Latest addition to my Phalenopsis family!

[Pippa]

I wanted to see if I could manage to upload a photo, so my newest addition has given me the perfect excuse! I absolutely love the colour - the photo doesn't do it justice, it's such a deep, rich shade. I found it at a well known DIY store and it was one of the few orchids in reasonable condition. Probably just as well none of them were reduced or I'd have come home with a carload of 'rescues', but there was no way I was paying full price for orchids with no roots or only one leaf!

Anyway, hope this works and you can see the photo.

[jcec1]

That's a really unusual DIY store phalaenopsis. The ones I see are usually white, pink or blue!

[Pippa]

They did have some really unusual colours, including some speckled/harlequin ones and some 'wild' type orchids, but they were all still in their plastic sleeves and jammed really tightly together, so sadly most of them were in a terrible state. This was about the best one there, and it's still quite battered, but it looks a strong, healthy plant with good roots, so I'm hopeful it will do well.

[jkofferdahl]

Beautiful color and a nice shape. Congratulations.

[rbarata]

That's a beautiful flower, indeed. Good choice!

[Dollythehun]

Beautiful, rich color! Good find. I found a beauty at Lowe's. It was on its way to the cart when I took my eyes off the flowers and saw it had no roots. You are a savy shopper, Pippa.

[bil]

Nice orchid.

I call that the 'buy to die' market since so many of the orchids are doomed, one way or another to end up in the bin.

[chantrelle]

That is a pretty nice colour. Hope It will be a sucesssfull rescue.

[D_novice]

Originally Posted by bil

Nice orchid.

I call that the 'buy to die' market since so many of the orchids are doomed, one way or another to end up in the bin.

I started out my orchid obsession on the cheap, taking people's out of bloom, retail-purchased phals (and the occasional Cymbidium) and reblooming them. It's a great way to impress friends and family!

If you take them out of their sphag and pot them in bark, and water and feed them appropriately, and give them good light, in my experience they'll do fine.

Most people water them twice a week in moss, or neglect them completely, and kill them. But it doesn't need to be that way!

I often wish my fancy-pants plants, collectible hybrids and species that I have now, were so tough and easy. Maybe I should go back to rescuing neglected orchids

[DeaC]

WOW...I couldn't pass this one up either. So HOT!