My new paphiopedilum!!!

[learning2letgo]

My partner and I just returned home from a trip to Asheville, NC (which was gorgeous, to say the least). On our exit from North Carolina we stopped at Owen's Orchids. While at Owen's, I picked up a new addition to my rapidly growing collection, a hybridized paphiopedilum - THE FIRST IN MY COLLECTION!

Visiting Owen's Orchids was something to behold! They have three greenhouses open to the public and numerous others for growing facilities. Best of all, they are located in Pisgah Forest, NC which is only 29 miles beyond Asheville. Not TOO far at all especially to purchase a new orchid. LOL...

Here are a few pictures of my new baby below! Enjoy!

Here she is in full view:


This picture gives you view of the accompanying tag from Owen's:


If you look here, you'll see why I picked this little jewel over the other paphs for sale; she's growing many new leaves:


AND, she is currently in spike to soon produce a bloom. HOW EXCITING!!!



I can say this much about my trip: I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to Owen's Orchids. AND I do believe it is safe to say that each visit to Asheville will incur a stop off at the greenhouses in Pisgah Forest on my way home!

[Lagoon]

This is nice .... welcome to the wonderful world of slippers. You're paph looks nice and healthy. Looking forward to the blooms

Congrats

[tuvoc]

Great looking paph. I've ordered from, Owens in the past. They have some great plants. Must have been great to see them up front and personal.

Kim

[Ross]

Congratulations on your first Paph. Once bitten...!

[Amanda L]

Congratulations!!!! I love paphs!! Please, Please post pictures when it opens up!!! It will seem like an ETERNITY!! This will most definitely be the first of many, many paphs.

To finish Ross's sentence, Once bitten...twice broke!

[InspirChid1712]

It looks like a wonderfully healthy Paph! Looks like it should have the green flowers of a semi-alba? You will find that they are SOOOOO easy to grow... don't really worry about fertilizing much, and when you do, make sure it is quite diluted. (1/4tsp. per gal.). That has seemed to work best for mine, which is VERY old and blooms every year! Congrats Jamie!!!!!!!

[learning2letgo]

THANKS you guys for all the wonderful comments! I'm sooo excited to finally have a paph in my collection!

By the way, Elliot, you're the one who turned me on to these lil' buggers...

Oh, guess what else guys? Did you know that there is a paph that is native to North Carolina? While there, we visited the Asheville Botanical Garden at the University of North Carolina. They have a nature trail with all of the native plants growing in the woodlands and BOOM there it was - I totally tripped out!! I've never seen a wild orchid before I was truly mesmerized!! (I kept inspecting them to see if I could snatch one out of the ground - ROTFL - no, not really, but I wish )

[RosieC]

Looks like a great plant, be sure to show us pics when she opens.

[InspirChid1712]

The native plant is a Cypripedium, the Paph's North American cousin... they're quite lovely! I have never had the chance to see them in PA, for they are quite difficult to locate when out of bloom, but I did see bunches of them growing in Canada once! I think there is a website that sells species and hybrids for outdoor gardens. Some of the hybrids are AWESOME!!!!