No long orchid name to battle here! Adas announce themselves with brilliant color. This mass of orange petals contains multiple flowers, and looks somewhat like a mound of shredded carrots. Fortunately, a solitary blossom also stands out for the camera. Related to Odontoglossums and Oncidiums, this Ada species is native to the Andes. It lives […]
The solstice seems a little like an afterthought this year. Winter’s early arrival across the northern half of the planet has kept record cold temps and snowfalls in the news. Here in SF, our winter rainy season started in earnest last month. Although the Phals and Cymbidiums are starting to grow flower spikes, not much […]
Blooming orchids make wonderful holiday gifts, and smart shoppers start by checking out these buying tips. Even after you’ve picked the right orchid, however, you may have a problem. Some people are terrified of orchids. I’ve seen an orchid gift provoke such fear in a friend’s eyes that it made me wonder if he would […]
If long Latin orchid names aren’t your thing, you’ll be happy to know that Odontoglossums are nicknamed Odonts (which rhymes with “no fonts.”) The Odont family includes over 100 species and countless human-made hybrids. Many varieties have long-lasting flowers. I’ve had this first one for years, and its brilliants pinks and yellows always take my […]
Last week’s wacky weather wasn’t limited to a mini heatwave; we also had a hailstorm. San Francisco’s mild weather seldom falls below freezing, but winter storms occasionally bring hail. It rarely does damage in our garden. After a powerful storm was punctuated by noisy hailstones, I saw that the leaves of the Brugmansia had been […]
Looking back over photos from the Oakland Orchid Show, I realized that one post didn’t do it justice. With so many beautiful blooms, Dave and I had more pictures to share. Just to start, here are rich colors from a Vanda, a Cattleya, and an Ascocenda. Remarkable colors are only part of the show. Large […]
Often I like to point out that many orchids are easy to grow, but some varieties deserve their difficult reputations. For example, this purple and white Comparettia ranks as one of the fussier members of the orchid family. It may resemble a simple Oncidium, but don’t be fooled. Cultivating these blooms takes some work. This Comparettia […]
Dave and I enjoyed some wonderful blooms and delicious scents in Oakland last weekend. The Orchid Society of California has been around since 1937, and they know how to put on a show. Just to start, here’s a brilliant orange Epidendrum, a fuzzy yellow Paph, and a sweet smelling Cattleya. Even though it’s nearby, just […]
How can an orchid be sinister? Orchid descriptions usually include words like beautiful and elegant, hardly the stuff of Halloween. Ghost Orchids, dead orchids, and weird orchids can spook you, but it’s the creepy Draculas that can scare you. Some Dracula varieties have a strange flower lip which looks, well, fleshy. You almost expect it […]
Centuries before the western world became fascinated with orchids, some eastern cultures were cultivating and revering them. For over 400 years, Japanese have grown fuu ran, the “wind orchid.” It’s known in English as Neofinetia, or the Samurai Orchid. This mini species is native to mountainside forests in southern Japan, southern Korea, and eastern China. […]
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