Melissa, you and Ursula certainly made nice some nice hauls. I love practically ALL blooming orchids, but I really do love the color contrasts on that 'Flame Thrower'. I don't have any Barkeria. What makes them difficult to grow?

I have finally removed all evidence of Dave's Garden (on my computer). I took my final "hit" by someone there who basically stated that simply because I grew so many orchids over so many years, did not mean that I knew a thing about growing them. She went on to berate me for having "common" ones (she grows "rare" ones, so I guess that makes her a better grower than I). She went on to say that she thought I meant well, but should refrain from telling people that they COULD GROW ORCHIDS and how really difficult and "scientific" fertilizing was for those who "really knew how to grow them". Her last statement was that she even was able to talk to an AOS judge, and thus, had better insight on growing orchids. She was just so condescending in her entire tirade against me.

Certainly, the majority of DG postings are not so negative, but it only takes a few people like this gal to sour the whole experience. I wish DG the best and hope that they get their act together, but when/if they do, I won't be part of it.

Ken, I have never grown Barkeria whartoniana, so I hope Melissa @shadytrake explains this one.
I am growing Barkeria melanocaulon for several years, and it always puts on nice growth in Summer outside and blooms all Winter inside. No problem.
Now I have killed two Barkeria spectabilis, have now again a small plant. I always lost this one in a wet and cool Spring outside, so this time I will take it back inside if we have miserable Spring weather. The new growth appears sort of sideways on the stem of the older growth, so if you lose that old growth, you have a problem, there is nothing to grow on!
Perhaps it is a good idea to pick up a plant with more than one growth, Melissa?

Ken, I essentially left DG many years ago for the same reason. Water under the bridge....

Hi Ursula and Ken,

Well in my loftiest and most obnoxious voice, I would have to say to that DG woman that the Best in Show, FCC/AOS (95pts) and CCE/AOS (99pts) awarded to the Rhynchostylis gigantea that I had the privilege of seeing and being a part of the judging team as a "guest student observing" was grown by the nicest couple from Springfield, MO who said and I quote "We just throw 1/4 strength 30-10-10 Miracle Gro in every 4th watering."

Now I am sure that they have some other stuff that they do because they predominantly grow Vandaceous orchids in a cooler climate (Ray mentioned that he has a special home-made swamp cooler on the door and I think they let the roots dangle in a water reservoir with a bit of worm tea every now and again, but that is their fertilizer. So poo on that haughty know-it-all!

That was probably the most fantastic orchid I have ever seen and smelled in person. Here is the photo from last year's award. This year, they upgraded the award and Ray said it was the last year he would show it because it is so huge that he is afraid it will be damaged in transport.

Back to our regularly scheduled discussions. I am not sure why Barkerias are so difficult, but I was observing the judging team evaluating a Barkeria skinneri and they were really taking a long time in the discussion. So I asked them why they would be considering that plant when it had previously been awarded (with more inflorescences). They said that they were looking for improvement in the blooms and they considered the fact that Barkerias are extremely difficult to grow and bloom well. Now maybe they only meant Barkeria skinneri. I don't know for sure.

But I think this will be a good experiment. The Barkeria whartonia is more of a warm grower and should suit my conditions pretty well. We shall see.

Ursula, I will post updates on the peguanum for sure.

Ken, I was so excited to get a really nice 'Flame Thrower!' It has been on my want list for so long, but the ones I saw were always really small and blooms were nothing like the awarded mother plant. This one is exceptional and grown by Marilyn at Windy Hill. I had to pry it away from her for a pretty penny, but I think it was worth it.

There you go, Melissa. I knew in my heart if not in my brain, that it is far less "scientific" than the lady stated. Perhaps/probably there is a very high scientific method that the large commercial growers use, but then again, perhaps not. I am a hobbyist and have learned most of what I do by trial and error. I guess I learn by my mistakes and over the forty plus years of growing tropical plants, I have killed my fair share.

I am going to keep my eyes out for the 'Flame Thrower' and for a Barkeria whartonia (or any Barkeria, I guess). I am not sure how much a "pretty penny" is, but that is probably way over my comfort level. I may have to pay an "ugly penny" for one!

Ken,

We have a member who keeps a "death" list of the plants he has killed. He is up to over 700! I don't think I can stomach keeping that list for myself.

Well it was under $50, but I spent way more than I intended to at the show. Hard to pass up ones that have been on the want list for so long.

I wouldn't even want to know how many plants I have killed! Someone asked me just this morning how much it costs to heat my two greenhouses, my temporary greenhouse, and my enclosed porch. I told him I had no clue (and don't really want to know). I consider it just the (necessary) cost of growing tropical plants. What is one's joy worth?

Sanity is priceless!!

Now I didn't say I was sane, just happy!

I just can't keep up with you, Ursula! I love the Bc Hippodamia. I think the flower is in your second picture at the end of your post. Great color all around.
Coel. cristata is all white with a yellow throat and the pics I've seen are gorgeous. Does yours have a clonal name?
The C. aurantiaca is now called Gur. aurantiaca and I see it comes in both waxy red and also in a soft yellow Which did you get?
Your pretty Paph cross has a name: Paphiopedilum [Paph.] Crown Jewel (Paph. Winston Churchill x Paph. California Girl)
The Catt. cross is a bit more complicated. Pot. Burana Beauty is now Rth. Burana Beauty. Blc. Orange Nugget is now Rth. Orange Nuggett. So I ran the cross with the new names and found it to still be not registered.

I'll check the rest later.

Jim

Ken, I thought DG was started by the same Dave that started Allthingsplants.com?

Yep. He got fired! He's done a far better job the second time around.

OK, I'm back.
Lockhartia bennettii, beautiful little species with a white flower and yellow throat. I've never tried to grow one.
Dimerandra emarginata alba, I found two, a var. alba from 1998 and an f. alba from 2004. There were no pics so I cannot tell you the difference. The regular one is a soft pink flower and is very attractive.
Chaubardia klugii, a little species from South Africa. Attractive spider like flower that varies from white to yellow. I've never heard of this one before.
Camaridium [Cmd.] scalariforme, nice star shaped pink flowers. I think it is related to a Maxillaria.
Aeranthes [Aerth.] ramose, very interesting green flower. I can't wait to see this one bloom. I may have to look for one myself.

Great buys, Ursula.

Jim

Ursula and I were back in the thick of the Dave's Garden to All Things Plants soap opera and I wouldn't say Dave got fired. He left of his own accord and took a pile of money with him.

Jim

Yes, the first time that Dave's Garden was sold, Dave stayed on and he still ran it. Then it was sold again and at that point Dave left and started Cubits, some later time he started ATP and we never looked back? I would think ATP is THE best forum around, if you look at all the features this forum offers, there isn't another one like it. Dave is a really good programmer, and he builts his forums from scratch! And who is hands on like that, always trying to have new features and listening to us.
About DG - I remember getting scolded for answering questions - if you tried to answer a question, you were labeled a smarty pants by some people on the Orchid forum. If you didn't answer immediately, you were unfriendly. You couldn't win.

Jim, you did a lot of work here, I thank you so much!! I do hope you enjoy looking them up too!
Paph Crown Jewel, I like that name!! I had a Winston Churchill in my early days of Orchid growing, had it for many many years and lost it one wet Summer outside. I was very happy to see this nice Winston Churchill x at Glen Decker's table, so I grabbed it!
About those species from the Ecuagenera table, I tried to stay away from true cold growers, let's see how they do under my conditions. Neat stuff.
And yes, the second picture is indeed showing the Bc Hippodamia, I liked the speckled bloom.
I think the Guarianthe aurantiaca is a reddish one with spots.

Melissa, thanks for responding to the Barkeria question, although I would think the judges were a touch vague.

Good, Ursula. I think the red Guarianthe is the prettiest. Yes, I do enjoy looking them up as I always learn something new.

Jim

I bet I know who the haughty lady was and she is the biggest reason I left DG too. Glad I did,as this is a much better site anyway.

Beautiful new goodies there, Melissa. I am going to go shopping for new orchids when I get home.

My X sent me a valentine orchid: BLC Jim Elmore 'Sweetheart". He knows I love the Reds, and a bonus is I have known Jim for many years! Happy Valentines Day to all.