Shopping list suggestions for RHS London Orchid Show?

[Rowangreen]

I'm off to the preview night tomorrow, and thinking about a wish list! Suggestions invited...

I need... easy to grow (I'm a begginer!). Grown in a pot, not mounted. Conditions: I have a south facing room that gets very hot in summer, curtains sometimes closed to keep the heat down. Plants can be put out of direct sun at back of room. Winter probably doesn't go much under 20, but might be colder drafts when I open the windows! Or North facing room which is cooler and darker: minimum about 15 C in winter. I have some suplemental lighting in there. Water is quite hard (I run through every time I water to stop salts building up, which seems acceptable to the orchids I already have). I don't have outside growing space I can use.

Flowers: I'm not fond of size for the sake of it. Scent would be a bonus, but I prefer spice rather than floral. Unusual is good, especially if they are elegant too!

My current list of possibles to look out for:

Maxilaria Tenufolia
Maxilaria Variablis
A zygopelatum (if I get to smell one and like the smell!)
Leptotes bicolor (been reading the project sugestions, and it sounds good!)
Adaglossom Summit 'French Town'
(Whatever it's called now) Memoria Jay Yamada

What's the betting I come back with a totally different list?

[quiltergal]

It might be easier to make suggestions if we know what you already have.

[Pelepel]

Most likely you will. I always go with my "wish" list and either those are not being sold, or I didn't like the look of the plants.

I really, really love dendrobium spectabiles. Mine is spiking, and the flowers are nearly opened (photos sooon to come!). It has been an easy grower, very forgiving, and fragrant.

Are you looking for large, compact/miniature, fragrant only? There are so many, and you might fall in love with those that catch your fancy. You can also ask the grower if that certain species will meet your needs if you're unsure.

[Discus]

I imagine a Lycaste aromatica will probably handle it and smells like cinnamon chewing gum. Quite a few of the catasetums might be scents you enjoy. Most people seem to succumb to an Oncidium Sharry Baby for the chocolate. If you're after scented orchids, you can't go wrong with a copy of Steven Frowine's "Fragrant Orchids".

Of course, some individual orchids are more or less fragrant than others in a species or grex, so it pays to get a chance to have a sniff of the one you're buying. Be aware that some fragrances are time-of-day dependent.

I think you'll find most Zygopetalums pretty floral! Dendrobium kingianum smells kind of like hyacinths to me and seems pretty easy to grow.

Good luck in your hunt.

[Pelepel]

Discus, I have both a Dendrobium kingianum and Oncidium Sharry Baby and both are great growers, and my Sharry has been faithful spiking 2, sometimes 3 time a year. It's VERY VERY fragrant. I tell everyone that should be their first.

Encyclia Green Hornet is also a good choice. Pretty easy, grows like a weed, and spikes like one too! Flowers are fragrant and look like jellyfish.

An orchid grower down the road from me grows and crosses a lot of zygos. Some crosses are intoxicating like the B.G White and Kiwi Geyser. Certain others, however, smelled like moth balls. Really weird.

[Leafmite]

I just brought back an Oncidium Twinkle. They are small, fragrant, come in a variety of colors, and very cute. They bloom frequently and the blooms are long-lasting. What isn't to love?
My other new orchid that is a frequent bloomer, also fragrant, is Burrageara Nelly Isler 'Swiss Beauty'.
Lastly, Brassavola Little Stars 'Yasuji Takaeki' is a really great one. I know you don't want a mounted orchid but this tolerates being forgotten, now and then, bareroot, and with moss, I don't imagine you'd have to do more than soak once a week. It blooms frequently and at night has a most wonderful fragrance. You can always talk to the vendors to see if the orchids are right for you. Have fun at the orchid show!

[orchidsarefun]

you are lucky to be going to such a premier show. My zygo's, all scented, do well in my SF room that is shaded like yours ( + temps ). You can't go wrong with them - smell a Louisendorff or a Mishima Goddess x Kiwi Klassic as REALLY good examples. They "stink" up the room and are easy to grow.
Another advantage is that they bloom more than 1x per annum.

[Rowangreen]

Thanks! What I have right now is mostly noid phals and 'cambrias'. My only none-noids are a Ludisia and Brassidium Spider Star 'Toscanna' which I love.

Sounds like I'm on the right track with the zygos, if I like the smell! Knowing me I might even like the mothballs! Will check out the others.

Catasetums? I had been looking longingly at Fredclakea After Dark, and had told myself it would be too hard. That's in that group isn't it? Though with limited space I think that might be on the large size too!

[Rowangreen]

Had a quick look through the others, and I think they are all going on my list! The only one I had really considered was a twinkle, so very helpful!

I actually have a limited budget too, and I just saw elsewhere that prices are not cheap at the show, so I think I might have to be restrained!

[Discus]

Yes, Fredclarkeara is in the Catasetinae.
Good luck with the restraint, orchids are ultimately socially acceptable heroin.