Orchid of the Week: Neotina maculata

I know St. Patty’s Day is over, but today I’m featuring the “Irish Orchid”—Neotina maculata (side note: I recently discovered after doing some genealogy research on Ancestry.com that I have a bit of Irish blood!). This plant is also known as the “Dense-flowered orchid,” and as one of its nicknames suggests, it can be found in Ireland. The orchid reminds me a bit of a sprig of hyacinth:

Photo credit: Karl Hauser, Flickr
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Orchid of the Week: Oncidium Gower Ramsey

The Oncidium Gower Ramsey is a beautiful yellow orchid known as the “Dancing Lady Orchid,” and I think it’s easy to see why:

Photo credit: ottawaorchidsociety.com

I chose this festive, cheerful orchid because it represents how I feel about going to The Orchid Show: On Broadway today! I’m doing a little happy dance inside just thinking about all the amazing flowers that I’m gonna see!!!

Photo credit: orchidgalore, Flickr
Photo credit: michaelbrkly, Flickr

Honestly, I’m too excited to really say much about this week’s orchid. Stay tuned for lots and lots of photos from my orchid show visit!

Orchid of the Week: Zygolum Louisendorf

I’ve mentioned previously that Zygopetalums are one of my favorite types of orchids. Well, I discovered a similar orchid in the December 2010 issue of Orchids magazine, called Zygolum. It’s a hybrid of Zygopetaum and Zygosepalum, and is apparently less susceuptible to black spots that are often found on Zygopetalum foliage (both of my own Zygos have these spots). For this post, I’m focusing on the variety “Zygolum Louisendorf.”

These orchids are just drop dead GORGEOUS.

Photo credit: Ron-NY, slippertalk.com
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Orchid of the Week: Phalaenopsis White Dream

I missed posting an Orchid of the Week yesterday because my boyfriend and I made a trip to Spa Castle, a really awesome and affordable Korean Day spa in Queens. I’m posting today instead, and my visit to the spa got me thinking about how some spas use white Phalaenopsis orchids in their advertising. And in movies/on TV, a lot of spas and massage places have white orchids as part of their decor. I suppose these orchids with long sprays of giant, pure white blooms are synonymous with relaxation and pampering in the spa world. So…this week’s orchid is the Phalaenopsis White Dream, apparent spa orchid of choice:

Photo credit: garden-photos-com.photoshelter.com
Photo credit: rangiku, orchidboard.com
Photo credit: orchidsbyhausermann.com
Photo credit: bloom-japan.net

Amazingly, I don’t have one of these in my own collection, though they are popular and sold almost everywhere I go to buy orchids. However, my friend recently received a big white orchid (actually 2 plants potted together) at work from a vendor, and I’m going to pick it up from her office so that I can pot the plants separately and care for them at home. I will be the proud owner of these “spa orchid” beauties very soon!  🙂

Orchid of the Week: Bulbophyllum Putidum

My brother is currently traveling in Thailand during a break from teaching in China. So this week I decided to feature an orchid native to Thailand, where in the next few days my brother is going to be ziplining, riding an elephant, going to a flower festival (yay!), trekking to local tribes in the hills, and more.

Upon googling orchids native to Thailand, I discovered the crazy little gem that is Bulbophyllum putidum:

Bulbophyllum putidum
Photo credit: mass…imiliano, Flickr
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