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.
A Prosthechea cochleata cesarean section
The same lovely Prosthechea cochleata that I just pollinated have also been working on a new bud on this years' growth. I thought it would wait until spring to bloom since it just finished blooming on the previous years' bulb. But, this little lady had other plans, and she is facing some complications. For some reason the bud started turning brown a few weeks ago, and the rot (I assume this is what it is) [...]
Pollination update – week 1
One week has passed since my first pollination attempt and, impatient as I am, I feel that it is time for a status update. In the right corner we have the graceful Paphiopedilum Vinicolor and in the left corner, the faithful bloomer Prosthechea cochleata. The P. Vinicolor flower have now started to wilt, which could be a sign of... well either success or failure actually. At this stage, I cannot tell. Now all the focus [...]
The violation of Vinicolor – my first attempt at pollination
The congenial morning cup of coffee gave way to much more indecent ideas as the second bud on the voluptuous Vinicolor begun to unfold. The first flower was still in fine form and with one more on the way I felt the first could be sacrificed for science... or at least some experimenting. I have never pollinated an orchid before, but I have been wanting to give it a try for quite some time now. [...]
Reflections on snaring an orchidoholic…
Dear husband actually picked out this Ludisia silver velvet in a flower shop last year. To be honest, I think he just liked the pretty, nearly black, velvety leaves and didn't even know it was an orchid - until I told him so. But naturally I leapt at the chance of possibly snaring yet another orchidoholic (what's better than an enabler when there are orchids around?), so the little Ludisia came home with us. However, [...]
A fabulous comeback for Masdevallia tovarensis
After the harrowing near death experience with Madame La Guillotine recently, the spirited tovarensis has made a strong comeback and is displaying the most perfect set of flowers finally! The delicate shades of white and the pronounced structure of the flowers looks a bit like a corset made with the finest silk - it would of course have to be Venezuelan silk then... M. tovarensis was registered by Rchb.f. in 1849 and it usually blooms in [...]
Flask baby report – the very first flower!!
Oh this is sooo exciting! My very first flask baby to flower - and she did it in record time! This Oerstedella centradenia came from Roellke in Germany and it was flasked out in May of 2008. That makes a trip from flask to flower of no more than 1,5 years. Impressive! Both of the original shoots are producing buds now, and there are two new shoots coming as well. The first flower just opened [...]