Phal. violacea coerulea and Doritis pulcherrima

[CPKidofAugusta]

The first is a Phal. violacea var coerulea "Blue #3" x "Blue #1" that I got from Carter and Holmes. The flower appears to be ever so slightly lopsided, but since it's a first bloom I'm not going to complain. I had heard the Cinnamon gum comparison of the smell before but I had no idea how apt that was. Exactly like Big Red.

The next is a Doritis pulcherrima, that for lack of a better term, I'm going to call semi-alba. As far as I can tell this is fairly well shaped as far as pulcherrimas go and I love the coloration. Some of the pics won't show this, and others exaggerate this, but there's ever so slight a blush on the petals and sepals that I was hard pressed to display accurately. The picture of the one flower that did not go resupinate might be the most color accurate photo.

Let me tell you, this plant is quite a trooper, I set it aside next to so that I could repot it. I promptly forgot about it and it went for about 3 weeks without water and very little light. When I came back to it it had grown a flower spike 6" tall. I repotted it thinking "if it aborts, oh well." Then I put it in the wrong mix, fine bark. Little to no air movement and it doesn't dry out for two weeks. Good thing it's partly terrestrial in the wild or else there would be no hope for it. But it came out with atleast 8 new roots after the repot, none of which have sunken so far into the what is basically somewhat airy dirt that they've rotted. And finally let's not forget the regular 100 degree f temps in the greenhouse when we simply could not get it to cool down due to the 90f temps we were getting paired with the complete lack of any cloud cover. It still gave me 16 flowers at one time, each lasting roughly 5 weeks, and more buds on the way. Luckily we're past those ridiculous temps now and I give you my word that I'll get it into a coarser mix as soon as it's done flowering.

[Island Girl]

Wow! They are very pretty! It's good to know that the description of the flower scent is accurate! Ya never know.... But, it might be that many ppl have different senses of smell... That's great that your pulcherrima is so tough! I thought they would be, but I don't have that species as of yet.

Geez, 16, and you have a greenhouse?! I'm jealous! Lol, can I come live with you?

[CPKidofAugusta]

The greenhouse was almost necessary. Plants are pretty much the only hobby i've ever had that doesn't fade in and out. It all started when i saw carnivorous plants at Lowes when i was around 5 years old. Nepenthes, Sarracenia, Drosera, and Dionaea. I was awestruck. I have a heavier interest in carnivorous plants but there are some problems with them, such as the endless possibilities with orchids. There are only so many carnivorous plants, and even though that number is past 600, you're never going to create a more spectacular Drosera (of which there are nearly 200 species) than, say, Drosera regia. Plus with Carter and Holmes only an hour and a half away it becomes much easier to spend money on orchids.

But anyway we only have two or 3 windowsills properly suited to growing anything and when we, unfortunately due to the circumstances, came into a few thousand to spend, we got a cheap greenhouse and are only now starting to get set up properly. I simply had no room for any large, or potentially large plants. My Phrag. Mountain Maid flavum is already enormous, i bought it in an 8 inch pot and when i divided it a month ago it went into 2 6 inch pots and the rest back into the 8 inch pot, and my Nepenthes truncata, only in a 4 inch pot at the moment, will hopefully grow into the several-foot vine with foot-and-a-half pitchers that will simply not fit anywhere in the house easily. Luckily that monster is still in its rosette stage and it might be 5 to 7 years before I have to start thinking about how to accommodate it in the greenhouse.

Edit: Whoops, I said the Nepenthes is in a 4 foot pot, I meant 4 inch.

[gnathaniel]

Beautiful flowers! pulcherrima is one of my favorite Phal species, nice to see one different than the (also pretty) peloric ones that have recently become ubiquitous.

[WhiteRabbit]

Gorgeous!

Gotta love those orchids that seem to thrive with mistreatment!

[RosieC]

Wonderful, I think I need to start looking at more Phal species these two are definitely at the top of the wishlist.

[Tindomul]

Very nice work on all of them. Congrats.