Orchid blog
This blog is dormant at the moment, but it is still getting a lot of visitis so I will keep it up for you guys as a resource. My future adventures will be published on my new blog, hope to see you there!
My focus… if pressed to name favorites it would have to be orchids of the Pleurothallid Alliance. But a Paphiopedilum was the first orchid I ever fell in love with so slipper orchids will always be close to my heart, and while we are on the subject I might as well disclose a love affair with Neofinetia as well.
Ornithocephalus gladiatus
This is a warm to intermediate growing miniature epiphyte found on Grenada and down through the southern neotropical Americas. I keep it mounted in the warm vivarium, quite bright and humid, but I allow it to dry out a bit in between waterings. I got it from Peruflora last April and this is the first bloom for me. I can't find much information about this species other than that is was published by Hook in 1824, but [...]
More mini Masdevallia
I just can't get enough of this fantastic little mini Masdevallia! Despite its meager size Masdevallia picturata is one of my absolute favorites, and has been so ever since I first saw one. I tried to grow it once before I built the cool vivarium, and I am sad to say I failed... but now I can provide the right conditions for it and finally grow it properly. These two have been blooming since early fall and [...]
The darling decumana
This is an amazing little Masdevallia that I feel no Pleurothallid grower really should be without. Masdevallia decumana has very impressive and large flowers, in fact this orchid is commonly referred to as the large flowered Masdevallia. My flower measures about 5 cm wide, not counting the long elegant sepals that extend far wider than the plant itself. Be sure to look at the close up macro to really appreciate the amazing details of the flower. I [...]
Coelogyne seductions
Coelogyne is a fairly large genus of more than 200 species primarily consisting of epiphytes with a few terrestrial and lithophyte exceptions. The wide distribution, from tropical lowland forests up to montane rain forests mean that temperature preferences vary from species to species. This is Coelogyne nitida, a medium size, intermediate to cool growing species registered by John Lindley in 1824. It has been found in Nepal to the Yunnan province in China and through Indo-China [...]
Cattleya Dahlenburg Mini
This mini Cattleya comes from the German grower Karge and it is even named after their town. It is a small plant measuring about 20 cm tall altogether but with rather large flowers in relation to the plant. The delicate lavender flowers measure almost 8 cm accross. It is not really my type normally, but it faithfully blooms two or three times a year so I just cannot help but to like it. I grow [...]
Phalaenopsis Mini Mark ‘Holm’
I do not grow many Phalaenopsis, but I must admit that I really am smitten by this little hybrid. It looks like a little ray of sunshine in my window, something we are in rather short supply of this time of year. Mini Mark is the result of a very successful cross between Phalaenopsis Micro Nova (maculata x parishii) and philippinense. My particular clone is named Holm and it comes from Karge in Germany. I grow it in [...]