Orchid Mania

[bixaorellana]

Isn't every day a good day to look at beautiful flowers? That was made easy today because I attended the ~


My own orchid mania is in the most fledgling stage, so here are pretty pictures of the event, but few IDs.

Entering at the ticket booth. The grounds here are vast ~


There are large swathes of lawn, but also riots of tropical foliage ~


Passing beneath the second arch to enter the festival ~


This outdoor pavilion showcased winning entries, but was light on identifying information.
Fortunately, I recently acquired a tiny infant one of these, so know that it's Dendrobium fimbriatum ~

[bixaorellana]

Booths upon booths of everything orchid -- care products, jewelry, orchids & other plants ~



Some very exotic items, such as this Platycerium elephantotis (thank you, Google Lens!) ~


And I miraculously retained the name the vendor supplied for this orchid with meter-long leaves:
Bulbophyllum phalaenopsis ~




Blue!

[bixaorellana]

Closeup of an Oncidium, popularly called a dancing lady orchid ~


Orchids are nice, but don't neglect gussying up your yard ~


Carnivorous plants ~






Even in that sea of beauty the sheer lushness of this color and the perfection of the petals stood out ~


~ ~ ~ That's that! ~ ~ ~

[kerouac2]

I know there are a huge variety of orchids, but every time there is a display like this, I always see a few that I have never seen before.

Thanks for the show.

[mickthecactus]

Love the Platycerium and Orchid with the ridiculously long leaves.

[bixaorellana]

Thank you, guys!

Kerouac, I found that after a while the sheer mass of exotica and color was overwhelming and I went outside for some restful greenery.

Mick, I'm dying to get a Platycerium elephantotis for my very own. The "regular" P. bifurcatums are all over this town, often in places where you'd think they would have died instantly. I have a very nice one I brought from Oaxaca, but the wide-leaved one is a beauty.

The Bulbophyllum phalaenopsis is a fascinating but rather disgusting thing: www.orchidweb.com/orchids/bulbophyllum-cirrhopetalum/species/bulbophyllum-phalaenopsis-individual-listing

Most of the prices at the festival were about as elevated as you'd expect. There was a booth with Hoya, including H. compacta, which I've been wanting. One small pot with a single, rather attenuated branch a little over 2' long was 700 pesos -- 41.75 usd, 33.13 gbp. Not happening. By that standard, I'm sitting on a million dollars with my own happily branching & twining H. carnosa!

[htmb]

I just never know what to make of orchids. Most are beautiful to look at, but the blossoms seem so different from other flowering plants. To me, they never look alive. Pretty though, but I don’t think I should ever be trusted to care for an orchid plant.

[bixaorellana]

Honestly, Htmb, it took me a while to get into them, partly because masses of different ones displayed together strike me as more cloying than beautiful. But seeing them growing everywhere here -- on top of driveway posts, on trees, casually used in a garden, etc. -- takes away some of the nervousness about caring for them. Also, there is so much enthusiasm about orchids here, some of it has to rub off. I've acquired quite a few bits and scraps that probably were gathered irresponsibly and have kept many alive and even gotten blooms.

[lugg]

I love orchids ; I have a few at home ( indoors) that sometimes delight , sometimes disappoint. I am in the experimental phase , trying to keep them blooming.

But never seen anything as glorious as this collection. Bulbophyllum phalaenopsis - wow.

Even in that sea of beauty the sheer lushness of this color and the perfection of the petals stood out ~

Beautiful