Dendrobium polyanthum Wall. ex Lindl. 1830 a rewarding species to grow

In 2007 it produced five flowers

By 2011 it had improved a little

The first time I saw the flowers of this orchid I was absolutely entranced by their beauty.  The plant I took home with me had a single adult cane and the first time it bloomed it produced only five flowers.  But the beauty of the flowers was such that even those few were well worth the effort.  In time, as you can see, it eventually produced a few more flowers.  You can read more about my experience with this species here:

 http://ricardogupi.blogspot.com/2010/10/dendrobium-primulinum-also-known-now-as.html

Dendrobium Star Sapphire and Dendrobium nobile

Dendrobium Star Sapphire

Dendrobium nobile

Dendrobium Star Sapphire is a wonderful example of the hybridizer's art.  As you can see. all the characteristics that make Den. nobile a worthwhile species to keep, have been enhaced.  The flowers or the hybrid are larger, the color is deeper and the form of the flower and its presentation are much better.  Unfortunately, a few years ago, my only plant of Den, Star Sapphire departed for the great happy terracota pot in the sky.  This was very surprising as all the other Den, nobile hybrids I have have been very resilient and grow without any problems. 

Pomatocalpa bicolor (Lindl.) J.J.Sm.1912

I saw this species a few years back.  It is a species from the Phillippine Islands.  The grower of this plant is Eli Santiago.

Two chicks of the common ground dove, Columbigallina passerina, in an orchid growing in a hanging basket

In 2012 I was away from my garden for a few weeks.  When I went to check the shadehouse I saw a common ground dove fleeing in panic from inside the shade house.  I didn't gave any thought to it.  But as I was checking my plants I discovered two dove chicks on the pot of a nobile dendrobium.  The chicks remained utterly still as I moved around the pot.  They were in a shallow nest made out of a few pieces of Tillandsia usneoides.   I severely limited my visits to the shadehouse so that the mother would not abandon the chicks.  The chicks fledged in less than two weeks after I took this photo.  The orchid sustained no harm from having served as a nest.

Stenosarcos Vanguard 'Fireball'

I brought this plant about a decade ago.  It grows well with the same care one gives a houseplant.   The leaves are green with a white pattern.  This orchid is terrestrial I usually repot it roughly every two years, after it has finished blooming.  I take care not to harm the flesht roots.

Coelogyne parishii Hook. f. 1862, a specimen plant

In the Puerto Rico orchid society show in San Juan in 2010, this plant won best specimen plant and also was awarded a CCM/AOS of 86 points.  This award recognizes the superior culture of an orchid.  I gave it the clonal name "Juan A, Rivero".   Professor Juan A. Rivero, or the University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez,  gave me a two pseudobulb piece of this orchid the first time I visited his garden, in 1984.  This plant has been thriving under my care since that time.  This orchid tendency to produce two leads in each new growth allows it to become a large specimen plant in a relatively short time.  At the moment it was awarded it had 254 flower.  In 2011 it also produced a large quantity of flowers but I had to cut the leaves since they were in a lamentable state, probably due to unusually sunny and dry conditions in my garden.