Archive for June, 2020
Saturday, June 27th, 2020
In Defense of Plants exposes The Deceptive Ways of the Calypso Orchid. This dainty, charming species grows in northern forests of North America, Europe, and Asia, where it’s pollinated by bumblebees. The bees are attracted by the orchid’s sweet fragrance, yellow hairs on the flower lip which mimic pollen, and nectar spurs. But the yellow […]
Categories: Cool Growers, Fragrant Orchids, In the News, Mini Orchids, Orchids in the Wild, Photos
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Saturday, June 20th, 2020
Here on the Northern California coast, summers are often cool and foggy. Right on schedule for today’s summer solstice, we were greeted this morning by a heavy fog bank. It’s the perfect weather for Dave’s and my favorite orchids, Masdevallias, which live in high mountain cloud forests. These tropical, triangular beauties feature stunningly brilliant colors. […]
Categories: Cool Growers, Photos
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Wednesday, June 17th, 2020
Sparkling white flowers make Angraecums look like shining stars. This fascinating genus is native to Madagascar, tropical Africa, and islands in the Indian Ocean. They are sometimes called Comet Orchids, because thin nectar tubes hanging from the backs of their flowers inspire thoughts of comet tails. The most famous is Darwin’s Orchid, Angraecum sesquipedale. It’s […]
Categories: Conservation, Fragrant Orchids, Growing, Intermediate Growers, Photos, Warm Growers
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Saturday, June 13th, 2020
In Australia, a country full of extraordinary plants, the Queen of Sheba Orchids stand out. Their brilliant displays of purples, pinks, and gold make them Australian orchid royalty, and their admirers refer to them simply as “Queens.” The Sydney Morning Herald reports that this rare and endangered native of Western Australia may be making a […]
Categories: Conservation, In the News
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Sunday, June 7th, 2020
In Japan, BotanyBoy describes the plight of the Samurai Orchid. Cultivated for centuries, they’re now endangered in the wild. Populations have shrunk as native habitats have been destroyed or altered by humans. Old growth forests only remain in small, disjointed pockets. They include areas around temples, shrines, rivers, and the very tops of mountain ridges. […]
Categories: Conservation, Cool Growers, Fragrant Orchids, In the News, Mini Orchids, Photos
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Monday, June 1st, 2020
It’s well-established that gardening is good for our health, and a new British study augments the evidence. Researchers from the University of Exeter and the Royal Horticultural Society analyzed data from almost 8,000 people. The study found the benefits of gardening to health and wellbeing were similar to the difference in health between people living […]
Categories: General Gardening, In the News, Misc
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