Well...while Christmas shopping for others yesterday, I picked up a cute phal at WalMart for $16.

Had to keep my strength up for shopping!

Already got my Xmas orchids. Parkside was having it's annual sale so I had my partner order early so he could save some moola. I got a Cattleya Walkeriana 'alba', Cattleya violacia 'Muse' and another Rhyncholealia glauca. Plus tomorrow is the Manhattan Orchid Society's holiday auction. I know there is a huge Brassavola Little Stars that I will not be out bid on :).

Another batch of Agdia virus test kits -- there is something wonderful about peace of mind -- and a small orchid order. I have lists of three or four plants from each of the three or four dealers I buy from during the winter because of their wonderful packaging and heat packs. Now to choose which dealer's list will be mine, while waiting for the holidays to be over.

Darn, it's cold this morning! Thankful for no wind.

My wishful thinking list includes room for more orchids and someone to take care of them on demand. :)

CJ - it's cold this morning here too but thankful for winds of only 4 mph. 13F right now, 16 for predicted high, and +2 tonight. LOL Couldn't resist.

Up here, once predicted temps get to around 5F or below, weather folks put plus and minus signs on them - so no one will get confused? 'Cause their brains are frozen?

Cj, you're gonna have to expand upon your post and tell us the orchids you're ordering so that we can drool.

Whitecat8, robots! soon there will be robots that we can program to water and fertlize. Actually if robots can cook and clean, I'd have more time to water and fertilize.

Elvis, nothing picks up my energy level like getting new orchids! not even coffee.

Smwboxer, good luck at the auction! Don't forget to post picks of your winnings!

My Xmas gift to myself is 2 Catts. 1 catt because I've had a stressful year (went back to school after being out of school for 10+ yrs). And another catt to make me feel better about the results I'm going to get from Critter Creek.

WC, it was 27F this morning when I was whining. I expect even lower temps during the winter, but it isn't winter yet ... sigh. Greenhouse heaters were really chugging.

dk, it is really difficult to choose between dealers and plants. It seems I always want only two or three new ones from each, making the shipping kind of wasteful.

1. Oak Hill
Aerangis brachycarpa
Aerangis cryptodon
Angraecum praestans
Gastrochilus fuscopunctatus
Kegeliella atropilosa - had one years ago, this will be a new seedling
Trichoglottis cirrhifera
(first three Angs are just duplicates so they don't count, I try to keep two of each Ang)

2. J & L
Ceratochilus biglandulosus
Angraecum infundibulare
Aerangis macrocentra

3. Andy's
Tuberolabium quisumbingii
Oberonia toppingi

4. C&H
Nakamotoara Newberry Apricot
Dtps Anna-Larati Soekardi 'Lenette #3' x Dtps Anna-Larati Soekardi 'Redlands'
Catyclia Corientes Paye' FCA 'Bartley Schwartz'

5. Hausermann
Rhyn. coelestis - my old plant is dying
Epidendrum nemorale
Phalaenopsis hieroglyphica 'Egyptian Lore' x self

A few other dealers with just one plant or so. I have to pick which I am going to order from. Space in the GH is limited so most are mini sized.

I have a very boring list.
Cattleya intermedia var. orlata 'Crown Fox' plus three seedlings of C. intermedia.
'Crown Fox' maybe/should be 'Crownfox'

Plus 60 orchids, nursery choice to be handed out as Pressies at the local orchid society Christmas Function.

CJ,

I saw that Dtps. and mini-vanda in C&H latest flier, it's got me thinking about an order also. I used to order quite a few from C&H, but didn't like the small sizes I usually received. I understand they are struggling right now, so maybe another order is appropriate.

Bob

Okay, I broke down and placed an order with Andy Phillips. They'll ship it when the weather warms a bit here (it's in the 20Fs at night now).

I ordered:

Jumellea densifoliata -- got one a couple years ago, killed it by moving it away from in front of the fan; seems to like breezy weather and rots otherwise. Andy still had one left.

Oberonia toppingi -- I have really started to enjoy Oberonias. The genus seems to do well here, and many are miniature to small plants.

Schoenorchis juncifolia -- this was a case of snooze/lose. I kept putting off ordering, and then it was no longer in the catalog. But Andy and Harry to the rescue! They still had one.

Platycerium madagascariensis -- okay, not an orchid. But I do grow a few of the rarer staghorn fern species which often look nothing like the common species sold at Lowe's.

Here is a link that might be useful: Platycerium madagascariense

I would love a Paphiopedilum! Not sure if I'll get one though.

Arthur - there is no such thing as a boring orchid list. Perish the thought. Besides, Cattleyas are never boring.

CJ - haahahaha, I feel like you enjoy shopping for them just as much as growing them! Great list!

Got my plants from Andy's midday. Wonderful, as always! The Schoenorchis juncifolia was not only a huge specimen plant (the stick -- well, limb -- was over 2' tall), and there were still a few leads blooming. The little Oberonia toppingi (the stick is 3" tall) has a spike starting. The multi-lead mounted Jumellea densifoliata doesn't appear to have bloomed yet. The staghorn of course only sets spores.

And you are absolutely right, dk, I LOVE to shop for orchids.

CJ - 27F in FL - whine on, girl! :) At least up here, we expect those temps and can deal with them.

Put me on the list for loving the orchid "hunt." You get look at as many orchid pix as you want, check out as many vendors as you like, (for me, anyway) check w/ vendors about details of growing conditions, email some for those orchids they don't list online, place the order, wait for the package, open it... I love the entire experience.

I'm not gonna get them anytime soon but if a Phal violacea coerulea, Phal violacea var Sumatra, and Phal violacea car Malaysia made their way under my tree I would be oh so happy.

Keep your eye on Ebay. Around Xmas, both before and after, bidding is notoriously weak. Some vendors put stuff out at ridiculous low prices. I bid on some of these without having any intention of incrersing the price. If you know what you want and where to find it on Ebay, this is the best time of the year to attewmpt to get it.

Nick

Not so bad, WC. We usually get a few nights in the teens every year, and we expect it -- we have big furnaces and insulated windows, etc. But the average winter night is around 40F unless a cold front comes in.

Truly wish I had a few violacea keikis to put under your Christmas tree, terp. In fact, I wish I had one under MY Christmas tree. I keep putting off buying a coerulea hoping to find one of exceptional color. But since there is no way I can actually do that by mail order, I guess one day I will face reality and just buy one and hope. Personally, I think the albas are gorgeous also.

If you want a violacea coerulea, contact H.P. and Katherine Norton at Orchidview. They offer unbloomed (large)seedlings for $35. All of them are from their blue program and they are dark.

I got this one from them five years ago - violacea 'Blue Genes' x 'Indigo Blue'

{{gwi:197193}}

Terp I think Norman and Big Leaf have the other two violaceas you are interested in.

Brooke

Thank you, Brooke! That one is absolutely stunning. Now to massage the piggy bank.

Aw, thanks CJ. What about a flask from OrchidView? You're never gonna get true blue, might as well get a flask and see what comes out! His blue breeding has come a long way!

Brooke, I've been coveting their blue breeding program for a couple years now. Any coerulean violacea will definitely come from them, when I do get it. I have a horrible history with bellina, but the one violacea I grew once upon a time was indestructible. I got the violacea bug again recently, and bought a Phal Samera (from blue breeding, but didn't come out blue) and a Phal violacea alba at our orchid show this past october, both in spike. If I can keep these alive and rebloom them come this fall, not only will I finally get over the very strong buyer's remorse at spending $60 on these a piece, but I will without a doubt become a wild and crazy violacea collector, quite possibly forgoing the rest of my orchid collection for them (unless I can finally succeed with long petaled multifloral paphs, in which case I can make room.)

I got a compot of the Norton's Phal. Samera coerulea and they all came out darker than a normal violacea x bellina. The regular type carries the magenta markings and the coerulea have a "hint" of blue. Here is one of my Samera coerulea {{gwi:197208}} When making this cross they used one of their blue violacea but a bellina coerulea is much lighter. Doing some sib crosses or 1/2 bro/sis could produce a much darker pattern.

Your Samera and alba will bloom next summer, not in the fall. You should also get more spikes as the warmer temps set in. If you can grow a violacea you can grow a bellina right next to it. Neither will appreciate being left on your balcony in 40 degree weather :>)

Brooke

Brooke both those plants are just adorable!

Lol! No more balcony! I bought a house last may. Now it's my front porch They are much more exposed to the elements than they were on that balcony so I'm a little more gentle with them. Things definitely came in earlier this year! And I made sure the Samera and violacea came in when the temps got below 70f at night.

You know, people have been saying that to me for years: bellina and violacea need the exact same culture and have equal ease (or lack thereof) of culture. but i always, without fail, have killed bellina. My violacea, I'd dehydrate the thing, overwater, keep it in next to no light, or otherwise abuse the hell it and it would reward me with 5 new spikes a month. So Im not convinced :)

I actually did mean fall in this case. I know they rebloom in the summer, they just have until the fall to impress me :)

I assumed you were giving your vio decent culture :>)

Both of these species do grow in reduced light - 800 fc is more than ample for them.

Five new spikes a month? Maybe I need culture tips from you since two new ones a year is the best I can do.

Brooke

nope, no decent culture for that poor thing, but it kept going. I was in college, so it was passing between home where nobody watered it, and college where it had no decent growing area. To make matters worse, it was in a basket rather than a pot.

Ok, maybe that was slight hyperbole :) I was getting maybe 2-3 spikes per year. But it was such a behemoth it probably coulda! It was huge, 14" LS with a basal keiki. Got it as a gift of sorts.

It' so easy isn't it, to draw up a wish list. It' s better tho think about what might grow well in my conditions though...