brooklynorchids | Brooklyn Orchids

Orchid of the Week: Dracula vampira

May 7, 2010 1 Comment

Dracula is real! In orchid form, anyway. This past week I discovered that there is a genus of orchids named Dracula, so of course I had to pick one for this week’s featured orchid (vamps are SO HOT RIGHT NOW). So of course there is a variety called Dracula vampira—and like its undead namesake, it is dark and a little spooky:

Dracula vampira orchid — Photo credit: dogtooth77, Flickr

Dracula vampira is native to the mountains of Transylvania Ecuador and Colombia. Look at the flowy capes on these guys! No sparkly vamps here, just pure beauty.

Pretty spectacular, right? Who knew such flowers existed?? The incredible variety in appearance is one of the things I love about orchids, and the names can be super fun too. I wonder when there will be a Dracula vampira named ‘Edward‘…if there isn’t already. Personally, I’d like to see a ‘Stefan‘, or maybe even a ‘Damon‘. 🙂

My Orchid Garden

Newest Orchid Additions to My Home

May 2, 2010 No Comments

My three new Phals from Orchids by Hausermann arrived on Friday afternoon — and I was pleasantly surprised to find that one of them is already in bloom! Check ’em out:

New orchids from Hausermann's — L to R: Phal. amboinensis, P. mannii x self, P. Cranberry Queen ‘Regal’

The P. manii blooms are teeny tiny; see how they compare to a quarter?

It’s hard to convey the absolute adorableness of these itsy-bitsy blooms in photos, but below is more detailed shot of a P. manii bloom. And by the way, these blooms do have a very subtle fragrance; to me they have a vague aroma of cinnamon.

And look, the P. amboinensis has a little spike starting to poke out from the stem! The little nub on the left is the spike. Spikes can be hard to identify, but remember that the spikes are flatter at the tip than roots when they begin to appear.

Phal amboinensis spike growth — New P. amboinensis spike growth

So far, seems like another successful purchase from Hausermann’s. Each of my new orchids has nice long silvery roots and a couple of them have new leaves starting to grow out of the top of the crown. Oh yeah, and one of the best things about my new orchid plants? I only spent $40.50 on them, including shipping! Seriously, orchids CAN be affordable; you just need to know where to look. 🙂

Orchid of the Week

Introducing…Orchid of the Week!

April 30, 2010 2 Comments

The other night I was lying in bed and thought it would be fun to do a new feature on my blog where we take a look at a different type of orchid each week. The breadth of variety within the orchid family is astounding and I’m constantly finding out about orchids that I’ve never seen before.

So I’m going to feature a different orchid each Friday, partly for educational purposes, but mostly for marveling at pretty orchid photos. 🙂 Just one of the sources I’ll use to select orchids for these posts is 300 Orchids: Species, Hybrids & Varieties in Cultivation by Jane Boosey, which in and of itself holds tons of photos and information about orchids I’ve never even heard of. And (duh) it only has 300 kinds! According to Wikipedia there are up to 26,000 species of orchids…which, in my mind, may as well be infinity.

Alright, so after that windup, the the orchid I’ve chosen for the first Orchid of the Week installment is Encyclia cochleata, aka Prosthechea cochleata. According to Bloom-Again Orchids by judywhite, the name may even be changed again, to Anacheilium cochleatum.

This orchid is also known as the cockleshell orchid or the octopus orchid; the reason why is pretty clear. The blooms can be fragrant and the plant is a native grower in Florida (where it is endangered), among other countries like Colombia and Venezuela. I just think it’s freakin’ adorable — I mean look at it! This is one of the more unique-looking orchids that I’ve come across so far (with my fairly limited orchid knowledge).

This orchid variety tends to have long-lasting blooms and can even have blooms throughout most of the year. How cool is that!? I would definitely like to try growing an Encyclia cochleata at some point in my life. 🙂

Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Events

To Do This Weekend: Sakura Matsuri at BBG

April 29, 2010 No Comments

Brooklyn Botanic Garden‘s Sakura Matsuri (aka Cherry Blossom Festival) is this weekend and you can bet that I’ll be there! The weather is supposed to be gorgeous all weekend, which gets me even more excited because it’s been wet, cold, and windy all week.

I went to the festival for the first time last year and loved it. Already this year the cherry blossom trees are past their peak bloom, but I’m sure it will still be a beautiful visit.

The festival is Saturday, May 1 from 10:00am to 6:00pm and Sunday, May 2 from 10:00am to 7:00pm. Tickets are $15 for adults, $10 for seniors and students. BBG members and children under 12 get in free.

One thing to note is that the 2/3 trains aren’t in service this weekend, but you can still get to the garden by taking the 4/5 train to the Eastern Parkway-Brooklyn Museum stop. Gotta love the MTA…especially on weekends.

My Orchid Garden

More Orchids Coming My Way!

April 27, 2010 4 Comments

I’ve done it again: I ordered more orchids from Orchids by Hausermann. Awhile back I ordered five orchids from them, each on sale, and I was pleased with my order. So I just placed an order for three more orchids (each of which, by the way, is super affordable). Photos below are from the Hausermann’s website and are images of what each of the plant’s blooms should look like. I picked these three because they have pretty unique-looking blooms; they don’t look like your standard Phals. And the second two shown are supposed to be fragrant, which is fairly uncommon in Phals.

Phal. amboinensis ($8!)

Phal. Cranberry Queen ‘Regal’ ($10!)

Phal. mannii x self ($10!)

Because the weather is much warmer than it was when I placed my first order from Hausermann’s, this order should arrive much faster. None of them will be in bloom, or even, in spike, but regardless I’m totally excited!!

How-To, Orchid Beginner Tips

A Basic Guide to Buying Orchids

April 27, 2010 11 Comments

Selecting an orchid to buy can be quite a decision. For those who simply want the instant gratification of something lovely to display in their home, the “Oooh, pretty, I’ll take it!” method works just fine. But if you’re buying an orchid with the long term in mind, there are a few things you’ll want to look for before you head to the checkout counter. Bear in mind that these tips are mainly for Phalaenopsis orchids, but the general principles will work for many other orchid varieties as well.

As always, I’ve included photo examples for your viewing pleasure.