Some blooms

Well, as stated just previously, I haven't updated this blog/journal in a while, so these have been open for a while. First is my Phal. tetraspis 'C#1' (or speciosa var. christiana) that had made three buds, but one blasted early on. It also has another spike beginning!!! I just love how vigourous this plant is!

Here it is with a .  .  . geometry tool.  .  . that has a ruler on it to help with size scaling. Since you can't really see the measurements, its slightly longer than 15cm. (I am going to try to incorporate this into all my plant shots, and probably flower shots too).

And, here is an attempt at a semi-professional picture with our lame point-and-shoot. It is interesting to note that now it is blooming in the winter, the flowers are all white. Compared to it blooming in the heat of summer (literally), I was getting flowers that had much more red on them. With a difference of the day temps being around 7-9C* from summer to winter, its interesting to see how much temperature affects the colour of the blooms on this little guy.

(I just measured and the flower is about 4cm. NS)

Here is the first to open Grand Stars #2 bud to begin to open with aforementioned.  .  . geometry thingy.

And here is a semi-professional attempt to get a good shot of the flower.

Approx NS of 25cm.

More Spike Progress!

My Onc. Gold Dust is getting closer to blooming! The previous p'bulb also started a new growth.

And finally, my B. Grand Stars '#2'. It is really close to opening, I think maybe within a week or so.

Spikes galore!

Okay, so here is the rest of what I have in spike, all nice brand new photos taken a few hours ago.

Phal. (Tying Shin Cupid x Super Stupid) I am excited to see this one bloom, as it has grown a lot over the past year, so I should get a great big spike!

Phal. (Sogo Lisa 'OK' HCC/AOS x Haur Jin Princess 'TR' HCC/AOS), which has a HUGE name, has finally been registered as Phal. Pylo's Princess Lisa. It has just the tiniest nubbin of a spike.

Here is the Phal. Mambo.

Phal. ATL Crossing.

Phal. NoID #1.

Here is my little Onc. Gold Dust with its' very first spike!

I was very surprised indeed  to see the shadow of a spike when the plant is so small! I thought it was a new growth for a while, but it is way to skinny to be a new lead, so a spike it is!


And finally, my B. Grand Stars '#2', with its spike growing quickly!

Hehe, I think I have more in spike than I had for 'chids at this time last year.

Some spikes coming along.

WOW!!! I haven't posted anything in a LOONG time! Well, I am going to make up for it. I have a ton in spike right now, so here is just a small sampling. (These two pictures are from a few weeks ago.)

So here is the one spike on my B. Grand Stars '#2'. Unfortunately, the large budded spike it had when I bought it yellowed before blooming, this spike is quickly growing to take its' place. There is one other lead that I am hoping will spike, as it is the lead after the p'bulb that had the first spike.

YAY!!! This Phal. Mambo that I bought from Paramount a while back had a spike on it, but it had sat there doing nothing until it eventually yellowed and died. I am surprised at the finding of a spike because I thought both the parents, Phal. amboinensis and Phal. mannii are summer bloomers, seeing that they are the waxy novelties. But it turns out that the amboinensis is a late winter bloomer, so I guess it makes sense . . .

Brassavola Grand Stars '#2'

   This B. Grand Stars (Little Stars x nodosa 'Remar') is a sibling of the one I have mounted. The pictures is of another sibling that was in bloom, and it was displayed by the member that grew and sold the 'chids that came from a compot he bought. Unfortunately, the bud you see in the above pictures blasted, which was a huge disappointment, as I am going to have to wait a couple of weeks before I see a bloom. Fortunately, it has the one pictured growth in sheath, and another two leads that I think will also bloom. I was incredibly eager to see a plant of this cross in bloom for myself, which is why I bought this one.. I also plan to do LOTS of breeding with this cross, so I wanted a second one for that purpose also.