who else cant stand ugly plants?

[RJSquirrel]

I think katrina hit it in that 1st line. Says it all. We can delete the whole thread and just leave that..

Earn a spot on the shelf. I like that. Too much little time to spend trying to spend more time on something you've already blown up in your eyes. Pleasing to the eye is good for orchids. More good looking people stay at home than ugly people Im afeared from my everyday experience.

Nothing wrong with wanting to keep your foliage up. I think the foliage when not in bloom should be just as pleasing if not more pleasing bec you see the foliage more than a bloom/s and the more you look at ugly foliage the less and less you seem to enjoy plant. What you see the bloom a few weeks?

So like one person told me 'Takes just as long to grow and bloom out a nice looking plant as it does an ugly one'. Made too much sense to me with limited space. I had to draw a line somewhere. If i blow one up, toss it out and try again..I want to enjoy my plants and I personally enjoy them much more if they stay pretty and green. The lush greenery I see grown just shows me the person who grew it spent a lot of time and was very careful. The plants show the owners off. Thats what its all about isnt it?

[orchidsarefun]

Originally Posted by fotofashion

I am just perverse enough to add this: If "ugly" plants are unwelcome at the OS meetings, what about "ugly" people. Should we just stay at home because we aren't beautiful?
Really, why the fuss about the supposedly "ugly" plants. Isn't beauty in the mind of the beholder?
Sorry if I am being nasty but this discussion is getting on my nerves.
Beverly A.

I'm with you ! But it takes all types to make up humanity and we are not called the throw-away society for nothing.

[pipsxlch]

Erm, as to 'mustn't have much experience/plants', while at 150+ I have fewer than many, I have more than many too. I've been growing them since I was 8, and am now 45. Some plants I've had for decades. I don't claim to be any sort of expert and don't show or breed, but I know what I can handle in my conditions and what works for me (which I agree wholeheartedly- grow what you can).

And yes, I did work in animal welfare for years, it colors my thinking. I've also raised my own meat. Everything that doesn't photosynthesize must kill to survive- there are just deaths for a purpose or not.

nobody says keep what you don't like or can't grow right, just that what's not worth it to you may very well be to another. Many people have been thrilled with what didn't spin my wheels for whatever reasons. Discarded NOID phals delight a nursing home when back in bloom, for instance, or a novice even when not. And I admit I'm rather spoiled by growing outdoors and being able to expand my space easily.

The things on my society's raffle table are often rather scraggly lol. But who cares? Don't bid if you don't want, if you do you can often get it for $1.

[HighSeas]

If you could only hear me talking to my guys! You'd think I was a complete LOON. I recently scolded a phal because he was looking all sour and droopy. Low and behold! He's growing a TON of new roots right now! Sometimes they're like kids...they need a little discipline!

Okay...no more martini's for me!

[czygyny]

I deal with my 'ugly' plants with tucking around bright and unusual houseplants, anything with colorful or variegated leaves; rex begonias, rhoeos, Epipremnum 'Neon', dwarf sanseveria or lacy ferns. I just brought home an Adantium venustum (not positive on taxonomy at this point) with beautiful airy fronds that do a good job to hide boring Phal leaves.

You just need to be creative.

Here is one of my lighted windows devoted to many of my specimens.

[HighSeas]

Originally Posted by pipsxlch

Erm, as to 'mustn't have much experience/plants', while at 150+ I have fewer than many, I have more than many too. I've been growing them since I was 8, and am now 45. Some plants I've had for decades. I don't claim to be any sort of expert and don't show or breed, but I know what I can handle in my conditions and what works for me (which I agree wholeheartedly- grow what you can).

And yes, I did work in animal welfare for years, it colors my thinking. I've also raised my own meat. Everything that doesn't photosynthesize must kill to survive- there are just deaths for a purpose or not.

nobody says keep what you don't like or can't grow right, just that what's not worth it to you may very well be to another. Many people have been thrilled with what didn't spin my wheels for whatever reasons. Discarded NOID phals delight a nursing home when back in bloom, for instance, or a novice even when not. And I admit I'm rather spoiled by growing outdoors and being able to expand my space easily.

The things on my society's raffle table are often rather scraggly lol. But who cares? Don't bid if you don't want, if you do you can often get it for $1.

Hi Pip! I'm in Central Florida too! And I agree. Before I pitch one of mine in the dump pile; I offer them to friends who are more than willing to throw them into the ICU and bring them back to health. Of course....usually....then I secretly want them BACK!

I'm in Port Richey...Millers Bayou. Where are you?

[desertanimal]

I agree, RJSquirrel--I'd prefer the plant to be pretty when not in flower. Yours look great, so what do you do with the fading leaves on backbulbs that look like crap?

[RJSquirrel]

On catts I let the leaves fade until they become a liability and then remove them leaving the bulb intact. This really depends on what you have and how you trim them down when and where. The bulbs are still good for a year or 2 for plant food storage. When they start to shrivel and start to brown I go right to the rhizome for a snip.
Ive got some old paphs that are horrible looking with 5 or 6 old bloomed out growths. The leaves got really beat up BUT they also have just as many new pups. So I left them alone and just hid them under the bench.( didnt have to look at em everyday).When the pups on the big paphs are big enough to fend for themselves I will have to divide the plant.
Keeps the plants nice looking and most of whats growing is fresh and healthy. Plants not wasting energy trying to heal old wounds ya know

[RJSquirrel]

and as far as orchids in the wild....there wild...

and dont get irritated by a thread bec thats your problem and not anyones whos irritating you .

wasnt meant to irritate anyone it was a discussion on ugly plants. You irritated yourself if you got huffy bec you got the problem not me ma'am

last pic I took..Im going to clean some stuff up tomorrow. I have to make room and I dont really have any ugly plants I can remove. I do have 3 noids that look good maybe someone at the OS meeting might like for a dollar. Dont mind taking in some nice looking noids at all


I made it real big so you can see better.

to the rest of you. keeping the foliage up shows you care and you dont have to make excuses for an ugly plant

[MattWoelfsen]

I went to my first orchid show in May. I went with some people from my orchid society. I was surprised when I saw a plant that was awarded a blue ribbon first place. The flowers were breathtaking. But the plant, not so much--the owner didn't bother to clean the leaves, there were a couple of older yellowing bottom leaves. I asked my orchid society friend, why did an "ugly plant" get a first place? His answer was "it is all about the flower." If the flower fits all the requirements and exceeds the competition, then it gets a first place. However, he did say that if the judges had two of the same plants with the same exceptional flowers, they would choose the better looking of the two plants.. That is a simple explanation, of a complicated judging process, but understandable.

The rest of the time at the show, I confirmed what he said about flower beauty versus plant ugly to be true. Since that revelation, I have found an orchid variety that values the entire plant: from flower to roots and pot. Vanda (Neofinetia) falcata plants are valued and judged by its entire presentation. If you present a specimen that has beautiful flowers, but the plant has many ugly leaves, or it is in an ugly pot or it was poorly mounded, you will not win many kudos, much less ribbons or awards.