Orchids In Australia Help Please.

[kg5]

I have been searching and searching for the orchids I will name shortly but must say I have come across so many orchid nurseries that have closed their doors for good! How sad!

I would dearly like to get two orchids mention in the largest orchid thread.

Grammatophyllums "Speciosum" and "Scriptums".

All and any help very welcome.kg5

[dendro king]

Bugger it if you'll get either of them from a nursery, I obtained them both from ebay, so my advice is religiously check ebay for them and when they pop up, pounce on the offer.
Best of luck

[AussieVanda]

Send an email to burleigh park orchids at townsville. I know they've got at least wallisii which is a variety of speciousum.

[kg5]

Two Great Answers. Thank You!

I had an email bounce back to me when I contacted burleigh park orchids at townsville.

I will try again as they had on offer one of the two I a chasing. Even a Ph call would be good as I think about it.

[kg5]

ooops! email typo.

Have recontacted. Huge Thank You for redirecting back to that orchid nursery.

[kg5]

Just love the info!

Have just ordered a flask of grammatophyllums speciosum and wallisii both described as Giant. We have the area for them & reasonably happy about our temp & temperary lol housing in progress.

The wallisii sound like a very good looker as large :"Fls 12 cm,cream flushed rose, blotched red brown on huge spike"
Another image & info search:"the six-foot spike of Grammatophyllum wallisii" Flower has a white back ground.

The speciosum:"Fls to 12 cm, green yellow blotched red brown on huge spike. Flower has a yellow background.

[AussieVanda]

Pleased for you. I'm considering a larg gram as well. Thinking of using a pile of smashed bricks as a growing medium.

[kg5]

Thank You for the kind words AussieVanda!

Smashed bricks would be nice and porous making a top growing medium. New bricks will leach an aluminium (?.....?) It appears as a white powered. Do not know if this would be an issue for orchids or not but old bricks would not have this white powered present. It does leach out in about 18 months.

Burleigh park orchids at Townsville has 30cm Grammatophyllum wallisii at $36 each.

[kg5]

The old type solid brick can hold a pint of water.

So a modern brick with holes in them would hold about 2/3 of a pint.

Easy to check if you put a dry brick into a bucket of water and measure how much is needed to fill the bucket to the marked line after removing the brick.

[kg5]

Have become very interested in the grammatophyllums family!
Have so far found and purchased speciosum and speciosum wallisii + have a scriptum as well.

There a heaps more smaller orchids from this family that are very showy and can buy them in Australia.

Burleigh park orchids at Townsville has a great collection that are being sold in flasks. Which is becoming a very interesting way to get a very nice collection of this hard to get family.

Our shade house and hothouse is slowly growing. I have been doing 3 bits of timber a day but I am blessed I can do that much per day. The shade clothes have arrived including the weed matt. When it get a bit more progressed I will post the progressive images we have been taking.

Yes it is very exciting. I feel like kid in a lollies shop again.