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I recently put in an order at Norman's orchid nursery, or better known as orchids.com, after weeks and weeks of deliberation. I picked over the website constantly, looking for new orchids or trying to make up my mind about a possible candidate. But finally, now the the weather is officially warming up (we hit the 90's early this month) I wanted to put in a big order. Luckily, they allow you to pick up your online order in person to wave the shipping fee and its well worth the visit every single time. The place is beautiful and made up of several greenhouses locked together to create room after room of amazing orchids.
Phalaenopsis Timothy Christopher 'Floribunda'
This phalaenopsis is a showstopper! While I am a fan but not a collector of white phals, this one is a standout. It is a hybrid that is incredibly floriferous with flowers that are white with a slightly yellow lip, and like most phals, without fragrance. It was described as a tiny blooming tree and I am pleased to say the effect is as described. Magnolia currently has forty-two flowers in full bloom, each the size of a bottle cap. She is a healthy, happy plant from the looks of things and I look forward to seeing her display every year!
Phalaenopsis Sogo Perfume 'Sweet'
This phalaenopsis is a sweet surprise, she is very fragrant! Perfume is a smaller plant and it looks like she is a brancher, though I don't have much hope that the branches will continue developing since I repotted her immediately. Her flowers are waxy with good substance and a lovely shade of yellow. Her petals and lip have a nice blush of pink color and her bottom sepals have a little spotting. Her roots system was extensive so I have high hopes she will pull through the repot with minimal stress.
Phalaenopsis (Timothy Christopher x minus)
This was one of the orchids I agonized over when it was listed in the website. This tiny hybrid is just too endearing with those small round leaves and tiny, adorably freckled little flowers. I fell in love with Minnie as soon as I saw her but struggled with the impulse to buy her because she just isn't fragrant. I left her off my online order but when I went to pick up my orchids and saw her in real life I just couldn't resist. Fragrance or no, this little orchid was mine when my eyes landed on her and I can't say I regret the decision.
Phalaenopsis schilleriana
I had initially ordered a phalaenopsis cornu-cervi but it was out of stock when I showed up, much to my lament. But my spirits were immediately soothed when I saw this seedling amongst the aisles. Butterfly is a very young plant but her roots are in great condition and her leaves are looking healthy and happy. I hope she does well and grows into the monster I suspect she can become.
Sedirea japonica
Here is an orchid I was able to cross off my wishlist! While this orchid was reclassified as a phalaenopsis, I will refer to it by its old species name because its easier to differentiate. Ginger is a younger plant though I do believe she will reach maturity soon if the repotting process doesn't set her back too badly. I don't see any sign of old flower spikes so I'm looking forward to any she will give me. The description for this orchid on the website states that this particular hybrid has a ginger-like smell, but I've heard the fragrance described also as being fruity, citrusy, or lemony. Since she is from a seedling population, the fragrance will vary from plant to plant so I won't know until I take a sniff. I eagerly await those blooms.
Dendrobium Christy Dawn
This is a smaller hybrid of the popular dendrobium. I loved the smaller sized dendrobiums and this one with its creamy white petals and contrasting orange and yellow lip is just breathtaking. The fact that those flowers can last months is just frosting on the cake. Dawn is just a charmer all over since those compact canes are covered in tiny black hairs. She can blooms from both old and new canes 2-3 times a year. All these things make up for the fact that she is not fragrant.
Dendrobium auriculatum
This gorgeously bushy specimen is Panda, my bamboo lookalike. This dendrobium's canes are thin and covered in glossy green leaves. This species type is evergreen and can bloom all year round from both older and newer canes. The small white flowers are described as having a jasmine fragrance so I look forward to his first flowering. The repotting process for this guy was a disaster though as the roots were completely pot bound. This plant should have been repotted at least a year ago. The roots have completely taken over the sphagnum moss ball it originally came in to the point that when I tried to gently pull them back to remove the decaying moss, I found another layer of roots waiting for me. At this point I figured it was better to just pot her up as she is, since trying to remove the rest of the sphagnum moss would only hurt her more than help her. Hopefully new roots will grow into the leca without any problems while the old roots in the sphagnum eventually fail and die off.
Brassavola cordata
This little cutie is another one of the orchids I got to cross off my wishlist! Luna is a night-blooming orchid which means she releases her famous citrusy fragrance only in the evenings. I have been looking for a small brassavola type orchid and here she is. She is at mature size with plenty of pseudobulbs and one new growth just starting to swell up. I'm going to keep her in her original plastic pot and medium until the growth is big enough that I feel it will put out new roots. Her flowers are green with a frilly cream lip and her petals and sepals are long and thing in a star shape.
Ett. Hsiang Yu Gold Coast 'Sunkiss'
This cattleya hybrid is looking so lovely since she was at the perfect time for a repot. Tiger made my order list long ago with flowers that look wild in bold red with yellow picotee and a boldly patterned lip in the same colors. She is supposed to be fragrant as well which I will be eagerly awaiting.
Blc. Shinfong Jewel 'Red Dragonfly'
This cattleya hybrid is a bit bigger than Tiger, but not anything too crazy and is at mature size. Dragonfly is a healthy, bushy looking orchid with plump pseudobulbs that have cut flower spikes. Her flowers are bright, orange star shaped blooms with red flush on the petals and lip. She is supposed to have long-lasting fragrant flowers which will be gorgeous if the pictures are anything to go by.
Paphiopedilum primulinum var purpurascens
This lovely specimen was another that I couldn't resist when I saw in her real life. The sample flower was just too adorable and so I grabbed one of the bushier pots for myself. Primadonna is in great shape with a large, healthy root system and two fans. She has two new growths coming up on the side which is why I picked this pot in particular. She is a sequential bloomer which means she has the potential to flower for months. No fragrance on this orchid but the adorable fuzzy, curling sepals and pink pouch on this green-flowered orchid makes up for it with charm.