I got this idea and thought that it might be fun. All you need to do is list, or show images if you have them, of your three most favorite orchids. You do not have to actually grow it but it would be nice.
I thought that we could all have some fun with this and get to see what everybody really likes to grow and are excited when they bloom.
I can't believe that I could actually come up with three but here they are!!

My all time favorite for over 40 years is Paphiopedilum rothschildianum. It's wonderful size and stature and incredible color puts it at the top of my list. They"speak" to me from across the room and when I see one, I recognize it immediately.

Cattleya walkeriana is my number 2. A delightful species in its numerous forms. It has a great fragrance and produces wonderful hybrids. When I see one, I MUST have it!!



Cattleya purpurata is the true Queen of Orchids! With almost 8" flowers of wonderful color and a gorgeous lip, it too has a commanding presence! If She is the Queen then Paphiopedilum rothschildianum is the King!!
Come on everybody. Take a little time to decide and I look forward to everyone's choices!!!

Dendrobium topaziacum (sp?)


Bulbophyllum medusa


Cirrhopetalum Elizabeth Ann Buckleberry

Very nice choices. Thanks Gina.

These are all three I actually still have too LOL!

What a fun thread, and I love already all 6 selections!!

Nr1
My all time favorite was this one which started it all! It was always a noid, it looked a lot like Lc Irene Finney, but it started blooming like clockwork every year around Oct 20.
The story was - the wife of our CEO at the time received this Orchid while in the hospital. When it was done blooming they gave it to our gardener, who divided it and grew it on and divided it some more. ( Our company had a wonderful Greenhouse and a very capable Gardener and so we had beautifully planted flower borders around the campus in those years. ) My Orchid- smitten boss at the time ( he got me easily hooked on Orchids ) and I bought some of them for 10 bucks a piece. This was about 1989. We gave them out as presents and we both kept one for ourself. I loved that plant with its gorgeous large and fragrant blooms and took it over to my husband's building ( he was in production, same company) where he started a sort of greenhouse in his small lab ( that had huge windows ) adjoining his office. This started our collection!! Whatever bloomed, was taken downstairs in that building to share with his crew. Picture some of these hard- hats enjoying gorgeous Orchids. Visitors always enjoyed the tour.
I divided the plant a few times through the years. These last picture shows a large plant which I had divided again and this time I lost my cleaned up piece over that Summer. A pair of Wrens tunneled into that basket and distroyed that plant before I noticed what happened. I couldn't believe my eyes when I realized that the birdsnest full of screaming babies had replaced all roots in that basket.

At work -


Nr 2
Vanda David Gardner was a gift around the early nineties and it grew well for me and added a lot of growth through the years. This one was the main reason which made me realize that I really wanted, needed a greenhouse!

I am afraid this one gave up its soul one Summer a few years ago.

Nr3 Cattleya Chocolate Drop 'Kodama'
I suppose, there were several gorgeous V. Sansai Blues in between and a few more awesome species and other beauties, it is hard to say which one rises above the others, because they all were loved, but this Cattleya always charms me in the Fall with its glossy blooms and its beautiful spicy floral scent. I still have this plant and it is starting to open right now. Here is an older picture.


ok you asked.....

This should be a 10 most favorite.... oh my .....Now we re talking here about all the other favorites....
Elizabeth Ann 'Buckleberry' was one of them. I had a division of the ( FCC ?) plant belonging to Waldor Orchids and it was gorgeous. I had it for many years and loved it.

Gina, it is great, that you have that plant and bloom it too!! Gorgeous!

I am struggling with choosing just 3. It may take me awhile. Like Ursula, I think it should be 10!

I agree that 10 might have been better but can you imagine the length of each individual post?? Oh my.
I did think aboutv5 for a bit but decided that while 3 would be hard, it was likely to be fun to see what everyone picked knowing it was just 3. Plus I was looking for a reasonable sized post.

I am happy at the response so far! There are some really beautiful plants there.

Regarding the number - one starts musing and thinks about all those beauties one grew over those years and enjoyed. And that is a good thing, happy thoughts!
Three is fine, Bill!

I figured that you would enjoy the thread!

I like this thread because it causes me to think back and remember some beauties of the past. My favorite of all time is Brassavola (now Rhynchovola) David Sander.


Coming in at number two is Dendrobium anosmum. I love all of the flowers on the bare canes.


Number three has to be Rlc. Chia Lin. Between the size, floof and fragrance, it is everything an orchid should be.


Jim

And I'll bet that all 3 are incredibly fragrant!!
Wonderful plants.

Beautiful!

Ursula I think I like the Bulbophyllums a lot because their culture is easiest for me. (Plus I like really strange blooms LOL). Anything that can be grown where all I have to do is aim the water at it and walk away without worrying about overwatering and root rot is a great thing for me. I also have another one of these, its a different cultivar called Bulbo. Elizabeth Ann 'Jean'. When it comes back into bloom I will take a photo of it.

Oh, you have that one too? I am looking forwards to yours!

Ok I'm gonna cheat and add 3 more.
I can't remember the name of this one but I still have it and I love the orange. If I remember correctly it was something like Molokai Sunrise


Cirrho. Thai Spider



Renanthera whose name I don't remember anymore

Nice "cheat" ! I can see why they are special, the Cirrhopetalum is downright stunning!

You should cheat too Ursula

I'm going to have to 'cheat' too, Gina. I mean, this is like asking us to name a favorite child! They're all special. But I'm out of town so not able to post pictures of my favorites until next week. In Salt Lake City making Halloween costumes for the grandkids.

Thinking about it from a distance actually helps, though. I can tell you that Jim's all-time fave is also mine, the David Sander. Such a thrill each time it blooms and my plant blooms faithfully, a few big floppy flowers twice a year.

Second would have to be Blc. Renate even though it's not fragrant. Such an 'energizer bloomer' with a generous show of beautiful flowers at least 3 times a year.

Third place, might be the purple noid Den from Trader Joe's that has bloomed enormously for 3 months straight, both last summer and this summer. It's almost too huge to get in a picture.

Or, it might be my "Maybe Yellow Bird' on the big cork raft which also blooms for a very long time. Oh, but then there's B.nodosa and her brother 'Big Jim' that have been perfuming my pool area for the last month or so, at night. Phaius tankervilleae 'Oktoberfest' is in the running too, for sheer beauty. I also really love my funny little Thunderstorm orchid that blooms again and again. Hmmm. This is just too difficult.

Elaine, you forgot your 'Big Chief'