More fall orchid blooms

It has definitely been the best fall in awhile for me in terms of orchids blooming.

As I wrote on Twitter and below, two orchids I bought in Spring 2007 at the Vancouver Island Orchid Society show bloomed for me for the first time this fall. Maxillaria meleagris just finished blooming, and it looks like I should be getting some flowers on my Dendrobium kingianum as well!

Also in bloom right now a Paph. sukhakulii X and my Dendrobium monoliforme. And it looks like flowers are developing on both Coelogyne cristata (will be the first from this clipping!) and also on Coel. flaccida. Fingers crossed!

First bloom on Maxillaria meleagris!

I am very excited that my Maxillaria meleagris has bloomed for me for the first time. Below is a picture of the flower and it definitely has a scent which I am still attempting to place. According to the Internet Orchid Species Photo Encyclopedia, it is supposed to smell like coconut, but try as I might, it doesn't seem coconutty at all to me. To me it smells grape-like but not fruity grape, perfumy-grape.

Anyways, luckily I haven't slacked off too badly with my orchid record keeping: I thought I purchased this orchid in Toronto but in fact it came from the Victoria Orchid Society show in spring 2007 before we moved away from the west coast. Really happy to see it bloom and that also means that the orchids are finally acclimatizing to Ontario and our new house.

National Geographic feature article on orchids

The September 2009 National Geographic issue features an article on orchids, specifically orchid mimicry, written by Michael Pollan with photographs by Christian Ziegler.

Check out the amazing photo gallery that accompanies this article and has some fantastic shots!

New nature series: The wild orchid man

How exciting is this! A new nature series, Wild Orchid Man, follows

"Stig Dalström, noted orchid curator, botanist, artist and author, and filmmaker Darryl Saffer, as they explore exotic terrain from South America to Bhutan searching for wild orchids in the pursuit of important knowledge about their continued survival in an increasingly hostile world."

The pilot episode is set in the "Ghost Orchid Swamp" and pilot screenings will be held starting tonight in Florida. For more details see link to series website above.

You can support this "first educational series focused on wild orchids and their ecosystems" by purchasing the pilot episode on DVD for $25.

Blog: Florida's native orchids

Prem Subrahmanyam has created a blog about Florida's native orchids. He's got some pictures and updates on the ghost orchid that has recently bloomed on a bald cypress tree in the Corkscrew Swamp, just outside Naples.

The blog includes information about Ghost Orchid special hotel rates. This post is a bit late, but Prem reports that as of July 20, there were nine blooms on the ghost in the Corkscrew with five more buds yet to open on the plant, which came into bloom on July 7.

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Gongora in bloom

My Gongora galeata is in bloom right now. Can't remember if this is the first time it has bloomed since our move to Toronto ... either way it's nice to see (and smell). It's the only orchid I have in bloom right now. Better enjoy it while it lasts!