Kim, I am a hobbyist grower but I have been lucky in the crosses I have made, getting AOS and CSA awards on almost all of them. I also now specialize in the Australian lines of Standard breeding, far superior to our US Standards, but not a plant the pot plant buyer generally wants. Loren Batchman (Casa de las Orquideas) always said, "Form never sold an orchid", and how right he was.

There are several hybridizers breeding the spotted and pendulous varieties but just not my cup of tea. The competition with the cheap box store mericlones from Asia has put most US Cym. commercial hybridizers out of business.

Amen to everything you have said. I deal primarily with hobby growers, and have a fair amount of commercial success with both standards (mostly from CDLO), and pendulous (when I can find them).

My intention is to breed a few things for the hobby growers (& mass market), but different from the box store mericlones.

As a start, I am trying standards with arching spikes onto pendulous. I am also indulging my interest in spotted flowers a bit. I will report back on results in 4-6 years.