Hello - Newbie from the UK

[sunny1743]

Originally Posted by UKCat

Nice looking Phal the best plants are the 1/2 price ones in good condition.
I was more of a sucker for the sick Paphs ... I would go out to Harlow garden center and see what was on offer, not a good idea as they have quite a good mixed noid orchid selection most of the year.

I got a Paph back in April that wasn't too happy. The flower was dying, but it was riddled with greenfly. In fact that has also recently flowered.

[UKCat]

That looks very much like a Paph. King Arthur, very nice
Another good one to look out for if you are into the deep dark colours is Paph. Black Jack.
If you can find them the sequential flowering Pinnocchio's are great and they come in several colours
Here is my yellow one.

[Hedge]

Superb Paph - I love these in the dark colours!!

I lived off Church lane and used to go to a Chinese on that road a lot - happy days

[sunny1743]

Thanks UKCat, I was thinking I should try to identify my orchids. I had a rough idea of what colour it would be when I got it, but it's much nicer than I thought it would be.

Hedge, Acton has certainly changed a lot since the 80's... and not always for the better unfortunately.

help, I've just discovered another Phal NOID that is fragranced. It's a subtle Rose scent. Pic below.

My orchid order arrived in the last few hours. I have officially started taking over other rooms with my collection, namely the bathroom, ...and it includes another scented orchid, Phal 'Mini Mark'.

[Call_Me_Bob]

Originally Posted by sunny1743

Thanks for the welcome everyone.



It's a small world, Hedge. I actually live in Acton.

@UKCat, I've already run out of space, but it doesn't seem to have stopped me.

@help, some of my orchids that required TLC have been ones other than Phals, some have been reduced just because they weren't in flower. I think my best bargin was a half price Burrageara Nelly Isler in perfect condition with 2 flower spikes.

As for the fragrant Phal it's a NOID. It's a hyacinth scent as far as I can tell. A picture of the flower is attached. It looks bigger than it actually is. In reality it's only 5cm.

i have bought a few phals that really needed tlc, but that was when i first got started. but now i dont buy a phal if it is sickly. but alot of stuff i buy at box stores, is discount. but its discount because they were done blooming. i always ask for a discount if it doesnt have flowers! and i havent been let down yet! i think the best deal i have got was 50% off a dendrobium that was done blooming. but upon closer inspection by me, i found the beginnings for 4 spikes!! thats right, 4!! my avatar is the resulting bloom from that den

by the way, you can call me bob lol

[Zdenglan]

I too am guilty of rescuing dillapidated discounted noids from the trollies of death.... My best bargain was a huge phal noid originally £29.99 and I got it for £1 because it was finished flowering and it was covered in mealybugs. It is in spike now after two years of not doing much... the buds are swelling and I am dead excited......feels great!

[sunny1743]

Originally Posted by Zdenglan

I too am guilty of rescuing dillapidated discounted noids from the trollies of death.... My best bargain was a huge phal noid originally £29.99 and I got it for £1 because it was finished flowering and it was covered in mealybugs. It is in spike now after two years of not doing much... the buds are swelling and I am dead excited......feels great!

Whenever I do look at orchids, I bypass all the healthy ones and go for the ones past their best or have something wrong with them. I then ask myself, 'I wonder how much of a discount I can get on this one.'

It's a great feeling to get an orchid to reflower. I'm even happy when an orchid gets a new leaf.

[Call_Me_Bob]

I do that sometime too. But I never bought an unhealthy one, just a discounted one.

I have been really good lately though, and now I can resist the temptation to buy noids. Because I'm really getting sick of not knowing what something is. In fact, I have been so good lately, that I think I should reward myself with MORE ORCHIDS!!!!!

[sunny1743]

Originally Posted by help

I do that sometime too. But I never bought an unhealthy one, just a discounted one.

I have been really good lately though, and now I can resist the temptation to buy noids. Because I'm really getting sick of not knowing what something is. In fact, I have been so good lately, that I think I should reward myself with MORE ORCHIDS!!!!!

LOL. I think I'm starting to build up a resistance to buying noids, but sometimes I see the colour of the fowers and I just have to have it. That's what happened with my 'Nelly Isler'.

[RosieC]

I like getting the ones discounted because they have stopped flowering, but not the ones that look sick. Soooo many shops discount them right down to £1 though when they have stopped flowering

I do have more of a resistance to NoID's though now, only because I have so many NoID phals I just don't need any more