Botanical Gardens - Orchid lover's dream

[Lorraine]

Hi John,

Here is my Digbyana cross. It is 7 1/2" across natural spread no lie! Maybe someday I'll discover the actual real other parent. My friend passed away and lost the original tag. Part of LC Fire Dancer 'Patricia in the lava rock is next to it.

[RosieC]

Really lovely!

[jmmehler]

Still re-potting. Finishing up on the large Cattleyas, and have witnessed some amazing blooms. Been trying my hand at pollination, and have had some good success. I am currently pollinating only to themselves, as I prefer species to hybrids. One skinneri (or purpulata) had two bloom spikes, each with four blossoms. All eight are now forming seed pods (photo). The two other photos are from two Laeila purpulatas that were in bloom this morning. They too have since been pollinated. Amazing difference in color between the varieties, carnea and werkhaeuserii (photos).

Realized I have dozens of Shomburgkias, now renamed Myrmecophilias. Re-potted some, and mounted others on cork. Trying to convince the botanist to permanently mount some of them on the large trees in the main exhibition greenhouse. He recently took some of our enormous baskets of blooming oncidiums and hung them in the main exhibit.

As stated in earlier posts, I have access to a fully stocked micro-propagation lab. Been trying to germinate some Angraecum seeds. First two attempts have failed. Got some fresh bleach, and used a higher concentration for the third attempt about ten days ago but had to leave town. Will stop by after work and check on their progress. Enjoy

[Lorraine]

Originally Posted by Lorraine

Hi John,

Here is my Digbyana cross. It is 7 1/2" across natural spread no lie! Maybe someday I'll discover the actual real other parent. My friend passed away and lost the original tag.

I FOUND the name RLC ( BLC) Invicta (Rlc Digbyano-Purpurata x C Hardyana) I have been trying to piece this name together for so long and finally found the cross. I had the Digbyano part and some of the Hardyana except he kept calling it Haynas.

[jmmehler]

So it's been awhile. Orchids are holding their own, and blooming when they want to. One of the first ones that captured a special place in my heart, were some Rynchostylis I found in a tray of soggy rotte bark. They barely had any roots, and one of the only viable roots was imbeded in a piece of driftwood.

I took Lorraine C. advice, and it became one of the first pieces that I mounted to cork, and it quickly put out one paultry little bloom.

One year later, roots are steadily developing and all three fans have blossomed. The fragrace is intoxicating.

Any opinions on what type of Rynchostylis they are?

[Shep]

This is just amazing to see.

Have you thought about further club involvement moving forward? The lion's share of the work seems to be done (by you and a small handful of people).

In a perfect world, a maintenance schedule would be set up and a sign-up sheet would be passed around. But that's a perfect world.

[jmmehler]

@Shep; Funny you should bring up club involvement. I'm currently formulating a plan, based on an article in this month's AOS magazine. The article involves a society in Florida that is taking blooming orchids to hospital patients.

Here's my idea. Since we have winters (mild ones) in Alabama the need for indoor, heated, orchid space is at a premium. I intend to meet with the Director at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens, and pitch the following plan;
• The Birmingham Botanical Gardens will solicit the public for orchid donations (those whose blooms have already faded) through their monthly publications, and onsite posters.
• The Birmingham Botanical Gardens will set aside some additional space in a working greenhouse.
• Donated noid orchids will go to the new section of the greenhouse.
• Species and hybrid orchids would go to the permanent collection, after a quarantine period.
• Our society would provide the volunteer hours to re-pot and care for the orchids
• The Birmingham Botanical Gardens, would design and produce all the PR media, including get well cards, and information about the gardens, and our society.
• Our society will also distribute the orchids to hospital patients, with the PR media from the Gardens.
• The PR media/get well cards would also request that the orchids be returned to the Gardens so that they may be re-bloomed, and provide comfort for future patients.
• Once in place, we could somehow contact the local news agencies for some additional PR.

I would hope that it would be a win/win/win situation for the Gardens, our society, and the public at large. Unfortunately, under our standard greenhouse conditions, most of our blooms (phals) would only be available between the fall and winter months. Nevertheless, a blooming orchid brings nothing but joy to a recovering patient.

As for involving more members of our society, in the actual work at the Gardens, that has been a subject of deep discussion, between my buddy Ronnie B. and myself. Ronnie’s methods or orchid care are beyond reproach. I struggle, but do adhere to, necessary protocols of disinfecting my pruners after each cut. When you are in a greenhouse, pruning or repotting dozens of plants at a time, it is a challenge to ensure that mistakes do not happen. This includes Id tags being left out of pots, pruners not always being disinfected, roots breaking, etc. Ronnie and I are very protective of our (the Garden’s) plants. He have agreed not to involve more than two or three other volunteers at a time, in order to guarantee our level of care.

Would welcome any input on these ideas and would hope that other societies take on the same project.

In the meantime, I have the most envious pleasure of stopping by, several mornings a week, on my commute to work, and so selfishly taking in the beauty of an 80 ft greenhouse full of orchids.

[JDT]

You should be commended for the work you have done on this space it shows your interest in making sure the orchids we love are well cared for.

I think your ideas are a fantastic!!

[kikitastrophe]

I admire your dedication to the Birmingham Botanical Gardens and all of those plants! Please keep the pictures coming - I was just thinking about you (and this old thread yesterday! - I have a good friend in Birmingham and have been to those gardens.

Many hospitals don't allow live (or cut!) plants in patient rooms anymore (they will require they be kept at the nursing station, or taken home). Just because you get away with it once, doesn't mean it is allowed and you would be at the mercy of those in charge on any given day. Hospitals that still allow plants in patient rooms are not going to like plants that go into one patient's room and then into a different patient's room - plants can't be disinfected, and hospitalized patients sometimes carry resistant organisms. Many of these organisms are "water bacteria" and would do very nicely in potting medium. I don't know how savvy who you talk to at the botanical gardens would be - but they probably won't want those plants back either!

[jmmehler]

Good point. I will check it out. Thanks. The idea is not to transfer the plants from room to room. Rather have the patients take them home and possibly develop a love for orchids, and join our society. If not, they can always donate them back to the gardens in several weeks or months later after the blooms have faded.

In the meantime, have your friend join our society, and like us on facebook.