That's my thinking as well.

And it is pretty!!
Btw, for presentation you are allowed to bend the dorsal sepal ever so gently forwards.

I don't think the flower has quite opened up fully, Ursula. Thanks for the advice but exactly how would one bend the sepal so that it stays in place to photograph?

Gently? When it is fully open of course.

By the way, the correct name is now Rlc. Inspiration 'Coral'

Jim

I figured it was now Rlc., Jim. Thanks.

Ursula, I understand how to do it but what keeps the sepal from just flopping back to where it was?

Scotch tape? Just a little piece across the back? It might hold long enough to get a picture at least.

There are stories of whole Cattleya blooms taped into place..... I read of growers taping buds in a cluster into formation so that the blooms will eventually have the proper distance from each other. And so on!
When I take a picture of a Cattleya with the dorsal bent back, I gently move it straight up and quickly snap my pictures, in case it flips back. Many times it stays in place.
Some stuff here - the Ascocentrum garayi glows in late afternoon sun

The miniature Pleurothallis mathildae is developing a bunch of spikes

Dendrobium distichum doesn't get as huge as Den anceps and every tip is loaded with tiny blooms.

And I am glad to see my Cattleya schilleriana blooming

I am torn between posting the Bletilla striata into this thread as some plants are starting to bloom or I into the anticipation thread.

Love that Catt!

It is scented too, Carol!

Awesome, Ursula. Humm, I may have to take a coarse on "taping".

ctcarol said:Love that Catt!

Me too!

It is a nice species.
It started to grow for me when I mounted it, hung it right under the glass ceiling/ place it into as much light as possible and I flooded it daily.

the leaves and the blooms of that Cattleya schilleriana is gorgeous.

It really is a beauty, looks a little bit like a Schom with those wavy petals. Is it mounted on a piece of wood, Ursula?

Elaine, yes, I mounted it a couple of years ago on a piece of driftwood, the kind they sell in Aquarium stores for fish tanks or reptile cages. It is now fully established.
The leaves are really dark due to it being grown pretty much in full sun here in NJ.

Yes, nice show, Ursula. Cattleya schilleriana is outstanding and Ascocentrum garayi is a winner as well. At 8:30 this morning. a dump truck delivered 10 cubic yards of pine bark nuggets in bags. I've been working on it ever since and it is hot out there. I had to take a break as I couldn't lift the bags anymore. I'm going back out in the evening. I had a helper lined up but he canceled at the last minute due to car problems. It is not hard to understand why some folks just never make the grade.

Jim

Jim, just an idea but if you contact your local Boy Scout troop maybe the scout leader can find you a couple of young, strong backs who wouldn't mind making some money. They'll be more dependable than the casual folks you find elsewhere . . . been there, done that. Most of the time they just no-show when the weather's hot.

That's a great idea, Elaine. Here I have MSU, and members of the horticultural club not only love to make some money but they like being here and learning about tropical plant growing. Its a win-win for them.

That one he** of a lot of bags, Jim. I'm guessing that totaled out over 100 bags!

Jim, that is a lot of work!!