My very first orchid has flowered again!
This was my reduced to clear bargain from Sainsbury’s.
My 2nd ever orchid to mark the end of my 3rd year at Uni.
I went to a local orchid show at the weekend, and Laurence Hobbs had a stand, so I bought 3 baby plants for £12 from him. I got a Cymbidium erythrostylum, a Laelia crispa and an Oncidium globuliferum.
I didn’t know what these plants would look like, but had an idea of colour. I did a google search when I got home, and am pleased with my purchases.
Apparently the Laelia is near flowering size, but the others have a few years of growing to do until I get flowers on them. Still patience is a must have with orchids, and it will be fun to see if I can raise them myself. Any new growth/flowers I get will be entirely my own work, so very rewarding.
These are the babies:
Cymbidium
Laelia
Oncidium
I am going to the RHS on Saturday – can’t wait – so will treat myself to something in flower then! I am on the lookout for a new Cattleya and maybe a Pap, as I haven’t got one of them. I want to get at least one of each type.
After a worry at the start of the week, when returning to work I had found the flower sheath had browned over the weekend. Though the flower still came out and it is a beauty despite grown upside down! This is most probably due to various changes of light while the plant was travelling (from Holland, to the nursery, in transit, to me). I have also discovered that a new sheath is forming, so hopefully will have some more buds to go with the two which are getting larger each day. Should have a nice display soon. Actually I am surprised how large the flower is given that it has ‘mini’ in its name.
Update on my other orchids: my little one’s spike is growing nicely, had to move my yellow Phal from the bathroom as she was getting too cold. One of the spikes was getting browny/red on the ends. May cut it off, see how it goes. The rest of the new growth is doing well. So all orchids are in my bedroom now apart from Cattleya who is at work.
Here she is, after a slight delay as Easy Orchids were fetching her (and some others) from Holland:
She has three buds on, lovely thick green leaves and is in a pot with some moss (spagnum?) in it.
Her roots are going slightly mental!
Going to get her a pretty pot tonight 
Couldn’t resist… Though I shall be holding off on more purchases for a while as I’ve just added up how much my latest batch have cost me Maybe I’ll get one for Xmas?! I am going to ask to keep this one at work as doubt my boyfriend will be pleased!
Isn’t she pretty? Hopefully will get her tomorrow
I decided to move the majority of my collection from the bathroom into my bedroom. Basically we have to leave the bathroom window open to let it dry out, and I doubt my plants appreciate the chill, so decided to move them into my slightly warmer bedroom. They have a west-facing window now, with good light once I open the blinds! Got to remember to do this each morning before work! I think the Dens are a lot happier – the Den. Phal has opened up one of her blooms and looks lovely. The Nobile is looking better as well. I have also moved my new pink leopard Phal into my bedroom, as well as my white Phal and my little Phal! So, the yellow Phal is still in the bathroom (shelted in the corner and seems pretty happy) and of course my Vanda is in the front room on its west-facing window.
I am excited as there are two new leaves popping up in the middle of my Vanda. I think this is going to be an immense plant! I’ve been spraying him every evening/morning and he’s always dry before he gets the next spritz. I’m hoping I’ll get a spike soon!
I am now wanting a Cattleya! Though am holding back a little as will be getting into trouble soon I think, as well as running out of space. However I may move my small Phal downstairs. The cats may not touch the orchids, but not sure I should risk it. The spider plant and dracaena that share my dresser with my collection in my bedroom have to be in there, or else the cats chew them!
I think a conservatory would be very favourable in our next house! Vandas hanging everywhere!
Was naughty again today, couldn’t resist this little temptress’s leopard spot markings 
It’s grown a spike at a weird angle, well I say weird, probably more of a natural angle for it 
It seems pretty happy though!
Here’s some better ones of my white rescue Phal, complete with a shot of it’s new growth
Oh and my yellow one in the daylight. This flower is about 2 months old so looking a bit faded now, hopefully will get some new blooms on it soon though!
Purple Den. Phal:
Moved into my bedroom as it’s warmer in there than the bathroom! The last photo is a blurry one of a bud opening.
Purple Phal:
Yellow Phal:
Looks a bit untidy, but obviously happy. It’s got loads of new growth on it, including a new leaf
White Phal:
Poor thing looks quite confused at the moment, hopefully will straighten itself out a bit. New flowers should be stunning, and root structure and leaves are good. Got lots of ‘before’ pics of this rescue, looking forward to the ‘after’ ones in a few months time!
My current collection of Orchids
Phalaenopsis
This is my oldest Orchid, which I’ve had for approx. 18mths, bought from Homebase. It is a purple Phal. I’ve had quite a few flowers off this small plant and it has grown new leaves/roots in abundance. After a few months rest it is now putting out a new spike, so I’m hoping for some more flowers in a month or so.
This is my second oldest Orchid, which I got from M&S about a year ago.
As you can see in the pics it had loads of flowers on there, but there are only two left now. However it is branching several new spikes off of the old ones and some of the spent nodes, should have some flowers in a month or so.
Whilst shopping for a vase for my Vanda, I came across this reduced Phal, which I thought would be rude to pass by. Some of the flowers are a little deformed as the whole plant was wrapped in cellophane, quite stupidly. Hopefully they will spread a little now they have room. Hoping this one will reflower and grow normally. Thankfully it doesn’t need repotting just yet. Got a nice little ceramic pot with it too.
Dendrobiums
Now we come to my Dendrobiums. The white one is a Nobile type. I think it may not be so happy in the bathroom as the flowers are starting to die, however they could have been out for a while prior to purchase. I’ve had it a week now, bought from Wyevale garden centre.
This is my reduced to clear Dendrobium, again from Wyevale. This is a Phalaenopsis Dendrobium. I couldn’t turn this bargain down, half price, all it needed was repotting.
Vanda
So lastly (for now) we come to my little baby Vanda. This is a Blue Magic variety, bought from Easy Orchids, and I am hoping for some stunning purpley/blue flowers next year if I can give it enough light! I have opted for the vase method to grow it in. I was hoping it would fit in a £3 or £4 Homebase jobby, but no, due to the length of the roots I needed to get the deepest vase they had at £10 It is sitting in there just fine now. It had a good soak until its roots went green before popping into vase. Then I spritzed it with some water. I will let it dry before adding more water.
I got my Vanda cheaper as it isn’t in spike/bud/flower. This saved myself about £20 actually. I can tell my the old trimmed down spikes it has almost definitely spiked/flowered before, so hopefully I can get it to do so again. They are such stunning plants it will be worth the wait. Looks rather unusual on our living room windowsill. However due to the size and total expense of the Vanda (£33 inc. postage and vase!) I don’t think I’ll be able to get another for a while!
I hope to update this diary with photos as all my orchids grow, but especially this one.
