gift ideas
 

Hello all,
My grandmother's birthday is coming up and I am looking for an interesting phalenopsis. She has about 20 or so already, but they all look the same just different colors. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you,
Joshua

If you think she might be getting bored of Phalaenopsis, a Paphiopedilum might make a nice change; they require fairly similar conditions. :)
The sequential ones like Paph. Pinocchio can be quite rewarding; the Maudiae types usually have nice mottled leaves that look good even when not flowering and I find the variegated green/white flowers very attractive. Otherwise, just pick one! :)

If you're stuck on a Phal, I guess it's time to hit the vendor's websites and find a plant you think she would like that is a bit different from what you see in the florist/supermarket. If you want her to get flowers soon, make sure you get something "in spike".

Push comes to shove, I guess there's always the option of a gift certificate for a vendor that seems to have plants you think she might like but can't decide between!

I agree with Discus. Why not try something different?

I bought my mother a paphiopedilum for Mother's Day. She would have never bought it herself, she's kind of stuck in phal-land, but wow...it did get a lot of attention from friends and family, and I can tell from the way she talks about it now that she's falling in love with the bugger.

Her first question when she saw it was: Will this thing eat me? She's come a long way in a couple of weeks. ;)

You try any of the Phal species?

They look radically different from each other.

Try any one of these:

Phalaenopsis amabilis
Phalaenopsis amboinensis
Phalaenopsis aphrodite
Phalaenopsis bastianii
Phalaenopsis bellina
Phalaenopsis cochleata
Phalaenopsis cornu-cervi
Phalaenopsis doweryensis
Phalaenopsis equestris
Phalaenopsis floresensis
Phalaenopsis fuscata
Phalaenopsis gigantea
Phalaenopsis inscriptionensis
Phalaenopsis kunstleri
Phalaenopsis leuddemanniana
Phalaenopsis lindenii (mottled leaf)
Phalaenopsis maculata
Phalaenopsis mannii
Phalaenopsis mariae
Phalaenopsis micholitzii
Phalaenopsis modesta
Phalaenopsis pantherina
Phalaenopsis philippinensis (mottled leaf)
Phalaenopsis (Doritis) pulcherrhima
Phalaenopsis sanderiana (mottled leaf)
Phalaneopsis schilleriana (mottled leaf)
Phalaenopsis stuartiana (mottled leaf)
Phalaenopsis tetraspis
Phalaenopsis venosa
Phalaenopsis viridis
Phalaenopsis violacea
Phalaenopsis zebrina

Then there're Phal relatives in the genus Kingidium.

Kingidium chibae
Kingidium deliciosa

I think you should get something else for her other then a phal, there are about 25,000 species I think its time to go outside of the phals.

Paphs are great! If you don't want to get a paph there are Catt, Onc, Den I think any of those would be good :D

If you are stuck on a phal the list Philip gave you is great I don't have any of the phal species (except for a dying one) but I have looked at them online really different then the hybrids in the stores.

Let us know what you get :D

If you don't want to do Phals, you gotta give us information about:

1. Whether she can grow indoors or outdoors.

2. If she's growing indoors, is she planning on growing them in the home, or is she planning on growing them in a greenhouse?

2. If she can grow outdoors, what is the climate like. (i.e. day/night temperatures, seasonal temperatures, humidity, light levels)

3. Is she ok with miniature sized plants?

4. Is she ok with small flowered plants?

Indoor, she grows her phals in a set up in the basement. I don't know what the set up is, but phals love it. She has a greenhouse , although it gets into the single digits here in the winter. She has minis. The house has the full spectrum of light from full sun to all shade.

Here are pics of Phal species

Also check Big Leaf Orchids

You ever thought about taking her on a visit to a nearby orchid nursery and letting her pick out what she wants, then pay for the plant for her?

I know Marlow's Orchids is in New York, so it may not be far from you.

I don't know how far Easton, Connecticut is from you, but J & L Orchids is there.

Yes I did think of that. Closest one I found was 7 hours away. Thank you taking the time to think about it.

Curious what you DID decide to go with, when the time comes. I'm with the others on here that think a nice Paph would be a great way to go.

This is what I went with, spotted it at my local nursery.

Good choice! She'll probably find that will benefit from being just slightly wetter and slightly cooler than the phals, though since it's a hybrid (oncidium alliance) it shouldn't be too hard to grow.

Looks beautiful! I'm sure she'll love it. Although many of us suggested paphs they are of course a bit weird looking, and perhaps not for everybody. This is just a beautiful flower that everybody will like.

Don't tell anyone but I decided to look for a paph for myself:biggrin:
Thank you for the comment on the one I picked up.

Just remember when it comes to paphs one is never enough :D and once you get a paph you most likely will feel like you need a phrag, or that's how it working for me, I am already making plans for getting my 2nd and 3rd paph and my first phrag :biggrin:

Beautiful orchid you got :D