Firstly, Frank, I can tell you that I plant everything in a more orchid-like medium... actually more of an orchid/bonsai medium cross. That said, it follows that growing amaryllids in other container types or on mounts would work just fine. I think it actually comes down to convenience and the time you can devote to a plant's care... not to mention the environment you have to work with.

I have a few bulbs growing in regular plastic hanging baskets, and I'm in the market for some teak orchid baskets. I'd also like to check out semi-hydroponics.

We, as growers, are only limited to conventional thinking and methods as far as we allow our imaginations to look. I tend to think more outside of the box... and I definitely would rather follow science and physics than an industry which operates purely on profit.

One of our members, HoustonPat, has had fantastic success growing Papillio bulbs on mounts and in moss lined baskets, which proves that anything is possible if we give it a little thought, and can devote the time and effort to any difference in care required.

I say... go for it! What have you got to lose? You can always re-pot if something isn't working. If you do decide to mount an amaryllid, try to document the process in photo form... I'd love to see such a tutorial!

Jodi et al,

H. papilio is an epiphyte in nature tho, it grows amongst the trees like H. aulicum and H. calyptratum so that idea wasn't nearly far fetched.

I do think you should give it a try tho, I grow most of my plants in an orchid like medium, it just requires a little more water in the warm months but you can tell they greatly benefit considering they appreciate the higher air exchange.

Just read the follow-up postings, and read them with great interest.

This whole subject opens up many possibilities for growing bulbs/plants in new and different ways. Think how nice a slatted, Vanda-type wooden basket would look planted with some mini-Hipp. bulbs, and some low growing Sedum spilling over the edges of the basket. Maybe some live mossy-type plants too.

Thanks for some ideas.

Frank

Frank,

Did you view the aulicum thread with the pictures of it blooming in a tree in habitat? It's quite beautiful to see knowing that many of these bulbs have made some wonder adaptations! I'm going to this spring mount my H. aulicum that just bloomed along with several mature papilio! The only thing is you must meet the conditions they need to survive this way but you grow orchids so I think you can manage ;) PLEASE keep us updated! Order a H. papilio from Easy To Grow Bulbs or somewhere for mounting, they have them now for sale!

Josh

Josh....

I JUST read/saw the pictures a few seconds ago in the thread that you mentioned. What a beautiful, exotic-looking, botanical display. Now I'm really inspired to try to grow bulbs with this kind of culture.

Thanks for introducing me to yet more of God's wonders!

Now the search for plant material/bulbs begin.

Frank

Frank,

If my plant produces seed from a self pollination I'd be more than happy to send you some! H. aulicum is quite easy from seed.

I'm glad you're inspired by our conversation, that makes me happy that someone else can feel the same about these amazing plants as myself and even happier that this plant may find its way into another hobbyists hands! Not many understand or know the beauty of these plants and I'm so excited that all of us can come together here ;)

Josh

Josh:

What a friendly, and generous offer. Thanks a million.

It is truly amazing how the PC has changed the way we can communicate with one another. When I was a kid, I would spend hundreds of hours looking through the Dewey Decimal System cards in libraries researching.....now, by pressing some buttons, I have millions of information-sources on a screen!! You want to laugh? When I was in college, I spent a whole stinkin' year learning how to use a slide-ruler. By the end of the course, cheap, affordable, pocket calculators came onto the market, and everyone threw out the slide-rulers! All that work for nothing, nothing!

But getting back to your point....Yes, it is a wonderful opportunity to take part in the sharing of information, and the free, uncensored, unregulated, exchange of ideas with kindred spirits. I HOPE it can last.

Frank

Not for nothing, Frank... not only do you possess a skill that may yet come in handy, you are among the few today, or so it seems, who can still problem solve, taking an issue from beginning to end through the use of cognitive, logical thought and common sense!

This is one of the major complaints I have about education these days... it seems like students aren't taught to think independently, or outside of the box, or to think things through to conclusion. They're too stuck in testing mode, churning out kids who know facts, but who can't look at a problem and solve it... they have no "life skills", if you know what I mean. Of course, some of this must be taught at home, too... so I have to wonder what parents are doing... ok, I'm stepping down off my soapbox now. ;-)

It IS truly amazing how technology has changed our world, making communication so instant and so vast, making the sharing of ideas so global! It's great! And it has brought people of like mind together to share... like us, sharing our love for bulbs and plants and growing... who would have thought?! Gosh, I can remember when television was rather new, black and white, and cigarette commercials were on the air! I know... my age is showing! ;-)

My husband has been into electronics and technology since the inception of the computer, participating on the earliest of BBS, building and programming, coding... and this is one of the reasons my indoor growing environment must be so dry. Computers and other electronics do not get along well with moisture! And I live in a techno-jungle, with computers and parts everywhere, a whole area of our apartment dedicated to what I call "Frankenstein's Lab", which is his work space and parts storage!

His tagline reads "God made me simple; technology made me a god!" Some may call him a hacker or a geek... I call him pretty darn smart! He's actually an Industrial Engineer by trade. There is nothing he can't fix or build! I've never owned a store bought computer... every one has been built specifically with my uses for it in mind, and filled with the programs I use. I'm very lucky in this respect.

Anyway... getting back on topic... I have a couple of very young Papilio bulbs that aren't gaining size as I'd like them to... perhaps growing them in a more epiphytic way would actually help.

And I do have some coco liners laying around, not being used... I wonder if I could just cut pieces to fit some smaller wire baskets, and grow the bulbs that way... or, I could play around with some long strand moss, or some of the other medium ingredients I have... hmmm... just thinking in type form, here...

I should probably wait until next spring before I start disturbing any plants... but I'm always anxious to try something new! But wait... I did kill three Staghorn Ferns a few years ago... I mounted them on some beautiful wooden plaques my husband made for me... and I did everything exactly as it was suggested... and I promptly killed all three.

I have learned a lot since that time... but still.

Frank, if it works for you in your environment, then there would be no reason it can't work in mine. Maybe I should wait for you to mount or basket a bulb before I try... just as a precaution! ;-)

Jodi:

Thank-you for your kind words.

Both you, and your husband are probably very interesting, and resourceful people. People who actually DO something to better your lives...instead of lamenting your predicament. And your right, too many young people today have been spoon-fed a big crock, and the majority of them wouldn't know their ass from their elbow. Far too many are also extremely self-centered, licentious, and must have instant gratification, even to the point of self, and/or financial destruction. It's scary, ...and,... they vote! Thank God there are still some innovators in our over-regulated country to blaze new trails. The end.

I probably will wait for the next growing season, and for better weather conditions to commence, before I make any radical changes in my growing methods. Right now, I'm searching through mail-order sources for some new, exotic, and exciting plant material that I can kill. I cannot imagine what my life would have been like had I lived in Southern Florida, or, in more tropical climes for all these years of plant growing!

As an aside, years ago I grew a small Staghorn Fern that I mounted on a huge slab of tree fern, upon which I attached, a galvanized wire basket that I lined with long strand decorative moss. I filled that basket with a quick-draining mix and planted the Staghorn fern in this basket. I hung the slab, sideways, on my bedroom wall right next to a radiator that blasted steam all winter long. I misted the hell out of that fern every chance that I got, and it grew so large and heavy that I had to eventually hang the thing by a chain! I gave it to someone who had the room for it, because I had to duck under the plant to open my window.

Take care, thanks for the thoughts, happy growing, Happy Thanksgiving, one and all....and, God Bless Our Country!

Frank

You're very kind, Frank. :-)

Interesting and resourceful don't begin to cover it! We're both what you might call "real". We don't mince words, don't own a pair of rose colored glasses, and we can survive on nothing but our wits if we have to.

I gotta be honest... lesser people might have folded up shop and called it a day! You wouldn't believe the bad luck we've experienced over the years... it's like a black cloud formed one day, and has been hovering overhead, giggling gleefully at the horror it causes us whenever it chooses to strike!

Where shall I begin? Let me condense it in the interest of time... we've been through a house fire, in which we lost just about everything... I was diagnosed with Lupus... we were in a horrible car accident in which I was seriously injured... and about 15 years before all of that, my husband was injured at work, when a huge factory bay door came crashing down as he was walking through, hitting him squarely on the back of the neck, causing massive spinal trauma. He couldn't walk for about a year, and has been mostly disabled ever since.

Yep... it's been a helluva wild ride! But you know, life goes on. As a result of all our trauma, we're seriously poor... but what's money, really? It's a pain in the ass... and it can't buy what's truly important in life, anyway. We get by... without public assistance, I might add.

Anytime something happens to us now, we laugh about it and chalk it up to our family luck! Somebody turned our horseshoe upside down, and all the good stuff ran out! ;-)

Seriously, though... what can you do? Things happen. This is life. It wasn't meant to be easy. When life gives some people lemons, they make lemonade... I make lemon meringue pie! ;-)

Hey, we raised three wonderful kids... we have three fantastic grandkids... and we have the greatest friends this world has to offer. We're rich beyond belief in all the ways it counts most. :-) I can't complain... well, I could, but who would listen?!

I've been doing the same thing you're doing... researching plants and vendors, looking for my next victim! I'm thinking of ordering from Marble Branch Farms as soon as winter breaks... and I'm even thinking of trying more than just the Yellow Bird orchid... they've got a few different varieties that look promising. I've already started saving for a few plants!

Your Staghorn Fern sounds awesome! You wouldn't, by chance, have any pictures of it you could share, would you? I'd love to see an indoor grown fern that huge! Many years ago, I inherited one that was grown in a small basket... but this was before I knew much about the growing process. Yep... I killed it. I think I over watered it. I've murdered a lot of plants in my day! It's a good thing there's no law against being a poor gardener!

I think the one drawback to the age of technology is the instant gratification. People don't seem to have the level of patience they used to. No one can wait for anything. We have instant access to everything via the internet, microwave ovens and drive-thrus so we don't have to wait for food, and just about everything is made in the interest of convenience! Attention spans are short, no one wants to wait for anything, and there's a pill you can take for everything! Life has sure changed... although, our parents said the same thing... and their parents said the same thing.

Progress is great... but society is trading out a lot of very good characteristics and values to have that progress. So... I don't know... and I completely agree with you... it's kind of scary to think of who votes these days! Although... there are still many decent, intelligent young folks out there willing to go the extra mile, to make a difference in the world, in a positive way. I wouldn't count out the next generation quite yet. It ain't over until it's over! ;-)

Well... time to get dinner started and feed the old man! ;-)

Have a nice evening, Frank!

Your true blessings in your life spring from your acceptance of things that you cannot change,... and, without becoming bitter, and resentful. Your family has been through hard times, and the loving support of friends and family cannot be quantified. I pray for you, and yours, and I hope that brighter days are yet ahead.

The Staghorn Fern was a sight. Back in the day, I never thought about taking photos, so my triumphs were never documented. I gave that fern to a woman co-worker, who happened to love plants as much as I do. She stood about 5 ft. high and the fern leaves were taller than she was. But the Bl.'Yellow Bird' orchid was really THE best plant that I ever grew. I had bought three, booming size divisions, and I planted them into a low, oblong, bonsai pot, about 14" X 10" X 4" deep. I left enough room between the plants for future growth. This cultivar grows like a weed! It filled that pot in about 2 years, and had flowering spikes all over it, carrying dozens of multi-colored flowers fluttering above the leaves. It was also, disease free... I think in part because of the thick, waxy leaves that this plant makes, are super tough. Growing it warm, dryish, and sunny, it's almost unkillable, and when grown well, the flower display is jaw-dropping. Again, no pictures, and gave that plant away too.

With your closing paragraph, I cannot disagree.

Thanks for sharing.

BronxFigs/Frank

What a shame there are no pictures of your earlier growing successes, Frank... but I have a pretty good imagination, and I can picture it in my mind's eye. Wow! That fern must have been botanical garden worthy! And I can't wait to try my hand at the Yellow Bird orchid... among others!

There's no sense crying over spilled milk, as my Mom used to say... we take life a day at a time, do the best we can, and we make it a point to stop and enjoy all the little things life has to offer... the kinds of things most people miss because they're too busy trying to keep up with the Joneses.

What's the alternative, though? Curling up in a little ball and whining? Suicide? What do you suppose that would accomplish? Not a lot, I can tell ya. Life is what WE make it. We get out of it only what we're willing to put in. I had great parents that gifted me with a solid set of principles, and my husband is the same way.

Thanks, Frank, for the good wishes. I appreciate the thoughts and prayers. We're not religious, but that doesn't matter... it's the thought that counts. :-)

Well... it's been a long day for me... so I'm thinking dinner sounds good, then maybe an hour or two of reading... I'm in the middle of a good book... a mystery! :-) Have a nice evening!