid collection was a just under half of the size it is now. My addiction to fussing over emerging roots, bulbs, leaves and flowers blossomed right along with my green friends.

Vanda Kapoho (Vanda Lamellata x Vanda Tricolor)

Last Updated September 20, 2014
Hybrid originally registered in 1945.  I acquired my specimen at the GNYOS Orchid Auction August 2013. Our nicknamed "Duckie Vanda" has bloomed four times since! She also doubled in height over the past year. The picture above taken in 2014 July captures the most prolific bloom yet! Incredibly fragrant and fills the entire room with floral sweetness every morning. 

The fun with macrolens pictures below are from the September 17, 2014 bloom. 

These three petals are the same position

from each of the three flowers. It's amazing

how individual each flower is. Also reminds

me of a banana peel, zebra stripes, and

thumbprints - all at the same time.