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.

Zygopetalum “Blue Caribou”

Zygopetalum “Blue Caribou” 

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

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.

Cymbidium orchid - Brown Beauty

Cymbidium Brown Beauty

This cymbidium orchid flowering at the moment, It’s Brown Beauty that turning out quite an interesting cymbidium.
 It came to me couple of years ago as small seedling and been growing and maturing since then. It’s been sitting on the bank bench for a while and last year developed a couple of small flowers that was difficult to judge, however this season it actually started showing it’s full potential and decided to bloom with these rich, dark brown colors. It probably needs a couple of more growing seasons to mature fully, but it shows great promise.

It’s a medium size plant, very compact in it’s structure and as all cymbidiums in our climate it flowers in our winter when not many plants are in flower, giving long bursts of color in winter time.

Dendrobium orchids - Latouria type

Latouria dendrobium Little Atro

Latouria dendrobium Roy Tokunaga

Latouria dendrobium shiraishii

Some of my Latouria dendrobiums currently in flower - they are fascinating genera that include about 50 different species with majority native to Papua New Guinea and some to Samoa. They grow in hot, humid steamy rain forests attached to the trees in the area’s of year-round rainfall.

The plant size ranges from small to very large and they have very long lasting flowers. Some of Latouria dendrobiums are among the most spectacular in the sub tribe and these days becoming very popular in cultivation.  Because of their remote habitats, very little was known about many Latourias until quite recently, when several species that had been ‘discovered’ early in the century.

  There are also many hybrids been produced with crosses of the original jungle plants that are very desirable to orchid growers and collectors and they command high prices. Australian grower Hermon Slade in the 1950’s and 1960’ and Roy Tokunaga of Hawaii in the 1980’s and  1990’s produced many interesting crosses that are very popular today. One can always recognize Latouria dendrobiums - they are in the class of their own.

They are not easy orchids to grow and because of their nature require specific conditions to thrive and to flower -  they need filtered shade and not too much light, they like to be growing in moist conditions but not wet, they like resting in winter but not completely dry and can go backwoods very fast if they don’t get enough ventilation or humidity. I am forever learning with these orchids and adjusting my growing routine with different seasons and weather changes.

But when they start flowering I always enjoy their special blooms and appreciate Nature creating these beautiful, unusual orchids.

Cymbidium orchid Sunset Delight x Uluru Orange

Cymbidium orchid Sunset Delight x Uluru Orange

Our cooler weather brings with it anticipation seeing beautiful cymbidium orchids in flower. This  beautiful cymbidium just started it’s blooming cycle this season, it’s a cross of well known Sunset Delight x Uluru Orange.

The flowers are large, showy and the colours are luminous, dreamy and hypnotic - as if painted by the brush of a painter, one can see so many shades of orange and yellow on the petals. The lip is large, fringed with red and the plant is robust and compact.

I purchased couple of small seedlings way back because I liked the parentage and been patiently waiting for them to flower. This is a first season it bloomed, and so far I quite like this orchid. It would probably need a couple of more seasons of maturing to showcase its beauty in full.

Phalaenopsis spp orchids

phalaenopsis violacea var Gene Tobia

phalaenopsis bellina

Couple of my phalaenopsis spp orchids flowering at the moment, it’s always nice to see these beauties in bloom.
There are about 60 species of this genus, including some of the most popular orchids in cultivation. Most of the species grow in hot, steamy lowlands, but a few are adapted to the cooler climates and higher altitudes.
Generally they grow in the habitats that are moist and humid year-around and they have large leaves and very short steams.


My phalaenopsis violacea var Gene Tobia flowers with large, yellow blooms that are fragrant, this specie native to  northwestern Sumatra

And phalaenopsis bellina grows in Malay Peninsula and Borneo in low altitudes in shady, humid forests often near a streams, it’s very fragrant and have strong, fruity perfume.

With these species the flowers always open progressively so I never see more than one flower on the flower spike. Each spike itself can re bloom a few times. Both of these orchids been with me for many many moons and I always look forward seeing them in bloom at this time of the year.

Dracula orchid - vampira “Bela Lugosi”

dracula vampira Bela Lugosi

Some of my dracula ( name means Little dragon) orchids started blooming  - they are fascinating specie found in moist forests from Mexico to Peru with the greater concentration in Colombia and Ecuador.
 They have large, beautiful flowers that hang on long steams and the genus comprises of about 90 species and vampira is one of these species -  it’s native to Ecuador and only found in one place - on the slopes of Mount Pichincha.
The flowers of dracula vampira mostly dark in color with many beautiful patterns and lines on the petals. They need to grow in hanging baskets so that they can send their spikes through the bottom of the planters. I try to grow my plant with plenty of moisture in filtered light and in any given season it would only produce one flower. Hopefully I was able to show the beauty of the bloom.

 My dracula vampira is variety “Bela Lugosi” - named after Hungarian - American actor, famous for playing Count Dracula and starring in other horror films with Boris Karloff.  To this day Bela Lugosi have huge following and his nickname is “The King of Horror” and some recon he was the best, most elegant Count Dracula. Here is the the blog dedicated to Bela Lugosi.


Thank you to EarthDracula31 for featuring Bela Lugosi - enjoy

Dendrobium bracteosum

Some of my dendrobium orchids started new flowering season and this little beauty currently in bloom. It’s dendrobium bracteosum native to north coast of New Guinea. In it’s natural habitat it grows in hot, steamy coastal forests in clumps mostly attached to mangroves, exposed to bright light and all elements.

I have seen many color variations of this dendrobium - yellow, pink, red, orange and of course white and the flowers are very long lasting constantly produced by the plant.
In the home situation it’s an easy orchid to grow in our warm climate  - bright light and plenty of watering is all it needs to showcase it’s beautiful blooms.

Odm. Yellow Tiger

One of my odontoglossum orchid currently in bloom - odm. Yellow Tiger is complicated hybrid of close related genera and it flowers with these beautiful, relaxed blooms. The color is deep yellow with nice bright red markings  and it have wonderful herbal/spicy scent that lingers around for a long time.

Like many other odm. orchids Yellow Tiger is a bit temperamental - many specific conditions have to be met before it graces me with it’s flowers. Moisture, humidity, light, temperature, gentle breeze - all of these have to be just right for it to flower and now and then it will reward me with it’s beautiful blooms. Many moons ago I figured out that some orchids have “an attitude” and Yellow Tiger constantly teaching me patience.

Oncidium orchid - Sum Lai Woh “Geyserland”

Oncidium orchid - Sum Lai Woh “Geyserland”

This beautiful oncidium orchid showing off it’s beauty in full at the moment. It flowers with long flower spikes and multitude of medium size perfect flowers - there are so many of them that they hang about all over the place. This is just from one flower spike, and there are  a few new one’s forming already, giving a long display of color that lasts a long time.

This orchid been with me quite a few moons and each season at about this time I look forward seeing it in flower.  “Geyserland” never disappoint - year after year it bursts out with an explosion of perfect blooms just like a geyser.