What orchids to choose?
 

Hi everyone!

I am a proffesional gardener in the NW UK and I have been presented with an opportunity to grow a couple of orchids to be displayed in our garden tearoom when in bloom. We have a 2 compartment heated glasshouse with winter minimum temps being 5C and 10C. I am looking for a max. of 10 relatively easy and compact orchids that I could grow in these conditions and possibly achieve perpetual flower display from march to september.
Those that I know I should be able to grow are:
Couple of Pleione species and hybrids
Coelogyne cristata
Coelogyne intermedia
Coelogyne ochracea

Please can you advise on other cool/very cool growers that are from your experience reasonably easy and reliable? Winter rest is a bonus - that means less work for me.. Scent is important to me too..:)
Thanks ever so much for your ideas!
Happy growing!

Hmmm, you might considder Dendrobium x delicatum. It did very well for me this year. I bought it last year in bloom, divided it and it grew beautifully last summer. I had it outdoors, Nort East faced with early morning and late evening sun. I never would have thought that this one would spike so early and set so many spikes for me. It did much much better than Den. Berry Oda (kingianum hybrid) or Den. kingianum.
Flowers are mainly white, tiny but have a strong honey-like smell. When I bought it last year it had only 3 spikes but the smell could fill my bedroom, even with an open window!

Nicole

PLEIONES! :):Tup:

Only because I love them! :love: :drool: :biggrin:

Check out this past thread in the archives - http://www.orchidboard.com/community...0-pleione.html

Bletilla
Spiranthes
Dactylorrhiza
Orchis
Himantoglossum
Epipactis
Cypripedium
Ophrys
Disa
Stenoglottis
Masdevallias
Pleurothallis
Draculas
Tipularia
Galearis
Bonatea

Just a few genera I can think of that I believe people can grow.

I don't know how high your temperatures get, but maybe if you're able to (because most people can't, due to how warm it gets where they live)...

Telipogon
Fernandezia

Keep in mind, these are very high elevation plants, and many people have a hard time with these. Not very many people can help you should you decide to try these two genera out.

Dorothy beat me to it but pleione would fit in what you are looking for. And with you being in the UK you have so many hybrids to choose from

Pleione Hybrids - KoolPlants

Heritage Orchids
Springwood Pleiones Price List 2007

I would love to have Pleiones - but i basically cant grow them. blooms are amazing looking. some one from China sells a lot of species on ebay for 12 $ inc shipping.

THere is UK based site all about Pleiones.

seems that the UK weather with temperate winters and mild summers is perfect for Pleiones... would go for that. in photo they look amazing.

would consider Phaius tankervilliae. easy to propagate.

Sarcochilus are nice too.

Masdevallias? small flowers though...

If fragrance is important, what about some Bulbo's (stinky ones?) LOL , just kidding.
Although I don't grow Pleione's, I aggree they could give quit a show when they bloom + wintercare is easy!

look at this
probably shipping to Europe is less bureaucratic than shipping to the USA.
think they need to be around 0 C in the winter, maybe between -5 to +10C.
prfect for UK winter. In NYC it gets too cold outside and too warm inside.
the best site on Pleiones is UK based - someone there growns them , maybe sells tehm and provides detailed culture info.
I googled it but I did not bookmarked it because anyway Pleiones look so good but no way I can grow them here.



Pleione aurita Pre-order - eBay (item 160356781655 end time Nov-16-09 17:30:52 PST)


Pleione bulbocodioides Bloom size bulb X4 - eBay (item 160373384086 end time Nov-27-09 00:38:01 PST)

Pleione forrestii Pre-order - eBay (item 150366970309 end time Nov-17-09 03:32:18 PST)

Also maybe some Den nobile or something... Den cucullatum

What about good old Cymbidiums? easy to grow, cool tolerant, big flowers..

But getting orchids to flower in summer is always going to be difficult, most of them flower in winter/spring.

The pleiones sound good to me too.

Also Odontoglossum and their hybrids too.

Thanks everybody, to quote Dorothy and Neb, Pleiones are a deffo an option, I actually already grow a few of those (found them last winter in pots of ordinary multipurpose compost, burried deep, obviosly my predecessor thought they were a daf :), they are a piece of cake in our conditions, I put them in the shade tunnel over the summer to keep them cool and they made two new massive p.bulbs for each old one - can't wait for them to flower, esp. since I don't actually know what exact sp. or cultivar they are... :) !. The only issue is that they're mainly spring flowering (exc. a couple od autumn fl. ones of course). Masdevallias I was considering.... I DO like some of those..... :) Ideas?
BTW yes, sorry, we don't usually go over 25C in the summer..last year there was about 5 days with max 27C but we do damp down religiously....

Everyone seems to be missing the obvious. Paphiopedulums, complex hybrids or species like P.insigne. The don't mind those temps at all, the flowers last for ages and don't need to be huge plants to flower.

And Bletilla striata. those are really cheap and Ludisia discolors - the leaves are a show by themselves

Thanks again. I have got a P. insigne at home and it flowers in the winter... Are there any cool growing paphs that flower in the summer?

B. striata, yes I can see that, L. discolor probably not - likes it a little warmer than what I can offer....

Do like them a lot but they are a little too big for the space I have got.. I remember I heard about some smaller hybrids...any ideas?

Yeah there are quite a few smaller hybrids, but none that i can think of that flower in the summer.. there are a few yellow ones that flower in early autumn but they're normal size.

I'm new to Orchid growing, so have no real suggestions of which plant myself, but have found this site which has a few links to Orchid Suppliers based in the UK. This may help with acquiring plants suitable for the UK climate.

North of England Orchid Society - Nurseries in the UK

Don't forget about Zygopets! They are cool growers,will flower throughout the year and most have an excellent intoxicating fragrance too!