Mini slice of the tropics. Orchids in bloom!

[opaline]

Thanks Rosie and Cheryl for your comments! Rosie you can hijack all you want. I was slightly amused by the traumatic experience you had with the time spent reading the post. Shade is good Rosie, i think keeping the plant settled and relaxed with a steady controlled humid micro climate is mandatory at this point without sunexposure and excessive transpiration. Had a good success rate with the pop bot method with oncids and dendros, laelias and catts. My physcopsis never recovered though and a minature phal/doritis hybrid just declined. Dont think phals like the isolated microclimate and rotted crown and all.

Thanks mazlan for your nice words. The first cymbidium is 'lemon sorbet' and the other 'raspberry cheesecake'. I bought them in 1994 from covent garden, london in attempt to cheer myself up after the anti-climax and withdrawal symtoms from the brilliant Madonna concert the night before. i have no evidence to agree or dispute their titles but as with all over hybridized orchids most dont have a title anyway and prefer the named titles to noids.

Thanks Jose, its time for me to reciprocate and give something back. Members on this sight helped me tremendously long before I registered and the OTforum needs to continue its purpose.

Avoid too much sun Rosie as the inside will become far too saturated esp with the restricted airflow and result in unwelcome consequences. Within the first paragraph, thanking you and cheryl i stand by the comment on sun v shade. But try it, why not, rules are meant to be broken and re written and anything that i have stated is opinion/ advice and no way set in stone. As our grow enviros differ to widely we have to make some variations and adjustments. 28 oc, how gorgeous and so jealous. Thanks for all your interest and feedback.

[cakedaddy]

Thanks Matt for all of the insight! And thanks again for pointing out the fact that there are no hard and fast rules to growing orchids...this cannot be done enough. I thought I couldn't grow bulbos because I live in a condo. That thought has been disproven. It's all experimental...
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[rosie]

Thank you Matt, then I will keep the bottles where they are, suspended by string from a branch under the shade of a tree. I won't take over this thread (by posting photos) but, this is how I learnt about orchids. By chatting to people on this Board and if we can educate newbies and talking them out of their angsts over b.... orchids. Oh oh, time for a coffee, I am getting a bit antsy. Ciao.

[opaline]

If abandonment, neglect ever did a favour for a plant it would be this one. Almost a sentimental love to hate vice versa thing really. Grown from seed approx 25 years ago by me (hence sentimental) and the only one that germinated from a mixed seed packet. I guess cacti were my first little hobby. The only plant that has had along term spot in my care except for 2 cymbidiums ( approx 17/18 yrs). Has been just brought in from outside and yes november in england UK is already wet grey dull and close to ice and more ice. Hasnt affected it at all but then its situ is close to house southfacing and deprived of water which makes it more cold hardy. Goes outside around April.

Anyone have a confident ID, have never looked on net, tooo broad. For the next 4 or so months this darling lives by the orchids competing for sun rays. Doesnt quite fit in suprizingly!lol. Definetly not appropriate for a mini slice of tropics. Just cannot seem to want to part with it???? or go through selling it.

PS rosie you can feel free to post any pics you like if they are applicable. All helps in educating new arrivals to orchid growing and ofcourse sharing.

[rosie]

But I love it. Weird, all right! What an attention getter.

[mauraec]

Atleast now I know that with the welcoming ease of maintaing high humidity in my grow area I no longer need to use a blanket/ pad like moss or coir when mounting and just tie the plant direct to the wood. It cost 7 orchids ( now in the hospital section) to realise this. I think maybe its airflow I need to assess if the bare mounts dont work either. The learning curves never end but i will stick with orchids, i cant see me collecting stamps and frequenting the gym!!!perish the thought!!

Or collecting unicorns or Hummels! Yipes - there are people who really do that!

[mauraec]

These plants inflorescences certainly steal the show.

Nice "artsy" photos, Matt! It's much easier to take an outstanding photo using standard settings and composition when the subject is so perfect, but, as you're learning, trying different perspectives and techniques (risking possible criticism, or just not getting what you thought you would) really lets people see the familiar in a new way - and it's YOUR way - very cool.

[mauraec]

Which Miltassia do you have, Matt? I can't quite tell the real size of it, but it looks REALLY big - bigger than the 'Darth Vader', Shelobs, and various Royal Robes I have seen - it reminds me of 'Howard's Dream', which is, I think, a Beallara. Anyway - I want one of those, whatever it is.

[opaline]

Well Done Maura'!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! youve bounced back with full force! Bravo!!! The Miltassia I beleive is Royal Robe Diplomat!. There was a short overwhelming quantity of them in this current autumn/winter season at hardware/diy/garden center type places, pretty much like the sharry baby oncids. I went on a mission after I stripped by grow area to the bare bones and started again, after seeing OTs Teena /martha post hers and saying how vigorous it was. I wanted vigorous. A useful tool I thought. Glad your back and your passion relighted!

[Jose R. Nieves]

I cant tell you the name of the cactus but in the first pic that seems to be a standard Cookie Monster (Cookiera monstruosa) on top
Jose