P bell "Standing Tall" x "Red on Red" BLOOM

[IdahoOrchid]

It has been a LONG time since I last posted a flower pic on here. My orchids have really taken it in the shorts and I have lost a LOT of plants since last spring. It does seem that most of the ones that I have heard were "difficult" have done OK to quite well.

Here is one that not only did well, but seems to have thrived for me through our HOT, DRY Summer.

This is P bellatulum "Standing Tall" x "Red on Red"

IN BLOOM

I guess that means I WIN, eh????

This was purchased last year as an in bud plant and it did bloom for me. I thought I had posted it here, but I guess not. Well, I was rummaging through the devastation of last year and was pleased to find this guy in low bud. I have since found several others including an armeniacum!!!!! It is a tiny thing and I am hoping for the best on it.

I hope you enjoy the flower. Don't know about the Standing Tall giving this cross much as the flower is still quite pendulous. We do LOVE the tiggerrr nose and the wonderful red spots though. I would post last years pic but it is locked on my mac's crashed hard drive right now... unless I can find a copy on another forum....

[Becca]

Job well done Steven! Glad to see you around again!

[quiltergal]

It's lovely Stephen! Sorry to hear you lost a lot of plants. What happened? Bugs? Glad to see you back posting again.

That Colmanara Wildcat 'Carmela' I bought from you a couple years ago kicked out a beautiful spike about a month ago. It's still in bloom and looking lovely. I moved it to S/H last spring and it just took off like gang busters.

[shakkai]

Steven, great to see you post again! Sorry to hear you lost so many plants, though...

This is a beautiful bellatulum! I, too, love those spots! And a spike on your armeniacum?! Fantastic! Is it a multi-growth plant?

I have often wondered about what people term 'difficult' versus 'easy' to grow orchids - especially Paphs. I really think it depends on the conditions you are working with. So, Masdies, for me, seem relatively easy. As for Paphs, it seems I have a lot of ones that people say are 'difficult' (those brachys and parvis mostly), however, the only Paph I have lost is hirsutissumum, which by all accounts is one of the easier ones to grow!!

I often wondered whether my conditions and watering habits are so different to other people's that it turns the tables? Surely something that is easy to grow in conditions I don't have, is going to be hard to grow for me... and vice versa, something that isn't happy in 'normal' conditions may find that what I have here is just what they like/want. (Sometimes not... but hey, you gotta try don't you?!)

Congrats on your blooms and I'm so happy to hear that there are some pretty things to cheer you up despite everything!

[IdahoOrchid]

Yeah, I have not been around too much. A combination of the bad plant summer, starting up my Ham Radio hobby again and starting up a small reef tank. The reef tank is all my son's fault!!! hehe Maybe I will post a picture of it in another forum.

[quiltergal]

You have my condolences on the reef tank.....been there, done that. And you thought orchid growing was an expensive hobby!!

[IdahoOrchid]

Condolences? PAH! Putting up a Ham Radio tower, now THAT is expensive (unless it is given to you like I had one: tower, rotor and antenna for FREE!!!)

Anyway, here is a link to the underwater adventure:

http://www.orchidboard.com/community...-aquarium.html

[whygreenberg]

Beautiful spots on that bellatulum. What a great color! Nice work!