So, I had a limited time to go to the Redlands (2 hours) so I decided I wasn't going to buy anything else besides the preorders I had made from Andy's orchids.
So I get there, and pick up the following orchids that I had ordered:
1) Tuberolabium rhopalorrhachis
2) Tuberolabium odoratissimum
3) Tuberolabium quisumbingii
4) Encyclia citrina
5) Amesiella monticola
6) Amesiella phillipinensis
It occurred to me that Andy also carries Rupicolous Laelias (another little obsession of mine) and I ask if he has any in stock.
Of course he does, but my OCD self failed to communicate to my brain to print out Maria's Rupicolous Laelia spreadsheet, so I painfully declined further purchases. Of course I communicate this to Andy, whereupon he tempts me with the following orchid:
7) Epidendrum campestre.
He convinces me that these grow alongside my beloved rupics so of course, Maria says, SURE!!!
Then, as I leave Andy's orchids, I realize: "OMG, I have a handy dandy list of supplies that I need, and OFE and Broward Orchid supply are here. I go there and they don't have anything I need!!
Seedling labels--No!
Stalite--No!!
Small grade hydroton--HA!!! (this is like asking for the Hope Diamond evidently, I got strange looks from both vendors)
Soluble seaweed extract---HAHAHAHAHAHA!! Am I growing orchids, I am asked!!
Sadly, my supply list will have to wait, although I buy some pretty turquoise labels (in my never-ending attempts to turn something ugly into something pretty.
So, I now realize I have plenty of time. I remember that Oakhill is a vendor, and since I'm too cheap to pay 15.00 shipping for 2 miniatures, I rush over there. I realize at the same time that Eric Michel may be in the show and he is the Eulophiella GOD, and, he has NOT been answering my calls for the past year (Where has he been you ask? Me too!) (I purchased a flask of Eulophiella elizabethae seedlings from him last year and have been kicking myself since then bcs. I declined to purchase the Eulophiella roempleriana flask. So, I run over there.
Eureka!! there is one flask of E. roempleriana seedlings, BUT, the owner is NOT THERE. SIGH. FINE. I wait. And wait.
He gets there and I buy:
9) THE flask. OF THE ORCHID TO END ALL ORCHIDS. The orchid I've been having dreams of for the past year as "the one who got away FOREVER."
I start grilling him as to "WHY HAVE YOU NOT ANSWERED MY CALLS" and realize that I am sounding like an insane person so I just pay for it before he changes his mind.
Then, as I am leaving, I see the following orchids, which I of course purchase bcs I have been wanting them on ebay forever and I lose the auction every time. At this point my ATM card is hiding from me but I find it anyway:
10) Jumellea arachnanthe
11) Oeoniella polystachys.
THEN, I say to myself, ok, I am going to go to Broward orchid supply one more time in case she misunderstood me and she has a truck full of stalite behind the counter. I go back and NAY. There is no stalite. But!!
I discover something rare and wonderful: A NEW VENDOR!! I have never heard of Louisiana Orchid Connection and since it's right next to BOSupply, I have to check it out. So, I spend another 15 minutes there, and they had an awesome selection of miniatures and rare-ish species, and decide to buy
11) Eurychone rothschildana.
I'm about to leave, but then I see out of the corner of my eye an absolutely gorgeous picture of what looks to be a renanthera, but I've never seen it before, so I take a look. Of course, I had to buy it: it's a new cross between 12) Renanthera citrina and Renanthera imschootiana. Gorgeous blush pink with spots at the bottom. OMG. Gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous!!!
So that's my Redlands story. I could only stay a little bit, so didn't see much.
All the orchids are cleaned, disinfected, repotted and labeled. My seedlings have been deflasked and are now in the seedling nursery.
And, Maria is BROKE.
I hope everyone had a good time. I'm sorry I didn't meet up with anyone from the OB, but I didn't want to be a downer since I only had very limited time to be there .
Let's talk about the Redlands experience...
but they won't all fit in one post so we'll do it in chapters 
Linear Mode
