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.
New Neofinetia falcata indulgences
Neofinetia falcata is a wonderful miniature orchid. I am completely infatuated with this species, and apparently Japanese samurai warriors were too. Neos are still highly valued orchids in Japan where they are commonly known as Fu-ran (The Wind Orchid) or Fuki-ran (Rich and Noble Orchid). They have also become popular in the US in recent years, but are still very hard to get a hold of here in Europe. I have had the regular white Neofinetia [...]
Cool vivarium – an epic wall
They may say that one who is waiting for something good can never wait too long... but I am starting to feel the time crunch now... I have a lot of plants coming from Peru in a few weeks and I am nowhere near ready for them. I have ordered a lot of gear for the new cool vivarium, but two weeks have passed and only about half has arrived. The viv. has been standing like an [...]
When the Vietnamese beauty appear, Easter is near…
...Ok... rhyming is not my strength... so we'll move right along. The first bud on my Paphiopedilum Ho Chi Minh just opened, so now I know it can't be long until Easter. In the wild the seed parent usually blooms in March, something this popular hybrid has taken after. You can almost set your calendar after this one, my favorite Easter flower. I think it turned out extra nice this year, really deep in color. [...]
Phalaenopsis Mini Mark ‘Holm’
It is Mini Mark season again... mine blooms twice a year with 2 inflorescences each time. I have said it before, but I really love this cute little hybrid. It is small, but I would definitely not call it a mini, even though I have seen it listed as such. The leaf span on mine measure 26 cm across. The short inflorescence (8-10 cm) hold 4-5 waxy flowers that measure about 3,5 cm. Although, when discussing [...]
Phalaenopsis violacea var. coerulea
This beautiful Phalaenopsis species is primarily found in Malaysia and Sumatra at elevation of about 150 meters. The common name is "The Violet Phalaenopsis," and the sumatran and malaysian forms are intensely violet in color. This coerulea form is largely white(ish) but with very nice blue details - as indicated by the name. There is also an alba form with waxy almost completely white flowers, but with hints of green on the tips of the [...]
The varying variabilis
I have two lovely Maxillaria variabilis in bloom right now. This species vary quite a bit in color, just like the name suggests. I got the red form from Orchids & More a few years ago, and the yellow form in a trade with a friend just this fall. There are more differences than color though... the red one has a shorter lip and perhaps the sepals are a bit more narrow as well. In any case... [...]