SURPRISE TRIP TO THE REDLANDS!!!
 

Earlier this week my wife told me she had a surprise for me on Saturday. Well, we're driving down to homestead because 4 orchid growers are having a sale and lectures! I think these particular growers aren't usually open to the public. Anyhow, I'll try and take some pictures! Almost there! :)

Have fun!

WOW! So we went to Soroa, Carib, Whimsy's, and Motes. They all had a lot of beautiful orchids, but the only place I found anything I couldn't live without was Motes Orchids. All Vandas. Ok, seriously Martin Motes is an artist breeder. All of the Vandas he had blooming were exceptional, and most of them were absolutely stunning. And many of them were surprisingly fragrant. I only bought one thing, and it was by far the most inconspicuous little bloom, but WAIT... don't judge me yet! The fragrance of this one only has one competitor, in my opinion, and that would of course be Onc Sharry Baby. It smells like some kind of extremely sweet fresh fruit, not fruity flowery, just sweet fruit. I don't have a big growing area, so I only buy plants I know I am absolutely in love with. Wow, the fragrance on it. I so wish I could post the fragrance like a picture, but alas I cannot. :( I forget the name, but I know it's a primary hybrid: V tessellata x V cristata (spelling may be off). I will post pics of my new Vanda in another thread once I take the pics. Overall, I am deeply impressed (seriously, no words) with Dr. Motes's handiwork with breeding Vandas, and he and his wife, Mary, were absolutely a delight to meet and chat with. Anyhow, here are some pictures from today.

Soroa Orchids:
http://img.tapatalk.com/c6e4eb31-a5c0-75e8.jpg
http://img.tapatalk.com/c6e4eb31-a619-09e4.jpg
http://img.tapatalk.com/c6e4eb31-a648-dea1.jpg
http://img.tapatalk.com/c6e4eb31-a665-f61e.jpg
http://img.tapatalk.com/c6e4eb31-a682-4f48.jpg
http://img.tapatalk.com/c6e4eb31-a6a0-6d90.jpg


Motes Orchids:
http://img.tapatalk.com/c6e4eb31-a875-1f0c.jpg
http://img.tapatalk.com/c6e4eb31-aa9f-0c25.jpg
http://img.tapatalk.com/c6e4eb31-aad0-a12e.jpg
http://img.tapatalk.com/c6e4eb31-ab0b-174d.jpg
http://img.tapatalk.com/c6e4eb31-ab60-9bd9.jpg
http://img.tapatalk.com/c6e4eb31-ab96-dcaf.jpg
http://img.tapatalk.com/c6e4eb31-abdb-8891.jpg
http://img.tapatalk.com/c6e4eb31-ac13-2af5.jpg
http://img.tapatalk.com/c6e4eb31-ac4c-bfc2.jpg
http://img.tapatalk.com/c6e4eb31-ac69-507d.jpg
http://img.tapatalk.com/c6e4eb31-ac8a-a17c.jpg
http://img.tapatalk.com/c6e4eb31-acb7-e84c.jpg
http://img.tapatalk.com/c6e4eb31-ace1-ca93.jpg
http://img.tapatalk.com/c6e4eb31-ad03-64c8.jpg
http://img.tapatalk.com/c6e4eb31-af63-826b.jpg
http://img.tapatalk.com/c6e4eb31-af88-e965.jpg

Nice way to spend a Saturday, just wandering around such nice flowers.

Bill

I can't think of a better way to spend a saturday!! All of those Vandas are just WOW!!

Awesome trip and fantastic flowers! :) Gotta love it when your significant other forces you to go and look at orchids!

According to the RHS, that cross is Lauren Gardiner.

You are so lucky! Those vandas are beautiful!

Those are some beautiful pictures. What a fun day. Isn't it great to live here in paradise? Gage, what's that plant in the first picture with the bluish flowers?

Thanks! I was having trouble reading the tag, so thanks for clearing that up.

I don't know the name of the vine, buy the color was outrageous. Here's a closeup, if anyone wants to take a stab at identifying it. The color in this picture is pretty accurate overall, but in reality there were 2 or 3 different shades of purple and pink within each bloom.

http://img.tapatalk.com/c6e4eb31-5eca-cf9f.jpg

Wisteria?

I'm going to post this in its own thread, but here is Vanda Lauren Gardiner. Smells like delicious sweet tropical fruit, can't figure out which exactly. :)

http://img.tapatalk.com/c6e4eb31-6a6c-39b8.jpg
http://img.tapatalk.com/c6e4eb31-6a8a-ce36.jpg
http://img.tapatalk.com/c6e4eb31-6aa7-5c51.jpg

Boy, would I love to go there! Especially at this time of year. It looks like they have vandas of every colour.

They do! My favorites were the reds and oranges, and the slate-purples. :)

Reds and oranges are my favourites too. I want a red vasco. I have a Pine river orange seedling but it will be a few years before it flowers.

I actually asked him if he had a Vasco Pine Rivers that is dark purple. No dice. :( People around here that grow Pine Rivers say that it blooms almost constantly. :)

:drool:
dang it - I now have drool all over my computer ;)