Lovely blooms, Brooke - that second Paph seedling is really nice, and the oncidium is really elegant.

Beside the church where my son takes his piano lessons, there is an apartment with a large second-floor room with a huge plate glass window. The room is FILLED with orchids, and shines with various lights to help them thrive. I can see some of the blooms from a distance. I wish I could see their treasures up close.

Laurel

Laurel I think you will find orchid people are like daylily people. You could try ringing the doorbell and saying how much you enjoy the blooms and will probably get invited in to see them up close and personal. The piano teacher might know the owner and arrange something for you.

We went to the orchid club meeting last night and two more orchids followed my husband home, not me. I am lucky he enjoys them too and just like with daylilies, our tastes are totally different.

Don't forget while you are house hunting - basement, basement, basement - it can be your own private getaway in the winter. It is so refreshing to be able to see green, growing and blooming plants.

Brooke

LOL Brooke - a basement is a MUST for our family. I'd like a grow-light setup (especially since our cats are NOT being good about the sprouts on the windowsills this year, arrrgghhhh!!), and our 8 year old son has discovered model railroading (he's getting his first "real" model train for Christmas). A play room would be nice, although my husband might take some basement real estate to store extra music equipment. My HUSBAND actually suggested just last night that we get a light setup in the basement for my plants (because he doesn't like having the sprouts on the sills in the family room/music room). If we're still in this house next winter, that will DEFINITELY happen!

When my sister lived in St. Louis, she worked near the Missouri Botanical Gardens, and went to a couple of their orchid exhibits in one of their large glass houses. She sent me some stunning pictures - if I can find them, I'll post them.

Laurel

My husband's new pets!

{{gwi:636623}} and {{gwi:636625}} Both of these are in the Oncidium family.

It must be a man thing but he is drawn to brown toned flowers. Now I know why we argue in the seedling field when I say something is MUD colored (sorry Mud, this is not a statement against you because I do like some muddy things).

Brooke

Brooke, I am enjoying all the orchid photos. Now, how about pictures of some catts???

Laurel, by all means talk to the people with the orchids. I expect they would appreciate knowing someone enjoys seeing them. And, of course, you would never get hooked into another collector hobby. lol

Royce

While I'm not really taken with the colors of your new orchids, those seedlings that I saw last summer that you said were muddy were MAUVE, not MUD.... Like I said before, I liked 'em.

Janet

I had forgotten you liked the "muddy" ones. I guess you and my hubby see things the same way.

Just to tell you how muddy the above are - the one one the right is named Choculata - ummmm - maybe that could be a good name for a daylily.

Brooke

I must be totally gone, but I like them all!

I have a little flower that is called "Quaint and Queer"...a brown eyed grass (vs blue eyed)....I think it's kinda neat. (Okay, I like strange things!)

Thanks for the nice pictures! My phal is blooming...it had been so long, I had totally forgotten what color is was!

Here is a link that might be useful: Sisyrinchium 'Quaint and Queer' (Brown-Eyed Grass)

Gonegardening, I like the brown colors in many flowers too. That "brown-eyed grass" is really nice, and I'd grow it quite happily.

Brooke, that first Oncidium is really attractive. It reminds me of mimulus (monkey flowers).

Laurel

Laurel they call the oncidium's the dancing ladies. In most of them you can "see" the ladies in their fancy outfits. The above lady is wearing too fancy an outfit for me, I prefer a more refined dress - I'm not into dots and stripes in my wardrobe - lol!

Mud I would show you some catt blooms but the darn things are aborting on me. It is exciting when you get a sheath but then the sheath dries up - bummer. Maybe I'll get the conditions right next time. I do have a couple of phals and a lusidia in spike but the catts are being like - a cat. They love you when the need something but most of the time, they pretend they have never heard their name.

Brooke

I'm not to excited about Orchids but I like your brown eyed grass, gonegardening. I have yellow and blue...Ellie