2012 spring project - FINAL POLL (participants only)
 

And finally the thread that you have all been waiting for, the final poll!!! :biggrin:

Participants only, (other votes will be removed) and pick your favorite!! You have 48 hours to vote. If the vote ends with 2 plants tied for 1st, then we will have a quick tiebreaker poll.

Sorry for the low number of plants, I had A LOT of trouble finding plants with enough available for everyone. For the Bulbo, if it wins you have the choice between the B.lobbii, or the very similar (and synonymous) B.sumatranum

Photos of each:
Sophronitis cernua: IOSPE PHOTOS
Bulbo lobbi: IOSPE PHOTOS or Bulbo sumatranum: IOSPE PHOTOS
Paph purpuratum: IOSPE PHOTOS A better pic of it: Carter and Holmes


You are free to buy the winning plant where ever you want, at whatever price you want. But for Canada (6 participants) and the USA (34 people) I did make sure that there were available at one or more growers in sufficient quantities below the price limits we set. EU I did not double check since at least 2 growers sell each of them and only 7 people.
Though growers had enough a week ago, I can not guarantee that it's still the case!

Also, I did not find enough of either Bulbo lobbii (but enough of sumatranum) in the US, so some people may have to get one, and some people the other.

So ready, set VOTE!!!
And if you really really don't like the winner or already have it, then it's fine if you don't buy the plant in the end.

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For those of you who want to know where I've found each plant so far, here you go! (and as of last week, quantity available in US in parentheses) This does not mean that they are nowhere else!

USA:
Sophronitis cernua: J&L (20), Ebayer cshaz (20- posted on OB about it, with pics), Botanica Ltd (some- waiting for amount)
Bulbo lobbii: Fantasy Orchids (20- not on their [B]website), Clan orchids (but didn't check quantity)
Bulbo sumatranum: J&L (34+)
Paph purpuratum: Carter and Holmes (34+)

Canada
Sophronitis cernua: Hawaiian botanicals
Bulbo lobbii: Paramount (don't know quantity)
Bulbo sumatranum: Paramount (but limited)
Paph purpuratum: ForestView Gardens

EU
Sophronitis cernua: Elsner, Akerne
Bulbos: Schwerter, Burnham, Elsner, Großräschener (slightly over at 22€), Nardotto
Paph purpuratum: Elsner, Schwerter

Any chance of getting a list of vendors you sourced the plants at? My apologies if this has been posted elsewhere.

Thank you for pulling all of this together! I'm excited about this project.

-Tristan

Sure, I'll add that to the first post. I never posted it anywhere.

too bad we didnt get a reply from paramount!

Anyone care to sell me on the appeal of the bulbo, in case it wins? I've been looking at pictures online, and frankly it seems like a whole lot of unassuming plant... for one earthtoned flower on a short spike.

And yet it seems rather popular around here. So what's the pitch? :-)

Were you after the Angraecum, Bob? : )

I think the lobbii is cute, that's my motivation! (though I didn't vote for it it was my very close second)

As for the Angraecum, if anyone is to blame for its absence on the list, blame Paramount... I'm really upset about that. Being listed as 'limited' I couldn't take the risk of their not being enough. A shame because there were at least 5 growers in the US selling it.

I like the lobbii, the other one, not so much - although the colors to remind me of rainbow sherbert!

I'm the opposite, I like the sumatranum better, I sort of find the lobii gaudy... different strokes I guess :)

I wasn't mad on the colour of the bulbo either initially, but it's the structure of the flower that I think is amazing. It's very sculptural, very solid. No frills!

Having said that, I voted for the soph, but I'm still getting the bulbo! :)