Orchid of the day: Bulbophyllum frostii

Bulbophyllum frostii

Our Bulbophyllum frostii, or our little Dutch shoes bloomed in July but as usual I captured some of the photos early in June. This orchid is originally from Vietnam and emits an unpleasant fragrance. Fortunately, I am not too sensitive to the smell...I do love this orchid, it is so cute and easy to grow with bright light and lots of water.

Once this orchid is happy, it really grows and spread out like a vine. We have divided this plant into 3 pots. Each of the division has produced numerous growth. This orchid is less than 10 years old. So for those interested, this is one of the easier orchids to culture.

A) A view from above on June 11.

B) June 11, only two Dutch shoes were fully developed.

C) We had divided this orchid into three pots and had given one to a friend. One of these pots had sixteen developing flowers.

D) Five little Dutch shoes up close.

E) Sixteen flowers on July 17.

Well, I hope you enjoyed the photos in this post.

Have a great week!

Orchid of the day: Laelia gouldiana

Laelia gouldiana

This year our Laelia gouldiana produced five beautiful compared from last year's ten (November 16, 2016). But I'm happy to say that it was on loan for the recent exhibition of the 2017 National Capital Orchid Society Show in Washington, DC. It received a prize in its class.

This orchid is a real Laelia from Mexico. Laelia gouldiana is relatively easy to grow, especially in a Mediterranean-like weather. It does require bright light and temperatures in the range of 68 – 85 °F (20 – 30 °C). The Baltimore summer heat is not ideal, so this orchid is mostly kept under lights in our basement until it cools down in late August.

A) September 17, five developing flower buds. My Anthony keeping watch.

B) A close up.

C) On September 24th, two of the blooms were opening.

D) Our orchid in bloom on October 12th.

We conclude today's post with this beautiful close up of the single flower of our

Laelia gouldiana. Have a great week everyone.

Orchid of the day: Brassavola perrinii

Brassavola perrinii

Our Brassavola perrinii, a South American orchid, is very floriferous this time. It has nineteen flowers in comparison to twelve last post, September 4th, 2016. Before that, we only had four flowers (November 14th, 2015). We have it on loan today for an orchid exhibition next week in Washington DC.

A) A zoom of one of the bloom today.

B) Early in September, flower buds were developing.

C) A closer look at the individual flower buds.

D) September 17, most of the flowers were already opening up. Emitting a mild fragrance.

E) A view from above.

F) A beautiful photo to conclude my post for this weekend.

Dear friends, this ends my post for this time.

I hope you enjoyed the photos of our Brassavola perrinii. Until the next post, have a good week!

Orchid of the day: Aerangis luteoalba var. rhodosticta

Aerangis luteoalba var. rhodosticta

This orchid came to us in 2014. Aerangis luteoalba var. rhodosticta is a charming species from the central part of Africa.  Although very floriferous, it is not an easy plant to grow or even keep alive.  It seems to be very susceptible to fungal rot, still it wants a lot of water.  Due to this, Arne treats this orchid with a systemic fungicide at least twice a year, whether it seems to need it or not.  This is the fourth time it is blooming since 2014.  This time it has six spikes carrying a total of 48 flowers.

I posted about our orchid a few times before (February 1st, 2015; October 25th, 2015; September 24, 2016). I suggest you review these posts to compare how well this specimen has thrived over these few short years.

A) This is the only orchid from Central Africa that has yellowish white flowers (luteo-alba) with a bright orange-red column (rhodosticta).

B) An individual flower.

C) In early August, six flower spikes were developing.

D) A close up of one of the spikes.

E) September 17th, most of the flowers were emerging.

F) Two of the six floral spikes still had unopened flowers on September 17th. 

G) Today, we can see 48 flowers in bloom.

H) A beautiful photo of our Aerangis luteoalba var. rhodosticta to end the post today.

A new post will be back next week everyone.

Until then, as usual have a great week!

Orchid of the day: Vanda vietnamica

Vanda vietnamica

Here is another new Vanda in our collection, Vanda vietnamica which was rather recently discovered in 1993 in Vietnam. Arne has written a paragraph below to summarize the history of this beautiful orchid.

"Vanda (Christensonia) vietnamica was discovered in 1993 in Vietnam.  The species was clearly a small Vanda-like orchid but the flowers were so genuinely different that it was first placed in its own genus Christensonia, named after one of the most talented orchid biologists during the last 50 or more years, Dr. Eric Christenson (PhD in orchids).  Based on DNA comparisons, it was transferred to Vanda in 2012.  A young plant like the one featured here suggests that this is a miniature with an array of short leaves on a rather short stem but I know of plants with multiple growths and they supposedly can grow quite tall.  Coming from the low-lands of southern Vietnam, this species likes warm conditions all year around and less light than typical Vandas." ~ Arne.

A) On August 12, we noted four flower buds developing.

B) Zooming in the developing buds.

C) August 19, exciting to see how the flowers will look like!

D) View of the entire specimen.

E) August 26, all flowers blooming.

F) September 4th, the flowers were still intact but sadly, they are gone now.

Until my next post, have a great week.

Orchid of the day: Paphiopedilum dianthum

Paphiopedilum dianthum

I have posted about our Paphiopedilum dianthum several times since 2014 and once again, this reliable orchid is in bloom this time of the year.  Here are some links to previous posting; July 28, 2014, July 27, 2015 and August 7, 2016. We were very happy because we noticed this year, four buds appeared! But sadly, we lost one. On a positive note, we know this clone is capable of producing four. Hopefully next time, it will last and we may take it for judging! Wish us luck.

A) I missed the earlier stages of the inflorescence developing but here, we can clearly see four buds emerging.

B) Beautiful green buds.

C) Love the 'wild' orchid look of this specimen. A native to Southwestern China and Northern Vietnam, where the forest is semi-deciduous, evergreen with mossy wet areas.

D) Another view. These photos were taken in mid July and they are still flowering today.

E) Concluding with a close up of this 'spacey' looking flower.

That's my orchid of the day. I have a few more coming up so, look forward to that. 

Orchid of the day: Eurychone rothschildiana

Eurychone rothschildiana

We purchased this gorgeous specimen in 2015 and it has flourished since then. This Phalaenopsis-like orchid is native to the Central African region. The flowers are simply breath taking, with the delicate white hue merging to the intense green and finally darkening in the throat which then disappears into the spurs.  When receiving this specimen, it was recommended to pot not mount this orchid, and that is the charm. It has since grown quite well in Arne's hand. The specimen seem to flower at about the same time of the year, late August to early September.

A) Late July, seven buds were taking shape.

B) August 9th, we had six flowers. Apparently, the first flower wilted when the last one opened! Love the roots hanging right on top of the plant.

B) The intense green within each flower is really fascinating to see.

C) By August 12, all remaining flowers were in full bloom.

I hope you enjoyed this post. Our African beauty. Have a great week everyone.