Last Saturday I attended the
Oregon Orchid Society’s Show and Sale. This was the second year in a row that I visited (
last year's report here). One side of the room was devoted to plants (and accessories) for sale, on the other, tables were set up with a judged display. In real life I looked at the plants for sale first (scanning for ferns), but I'm going switch it up for this post...
I don't remember this last year, but there were several magnifying glasses laying around the display for folks to use to get a close-up look at the plants, as this fellow was doing.
Tempting.
Brassia gireoudiana, native to Costa Rica and Panama (yes, those are huge googly eyes on the wall behind the display).
Bulbophyllum NoID
Galeopetalum Arlene Armour ‘Conching’, I love how the brown looks as though it was painted on green petals.
I enjoyed seeing this random bowl of Pinguicula worked into the display, since I'm still trying to decide how to best grow the ones I was recently given (if they don't die first).
This was interesting, a tree fern trunk (I believe the fellow working the booth said it was a Cyathea) drilled and planted.
Such fabulous markings.
The fibrous bits...
Okay, let's shop! Although honestly, I don't know if boxes full of plants in plastic bags will ever seem like a good thing to me (several importers bring plants to the show's sale).
This tillandsia was flat as a pancake, will it ever fluff up into a full plant again?
Cyathea arborea
A very tall, very flat, bromeliad...
Love those dark leaves, Solanum uleanum, $50.
A show like this offers fantastic people watching, and eavesdropping. Some of my favorite overheard remarks: "
When I was in the jungles of Peru I found one that had fallen from a tree and I smuggled it back"... "
I’m really more of a Hoya person" (yes, there were Hoya on offer, as well as lots of Anthurium)... "
I don't really like it but I suppose I need to add this to my collection" if you don't like it, don't buy it, geez! And from a small child in the bathroom "
...but I don't want to wash my hands!" Ugh.
There were fewer ferns on offer this year than last, and I arrived at the show earlier. Platycerium...
Selliguea platyphylla.
Last year this same size plant was going for $55, this year $30. Seems like a bargain right?
I came home with this one.
And once I pulled back the plastic I was thrilled to discover a tiny new frond at the base.
When I saw the company name on my emailed receipt (TropicalExotique Asiatic Flora LLC ) I realized I'd bought my ant fern (Lecanopteris lomaroides) from the same folks
at the Northwest Flower & Garden Show in Seattle.
It's doing well, I'm watching those two little nubbins as they're getting bigger. Could new fronds be in the making? I hope so!
The Bit at the End
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I've killed a few orchids in my day and it took the wind right out of my sails.
ReplyDeleteThe tree fern trunk, drilled and planted, is more up my alley, and yours I suppose, considering Monday's post. Very excited about the ant fern. Get your magnifying glass out :-D
Chavli