Greeting the New Year with Blooms
 

Wouldn't you know it? Major climate changes occured just at the time when my chids were beginning to bloom or set buds. The weather had been so balmy it was almost like Spring. Central Florida had been setting record high temperatures and in response the tropical vegetation was responding by sending out new growths and bud formations. Then it happened... a two week cold front that began with the new year. Temperatures rapidly changed from record highs to record lows.

All my chids were forced to come indoors where they endured over 2 weeks of overcrowded conditions and substandard lighting placement. Watering them was a time consuming challenge.

The temperatures here have now returned to our seasonal norms and the plants have been returned to their outdoor environment. Some of them greeted the New Year with blooms in spite of their indoor captivity. Others lost a few leaves and blasted a few buds. My Onc. Twinkle lost several buds but she's still beautiful and smells wonderful. The Rhyncostylis Gigantea 'Red' is one of my favorites. Then there is Lc. Joann Amos and finally the long anticipated first bloom from my rather large Pot. Richard Young 'Cariad's Collette'.

Beautiful, one and all. I so envy you folks who can generally grow your 'chids outside all year around, aside from a few cold snaps. LOVE the Lc. Joann Amos. Looks pretty small. Is that a mini/compact? If so, it's going on the list...

Thank you. The Joann Amos was birthday gift from my daughter last year. She is a hybrid and is labeled as C. Walkeriana x Lc. Rojo. She's unscented as far as I can tell and was purchased locally from Grezaffi Orchids. Mr. Grezaffi closed his public greenhouse, but has opened a web site for orders.;)

They all look beautiful and happy now. I especially like the white Twinkle. A year ago I bought a pretty red one but it is quite small and only one small spike now.

This weekend is our GVOS show in Grand Rapids, hopefully I will find a larger white one there. Somehow it is always scheduled on a week end of a big snow storm. The weather man says 'light snow' and I hope he is right on. One year most of the venders couldn't get there, and a very small turn out. The last 3 shows our weather was horrible.

Wishing for nice weather this weekend.

Marilyn

WOW!! They all look great, and happy, thanks.... Jim.

Wonderful group!

Thank you. I've only seen pictures of red blooming Twinkles. They're lovely and remind me of mini fireworks when they're blooming. I wonder if they're scented. If the economy ever gets better I might be shopping for one. My current budget does not allow for orchid related purchases.

Gorgeous, all of them!

I too had my share of carrying plants inside. I grow in a greenhouse but I had a lot of reedstem epidendrums and nobiles outside that are both very cold tolerant but just don't survive mid twenties. I had one very large Epi. radicans growing in a raised bed in the ground and I covered it with a double layer of frost blanket but it still got severly damaged. I will miss their flowers that start in March and continue until Oct.

All of your flowers are beautiful but I am especially fond of the Lc. Joann Amos. I will see if I can find his website and order one.

Very nice collection, Junebug. Love the Joann Amos!

:)