Diamonds in the rough? Ever find something special from a big box store?

[Nanotyrannus]

Just as the title says. Were you ever taken aback from an orchid you just didn't expect to see at a big-box retailer? When someone says "Ralph's orchids" you might imagine the typical wildcats, no-id white Phals, or worse yet a Phal that has been fed food coloring. But, every once in a while you might see a curious specimen that looks like it escaped the nursery. An experimental no-name cross. Or maybe that primary hybrid you've been eyeing online has suddenly appeared in front of you!

One of mine is a no-id Bapticidium. What drew me initially were its closely clustered, upright, racemose flower spikes. I've never seen anything like it before. As an added bonus, it later turned out to have a mint fragrance. I'd share pictures, but my account is still too young to do so .

What were yours?

[Mandy2705]

Oo nice thread I would really like to hear people's stories...well I have a few, King Scoopers always surprises me with some special orchids that come in. I have purchased a stuartiana NOID hybrid ($15) and a tagged kingianum ($4!). My local Lowes has recently been getting in big lip phals that come with tags. Anytime they get one that I don't have, I buy sometimes in discount or full price THEN there is my local orchid shop where I have scooped up an angraecums or coryanthes for $5.


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[wintergirl]

Originally Posted by Nanotyrannus

One of mine is a no-id Bapticidium. What drew me initially were its closely clustered, upright, racemose flower spikes. I've never seen anything like it before. As an added bonus, it later turned out to have a mint fragrance. I'd share pictures, but my account is still too young to do so .

Looking forward to seeing this. You need 5 posts before adding a picture, just one more post to go

I have not found anything interesting at a bigbox store, but orchids themselves always amaze me. A noid phal my son bought me is always producing a new leaf or something. This year it has 11 leaves, 2 nice new keikis and lots of new flower spikes and buds. It is an amazing plant.

[estación seca]

Here in Phoenix Home Depot and Lowe's usually have NOID Phals and nothing else. Trader Joe's has NOID Phals and NOID Oncidiums. I visited my Mom over Christmas in southern Calfornia; we went to the HD to get a brush for cleaning machinery. Along with NOID Phals they had a few 2" pot Better Gro Cattleya hybrids in plastic net baggies, 3 different kinds. We never get those in Phoenix. I couldn't really see into the baggies, but they looked alive, so I bought two, hoping. I got BLC Burdekin Wonder 'Lakeland' AM/AOS in great shape, with a new lead breaking, and BLC Always Dream 'Volcano Queen', very dessicated and wrinkled but probably salvageable.

We remembered to get the machinery brushes and I cleaned and oiled Mom's bathroom fan.

[Nanotyrannus]

Originally Posted by Mandy2705

My local Lowes has recently been getting in big lip phals that come with tags. Anytime they get one that I don't have, I buy sometimes in discount or full price

That's fascinating, I wasn't aware of big lipped Phals. I'll have to keep an eye out. I went to Lowe's a few days ago because I'd read stories here of people finding cheap Brassavolas. When I didn't find any non-Phals, I was told "orchids were out of season"! Whatever that means.

Originally Posted by estación seca

I got BLC Burdekin Wonder 'Lakeland' AM/AOS in great shape, with a new lead breaking, and BLC Always Dream 'Volcano Queen', very dessicated and wrinkled but probably salvageable.

Nice! Blc. Burdekin Wonder is a nice find, one that I've been looking for myself.

Originally Posted by wintergirl

Looking forward to seeing this. You need 5 posts before adding a picture, just one more post to go

EDIT: I've attached the image. Apparently I still don't have URL linking privileges! She looks extremely similar to Bapcticidium Hwuluduen Chameleon 'Golden Oriole', but the markings differ slightly. She also has these nice fat pseudobulbs and comparatively short and wide leaves. I suspect she has the same parents, or is a complex Bapticidium. I've contacted Matsui Nursery and found that she's the result of an experimental cross that will likely never be produced again.

[estación seca]

Originally Posted by Nanotyrannus

Nice! Blc. Burdekin Wonder is a nice find, one that I've been looking for myself.

There was at least one more. Mission Viejo store on Marguerite Parkway near the I-5 Crown Valley Parkway exit. They were just to the left as you walk into the main entrance with the NOID Phals.

The Home Depot Mission Viejo|Mission Viejo, CA 92692

[Nanotyrannus]

Originally Posted by estación seca

There was at least one more. Mission Viejo store on Marguerite Parkway near the I-5 Crown Valley Parkway exit. They were just to the left as you walk into the main entrance with the NOID Phals.

I really appreciate the tip! However that's about 2 hours away from me, which is too much of a drive.

Right now I am kicking myself for not buying two orchids from Trader Joe's. On new year's eve I saw a handsome Dendrobium kingianum specimen with well over 2 dozen growths for only $12!

I also saw what looked almost identical to an Oncidium Twinkle, except that the flowers were miniscule. They were maybe half a centimeter in diameter. Anyone know what it could be? I'm going to go again when it opens to see if they're still there. Maybe it's not too late.

[WhiteRabbit]

About 5 or 6 years ago, I very surprisingly found a BIG Neofinetia falcata at Summer Winds nursery (a retail nursery / garden store chain that generally carries only the usual suspects orchid-wise) - and it was already a very good marked price (also a surprise compared to the usual cost of orchids there - I suspect they just didn't want to charge what may have seemed to be too much for a 3" pot orchid), and as it was finished blooming, I asked for, and got, a discount! ;D About 3 years ago, I also found a very nice Holcoglossum amesianum - it wasn't a bargain, but the fragrance made me have to have it! ;p

[pipsxlch]

I'm very fortunate in that most of my area's Lowe's do still carry the bag babies and off-and-on bloomers that aren't NoID Phals, Dens and Oncs. I got my sister a lovely LC Nippon 'Libinza' in bloom for her birthday last month, for instance.
Home Depot rarely carries anything worthwhile anymore, many don't even have bag babies anymore.
I like the price and selection of the bag babies, so my collection has amassed quite a few (along with some of the bloomers). I would be hard pressed to pick just one as favourite.
Oddly enough, the only Trader Joe's in my area has nothing worth the drive, just the same NoIDs I can get anywhere. I'm envious of what others find elsewhere. To be honest, though, it's far enough away I've only gone twice.

[Whimgrinder]

Today I found Colemanara Masai Red with two bloom spikes at Trader Joes for $7.99 - and yes - I did take it home with me!