Carolyn, Why don't laelias bloom for you? but catts bloom for you, right? I will def. check out those SA vendors per your suggestion, thanks... I've been so bad, all your talks about "other plants" make me feel a little guilty! I don't "look" at anything except for orchids now... I've been trying to stop myself for hitting that "submit" button at growers' sites. I kept telling myself this is my first winter with the 'chids, let's see if I could get thru without a problem... but if CJ can have a "winter fix", then we all deserve to have at least a fix or two, right??? Oh, Michigoose, I would go back to Trader Joe's, look at it this way, you know how lucky you are to be able to buy orchids at local stores? I certainly don't get that luxury... lol...

I got a Cypripedium in bud and I'm exited. Reminds me of Joan Rivers who was asked once what she really would like to be. Her response: "Pope, I would really like to be the Pope but for a Jewish girl from New York that is difficult unless you know some one." Growing Cyps on Southern California is similar. There a number of vendors to order from, I talked to all of them and got the same advice. Start with hybrids and after you successfully grow these try your hand at species. I ordered one species, Cyp kentuckiensis, which they said was the easiest and a hybrid, Phillip, from the Wild Flower Co. and I also ordered substrate from 'Raising Rarities'. All give you advice how to make your own substrate but since these buggers have such a high failure rate with us down here, I thought why not go with what the experts use. For $14 they send me a bag enough for 5 plants. The 2 Cyps arrived in March in full dormancy and since then have sprouted. Kentuckiense has a bud and a second growth, the other one a robust growth but no sign of bud yet. As Borat would say: "Great success!" This feels like a first date, the second date is the one that counts. After blooming and growing them, successful vernalization and repeat performance next spring is the real trick. So far so good. If these continue doing well I will order more for next spring. I don't know anyone else in SOCAL who grows these, if someone knows of a hobbyist who is growing them down here, please let me know. Nick

Oops! I didn't specify, but I honestly didn't expect any orchids to work in full sun here. That's what I get for assuming! Yes, epiphytes are as welcome as terrestrials! I have tried reed-stem Epidendrums here, but they just can't hack the heat, even in the shade. I may try again, if I can find a few to fit my budget, and play some more with soil mixes and pot styles. I left them in their original nursery pots last time. This time, I'll try putting them in a coarser mix in clay pots, and see if the extra aeration and evaporative cooling helps. I'll have to double check on the other recommendations to see where elsewhere they might have been grown. Arthur, here's a more detailed outline of our climate: We usually have about 180 straight days over 40°C, 30-40 days over 44°, and about a week of days over 47°! 35°+ nights can go on for up to two months. My understanding is that parts of the interior of the northern half of Western Australia have a climate very similar to ours, and many plants from that region do very well here. The local orchid societies concentrate exclusively on growing the usual Cattleyas, Phalaenopsis, Dendrobiums, etc. in evaporatively cooled greenhouses. I'm hoping to develop a few kinds as landscape plants, quixotic as that may seem! Thank you both for your input! Any other ideas out there? Kevin : )

Marked by Lydia is very pretty, and your rose is just beautiful. I have bletilla, but while it has multiplied a bit, mine has never bloomed :( Lots of heat here too. It rained yesterday afternoon & seemed cooler last night. I'm hoping today might be a bit cooler too.