The first flower is fully open and the second (seen just behind it) is just a few days behind. This is my favourite orchid at the moment, but I have two I have never seen in flower. [ 28. November 2006, 12:50 AM: Message edited by: Rich ]
Even if it breaks your jaw to say its name.... Good one, Rich - that's another one for me to practise - almost as good as metasequoia glyptostroboides.... It's a lovely colour, and the markings - fantastic! You must be a happy bunny to have the flowers. :D
Lovely Paph. Rich - looks to be a primary hybrid with P. insigne as the other parent. I'm pretty sure it is the very early cross P. x leeanum, which was first raised in 1884. I cut my 'orchid growing teeth' on Paphiopedilums when I was not quite into my teens. In those days you could buy a flowering-sized P. insigne (by far the commonest species at the time) for the princely sum of 10 shillings (50p. now, but with a modern day equivalent of near �£10.00). My father wanted to get some Rhododendrons from a local nursery and I decided to go with him. While we were there, I asked if they had any orchid plants for sale. I was ushered into a shady, low span greenhouse with benches filled with Paphs and can still remember the warm musty smell to this day. I selected my plant, which had the remains of an old flower stem so I could be sure it was old enough. I felt rich at the time because my grandmother had given me some money for Christmas and I had held on to it for precisely that moment. The girl serving us was so concerned that I wouldn't keep it alive on my bedroom windowsill, she charged just 7/6 (37.5p) instead. I knew better, I had been reading articles by John Blowers (a very well-known writer of the day) and had his book, which hinted at the then heresy of keeping orchids in the house!!!. Imagine my huge satisfaction when less than a year later, my plant carried 3 flowers that lasted for well over 10 weeks each. It went on for several years after that, producing more and more flowers until I eventually split it into several plants. 12 years later, when I was just starting my own nursery I had 33 nice flowering-sized insignes from that single plant. Nowadays P. insigne is quite rare and significantly more expensive than the equivalent of 10 quid cost price of my first plant. There again, 30 years ago we were buying flower plants of the vividly purple-veined P. fairreanum in the trade for virtually 'peanuts' and now they are hardly to be seen anywhere.
Superb Photo Rich, My mum always like orchids & my dad got her a few. which she had for years - don't know what happened to them. A lad that was at school with my daughter was mad on Orchids & had them in the house until his pareents got hacked off with them all & bought him a greenhouse for christmas one year :D He's now studying at Kew I think so who know's I may know the next presenter of gardeners world :D
For years I was scared off from buying orchids, because they were supposed to be so demanding. I bought a phalaenopsis from a death row shelf, and when it flowered, I became interested. Strangely, my wife is hooked too so this could lead to quite a collection. I'm taking my time though, I don't want to collect a bunch of disparate plants, I want to specialise. Phaphs are top of the list at the moment, but that may change.
I'm really happy - I was given a large Cymbidium in full flower, autumn 2005. The pot wasn't great as it was inside an ornamental vase, so I repotted it after it flowered. The reason I am happy, I got a new flower spike :D , so I must be doing something right.
Sorry to hear that and worrying to hear. I hope I don't run into problems This is my first year growing orchids - and I get a reall buzz, when I get a flower spike. BTW why do they produce little drops of fluid? I've noticed it on all three of the types of orchids I'm growing. Nothing as glorious as the one in your picture - thats lovely.
