Sunday 26 August 2012

Wanted Orchids

Hmm now a wish list...

Grammatophyllum ... and the space to grow the thing!!

Vanda tricolor
Vanda luzonica
Vanda Royal Blue Hybrid

Phalaenopsis violacea (other forms)

Porpax gigantea
Dendrobium senile
Psygmorchis pusilla
Psychopsiella limmenghei
Pyshopsis type
Vanilla type
Dendrobium nobile species (and cooksoniana)
Denbrobium sanguinolentrum
Paphipedilum phillipensis (or similar)

also several miniatures saught..

Dendrobiums
Phalaenopsis
Vanda types (have Neofentia falcata (FORGOT))

My CURRENT Orchids

Well maybe I should interject with a simpe list of my current orchids...

Phalaenopsis hybrids, none of which are plain:

1 Red Cream
1 White with Purple Blotches
1 Yellow with Purple Blotches
1 Pink Miniature
1 Pink miniature with mottled leaves (stuartiana?)
1 Cream with Purple Spots Pelloric flowered
and 3 I cannot remember (long story)

Bulbophyllum longiflorum (growing well in tall glass vase)

Neofenetia falcata

Phalaenopsis bellina
Phalaenopsis violacea
Phalaenopsis zebrina
Phalaenopsis sumatrana
Phalaenopsis parishii (miniature)

Dendrobium nobile (two forms white purple tips and purple with orange centre)
Dendrobium victoriae-reginae (very blue)

Dendrobium kingianum
Dendrobium kingianum 'Berry Oda'

Vanda denisonii
Vanda coerulea

Podangis dactylocera

Trichoglottis pusilla (miniature) Vandaceous

Schoenorchis fragrans (tiny) - Vandaceous

Odontoglossum hybrid similar to Violetta Von Holm in shape (Red + White)
Odontoglossum (not sure which one I was left with?!)

Oncidium Sweet Sugar

2 x Zygopetalum with stunning marbling

Cymbidium hybrid small with froty green flowers (small)
Cymbidium hybrid mauve flowers (medium size)
Cymbidium hybrid (large) and like Nevada or Sayonara (now split into four)
Cymbidium hybrid Red (medium size)

Saturday 25 August 2012

First British Orchid Sighting

Despite the fact that as a child I was already engrossed and enevloped in the mysterious and wonderful world of plants and animals this all kind of started while lying on a hill side on the South Downs in Sussex with a 'teacher', Andrew Mason, and friends while on a Horticulture Course on the Youth Training Scheme.

During a break and all 7 of us lying in the sun Andy turned to me and pointed at tiny yellow flowers that surrounded us. Knowing of my involvements in plants and animals he asked if I knew what these diminutive little flowers were. Confused at what was so special about such a tiny plant I said no.

He told me they were Orchids and I sat bolt upright and then turned my gaze to these things that seem to be everywhere you looked, gradually went up real close for an inspection and said "are you serious?"

The Musk Orchid or the Herminium genus was the species there at the time and I wanot even aware, well I was 15, that there were even wild Orchids in Britain!

I immediately wanted to dig a couple up and was scorned for this and told that they were protected.

There was a bit of a gap but that was really the start where I took notice of the existence of Orchids in the world and despite various family members being into plants or gardening I had not been face to face with an Orchid before and there would be a long gap before I was face to face with them again.

Now, today, they are everywhere and in my home I am surrounded by them and just a few miles cycle ride from my home there are no less than 6 wild orchids, one of which i am yet to see in flower despite my efforts.

Introduction to that weird & wonderful world

I have been succesfully keeping and growing all kinds of Orchids for several years now and I have come to understand many things about them I never found in books.

Many mistakes were made, oh OK just a few then, that made me realise I was ticking to the 'rules' far too much. On abandoning this idea I realised that these rules were quite confined and that the limitations varied a great deal from that which I came to understand.

In this blog I will go some way to explain things along the way and how many florists and garden centres have abandoned something that is in no way as difficult as everyone is led to believe.

Enjoy the reading...