WaterWitchin's Bloomers

[piping plover]

Beautiful display on both of those!

[Leafmite]

Really nice! I like all the Dendrobiums.

[WaterWitchin]

I haven't been showing my bloomers much lately, and thought I would show a couple. This is that same Phal Summer Rose. Started blooming first week of July. Now on December 25th... it just won't stop, and I'm not complaining.



Now this is a Brassavola cordata that is co-existing with a fern. I pulled the fern out twice, but it insisted. There's six spikes on this one in different states of growth. Pretty sure the fern and Brass are soulmates. Gonna leave it as is...



And last, something interesting. I've had this Paph for quite some time, probably 2012 or 13. After repotting to a bigger container, it didn't bloom past two years. Now it has one fully open bloom, and a teeny start of a new spike on another one. Spent its time colonizing, or perhaps raising its own village. Here's the bloom...





Can't remember name, and the tag is too faded for these old eyes to see. If anyone may recognize it, shout out the name. I'll remember if I hear it. I'd like to know its ancestry. Because here's the weird part. I have two new starts in this colony, and all of a sudden they're variegated.



What the heck? I can't wait for one of them to get old enough to throw up a spike so I can see what the bloom looks like in comparison. Thus, why I'd like to look up its parentage.

[Roberta]

Woo hoo! Love that Phal. Any chance that's Paph insigne or hybrid thereof? If you can make out even part of the name, I'm pretty good at sussing out the rest of it. Photo of the tag if there is anything legible might help.

[rbarata]

Any chance that's Paph insigne or hybrid thereof?

I agree. there's some insigne in it.
Maybe this will help.

[estación seca]

If that's a new variegation you probably have something very valuable. I hope you still talk to us when you're rich.

[Dorchid]

That paph is a beast, WW!

[WaterWitchin]

Well, yup, that's it. Paph insigne. I have always had a few paphs and phrags, but not all that familiar with them. With the hint from Roberta and rbarata, it was fairly easy to "read" the tag. New ink coming up.

But isn't that variegation weird? Seriously, why would it all of a sudden decide to become a tiger? And how does that make me wealthy? WW is confused.

[estación seca]

Variegation is rare and valuable. People collect variegated plants.

[Shadeflower]

well WW, you breed the plant, grow the seedlings for a decade, hope the seedlings inherit the variegation and sell them all for a piece of gold.

I know vey little on the variegation and it is genetic but I think there is more to it. I swear I have seen people buy a variegated plant for the plant to then grow out of the variegation in their care so how does one explain that?

Orchids have added the wealth of their beauty for me but I have stopped dreaming of the days they will make me rich. Money doesn't grow on orchids unfortunately and the time it takes doesn't really make them a sound investment.

Even DC was mentioning rare orchids he tries to find, although they seem expensive on the whole if it is a once in a lifetime find on something then they can seem cheap at the same time.

I am actually considering buying a very expensive for me orchid this year.

In the past I'd get seedlings but it will take so long to grow those I am tempted to just pay full whack and get a rare flowering one. The variegation has never done it for me but it does automatically raise the price.

I see variegation as a "defect" but that's my perception heehee, If I was a judge I'd be like meh, meh, perfect flower top score.