Masdevallia ayabacana was named after the Ayabaca Province in northwestern Peru. Its is a medium to large size epiphyte where it grows in the cloud forests at altitudes of 1200-1800 meters. I grow mine potted in EpiWeb substrate on the bottom of the cool vivarium, but it is quite tolerant to warmer temperatures as well. It boasts a very long inflorescence of about about 35cm and it keeps […]
Dracula chimaera is a small sized cold grower from the cloud forests of Colombia. I have always admired this very large Dracula species and I have anxiously followed the development of the bud all summer. Today the flower has opened up and it is amazing!! It can carriy up to 6 single flowers in succession so I am looking forward to many more […]
I have been looking forward to this one all summer, it is such a strikingly beautiful flower and the first time it blooms for me. I bought it last fall and I think I actually stalled it a little bit by repotting it, but now it is fianlly blooming and it is also coming with three new shoots at the same time!
Phragmipedium besseae […]
This is a lovely little epiphyte hails from the Comoros and Madagascar where it grows in humid forests from sea level to 600 meters. I got mine from the German grower Karge a couple of years ago and have since been growing it mounted in the warm vivarium. I grow it fairly bright, perhaps 10 cm from the light (9000 lumen), […]
Time for orchids at summer camp – part two. My little Cattleya Dahlenburg Mini had a curious visitor yesterday while hanging outside soaking up some rays. The tiny hoverfly crawled into the flower many times before he decided that the back the flower was where all the action was. He sat there for a long time and his body was, […]
Clamshell octopus, that sounds like something our of a B-horror flick… but the common name for this species is the cockleshell or clamshell orchid, although we tend to call it the octopus orchid (bläckfiskorkidé) here in Sweden. It is not hard to see why, either name fits the bill. The flowers are about 9 cm tall and are actually quite unique as […]
It’s bellina season again… It smells lovely in the warm vivarium right now, although I think my particular clone has a pretty weak scent for a bellina. Some say one flower can fill an entire houses with its fragrance, mine is definitely a bit more shy than that but I do not mind. This species likes it hot and humid, why I keep mine in […]
A very nice little Stelis species from Costa Rica, my first. I have actually had this one since December but it really took off after moving in to the cool vivarium this spring. It just finished blooming on five inflorescences, each holding approximately 10-15 beautiful deep burgundy flowers measuring about 1 cm and lasting for over 2 months. The flowers themselves are not very spectacular, but […]
This is another purchase from my big Peru Flora order this spring… I grow it potted in a plastic mesh pot with EpiWeb substrate in the lower half of the cool vivarium. It has been blooming all summer and is still going strong, usually with 2-3 flowers open at a time. Each inflorescence produces more than one pendulous flower in succession and they last for a […]
I love orchid buds almost as much as I like the flowers. Most orchids have the most amazing buds and I particularly like the moment right before they are about to open up, it is a very sensual moment. Dracula buds […]