Cattleya’s in flower - NOID

Finally, after long hot, humid and dry summer some of my cattleya orchids started flowering.

These one’s been given to me by friends when they stopped blooming, so I have no idea of they’re names. They turned out beautiful orchids with colorful, special blooms and so welcome in my ever expanding collection.

Cat 1

 

Cat2

Cat3

Dendrobium orchid Yellow Star

Our weather here been very hot and humid for a while now and most of my orchids in a kind of in-between flowering stage.
Most of my time take up with general maintenance and trying to keep water to the one’s that need it.

This beautiful orchid decided to flower now, a bit earlier than expected, and it flowers with these special colorful blooms.  It's very easy to grow and I love seeing it's blooms every season.

Happy New Year!

May all of your dreams come through!

Zygopetalum “Blue Caribou”

Zygopetalum “Blue Caribou” 

This beautiful zygo in flower at the moment, nice colours and heavenly scent. 

Notes - Orchids Glass Paperweights

Colin Richardson paperweight - "Wild Orchids & Berries"

Glass paperweights according to some art historians were first made in Europe, probably in Venice in late 15th century. Some of the earlier examples were made in France in about 1750’s and in England in early 1800’s.

The period from 1840 to 1860 is often referred to as the Classical Period of paperweight production. This was the time when the great French glassworks at Clichy, Baccarat, and St. Louis led the world with the quality and creativity of their paperweights. Other countries followed their lead, and in the USA two major paperweight manufacturers were the New England Glass Company and the Boston and Sandwich Glass Company.

Another important technique of making paperweights is by creating flowers, fish, animals, insects, etc. using lampworking techniques, and encasing these miniature items in a globe of glass, so creating a little artificial world trapped in a ball of glass.

Today's contemporary paperweight makers are producing some truly stunning creations, rivalling anything ever produced in the world. There are miniature botanical fantasy worlds made by master glassmakers and studios .

L.H. Selman Glass Paperweight 

Me, being partial to orchids always on lookout for special glass creations that showcasing orchids and their beauty. Here some stunning images of orchids paperweights - 

Chris Buzzini "Maxillaria Tenuifolia,"

John Kobuki

Saint Louis {France} paperweight - "Ophrys Orchid"

John Kobuki Slipper Orchid

Paul Stankard Bee and Orchid Paperweight

Lundberg Justin "Jungle Orchids

ALLURING Paul STANKARD Orchids

VINTAGE BACCARAT ORCHID FLOWER & BUTTERFLY

John Kobuki ~ Slipper Orchid

Lilac Orchid by Mayauel Ward

Sarcochilus orchids

These little beauties native to Australia and New Caledonia and really like hot, humid weather. They have short steams, only a few leaves and plenty of flowers on short inflorescences. There are currently about 15 species and all of them doing really well on our hot summer with colours of white, pinks, yellow and red. There are also many hybrids currently been developed by Australian breeders. 

They don’t like full sun or direct sunlight and prefer hot, humid position with good air movement. In nature most of them grow in the rocks and form clumps, showing masses of tiny, beautifully formed blooms. All of my sarcochilus orchids grow outside in the shade, exposed to all elements and being Australian native’s they don’t need any special care,  just occasional shower or watering. 

In cooler climate they can grow in the windowsill and would appreciate frequent misting to increase humidity. They are beautiful, easy orchids to grow that reward with masses of special blooms.

Dendrobium Sweetie (nobile)

This orchid flowering at the moment - masses of flowers and very nice sweet scent. Blooms last a long time, showcasing this beauty in full.

Docktrillia orchids - known as “pencil orchids”

My doctrillia’s orchids flowering now, they are fascinating species native to eastern Australia, New Guinea, New Caledonia and Vanuatu. They grow in in rain forests in the situations where they can get bright light and high humidity.

They have long, pendulous leaves and thin stems and very popular in cultivation because they very easy to grow, displaying masses of beautifully sculptured perfumed flowers. There are about 30 species in this genus with 18 of them found in Australia, with plenty of colour variations to suit any taste.

They are very easy to grow and once established not fussy, flowering almost continually from our early spring until late summer. Mine are growing outside exposed to all elements.

Pink Rock Orchid - Thelychiton kingianus (formerly Dendrobium kingianum)

Dendrobium kingianum 

Some of my dendrobium orchids started it’s seasonal flowering and the first one is always  Pink Rock Orchid. It’s one of the easiest orchids to grow and always rewards with small, fragrant colourful blooms. 

It’s Australian native and very hardy, can withstand extreme temperatures and adapted to various weather conditions. Pink Rock Orchid occurs from the coast to nearby ranges between the Hunter River in NSW  and Rockhampton in QLD  where it usually grows on rock in forest and woodland.

It likes bright light, plenty of water during growing time, good ventilation and very occasional feeding  - other than that it’s not fussy and producing brilliantly coloured flowers year after year.

 In nature it grows on branches of trees or on rocks but can easily grow on windowsill with plenty of light.

Notes - Orchid Mantis - Master of Disguise

In the fascinated world of orchids many interesting things and one of them is Orchid Mantis. This insect is native to tropical rain forests of Malaysia and it’s one of the world’s unusual and selective hunters.

“Bug Lab: Little Bugs, Super Powers” was an recent exhibition in Melbourne  and Orchid Mantis was one of the insects it’s featured. What Australian scientists learned about these surprisingly uncommon creatures is that instead of hiding within petals, ambushing bees and flies, they have become finely adapted for camouflage, mimicking parts of the orchid flower in an extraordinary display of predatory behaviour.

In fact it’s killer moves are now described as “pure ninja stealth” and scientists believe the insect is even better at catching pollinators than orchids themselves.

The Orchid Mantis is highlighted in the exhibition because of its deceptive imitation of the texture and colour of the orchid’s petals.

It remains completely still as it camouflages itself, only rotating its head to suss its surroundings.

Scientists call it an “aggressive mimicry”. 
What an interesting creation of Nature to ensure pollination of orchids in the tropical rain forests of  Southeast Asia.

Here is the video showing this Master of Disguise in action

Some of my flowering phal’s

Most of my Phalaenopsis orchids in bloom at the moment, showing their many colors and textures and some with scents. They will flower for a few months and it’s nice to welcome their new flowering season.  I took these pictures with my phone instead of trusted camera and not exactly sure of the results, although the pictures are ok I prefer to show more details of any flower.

Most of my orchids in a kind of in between flowering stage at the moment, so a lot of repotting, sorting out and general maintenance happening in the greenhouse. And waiting for new and exiting blooms to emerge for another season. 

End of season cymbidium flowers

Our weather now warming up a bit and most of my cymbidium orchids finished it’s flowering season and these one’s last to bloom. They are late flowering plants, nicely concluding this year’s growing season.
 Most of my time now then by sorting, re potting and re arranging my plants in preparation for other orchids species that are coming into bloom and of course acquiring new to me orchids which I hope to feature in this blog soon.

Cymbidium Night Dreamer

Cymbidium Sassy Green

Cymbidium Kyabram

Cymbidium Sunset

Notes - new cascading cymbidiums orchids

New exiting range of cascading cymbidiums been released by Paradisia nursery in Victoria - beautiful long arching spikes, strong vivid colors, healthy, robust plants - everything any orchid grower and collector wants to see.

To show off their beautiful blooms they need to grow in the hanging baskets so that they can cascade freely, displaying multitude of flower spikes. Below is the pictures of these new generation cymbidium orchids.

Cymbidium Paradisian "Passion"

 

Cymbidium Pradisian "Black Lip"

 

 

 

Cymbidium Paradisian Tiger "Golden Falls"

Cymbidium Paradisian Ruby "Pinky"

Cymbidium Paradisian Bell "Smiley Face"

Cymbidium Paradisian Choice Dreamer

Wilsonara “Stirling Tiger”

One of my wilsonara’s flowering at the moment. it’s a cross between Odontioda 'Florence Stirling' and Ondontocidium 'Tiger Hamburhen” and it flowers with these large beautifully colored blooms.

It have long arching spikes that produce many flowers and very light herbal scent that reminds me of thyme and a bit of an attitude that demands attention. With me, “Stirling Tiger” seems to be flowering every other season and it gets moved around green house a few times in search of correct light requirement - too much light and it goes all yellow and with less light it’s just not flowering. It prefers warmer situation with a lot of air movement, and definitely wet and dry periods of growing.

Despite all this fussing, I still enjoy seeing it in flower and forgive it all of it’s shortcomings as long as I can see, smell and touch this special and magical orchid.

Notes - Orchids inspired jewellery

ENAMEL, SEED PEARL AND DIAMOND BROOCH

TIFFANY & CO brooch

For quite a number of years I’ve been collecting images of jewellery inspired by orchids. I’ve got hundreds and hundreds of photos that feature jewellery pieces in the shape of orchids and choosing the one’s to show in this blog was not an easy task because I love them all. This is probably going to be one of my longest image posts but then showing incredible  craftsmanship and beauty created by various designers of the past and present I am sure will bring joy to many from seeing these exquisite pieces.

A symbol of beauty and love, Orchid has always attracted the attention of jewelers and collectors. The flower of Passion, Perfection, Grandeur and Luxury, subtle Beauty, Tenderness, and Intimacy. At all times, the orchid is a symbol of sophistication, wisdom, and gentility, harmony, and family comfort and giving orchid jewellery always had hidden meaning.

Latin name orchidaceae means roughly as “descended from God.” Orchid – flower of joy, born of the pieces of the first rainbow. It fell onto the ground, with sparkling in the sun shimmering multi-colored pieces. And each of the fragments in an instant turned into a beautiful orchid, which delights many of us with its beauty to this day!

An enamel and diamond brooch

Vintage Cattleya Orchid Carved Rock Crystal and Diamond Brooch

Georges Fouquet, France c 1895

Trifari 'Alfred Philippe' orchid pin

 

Stenzhorn Jewelers - The Wild Orchid necklace

 

 

 

 

R Lalique - Blue Plique a Jour Orchid Brooch, Art Nouveau

Tiffany& Co  - diamond and enamel Oncidium jonesianum orchid brooch by Paulding Farnham, 1889

 

CARTIER. "Disa" Brooch

René Lalique 'Orchid' Brooch 1912

Cartier - The Ruby & Diamond ' Orchard' Parera  

 

Carved Frosted Crystal and Diamond Orchid Brooch, 1930 - 1950, Austria

An Art Nouveau 18 karat gold and enamel brooch with diamonds, attributed to Vever.Circa 1900's.

 

Russell Trusso Orchid Earrings

 

Art Deco brooch 1900

 

 

Diamond Peridot and Ruby Orchid Flower Ring 

Cartier Caresse d'Orchidées earrings

 

 

Cartier. Caresse d'orchidées collection

Diamond Orchid Flowers Pin

orchid brooch, diamond, ruby and platinum, English circa 1930

Suffragette Votes for Women Orchid Enamel Brooch Pin 1895

 

 

René Lalique - orchid comb 1903