Archive for the 'Warm Growers' Category

Exploring the Palm House at Kew Gardens

Thursday, August 13th, 2015

The Palm House is a remarkable, historic masterpiece, and also home to a living, tropical rainforest. First opened in 1848, this glasshouse stands as an icon of Kew Gardens. The Palm House’s enormous steel frame holds 16,000 panes of glass. Along with tropical palms, it features many more exotic plants, too. Orchids hang throughout the […]

Orchid Care For A Hot Summer

Friday, June 5th, 2015

Summer is coming, and it looks like it’s going to be a hot one. Orchids can survive heat waves with some basic care tips. Check these helpful hints when temperatures soar. Give orchids water when they dry out, but be careful not to drown your plants. High humidity is more important than repeated waterings in […]

Cynorkis: A Mini Orchid from Madagascar

Tuesday, January 13th, 2015

Cynorkis fastigiata is an unusual orchid from some unusual islands. It would be easy to mistake for a couple blades of grass, except for its strange flowers hovering above. This small species is native to Madagascar and nearby islands in the Indian Ocean: the Seychelles, the Comoros, Mauritius, and Reunion. This species can grow as […]

Ghost Orchid Time-Lapse

Saturday, November 15th, 2014

Enjoy these two short, time-lapse videos featuring the blooms of rare Ghost Orchids. It’s easy to see why these flowers inspire so much fascination and intrigue.  In the first video, a small flower spike emerges from the roots of this bizarre, leafless orchid species. The growing spike unfurls a perfect Ghost Orchid flower, revealed in […]

More Orchids from Foster Botanical Garden

Monday, November 10th, 2014

I’ve already sung the praises of Honolulu’s Foster Botanical Garden on this blog. In addition to posts about Foster’s orchids, including the biggest orchid in the world, and giant Grammatophyllums, here’s another post with more of Dave’s great photos. For readers who are already feeling winter’s chill, I hope these tropical beauties in sunny Hawaii will […]

Grammatophyllum Orchids

Thursday, October 9th, 2014

Grammatophyllum orchids make a big impression. These large beauties are native to hot, steamy jungles in Southeast Asia and the Pacific. Dave and I have seen them in Hawaii before, but never in bloom until our recent visit to Foster Botanical Garden in Honolulu. We not saw only one, but three different Grammatophyllum varieties flowering […]

The Biggest Orchid in the World

Monday, September 22nd, 2014

Welcome today’s change of seasons with the Tiger Orchid, the biggest orchid in the world! Dave and I spotted this jumbo beauty during our recent visit to Foster Botanical Garden in Honolulu. This was the first time we’ve ever seen one in bloom. The Tiger Orchid’s Latin name, Grammatophyllum speciosum, seems to fit this large […]

Orchids at Foster Botanical Garden

Monday, September 15th, 2014

If you want to see orchids in Honolulu, visit Foster Botanical Garden. Hawaii’s oldest botanical garden showcases exotic orchids in several areas of its 13.5 acre (5.5 hectare) grounds. Photos from our recent visit start below with three spectacular blossoms: a Tiger Orchid, a Leopard Orchid, and a purple Miltonia. These warm growers are the […]

Honolulu’s Blooms

Monday, September 8th, 2014

Hawaii’s beauty takes many forms. During a recent trip to Honolulu, Dave and I enjoyed warm sun and the clear, blue ocean, but with our cameras, we found much more. Amid the hotels, restaurants, and souvenir shops, busy Waikiki is a good place to find botanical beauty. These first three photos came from our hotel […]

A Kaleidoscope of Orchids in Singapore

Saturday, August 16th, 2014

Singapore is in full bloom for the Singapore Garden Festival, and, of course, orchids are a big part of the show. The event opens today and runs until August 24th. The 33 foot (10 m) tall wall of orchids in this video is only one of the amazing displays. In the second video, an enormous […]