Orchids, Fancy and Simple

In my last post, I alluded to the orchids which are man-made, created by crossing as many as four different genera of plants to make something completely new. It amazes me that we can figure out how to grow something that's never been seen under the sun, and that these man-made creations would be so beautiful and fun to keep. 

This is a little Doritaenopsis (Doritis x Phalaenopsis). Doritis donates its intense coloration and smaller flower size to the classic moth orchid.

This little thing is billed as a Phalaenopsis, but it looks kinda Doritic to me. It's called "Lava Glow" and I adore it.

Phalaenopsis gigantea is one of the parents of this blush-pink Phal. It is a simply huge plant, and getting bigger all the time.

This plant reminds me of a person who's just too big for his own frame. Not long after I got the plant, it had a huge growth spurt, and its new leaves got so long they busted right off! Needless to say, it looked horrible for about three years until it replaced the half-leaves with new ones. In the interim, I called its breeder and described the problem. She said it was definitely a happy plant, which is why it was throwing out such huge leaves.  She recommended that I support those enormous leaves with a great big cache pot. Once I did that, the leaves stopped breaking under their own weight. And now, four years later, it's finally in bloom. You have to be patient with orchids. But as my dad said, "I don't mind waiting. I'm waiting anyway."

The rewards are great for waiting. Each of these glorious blossoms is almost as big as my outstretched hand. Giantism can be nice.