Why not grow orchids?

[metalfan]

Bulbuphyllum falcatum is starting to bloom

[piping plovers]

Repeat blooms this season on these.  The  Den. Chrysotoxum var Susvissimum 1st bloomed in February; much earlier than usual.  Now it’s giving Apr/May blooms.

 

 

[metalfan]

Howeara Lava Burst 'Puanani' AM/AOS. I only got one spray on this young plant. Looking forward to multiples in the future

[aztropic]

Phals are blooming naturally NOW in Arizona. This is one of my favorite yellows,that I've had for a few years. Yellow with a white center! 🥰 

 

aztropic 

Mesa, Arizona 

[piping plovers]

21 hours ago, metalfan said:

Howeara Lava Burst 'Puanani' AM/AOS. I

Vibrant colors!

[SubTropicRay]

It's mini Vanda season....V. falcata and V. miniata

[L.A.M.]

Why not grow orchids?

It's very challenging to cultivate orchids where I live, even though they're native here. Your best bet is to plant other native types of orchids in the same area as an existing colony of orchids if you have any wild colonies on your land. It takes years to establish the right conditions for non-tropical orchids to grow; they're very dependent on mycorrhizal fungi in the Rhizoctonia genus. Although they can grow in some other types of forests like oak or magnolia too as long as there's acidic soil and even in Arctic tundra, they typically grow in pine, spruce, larch or fir forests or mixed forests that contain pine, spruce or fir. Even fast-growing eastern white pine takes years to grow to a size that'd provide suitable habitat, and other heat-tolerant native long-needled conifers like longleaf pine, American larch and white spruce take even longer. (Virginian juniper is short-needled and tends to raise, not lower, local soil pH when it drops leaves, so it's counterproductive, not to mention extraordinarily slow growing and shade intolerant.)

The trick isn't even simply having a long-needled conifer forest, though. As mentioned, that's your best bet, but there are less commonly wild orchid colonies in mostly broadleaved forests with acidic soil too as long as they're not allelopathic. Really, in addition to acidic soil, they need soil that isn't too dry; growing sphagnum moss (live, not dead peat moss) could help retain moisture if you're on a sandy slope but in a rainy enough climate to count on ample water. Most importantly, they need fungi in the Rhizoctonia genus to obtain nutrients if they already exist and germinate as seeds. Without the fungi, they'd perish. Rhizoctonia solani is a common pathogen that strangely is occasionally sold, and it can form mutualistic associations with wild orchids; nonetheless, you'd need a Permit to Move Live Plant Pests, Noxious Weeds, and Soil (at least here in the USA) to legally buy it from or sell it to anyone due to the threat it poses to potato crops, and you'll also need to thaw and culture it very carefully before obtaining any orchid seeds and be sure to send them off to the site together.

If you do have a preexisting orchid colony and decide to try to move some of them elsewhere, I advise you to be VERY careful to try to take as much of the surrounding soil as possible so you also take the fungi in the soil that they need. Even so, be absolutely sure that you don't plant them in nutrient-poor soil like your lawn, alkaline soil like calcareous soil or under Virginian junipers nor near allelopathic trees like walnuts, hickories, great rhododendrons or northern sugar maples. Again, they will perish without the mycelium and/or in bad soil.

Even I'm not sure that I'm up to this challenge, and I say this as a likely future plant nursery owner with a special focus on overlooked native plants. I'm also unsure whether we have any wild orchid colonies on our land, but I'm fairly doubtful given that we don't have any wild long-needled conifers on 160+ acres; again, they tend to be the most likely to be found in them. We actually had to plant eastern white pines ourselves, although now we're focusing on introducing heat-tolerant native spruces (red, white and blue) to the jungle as well and do have American larch, white fir, shortleaf pine and longleaf pine on our radar in the future. Even trying to grow orchids is years off if I ever do it; I'd need to hire a legal team first to ensure not only that we get the appropriate permit to obtain the fungus (unless our potato plants end up infected) but also that we don't illegally sell orchids in the necessarily infested soil to customers that want them but haven't obtained the necessary permit. It is a challenge that I want to face if my team is up to it, but only if I'm certain we're up to it; I want to have a reputation of ethics and lawfulness, not a shady and unscrupulous one. After all, I'm going into the industry out of environmentalism and a desire to expand economic opportunity and limit seasonal depression, not merely because it seems like the best way to realize my full potential.

[metalfan]

Chiloschista viridiflava is in bloom again

[John hovancsek]

Everyone’s orchids are so beautiful 

[metalfan]

Yours look great too!

[SubTropicRay]

LOVE Stanhopea!

[metalfan]

Pelexia oliveara, considered a Jewel Orchid like Sarcoglottis. Blooms reliably every year

And I just got this.... a variegated Cyncnodes Wine Delight JEM. Friends who grow Wine Delight tell me the blooms smell like Teaberry gum! Hopefully I will find out

[piping plovers]

Lc. Park Ridge 'Thornridge. Was getting frustrated that this hadn’t bloomed in 3 years.  Divided this off the mother plant last summer and that did the trick!

 

[Tracy]

Second Cymbidium wadae has bloomed.  The other specimen's flower is also still open, so they appear to be relatively long lasting flowers.   Epidendrum lacustra is also blooming right now.  The foliage with it's colorful leaves is part of the attraction to E. lacustra, even when it is not in bloom.  Last is the Rhycholaeliana digbyana in bloom. The R. digbyana is very fragrant in the early mornings, so deserves a place one will frequent to appreciate its aroma when in bloom. 

[piping plovers]

4 hours ago, Tracy said:

Rhycholaeliana digbyana

That’s an interesting one.  Curious about the fragrance.  I’d like to find one of those.

[Tracy]

1 hour ago, piping plovers said:

 I’d like to find one of those.

As you might have guessed, I got mine from my local Leucadia orchid vendor, so you could probably get one mail order from him.  I've seen potted specimens in bloom at some orchid displays and shows over the years as well, so imagine they can't be too hard to find.  I have been growing this Rhycholaeliana digbyana  specimen since 2018.  I have had a couple of years that I missed a bloom after the Spring flower bud rotted, but the plant overall seems to have grown fine.  It has moved around the garden a few times but the roots are now attaching to the "hair" for lack of better description on the trunk of the Vonitra crinita Palm where I hung it.  Flowers last for a moderate amount of time.

[piping plovers]

Anyone here attending the Redland international orchid festival in FL next weekend?

Fruit and Spice Park, south Dade.

Nathan, I think you  mentioned it on this forum, as well.

I extended my stay in FL next week to make the visit.

[Silas_Sancona]

1 hour ago, piping plovers said:

Anyone here attending the Redland international orchid festival in FL next weekend?

Fruit and Spice Park, south Dade.

Nathan, I think you  mentioned it on this forum, as well.

I extended my stay in FL next week to make the visit.

  Lucky you!  ..Wish i could join ya..  FL. Colors Plumeria a few miles east of  the Spice park is  had their open house last weekend so i'd probably have timed a visit Friday - Sunday to attend both events ...and do some exploring in between 😁.. 


Anticipate you'll be taking lots  of pictures to share w/ us mortals, haha.

[piping plovers]

5 minutes ago, Silas_Sancona said:

Colors Plumeria a few miles east of  the Spice park is

Ah, cool nursery website!  Love the fragrance on those.  So many rabbit holes to go down with tropical plants…

after getting on the epiphyllum bandwagon a few months ago 😁 I also got intrigued by tree ferns and now have the Australian tree fern and just got a nice Tasmanian tree fern shipped from San Diego, CA. Such beautiful companions mixed in with the palms, orchids, and aroids in my sunroom.

All this to say:  I have no heated space for anything else —-but it will be hard to resist buying something if I make it to Redlands. At least photos cost me nothing 😁

 

[Silas_Sancona]

27 minutes ago, piping plovers said:

Ah, cool nursery website!  Love the fragrance on those.  So many rabbit holes to go down with tropical plants…

after getting on the epiphyllum bandwagon a few months ago 😁 I also got intrigued by tree ferns and now have the Australian tree fern and just got a nice Tasmanian tree fern shipped from San Diego, CA. Such beautiful companions mixed in with the palms, orchids, and aroids in my sunroom.

All this to say:  I have no heated space for anything else —-but it will be hard to resist buying something if I make it to Redlands. At least photos cost me nothing 😁**

 

**  ..Unless your battery isn't fully charged, lol..  Been there a few times 🙃

While you may be able t resist some  temptation we'll have to see if you'll be able to resist whatever interesting things Eucagenera brings t the show.. 

The one thing about that sale was i'd wanted to explore the park since it is full of ultra rare trees / spice trees, etc ..as well as see everything at the show itself.. Show itself ended up taking most of my time there.


Even if you don't purchase a thing, FL. Colors is worth a visit if you get the chance. I'm sure everything is in full bloom atm.

[SubTropicRay]

Encyclia cordigera doing her springtime thing

[metalfan]

Bulbophyllum falcatum flavum just starting to open.

And the regular red one now fully open

 

[metalfan]

Couple Vanda's Iin bloom

[Hillizard]

Bletilla 'Brigantes' in bloom today.  I have to grow most of my ground orchids in pots since the squirrels love to chew on the rhizomes!

[Barry]

On 5/8/2024 at 9:32 PM, piping plovers said:

Anyone here attending the Redland international orchid festival in FL next weekend?

Fruit and Spice Park, south Dade.

Nathan, I think you  mentioned it on this forum, as well.

I extended my stay in FL next week to make the visit.

Yes, I will be heading down on Friday morning. We went last year, 1st in a long time. I think I bought as many aroids as orchids, Lol.

[piping plovers]

11 hours ago, Barry said:

Yes, I will be heading down on Friday morning. We went last year, 1st in a long time. I think I bought as many aroids as orchids, Lol.

Ah, good to hear that they have aroids too.  I also purchased a Friday morning ticket. The park itself sounds very interesting as well.

[Silas_Sancona]

10 hours ago, piping plovers said:

Ah, good to hear that they have aroids too.  I also purchased a Friday morning ticket. The park itself sounds very interesting as well.

Aroids, various Gingers, ..some interesting succulent stuff ...Vendors at the sale had a pretty good selection of plants. Ecuagenera had a lot of neat stuff, besides their signature Orchids / some Aroids.

As for the garden itself,  depending on where the entrance is for the sale, the giant Baobabs  near the main pond on the south side of the park will probably be the first thing you notice, if still there..  Lots of Coconuts also. Think they had a Nypa growing in the main pond also.. 

Remember that they had some unique Banana, Gingers ( Torch Gingers specifically ) Giant Bamboos,  ..and the raised pond, which had a bunch of neat water lilies in it..

What i'd hoped to see were various spice trees like Cinnamon ..the real thing,   Allspice ( Native down there, but included in the garden ) Bay / Lemon Bay Rum < Related to Allspice  >  Black Pepper, etc..

Can't confirm as truth,  but thought i'd heard the park has ( ...or had )  specimens of some of the rarer spice trees like Cloves ..and / or Nutmeg.  

All the fruit trees you could ever want to look over in person as well... 

Don't forget lots of pictures.. 😁

[piping plovers]

50 minutes ago, Silas_Sancona said:

As for the garden itself,  depending on where the entrance is for the sale, the giant Baobabs  near the main pond on the south side of the park will probably be the first thing you notice, if still there..  Lots of Coconuts also. Think they had a Nypa growing in the main pond also.. 

 

1 hour ago, Silas_Sancona said:

Aroids, various Gingers, ..some interesting succulent stuff ...Vendors at the sale had a pretty good selection of plants. Ecuagenera had a lot of neat stuff, besides their signature Orchids / some Aroids. 

they should employ you for marketing 😁.  I recall you saying that the park was very interesting to visit.  Did some research the other day and I’d be happy to visit there even without the festival. Interesting history of the family and local people who preserved this land for south Florida horticulture/ agriculture. 

I checked twice but surprisingly ecuagenera is not on the vendor list.  I may have time to visit them and krull smith in apopka this week.

A member of my local orchid society had high praise for Orcquideaus de valle; I noticed they will be there.  So many other vendors I’ve heard about for decades.

1 hour ago, Silas_Sancona said:

 

 

[Barry]

You will not be disappointed in the selection from the 100 or so vendors from all around the world or the park. I do remember the raised pond with nice lilies. Ellis Brown was there last year, he had some exotic palms for sale. I have already placed my order from OFE international supplies, I get my Florikan Total slow release fertilizer and other potting supplies from them every year. Nice friendly family run company that does ship if needed. Been buying from them for more than 20 years. I use the Florikan on my orchids, palms and other tropicals. It is a 6 months slow release.

[Silas_Sancona]

42 minutes ago, piping plovers said:

they should employ you for marketing 😁.  I recall you saying that the park was very interesting to visit.  Did some research the other day and I’d be happy to visit there even without the festival. Interesting history of the family and local people who preserved this land for south Florida horticulture/ agriculture. 

I checked twice but surprisingly ecuagenera is not on the vendor list.  I may have time to visit them and krull smith in apopka this week.

A member of my local orchid society had high praise for Orcquideaus de valle; I noticed they will be there.  So many other vendors I’ve heard about for decades.

haha

Definitely interesting. Wish i had more time to explore every inch of it .. or made another trip down there.. Countless nurseries nearby i'd have liked to check out  as well.. Redlands Nursery is nearby  ..if you have extra time and they are open while you're in the area.

The good thing for you, ...or anyone else traveling there by road,  is Krome Ave isn't as dicey as it was when i'd travel down there now that it has been widened.  Used to be a skinny 2 lane road w/ wayy too much traffic, including plenty of semis hauling produce, etc, and bad drivers.. Not so bad by day,  but not sure i'd have traveled through there after dark ..Even though i'm pretty sure that was the route i'd taken on my way to Key Largo on my first trip thru FL.

Have heard of the nursery you'd mentioned.. Pretty sure they were at the event i'd attended, ..maybe the Pac Orchid Expo event i attended in San Francisco as well..

Bummer if Eucagenera isn't able to be there but a personal visit might yield better finds, and more time for conversation while looking for things / talking Orchids, etc..

 

[piping plovers]

 

On 5/13/2024 at 7:04 PM, Silas_Sancona said:

Don't forget lots of pictures.. 😁

 

On 5/13/2024 at 9:08 PM, Barry said:

You will not be disappointed in the selection from the 100 or so vendors from all around the world or the park. I do

 

The Orchid festival in homestead today was well worth the trip and early admission fee.

At 9 am it was easier to walk around and make mental notes on which plants I wanted to revisit.  By 11am general admission was very crowded and hot. Heat index of 99 F with sweltering Florida humidity.

Anyhow, I think the locals with their pull wagons were the ones who had the most benefit from the show.  You could really pile up some great deals on large and unusual plants if you had a place for them locally; attaching them to trees in your South FL garden.  

My choices were limited on what I could ship or fly back with me.

Ended up with a new Bulbophyllum phaleonopsis.   More so for the foliage.  The one I currently own is 1/10 the size and double the price I paid here.  

A vendor from Peru and one from Thailand had booths that most caught my attention.

Another for the foliage is a tree fern from the Andean cloud forests : Cyathea caracasana. Still reading up on this and figuring it will be a good substitute for a Hawaiian tree fern in my sunroom.

A Coelogyne rochussenii.  Wanted one of these for years but was never a good time for shipping when I saw them available online. I think these will do okay in a cool moist environment with my stanhopea and gongora.

Lastly, this an interesting one with an unfortunate name.  And I recommend a better name for marketing 😆 RLC. Golf ‘Hair Pig’. I think someone posted one on here recently.

There was a vendor (could not find the one Nathan mentioned) with plumeria cuttings that were very reasonable.  I know they can be prone to mealy bug and mites so I passed on them.

This post is getting too long, but I did see the baobabs.  I completely forgot about them and I was stopped in my tracks as I turned the corner and saw them in the field.  Astounding.  Never seen anything like that before.

I’d like to explore the park another time, maybe on a cooler FL December day.

Some photos of the orchids that I found to be interesting:

Amazing foliage on this one above

 

I really liked this vendor from Thailand.  Very reasonable prices and nice selection of easily transported plants.

so many vandaceous plants.  Beautiful vibrant colors but with those long healthy roots and tops, not easily transported by plane or shipped.  Then the space issue for indoor growers like me .

i bought one of these above from a delightful woman who grows these in central FL

 

 

Some on the spot researching for the tree fern I purchased from a Peruvian grower. And here it is below. Really happy with this one. 

 

An amazing Bulbophyllum.  Immense leaves

one that I purchased 

An impressive palm?? In the park. Related to the fish tail palms?  Beautiful silhouette.

 

the baobabs!😊

my assortment for the sunroom when I get back home.

 

This was a great find. The B. Phaleonopsis at a good price 😁

 

[Silas_Sancona]

6 minutes ago, piping plovers said:

 

 

 

The Orchid festival in homestead today was well worth the trip and early admission fee.

At 9 am it was easier to walk around and make mental notes on which plants I wanted to revisit.  By 11am general admission was very crowded and hot. Heat index of 99 F with sweltering Florida humidity.

Anyhow, I think the locals with their pull wagons were the ones who had the most benefit from the show.  You could really pile up some great deals on large and unusual plants if you had a place for them locally; attaching them to trees in your South FL garden.  

My choices were limited on what I could ship or fly back with me.

Ended up with a new Bulbophyllum phaleonopsis.   More so for the foliage.  The one I currently own is 1/10 the size and double the price I paid here.  

A vendor from Peru and one from Thailand had booths that most caught my attention.

Another for the foliage is a tree fern from the Andean cloud forests : Cyathea caracasana. Still reading up on this and figuring it will be a good substitute for a Hawaiian tree fern in my sunroom.

A Coelogyne rochussenii.  Wanted one of these for years but was never a good time for shipping when I saw them available online. I think these will do okay in a cool moist environment with my stanhopea and gongora.

Lastly, this an interesting one with an unfortunate name.  And I recommend a better name for marketing 😆 RLC. Golf ‘Hair Pig’. I think someone posted one on here recently.

There was a vendor (could not find the one Nathan mentioned) with plumeria cuttings that were very reasonable.  I know they can be prone to mealy bug and mites so I passed on them.

This post is getting too long, but I did see the baobabs.  I completely forgot about them and I was stopped in my tracks as I turned the corner and saw them in the field.  Astounding.  Never seen anything like that before.

I’d like to explore the park another time, maybe on a cooler FL December day.

Some photos of the orchids that I found to be interesting:

Amazing foliage on this one above

 

I really liked this vendor from Thailand.  Very reasonable prices and nice selection of easily transported plants.

so many vandaceous plants.  Beautiful vibrant colors but with those long healthy roots and tops, not easily transported by plane or shipped.  Then the space issue for indoor growers like me .

i bought one of these above from a delightful woman who grows these in central FL

 

 

Some on the spot researching for the tree fern I purchased from a Peruvian grower. And here it is below. Really happy with this one. 

 

An amazing Bulbophyllum.  Immense leaves

one that I purchased 

An impressive palm?? In the park. Related to the fish tail palms?  Beautiful silhouette.

 

the baobabs!😊

my assortment for the sunroom when I get back home.

 

This was a great find. The B. Phaleonopsis at a good price 😁

 

Great shots!  That Coelogyne looks interesting.  Remember that " anything Vanaceous " seemed to be quite abundant at the event i'd attended as well. ...In pretty much every color / color combo you could imagine. 

Yes, Palm = one of the Caryota sp..  Possibly C. mitis 

Nice to see the Baobabs looking perfect. I remember carefully scrutinizing them for flowers / possible seed pods.

Could be wrong, but don't think FL. Colors ( Plumeria grower i'd mentioned ) has ever attended any of the RL. events. That said, they're roughly 4.71 miles east of the Spice Park, .68Mi north of Coconut Palm Dr. ...so an easy " before or after the sale " stop in if someone wanted to saturate themselves in Plumerias / meet some of the greatest Plumeria gurus on the planet. 

Growing them isn't hard if you treat them like a succulent ..Chunky, well drained soil, not a ton of water,  and allowed to go to sleep ( and drop all leaves ) during the winter ..Which also means very little or no water.

Numerous dwarf - sized cultivars which can be grown in containers w/ out too much effort, that can be moved in / out depending on the season.  Bigger cultivars definitely require more space.

" Dwf. Pink Singapore ",   Jungle Jack's cultivars like " Mini Me ",  " Mini White ",  " Divine ",  and " Thumbalina " are just a few of the really dwarf Plumeria out there which can be perfectly at home - and bloom reliably- in a 10-20gal pot. 

[metalfan]

One thing to remember about B. phalaenopsis...it can never, EVER dry out. Its root system is extremely shallow, and if it misses even one-two waterings and the roots are allowed to dry out, the risk of losing growth is quite real (I speak from experience). I have 2 straight species and one hybrid. I water them all daily, even in winter.

I have a nice deep pink Vanda blooming today, it's an old plant, mounted to a post. Tag got lost years ago (thanks, Pesky the Squirrel). Blooms a few times a year, often has 2 spikes

And this Oncidiou sphacelatum. Two spikes blooming, there are 2 more on the plant waiting to open. They are 3+ feet. Got this in a trade in the 1990's from a lady in Puerto Rico

 

[Barry]

These are my purchases from Redlands show. Nice show, but very hot. We got in at 11 am. Should done the early bird, but getting the wife moving that early, not easy. 2.5 hour drive for us. But extremely enjoyed. We also stopped by one of our favorite nurseries we found 5 years or so ago. I will post those mainly Aroid purchases under other thread.

 

[metalfan]

I have that Aerides seidenfadenia mitrata! Its a great plant!

[piping plovers]

17 hours ago, Silas_Sancona said:

Dwf. Pink Singapore ",   Jungle Jack's cultivars like " Mini Me ",  " Mini White ",  " Divine ",  and " Thumbalina " are just a few of the really dwarf Plumeria out there which can be perfectly at home - and bloom reliably- in a 10-20gal pot. 

Good idea and thanks for the recommendations. I’m regretting not buying one now but I hope to go again next year. I’m thinking of making this festival an annual pilgrimage 😁.

I saw living colors on the vendor list below; not sure if same one you mentioned. I didn’t remember seeing any other plumeria booth tho.  Swirling circles of orchid booths.  Disorienting.  Once it got too hot i just wanted to leave. 

10 hours ago, metalfan said:

One thing to remember about B. phalaenopsis...it can never, EVER dry out. Its root system is extremely shallow, and if it misses even one-two waterings and the roots are allowed to dry out, the risk of losing growth is quite real (I speak from experience). I have 2 straight species and one hybrid. I water them all daily, even in winter.

Thanks for the caution on this. After reading this, I was prompted to add a moist paper towel around the roots to the packaging until I get home next week.  I do have one at home but will be more diligent with it now. Even more challenging with water retention when I read care suggestions that the plant should be grown upside down in the pot of sideways out the pot.
 

52 minutes ago, Barry said:

These are my purchases from Redlands show. Nice show

Nice haul!  I did photograph the pink ones you bought; they really stood out with the long leaves? Roots? I can’t remember which now.

Did you get that elephant ear ? Staghorn type fern there?  I’ve been wanting one for awhile.  They remind me of that water lettuce plant growing in ponds here—-but epiphytic with giant leaves!  I did see a booth with nice staghorns and such. 
 

and yes,  PLEASE 🙏 share the name of the aroid nursery in homestead.  I’d love to visit there next time I’m in S FL.

 

[Barry]

1 hour ago, piping plovers said:

Good idea and thanks for the recommendations. I’m regretting not buying one now but I hope to go again next year. I’m thinking of making this festival an annual pilgrimage 😁.

I saw living colors on the vendor list below; not sure if same one you mentioned. I didn’t remember seeing any other plumeria booth tho.  Swirling circles of orchid booths.  Disorienting.  Once it got too hot i just wanted to leave. 

Thanks for the caution on this. After reading this, I was prompted to add a moist paper towel around the roots to the packaging until I get home next week.  I do have one at home but will be more diligent with it now. Even more challenging with water retention when I read care suggestions that the plant should be grown upside down in the pot of sideways out the pot.
 

Nice haul!  I did photograph the pink ones you bought; they really stood out with the long leaves? Roots? I can’t remember which now.

Did you get that elephant ear ? Staghorn type fern there?  I’ve been wanting one for awhile.  They remind me of that water lettuce plant growing in ponds here—-but epiphytic with giant leaves!  I did see a booth with nice staghorns and such. 
 

and yes,  PLEASE 🙏 share the name of the aroid nursery in homestead.  I’d love to visit there next time I’m in S FL.

 

It is roots and leaves hanging down. Yes the staghorn was purchased at the show, a few different vendors with them. The other plant is a white bat plant, largest one I’ve seen for sale. 
 

Paradise Family Nursery, they have such a wide selection of plants from desert roses, palms, trees, aroids, bromeliads, etc. You might not think much when you pull up, agaves and such in the front, but get to the greenhouses in the back. Such a wide variety of plants. I didn’t take any pictures. As you, we were getting burnt out from the heat and hadn’t eaten all day. I posted pictures on new topic.

Jesus Camcho is the owner along with his wife. Super nice and helpful people. They don’t take credit cards, only cash or Zelle. And I’m pretty sure they won’t ship, but never asked.

Safe travels home!

 

[Silas_Sancona]

10 minutes ago, piping plovers said:

Good idea and thanks for the recommendations. I’m regretting not buying one now but I hope to go again next year. I’m thinking of making this festival an annual pilgrimage 😁.

I saw living colors on the vendor list below; not sure if same one you mentioned. I didn’t remember seeing any other plumeria booth tho.  Swirling circles of orchid booths.  Disorienting.  Once it got too hot i just wanted to leave. 

2 different nurseries..  Looks Like Living Colors grows primarily Bromeliads / Orchids.   FL Colors grows Plumeria exclusively. 

Looking at the vendor list, looks like " Just Plumerias " was the Plumeria vendor at the sale.. 

If i remember right, Just Plumerias is  a smaller grower that sells  cuttings ( primarily ) of a handful of standard varieties.  Often seen at Disney / EPCOT.   On the other hand,  FL. colors sells dozens of cultivars.

If any peak your interest ..now or later..  specific dwarf cultivars i'd mentioned can be purchased directly from Jungle Jacks..  Ship 1+ gal rooted plants vs. starting w/ cuttings ..which can be tricky to root ..at least until you get the hang of it.. Prices are pretty reasonable.



Agree with the " cusp of overwhelming " aspect.. I remember approaching the sales area and thinking to myself -in a good way of course-  what did i get myself into..  As if the PAC. Orchid Expo i'd attended  wasn't enough of a sight for the eyes / senses.

There were a couple times i found myself close to overwhelmed wandering around taking tons of mental notes of everything the vendors were selling / trying to get pictures of everything,  plus taking a look at the garden itself...  


Don't remember the R.L. event i'd attended being esp. hot but,  plenty of plant sales i've attended here where the mission was to get in and out as quickly as possible, esp. events during the Summer / early Fall..

Worst personal heat related experience in FL was getting quite burnt, after spending an entire day at a beach in Venice,  then driving from there to Key Largo that evening.. Pretty sure i should have visited an E.R. when i got to my hotel in Key Largo. 

Still,  woke up the next morning and spent a couple hours exploring a nearby park, ...before starting the trip back to Ohio..  Pretty sure  i'd visited FL. colors for the first time on the same day. 

 

[Barry]

Nathan is correct, Just Plumeria’s just has generic cuttings. He splashes paint on the cutting to signify the flower colors. I saw him there, he does a lot of cuttings. Usually at most of the shows in our area. 
Florida Color nursery has an incredible selection of named varieties. Not totally necessary to have named varieties, but I like to collect unique colors. 

[John hovancsek]