Some old some new.... 2020 is coming

The year turning a corner, has been raining almost everyday. I have been busy and have not collected my orchids from Julius. Here is the link to his facebook Julius Ng Orchids.

A composite of a couple of bellina first blooms as well as some old blooms. A PK "chinyo" that has not bloomed for a long time.

Wishing everyone a merry christmas and a happy 2020 !!!

Para denevei again

The denevei is blooming again thanks to the heat spell. I didn't get around to do the swlfing last time. Maybe I will try again.

 

Bulbophyllum cruentum ... finally !

I wanted some Renanthera bella and hopefully Bulbophyllum cruentum. I didn't get the Renanthera but managed to finally get hold of some Bulbo cruentum. A specie I have been trying to find for a long time. Thanks to Julius Ng @ Julius Ng Orchids its now in the collection together with the other macrobulbons.  I shall try and share some photos of Julius's nursery when I next collect my orchids.

More blooms

The 2 spikes from Teoh Tee Teong hybrid feeling a bit crowded compared to the Bellina red blooms.

Collected some seedlings

3 bottles were ready to be deflasked.  As usual break bottles, wash off media, fungicide soak then into containers with spaghnum moss.

Some Bels

The net have been patched....  less intrusion by the birds and the flowers are coming back ...

Less toxic option

Have been switching to less harmful option......neem oil and plant based detergent.

Promising

A first bloom from a bellina chen seedling....

In full glory

Just before selfing....

Almost there

Nearly in full bloom....

Paraphalaenopsis denevei

My denevei is starting to bloom....  looks really good. The last two selfings didn't work out so I will make another attempt and see if I will be third time lucky....

Japanese persimmons doing well

The Japanese persimmons seeds have germinated and grown well. The plants look really healthy now. These have been growing in full sun the last few months. May have to be repotted soon.

The awakening...

One of my amorphophallus titaniums awakening from hibernation. One step nearer …..but still some way to go !

Buddha's Hand from Ben's @ 58 Market

Buddha's hand, literal translation from the chinese name "佛手“  Citrus medica L.var.saecodactylis Swingle. I have seen these before but always wondered if they will do well here let alone fruit. I saw one of these on sale at the 58 market plant/flower stall (corner stall next to the fruit stall) run by Ben and his wife. A small crowd had gathered and was looking at it obviously attracted by the novelty of this uncommon specimen and a couple of large fruits on the plant. As I was carrying quite a few things and my hands were full, said to myself "i will buy it if its still here when i come back.....  "

I now have 3 in my garden :)

Seedlings came back and a new spike from my Denevei

Deflasked 6 bottles of seedlings finally. They came back a few weeks ago buy I have been delaying the deflasking because of the hot weather. I finally had to because some of the bottles were beginning to deteriorate. 3 of the bottles had nice big seedlings while the rest were so so .

A new spike from the Paraphalaenopsis denevei

A new princess

A first bloom from a Kung Princess keiki.

Some selfing and sibling cross

4 X Storiei yellow selfing, 4 X Boediarjo sibling cross and 1X Agastor selfing.... 

Dendrobium tobaense

I bought  2 of these several years ago from Woon Leng Nursery and when Julius Ng Orchids posted these for sale recently, I couldn't resist....... They arrived yesterday. He picked some nice flowering specimens for me. Julius Ng Orchids has since moved to a new location at 50 Ponggol East, SG 828826.

Renanthera storiei yellow

Finally after a long long wait

I got this from MH nursery just before he shuttered the farm.  Wasn't cheap and I have struggled to grow it well. I tried growing it in a pot with charcoal initially but it didn't do well, I then tied it to my teak wood orchid rack and frangipani. Both didn't work too. Finally I tried using a plastic chopstick holder from NTUC and a mix of coconut husk and spaghnum moss. and it worked. I have since took a cutting from the plant and tied it to my palm tree. Fast forward a few years and this is now spiking and should flower soon. The remaininng base has since generated another 2 healthy growths that are doing very well. You probably can tell its a Renenthera, this is the "传说中的“   yellow storiei .....

Yummy !!!!

I recently added a venus fly trap to grow out of curoisity.....  grown  in a glass bowl with a mixture of vermiculite, potting mix, spaghnum moss and coconut husk. Covered with moss , in a very wet enviromnent and enjoys close to full sun.  Almost a month now, it seems adjusted and growing doing well. That's a large housefly you see !

Bulbophyllum agastor blooms

The second blooming from this plant bought from a US vendor Bill Thoms who specializes in premium and unique Bulbophyllums. You can find him on shopify. Plants are great and prices are reasonable.

Primary hybrid

Paraphalaenopsis boediardjo = Paraphalaenopsis denevei X Paraphalaenopsis laycockii, 2 different specimens with different colour variations.

Bulbophyllum agastor

Showing some new growth and spike. Seems happy with it's new position.

The other end of the spectrum

The Phalaenopsis appendiculata consistent bloomer but i can't seem to drastically increase the flower count.

Little grapes

Another attempt at fruiting....  I was trying to grow some shade over my water lily dragon urn. An unexpected reward....

Bulbophyllum Macrobulbon section...

Did some rearrangements, the larger ones at the back doesn't seem to be getting enough water....   In the collection, Bulbo phalaenopsis, Bulbo spiesii, Bulbo agastor, Bulbo macrobulbum, Bulbo fletcherainum, Bulbo orthosepalum missing the cooler growing Bulbo cruentum. ( I was told not to waste money on it.... needs cooool enviromnent and a real tough one to grow well)

While some prefer to grow them shady, I was advised to grow them in brighter areas. They seem to like the sun. The agstor is budding again. I hope the birds don't get to them before I can take a photo.

Dendrobiums are blooming too

The heat spell never fail to induce flowers from the dendrobiums. Yes these are on the totem pole !

Almost missed this Baccarii bloom

Hidden away behind the big leaves, i spotted this Baccarii flowers while spraying the orchids this afternoon. Second time it has bloomed. Unfortunately I could not get a direct front shot because of the way the plant is growing. I grow it very wet and you can see the moss all around the orchid. The smell  attracts houseflies as you can see in the first photo. The flowers are small compared to the leaves probably because they have no room to fully develope due to the way it has been grown. I grow the big leaves and macrobulbons for their bulbs and leaves, maybe I should pay attention to the blooms as well. The macrobulbons are doing really well and some of them will need to be divided soon or have their barks changed.to larger ones...  Maye by the end of the year.