More Catts...

[Roberta]

Also growing outside all year around...

Cattleya warneri - flowers 6 inches (15 cm) across, 4 on the inflorscence.

Cattleya maxima - this is the highland form - smaller but darker flowers than the lowland form, smaller plant, Cold-tolerant. (The lowland form would need greenhouse, don't have room for one)

[RJSquirrel]

your place is just wonderful . I just dont see how you do it all without a small army .

I had all that space out back they would just have to come looking for me everyday.

[Roberta]

Thanks! Well, a sprinkler system helps a lot. While I can backfill with hand watering (which is therapeutic anyway) if I take a vacation there are only a few areas that someone has to water, I minimize those by moving the Lycastes, etc. into aisles of the areas that do get the automatic watering. (Rain is an occasional bonus, mostly it comes out of a hose or sprinkler) Potting is a couple of years behind. I get away with that by having lots of things mounted or in baskets - so many orchids really are happier with roots running free. And I certainly push the envelope on what can be grown without protection. I'm a "What can I get away with?" orchid grower, the things that I really can't get away with have gone to the great compost bin in the sky... but that turns out to leave A LOT that forgive what they get.

[smweaver]

The Cattleya warneri is excellent. I have a difficult time telling the flowers of this species from those of gaskelliana and labiata. Do C. warneri have a decent fragrance?

[Roberta]

Originally Posted by smweaver

The Cattleya warneri is excellent. I have a difficult time telling the flowers of this species from those of gaskelliana and labiata. Do C. warneri have a decent fragrance?

I recall that the fragrance of C warneri was pleasant and fairly strong when I had it in the house. (Can't check now, since it's spent_ ) I have a C. gaskilliana in bloom now but flowers are smaller. And bloom not so great, thrip attack.