Orchids Show at the Promenade - pics heavy! part II

[Wathepleela]

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I might come back tomorrow Sunday the last day of the show hoping to make a deal for the prize winning catleya above. I used to have one, I named it the RitzCarlton orchid, since it made my bathroom smell like a five-star hotel. Below is the Kids playground on the mall top floor.

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Hope you enjoyed the pictorials, from Bangkok with love!

[jkofferdahl]

What a delightful post. Thanks for sharing!

[estación seca]

Thank you so much!

It's interesting to note that a lot of the plants are in containers much larger than many people would use in the USA. Maybe this works in a much better orchid growing climate.

[No-Pro-mwa]

What beautiful blooms. Thanks for sharing.

[pipsxlch]

I quite like the 'Ritz Carlton' catt (reminds me of Ann Cleo?) and the floof to the right of the digbyana. Thanks for the pics, and good luck bargaining!

When I was a kid, I remember the local orchid club having shows at the nearby mall. I miss that! It seemed like such a great way to reach the 'ignorant masses'. I guess liability and risk would prevent it now here in the US.

[Wathepleela]

Originally Posted by pipsxlch

I quite like the 'Ritz Carlton' catt (reminds me of Ann Cleo?) and the floof to the right of the digbyana. Thanks for the pics, and good luck bargaining!

Thanks to your mentioning of the digbyana, that got me curious and just now I found it in another thread from member pheli:

Rhyncholaelia digbyana

It sounds like something that could survive - and even thrive - on my balcony so that would be my next Indiana jones search. I'm not crazy about the greenish coloring though, but if the plant is happy and the bloom has fragrance then I would go for it. Happy hunting to myself!

Epilogue - I didn't go back to the show for its final day, partly because I didn't not want to carry the burden of unfulfilled desire. Instead I now am carrying the burden of regret Anyway, I am glad to have some of the members here enjoying the show. My pleasure.

[Dollythehun]

Thank you for sharing and the beautiful photography! Our fix on a dreary day!

[Wathepleela]

Originally Posted by Dollythehun

Thank you for sharing and the beautiful photography! Our fix on a dreary day!

You're very welcome. I always go for the chance of enjoying these blooms vicariously, I guess same goes for those of us who don't get plants to bloom readily (if ever in my case) under our care. The nearest thing to such satisfaction that has happened (indirectly) to me was with one mokara who seemed to thrive after the bloom was done post-purchase. And then I had to make a trip home to the US, during which I left it with a friend - who was absolutely clueless about orchids: "what kind of plant is that? how come there is no soil in the pot?" Unbelievably, during my four months absence, it bloomed "for" him.

Otherwise, the usual scenario would go like this, as of present time: I bought a rhys gigantea early in February that got 3 big spikes. After I took it home, one spike went yellow pretty quick, one spike struggled to bloom and then in the midst of things got snapped off. The last remaing spike managed valiantly to bloom though not fully. Now that all the blooms are gone, I'm facing with the difficult choise (called Sophie's choice) of either trying to keep the plant alive and watching its daily struggle for survival (leaves end-splitting, root withering, etc.) - and this could go on till the end of the year or longer without any moral uplift; or just simpply dumping it thus putting both the plant and myself out of misery?

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[Dollythehun]

Forgive me for asking, what is wrong with your growing sarea to give so much trouble?

[Wathepleela]

Originally Posted by Dollythehun

Forgive me for asking, what is wrong with your growing sarea to give so much trouble?

[You made me feel like the pope...] Anyway to answer your question: My living space is a one-room studio with a balcony facing northeast (the sun starts to fill in around noon). The orchid/plant-growing area is the balcony which in this part of the world doubles as a clothes drying area. For some reasons, dryers (as in washers and dryers) haven't taken on with the general populace - I put this in the same "unknown mysteries" category as other culture shock phenomenoms such as un-heated swimming pools, freezing one's a## off air-conditioned buses, and pizzas smothered in ketchup, among others. Members on this board have one time or another given helpful hints such as, netting to avert the blunt of direct sunlight, birdbath to dampen the air, etc. However, on laundry day, wet laundry takes center stage. The more stuff I had to move around, the more roots, leaves, spikes got snapped off as collateral damage. In my wildest dream, a dryer would fix the problem, but the problem is where to put it? on the balcony?

I guess my predicamment is on par with those in the states who live in apartments with just one big window and have to grow plants on windowsill (and huff and puff dealing with the consequences accordingly). Regarding the plant itself, case in point the rhy gigantea I'm having, it needs lots of moisture and subdued sunlight, to which condition my balcony is anathema (no moisture with baking sun). I have to constanly dunk the rhy in water bucket whenever I'm at home. Still that's not enough, the vendor at the market said it needed to be sprayed several times a day, which I'm not keen (read too lazy) to do. It feels like you live in a small apartment and you're raising a doberman pinscher, lots of work and never enough. All the rhys that I have had, my being a slave to them was never enough. All it took is one forgetful afternoon and they're cooked!

Common words of wisdow on this board say that you plant whatever your planting condition can handle (or should it be the other way round, you plant whatever can handle your planting condition?) Thus I was happy to discover the digbyana that one member kindly pointed out from the show which seems to be balcony-tolerant... Also I have had some luck with the mokara that seems to continue to thrive (and even re-bloom during my absence.)

However in the course of a year I will still manage to have another one - or two - rhys when their blooming season comes (around our year-end holiday), simply because oh lord, I can't (or can?) help myself!