Orchids

After lots of anticapation the time has come. Almost all of the spikes on this Encyclia tampensis, Wild Florida Orchid are almost in bloom. It is putting on a spectacular show. I have a few pictures tonight and will try to get so better close ups this week. Here are tonights pictures of the wild orchids.Come Watch my Plants Grow

I have done a few posts on the blooms of my Phalaenopsis Naples nights x (Petite rose x Glad melinda), along with the phal I also am growing a Dendrobium Cathy Beck, and an Enc. Atronecium - cordigera 'Multi' x Enc. cordigera 'Giant'. Well tonights post is an update for all the people following the progress of the orchids. The first is going to be the Phal. The second flower opened today. Next is

I bought these Blc. Husky Boy 'Romeo' back in March they had a beautiful yellow flower. Here is a link to the original post that shows Blc. Husky Boy 'Romeo' in bloom. Well I had the idea of another coconut mount for these and came up with this. I took a coconut that had not matured and allowed it to dry out. This is what happened. When it is not fully developed they will shrivel up as they dry. T

These Encyclia tampensis or Butterfly orchids are beginning their show. The flowers are beginning to open and they are stunning. This is the first time I have seen this orchid bloom and the showing is going to be very impressive. Just days away. Here are a few teasers of some of the first flowers to open.Come Watch my Plants Grow

It is getting very close to an amazing display of wild Encyclia tampensis flowers. These butterfly orchids are showing their first flowers. Here are a few pics of the first flowers to appear.Come Watch my Plants Grow

Today on my lunch break I stopped by my property to check up on the Encyclia tampensis orchids. They should be close to blooming. These guys are almost there. Maybe another week or so and we should have some really good pictures of these flowers. But in the mean time I took a few more pictures of the orchids in spike growing on 1 of the old oak trees. I also got the best side of the resident gat

Spring has officially sprung and it has been effecting me in the funniest ways. Not only have I decided I want lots and lots of Native American tribal things: t-shirts, feather headbands (if I make a more Pocahontas-y one I put it up), and a dreamcatcher (which I’m currently making), but I am really honing [...]

I love orchids but have never been able to maintain them. I either overkill them with love, care, and water, or it was just too darn cold in Philadelphia. The climate in Turks & Caicos, however, being all tropical, is perfect for orchids.My husband started a program of orchid preservation and growth here on Parrot Cay involving tying the plants to trees around the property to allow them to root and bloom with plenty of natural sun and water. Here you see two plants behind the spa that just bloomed, one red & one yellow. Aren't they great? Tags: Parrot Cay, Plants, Providenciales, Turks and Caicos, Caribbean, Living In Caribbean, Photographs, lynda lippin

I'm sure some of us will receive a plant this Mother's Day, and in case you receive on of those beautiful orchids in a pot, I have two tips for you:1) Do not overwater. Orchids do not need a lot of water. Once a week you can dip the pot in water for a one minute and that will do it. Or just use water spray to water it. It's better to have less water than too much water.2) Keep it in the shade. You can put it outside but no direct sunlight please. It does not need a lot of sunlight. It needs a lot of air. If you want, just keep it inside the house (like next to a window).Those two simple tips will keep your orchid plant alive. The photo here is from an orchid plant that was given to me 3 years ago. That's how I learned my tip - when I did what I shared it, it worked! And this year, th

Bear one thing in mind when potting orchids: Don't use glazed or painted earthenware pots! Though decorative, they are damaging to plant growth. They keep the compost overwatered and underaired - both fatal to orchids. Otherwise, potting orchids - except for the trick of packing osmunda - is no different from potting azaleas or begonias. Select a clean pot several inches wider than the broadest basal width of a terrestrial orchid. Soak it for a few minutes in tepid water, then drain. Place coarse gravel, small rocks, or crocks (bits of broken pots) in the bottom third of the pot. Add several large handfuls of compost and shape to a cone, the top of which is on a level with the lower rim of the pot. Spread the roots of the terrestrial orchid carefully and evenly around the cone, and fill wi

1. Check and see how firm the plant is in the pot, if it is shaky and not firm then chances are it is either been recently repotted or it has a bad root system. If it has been recently repotted check the mix, you may want to replace it for something more suitable for orchids, even thou the plant is in bloom. Sphagnum moss is often used to pot the orchids in for shipping and if it it packed to tightly in the pot it can cause problems. Some times the mix can rot your roots very quickly since it does not dry out.2. The pseudobulbs should be fat and plump. Beware of the shriveled pseudobulbs3. The leaves should be firm. Leaves that are limp or crinkled like an according are indications that the plant may have been exposed to excessively cold temperatures or lack of water due to no root system

Over the weekend we stopped by a local nursery that will sometimes get in some rare finds. The stuff you never see at the local box stores. Well the nursery had just received a new shipment in. They had received a few Spathoglottis ground orchids. So we were quick to grab them and it is a good thing we did because some people that came in after us were trying to get them also. We bought 3 pots of orchids each one being different. The first is a 3 gallon pot of Spathoglottis plicata which has light lavender color. The next is another 3 gallon pot of Spathoglottis gracilis plicata "Penang Beauty" this flower has a yellow with purple blush. The last is a 1 gallon pot of Spathoglottis ungiculata "grapette" which does not have any blooms, but the nursery owner kept 2 3 gallon pots of these gra

While I was out of town my girl came home with 6 new chids'. These came from our 3 for $20 lady. Apparently my girl has a new friend because the lady threw in an extra orchid and a full spray can of leaf shine. The first white phal has 12 blooms on 1 spike 7 blooms on the other and has another spike growing with 2 blooms to open and still growing. Then the light yellow phal still has blooms to open. A pink phalaenopsis that blew over this week and broke a few flowers off. So this scared up flower is all that is left of the open flowers, but still has 4 blooms to go. Then a very light lavender /white Dendrobium. These little flower phals I am really digging. The are so petite . This is my 3rd small flower phal. And finally a green with purple lip dendrobium. The free 1 my girl gave to her m

The Arkansas Orchid Society is having a show & sale on Saturday April 5th and Sunday April 6th at Second Presbyterian Church. It'll be in the church's Great Hall. They are located on the corner of I-430 and Cantrell Road. The group will also have door prizes, silent auctions and you can tour prize winning exhibits. Check it out!

Orchids happen to be the largest naturally occurring order in the plant world in terms of the number of different distinct kinds. Wild orchid flowers also come in a range of different characteristics in practically every color or shade. Orchids are some of the most enduring and hardy plants in the world. They can [...]

Here are a few shots of the new Vanda orchids from this weekend. My favorite 1 is the little purple 1 it is so fragrant. It smells like a very strong grape koolaid. During the heat of the day it smells twice as strong. And the last picture are the new baby Vanda orchidsCome Watch my Plants Grow

Well I spent a couple months of orchid allowance this past weekend at the Port St Lucie Orchid Society Show and Sale, and The Downtown Farmers Market. Besides the show every Sat. we have a farmers market sale down on the river. This week there were a couple plant vendors and I adopted a couple new ground orchids for $5 each , a new Oncidium for $25, and 2 yellow Cattleyas 1 is more gold than yellow but are both Blc. Husky Boy 'Romeo' for $7.50 each. Then from the Orchid show I got 3 Vanda babies, 8 other babies var. , 4 Vandas, Coconut orchid, Phal., and a Den. I am going to post close up shots through the week so check back. So between both stops I doubled my orchid collection the new count is 35.Come Watch my Plants Grow

Each genus of orchid has different requirements for reblooming. Most commercial varieties are very simple to rebloom. Phalaenopsis, Zygopetalum and Odontoglossum require only slight changes in temperature to initiate blooming. Others, such as Oncidium and Dendrobium, bloom on mature new growth and require a change of fertilizer to a phosphorus-rich, blossom-booster formula, such as 20-20-20.Knowledge of watering, temperature and fertilizer requirements for each genus is necessary for successful reblooming year after year. To successfully rebloom your plant, identify the type of orchids you have and see our "INDIVIDUAL ORCHID CARE" section for details.A. When the last flower drops, cut your flower spike halfway down the stem.B. After cutting the stem with a clean, sharp blade, seal the cut

Today I had a chance to get over to my property for a quick checking. What did I find on the first live oak I looked at. Well besides over 20 different air plants there were some big wild Florida orchids growing on the trunk right at the bottom of the tree. So I snapped a few shots for all of you. I know orchids 2 days in a row but this was very unexpected. WOW I only got to look a the first tree. There must be at least 8 more huge live oaks on the property so maybe there will be a lot more. It is against the law to collect any FL orchids but this tree will be in the front yard 1 day when I finally can afford that dream house. I am very excited about the find a the potential of how many more there could be. I hope to make it back this weekend. The first shot is a view from the street, the

These prized plants prefer filtered light, fluctuating temperatures, and not too much water by Alex Vasiljev I got my first orchid plant at age 12, when I was growing up in the Ukraine. An... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

by Ellaine Grace L. Nagpala Orchids are among the popular cutflowers in the world. It has become the object of attention of many cutflower growers as it captures an element of beauty through its complexities and elegantly formed sepals. Different species of orchids are used widely in flower arrangements, corsage making, and as collection specimens for the hobbyists. One orchid genus, Vanilla,

Indonesia was wellknown as a country with many natural orchids species.There more 5000 natural orchids species. Orchids that growth in Indonesia mostly including Vanda, Phalaenopsis,Paphiopedilum, endrobium, Coelogyne,Cymbidium and Bulbophyllum. The most wellknown orchids from Indonesia is Moon Orchids (Phalaenopsis) besides Paphiopedilum.Here many orchids species orchids that growth in Indonesia:a.Sumatera OrchidsWith their swam and rocky mountain also variety forest, Sumatera Island have many beautifull orchids. One of these is Coelogyne Dayanab.Java OrchidsJava island have 713 identified orchids species and the most favourit is Vanda Tricolorc.Kalimantan OrchidsKalimantan Island have popular black orchid (coelogyne Pandurata)d.Papua OrchidsAt Papua there are approximately have 2000 orchids, that grow from beach till at their high mountain with many different shape, colour and size. We will find Dendrobium Violaceum as the most growth species there.e.Sulawesi OrchidsSulawesi Island h

To watering our orchids its better to use sprayer. Because the water from sprayer will not destroy flower, leaves or orchids media. It is better that we watering the orchids just at its roots so that the water will be quickly absorbed. The water must be clean and not polluted.Watering quantity and frequency is depend on the jind of orchids. Orchids with pseudolp (simpodial orchids) such Coeligyne, oncidium and Dendrobium generally more resistent with dry condition than Monopodial Orchids such Phalaenopsis and Vanda. Monopodial Orchids must be watered 2-3 x /day and simpodial orchids can be watered 1-2 x/day.The right time to watering is in the morning between 07.00-09.00 AM and between 02.00-06.00 PM.

One of my favourit orchids blog is Orchids.com. Orchids.com grows exquisite orchids for each level of flowering orchid plant market: decorator, florist, pot retailer, orchid aficionado and, in particular, individual clients.They produced sophisticated healthy orchids in bloom, or in the process of flowering including Phalaenopsis, Cattleya, Paphiopedilum [Lady Slippers] and the alliance Oncidium orchids. Their efforts in orchid culture and higher factory quality control displays achieve abundance of flowers in many luscious colors. This is achieved through prudent management of our environment greenhouse.Orchids.com has laboriously orchids grow theirrselves. These plants are grown in the same place, in another flower, and finally delivered. A personal attention and special care is at the heart of our packaging methods. This ensures that the gift plants you arrive in order prerequisite. This allows each recipient with the highest level of quality. You can Chat with their Orchid Experts

If you have an orchids garden and have a dream to sell your orchids through all around the world, don’t wait again. It is the right time to start. Why? Because there is Ashop, a shopping cart software company that offer interesting package to build your orchids online store/merchant. Not just orchids you can sell because these Ashop as the world-class provider of shopping cart software, internet programming and digital imaging have many theme design for many kinds of your products. You not must have big business because they will help you to expand your business by ecommerce and getting profit for your product.They have built their ecommerce software for many years before, tested, and have given satisfaction to their customers. They hosted the customer’s store building for the implementation of the system with no software installation, so their costumer can create and manage an online store from any computer, anywhere in the world. Every people although they are not webmaster or n

Sani orchids is one of Indonesia orchid online Store that provide orchid flask and orchids species. They have hundred Orchid flask species or hybrid with competitive price. Especially Dendrobium, Phalaenopsis, Oncidium, Cattleya and Vanda. Unfortunatelly they just can deliver to every regions in Indonesia with maximum service. But they also want to enlarge their market to every country, they hope they can cooperate with orchid whole seller worldwide.Their contact/ address is:Aditya Sani P, SP, MP.Jl Danau Maninjau Barat D3-A5 Sawojajar Malang Indonesia Telp 0341-6341982 Hp 08155558360 / 08170529664 Email : adityasani@yahoo.com

The grower's task, and it is no easy one, is to set in motion the complicated growth processes of the orchid plant, and, through maintenance of proper balance, insure continuation of that process. Using the energy provided by light, the green leaf chlorophyll transforms the carbon dioxide from the air and the mineral salts from moisture into sugar and other carbohydrates. These energy carbohydrates are stored until needed either for rebuilding plant tissue or for flowering.The pseudobulbs of some types, the large leathery leaves of others, and the slender grass-like leaves of orchids lacking pseudobulbs are the storage reservoirs. The cycle will continue only if the grower devotes the utmost attention to the special requirements of the orchid. The reward for his devotion comes when the brilliant bloom and beauty of the tropics is reproduced in the greenhouse.One of the many points to be considered is the matter of how much light should be admitted. It must be decided whether to grow t

Researchers have discovered a flower fossil, an orchid flower with a 15 to 20 million years old, this flower has pollen specimen enclosed in amber, the fossil was found in the Dominican RepublicThe Orchidaceae family boasts the largest of all flowering plants, but it is poorly understood, because until now there has been no fossil record of its history. Previous speculations put the plants' first appearance at about 45 million years ago.Santiago Ramirez of Harvard University and colleagues compared genetic information from the fossilised Meliorchis caribea with modern-day plants and reconstructed an evolutionary tree. It suggests that the first orchids bloomed about 84 million years ago (Nature, vol 448, p 1042). Those that survived the mass extinction 65 million years ago then rapidly proliferated, leading to today's 28,000 or so species.Source & Image:newscientist

Anne Gaskett, a PhD student from Macquarie University in Sydney, has been conducting new research into the nature of the relationship between five species of native Australian tongue orchids and the orchid dupe wasp (Lissopimpla excelsa).The research builds on an original discovery in the 1920s that the orchids convince male wasps that they are females of the same species. The wasps then attempt to mate with the flowers, before moving on, often to another orchid, thus pollinating them. The discovery received worldwide attention at the time."I wanted to know what it was about the five orchids that could persuade the male that they were all a female [wasp]," she says, adding that the flowers all look very different to the human eye, and that usually only one species of insect pollinates one species of plant."I have accumulated the first compelling evidence of an ongoing and escalating arms race between orchids and their unwitting insect pollinators," Gaskett, says, "Over generations the

hydroponics is growing plants without soil. There are different systems that can be used, but all in all they have the same thing in common. It is the use of nutrients - water mixture poured over inert substance called aggregates.some of the benefits using growing hydroponic orchids are:* easy to use* no wondering when to water* disease free growth* more vigorous growth* less maintenanceEase of use goes without saying. With hydroponic orchids, the plant is placed in a special pot and is surrounded by aggregates. More on types of aggregates at a later time. The aggregates will not only hold water but also can trap air. They also allow for more freer air movement.After transplanting a plant into a hydroponic system there is nothing to do except add nutrient laedened water. Yes, that's it, water as needed according to the system you use and watch your orchid plants grow.Taking The Guesswork Out Of WateringI think the neatest part comes with knowing when to water and taking the guess wor

Gently feel the petals and leaves of the Orchid between your thumb and forefinger - if they are slightly hard, the orchid flowers are opening. When opening, flower color is brighter and the flower has a distinct look. If the flower is too old, and starting to wilt, don't buy the Orchid. The only time I would buy an Orchid like this to the left is if I don't mind waiting until it blooms again.

OHIOKrohn Conservatory1501 Eden Park DriveCincinnati, OhioTelephone: (513) 421-5707Contact: Andrea SchepmannE-Mail: AndreaSchepmann@cinparks.rec.orgPublic Hours: 8 am – 5 pm, dailyOKLAHOMAMyriad Botanical Garden100 Myriad GardensOklahoma City, Oklahoma 73102Telephone: (405) 297-3395Contact: Allan StorjohannPublic Hours: 9 am – 6 pm, Monday through Saturday12 pm – 6 pm, SundayPENNSYLVANIALongwood GardensKennett SquarePennsylvania 19348Telephone: (610) 388-1000, ext. 557Contact: Lee AlyanakianE-Mail: lalyanakian@longwoodgardens.orgPublic Hours: Opens 10 am daily, Closing hours vary seasonallyPhipps Conservatory1 Schlenley PlacePittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213Telephone: (412) 622-5914Contact: Georgia WahlE-Mail: Horticulture@Phipps.pgh.pa.usPublic Hours: 9 am – 5 pm, Tuesday through SundayTENNESSEECheekwood Botanical Gardens and Fine ArtsForrest Park DriveNashville, Tennessee 37205Telephone: (615) 353-2148Contact: Teri RiceE-Mail: TRICE@CHEEKWOOD.orgPublic Hours: 9 am – 5 pm, Mond

OHIOKrohn Conservatory1501 Eden Park DriveCincinnati, OhioTelephone: (513) 421-5707Contact: Andrea SchepmannE-Mail: AndreaSchepmann@cinparks.rec.orgPublic Hours: 8 am – 5 pm, dailyOKLAHOMAMyriad Botanical Garden100 Myriad GardensOklahoma City, Oklahoma 73102Telephone: (405) 297-3395Contact: Allan StorjohannPublic Hours: 9 am – 6 pm, Monday through Saturday12 pm – 6 pm, SundayPENNSYLVANIALongwood GardensKennett SquarePennsylvania 19348Telephone: (610) 388-1000, ext. 557Contact: Lee AlyanakianE-Mail: lalyanakian@longwoodgardens.orgPublic Hours: Opens 10 am daily, Closing hours vary seasonallyPhipps Conservatory1 Schlenley PlacePittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213Telephone: (412) 622-5914Contact: Georgia WahlE-Mail: Horticulture@Phipps.pgh.pa.usPublic Hours: 9 am – 5 pm, Tuesday through SundayTENNESSEECheekwood Botanical Gardens and Fine ArtsForrest Park DriveNashville, Tennessee 37205Telephone: (615) 353-2148Contact: Teri RiceE-Mail: TRICE@CHEEKWOOD.orgPublic Hours: 9 am – 5 pm, Mond

MINNESOTAComo Park Conservatory1325 Aida PlaceSt. Paul, Minnesota 55103Telephone: (651) 487-8201Contact: Bob MartinE-Mail: robertmartin@cistpaul.MN.UPublic Hours: 10 am – 4 pm, dailyMISSOURIMissouri Botanical Garden4344 Shaw BoulevardSt. Louis, Missouri 63166Telephone: (314) 577-1234, ext. 6Contact: Babs WagnerE-Mail: blanche.wagner@mobot.orgPublic Hours: Tours must be arranged.NORTH CAROLINADuke University Botany Greenhouse139 Bio Science BuildingDurham, North Carolina 27706Telephone: (919) 660-7334Contact: Beverly CalhounE-Mail: bcalhoun@acpub.duke.eduPublic Hours: 10 am – 4:30 pm, Monday through ThursdayUniversity of North Carolina at Charlotte Botanical GardenUniversity of North CarolinaCharlotte, North Carolina 28223Telephone: (704) 547-4055Contact: Dr. T. Lawrence MellichampE-Mail: tlmellic@email.uncc.eduPublic Hours: 10 am – 3 pm, Monday through SaturdayNEW YORKBrooklyn Botanical Garden1000 Washington AvenueBrooklyn, New York 11225-1099Telephone: (718) 623-7242Contact: Jac

ILLINOISLincoln Park Conservatory2391 North Stockton DriveChicago, Illinois 60614Telephone: (312) 742-7736Contact: Steve MeyerPublic Hours: 9 am – 5 pm, dailyLuthy Memorial Botanical Garden2218 North Prospect RoadPeoria, Illinois 61603-2193Telephone: (309) 686-3362Contact: Bonnie GudatPublic Hours: 10 am – 5 pm, Monday through Saturday12 pm – 5 pm, SundayOak Park Conservatory617 Garfield StreetOak Park, Illinois 50304Telephone: (708) 386-4700Contact: John SeatonPublic Hours: 10 am – 4 pm, Tuesday through SundayINDIANAFoellinger-Freimann Botanical Conservatory1100 S. Cahoun StreetFort Wayne, Indiana 46802Telephone: (219) 427-6443Contact: Andy ForceE-Mail: andy.force@ci.ft-wayne.in.usPublic Hours: 10 am – 5 pm, Monday through Saturday12 pm – 4 pm, SundayGarfield Park Botanical Conservatory2505 Conservatory DriveIndianapolis, Indiana 46203Telephone: (317) 327-7187Contact: Jeff NeesePublic Hours: 10 am – 6 pm, dailyWheeler Orchid Collection and Species Biology Department,Ball

FLORIDAAmerican Orchid Society-International Orchid Center16700 AOS LaneDelray Beach, Florida 33446-4351Telephone:(561)404-2000Contact:Lee CookePublic Hours: 10 am to 4 pm, Monday to SaturdayFairchild Tropical Garden10901 Old Cutler RoadMiami, Florida 33156-4299Telephone: (305) 667-1651Contact: Craig M. AllenPublic Hours: 9:30 am – 4:30 pm, dailyMarie Selby Botanical Gardens811 South Palm AvenueSarasota, Florida 34236Telephone: (941) 366-5731Contact: Nancy EdmondsonPublic Hours: 10 am – 5 pm, dailyGEORGIAAtlanta Botanical GardensDorothy Fuqua Conservatory1345 Piedmont AvenueAtlanta, Georgia 30309Telephone: (404) 876-5859Contact: Becky BrinkmanE-Mail: m.groves@mindspring.comPublic Hours: 9 am – 6 pm, Tuesday through SundayHAWAIIFoster Botanic Gardens180 North Vineyard BoulevardHonolulu, Hawaii 96817Telephone: (808) 522-7066Contact: Scott MitamuraPublic Hours: 9 am – 4 pm, dailyWahaiwa Botanical Garden1396 California AvenueWahiawa, Hawaii 96786Telephone: (808) 621-7321Contact: Sc

CALIFORNIAGolden Gate Park ConservatoryMcLaren Lodge, Fell and Stanyan Streets,San Francisco, California 94117Telephone: (415) 666-7077Contact: George MarcopulousE-Mail: gmarcopulos@compuserve.comPublic Hours: Please call for current hoursLos Angeles State and County Arboretum301 North Baldwin AvenueArcadia, California 91006-2697Telephone: (626) 821-3221Contact: Julie NormanPublic Hours: 9:00 am – 4:30 pm, dailySan Diego Zoo2920 Zoo DriveSan Diego, California 92112-1515Telephone: (619) 231-1515Contact: Janette GerrityE-Mail: mbostwick@sandiegozoo.orgPublic Hours: The orchid facility is open on the third Friday of every month from 10 am to 2 pm. Special tours outside the normal hours can be arranged in advance with the approval of Michael Bostwick.COLORADODenver Botanical Gardens909 York StreetDenver, Colorado 80206Telephone: (720) 865-3500Contact: Nicholas SnakenbergE-Mail: snakenbn@botanicgardens.orgPublic Hours: 9:00 am – 5 pm, dailyDISTRICT OF COLUMBIAUnited States Botanical Gar

There is lots of anecdotal evidence that seems to indicate that one feed brand is better than another. I for one don't believe there is much difference, if any, in growth rates, but look for a complete fertilizer, one with all 7 minor or trace elements. What is FAR MORE IMPORTANT is to feed correctly. Little and often, weakly, weekly are good watchwords. Note that a 20-20-20 feed compared to a 5-5-5 feed is 4x as concentrated, all other things being equal. This usually means it is 4x better value! I do find that most beginners are told to feed at low rates and this is a great way to start. I would recommend that you feed weakly, weekly for at least the first year of orchid growing. This will usually mean 1/4 tsp per gallon for most feed brands at every other watering, and every fourth watering in winter. However, it has to be said that most commercial vendors and more proficient growers feed much more heavily than that. However, it also has to be said that these growers have state o

Phalaenopsis hybridOne orchid genus, Vanilla, is commercially important, used as a foodstuff flavoring, the source of vanilla. The underground tubers of terrestrial orchids are ground to a powder and used for cooking, such as in the hot beverage salep or the so-called "fox-testicle ice cream" salepi dondurma. The scent of orchids is frequently used by perfumists (using Gas-liquid chromatography) to identify potential fragrance chemicals. With these exceptions, orchids have virtually no commercial value other than for the enjoyment of the flowers (see also Botanical orchids).There are a great number of tropical and subtropical orchids, and these are the most commonly known, as they are available at nurseries and through orchid clubs across the world. There are also quite a few orchids which grow in colder climates, although these are less often seen on the market. Temperate species available at nurseries include Ophrys apifera (bee orchid), Gymnadenia conopsea (fragrant orchid), Anacamp

There are many types of specializations within the Orchidaceae. Best known are the seemingly endless structural variations in the flowers that encourage pollination by particular species of insects, bats, or birds.Most African orchids are white, while Asian orchids are often multicolored. Some orchids only grow one flower on each stem, others sometimes more than a hundred together on a single spike.The typical orchid flower is zygomorphic, i.e. bilaterally symmetric. Notable exceptions are the genera Mormodes, Ludisia and Macodes.The flowers grow on racemes or panicles. These can be :• basal (i.e. produced from the base of the pseudobulb, as in Cymbidium) • apical (i.e. produced from the apex of the orchid, as in Cattleya) • or axillary (i.e. coming from a node between the leaf axil and the plant axis, as in Vanda). The basic orchid flower is composed of three sepals in the outer whorl, and three petals in the inner whorl. The medial petal is usually modified and enlarged (then c

How do you know if your plants are getting enough light? As a general rule look at the foliage. It should be a light grassy green. Lush dark green foliage is nice to look at, but it means your plants are not getting enough light. Leaves should also be turgid and firm on phals, cattleyas, and dendrobiums. Mottled leaved paphs should show good color contrast on the leaves- see our paph culture page for more details. If your plants are not getting enough light move them closer to the window. Yes, even a foot can make a huge difference as light falls off very rapidly within increasing distance from a window. During the summer months place plants outdoors in dappled shade if you can. Whenever you move plants into brighter conditions always do so very gradually as you risk burning the leaves. Lastly, remember to only grow plants suited to your conditions to avoid disappointment. I just saw some beautiful vandas in bloom at the grocery store! Vandas are very difficult to grow in the home an

Beginners are often frustrated by a seemingly healthy plant that refuses to flower. This section is intended primarily for growers who wish to re-bloom their orchids, especially paphiopedilums (tropical slippers), phalaenopsis (moth orchids), oncidiums (dancing dolls) and dendrobiums (phalenopsis types) and related orchids. Don't worry if you don't recognize the names-these cover the majority of orchids easily available. Its assume that your plants are healthy with lots of new leafy green growths and good roots. If you don't have a healthy plant, don't expect it to flower! Sometimes weakened plants, such as moth orchids will bloom prolifically, but this will be their swan song and they will die soon after. Grow plants right well and blooms will follow. If you're not getting blooms AND your plants are healthy, read on.. Here are the main reasons orchid will not bloom and what you can do about it. One or more reasons may apply to you:#1. GIVE YOUR ORCHIDS ENOUGH LIGHT Most fl

Orchids, like the grasses and the palms, which they resemble in some ways—for instance the form of their leaves—are monocotyledons. They have one cotyledon, or embryonic leaf, in contrast to the two of most flowering plants.Orchids are cosmopolitan in distribution, occurring in every habitat, except Antarctica and deserts. The great majority are to be found in the tropics, mostly Asia, South America and Central America. They are found above the Arctic Circle, in southern Patagonia and even on Macquarie Island, close to Antarctica. Longitudinal view of a vanilla flower, showing the column.The following list gives a rough overview of their distribution:•Eurasia: 40–60 genera •North America: 20–30 genera •tropical America: 300–350 genera •tropical Africa: 125–150 genera •tropical Asia: 250–300 genera •Oceania: 50–70 genera Orchids can be grouped according to the way they retrieve nutrients:•A majority of species are perennial epiphytes; they are found in trop

If you haven't noticed I'm posting quite a bit about gardening. Indoor/outdoor, flowers/vegetables/herbs it doesn't matter because once the spring weather hit I began thinking about plants. Well I've discovered a new love recently: miniature orchids in terrariums.I already have a small collection of full-sized orchids but something about tiny things makes them so much more appealing and desirable than their fully-grown siblings. I used a collection of inexpensive glass jars (you can also find them at Walmart and other stores) then did a bit of research.I'm growing three different varieties: two jewel orchids, more specifically goodyera schlectendaliana, or a mountain jewel orchid, and baptistonia echinata. I'm also trying to grow neofenetia falcata--or a samurai orchid. The terrarium helps to keep a warmer temperature and higher humidity than orchids can typically get in my home. The first two need lower lights but the samurai needs high light and is a little more tricky to g

One of my Passions are Orchids. I have Loved them for as long as I could remember! About three years ago I started buying them. They would bloom and look wonderful for 4 or 5 weeks. The blooms would die off and I would almost Panic. Ask me why? Not sure I thought they were the most fragile flower. Now I have a Green thumb but for some reason these flowers Scared the Cra* out of me. In the begining I would buy them in Armstrong Nursery. Of course I would pay upwards of $40 for a basic White Phaelenopsis. I really had NO knowledge of the plant just that I Loved them. Well, I let my faire share of beauties die a tragic death, not on purpose just not knowing what to do with them. Three years later and several Orchid shows and No longer buying from Retail shops I now have acquired over 20. Yikes, I cant believe I have so many but I do. I have inherited a few also. Sorry MOM, if you leave them with me for plant sitting I'm gonna keep them. I have since learned lots about the many differn't

Once again, we set out in search of a decent place to have dinner. Tonight, we visited Golden Orchids, who proclaim to have been the first Malaysian restaurant in Melbourne. This two-storey eatery, open since 1973, boasts three claims to fame: Its 'signature dish', the Malaysian Chilli Prawns, its range of Malaysian Curries, and its Satays.

Orchids growing on top of fence posts, Yaruca, HondurasWe saw these orchids growing in several spots in Yaruca, Honduras. They look the same as a couple of the ones that I bought. The orchid lady said they were purple, so I think they may be the same.This bougainvillea was also in Yaruca.Six foot tall begonia in Yaruca, Honduras.This fern was growing out of the rock wall alongside the road.These ferns were growing in a shady area by the side of the road. We have a lot of these ferns growing on the "wild" hill on our property. They are deciduous and even though we don't get cold weather, they die back every year.These are the orchids that I found alongside the road! Aren't the blooms beautiful? There were no leaves on these. Just a bulb and a long stem with the blossoms.I know that some would say that you shouldn't take orchids from the wild. Let me explain. This was by the very edge of the road. The vegetation by the sides of the road is routinely macheted, so I think that I'm actu

Most of our flowers in the yard are not in bloom yet because its winter season and its been cold and snowing. To add some colors in our kitchen island, we been buying the cheapest cut flowers available in Safeway for $3.99 to $6.99 per boquet. Other nicer flowers like tulips and roses is around $12.99 to $19.99 so we just deal with the carnation and daisies because they are cheaper and they

The orchid is one of the most ancient known genuses of the plants and its flowers are also quite admirable in the current era. Hence, every individual needs to take care of orchids properly. The orchids are of great use, as they can be forwarded as a thanksgiving compliment of love, or can be nurtured [...]

The selection of the orchid pot will have huge affect on the victory of an individual’s orchid. The usage of the pots such as potting medium, fertilizing, watering and location can also affect the orchid’s system. Many people often get confused about the selection of orchid pot. There are several kinds of orchid pots available [...]