Oncidium Sharry Baby 'Sweet Fragrance'

This Oncidium hybrid has many virtues, it is relatively easy to grow, can be forgiving of neglect and if well cared for, it can produce large inflorescences of deliciously fragrant flowers that produce a powerful chocolate fragrance.  A single large mature pseudobulb can produce two inflorescences at the same time and those can carry dozens of flowers.  I have read that some people don't like the leaves of this orchid because they are not the smooth green of other Oncidium but can be covered with tiny blemishes, but to me this is a minor defect.  The flowers are so nice that it is easy to overlook the leaves.  Best of all mature plants can be found in many places from specialist orchid vendors to department stores.  Good sized and well bloomed plants can often be obtained at reasonable prices.

How I cultivate this plant:

Light:  Young plants get bright shade, adult plants get a few hours of sun in the morning but are sheltered from the harsh midday sunlight.  Giving the plants as much light as they can stand without burning has given me the best results.

Watering:  Almost every day when the plant is producing its pseudobulbs, particularly the phase where the pseudobulb is increasing in size.

Fertilizer:  In every watering when the plant is producing new growths.  No fertilizer when it is blooming or not growing.

Potting media: It seems to grow equaly well in bark, tree fern and coconut husk pieces. 

Temperature: Summer: 85F day, 75F night, winter 75F day, 65F night.

Blc. Chance the Chance 'Kiramaki'

Thanks to the meristeming process, in this day and age huge beautiful purple Cattleya hybrids are dime a dozen.  However it is rare to see one that is also capable of producing an impressive specimen one.  This plant, which had about fourteen flowers was truly stunning.  I was so impressed that did something I rarely do, I brought a huge blooming plant of this hybrid.  Let's see if I can get my plant to produce a show as splendid that of the plant in the first photo.

Otaara Hwa Yuan Bay 'Shi Shu"

Photographed at the 2012 Mayaguez orchid society annual orchid show.

Vanda sanderiana var. alba

An impressive plant of Vanda sanderiana var. alba.  Unfortunately I could not take a photo that would make justice to the beauty of this plant due to the way it was oriented on the exhibit.

Potinara San Damiano x Cattleya Chocolate Drop

A nice hybrid, larger than the Cattleya Chocolate Drop parent and with a pleasing red orange color.  Seen at the 2012 Mayaguez Orchid Society annual show.

Blc. Dr. Joe Walker 'Ray Mishima'

I was drawn to this orchid because the bold contrast between the white sepals and petals and the lip in quite eye catching.  This flower is big, perhaps six inches across although the curling back of the petals  make it look stockier.  Seen at the 2012 Mayaguez Orchid society annual show.

Potinara Shin Shang Diamond 'Tai Young'

Seen at the 2012 Mayaguez Orchid society annual show.  Althought the flowers are relatively small their bright color makes them stand out.

Brassia Datacosa

This Brassia hybrid is floriferous and easy to care for, but it has the same habit as many other Brassia hybrids, it gallops across the pot or basket and soon its pseudobulbs are growing in the air outside the pot.  Pseudobulbs whose roots are not in the media are weaker and smaller than those that have their roots inside the pot.  If the plant loses its roots it can take several years to recuperate its former vigor.  A plant with several healthy and adult pseudobuls and with several growing points, can bloom  repeatedly during the blooming season or can produce all its inflorescences in one large display, as this plant did.

Laeliocattleya Marie's Song

I love this plant, it grows well with standard care and usually produces four flowers at a time.  It has survived both fungus and scale insects.  The flowers are richly colored and using sunlight for the photo made the colors come out even better.  

A peculiar Phalaenopsis: Phal. Center Stage 'Pine Ridge Cockleshell' AM/AOS, a rare stable peloric form

This is a very peculiar flower.  This orchid petals are unique in what only can be described as a Roscharchian way.  Unfortunately a photo can't approach the experience of looking at an inflorescence of these orchids in the flesh.   But it has been some years since I last saw a plant of this cross.  I wonder if it has gone out of fashion and has been superseded by new and even more unusual hybrids.  This plant won an AM/AOS when exhibited in St. Croix as a cut inflorescence by Irma Selles.

A hybrid of Bc. Binosa x Blc. Erin Kobayashi

I saw this lovely hybrid at the Mayaguez Orchid Society show in September 2012.  The colors are great and the presentation very good.  I could not detect any fragrance.  I like this plant much more than its parent, Brassocattleya Binosa.

Potinara Creation 'Summer Choice'

This orchid was photographed at the 2012 Mayaguez Orchid Show, at the Mayaguez Mall.  The plant is relatively small and the flowers are medium sized for a Cattleya hybrid.  However the combination of delicate hues on the petals and the bright color of the lip was very eye catching.