Coelogyne are wonderful epiphytic plants from Asia that can quickly form large specimens like the one pictured here. This plant is growing in a 12" hanging basket. I find it quite difficult to keep because I have limited space, but I found this plant at such a great price in the fall and couldn't pass it up. I was surprised and excited one morning to find this spike in bud, and it is now in full bloom. Usually a plant of this size would produce many spikes at a time, but I have just a single spike - probably because I can only provide the plant with so much light. I plan on dividing this plant in the spring so that I can save some space - since it is only producing one spike at a time anyway. Besides the flowers being so attractive, they have perhaps the most pleasing fragrance I have ever observed in an orchid, making this a desirable plant indeed.
Regular readers of this blog will know that I grow a lot of Cypripediums, or hardy lady's slippers. I am experimenting with growing C. parviflorum (second pic) and C. reginae (first pic) in pots, which allows me to "wake them up" earlier in spring than the plants in my garden will rise (these are active at least a month before the garden plants will be). I am also growing some second year Cyp seedlings this year: C. californicum (third pic) and C. reginae f. albolabium (white form of C. reginae - fourth pic). The last pic shows the size difference between the rising C. parviflorum and the fully active seedlings.
