Paph Satin Smoke

This gorgeous hybrid owes most of its striking charisma to the Paph micranthum parent, which lends its large pouch with contrasting smaller tepals having pink-red stripes to the picture. The primulinum parent adds a slightly altered pouch and tepal shape (more slender), more subdued coloring (the pouch is ivory and the tepals a soft misty pink), a multifloral habit (2-3 sequentially opening flowers per stem), and ease of culture, which is a major drawback for micranthum. So what you get is a flower very similar to micranthum, but in greater numbers and appearing much easier than micranthum! I don't believe any of the hybrids made with micranthum are any better-looking than the species (not even Magic Lantern), but this is an amazing plant well worth seeking out. I have taken three photos of the same flower at different angles so one can fully appreciate the three-dimensional character of the bloom (which is a feature of any slipper orchid but especially with this one).

Phrag Sedenii 'Blush'

Phrag Sedenii (longifolium x schlimii) is one of the oldest slipper orchid hybrids. It has stood the test of time better than most of the old crosses, likely because for about 70 years during the 20th century there were no Phrag hybrids registered and this was one of the few pink ones available. It is a very charming plant, albeit quite a large one, and can sometimes have a faint fragrance (as this one does). There are a few named cultivars of Sedenii, all of which are superior to unnamed ones, and this is one of the more common of those. It is one of my favorites, along with 'Candidulum' (made with schlimii f. album), which is lighter in color. The superiority of this clone is revealed not only in the proportions and color of the flower, but in its tendency to branch the spikes. It is also quite vigorous. This was one of my plants that was killed in last year's frost disaster, newly replaced from the FOS show a few weeks ago. It is a very promising plant.

Exciting Projects to Come

As I believe I mentioned in a previous post, last month I pollinated some of my orchid flowers in preparation for an in-vitro seed propagation project. These are now forming capsules. From top to bottom: Dendrobium Thai Jeng x compactum; Doritis pulcherrima var chumpornensis; and Phalaenopsis Baldan's Kaleidoscope. These are all selfings as I had nothing from like genera to cross (although I realzied when it was too late that I could have crossed the Doritis with the Phal, which would have been interesting...). I would really like to cross some slippers in the future and I plan to do so as more flowers open. I already have relatively detailed plans in place for a propagation project of my Cypripediums in the spring, centred around my new propagation bed of Cyp. parviflorum var pubescens. I will posting about all of these projects as they develop.

The Products of Boredom

After a disappointing turnout of plants for sale at this month's OSA meeting and not a single vendor in town with a slipper orchid for sale, I've got the blues this week. I am very excited about the future of my growing hobby however, as it becomes more serious and I try to mold it into a career. This evening I was poking around my collection and decided to take some pictures of noteworthy findings.

The first pic is of one of my Paph micranthums, in sheath. I have 2 mature plants and three seedlings. This will be the first to flower. Probably the most exciting thing going on right now. If you haven't yet seen a Paph micranthum flower, seek one out!

The second depicts Paph Satin Smoke (micranthum x primulinum, on the left) and Paph malipoense x jackii (on the right), in spike. The former is a gorgeous multifloral with big smoky-pink blooms, while the latter is a very large-flowered Parvi primary with fragrant green blossoms.

The third portrays Paph ang-thong (also known as Paph godefroyae var ang-thong, Paph niveum var ang-thong and Paph x ang-thong), in low spike. This will be an adorable little white flower with maroon speckles.

The fourth displays Paph Winston Churchill 'Indomitable' FCC/AOS x gratrixianum, a complex hybrid which I last posted on last summer when it first bloomed. It is in sheath.

Finally the last two photos are the first I have taken of my carnivorous plant terrarium, my first attempt at growing these plants that seems to be successful (the last couple times I tried I failed eventually). The plants are growing very vigorously and appear to be very healthy. A closeup of a Nepenthes viking pitcher through the glass is the subject of the fifth photo, while the last gives a view of the entire setup from the outside. I will explain this setup some other time. For now, can you identify all the plants in the last photo? Visible are Nepenthes viking (tropical pitcher plant), Sarracenia pstittacina (parrot pitcher plant), Pinguicula moranensis (Mexican butterwort), Cephalotus follicularis (Albany pitcher plant, barely visible), Dionaea muscipula 'B-52' (giant Venus flytrap), and Dionaea muscipula (typical Venus flytrap). There is also an orchid residing in this tank, Leptotes unicolor, a Brazilian miniature which looks like it may bloom soon. There is one more plant in here which is not visible in the photos, Drosera capensis (cape sundew).

Phragmipedium Memoria Dick Clements 'Flavum'

This is the orange version of the hybrid I posted on a couple weeks ago. It is made with the yellow form of Phrag besseae, Phrag besseae f. flavum (the original cross is besseae x sargentianum). It is blooming on two spikes, and the first two flowers that opened were malformed, likely due to stress in transport. I am very impressed with this first normal flower. It is slightly larger than my regular Mem. Dick Clements, at 3.5" natural spread (the regular one is 3.25").

Paphiopedilum charlesworthii

Paph charlesworthii is an iconic species that has been used extensively in breeding for obvious reasons. The flower looks quite large in a photo but really it is quite petite - about 2" across. This is a first bloom seedling so the flower will get bigger next time but scarcely so. I am not happy about the color break on the right side of the dorsal - this negates any potential the flower might have otherwise for an award - but it may just disappear in subsequent flowerings.

Phrag Memoria Dick Clements

This is a cross between Phrag besseae and Phrag sargentianum. It is one of the earlier besseae hybrids, which were the first red/orange Phrag hybrids. It has won numerous awards for its great color. I never really liked it for some reason until now, now that my own plant is flowering.

Foothills Orchid Society Show 2008

The orchid society of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, the FOS, has their annual show and sale in October. This was my first time attending it. Above are some photos I took there. In order they are: Paph Saint Armel, Paph Harold Koopowitz, Paph Lynleigh Koopowitz, Paph Vanda M Pearman, Paph helenae, and Paph charlesworthii. The show was less than half the size of the Edmonton show (which is in my home city) but there were some nice plants. Best of all I finally got the orchid fix I needed in the form of purchases!

Great Blooms

Finally I have posted a pic of my Paph Pinocchio which is currently in bloom.

Gentiana sino-ornata is a great little gentian species from China which blooms in the fall (which is irregular for gentians). It has needle-like foliage.

Finally we have some pics of some orchids I just bought today, a mini Dendrobium and a Doritis pulcherrima, at the OSA meeting. I also picked up a couple Phrags, Mem. Dick Clements (besseae x sargentianum) and Mem. Dick Clements flavum (besseae flavum x sargentianum). These are both in bud. I can't wait until the Calgary show in 2 weeks, when I can have a real shopping spree! I just ahd to get my orchid fix today though; it's been a long time since the society last had a meeting.

A Great Weekend for Fall Gardening

There is a greenhouse in my area called the Ellerslie Gift & Garden Centre. It's a wonderful establishment that is known not only for its great selection of perennials and trees, but its nostalgic gift shop and, more importantly to me, its offerings of orchids and carnivorous plants, the latter of which is unrivaled by any other garden centre in the city. I love to shop there for these things and also for their relatively inexpensive and high-quality orchid-growing supplies year-round. Every September Ellerslie throws an end-of-season celebration in which all perennials and trees are 50% off, and many other items are also on sale. As well, they serve free refreshments and boast live entertainment, and a number of organizations from the Edmonton area set up information booths and sales tables. This annual event is known as the "Ellerslie Fall Tea". Notable attendees this year included the Orchid Society of Alberta (of which of course I am a member), the Edmonton Horticultural Society (of which I am a former member), the Alberta Lily Society, the Edmonton Naturalization Group (with whom I am associated), the Alberta Bonsai Society, and the Edmonton Reptile and Amphibian Society (which doesn't seem relevant but oh well).

I was very fortunate to pick up some nice plants at this event, including some martagon lily bulbs from the Lily Society. I'll have some photos of this stuff soon. I was also able to get a substantial amount of work done in the yard this weekend - it's really coming along!

Check It Out!

I have created a new website. It is at the URL http://monocotman.tripod.com.

The Orchids Are A-Growin'

I love this time of the year because as the temperatures start to fall, many Paphs start to spike. I grow all my orchids outside during the summer, and bring them in in the fall. Last year my collection suffered some losses from leaving them out too long though; even though they were in the coldframe, an early frost killed off a few of my most beloved plants. Therefore I took extra caution this year and brought all the plants in as soon as it got down to 5 C at night (which was less than 2 weeks ago). Usually it doesn't get this cold this fast, but sometimes it does, obviously. However, the falling temperatures in the second half of August have done some good. I now have two plants in sheath and one in spike, besides the Phrag 4N cross that has been in bloom since May. The two in sheath are Paph Satin Smoke (micranthum x victoria-regina I think) and Paph (Yerba Buena x Golden Days) x spicerianum, a complex hybrid that last bloomed 2 years ago; these are often slow-growing. The one in spike is Paph Pinocchio (primulinum x moquettianum I think), a Cochlopetalum cross which flowers almost perpetually when mature. The last time it flowered was last summer, and it flowered until the spring, therefore it took only a few months break! The first flower already opened on that plant, but it quickly died off due to a mealy bug infestation. Mealy bugs are little white sap-sucking insects which are the sole biggest insect pest for Paphs (which don't get a lot of trouble with pests). These guys love to hide in flower sheaths (as happened here) and in the crevices between leaves. They are easily killed off with insecticidal soap and I think these ones are all gone now. The rest of that plant's flowers should be fine (it will open several more over the next few months). Luckily this was the only plant in my collection affected this time around. This was the third time only in the 7 years that I have been growing orchids, that I got mealy bugs.

By the way, this was my 200th post on this blog!

Another Gardening Season Ending...

...But hey, fall is a great time of the year! It may not be as exciting as spring, but the autumn is a great time to clean up the yard after a long (or not so long) season, maybe make some improvements to it, and buy some bulbs (which is actually pretty exciting). What's more, is if you are into orchids like I am, the fall marks the beginning of the season for many types. And for me personally, September is the month that my orchid society resumes its monthly meetings which I greatly miss over the summer. Bearing all this in mind and as I begin a new stage in my life with university, I have quite a positive mind about fall right now.

I am doing a great deal of work on my garden at the moment and rushing to have it finished before first snowfall, which in my region can happen any time now, believe it or not, although there is an equal chance that it will remain in the 20s Celsius for the next few weeks. I found it very difficult to get anything done outside over the summer as it was around 30 degrees Celsius (often quite a bit hotter than that) almost every day with very little rain - difficult weather to get hard work done in. Now that it is cooling off I am spending more time outside. I expect all of my projects will be finished by the end of the month weather-permitting. This will include new flowerbeds in both my front and back yards, with space for interesting new plants - some of which are already purchased - and some great new yard art and other geographical features. I am focussing now on xeroscaping as much as I can - this means that I am mainly planting low-maintenance plants (specifically drought-tolerant ones), many of which are native. However, of course I can never resist planting finicky exotic plants as well - that's what I'm all about! In the end most of the lawn on my property will be eliminated as I have found it difficult to maintain a healthy lawn in my neighborhood, where people allow weeds to grow in increasingly large ranks and tons of their offspring sprout on my lawn throughout the year. The money and time required to keep the lawn looking good is not worth the return, I think. Instead a thick and healthy planting of low-maintenance flowers will keep weeds out and look impressive.

Aside from projects outside I am looking to refine my orchid and carnivorous plant growing space indoors so that I can get better results and make more room. For years I had a light-mounted three-tier shelf in my bedroom; this has been moved to the kitchen and a smaller shelf put in its place which now holds my larger plants (which were too large to grow well on the tiered shelf). I am also planning to set up a growing area in my crawlspace basement.

I will be uploading some pictures soon, and hope to make a posting every week at least.

Lewisia rediviva

Lewisia rediviva, or bitterroot, is a native plant of arid areas of my province. It is likely the most spectacular rock garden plant you can buy - I think the photos are self-explanatory. The huge 3.5" flowers hide the plant itself! It flowers in May - these photos are outdated. It must be grown in gritty soil with the crown sitting on pure sand or it will rot.

What I Look For in a Cyp

This wonderful Cyp pubescens specimen is in my opinion a model plant for this species. It has five shoots each with a large, perfectly-shaped flower with magnificent color. The shoots are all tall and lean, and very sturdy, not leaning over holding the weight of the flowers. The flowers are also very fragrant. In the future this will grow into a fantastic specimen plant.

Paphiopedilum Magic Lantern

Paph Magic Lantern is a cross between Paph delenatii, a Vietnamese species with delicate pink and white flowers, and Paph micranthum, a Chinese/Vietnamese species famous for its huge inflated pouch. The result is a perfectly round flower in soft pink shades with intricate staminode and tepal markings. This flower has great promise, having nearly perfect shape and coloring in a first-bloom seedling. The flower size will improve as the plant ages as well, but this young plant, having a leafspan of about 8", has a flower about 3.5" in diameter. It also has a second bud forming. Paph Magic Lantern makes a fantastic houseplant and is also a good choice for beginner Paph growers, who often are eager to delve into section Parvisepalum but lack the experience to grow and flower many of the species successfully. This is a very easy plant to grow.

Cyp Season

Here are the Cyps. pubescens and 'Emil' that I posted earlier. The 'Emil''s just finished flowering a few days ago, but the pubescens is still going; they have been in flower for about 2 weeks. The 'Emil' I think is much more attractive than the pubescens, though the flowers are only about half the size. I suppose the 'Emil' would have more competition against a more robust pubecens.

Aquilegia scopulorum

This plant is widely called Utah columbine. It is an uncommon alpine species that I was fortunate enough to be able to source this year. Very pretty pastel blue and creamy yellow tones, attractive blue leaves, what more could you ask for?

Lilium philadelphicum

Lilium philadelphicum, also known as the western wood lily, western red lily, wood lily and wild tiger lily, is by far the most spectacular of the native Lily Family members of my area and the only native member of the genus Lilium. It is, of course, an endangered species as a result of over-picking and habitat destruction. A little bit more temperamental than garden lilies, this plant will thrive in a sandy soil, which I have found is the key to its cultivation. It also prefers a lightly shaded location, but will tolerate full sun if kept moist consistently. It is a dainty plant that only grows to about 16" high, and it has large 4" flowers that really pop out. While it is perhaps not as impressive as the huge OT (Orienpet) or Oriental liles that grow to over 4 feet tall and smell amazing, I still think it is a fantastic plant and am proud to call it native. These usually don't bloom for another couple of weeks, but this guy is early as I just bought it this year. More will be pictured as they open.

My First Phrag Tetraploid Cross

This is Phrag. Eric Young 'Rocket Fire' 4N x Rosy Charm 4N. The 4N stands for "tetraploid" which means that each cell in the plant has four sets of chromosomes. Normally plants have 2N, or two sets of chromosomes (diploid). By doubling the number of chromosomes, there is more genetic material to work with which means that there is more potential for dramatic coloring and better form. These crosses are superior to diploid crosses in general. I bought this plant yesterday at my society meeting.

Update on Cyp Hybrid Study

Top is Cyp. 'Emil', bottom is Cyp. pubescens. The 'Emil' will have three flowers (on 5 stems), the pubescens 1. The pubescens so far is taller than the 'Emil' and has broader leaves, which is because 'Emil''s parents are smaller than pubescens.