Guys, I hate to rain on your parade but you need to know that it is virtually impossible to transplant pink ladyslippers Cypripedium acaule)successfully. Many people claim to do it but ask them after three years to see if the plants are still alive. Even those which survive for a year or two usually disappear. If anyone knows of a technique for transplanting these and has had them come back for more than three years, I'm sure everyone would like to know. It is a shame to lift them simply to have them die in another location.

Various species of orchids are among the most common native plants in some of our local ecosystems. Calypsos by the billions (not millions) and various cypripediums as far as the eye can see. I applaud a posting above that dismisses the hyseria about 'orchids' as endangered, etc. there are 'specific' plants protected in some regions but not 'orchids' everywhere. Some lady slippers are among the easiest of native plants to grow. Some are more difficult. This however is often dependent on the ecology of where one lives...no different than trying to grow any plant. I can transplant a yellow slipper from one area of the garden to another and it doesn't even hiccup. If I try the same with a non native (to our area) slipper such as Cypripedium regina it will take a year to recover....if ever.

Can anyone tell me when they bloom in Connecticut? I was married June 10...and I know I carried them in my wild flower bouquet (with lily-of-the-valley, a bit of native laurel, buttercups and jack-in-the-pulpet) So I think it is too early to look for them in the woods...but I don't even see the distinctive two fuzzy leaves yet! Don't 'ya just love this time of year! Marie

Bought the lady slipper! $7.99 for a decently sized one in a 3" pot... Very "little shop of horrors" looking. I love it. I also managed to get a few more photos of the non phals at Trader Joe's today - fairly new to all the other varieties but I'll venture my guess as to what they are (if I butcher it then feel free to correct me)... Some sort of oncidium: Miltoniopsis? ??? No idea but it looked cool Maybe a mini dendrobium to the left and a very handsome green lady slipper to the right. Ok that's the end of it... I stopped taking photos because people were looking at me funny.