Practice makes Perfect?
 

I am not sure about the science that goes with this, but I understood that sometimes in the first flowering getting perfect flowers, especially on Paphs (because they are grown from seed, not cloned) can be quite a process.

This Paph. Berenice (lowii ‘Hsinying’ X Philippense) had some crazy flowers when first blooming. It only had 5 blooms.

The first flower, the petals were fused to the dorsal sepal, and the lateral sepals were not fused together:

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a1...psva8brb2h.jpg

Here is the last bloom. Perfect. Or, as good as it gets. The color is nice, the shape is good. The flower looks good now. I hope this will mean that next year I will have "normal" flowers.

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a1...pslif36j6w.jpg

Second flower in second pic looks like it's trying to emulate a stanhopea. Got any sitting right next to it? Maybe send those to another room so it won't be influenced. ;)

Personally, I love the assortment of flowers this plant has put out…even the lovely 'normal' one.

No stanhopias in the Optimist house. But I do see the resemblance now that you mention it. It looks like when those long petals are fused, they sort of curl the dorsal sepal like a double helix, and that makes it look like the flying duck orchid from a certain angle.

It seemed true on one of my Phrags as well that first bloom was not optimal. Cattleyas have been the same for me. I never decide to get rid of one that blooms ugly based on its first bloom as they can improve a lot with 2nd and even 3rd bloom.

Pays to remember that.

The first kid in each family has to deal with parents who have no idea what they're doing.

I think it will turn out okay. I am certainly hoping for better in the 2nd or 3rd bloom. I feel I have been lucky so far. And this is a nice plant. It is big without being overwhelming. It will be classy in maybe 10 years.

Finally, I now know whats wrong with my oldest sister :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

But seriously the last one looks good.

I read an article that said growing Paphs with the long twisted sepals, it can be difficult to get them to bloom. You noticed any problems?

this had the start of the spike when i got it. my roth is not doing much now. It has gotten large though. Putting them outside is what seems to get sleepers to bloom later. Lets just say that I feel that orchid growth outside and inside are light years apart.

I read the same thing but I was thinking the types they mean are like "hidden tiger" not Bernice. Bernice barely has long twisted sepals, not like some of those that you need to raise on a raised stand to keep the sepals from brushing the ground. Those are generally 300 dollar plants.

Interesting, yeah, mine go outside for the summer, but at the moment we are in a wet spell, and I am having to tip water out of their saucers a couple of times a day.

Maybe going outside will help with blooming.