January Orchid Shows
Begin the new year with orchids! From Tokyo to Miami, from Portugal to Minnesota, orchid shows let you enjoy stunning flowers in any language.
Orchids: Masters of Disguise
Orchids are the opening act in this Smithsonian podcast about trickery. Many different orchids have become masters of disguise to attract pollinators. These include Hammer Orchids __and Bulbophyllums, which mess with some insect minds to improve their pollination odds. Just as importantly, orchids have enlisted human help. Listen to learn more —
Dark Days
Today’s winter solstice brings the darkest time of the year. Short days with a weak sun hardly seem like a time for flowers. But there’s always joy __and beauty to be found, __and even on the darkest days, there are orchids blooming. Enjoy these stunning examples from last winter’s Pacific Orchid Expo.
Orchid lovers know that many tropical varieties bloom over winter, corresponding to their own dormant seasons. How welcome these exotic blossoms are, especially when light and warmth seem far away.
As most life rests in the darkness, it hasn’t disappeared. It only waits for the next chance for growth. Orchids which choose to flower now are emblematic of the life that always remains, and the light that will return.
Cattleya Charms
As winter’s chill arrives, this brilliant tropical Cattleya is inspiring lots of warm thoughts in our home. It’s been boasting vivid purple __and white blooms for over a month. In addition to their stunning colors, they emit a sweet, spicy fragrance.
It’s no wonder that Cattleyas have been favorite corsage orchids for decades. Along with their captivating hues __and rich scents, many varieties have fascinating wavy, fringed petals, especially on the flower lip. The undulating edges on these eye-catching blooms add interest and allure.
This hybrid is Laeliocattleya Nice Holiday ‘Suntopia’ HCC/AOS. A complicated name like that provides a good chance for a refresher on deciphering orchid nametags. The first word, Laeliocattleya, is a combination of the genus names Laelia and Cattleya. The hybrid name is Nice Holiday, and the cultivar name is ‘Suntopia’. This cultivar has earned a Highly Commended Certificate from the American Orchid Society, and that award becomes part of the plant name, too, as HCC/AOS. All together, it’s a lot of syllables to describe Cattleya charms.
Give Orchids for the Holidays
It’s easier than ever to give orchids for the holidays with Orchids magazine. The award-winning monthly is better than ever, __and it’s just one of many benefits of an American Orchid Society (AOS) membership. The magazine’s stunning, high-quality flower photos are reason enough to subscribe. Each issue also includes expert info __and articles from every corner of the orchid world. See the improvements for yourself by downloading a free issue of Orchids. Current AOS members will receive an extra month on their own subscriptions when they give a membership to somebody else before December 31st.
An Orchid Obsession in New Zealand
New Zealand’s native orchids are not big __and showy like their tropical cousins, but they sure can inspire an orchid obsession. The article includes half a dozen photos of native species at Orokonui Ecosanctuary.
, ,Four Gentlemen on a Flowerpot
The Chinese artistic theme of the Four Gentlemen refers to four plants, including an orchid. Recently, while Dave __and I were enjoying dinner at a local restaurant, I spotted a nearby flowerpot illustrating the Four Gentlemen. I can’t read Chinese, so I don’t know what the writing says, but I recognized each plant. The first row of photos depicts one side of the flowerpot. It features a centuries-old Chinese style of painting Cymbidium orchids with long, graceful leaves. The second photo zooms in on the flowers, __and the third photo shows the smaller leaves and roots.
The Four Gentlemen, also called the Four Noble Ones, are orchid, bamboo, plum, and chrysanthemum. For over a thousand years, Asian artists have drawn this quartet. Each symbolizes a season, as well as human moral qualities. Orchids represent spring, and also nobility, elegance, integrity, and friendship. There are many orchid species native to East Asia, but this artistic genre usually portrays small, fragrant Cymbidiums. The traditional painting style emphasizes their arching leaves instead of their flowers. Each leaf is drawn with a single brushstroke, done with the same precision and artistry as Chinese calligraphy. The next two photos below show modern cultivars of the types typically drawn in this style. The third photo depicts orchid leaves and flower buds on the flowerpot.
The final pictures feature the other three sides of the flowerpot with the other three gentlemen. There’s a bamboo for summer, mums for autumn, and a flowering plum for winter.
The Four Gentlemen have long been woven into Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese painting and pottery. In fact, Mahjong players may recognize this group, since the Four Gentlemen are often seen on the game’s flower tiles. For more info, check out The Garden Plants of China, which has a lot on the histories of traditional orchids and other popular varieties.
, , , ,December Orchid Events
The slowest month of the year for orchid shows still features events on three continents. Many orchid societies also have holiday sales __and auctions this month, so check with your local group for more.
Orchid Snack Food
As the BBC reports, chikanda is a traditional food in parts of Zambia __and Tanzania, made from the tubers of local orchids. These tubers look like little potatoes. They are cooked with peanuts __and chilies into savory cakes resembling meatloaf, and called chikanda. Swedish botanist Sarina Veldman has been studying the DNA of tubers for sale in African markets, and has found over 80 different species. These include many different types of Disa, Habenaria, and Satyrium orchids. Unfortunately, increasing commercial demand and habitat loss are endangering these local orchids. As collectors go farther, neighboring countries are also losing many of their native terrestrial species. Veldman and other scientists are hoping that sustainable practices, like bringing the orchids into cultivation, will reduce pressures on wild plants. Some steps have already been taken, such as the creation of Kitulo National Park in Tanzania, which protects an area of rich botanical diversity known as the “Serengeti of Flowers.” Scientists and local peoples will need to work together to find more solutions to conserve these fascinating orchids and this popular snack food.
, ,Wild Orchids Bloom Across Australian Capital
The Sydney Morning Herald reports that tens of thousands of wild orchids have bloomed around Canberra. After a very wet winter across the Australian Capital Territory, dozens of different orchid species are putting on a show. With common names like Donkey Orchids, Beard Orchids, __and Helmet Orchids, they have a myriad of fascinating sizes __and shapes. Government conservation officer Dr. Michael Mulvaney added “There are as many orchids [species] on Black Mountain than there are in the whole of Great Britain so we’re blessed by our diversity of orchid.”
, ,A Beautiful Coelia Orchid
Coelia bella is a great orchid species, both easy to grow __and easy to pronounce. Its charming purple, white, __and yellow flowers give off a light marzipan or almond oil fragrance.
To say Coelia, ignore the “o” and say Celia like the woman’s name, SEE-Lee-Ah. The second part of its Latin name, bella, translates as beautiful. In the wild, this species lives from southern Mexico through Central America in rainforests up to 5000 feet (1500 m) in elevation.
In addition to its lovely flowers, this orchid is also known for its distinctive, egg-shaped pseudobulbs (some of them look more like fat tomatoes than eggs!) My plant happily grows outdoors all year in a partly sunny area next to our house. I give it regular water, fertilizer, and a winter dormancy. This variety can handle a wide range of temperatures. It needs extra care during repotting to avoid damage to roots. The last photo below shows two fat pseudobulbs and a flower spike hanging out of the pot, indicating that my plant is overdue for repotting. But that obviously hasn’t slowed down the flower show on this beautiful Coelia.
Saving Minnesota’s Rare Orchids Before It’s Too Late
The Minnesota Landscape Arboretum is working to conserve rare native orchids. The Arboretum is building a seed bank for all of the state’s 48 native species, including the official state flower, the Showy Lady’s Slipper. The effort is part of a larger conservation project, headed by the Smithsonian Institution, to preserve seeds from all of the USA’s native orchids. Since many of these orchids are rare, __and their seeds are as small as dust, collecting them is a real challenge. “A lot of orchids are the first species to disappear from a landscape,” said plant expert David Remucal. “We could be losing a lot of these landscapes over the next 50 years, so we could be losing a lot of these orchid populations.”
, ,Orchids on the Rocks
Orchids on the rocks? No, it’s not another post about ice cubes or climate change. Instead, it’s about orchids which actually grow on rocks. Attached by their roots, orchids may wedge into stony crevices or hang off sheer mountain cliffs. Many orchids which are air plants can affix to both trees __and rocks. The first three photos show a few species which can grow this way: a Dendrobium, a Laelia, __and a Sarcochilus.
Plants which grow on rocks are called lithophytes. Gardeners may also hear the word rupicolous, which has the same meaning. Lithophytes in the orchid family include some Lady Slippers, Dendrobiums, Sarcochilus, Cattleyas, Bulbophyllums, Oncidiums, Angraecums, and many more. Their roots cling to rough stone surfaces, and expand into cracks and crevices to help secure themselves. They may live in pockets of soil or rotting leaves which provide them with nutrients. Some of the pictures below show how their white roots attach to rocks.
Keeping orchids as lithophytes can be tricky. Rock can quickly heat up in direct sun, and flat areas may not drain well, so it’s important to pay careful attention to light, water, and humidity. The standard advice is to grow lithophytes like air plants, keeping them in well-drained pots with bark or moss, rather than risking them on stone. For the adventurous, Growing Orchids in Your Garden by Robert G.M. Friend has a chapter on lithophytes, including which varieties work best.
For more photos of orchid on the rocks, check out this blog post about plants in Cambodia.
, ,November Orchid Shows
From Santa Barbara to Paris to Tasmania, don’t miss these opportunities to see wondrous flowers, take photos, talk with orchid experts, __and purchase plants.
Orchids from Another Planet
If we ever found flowers on another planet, could they possibly be stranger than these earthly orchids? Some of these blooms look like visitors from Mars or Neptune.
Despite their alien facades, they’re simply members of the enormous orchid family, which has diversity beyond measure. Their long Latin names, like Masdevallia caudivolvula __and Sigmatostalix posadarum, are sometimes bigger than the blooms themselves. They may resemble birds in flight or deep sea creatures, but they don’t look much like flowers.
In choosing photos for this post, out of many years of our orchid show pictures, the Bulbophyllums truly stood out. This large, diverse group of orchids has lots of weird blooms. The last row of photos below shows three Bulbophyllum examples, but there were many more. Don’t these flowers look like they could have come from another planet?
Orchids for Hillary
AboutOrchids only dabbles in politics related to orchid conservation, __and this post is no exception. If you’re an orchid lover, the only choice for president this November is Hillary Clinton. The Republican nominee would be a disastrous decision for many reasons, but the one that’s most important on this blog is saving our endangered planet. That requires science, __and Trump is anti-science. This recent article from Scientific American disqualifies him from the job on that single point alone. Fortunately, polls are looking good for Clinton now, but it’s not over til it’s over.
The photos above illustrate three examples of endangered orchid species which need Hillary Clinton to win. These are just a few of many thousands of orchid species which are imperiled by climate change, habitat destruction, pollution, and poaching of wild plants. Hillary Clinton has a strong environmental record, and she has pledged to tackle climate change and other problems. If orchids could vote, their choice would definitely be Hillary Clinton for president.
, , ,New Parasitic Orchid Discovered
Japanese scientists have discovered a new parasitic orchid species whose flowers never open. This strange new Gastrodia species doesn’t photosynthesize, instead stealing nutrients from fungi in the soil. In addition, its peculiar flowers stayed closed, __and pollinate themselves.
,A Big Purple Sobralia Orchid
Sobralia flowers never fail to impress. Recently I mentioned this plant in a post about Growing Orchids Outdoors in Pacifica. This Sobralia species bloomed for years outside in our San Francisco garden. It didn’t do so well after our move to the coast, so I finally brought it indoors. After a quick growth spurt, it flowered before we left for our recent trip to Colorado.
These big purple blossoms, with sunny yellow __and white centers, only last for a few days, the very definition of fleeting beauty. The first three pictures above show my plant’s recent bloom indoors. The remaining pictures below show blooms from past years, when the plant lived outdoors in our San Francisco garden, They include a great photo of a visit by a spectacular Gulf Fritillary butterfly, warming its wings in the autumn sun, __and adding even more beauty to a Sobralia bud.
Orchids Hiding in Plain Sight
Australia is home to many unusual plants, including some orchids which hide in plain sight. They grow leaves year after year, but rarely flower, until there’s a bushfire. Pyrorchis nigricans, also known as the Fire Orchid or Red Beak, bursts into bloom in the year after a fire. Learn more about these scorched orchids in Australian Geographic.
,Fall Color in Colorado
Orchids may be our favorites, but natural beauty comes in many forms. That certainly includes the stunning fall colors of the Colorado Rockies. Dave __and I recently visited Southwest Colorado, __and enjoyed awe-inspiring mountains gilded in their autumn foliage.
The bright yellow leaves belong to aspens. In the thin mountain air around 10,000 feet (3048 m), there were a few orange and red varieties, but most were sporting yellow. Contrasted against green conifers and blue sky, the golden aspens easily stand out, whether it’s a single tree or a vast forest. A couple of idyllic mountain lakes, along with Columbines and a Dahlia from local gardens, complete the picture for one of Mother Nature’s best shows.
Orchid Care Indoor Special Beginner
Orchid Care Indoor Special Beginner – If you are about to buy or have now got an orchid for the first time, then you need to be careful. It only takes one orchid, one orchid to instill a passion. You won’t ever be able to shake this passion; it will be with you for ever. But this passion isn’t enough to make your orchid survive. You have to have some orchid care knowledge.
A lot of people are put off from buying orchids because they are expensive and have a reputation for being difficult to look after. That is true but with orchid care, you are bound to get better with a little time and experience. Over time, you will become more confident, and as you get more orchids, you will start to become more adventurous.
I want to introduce you to some of the fundamental concepts of orchid care. The first thing that a lot of people get wrong is the watering schedule. One of the main reasons they die is because people water them too much. You shouldn’t be watering them more than once a week. If you are unsure whether they need to be watered, then they probably don’t.
Orchid Care Indoor Special Beginner
Orchids originated in the tropics. Orchids prefer warm temperatures. If you are keeping your orchid outdoors, then you need to pay particular attention to them. If the weather is going to be cold, then think about bringing them indoors into the warmth.
Orchids love lots of light. This is another bit of orchid care that you will have to master. You want your orchid to get a lot of light, but you don’t want to leave them standing in direct sunlight for an extended period.
I hope that you do not get put off by the difficulty of orchid care and buy your first orchid. It is a very rewarding experience that I am sure you will enjoy. The worst that can happen is that you can give it to someone you care for if you don’t enjoy it.
Let me guess… you are looking for orchid care tips because someone has given you an orchid for the first time? That is how a lot of us get into orchids, through gifts from family and friends. Now that you have your orchid you need to know what to do with it. If you do things correctly then you should have an orchid that blooms year after year.
For people with their first orchid getting into the area of orchid care can seem overwhelming. This is easy for me to understand as I have seen many people get worried. With experience, you should find it much easier.
Many people struggle with knowing how much to water the plant. This is often where people go wrong, and if you get this part of the orchid care wrong, then your __plant will die. Do not over water your orchid. It only requires watering about once per week, no more than that. Always check right under the soil to ensure that it is completely dry before you water it. Ifin doubt leave it a bit longer.
Orchids love the sunlight. One of your tasks in orchid care is positioning the orchid correctly. You need them to get a lot of suns, but you don’t want them in direct sunlight for to long.
I hope that I haven’t put you off getting your first orchid. It is a great experience and with a little orchid care, it should prosper very well. Orchid Care Indoor Special Beginner.. Good luck!
Tips For Planting Azaleas Bush Perfectly
Tips For Planting Azaleas Bush Perfectly – Azaleas bush are a flowering __plant with a lot of panache. They put off an impressive show, and if done right, will continue to do so for years to come. However, like any plant, you need to give them a good start for good results.
Planting them in the proper spot, giving them the right amount of water and food and providing the appropriate maintenance will help you have perfect azaleas. Following is a guide to ensuring the success of this beautiful flowering shrub.
Most azaleas bush are store bought. When choosing the azalea bush in the store, be sure to choose a __plant that has green leaves and lots of flower buds. If the plant is at all weepy or the leaves are limp, this plant will probably not do well and may be diseased. A good choice will produce a rewarding plant.
When you are ready to plant your azalea, you must first prepare the soil. Azaleas bush prefer an acidic soil and need to have good drainage. Therefore you must loosen the ground that it will be planted in about six to eight inches down. Also, be sure to test the acidity of the soil and adjust it accordingly.
Tips For Planting Azaleas Bush Perfectly
Azaleas bush prefer to be fertilized after they’ve had a chance to establish their roots. When the plant has successfully been put in the ground, water it thoroughly; about five to ten minutes with a garden hose, but do not fertilize.
When it’s been in the ground for a week or two and it’s obvious that it’s taking root and flourishing well, then fertilize and water regularly. When there’s very little precipitation outside, water with a garden hose daily for five to ten minutes.
In the fall, prune the bush back to promote new and full growth for the following spring. Be sure to allow for fresh spring growth when pruning. The second growing season tends to have small amounts of growth, but in the third and after that the plant will really take off. Keep that in mind when pruning. Be sure there’s enough room for growth above the ground as wellas below.
Use a container for your miniature tree that has drainage holes beneath it. This will aid in the drainage of extra amounts of water inside the pot so that your Azalea Bush will not suffer the consequences of over watering.
You must supply your Azalea Bush of adequate quantities of water. Water is crucial for the hydration of your bonsai. You must not give too much water because this will drown your bonsai and will lead to its weakness. And, giving too less water will not supply the required amount of water for it to grow well.
Expose your Azalea Bush to a direct morning sunlight and indirect afternoon sunlight. It is highly recommended that you expose your bonsai to morning sunlight because it is just good enough for your growing Bush. However, midday and afternoon sunlight are too harsh for your bonsai that is why you need to place it under a shady area.
You need to report your miniature tree whenever necessary. You have to transfer your Azalea Bush to a new container for miniature trees when the roots have filled the old tank. If you are not able to report your miniature tree at the right time, your miniature tree will experience pot bound.
Azalea Bush can tolerate hard pruning, but you should perform it carefully because the fine roots can break easily. You need to prune harder the bottom and sides of the entire root system, but you should be cautious when untangling the roots on the upper portion.so Tips For Planting Azaleas Bush Perfectly..I hope this helps
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