Favorite mini-Catts? And how "mini" is Lc. Love Knot?

[Claire25]

Hi there-
I'm new member here, though I've been lurking on this board for quite some time--it's been a great resource for me for the past ten years that I've been growing orchids. My question to everybody is, what are some of your favorite mini-Catts for windowsill growing? And also--for those of you fortunate to own one of the beautiful Lc Love Knot orchids--do they qualify as "mini" Catts? And would they do well on a windowsill?

I had a fantastic collection of orchids a few years ago but major life events intervened (I moved to a tiny apartment, took on a full-time job and college classes, then got married), and so I lost (that is, neglected until they died) many plants and had to give the rest away. My favorite orchid then was a mini Catt, C. Fuschia Doll (Cattleya pumila x Cattleya Sierra Doll)--I grew it into a nice specimen over a period of six years, and its flowers almost seemed to sparkle in the sunlight because of their "diamond-dust" texture. It almost survived the aforementioned orchid Holocaust, too...man, I wish I still had that plant! So, I'm interested in everyone's opinion as to what their faves are among the mini-Catts so that I can look towards rebuilding my collection using some of these plants...for my purposes, the smaller the Catt the better--space is still at a premium for me!

Thanks, all-
Claire

[Royal]

Love Knot is a mini for sure. Breeders have really gained ground recently and there are MANY available. Instead of suggesting plants, I'll suggest a few growers. Both have a "mini" section on their sites.

Sunset Valley Orchids - Great quality plants, great prices. Breeding stock is the highest quality so you may get award-worthy plants.

Marble Branch Farms - Slightly smaller selection, but not your 'run-of-the-mill' hybrids. They make some nice pairings not often seen. They do bonus plants for return customers too.

[Claire25]

Thanks, Royal, for the info on mini Catt growers! I will check them out.