Archive for October, 2015

Garden Allies: Bats

Saturday, October 31st, 2015

Bats eat lots of garden pests, work for free, and won’t fly in your hair! Pacific Horticulture explains why bats are garden allies.

Antelope Dendrobium Orchids

Wednesday, October 28th, 2015

What do antelopes have to do with orchids? Look at the graceful, spiraling petals on these tropical beauties, and you’ll understand. Antelope Dendrobiums are a popular section of the enormous Dendrobium family. Their upward-twisting petals inspire the antelope horn comparison. There are several dozen species and a growing number of hybrids with these curvy blooms. […]

Historic Lady Slipper Hybrids

Saturday, October 24th, 2015

For over a century, orchid growers have hybridized Lady Slippers to create countless new varieties. Now, the most important Paph hybrids have been identified by orchid experts. Each of these historic crosses has its own legacy, and many contribute their prized genes to modern hybrids sold today. This decade-by-decade list was assembled as part of […]

The Blue Orchid: Queen Victoria’s Dendrobium

Sunday, October 18th, 2015

This fragile-looking Dendrobium species is tougher than it looks. Queen Victoria’s Dendrobium was named to celebrate the British monarch. It’s nicknamed the Blue Orchid, since some specimens have a blue hue, but my plant is decidedly purple. In four years since I bought this orchid, it’s been through the mill, but somehow survived and flowered. […]

Wildlife Officials Fight To Protect Rare Orchid

Tuesday, October 13th, 2015

Tennessee officials are trying to save a rare, indigenous orchid species. The White Fringeless Orchid is hanging in the balance as government officials weigh its fate. Native to the Southeastern USA, this species is endangered by habitat loss and illegal poaching of wild plants. Its scientific name is Platanthera integrilabia, and it grows in wooded […]

Orchid Post Mortem: Oncidium

Tuesday, October 6th, 2015

Orchid casualties are inevitable in any collection, even for experienced growers. My latest loss was this adorable mini Oncidium species, a victim of some devilish raccoons. I bought this plant many years ago, and always grew it outdoors. It’s been a stubborn species, and only bloomed for me twice. A couple weeks ago, I found […]