MANY many many thanks to those who lent their expertise and suggestions to my "Pick my next orchid!" post! There were so many incredible choices, I could never have gotten them all (but will definitely try over time!). I am enchanted by the Grammatophyllum and Paraphalaenopsis that were mentioned, but have found almost none available for purchase. These will have to be something I keep my eye out for at future shows... or anywhere they happen to show up. The nursery I went to had some seedling Grammatophyllum, but I was unfamiliar with the species and so turned my sights elsewhere.
Here's what I got:
Stanhopea wardii, smallish but blooming size with a spike. Will let it bloom out and repot, since it is almost overgrowing its basket. I think I have found a new love with this freaky genus.
Psychopsis Mendenhall 'Lace' X Mem. Bill Carter 'Mendenhall', 2 spike plant, looks pretty hardy. I'd have preferred a "pure" species plant, but this thing is just plain sexy. Psychopsis has become another possible avenue for addiction.
Epidendrum diffusum, ok nobody suggested this one, but I'm an Epi fan. The foliage and individual flowers may be modest, but that spray of flowers is just ridiculous. Can't wait for the 3 spikes to bloom!
Aerides houlettiana, my Aerides odorata is doing very well, which is how I justified going over-budget as this one caught my eye on my way out the door. The flowers are gorgeous on 2 different spikes, and smell like a spicy citrus-peach blend. It's almost bloomed out and therefore not as pretty as she could be, but I'll post pics next time she pops. Promise.
And lastly, here's a plug for the place where I got my new 'chids- I had never been to Tropiflora in Sarasota, FL, but have seen their website and been referred there by one or two people. Their on-site orchid houses are actually owned by a separate company, and Tropiflora tends to specialize more in other epiphytes and different tropical plants. Still, I was impressed by the size of the place, health of all the plants, and friendliness and knowledge of the staff. I got to tour the orchid greenhouses with Ty, who was extremely enthusiastic, honest, and really knew his stuff. The only drawback to the experience was the pricing-- some of the plants could have been a good bit cheaper (while others were perfectly reasonable), but I don't mind that so much when I'm not paying shipping and get to hand-pick my plants. Also, veeeery few of the orchids are available for online purchasing at the Tropiflora website for those who don't live within driving distance. All in all though, I had a great time and am extremely satisfied with my purchases.
Thanks again to those who helped get me into Stanhopeas, Psychopsis, and the other freaky genera I'll be hunting down! You guys rock!
YOU picked 'em, I bought 'em!
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