My new Cypripedium reginae... and it's just opened the second flower
 

So, I bought lots of new orchids at Tatton Park Orchid Show yesterday.

I've wanted to get some sort of Cyp for a long time now and finally decided to go for it. :biggrin:

Apparently this one grows well in UK gardens, you just have to keep it covered/dry in the winter because while they can cope with the cold they don't like the wet and cold that we get in the UK.

The first pictures were taken when I got home yesterday. The thrid picture was taken arround midday today when the second bud has openned.

I really love this guy :biggrin:

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_o4OXVkcS2VU/TA...20%2811%29.JPG http://lh3.ggpht.com/_o4OXVkcS2VU/TA...20%2831%29.JPG

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_o4OXVkcS2VU/TA...%20%288%29.JPG

Beautiful!
The advantage of these orchids is that you can pretty much let mother nature take care of them. No running back and forth to the sink, no repotting.... Once these guys get established they can make quite nice clumps that look amazing when in bloom.

Rosie, It is lovely!

Congrats on your purchase! This is my favorite species - you can see why! How tall is it?

Thanks everyone.

Jo, is that the same one you have in your avatar?

I've not measured it, but it's arround 2' high. It was wobbleing a bit as I brought it home and put it in position so I have used a flower stake a distance away on the side it was tending to lean away from, with a large loop of wire to hold it upright. It seems to have worked, you can see the stake in the thrid pic.

Oh yeah, do you know how long these flowers are likely to be open for? I don't know how long the first has been open, but the second only opened today. I have no idea if I am expecting them to be open for days, weeks or months though.

It looks great Rosie!

I think these usually bloom a few weeks to a month, less if there is a lot of heavy rain that damages them. Someone who actually grows them will tell you better.

Thanks Camille, I thought the rain could affect it... of course it was raining today but hopefully not too heavily, the flowers still look fine at the momment and it's stopped now.

Yep, reginae is my avatar.

They bloom for about 2 weeks. Where you are they may last 3. Heat and drought affect the lifespan. When it's cool and moist (like in the UK?) they last longer. But, 3 weeks would be about the maximum.