Most crosses are made for color or form and the chances of getting all the colors of the rainbow from one cross is pushing the envelope. I might buy 10 of a cross to pick the best for award quality characteristics, but not to get different colors.

When shopping for seedlings, I always recommend buying 3 of an assortment of crosses. It results in a far more diversified collection and then you can keep the best of each cross.

Remember how big they get eventually.

Examples of the crosses that got me thinking.

(Blc.Serene Sunset x Blc. Dal's Horizon)

x Glen Maidment ' Southern Cross'

or this one.

(Lc. John Anthony Howel x Blc. Mt. Isa 'Deborah') x

(Blc. Toshie Aoki 'Pokai' x Blc. Erin Kobayashi)

As newbie it looks like a lot of possible variations from seed.

Maybe I got it all wrong?

---------- Post added at 06:25 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:37 PM ----------

For 28 years I have let my family of 7 do what they like in the garden with a few areas that are to be left in their natural condition.

So I am a qualified horticulturist that came out of bricklaying and stonemasonry into 25 years as a multi disciplined supervisory horticulturist.

The peak of all this was to train a work force and put together a parks and recreation department for a large city local government.

So my thinking was if I was to totally dominate the landscaping at home nobody would build a love for plants etc. I just helped very gently.

It has worked a treat. Two of my sons are qualified Landscapers. And I get a real kick out of being asked about......The rest of the family have also learnt by trail and error and have a deep love for plants as well.

But after 28 year it is now my turn. Our children are now all adults. My wife is very happy, that at last I am into scaping our large waterfront block of land.

Now that I am no longer able to work I have turned into doing those things that I never got a chance to do as horticulturist.

Have built a 15m x 4m 50% shade bush house as a propagation area + a home for orchids and hanging baskets.

Have nearly finished a 20% shade bush house 6.5m x 5m for my tillandsia's.

I want to build an orchid, outside show room 5m x 4.5m out of lattice with table a chairs in the middle of this bush house. It would be so beautiful to do this. Can see at times being surrounded by flowering scented orchids while having a cup of coffee with friends and family.

Another part of the landscaping is using lattice screens as vertical gardens. Also posts 2.4m out of the ground with large pot attached on top with white wisteria growing in them. Being able to cascade down and be easy to maintain.

I do have a lot of area to work with.

An example of the lattice screens. Two days ago I made 100 steel pot hangers and placed my new orchids in them. It is now the 3rd day of rain. Nice way for my orchids to live in a new place.

[IMG]http://i424.photobucket.com/albums/p...psj1rw4yqa.jpg[/IMG]

They look gorgeous! Congratulations on your new orchids.

Thank you very much Callie99.