Friday, March 1, 2019

Sharing a dirty little secret (orchids, at the NWFGS)

Every year at the NWFG Show there's a display garden put together by the NW Orchid Society.

Even though I'm not an orchid fan (uhm *cough*) I always check out the display, it's one of the few entirely plant-focused gardens.

There were a few of this big-leaf kale looking plant.

I believe it's Anthurium superbum, pretty spectacular eh?

I think what turns me away from orchids in general is that the goal seems to be flowers. When you see an orchid at a nursery chances are it's blooming. Most of the plants in this display where blooming.

Why isn't the foliage enough?

When I was drawn to flowers they weren't the big showy ones. Instead they were simple...

More about the texture than the flower.

After perusing the display garden (and my recent experience of drooling over the mounted plants at the private greenhouse sale I shopped back in January, here and here) I suppose it was rather expected that I would be pulled into the Andy's Orchids booth in the show's marketplace.

There were so many beautiful plants! And I'll admit the flowers of this one (Dendrobium vexillarius var. microblepharon) called out to me, while the $65 price tag shooed me away.

They had some fun Rhipsalis, but it was too pricey for me.

I loved this Lockhartia hercodonta, but again, didn't want to spend $31 on a plant I knew nothing about taking care of.

Wowsa! This beauty was by the pay-station. I didn't catch it's name because I was too busy paying for the two plants I bought...

Yes, I've taken the plunge and bought a pair of orchids, lord help me.

This one is a Bulbophyllum saurocephalum

See those spots on the leaves? I swear they weren't there when I bought it, or when I packed it up to return to Portland. Could that be cold damage from being in the car? It was cold that day, mid 40's...and there were a couple periods of an hour or so where the car was just parked, heat off.

My other purchase is a Dendrochilum smithianum (pulcherimum)

Yes it's blooming, but I bought it because it's blooms were so discrete. Now...do you think I can keep these things alive? And am I slipping into another dangerous plant obsession?...

Weather Diary, Feb 28: Hi 45, Low 28/ Precip .02"

All material © 2009-2019 by Loree Bohl for danger garden. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

24 comments:

  1. Yep. Slip sliding away... I wish you best of luck with your new babies. It is fun to experiment with new type of plants every once in a while.

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    1. Indeed it is. Have you gone down the orchid slope?

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  2. Orchids are a slippery slope! But I fully encourage testing the orchid waters! Bulbophyllum is really a diverse group of orchids. There are some pretty strange ones. Have fun with them!

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    1. Thanks Matthew, someday I might have to ask to see your collection. I realize now that even though I've been at your garden several times I've never been in your house!

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  3. You made great choices. I mostly treat orchids as annuals and keep them until they become too much work. I like the lady slippers as they are small with attractive leaves. I agree about the discrete flowers on yours.

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    1. I've only ever had the Trader Joe's kind of "blooming when you buy it, then toss it" sort. This is a whole new arena.

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  4. If any booth can weaken the will, it's Andy's Orchids. You're braver than me -- the price and growing conditions still scare me. And yet if some like hanging out with rhipsalis, they can't be that difficult...

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  5. As a flower lover I don't see anything wrong with growing something just for the flowers. I'm always drawn to the orchid display garden at the show and have to resist that late winter temptation to go out and start buying them. I've killed a couple in the past, so maybe I should treat them like annuals as Linda suggests. I hope you have great luck with getting yours to thrive.

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    1. Oh gosh, no...there's nothing wrong with growing them for the flowers! I just can't imagine using that as my personal barometer of success. I bought them for the foliage.

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  6. Yup, a slippery slope. Soon all your windows will be crammed full of orchids. I avoided the orchids at the show as I'm experimenting to see if I can keep the few easy ones I have alive before delving into more difficult territory.

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  7. Andy's Orchids was my favorite discovery of the show; I am not a crazy orchid collector (most of mine are rescues from dumpsters...no shame when it comes to plants!), but it is unusual to find an orchid grower entirely focused on species with such a wide variety represented. Unfortunately, flowers sell, and those hyper-hybridized bloomers likely pay the bills for many.

    I am absolutely not an expert, but I have kept some mounted orchids alive for a few years now with reblooms, so I assume the species I have are reasonably happy. They dry out extremely quickly in the house; I can water mine almost every day although they tolerate longer periods of drought. For vacation, I water as normal and place them under a clear tub with a cup of water/some other plants inside for added moisture. No watering necessary, and they appear to benefit from their holiday in higher humidity.

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    1. "Flowers sell"...ain't that the truth. Thank you for the tips, especially re: vacation. I plan to take them outside in the summer and it's going to be really important for me to remember to bring them in and do something like you describe when we leave town.

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  8. Oh yeah... add me to the non-orchid lovers, but as one ages you have to reconsider view points. I'm the old fart here. I always poo-pooed orchids as the old folks plant at the grocery store and the nurseries. Now I know better and you have given me more fodder for my new collections of plants I must have... once our tiny home is finally finished! The beauty of Rhipsalis is that they take up little room! Yes!

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    1. And Rhipsalis doesn't mind shade...I love that about it.

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  9. I'm a big Andy's Orchid fan, When I have nothing better to do I scan his website for Orchids. So far I've only bought one , but I have plenty on my wish list.

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    1. I keep forgetting you are another resource along with Matthew and Evan. How big is your collection?

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    2. Good excuse to count...50....Addicted ?

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    3. WOW...I am impressed!!!

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  10. Orchid foliage is in general blah but I hope you find some redeeming characteristics in your new acquisitions.

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    1. I bought them for their foliage, so I'm already loving them.

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  11. We visited Andy's nursery a couple of years ago. He had vast, encyclopedic knowledge of species orchids and it was very enjoyable. A few minutes drive from Bird Rock Tropicals, just keep in mind for future travels...

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    1. Thanks for the tip...we might be down that way next Christmas, if so they'll be going on my list!

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